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: 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: 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: 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: 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.

Abstract: A seat occupant sensor device for detecting whether or not an occupant is seated on a seat is made up of a pressure sensitive switch including a pair of sensor portions and a connecting portion, with each of the sensor portions being formed as an integration of a pair of opposed films and a spacer. On one of the films is disposed a plurality of spaced first electrodes which are electrically connected to each other by way of a first conductive path, and on the other film is disposed a plurality of spaced second electrodes which are electrically connected to each other by way of a second conductive path. The spacer is disposed between the pair of opposed films in such a manner that each of the first electrodes is maintained separate from the corresponding second electrode when the seat is unoccupied. The first conductive path and the second conductive path extend into the connecting portion, and the connecting portion is positioned, when in its free state, between the pair of the sensor portions.

Abstract: A flowmeter for measuring fluid flow including a body having a receptacle including a cavity formed by a threadless cylindrical side wall, a stopper adapted to be inserted into the cavity of the receptacle including a generally cylindrical threadless shank having an annular groove, and a clip member slidably located in a passage of the body. The clip member is slidable between a first position wherein the clip member is located within the annular groove of the stopper to prevent removal of the stopper from the body, and a second position wherein the clip member is located outside of the annular groove of the stopper whereby the stopper may be longitudinally removed from the receptacle of the body.

Abstract: An ink drop let jetting method and an apparatus are provided to easily and arbitrarily control a volume of ink droplets without changing the voltage value of a jet pulse. Thus, printing with a desired resolution may be achieved. When the volume of ink droplets (or printing density) is increased, the printing frequency of a timing period of the jet pulse is set to a reciprocal of an even-numbered multiple of the time T in which a pressure wave propagates within an ink chamber in one-way. Also, when the volume of ink droplets is decreased, the printing frequency is set to a reciprocal of an odd-numbered multiple of the time T in which a pressure wave propagates within an ink chamber in one-way. Alternatively, printing is executed at intermediate frequencies. According to this method, it becomes possible to print dots with an arbitrary resolution.

Abstract: A method of forming and moving ink drops across a gap between a print head and a print medium, or intermediate print medium, in a marking device includes generating an electric field, forming the ink drops adjacent the print head and controlling the electric field. The electric field is generated to extend across the gap. The ink drops are formed in an area adjacent the print head. The electric field is controlled such that an electrical attraction force exerted on the formed ink drops by the electric field is the greatest force acting on the ink drops. The marking device may be incorporated into a transfuse printing system having an intermediate print medium made of one or more materials that allow for lateral dissipation of electrical charge from the incident ink drops.

Abstract: Semi-spherical supports are used in the piercing of small, consistently sized holes in a soft metal. In particular, a flow control device, such as an orifice plate, can be fabricated with small, consistently sized flow apertures to regulate flow in a gas flow regulating device. By using semi-spherical supports, the need for hand-punching and real-time flow calibration can be avoided and automated machinery with a tapered piercing tool can be used to fabricate the flow control device.

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, flowthrough 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. In one alternative embodiment, an ink jet head assembly contains two separate carbon pressure chamber plates, a carbon manifold plate and a carbon collar to retain the carbon plates in an assembly.

Abstract: An ink-jet system has an ink channel between an ink reservoir and a nozzle, and an electromechanical transducer which comprises an expansible member arranged adjacent to the ink channel for abruptly reducing the volume of the ink channel in order to eject an ink droplet through the nozzle. The depth of a portion of the ink channel between the expansible member and the nozzle is larger than both the depth of the portion adjacent to the expansible member and the height of the nozzle.

Abstract: A selection electrode is formed in correspondence with each aperture of an aperture electrode unit, and a data electrode is formed every two or four adjacent apertures on the same plane as the selection electrode. The selection electrodes and the data electrodes are time-divisionally driven by controlling voltages to be applied to these electrodes. Therefore, a high-resolution recording operation can be performed with a small number of driving ICs, and the cost can be reduced.