Abstract: A wafer transporting/storing method includes steps of accommodating one wafer in each flat casing, and transporting/storing the casing. A wafer carrier includes a flat casing, one side surface of which is opened as a wafer entrance/exit, a cover for closing the wafer entrance/exit, and a cover urging device, disposed between the casing and the cover, for urging the cover in a closed direction. The flat casing has a space for accommodating one wafer. In the carrier, at both sides of intermediate portions of the upper and lower surfaces of the space are end portions inclined in the directions from each intermediate portion toward both ends of each of the upper and lower surfaces so that an interval between the upper and lower surfaces of the space becomes narrower toward both ends of the space.

Abstract: Binary image data is obtained from image data including a number plate of a vehicle which is picked up by a TV camera. Contrast image data of vertical and horizontal components are obtained, respectively, from the binary image data. An image having a continuous region whose size or area falls outside a predetermined range is erased. Subsequently, the vertical and horizontal contrast image components are combined with each other.

Abstract: A buildup valve comprising a valve body of a quench-hardenable, heat resistant steel having a valve face and a buildup layer formed on the valve face from a cobalt or nickel base superalloy having higher wear and heat resistances than the heat resistant steel is useful in internal combustion engines. A hardened layer is formed in the valve face portion adjacent the buildup layer and has a maximum thickness between 0.05 mm and 2.0 mm. The buildup layer thus has a reduced thickness between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm. The buildup valve is produced by supplying and depositing a powder of the alloy on the valve face, and applying a scanning high flux energy laser or plasma beam to the powder deposit to cause the powder to quickly melt and then quickly solidify thereby forming the buildup layer and at the same time, to cause a surface layer of the valve body underlying the powder deposit to quickly heat and then quickly cool thereby forming the hardened layer.

Abstract: A thick film drawing apparatus includes a substrate holding member (50) for holding a substrate (a), moving coils (60) for holding the substrate holding member (50), a drawing head (20) having a nozzle (30) and a stylus (33) for emitting pastes for drawing on a surface of the substrate (a) moving thereon and pushing the substrate (a) downward, respectively, wherein in the drawing process the drawing head (20) is locked of up/down motions and the substrate holding member (50) is raised/lowered at substantially constant weaker force by the moving coils (60), and thereby a relative-moving response of the up/down directions of the nozzle (30) is improved and a contact force of the stylus (33) on the substrate (a) is kept under a predetermined constant value, therefore a thickness of thick film line (c) is kept uniform and circuit patterns are prevented from being flawed.

Abstract: An input character image signal is converted into binary image data and then stored in an image memory. The binary image data stored in the image memory are profiled in the directions of X and Y axes to set a rectangular region circumscribing a desired character string. The binary image data included in the rectangular region are compared with a dictionary pattern to obtain candidate characters and their similarities. The sum of similarities corresponding to a candidate character and when it is more than a predetermined value, the candidate character is output as the result of recognition.

Abstract: In an intelligent work station of this invention, map information for a target is stored in a database. Word speech data input through a telephone line is recognized and analyzed, and the database is retrieved accordingly, so that map information specified by the speech input is extracted from the database. The map information is transmitted to a destination communication terminal. When the destination communication terminal does not have an image output function, the map information is analyzed, and document data representing the content of the map is created. The document data is speech-synthesized, and is output to the destination communication terminal via the telephone line.

Abstract: Fabrication of an electronic circuit board is carried out by forming a predetermined number of resistors having various resistances based on a circuit design stored in a memory on a nonconductive substrate and dividing the nonconductive substrate into discrete resistors, then mounting the discrete resistors on a circuit board and testing operation characteristic thereof; and when some resistors having resistances which are not suitable to obtain a predetermined operation characteristic exist in the above-formed resistors, the resistances are corrected, and electronic circuit board having corrected accurate electric constants is obtained; and thereby a complete electronic circuit boards are fabricated by repetition of above-mentioned respective steps.

Abstract: The present invention is a part mounting device for mounting chip parts on a substrate, comprising a linear motor having a columnar yoke with upper and lower ends thereof pivotably supported on the device, permanent magnets disposed in the vicinity of the columnar yoke and forming with the columnar yoke a magnetic circuit, and a bobbin disposed in the vicinity of the columnar yoke and slidable in the columnar direction of the yoke;a chip part holder fixedly secured to the bobbin and having a vacuum nozzle for picking up and holding chip parts;a mechanism connected to said linear motor for controlling the driving of the linear motor for driving the part holder rapidly for moving chip parts quickly from a first position remote from the position of the substrate on which the chip parts are to be mounted to a third position just before the chip parts are on the substrate and then driving the part holder slowly to move the chip parts from the third position to a second position where the chip parts are on the subs

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for mounting an electronic part (11) on a circuit board (28). When the part is mounted, a distance between the under surface of a part maintaining section (12) and the circuit board (38) is measured. Determination that the electronic part (11) is normally mounted on the circuit board (28) is made by comparing the measured distance with the thickness of the electronic part (11) measured in advance.

