Abstract: Systems and methods for increasing the frequency range of an output signal generated by a VCO, where one or more variable delay units are incorporated into an interpolative VCO to decrease the minimum frequency at which the VCO oscillates. In one embodiment, the VCO includes a ring of serially connected inverters, a set of bypass circuits and a set of variable delay units. The bypass circuits are coupled to the ring of serially connected inverters to bypass one or more of the serially connected inverters when enabled. Each variable delay unit delays signal transitions at the input of a corresponding one of the serially connected inverters by a variable amount. The variable delay units may be positioned in series with the ring of inverters, in parallel with the bypass paths, or in parallel with corresponding inverters in the ring of inverters.

Abstract: Systems and methods for conveying signals between integrated circuit (IC) components in domains having different supply voltages. AC coupling is used to increase the speed at which the common mode voltage of a signal is shifted from one level to another. One embodiment comprises a method for level shifting a binary signal in an IC. This method includes receiving an input binary signal and decoupling its AC component from its common mode component. A second common mode component is added to the AC component, providing a binary output signal. The common mode voltage of the input signal may be greater (or smaller) than that of the output signal. In one embodiment of the method, duty cycle compensation (DCC) is performed. The DCC drives the duty cycle toward a desired value.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling the programming current directed through a fuse or set of fuses in a device such as an integrated circuit. One embodiment comprises a method for applying different currents to a set of calibration fuses, identifying which currents cut the corresponding fuses without destroying them, and selecting one of the identified currents to use in programming one or more target fuses. In one embodiment, fuses that are cut but not destroyed are identified by passing the same read current through each of the calibration fuses and comparing resulting voltages to reference voltages which correspond to impedances between the impedances of the possible fuse states (uncut, cut and destroyed.) Fuse voltages between the reference voltages identify fuses which are cut but not destroyed.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a magnetic head with which bonding of a slider and a suspension can be performed by taking an ABS pattern, which determines flying characteristics, as a reference, with no special fabrication required on the slider or the suspension. The method relates to a method of manufacturing a magnetic head for attaching a slider, on which an air bearing surface (ABS) is formed, to a suspension. A surface of the slider on which the ABS is formed is photographed, and the ABS and an engraved region formed within the ABS are identified from the photographed image. Then, a reference that serves as a guide in attaching the suspension is computed, and the slider is attached to the suspension based on the reference. It thus becomes possible for positive pressure and negative pressure that occur in the ABS to be well balanced centered about the suspension, making it possible to stabilize flying attitude and electrical characteristics.

Abstract: To prevent accidental discharge from a cartridge, a dispenser for the dental viscous material comprises a guide shaft 1 having a cylindrical part 1ba at a front end thereof, a guide member 1b having a large diameter part 1bba and a small diameter part 1bbb on the rear side of the cylindrical part 1ba, and a knob for rotating the guide shaft 1h at a rear end, a slide block 2 having a release plate 2c, and piston shafts 2b, a housing 3 having pressing springs 3ea, which press piston shafts 2b, and a lever main body 4 having a lever part 4a rotatable by a predetermined angle from a position in parallel to the housing 3 and a pressing piece 4b projected under the front side of the lever part 4a, to constitute a mechanism of switching of discharge state and discharge release state.

Abstract: The present invention provides a measurement apparatus for obtaining a suitable position on a suspension where a more miniature magnetic head slider is to be mounted to the suspension, the apparatus including a front camera having a photographing optical axis within a plane parallel to a plane of extension of a suspension and directed to the suspension, and a side camera having a photographing optical axis within the parallel plane and which is different from that of the front camera. Coordinates of a top portion of a convex surface of a dimple formed in the suspension are obtained with these cameras. The resultant coordinates and coordinates of the deepest portion of a recess surface of the dimple are correlated with each other, whereby in actual mounting of the magnetic head slider, the deepest portion of the recess surface of the dimple which is readily recognized is measured.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a containing portion in which an object to be sterilized such as medical treatment tools is accommodated for sterilization; and a sterilizing superheated steam generating and supplying portion provided adjacent to the containing portion comprising a saturated steam generating portion for generating a saturated steam at 80 to 100 degrees centigrade from water, a sterilizing superheated steam generating portion for generating therein a sterilizing superheated steam at 120 to 300 degrees centigrade by colliding the saturated steam generated from the saturated steam generating portion with a heated superheating medium at a predetermined flow rate; and a sterilizing superheated steam supplying portion for feeding the sterilizing superheated steam into the containing portion, thereby forming in the inner of the containing portion heated low-oxygen environmental condition equal to or less than 3% oxygen concentration suitable for sterilizing attached bacteria, at 120 to 150 degrees centigrade

