Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus and a method for regulating exhaust pressure in an evacuation system of a semiconductor process chamber are provided. The method comprises steps of generating a first pressure in the semiconductor process chamber with the evacuation system, monitoring the first pressure to generate a first signal, determining a set point for the exhaust pressure responsive to the first signal, and regulating the exhaust pressure by a controller till reaching the set point. The key aspect of the present invention is to maintain the equilibrium of the chamber pressure and the exhaust pressure by implementing an exhaust controller to control the gas flow rate introduced into the evacuation system. In other words, when the chamber pressure is increased, the gas is introduced into the evacuation system at an increased flow rate. On the other hand, when the chamber pressure is decreased, the gas is introduced into the evacuation system at a decreased flow rate.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide a heated type air flow rate sensor for measuring an air flow rate using heat generating resistive element or resistor formed within a diaphragm of which periphery is fixed, in which diaphragm destruction due to the collusion of dust is adapted to be prevented. Tapers of two or more stages are formed at a diaphragm fixing flange, and the angle of the most inside taper is made smaller than the angle of the taper which is outside with respect to the most inside taper. When dust collides with the diaphragm and the kinetic energy is transformed into distortion energy, the diaphragm destruction is avoided by making small the slope of the load-displacement curve at the neighborhood of the diaphragm flange to make the generated load small.

Abstract: The present invention is a Coriolis mass flowmeter which comprises at least one flowtube through which a fluid to be measured is allowed to flow; a number of force drivers for vibrating the flowtube in at least one mode of vibration of the flowtube; the vibration of the flowtube causing a driven deflection of the flowtube and the fluid flowing through the vibrating flowtube generating Coriolis forces which cause a Coriolis deflection of the flowtube; a plurality of strain-sensing transducers connected to the flowtube for generating signals representative of the driven deflection of the flowtube and the Coriolis deflection of the flowtube; and a signal processing circuit connected to the strain-sensing transducers for producing an indication of the mass flow rate of the fluid from the signals generated by the strain-sensing transducers.

Abstract: In the embodiments of the simplified ink jet head described in the specification, a carbon body is formed with ink passages, such as internal passages extending through a carbon plate, pressure chambers on one side of a carbon plate, flow-through passages on the other side of the same plate and ink supply passages, and a piezoelectric plate is affixed to the pressure chamber side of the carbon plate by a thin layer of epoxy adhesive. The piezoelectric plate may have a conductive coating on one side which is photo-etched to produce an electrode pattern corresponding to the pattern of the pressure chambers in the carbon plate. An orifice plate may have specially profiled orifice openings to assure axial projection of drops and may be affixed by a thin layer of epoxy adhesive to a carbon plate having orifice passages supplying ink from the pressure chambers to the orifices.

Abstract: A pipe line for fluid to be detected is formed so that heat from a flow rate detector in which a thin-film heating element and a thin-film temperature sensing element are laminated on a first surface of a substrate through an insulating layer is transferred to and absorbed by the fluid. In the flow rate detector, the temperature sensing which is affected by the heat absorption of the fluid due to the heating of the thin-film heating element is executed by the thin-film temperature sensing element, and the flow rate of the fluid in the pipe line is detected on the basis of the temperature sensing result. A fin plate extending into the pipe line is joined to a second surface of the substrate of the flow rate detector by a joint member, and the fin plate extends so as to pass through the central portion on the circular section of the pipe line. The dimension of the fin plate in the direction of the pipe line is larger than the dimension L2 of the thickness.

Abstract: A photoacoustic effect is used in order to measure a flow rate of a flowing medium (M), in particular of natural gas. A light emitter (1) is used to produce in the medium (M) a sound wave (S) which is transmitted by the medium (M) and detected by a sound detector (2). The light emitter (1) is less exposed to the medium (M) than a diaphragm such as used in the ultrasonic method.

