Abstract: A method for refining and casting metals and metal alloys includes melting and refining a metallic material and then casting the refined molten material by a nucleated casting technique. The refined molten material is provided to the atomizing nozzle of the nucleated casting apparatus through a transfer apparatus adapted to maintain the purity of the molten refined material. An apparatus including a melting and refining apparatus, a transfer apparatus, and a nucleated casting apparatus, in serial fluid communication, also is disclosed.

Abstract: A high precision power resistor having the improved property of reduced resistance change due to power is disclosed. The resistor includes a substrate having first and second flat surfaces and having a shape and a composition; a resistive foil having a low TCR of about 0.1 to about 1 ppm/° C. and a thickness of about 0.03 mils to about 0.7 mils cemented to one of the flat surfaces with a cement, the resistive foil having a pattern to produce a desired resistance value, the substrate having a modulus of elasticity of about 10×106 psi to about 100×106 psi and a thickness of about 0.5 mils to about 200 mils, the resistive foil, pattern, type and thickness of cement, and substrate being selected to provide a cumulative effect of reduction of resistance change due to power.

Abstract: A sensor integrated on a semiconductor device (1), in particular a flow sensor, comprises a measuring element (2) on a membrane (5). In order to prevent a buckling of the membrane (5) a tensile coating (9) is applied. The coating covers the membrane, but it preferably leaves all the active electronic components integrated on the semiconductor chip (1) uncovered, such that their electrical properties are not affected.

Abstract: A surface mounting chip network component in which a network having three or more odd number of terminals are formed on the surface of an insulating substrate and Tomb Stone Phenomenon is suppressed. Even number of network circuits are formed on the surface of the insulating substrate (2) and the same number of terminals (1) are arranged, respectively, on the opposite sides of the insulating substrate (2). Alternatively, even number of network circuits are formed on the surface of the insulating substrate (2) and the terminals (1) are arranged on the side edges of the insulating substrate (2) point-symmetrically with respect to the center of the surface of the insulating substrate (2).

Abstract: A temperature tracking attenuator includes a substrate having a circuit chip with electrical connections providing a thermal interface with adjacent circuitry providing an attenuator component package. The package comprises a thermal layer on one side which is adhesively joined to the underside of an insulative layer with the exposed side of the insulative layer having an output connector, an input connector, and a circuit ground connector. A pocket in the layers receives an attenuator chip that includes an input tab, an output tab and a ground tab, which are indexed and registered with the input connector, the output connector and the circuit ground connector. A spring pressure clip, which constitutes ground, is pressed over the edge of the package where one leg of the clip engages with the circuit ground connector and the other leg of the clip connects to the underside of the thermal layer.

Abstract: A stress sensor in which the direction and magnitude of a stress being applied to a post (6) bonded to or integrated with the surface of an insulating board (3) can be grasped from variation in the resistance of a plurality of resistor elements (8) being stimulated by application of the stress while suppressing variation in the shape of each resistor (2). The resistor element (8) comprises a resistor (4) formed, by screen print, between a pair of electrodes for the resistor element, i.e. circuit pattern electrodes (1), arranged on the surface of the insulating board (3). The electrode is connected, through a conductor (9), with a board terminal part (5) arranged at one end of the insulating board (3). The electrode (1) and the conductor (9) or a print accuracy adjusting member (7) have a constant height from the surface of the insulating board (3).

Abstract: A circuit protection device (31) suitable for surface mounting on a substrate (19). The device has a laminar PTC resistive element (3) which is composed of a conductive polymer composition and is positioned between first and second electrodes (5,7). Attached to the first electrode is a first electrical terminal (33) containing an electrically conductive material which has a first attachment portion (35) connected to a first flexible portion (39) by means of a first connection portion (47). At least part of the first flexible portion is free of attachment to the first electrode. The first attachment portion is coplanar with at least one of the first connection portion and the first flexible portion. The first attachment portion may contain a slot (49) and a solid hinge portion (51).

Abstract: A thermistor is disclosed, which comprises a resistance element having upper and lower surfaces and showing a resistance varying characteristics according to the change of temperature; first and second conductive layers formed on the upper surface of the resistance element and engaged to each other with a non-conductive gap interposed therebetween; first and second electrodes formed on the lower surface of the resistance element and electrically separated from each other; a first connector for electrically connecting the first conductive layer to the first electrode; and a second connector for electrically connecting the second conductive layer to the second electrode. Thus, the thermistor has a structurally point-symmetric shape, so it is possible to prevent the Tombstone phenomenon, caused by an asymmetric structure.

Abstract: An appliance for a hotplate has two heating devices installed parallel to one another. With an energy control device and as a function of an angular position, either a first heating device is operated in controlled manner or a second heating device is connected thereto in fixed form. The power of the second heating device is defined so low that no temperature limiter for protecting a glass ceramic plate has to be provided in the control path of the second heating device. On connecting in the second heating device, the controlled power of the first heating device is lowered to an initial value by roughly the amount of the power of the second heating device. The total power results from the summated power of the two heating devices.