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an element connecting apparatus with which the position of a core of each element in an optical transmission module in a short time with high accuracy. To attain the object, in a core position detection method according to the present invention, upon detecting a core of a PLC chip, parallel light is made incident on the output side end face of the PLC chip, so that the core position is detected based on an image of the input side end face obtained with the parallel light. In addition, the core position is detected by an image of the output side end face that is obtained while parallel light is made incident on the input side end face.

Abstract: Provided is a mounting apparatus which enables high levels of both maintenance/improvement of product quality and reduction of product cost by reliably preventing accidental contact of a mounting part with a mounting target part while enhancing the productivity.

Abstract: A clock recovery circuit has a phase comparator circuit, a phase adjusting circuit, and a duty cycle correction circuit. The phase comparator circuit carries out phase comparison between an input signal and an output signal, and outputs a phase control signal proportional to a phase difference between the input signal and the output signal. The phase adjusting circuit receives the phase control signal from the phase comparator circuit, adjusts the phase of the input signal, and produces the output signal, and the duty cycle correction circuit receives the output signal from the phase adjusting circuit, and corrects the duty cycle of the output signal.

Abstract: To mix powder and liquid components evenly, a kneader comprises a rotating plate rotated around a driving axis; a bearing for a capsule housing body mounted near a circumference part of the plate, wherein an axis supported with the bearing is rotatable only in a reverse direction to a rotating direction of the plate; a capsule housing body fixed at a capsule housing body supporting axis in parallel to the driving axis and supported with the bearing; a balance weight fixed at a predetermined position of the plate approximately opposite to the body beyond the driving axis; and a mechanism for circularly moving an axis for keeping the direction of the body in the same direction as the rotating direction of the plate along a circle having the same diameter as but the different center from those of the body supporting axis.

Abstract: A regeneration controller for preventing particulate matter from increasing when an exhaust purification apparatus is inactivated. The regeneration controller includes an ECU 70 for heating the exhaust purification apparatus and eliminating the particulate matter accumulated in the exhaust purification apparatus when an estimated accumulation amount is greater than a reference accumulation amount. The ECU 70 obtains the estimated accumulation amount by estimating the amount of particulate matter accumulated in the exhaust purification apparatus. An exhaust temperature sensor 44 detects the temperature of the exhaust purification apparatus. The ECU 70 intermittently decreases the air-fuel ratio of exhaust to heat the exhaust purification apparatus and perform burn-up heating for burning the particulate matter. The ECU 70 further prohibits burn-up heating when the temperature detected by an exhaust temperature sensor 44 decreases to a catalyst inactivation level.

Abstract: The invention provides a mounting method capable of coping with high density mounting, narrower pitch mounting, cavity mounting and the like. In this method, displacement amounts of a chip that is picked up from a wafer by a pick-up nozzle to be held by the pick-up nozzle, with respect to a reference attitude, are obtained, and when the chip is delivered to a mounting nozzle for actually mounting the chip onto a substrate, the displacement amounts are corrected while taking the displacement amounts into consideration, so that the mounting nozzle always holds the chip in a fixed attitude.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a lighting apparatus which is to be installed in a color camera, which is capable of providing the stable quantity of light from a light source such as an LED, and which is capable of stabilizing color tones of an image captured with the color camera. In order to attain this object, in the lighting apparatus according to the present invention, the temperature control for the camera is also simultaneously carried out using a thermal transfer member for enhancing heat transfer between a Peltier element used for the temperature control for an LED case with built-in LEDs, and the LED case.