Abstract: In order to estimate a braking force gradient in a low slip region including a steady travelling region, there is provided a device comprising a wheel speed sensor for detecting a wheel speed in a predetermined sampling period and outputting time series data of the wheel speed as a wheel speed signal, a break point frequency estimating section for estimating a break point frequency in a gain diagram that represents a frequency response of a first order lag model that approximates a transmission characteristics from road surface disturbances to wheel speed, and a braking force gradient estimating section for estimating a braking force gradient with respect to the estimated break point frequency on the basis of the map showing a relationship between braking force gradient and break point frequency stored in advance.

Abstract: A Coriolis flowmeter having a single flow tube surrounded by connecting rings and a balance bar whose ends are connected by the connecting rings to the flow tube. The balance bar has a thermal coefficient of expansion greater than that of the connecting rings and the flow tube. The outer circumferential surface of each connecting ring is tapered toward the axial center of the flow tube. The inner circumferential surface of the balance bar has a taper matching that of the connecting ring. The connecting ring can only partially inserted into the space between the flow tube and the balance bar when the assembly is at room temperature. Braze material is then applied to the visible ends of the surface common to the balance bar and the connecting rings as well as to the ends of the surface common to the connecting rings and the flow tube. The structure is heated to brazing temperature to braze these common surfaces.

Abstract: In a method of measuring the throughflow of a gas mixture, the gas mixture flows past a flow sensor which includes a heating device and a first temperature probe reacting to the temperature of the heating device. A temperature, which is characteristic of the temperature of a liquid above which the gas mixture stands as vapor, is measured with a second temperature probe. A first measurement signal characterizing the composition of the gas mixture and thus its heat dissipation capacity is produced using the known vapor-pressure curve of the liquid and the temperature of the liquid. A second measurement signal characterizing the throughflow of the gas mixture is produced using the heating power supplied to the heating device, the temperature of the first temperature probe and the first measurement signal. The method can be used when monitoring the gas return to a filling system and when controlling the gas pump used therein.

Abstract: A separator partitions an upstream side air passage of a bypass passage into first and second sub passages. A thermal flow sensor is attached to the separator facing the first sub passage. A convex is formed on the inner wall of an outer pipe defining the second sub passage. The convex protrudes toward the separator. Minimum flow passage area S2 of the second sub passage is smaller than minimum flow passage area S1 of the first sub passage, so that flow passage loss of the second sub passage is larger than flow passage loss of the first sub passage. Thus, measured air-flow amount average when the air-flow pulsates is corrected to be larger.

Abstract: A method for estimating the real and imaginary Young's modulus, shear modulus and Poisson's ratio of a specimen at an excitation frequency. The specimen is first joined to a reciprocating test apparatus at one end with a mass positioned at the other end. The test apparatus reciprocates at the excitation frequency and accelerations are recorded at each end of the specimen. The Young's modulus is calculated from the recorded accelerations. The specimen is then joined to a reciprocating rotational test apparatus at one end with a rotational inertial mass positioned at the other end. Accelerations are recorded upon subjecting the specimen to rotational reciprocations at the excitation frequency. The shear modulus is calculated from these accelerations. Poisson's ration can be calculated from the Young's modulus and the shear modulus at the excitation frequency. All of the calculations may be performed giving both real and imaginary values.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for comparing a force to a signal, or comparing two signals, through mechanical movement of capacitive plates in a transducer. The transducer plates are separated by d, which in one embodiment is preferably a linear function of a pressure or force F. In that embodiment, application of a signal i(t+&tgr;) to the plates will cause a voltage representing a correlation between F and i to appear between the plates. In another embodiment, instead of an external mechanical force or pressure, an electrical signal V related to a signal S may drive the transducer plates to achieve a voltage indicating a correlation between S and the signal input i(t+&tgr;). Transducers to practice the invention may be microelectromechanical devices fabricated using integrated circuit techniques to permit small size and low cost.

