Abstract: The present disclosure consists of a drying tunnel for fruits or vegetables which comprises an impulsion and heating chamber and a plenum, configured for receiving an outgoing hot air generated in the impulsion and heating chamber by the generator, so that the plenum comprises openings arranged in a staggered pattern, located on the lower surface thereof, with an opening density between 150 to 300 openings per square meter, wherein said openings are configured for expelling a distributed hot air from inside the plenum in a perpendicular way towards a conveyor system, configured for moving fruits and vegetables to be dried.

Abstract: A device comprises a fruit reception compartment, a fruit suction area, a liquid suction area comprising an orifice, and a narrowing which feeds into a channel, with a water flow between the narrowing and the channel, and the channel defining part of a pipe configured to carry impelled liquid inside the channel. A method comprises supplying a mixture of fruits in bunches and liquid, moving the mixture to a fruit suction area through a suction entrance, aspirating and injecting liquid through the channel, generating a depression which drags the mixture towards the narrowing, and generating turbulence which separates stalks from the fruit and extracts the separated fruit.

Abstract: There is provided a smoking article comprising an aerosol forming substrate, a mouthpiece axially aligned with the aerosol forming substrate, a liquid delivery member and a wrapper surrounding at least a portion of the smoking article. The liquid delivery member is disposed in the aerosol forming substrate or in the mouthpiece, and comprises structural material releasably enclosing liquid. The wrapper includes at least one area permeable to the liquid and at least one area impermeable to the liquid. At least a portion of the at least one permeable area is aligned with or downstream of the liquid delivery member. When the liquid is released from the liquid delivery member, the liquid can migrate to the outer surface of the smoking article via the permeable area or areas of the wrapper.

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus (40) comprising: an inductor; a rectifier coupled to the inductor; a voltage converter coupled to the rectifier; a battery coupled to the voltage converter; a load coupled to the voltage converter; and a control unit coupled to the voltage converter and arranged to cause either the battery to be charged by the rectifier, or the load to be powered by the rectifier, or the load to be powered by the battery, as a function of the state of a switch for controlling powering of the load and as a function of the output voltage of the rectifier.

Abstract: The device comprises a compartment for receiving fruit (1), an area for suction of fruit (10) and an area for suction of liquid (11) which comprises a first orifice (3) and a narrowing (7) which flows into a channel (12), with a water flow (14) between the narrowing (7) and the channel (12), with the channel (12) forming part of a pipe (8) which carries the impelled liquid inside the channel (12). The method comprises the steps for supplying a mixture of fruits in bunches and liquid, moving the mixture to a fruit suction area (10) through a suction entrance (6), aspirating and injecting liquid at high speed through the channel (12) generating a depression which drags the mixture towards a narrowing (7), generating turbulence which separates the stalks from the fruit and extracts the separated fruit.

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus (40) comprising: an inductor; a rectifier coupled to the inductor; a voltage converter coupled to the rectifier; a battery coupled to the voltage converter; a load coupled to the voltage converter; and a control unit coupled to the voltage converter and arranged to cause either the battery to be charged by the rectifier, or the load to be powered by the rectifier, or the load to be powered by the battery, as a function of the state of a switch for controlling powering of the load and as a function of the output voltage of the rectifier.

Abstract: There is provided a smoking article comprising an aerosol forming substrate, a mouthpiece axially aligned with the aerosol forming substrate, a liquid delivery member and a wrapper surrounding at least a portion of the smoking article. The liquid delivery member is disposed in the aerosol forming substrate or in the mouthpiece, and comprises structural material releasably enclosing liquid. The wrapper includes at least one area permeable to the liquid and at least one area impermeable to the liquid. At least a portion of the at least one permeable area is aligned with or downstream of the liquid delivery member. When the liquid is released from the liquid delivery member, the liquid can migrate to the outer surface of the smoking article via the permeable area or areas of the wrapper.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hair colouring device and method. The method can be used to generate a hair colouring simulation using a target image of a user, said method comprising the following steps: an image module receives data from a target image to be processed; an interface module generates a user interface, allowing reception of the selection of at least one colouring zone identification point; after reception of the selection data, the interface module sends the data to a hair mask segmentation module; and the hair mask segmentation module extracts the zone corresponding to the user's scalp.

Abstract: An automatic image-processing method for applying a mask onto a target image includes the following steps: a) obtaining a target image, in particular an image of a face; b) for at least one area of the target image, identifying the reference points corresponding to at least the points that make it possible to define a typical case of spatial imperfection; c) for at least that area, applying at least one test for detecting spatial imperfection by comparing the target image with a reference image; d) according to the spatial imperfection detected, identifying a spatial correction mask to be applied to the area of the image including said imperfection; and e) applying the mask onto the pertinent area of the target image. An image-processing system also is provided.

Abstract: A plastic scuttle grill for a vehicle, including at least one fixed part to be attached rigidly to the vehicle, and at least one removable part including at least one mechanism of reversible attachment configured to engage with a corresponding attachment mechanism on the fixed part of the scuttle grill so that the removable part can be attached to or detached from at least one fixed part of the grill.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the virtual simulation of a sequence of video images from a sequence of video images of a moving face/head, comprising: an acquisition and initialization phase of a face/head image of the real video sequence; an evolution phase for determining specific parametric models from characteristic points extracted from said image and used as initial priming points, and for deforming said specific models for adaptation to the outlines of the features of the analyzed face, and also for detecting and analyzing the cutaneous structure of one or more regions of the face/head; and a tracking and transformation phase for modifying the characteristic features of other images in the video sequence and the colors of the cutaneous structure, said modifications being carried out according to predetermined criteria stored in at least one database and/or according to decision criteria of at least one expert system of a 0+ or 1 order.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lightguide in the form of a plate (1), a first surface of which is provided with first straight parallel grooves (8) (diffusing the light circulating in the guide). The inventive lightguide is characterized by the fact that it is provided with second straight parallel grooves (9) (diffusing the light circulating in the guide) which extend in an oblique direction, particularly in an orthogonal direction, relative to the first grooves such that the guide diffuses in a uniform manner the light that is introduced into the guide via three or four edges thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lightguide in the form of a plate (1), a first surface of which is provided with first straight parallel grooves (8) (diffusing the light circulating in the guide). The inventive lightguide is characterized by the fact that it is provided with second straight parallel grooves (9) (diffusing the light circulating in the guide) which extend in an oblique direction, particularly in an orthogonal direction, relative to the first grooves such that the guide diffuses in a uniform manner the light that is introduced into the guide via three or four edges thereof.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a light guide in the form of a plate having a face with a plurality of diffusing patterns obtained by means of a laser beam, wherein said face is exposed to radiation of intensity lying in the range 104 W/cm2 to 107 W/cm2, in particular in the range 3×104 W/cm2 to 3×106 W/cm2, so as to form surface irregularities and irregularities in depth.