Abstract: According to the invention, the skull pot is provided with the following characteristics: a pot wall (1), a bottom (3) and an induction coil (9) which surrounds the pot wall (1) and by means of which high-frequency energy can be coupled into the contents of the pot. The pot wall (1) is made of a ring of metal pipes (1.1) which can be connected to a cooling medium. Slits are embodied between adjacent metal pipes (1.1). The metal pipes (1.1) are bent at a right angle at the upper ends thereof in such a way that said pipes extend towards the outside, when the pot wall (1) is viewed from above, and form a collar (2). The collar (2) is surrounded by an additional wall (upper wall 4). The upper edge of said wall is situated on a higher level than the collar (2) in such a way that the melt covers the collar (2) during operation.

Abstract: A method, for charging anode(s) into a furnace, comprises bending anode(s) having a roughly rectangular plate shape at the end of the charging direction, and charging the anode(s) into a melt stored in the furnace through a slope. When the depth of melt is taken to be D (cm), the height of the slope is taken to be H (cm), the inclination angle of the slope is taken to be &bgr; (°) and the thickness of the anode is taken to be b (cm), the bending angle &agr; (°) of the anode and the length c (cm) of the bent end of the anode are set to satisfy the following relationship: Equation (1): D>A×(c sin &agr;/b)B +0.06(H-190), provided that A and B are given by: Equation (2): A=−1051(sin &bgr;)2 +2028 sin &bgr;−839.3, and Equation (3): B=7.378(sin &bgr;)2−11.64 sin &bgr;+3.806.

Abstract: An apparatus for growing a silicon ingot including a graphite crucible in which a quartz crucible is placed, a driving axis connected to a lower part of the graphite crucible to revolve and move the graphite crucible up and down so as to support the graphite crucible, a heating element to heat the graphite crucible, and an insulating wall to protect and thermally isolate the graphite crucible, heating means, and driving axis in part from the external environment. The driving axis includes a hollow axis part having a hollow inside, an insulating axis part attached to the bottom of the hollow axis part to inhibit heat transfer, and a cylindrical axis part attached to the bottom of the insulating axis part. The construction of the driving axis reduces a temperature gradient in the molten silicon, improving uniform heat distribution for increased silicon ingot quality.

Abstract: An arc furnace that utilizes a combined DC arc system and an AC joule heating system to melt the waste disposed therein and to keep the waste material in a molten condition. The DC arc system utilizes the AC joule heating electrodes as part of the DC current path, thereby eliminating the need for a counter DC electrode. Furthermore, the AC joule heating system provides for peripheral and radial AC current flow to neighboring AC joule heating electrodes, thereby creating a stirring effect in the molten waste. This design greatly simplifies the arc furnace control system while providing a more effective thermal control of the molten waste.

Abstract: An operational remote controller integrates a joystick for bending a bending portion of an inserted portion in an endoscope. A bending lever stands on the joystick. For every automatically returning of the bending lever to a neutral position, a CPU of the operational remote controller detects the neutral position and sets an insensitive band within a predetermined range of the neutral position. Thus, the insensitive band can be set within a relatively narrow range irrespective of variation of neutral positions. The CPU supplies positional information of the bending lever to a control circuit for controlling a motor drive circuit. The control circuit controls a motor drive circuit based on the supplied positional information, and the motor drive circuit drives a motor to bend the bending portion of the inserted portion.

Abstract: An induction heating device for manufacturing a part by heating the part to a predetermined temperature. The induction heating device includes an induction coil connected to an electrical power supply for generating an electromagnetic flux field. A smart susceptor of the heating device is positioned in the electromagnetic flux field and includes a magnetically permeable material supported by a mesh structure. The magnetically permeable material generates heat in response to the flux field. The mesh structure provides support for the magnetically permeable material and closely conforms to the desired outer geometry of the part. The magnetically permeable material may be applied as a powder to the mesh using a hot spray gun, allowing tight conformance of the susceptor to the part geometry while avoiding forming limits of sheet metal susceptors.

