Abstract: A sunshade device for a vehicle includes a first panel being slidable relative to a roof panel by receiving a driving force so as to open or close an opening portion formed in the roof panel of a vehicle, a second panel being slidable by receiving a driving force from the first panel so as to open or close the opening portion, a lifting mechanism for lifting the second panel upward relative to the first panel in a predetermined sliding position, and a link member provided between the first panel and the second panel and rotatably connected to the first panel and the second panel. When the second panel is lifted upward relative to the first panel by the lifting mechanism, the link member rotates relative to the first panel and the second panel.

Abstract: In this invention, a chroma compensation circuit includes: a hue detector for employing input R, G and B color signals to determine which hue areas to which the R, G and B color signals belong; a compensation signal generator for employing the output of the hue detector to generate hue compensation signals; and a compensation addition unit for performing a matrix operation for the input R, G and B color signals to generate color difference signals, for performing chroma compensation for the color difference signals by employing the hue compensation signals generated by the compensation signal generator, and for performing an inverse matrix operation for the color difference signals obtained by the chroma compensation and outputting R, G and B color signals.

Abstract: Disclosed are a curable polyphenylene ether (PPE) resin composition comprising (a) a PPE resin and (b) a of a compound having a 3,4-dihydro-3-substituted-1,3-benzoxazine skeleton (DSBS compound), or a mixture of the DSBS compound and a ring-opening polymerization re-action product thereof; a cured PPE resin composition obtainable by curing the curable PPE resin composition; and a laminate structure obtained by using the curable or cured PPE resin composition. The curable PPE resin composition exhibits, after cured, excellent chemical resistance, moisture resistance, dielectric characteristics, heat resistance, flame retardancy and dimensional stability, so that it can be used as a dielectric, insulating or heat resistant material in the electrical, electronic, space and aircraft industries.

Abstract: An adaptive white defect correction method and an image-pickup apparatus implementing the method. Pixel data on lines located above and below a white defect pixel are judged according to a predetermined algorithm to determine which of a plurality of previously supposed kinds of pattern most resembles an image obtained near a white defect pixel. On the basis of a result of the determination, suitable interpolation data is generated. As for the determination of the image pattern, a pair of two pixels are selected from pixels on the lines located above and below the white defect pixel, and processing of determining whether there is correlation between pixel values of the selected pixels is repetitively executed until a image pattern near the white defect pixel is determined.

Abstract: An arrangement of fuel rod support members having dimples and springs is presented to prevent abrasive wear of the fuel rods caused by bouncing of the fuel rods against the supporting members caused by vibrations in a diagonal direction of the support grids. The supporting members are disposed such that dimples are respectively provided on one pair of adjacent walls located on one side of the vibrational direction while springs are respectively provided on adjacent walls located on the opposite side of the vibrational direction.

Abstract: A fuel assembly is presented in which a plurality of support grids are disposed along the longitudinal direction of the fuel rods. The straps forming the grid cells of the support grids are provided with mixing vanes for generating turbulent flow of the cooling water passing through the grid cells. In a plan view of the support girds, each of the mixing vanes protrudes inwardly of the grid cells and is disposed along a positive diagonal direction and a negative diagonal direction. This configuration of the mixing vanes are effective in preventing the generation of systematic vibrations in the fuel assembly by canceling the effects of the turbulent flows of the cooling water. The direction of protrusion of the mixing vanes can be in two diagonal directions within one support grid, or it can be unidirectional along either diagonal direction within one support grid.

Abstract: A key member, a method for insertion and/or removal of the fuel rods in a nuclear fuel assembly using the key member and a method of disassembling the nuclear fuel assembly using the same key member are disclosed. The key member has first projections and second projections formed on the opposite faces of an elongated key body. In the insertion or removal of the fuel rods or in the disassembling the nuclear fuel assembly, the key member is inserted into the grid and rotated to bring the first projections and the second projections into engagement with the straps of the grids and the springs on the straps to thereby the springs are deflected in a direction away from the dimples opposing to the springs. In this situation, the insertion and removal of the fuel rods can be carried out.

Abstract: A grid structure is presented in which grid cells are formed by orthogonally intersecting straps prefitted in the longitudinal direction with a plurality of slitted spring frame members. Therefore, when the straps are assembled, the spring frame members are also orthogonally intersected. The spring frame members are made of Inconel and provided with welding tabs while the straps are made of zircalloy and provided with their own welding tabs. Therefore, welding can be performed to firmly join the spring frame members to each other while the straps can also be welded firmly to weld the like metals. The spring sections are thus firmly joined and attached to the straps which are firmly joined. The grid of this configuration thus provides an excellent service life without the losing The fuel rod retaining power, which would result from neutron radiation and thermal damages on holding devices made of zircalloy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pull-in rod type loader for loading fuel rods efficiently and conveniently from a fuel rod magazine to a fuel assembly. The control rod pipes and fuel rods are held in assigned grid cells, respectively termed pipe-cells and fuel-rod-cells, in each quadrant section of a grid. The control rod pipes are disposed in a quadrant so that the locations of the pipe-cells assigned for the guide pipes in one quadrant are symmetrical with respect to a central rotational axis of the apparatus. The grid cells and the pull-in loader are both aligned with respect to a central rotational axis. To load the fuel rods into the fuel assembly, only the pull-in rods need to be operated for every 90 degree rotation of the loader about the central axis, because the locations of the pull-in rods correspond exactly with the grid cells assigned to hold fuel rods.