Abstract: A fuel cell vehicle is equipped with a power control unit which converts power supplied from the fuel cell and supplies that converted power to a load. High voltage wiring, which connects at least one of the fuel cell and the load to the power control unit, is provided on one side of either the left or the right side of a vehicle, and a fuel line for supplying a fuel gas to the fuel cell is provided on the other side of the vehicle, which is opposite the side on which the high voltage wiring is provided.

Abstract: To prevent accidental discharge from a cartridge, a dispenser for the dental viscous material comprises a guide shaft 1 having a cylindrical part 1ba at a front end thereof, a guide member 1b having a large diameter part 1bba and a small diameter part 1bbb on the rear side of the cylindrical part 1ba, and a knob for rotating the guide shaft 1h at a rear end, a slide block 2 having a release plate 2c, and piston shafts 2b, a housing 3 having pressing springs 3ea, which press piston shafts 2b, and a lever main body 4 having a lever part 4a rotatable by a predetermined angle from a position in parallel to the housing 3 and a pressing piece 4b projected under the front side of the lever part 4a, to constitute a mechanism of switching of discharge state and discharge release state.

Abstract: A reactor unit comprises a basket body, a plurality of reactor bodies, a lid body, and a mold resin. The basket body has one open face and is made of a metal. The reactor bodies are accommodated in the basket body. The lid body is made of a metal and closes an open end of the basket body. Outlet holes are formed in the lid body. The mold resin is a curable resin. The basket body is filled with the mold resin, with a coil of each of the reactor bodies having been drawn out from a corresponding one of the outlet holes of the lid body. In this reactor unit, at least one partition, which is located between the reactor bodies and whose leading end extends from an inner face of at least one of the basket body and the lid body and abuts on an inner face of the other, is formed protrusively.

Abstract: To provide a method of, and a device for, detecting smear of a magnetic head, in which detection of smear development before magnetic head assembly is made possible by measuring electrical resistance values between pads and shields of a slider that is integrated with a head main body portion, and in addition, throughput increases. The method of detecting smear of a magnetic head includes measuring electrical resistance values between pads of a slider having an integrated head main body portion, or between the pads and a conductor portion that is connected to a shield of the head main body portion to thereby detect smear development.

Abstract: To mix powder and liquid components evenly, a kneader comprises a rotating plate rotated around a driving axis; a bearing for a capsule housing body mounted near a circumference part of the plate, wherein an axis supported with the bearing is rotatable only in a reverse direction to a rotating direction of the plate; a capsule housing body fixed at a capsule housing body supporting axis in parallel to the driving axis and supported with the bearing; a balance weight fixed at a predetermined position of the plate approximately opposite to the body beyond the driving axis; and a mechanism for circularly moving an axis for keeping the direction of the body in the same direction as the rotating direction of the plate along a circle having the same diameter as but the different center from those of the body supporting axis.

Abstract: Provided is a mounting apparatus which enables high levels of both maintenance/improvement of product quality and reduction of product cost by reliably preventing accidental contact of a mounting part with a mounting target part while enhancing the productivity. In S1, a contact detection start position Hs0 is set. In S2, a chip holding tool chucks an electronic part. In S3, S4, the tool is moved to a transfer position A, and then the tool is lowered to the Hs0 from the transfer position A. In S5, after the tool is lowered to the Hs0, the lowering speed is changed to a contact detection speed. In S6, it is determined whether or not the electronic part has come into contact with a substrate. If the result of the determination is YES, in S7, the lowering of the tool is stopped. In S8, the actual contact position Hc is measured. In S9, the next contact detection start position Hs1 is set, and Hs1 is set to Hs0 (Hs0-Hs1) so that the later steps reflect this setting.