Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for the production of a rod component (100) of an aerosol generating article, said apparatus comprising: ? a first mover (4) adapted to transport a first sheet (2) along a first direction; ? a second mover (5) adapted to transport a second sheet (3) along a second direction; ? a third mover (6) adapted to transport a susceptor strip (10) along a third direction, said third mover being adapted to position said susceptor strip between the first and the second sheet during transport; and a rod forming device (20) being adapted to form a rod from the first and the second sheets and the susceptor strip and having an inlet (21) and an outlet (22), wherein said first and second sheets and said susceptor strip are introduced in said inlet and said rod is outputted from said outlet.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for unwinding a bobbin of a coiled sheet, the method comprising: ?providing a bobbin of a coiled sheet, the bobbin comprising a free portion of the sheet unwound from the bobbin; ?arranging a blade between the free portion of the sheet and the remaining of the sheet coiled in the bobbin in such a way that the blade is in contact to the sheet coiled in the bobbin; and ?vibrating the blade while unwinding the sheet from the bobbin. The present invention also relates to an unwinding apparatus for unwinding a bobbin.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for the production of a rod component (100) of an aerosol generating article, said apparatus comprising: ? a first mover (4) adapted to transport a first sheet (2) along a first direction; ? a second mover (5) adapted to transport a second sheet (3) along a second direction; ? a third mover (6) adapted to transport a susceptor strip (10) along a third direction, said third mover being adapted to position said susceptor strip between the first and the second sheet during transport; and a rod forming device (20) being adapted to form a rod from the first and the second sheets and the susceptor strip and having an inlet (21) and an outlet (22), wherein said first and second sheets and said susceptor strip are introduced in said inlet and said rod is outputted from said outlet.

Abstract: There is provided a smoking article having a mouth end and a distal end, the smoking article including a heat source positioned at the distal end; an aerosol-forming substrate adjacent to the heat source; and a cap configured to at least partially cover the heat source. The cap is attached at a line of weakness to the distal end, including a cylindrical plug of material circumscribed by a wrapper, and is removable to expose the heat source prior to use of the smoking article.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for unwinding a bobbin of a coiled sheet, the method comprising: ?providing a bobbin of a coiled sheet, the bobbin comprising a free portion of the sheet unwound from the bobbin; ?arranging a blade between the free portion of the sheet and the remaining of the sheet coiled in the bobbin in such a way that the blade is in contact to the sheet coiled in the bobbin; and ?vibrating the blade while unwinding the sheet from the bobbin. The present invention also relates to an unwinding apparatus for unwinding a bobbin.

Abstract: An electrical multilayer component includes a stack composed of functional layers and also a first and a second external contact. The external contacts are arranged on side surfaces of the stack. Internal electrodes of a first type are directly electrically conductively connected to the first external contact and internal electrodes of a second type directly electrically conductively connected to the second external contact. An internal electrode of the first type and an internal electrode of the second type partly overlap. An internal electrode of the first type and an internal electrode of the second type are arranged in a manner spaced apart from one another in an identical plane.

Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator (1), comprising: piezoelectric elements (16) arranged in a stack; first and second inner electrodes (5, 3), which are alternately arranged between the piezoelectric elements (16); a first outer electrode (4), which is connected to the first inner electrodes (5) in an electrically conductive manner; a second outer electrode (2), which is connected to the second inner electrodes (3) in an electrically conductive manner, characterized in that the actuator (1) comprises a plurality of actuator sections (81, 82, 83, 84, 85) and in that the second outer electrode (2) comprises separate electrode segments (21, 22, 23), which are each connected in an electrically conductive manner to the second inner electrodes (3) in one of the actuator sections (81, 82, 83, 84, 85) or in a group of the actuator sections (81, 82, 83, 84, 85).

Abstract: There is provided a smoking article having a mouth end and a distal end, the smoking article including a heat source positioned at the distal end; an aerosol-forming substrate adjacent to the heat source; and a cap configured to at least partially cover the heat source. The cap is attached at a line of weakness to the distal end, including a cylindrical plug of material circumscribed by a wrapper, and is removable to expose the heat source prior to use of the smoking article.

Abstract: Image deblurring is described, for example, to remove blur from digital photographs captured at a handheld camera phone and which are blurred due to camera shake. In various embodiments an estimate of blur in an image is available from a blur estimator and a trained machine learning system is available to compute parameter values of a blur function from the blurred image. In various examples the blur function is obtained from a probability distribution relating a sharp image, a blurred image and a fixed blur estimate. For example, the machine learning system is a regression tree field trained using pairs of empirical sharp images and blurred images calculated from the empirical images using artificially generated blur kernels.

