Abstract: A capacitor cover for closing an open end of a capacitor, including an elastomeric outer layer, a rigid middle layer and a polypropylene inner layer, each with an aperture so as to allow passage of a terminal through the capacitor cover, is described. The inner layer has a peripheral skirt and an annular skirt which extend outwardly sufficiently to prevent electrolyte from the capacitor from coming into contact with the peripheral surface and the annular surface of the rigid middle layer. The capacitor cover can result in the capacitor achieving a temperature tolerance of at least about 105.degree. C. An electrolytic capacitor, including a capacitor body, an electrolyte and a capacitor cover is also described.

Abstract: An induction heating module encapsulation apparatus and method for its use is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a substantially airtight chamber which is composed of ceramic or some other high temperature insulating material in which a cap and a ceramic substrate having semiconductor chips joined thereon are placed. A sealband of solder or other brazing material is placed at the periphery of the cap where the cap and substrate are to be joined. An RF coil, which serves as inductor in the apparatus, the energized by a high frequency generator, generating an electromagnetic field in the radio frequency spectrum. The RF coil is oriented to localize the inducted current at the periphery of the cap and the sealband. The inducted current is dissipated in the form of heat until the sealband is molten. The RF power is then turned off.

Abstract: A multi-purpose cooker for steaming, drying or boiling foodstuffs includes a base having a switch, an electric heater mounted on the base, a bottom plate mounted on the electric heater, a water container mounted on the bottom plate, a water collector mounted on the water container, a plurality of drying pans mounted on the water container, a steaming pan mounted on the drying pans, a cooking pan mounted on the steaming pan, a cover mounted on the cooking pan and formed on a top with a recess having a center hole, and a plurality of ventilating perforations, and a lid formed with a recess at a center and a plurality of slots thereon.

Abstract: Flow-through fluid heaters useful, e.g., for the preheating of exhaust gas streams prior to catalytic treatment thereof, are made by bonding an electrically conductive metallic film or foil to at least one pre-sintered flexible ceramic foil substrate to provide a flexible, electrically conductive ceramic/metallic heating element, that element then being formed into a crimped sheet or base sheet for incorporation into a honeycomb structure which includes a plurality of open channels extending from one surface of the structure to another surface of the structure, formed by one or more contacting combinations of crimped sheet and base sheet. Catalytic coatings may be applied to the preheaters to provide a heater/converter with very rapid light-off characteristics.

Abstract: A laser beam machining process and apparatus, applicable to laser beam perforation and cutting, in which a laser beam is directed onto a wall (4) of a component (6) to be machined from one side of the said wall and emerges on the other side thereof following the machining operation. According to the invention, a disk (16) which is opaque to the laser beam is placed on the other side of the wall on the path followed by the laser beam when it emerges and performs a rotary movement, so as to stop the emerging laser beam and in this way protect the walls (8) adjacent to the machined wall against the impacts of the emergent laser beam.

Abstract: An immersion type water heating element assembly. The assembly allows replacement of a water heating element for a hot water tank without removing the electrical supply wires or disconnecting an electrical supply by providing a first main plate having a hole therethrough and permanently attached to a hot water tank. Supply terminals are positioned on the first main plate and permanently wired to an electrical supply for supplying current. A second plate is detachably mounted to the first main plate and includes a water heating element and contact terminals which contact the electrical supply terminals when the second main plate is mounted on the first main plate. The assembly includes a sealing device for preventing water in the hot water tank from leaking through the first main plate and the second main plate. The immersion type heating element attached to the second main plate extends through the hole in the first main plate and into the hot water tank.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the fabrication of diaphragm pressure sensors utilizing silicon-on-insulator technology where recrystallized silicon forms a diaphragm which incorporates electronic devices used in monitoring pressure. The diaphragm is alternatively comprised of a silicon nitride having the necessary mechanical properties with a recrystallized silicon layer positioned thereon to provide sensor electronics.