Abstract: A soft and flexible heater utilizes electrically conductive threads or fibers as heating media. The conductive fibers are encapsulated by insulating materials, forming continuous heating cables. One or more heating cables can be formed into heaters of various configurations including tapes, sleeves or sheets. Such heaters may be connected in different combinations, in parallel or in series. The heater may contain continuous temperature sensors to prevent overheating and fire. Such temperature sensors can be made of electrically conductive fibers, metal wires or fiber optical filaments. When required by the heater design, the electrically conductive threads/fibers may have a polymer base, which acts as a Thermal-Cut-Off (TCO) at predetermined temperatures. Electrically conductive fibers comprised of such polymer base can melt between 120° C. and 350° C. thereby terminating electrical continuity in the heater.

Abstract: A metal-made water-cooling jacket for electric arc furnaces, characterized by comprising an Al diffusion layer having a thickness ranging from 200 to 800 &mgr;m, the Al concentration of the outermost surface of the Al diffusion layer being from 10 to 50 wt. %, formed on the surface of the metal by calorizing treatment.

Abstract: Asymmetric charge-balanced stimulation waveforms are defined and used for CNS stimulation with selective stimulation of either neuronal cell bodies or axon fibers of passage in favor of the other. A pre-pulse is followed by an opposite polarity stimulation pulse, with the pre-pulse being relatively low-amplitude and long-duration as compared to the stimulation pulse. The pre-pulse and stimulation pulse are charge-balanced to prevent tissue damage and electrode corrosion. The polarity of the pre-pulse and stimulation pulse control the selectivity of stimulation with respect to neuronal cell bodies versus axon fibers of passage. The waveform used in the stimulation method optionally includes a zero-amplitude phase having a duration of 0 to 500 microseconds.

Abstract: An abuse-tolerant microwave food packaging material includes repeated sets of microwave energy reflective material segments disposed on a substrate. Each set of reflective segments is arranged to define a perimeter having a length equal to a predetermined fraction of the effective wavelength of an operating microwave oven. The repeated sets of segments act both as a shield to microwave energy and as focusing elements for microwave energy when used in conjunction with food products, while remaining electrically safe in the absence of the food products.

Abstract: In a charging material preheater for preheating charging material (60) which is to be charged into a furnace vessel (3), having a shaft (9) which is fixed in a frame structure (20) and which in its upper region has a closeable feed opening (61) for the charging material (60) and a gas outlet and in its lower region a discharge opening for the charging material (60) and a gas inlet, and whose shaft walls (33, 35) delimit a receiving space (62) for the charging material (60) to be heated, the shaft walls (34,35) are subdivided into shaft wall portions which are individually replaceably fixed in the frame structure (20).

Abstract: An AC arc furnace has a plurality of electrodes arranged inside a furnace chamber enclosed by a shell. Each electrode is electrically connected to an electrode power source in series through corresponding auxiliary electromagnetic coils. The electromagnetic coils are arranged around the furnace shell in a pre-defined geometric pattern proximate the corresponding electrodes so that when each of the electrodes receives power from the power source and generates an arc inside the furnace, external magnetic fields are generated by the corresponding series connectedelectromagnetic coils. The external magnetic fields penetrate the shell to control deflection of the arcs caused by internal magnetic fields.

Abstract: A furnace for melting and holding aluminum materials, the furnace being characterized in that the furnace comprises: a pre-heating tower for pre-heating aluminum blocks, a melting crucible furnace which receives a supply of aluminum blocks from the pre-heating tower at a position immediately under the pre-heating tower, and a holding crucible furnace which receives a continuous supply of molten aluminum from the melting crucible furnace at a position side-by-side with the melting crucible furnace, and that an exhaust gas resulting from combustion in the melting crucible furnace can be supplied to the inside of the pre-heating tower as an ascending current for heat exchange with aluminum blocks, the furnace being capable of continuous melting and energy savings.