Abstract: A system and method for processing a satellite image to determine a terrain boundary. Pixel data corresponding to a satellite image is obtained. For each pixel within a subset of the pixel data, multiple image features are determined corresponding to texture and color statistics for the pixel and neighboring pixels, based on a feature selection process for selecting discriminative features. An initial set of rules is generated for determining a terrain boundary. Plural image models for applying to the pixel data are created based on the initial set of rules. The plural image models are applied to the pixel data to generate at least one probability map, which represents output of the plural image models and corresponds to different terrains within the satellite image. A binary label mask is generated for the satellite image based on the probability map, and mask indicates segmentations corresponding to the different terrains.

Abstract: An electrical multilayer component includes a stack composed of functional layers and also a first and a second external contact. The external contacts are arranged on side surfaces of the stack. Internal electrodes of a first type are directly electrically conductively connected to the first external contact and internal electrodes of a second type directly electrically conductively connected to the second external contact. An internal electrode of the first type and an internal electrode of the second type partly overlap. An internal electrode of the first type and an internal electrode of the second type are arranged in a manner spaced apart from one another in an identical plane.

Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator (1), comprising: piezoelectric elements (16) arranged in a stack; first and second inner electrodes (5, 3), which are alternately arranged between the piezoelectric elements (16); a first outer electrode (4), which is connected to the first inner electrodes (5) in an electrically conductive manner; a second outer electrode (2) , which is connected to the second inner electrodes (3) in an electrically conductive manner, characterized in that the actuator (1) comprises a plurality of actuator sections (81, 82, 83, 84, 85) and in that the second outer electrode (2) comprises separate electrode segments (21, 22, 23), which are each connected in an electrically conductive manner to the second inner electrodes (3) in one of the actuator sections (81, 82, 83, 84, 85) or in a group of the actuator sections (81, 82, 83, 84, 85).

Abstract: A piezoelectric multilayer component has a base body including a stack of dielectric layers, electrode layers and at least one predetermined breaking layer. The predetermined breaking layer is arranged at least for the most part in an inactive zone of the multilayer component and cracks under specific tensile loads.

Abstract: A piezoelectric multilayer component has a base body including a stack of dielectric layers, electrode layers and at least one predetermined breaking layer. The predetermined breaking layer is arranged at least for the most part in an inactive zone of the multilayer component and cracks under specific tensile loads.

Abstract: The invention relates to an open-end spinning machine with a plurality of spinnboxes and rotors (2) arranged in them, in which each spinnbox comprises, among other things, a cover (1) arranged on a front side of the particular associated rotor (2). At least one limitation device (7) for limiting the rotor movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the rotor onto the cover (1) is provided, which limitation device (7) covers a circular segment of a possible circular contact area between rotor (2) and cover (1).

Abstract: The invention relates to an open-end spinning machine with a plurality of spinnboxes and rotors (2) arranged in them, in which each spinnbox comprises, among other things, a cover (1) arranged on a front side of the particular associated rotor (2). At least one limitation device (7) for limiting the rotor movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the rotor onto the cover (1) is provided, which limitation device (7) covers a circular segment of a possible circular contact area between rotor (2) and cover (1).

Abstract: A soft shadow cast by an area light source is rendered using a depth map computed for the light source. To determine the amount of shadow at a given shading point, a renderer uses the location and depth value of pixels in the depth map to compute an amount of the area of the light source occluded by occluding objects represented by the depth map. In another embodiment, the renderer uses the depth map to estimate a non-occluded area of the light source. Thereafter, the renderer determines the amount of light occlusion at a given shading point using the computed occluded and/or non-occluded area.

Abstract: Computer-generated objects are tessellated into generalized shading regions having any number of vertices. The shading regions are passed to a shader via a generalized parametric scheme that accommodates shapes having different numbers of vertices. The shader determines and assigns color values to the exact area defined by each shading region, without requiring the use of approximations such as bounding boxes or ellipsoids. The use of generalized shading regions facilitates greater flexibility and accuracy in shading operations.

Abstract: The invention relates to a friction roller and to a support for the driving of a bobbin on a textile machine, whereby the friction roller drives the bobbin by means of friction on its outer circumference. A support is installed on the friction roller and is provided with a friction coating. The support is made in several parts and consists of curved sections. Each of the sections reaches around the friction roller by more than 180°.

Abstract: Indoleninemethine dyes of the formula ##STR1## where the ring A is substituted or unsubstituted, R.sup.1 is hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.13 -alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.4 -alkenyl, C.sub.5 -C.sub.7 -cycloalkyl or substituted or unsubstituted phenyl, andR.sup.2 is substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.13 -alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.4 -alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted phenyl or substituted or unsubstituted amino,are useful for dyeing or printing synthetic materials and can be thermally transferred.