Abstract: With an audiovisual information presentation system, pictorial image data, drawn on paper sheets in advance and to be optically projected on a screen using an optical projector, is sequentially sensed by a TV camea. Speech corresponding to the image data is input through a microphone. A data storage unit stores the image data and corresponding audio data together with code data for identifying pairs of image and audio data. When a search mode is designated, a desired pair of image and audio data is automatically searched from the data storage unit under the control of a CPU, and is reproduced by electrical monitor display units and a loudspeaker unit independent of image display on the projection screen.

Abstract: The injection machine according to the present invention has an infrared ray heater disposed outside a transparent glass tube cylinder a reflector disposed outside the infrared ray heater, an injection cylinder to which the glass tube cylinder is coupled by way of a changeover valve, a transfer mechanism to transfer the resin material from the glass tube cylinder into the injection cylinder, and an injection plunger in the injection cylinder to inject the molten resin. Since an infrared ray heater is used for the purpose of melting the resin material, a desired temperature can be achieved in a few minutes, and the forming may be started in a short time.

Abstract: According to this invention, an electrically conducting wire provided with a solder ball is inserted through throughholes provided around the perimeters thereof with electrically conductive members such as copper foils which form printed wiring on both surfaces of an insulating substrate. One of the conductive members and the conducting wire are soldered by dipping or flow-soldering, thereby making a circuit connection across both surfaces of the substrate by causing melting of the solder ball on the conducting wire on the substrate surface not soldered.

Abstract: A component mounting apparatus comprises a hollow rod communicated to a source of vacuum and having a suction head for picking up generally rectangular articles one at a time by the effect of a suction force. At least one pair of finger members for clamping and releasing the articles which has been sucked onto the suction head are provided for effecting a correction in position of the article relative to the suction head. Each of the finger members has an inclined end face which is adapted to support the article sucked onto the suction head from below in engagement with the opposite lower edges of the article.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to an electronic component supply apparatus for use in an electronic component mounting arrangement, which employs an electronic component carrier tape. The apparatus is arranged to separate a covering tape from a tape base of the carrier tape only at a position directly below a vacuum chuck for picking up the component, while the covering tape is separated from the tape base so as to be wound up at a winding speed lower than an intermittent feeding speed of the carrier tape by a predetermined pitch.

Abstract: An electronic parts mounting apparatus using a band carrier for feeding electronic parts incrementally, the carrier being a strip having many recesses disposed at equal intervals each holding an electronic part and a tape covering the recesses. The apparatus has a support for horizontally supporting the carrier with the coating tape on the top side; a separator for separating the tape from the carrier; and a pickup device for picking up the electronic parts one by one from the recesses in the carrier and by carrying the electronic parts and placing them in position on a circuit board for continuously and stably mounting the electronic parts on the circuit board.

Abstract: Assembly devices for electrical circuit components which is suitable for feeding electronic chip components, especially for semiconductor IC chips with comb-like leads, to e.g. chip mounting apparatuses, comprises two belt-like long objects made of tape-like and belt-shaped long materials, and is capable of feeding the electronic chip components mounted thereon in a stable and continuous feeding operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically mounting electronic components on printed circuit boards has an insertion head which is adapted to rotate on an engaging shaft within a rotary bearing and be guided in the extent of rotation by means of a steel ball. Only the engaging shaft rotates and the position from which the components are supplied to the insertion head is stationary, the space needed for the inserting apparatus can be kept small. The bearing can be changed or the position of the bearing changed to change the insertion angle of the component relative to the printed circuit board, thus making possible various arrangements of the components on the circuit board.

Abstract: An assembly apparatus comprising a driving means for intermittently feeding a carrier tape with recesses formed at a uniform space interval, a plurality of transferring station units for transferring different kinds of electrical chip components from feeders into the recesses, and a control means for controlling assembling order and timings of the transferring operation by the transferring station units.

Abstract: A component inserting apparatus for inserting electrical and electronic components into printed circuit boards includes a chuck element for gripping a body portion of a component having a plurality of lead wires extending outwardly therefrom in the same direction, an insertion guide member which contacts outer sides of each of the lead wires so as to regulate the lead wires to be positioned at predetermined positions, thereby to guide the lead wires into corresponding openings formed in the circuit board, a vertically movable guide shaft member for rotatably supporting the insertion guide member, and an insertion shaft member coupled with the chuck element so as to be movable in the same direction as the guide shaft member and also relatively with respect to the guide shaft member.

Abstract: An electronic parts mounting apparatus using a band carrier for feeding electronic parts incrementally, the carrier being a strip having many recesses disposed at equal intervals each holding an electronic part and a tape covering the recesses. The apparatus has a support for horizontally supporting the carrier with the coating tape on the top side, a separator for separating the tape from the carrier; and a pick up device for picking up the electronic parts one-by-one from the recesses in the carrier and carrying the electronic parts and placing them in position on a circuit board for continuously and stably mounting the electronic parts on the circuit board.