Abstract: A heater control circuit performs ON/OFF control of a switching converter for a FET so that an AC line current supplied from a DI terminal becomes approximate to a predetermined value. A current flowing to a heater is stabilized to a predetermined value, and, unless an AC line voltage fluctuates, electric power supplied to the heater is held to a predetermined value. With this contrivance, in an image forming apparatus including a fixing heater (heating heater), a printing speed of the image forming apparatus can be improved to the greatest possible degree under such a condition that a total amount of utilizable electric power is restricted.

Abstract: An electronic resistor user interface comprises flexible conductive materials and a flexible variably resistive element capable of exhibiting a change in electrical resistance on mechanical deformation and is characterised by textile-form electrodes (10,12) a textile form variably resistive element (14) and textile-form members (16) connective to external circuitry.

Abstract: An electric furnace has a furnace wall, a cylindrical spiral member made of a wire of heat resistant material, a part of the cylindrical portion of which being embedded into the furnace wall and the remaining cylindrical portion of which being projected from an inner surface of the furnace wall, and a heating member inserted into the remaining cylindrical portion of the spiral member. The wire is wound along circles, ellipses, triangles, or quadrangles. The heating member has a circular, quadrangular, triangular or elliptical cross section.

Abstract: An electrical component which has a base body that comprises a ceramic material and at least two contact regions arranged on the base body to which terminal elements are secured, is enveloped by a protective layer containing organic constituents, and has an intermediate layer that is arranged between the base body and the protective layer and is composed of an intermediate layer material that is both hydrophobic as well as lipophobic. The intermediate layer can be advantageously composed of a fluoropolymer which is manufactured by immersing the base body into a fluid that dissolves this polymer. The moisture stability of the electrical component is critically improved by the intermediate layer. The components are particularly employed as hot-carrier thermistor temperature sensors.

Abstract: There is disclosed a conductor having a conductive element and a covering surrounding at least a portion of the conductive element. Preferably, the covering has an inner portion and an outer portion formed of different materials such that the melting point of the inner portion is higher than the melting point of the outer portion. The conductor is particularly useful for forming heaters, which may be integrated into a seat of an automotive vehicle.

Abstract: A method and composition for probing the body through the skin. In one embodiment of the invention, the method includes providing a medium for interfacing with the skin, applying the medium to the skin at a selected location, and coupling at least two of (a) an electric signal, (b) an acoustic signal, and (c) an optical signal through the skin and through the medium at the selected location.

Abstract: A antireflective film 50 is formed on a thermocouple 42 arranged in a processing vessel 1 of a heat treatment apparatus in order to improve the transient response characteristics of the thermocouple 42. In a typical embodiment, the thermocouple 42 is made by connecting a platinum wire 43A and a platinum-rhodium alloy wire 43B, and the antireflective film 50 is composed by stacking a silicon nitride layer 50C, silicon layer 50B and a silicon nitride layer 50A in that order.

Abstract: A system having a heat source, a component coupled to the heat source, and at least one thermistor coupled to the component and adapted to monitor temperature of the component, wherein the thermistor has a core-shell microstructure having a shell disposed about a core, the core comprising Cr2O3 and the shell comprising a rare earth element compound.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a resetable over-current protection device. The device is characterized in that: disconnected areas are maintained at end faces of formed cutting regions of the protection device, wherein one or two of the end faces of the formed cutting regions are partly formed with electrically conductive layers so as to increase the lifespan of the device and allows easy manufacturing of the device. The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing the resetable over-current protection device. The method is characterized in that a polymer-based sheet is divided into a plurality of components from which resetable over-current protection devices are subsequently manufactured into the resetable over-current protection devices to save the cost of material.

Abstract: A method for determining illness of a biological entity, progression to non-acute death of the biological entity, and/or timing of non-acute death of the biological entity. A comparison of measured values of resistance, reactance, phase angle, extracellular and intracellular water volumes, and membrane status of whole body and regions of the entity show hallmarks of the state of health of the entity.

Abstract: A voltage variable material (“VVM”) including an insulative binder that is formulated to intrinsically adhere to conductive and non-conductive surfaces is provided. The binder and thus the VVM is self-curable and applicable in a spreadable form that dries before use. The binder eliminates the need to place the VVM in a separate device or to provide separate printed circuit board pads on which to electrically connect the VVM. The binder and thus the VVM can be directly applied to many different types of substrates, such as a rigid (FR-4) laminate, a polyimide or a polymer. The VVM can also be directly applied to different types of substrates that are placed inside a device. In one embodiment, the VVM includes doped semiconductive particles having a core, such which can be silicon, and an inert coating, which can be an oxide. The particles are mixed in the binder with conductive particles.