Abstract: A flat cable including a plurality of conductor strips which are formed by punching a single metal foil and are embedded within an insulating sheet, in which at an end portion of the flat cable, bifurcated portions are folded back one on another such that end terminals of conductor strips of one bifurcated portion are inserted between end terminals of conductor strips of another bifurcated portion, so that an order in which end terminals of the conductor strips are aligned can be changed. Therefore, an electric connection between connectors requiring crossings of conductor strips can be established by a single flat cable.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for hearing assistance, capable of compensating the lowering of the speech recognition ability related to the deterioration of the auditory sense center. The input speech is divided into voiced speech sections, unvoiced speech sections, and silent sections, of which the voiced speech sections and the silent sections are appropriately extended/contracted while the unvoiced speech sections are left unchanged, and then these sections are combined in an identical order as in the input speech, so as to obtain output speech which is easier to listen for a listener with a handicapped hearing ability.

Abstract: An assembly of a tube having a breakaway plug mounted on one opening thereof is provided. The plug includes a hollow cylindrical segment fixedly secured to the tube, a closing segment, and a frangible thin-wall portion located in the hollow segment apart from the secured portion. A protector of a relatively rigid material is fitted over the plug. The plug can be torn off at the frangible portion by twisting the protector.

Abstract: A branch tube comprising a main tube defining a continuous flow path and one or two branches connected to the main tube has a closure member connected to one end of the main tube to block the flow path thereof. The closure member is integrally molded with the main tube so that a continuous smooth flow path extends through the main tube up to the closure member and the closure member is breakable from the main tube to open the flow path. A tubular sleeve is connected to the main tube so as to surround the closure member.

Abstract: An assembly of a tube having a breakaway plug member mounted on one opening thereof is provided. The plug member has an open end and a closed end, and includes on its inner surface a first inner-wall portion extending from the open end toward the closed end a predetermined distance which is fixedly secured to the one open end of said tubular body, and a second inner-wall portion defining a space therein which extends from the first inner-wall portion to the closed end. The plug member also includes on its outer surface a thin-walled frangible portion located on or radially outside the second inner-wall portion which is breakable to allow separation of the plug member from the tubular body. The one open end of the tubular body extends in said space beyond the thin-walled frangible portion toward the closed end of the plug member.