Abstract: In a method of assembling a nuclear fuel assembly, a deflecting jig is inserted into grid cells in each of a plurality of grids. The diameter of the deflecting jig is enlarged to urge a spring of at least one pair of dimples and spring, associated with the grid cell to deflect the springs away from the dimple. A plurality of elongated key members are inserted into the grid cells through a plurality of openings defined at intersections between the straps forming walls of the grid cells. Each key member is rotated about its axis to cause hooks of the key member to project from a wall surface of the strap in a direction opposite to the projecting direction of the springs. The key member is then moved in a direction to engage the hooks with the wall surface of the strap. Urging of the spring by the deflecting jig is released to allow the same to be withdrawn from the grid cells and, subsequently, the fuel rods are inserted into the respective grid cells.

Abstract: A key member, a method for insertion and/or removal of the fuel rods in a nuclear fuel assembly using the key member and a method of disassembling the nuclear fuel assembly using the same key member are disclosed. The key member has first projections and second projections formed on the opposite faces of an elongated key body. In the insertion or removal of the fuel rods or in the disassembling the nuclear fuel assembly, the key member is inserted into the grid and rotated to bring the first projections and the second projections into engagement with the straps of the grids and the springs on the straps to thereby deflect the springs in a direction away from the dimples opposing the springs. In this situation, the insertion and removal of the fuel rods can be carried out.

Abstract: In the nuclear fuel assembly, a plurality of plate-shaped straps are assembled perpendicularly to each other into a grid shape so as to construct a supporting grid providing with a plurality of cells each of which inserts a nuclear fuel rod. A cell-size inspection device which inspects the size of each cell of the supporting grid is constructed by a base, a movable plate, a plurality of pin gauges and a sensor. The supporting grid is mounted on the base, while the movable plate is provided such that it can relatively move with respect to the base in a longitudinal direction of the cells. The pin gauges are provided on the movable plate such that they can freely slide along the longitudinal direction of the cells. When the movable plate is moved toward the supporting grid, each of the pin gauges is to be inserted into each of the cells. The sensor senses whether the pin gauge is relatively moved from the predetermined position of the movable plate.

Abstract: In a grid in a nuclear fuel assembly for supporting fuel rods, elongated straps intersect with each other to define grid cells. At least one pair of punched sections are formed, in spaced relation to each other, in each of peripheral walls of the respective grid cells. At least one of elongated spring elements is formed in the peripheral wall of each grid cell. Each spring element is formed such that a portion of the peripheral wall of the grid cell between the pair of punched sections bulges and projects into the grid cell. The spring element is capable of being deflected toward the peripheral wall of the grid cell. A pair of projections are formed in the peripheral wall of the grid cell respectively at both longitudinal ends of the spring element such that a pair of portions of the peripheral wall of the grid cell bulge. Both longitudinal ends of the spring element are connected respectively to the pair of projections.

Abstract: In a method of assembling a nuclear fuel assembly, a deflecting jig is inserted into grid cells in each of a plurality of grids. The diameter of the deflecting jig is enlarged to urge a spring of at least one pair of dimples and spring associated with the grid cell to deflect the spring away from the dimple. A plurality of elongated key members are inserted into the grid cells through a plurality of openings defined at intersections between the straps forming walls of the grid cells. Each key member is rotated about its axis to cause hooks of the key member to project from a wall surface of the strap in a direction opposite to the projecting direction of the springs. The key member is then moved in a direction to engage the hooks with the wall surface of the strap. Urging of the spring by the deflecting jig is released to allow the same to be withdrawn from the grid cells and, subsequently, the fuel rods are inserted into the respective grid cells.

Abstract: An insert sub-assembly of an insert device of a machine for processing and inserting parallel lead electronic components from an electronic component web carrier into lead receiving openings in a printed circuit board includes a first slider device slidably mounted on a frame. A driver mounted on the frame drives the first slider device. A second slider device slidably mounted on the frame cooperates with movement of the first slider device and includes a lead holding and guiding device for holding and guiding an electronic component and a push bar for displacing the component from a predetermined position to an inserted position under the control of the lead holding and guiding device. A feed device mounted on the frame is driven by an intermittent drive to feed the electronic component web carrier intermittently, pitch by pitch. A cutter separates one electronic component from the electronic component web carrier fed by the feed device.

Abstract: An apparatus re-forms the axial lead of an axial-lead type electronic component into the shape of a U and affixes the electronic components with U-shaped leads to a support tape so as to form a continuous web-carrier carrying a series of electronic components each with a U-shaped lead. The apparatus feeds the electronic component one-by-one to a transfer assembly which transfers the components to a re-forming position and an affixing position in sequence. Means for forming a kink in a lead of each component and for removing excess lead wire are also provided.