Abstract: An apparatus for and a method of sensing fluid pressure of a tire and the fluid supply of a tire pressure management system maintaining same, with a central sensor and which requires the control of only two valves. The apparatus for sensing fluid pressure of a tire and the fluid supply of a tire pressure management system maintaining same, includes a sensor disposed so as to be selectably in fluid communication with one or both of: a first valve, operable from an open position through a closed position, for respectively promoting and prohibiting fluid flow from the fluid supply, and a second valve, operable from an open position through a closed position, for respectively promoting and prohibiting fluid flow to or from the tire.

Abstract: A pressure detecting apparatus having a pressure introducing pipe is installed on an intake surge tank for detecting inner pressure in the intake surge tank. The intake surge tank is provided with a throttle passage having a throttle is disposed in the intake surge tank along a flow direction of the gas for increasing a flow speed of the gas. A pressure inlet at a leading end of the pressure introducing pipe is positioned in a vicinity of the throttle.

Abstract: The invention concerns a mass flow meter comprising at least a resistive wire (1 or 2) placed in the path of a fluid whereof the flow rate is to be measured, means (30) for applying to the wire current pulses, measuring means for determining the cooling speed of the wire between said pulses. The invention is characterised in that it comprises means for determining, on the basis of at least one measurement of the cooling speed, the type of fluid on the path of which the resistive wire is arranged.

Abstract: An optical strain gauge for measuring the strain in a structural member includes a mechanical grating device fixedly attached to the structural member for modulating an incident beam of light by diffraction; at least one source of light; and an optical system for directing light onto the mechanical grating device and a sensor for receiving light reflected from the mechanical grating device for producing a representation of the strain in the structural member.

Abstract: Droplet deposition apparatus comprising first and second channels (82a, 82b), one end of each channel communicating with a single, common supply chamber (40) for supply of droplet liquid and the respective other ends of the first and second channels each communicating with a respective further supply chamber (88, 92) for supply of droplet liquid; each of said first and second channels having an opening (96a, 96b) for ejection of droplets therefrom; and actuator means being associated with each channel for effecting the ejection of droplets.

Abstract: The invention relates to a measuring apparatus (1) for fluids with the following features: a) the measuring apparatus (1) has a support tube (2); b) a rotor (3, 36, 42) is rotatably journaled in the support tube (2); c) the rotor (3, 36, 42) is configured for interaction with the fluid found in the support tube (2); d) the rotor (3, 36, 42) has at both ends axially-magnetized permanently magnetic rotor magnets (7, 8; 46; 47); e) permanent magnetic stator magnets (18, 19; 52, 53) connected with the support tube (2) are axially juxtaposed with the ends of the rotor (3, 36, 42); f) each stator magnet (18, 19; 52, 53) has such axial magnetization that the neighboring stator and rotor magnets (18, 19; 7, 8; 46, 47; 52, 53) are oppositely attractive. g) the rotor device (1 [sic]) has a magnetic axially-stabilizing device (22, 23, 27; 58, 59, 66) for the rotor (3, 36, 42).

Abstract: A method of computing a belt tension distribution based on a multibody modeling method for the metal pushing V-Belt for CVTs. In order to reduce the complexity of the model, the ring is modeled as a virtual element that exists only as the second order differential equation. The virtual ring concept relies upon the instant locations and orientations of the blocks to compute total length, local bending, block-to-ring friction distribution, and friction-induced tension distribution of the ring. Simulation results show a good agreement with experimental results both in ring tension distribution and block compression distribution along the belt.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, an inkjet printer selectively energizes ink ejection elements in a scanning printhead such that the top nozzles of the printhead do not always print the first line of text in a scan. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by occasionally aligning the bottommost nozzle in the printhead with the bottom of the last full line of text to be printed during the scan. The alignment of the printhead with respect to the lines of text to be printed is varied from page to page or varied at other intervals so that the top nozzles and bottom nozzles are used about equally. This will also cause more uniform wear of the middle nozzles. The more uniform wearing of the nozzles and ink ejection elements extends the life of the printhead.