Abstract: An improved cooling arrangement is disclosed for an industrial heat treat furnace. The furnace includes a closed end cylindrical heat treat chamber in which a plenum plate is suspended adjacent the rear end thereof. The plenum plate has a central underpressure opening and a fan between the rearward end of the furnace and the plate develops a wind mass which circulates into the furnace chamber and is drawn back into the fan through the plate central underpressure opening. Between the plenum plate and the furnace rearward end is positioned a first fixed fan diffuser followed by a second fixed fan diffuser. The first fan diffuser permits wind mass flow therethrough when the fan is rotated in a first direction but not in a second direction and similarly the second fan diffuser permits wind mass flow therethrough when the fan is rotated in a second direction but not in a first direction.

Abstract: Provided is a solid electrolytic capacitor including a capacitor element, an internal anode lead extending from a substantially central portion of one lateral surface of the capacitor element, other surfaces of the capacitor element normal to the lateral surface being adapted to serve as cathode terminal walls, an external anode lead connected to the internal anode lead, an external cathode lead connected to one of the cathode terminal wall, and a resin mold encapsulating the capacitor element as well as connecting portions associated therewith, wherein the external anode lead connected to the internal anode lead is bent to have at least two steps at its end portion, a lower step of said at least two steps being fixed to another one of the cathode terminal walls through an insulating material, an upper step of said at least two steps being fixed to the internal anode lead.

Abstract: A power converter device for supplying direct current to an electric arc furnace comprises at least one transformer with its primary fed with a three-phase alternating current and delivering to at least one secondary a three-phase current applied to a rectifier system outputting to the load a rectified voltage and current. The rectifier system comprises controlled semiconductors for each secondary and a freewheel circuit. The controlled semiconductors are triggered with essentially variable firing angles, modified to increase the duration of conduction in the freewheel circuit whilst reducing the duration of conduction in the triggered semiconductors, and vice versa, so as to deliver to the load a substantially constant active power or reactive power despite variations in the impedance of the load.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an interdigital capacitor and to a method for producing an interdigital capacitor having a finger structure of a coplanar stub line covered by an air bridge pocket for increasing the capacitance of the coplanar line. The air bridge pocket provides shielding for the capacitor structure. The disclosed manufacturing method includes producing a galvanic reinforcement of the center line of the coplanar line.

Abstract: This invention relates to an electrolyte for use in electrolytic capacitors and also to an electrolytic capacitor using the electrolyte. The solute for the electrolyte is a quaternary ammonium salt of either a carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of phthalic acid, tetrahydrophthalic acid, hexahydrophthalic acid and maleic acid, or an alkyl or nitro-substituted compound of the acid. The electrolytic capacitor has improved low temperature characteristics and an improved variation in characteristics at high temperatures in relation to time with a prolonged life.

Abstract: A composition for an intergranular insulation type semiconductive ceramic capacitor essentially consisting of 1 mole of SrTiO.sub.3, 0.005 mole to 0.012 mole of TiO.sub.2, and 0.003 mole to 0.006 mole of a quinquevalent ion oxide selected from a group consisting of Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5, Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5, Sb.sub.2 O.sub.5 and the mixture thereof. An intergranular insulation type semiconductive ceramic capacitor is made by sintering a ceramic body made of the composition at a temperature of not less than 1,500.degree. C. in the atmosphere, to form a sintered body having a liquid phase at its grain boundaries, and cooling the sintered body so that the liquid phase forms an intergranular insulating layer. The intergranular insulation type semiconductive ceramic capacitor exhibits a dielectric constant of not less than 40,000 and an insulation resistance of not less than 10.sup.9 .OMEGA..