Abstract: Molten metal, or other electrically conductive material, in a vessel can be inductively heated, and simultaneously inductively stirred. A single-phase ac supply provides induction heating power to at least one set of three induction coil sections surrounding the vessel. A three-phase ac supply provides induction stirring power to at least one set of three induction coil sections surrounding the vessel. The single-phase ac supply is capacitively connected to the coil sections to form a heat resonance circuit, and the three-phase ac supply is inductively connected to the coil sections to forma a stir resonance circuit. The heat circuit capacitive elements provide a sufficient impedance to the output of the three-phase ac supply to block power transfer from its output to the input of the single-phase supply. The stir circuit inductive elements provide a sufficient impedance to the output of the single-phase supply to block power transfer from its output to the input of the three-phase supply.

Abstract: The present invention provides a circuit board/printed circuit board having pre-reserved conductive heating circuits, which comprises a plurality of metal circuit substrates and a plurality of layers of insulating material. The conductive heating circuits are disposed on the metal circuit substrates. Each of the conductive heating circuits has a plurality of direct heat-generating regions. The insulating material is disposed between the metal circuit substrates. When a current is provided to the conductive heating circuits, heat required for partly bonding and hardening can be generated so that the insulating material and the corresponding positions of the direct heat-generating regions on the metal circuit substrates can be bonded and hardened together. A pre-stacked multi-layer metal circuit board with partly bonding and hardening is thus finished.

Abstract: An induction furnace system has an active induction coil surrounding a crucible. A passive induction coil also surrounds the crucible. The passive induction coil is connected in parallel with a capacitor to form an L-C tank circuit. A source of ac current is provided to the active induction coil to produce a magnetic field that inductively heats and melts an electrically conductive material in the crucible. The magnetic field also magnetically couples with the passive induction coil to induce a current in the passive induction coil. This induced current generates a magnetic field that inductively heats and melts the material. The resistance of the L-C tank circuit is reflected back into the circuit of the active induction coil to improve the overall efficiency of the induction furnace system. The crucible may be open-ended to allow the passage of the electrically conductive material through the crucible during the heating process.

Abstract: A self-propelled colonoscope (1) includes an insertion tube (5) having a distal section (11), a bending section (13) and a flexible section (15), an operation unit (7) and driving unit. A plurality of endless belts (17) are arranged at the surface of the flexible section (15). Each endless belt (17) passes out to the surface of the flexible section (15) through a guide hole near the tip of the flexible section (15) by driving a driving unit mounted at a driving casing. The colonoscope is self-propelled into the colon by driving the endless belt (17). A length of the endless belt is 102 to 104% of the length of such as endless belt, when the endless belt tensely turns around, from the guide hole near the tip of the flexible section to the same hole, through the driving unit, while the flexible section (15) is maintained straight.

Abstract: Device to take in fumes and cool the roof (10) of electric furnaces. The device has a central aperture (11) into which an electrode can be inserted and a peripheral aperture (12) to take in and discharge the fumes. The device also has a first cooling system (13) for a central zone surrounding, and cooperating with, the central aperture (11), and a second system (15) to take in and convey the fumes. The first cooling system (13) includes a circular cyclone chamber (18) having a plurality of turns (19) able to cool the zone surrounding the central aperture (11).

Abstract: An electric resistance high temperature vacuum furnace having radiant heating units evenly spaced around the sides and ends of the furnace hot zone. Pairs of units are automatically regulated both radially and longitudinally according to the temperature required by the workload in the hot zone. The units each comprise parallel aligned elements electrically connected in series at their one ends. Each element has lengthwise surfaces angularly disposed from each other to form a beam structure of high section modulus for stiffness and resistance to sagging. Also, the angles of the element surfaces facing a heat-reflective assembly substantially enable all of the energy radiated toward the assembly to be reflected into the hot zone in addition to the direct radiation from the surfaces facing the hot zone. The furnace includes a re-circulating cooling system for rapid cooling of the furnace and workload.

Abstract: A hyperspectral imaging endoscopy apparatus is provided that utilizes spectral technology to acquire, process and exploit gastroscopic data. The apparatus allows for real time anomaly detection and identification. The apparatus includes an endoscope, a spectrometer and a processing unit that perform hyperspectral analysis on spectral data generated from the spectrometer. The endoscope and associated coupling optics are preferably optimized for cylindrical symmetry, thus allowing continuous inspection of gastrointestinal or arterial walls.