Abstract: A semiconductor device and process for making the same are disclosed which incorporate a relatively large percentage of holmium dopant (0.5 to 5%) into a BST dielectric film 24 with small grain size (e.g. 10 nm to 50 nm). Dielectric film 24 is preferably disposed between electrodes 18 and 26 (which preferably have a Pt layer contacting the BST) to form a capacitive structure with a relatively high dielectric constant and relatively low leakage current. Apparently, properties of the thin film deposition and small grain size, including temperatures well below bulk BST sintering temperatures, allow the film to support markedly higher defect concentrations without holmium precipitation than are observed for bulk BST. For holmium doping levels generally between 0.5 and 5% (compensated with titanium and/or manganese), better than 50% improvement in dielectric constant and two to six orders of magnitude reduction in leakage current (compared to undoped BST) have been observed for such films.

Abstract: An electric double layer capacitor includes a pair of opposing polarized electrodes, a separator, a pair of external electrodes, and an insulating molding case. The pair of opposing polarized electrodes consist of activated carbon. The separator has characteristics which allow the separator to transmit ions but not to transmit electrons, and isolates the polarized electrodes from each other. The separator has an uneven shape for increasing a surface area of the separator. Each of the pair of external electrodes has one terminal electrically connected to a corresponding one of the polarized electrodes. The insulating molding case externally extracts the other terminal of each of the external electrodes to accommodate the polarized electrodes together with an electrolytic solution.

Abstract: In an oxygen sensor of the type having an oxygen ion conductive tube of solid electrolyte, a ceramic heater disposed within the oxygen ion conductive tube for heating the same is in the form of a quadrangular prism or a bar of a rectangular cross section. The ceramic heater is formed by piling up ceramic green sheets with metallic thick-film patterns for heat generating resistors interposed between adjacent two of the ceramic green sheets. The ceramic heater is so shaped as to satisfy the relation of b/a=0.75.about.1 where "a" is the width and "b" is the thickness of the ceramic heater. The metallic thick films, which the metallic thick-film patterns are turned to by firing, are arranged so as to be parallel to the side surfaces opposed in the thickness direction of the ceramic heater.

Abstract: An electric double layer capacitor having a rectangular cross-section for an excellent volumetric efficiency and a low internal resistance is disclosed. The capacitor comprises a plurality of sheet-like current collectors in one polarity and in the other polarity; the surfaces of the both collectors are formed into polarizable electrodes composed mainly of activated carbon with a binder; a plurality of separators interposed between the current collectors of the one polarity and those of the other polarity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for resistance spot welding aluminum comprises polishing the electrode tips periodically after a number of welds. During the spot welding, a coating or dust builds up on the electrode tips and this has been generally assumed to be pure aluminum. However, it has been found that the coating or dust is aluminum oxide which is nonconductive. Consequently, when power is applied to the electrodes there is a slight spitting or explusion at the electrode tips which are in contact with the aluminum surfaces. The electrodes thus become pitted or arced out after a few welds. To overcome this problem, the electrode tips are polished intermittently after a predetermined number of welds. This can be accomplished by a polishing wheel which is moved between the electrodes when they are in an open position.

Abstract: A laser beam machine is provided for irradiating a laser beam onto a workpiece to cut the same. When cutting a workpiece by irradiating a laser beam thereto, stable and reliable corner cutting is carried out according to a machining condition which provides practical effects. It is determined whether the machining (cutting) along a path according to a currently executed machining program has advanced to a corner B (Step S1), and if the corner B is reached, cutting is carried out according to a stepwise-varying machining condition M previously stored in a RAM (3) (Step S2). Specifically, the machining condition is once reduced to a low level or zero when the corner B is reached, and is thereafter increased stepwise up to a normal machining condition M.sub.0 with distance from the corner (with time). After the cutting of the corner B is completed, normal cutting is carried out according to the machining condition M.sub.0 (Step S3).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for vending a hot food product wherein a sealed container is moved from a protective sleeve and deposited in an oven where heat is transferred to the container for initially melting a protective sealing film and then heating the food product. After the food product has been heated, the container is removed from the oven and reinserted into the protective sleeve prior to dispensing the heated food product.