Abstract: An electronic system includes an electronic system cabinet housing at least one electronic system component and a power generation system. The power generation system includes a cooling system having a cooling medium that generates a cooling energy. The power generation system further includes a thermoelectric conversion element having a first side and a second side. The first side is in a heat exchange relationship with the at least one electronic system component and the second side is in a heat exchange relationship with the cooling medium. Heat energy generated by the at least one electronic system component raises a temperature of the first side and the cooling energy generated by the cooling medium lowers a temperature of the second side to establish a temperature difference. The thermoelectric conversion element produces an electro-motive force based on the temperature difference.

Abstract: A rain sensor provided in a vehicle includes a camera and a processor. The camera takes an image of a scene outside of the vehicle through a windshield of the vehicle with an infinite focal length. The processor detects rain based on a variation degree of intensities of pixels in the image from an average intensity of the pixels.

Abstract: A vehicle tunnel detecting device includes an image pickup unit for picking up images of a forward area and an obliquely upper area with respect to a travel direction of a vehicle, an obliquely upper area brightness reduction detecting unit for judging whether an average brightness of the images of the obliquely upper area with respect to the travel direction picked up by the image pickup unit is lower than a predetermined value, a brightness difference detecting unit for calculating a difference in average brightness between the images of the forward and obliquely upper areas achieved by the image pickup unit when it is judged by the obliquely upper area brightness reduction detecting unit that the average brightness of the image of the obliquely upper area is lower than the predetermined value, and a tunnel identifying unit for identifying a tunnel when the difference in average brightness between the image of the forward area and the image of the obliquely upper area that is calculated by the brightness di

Abstract: A resistance bonding method comprises contacting a plurality of bonding members, which are electro-conductive, supplying current to the bonding members under a stress applied to a contact interface therebetween by means of plural electrodes in contact with the bonding members thereby to bond the members. The current supply is conducted by switching energizing paths. Part of the members is thermally expanded by current supply before one of the bonding members is contacted with other member, and the members in contact with each other are bonded by the second current supply.

Abstract: A welding method for an impeller having a plurality of blades, a disc and an exterior body including a shroud welded to the plurality of blades, comprising the steps of: a first step for forming a groove having a prescribed depth and a prescribed width toward one of the blades on a surface of the disc or the exterior body, which is opposite to a surface against the blade abuts, emitting laser light toward the bottom of the groove, and performing melt-through bead welding to bond the bottom of the groove to an end of the blade in such a way that a bead formed on the back of the disc or the shroud is curved with an inward depression; and a second step for performing overlaying welding after completion of the first step by supplying a filler metal to a molten zone while the bottom of the groove is scanned with the laser light.

Abstract: A vapor-compression heat exchange system for facilitating cooling of an electronics rack. The system includes employing an evaporator coil mounted to an outlet door cover, which is hingedly affixed to an air outlet side of the rack, as well as refrigerant inlet and outlet plenums and an expansion valve also mounted to the outlet door cover and in fluid communication with the evaporator coil. The evaporator coil includes at least one heat exchange tube section and a plurality of fins extending therefrom. Respective connect couplings connect the inlet and outlet plenums in fluid communication with a vapor-compression unit which includes a compressor and a condenser disposed separate from the outlet door cover. The vapor-compression unit exhausts heat from refrigerant circulating therethrough.

Abstract: A magnetic core is shaped in a ring having a gap and disposed to surround a conductive wire. When an electric current flows in the conductive wire, a magnetic field is generated in the gap. A sensor package includes a Hall element and a lead frame, which are embedded in a resin mold. The sensor package is disposed in the gap to produce an output signal corresponding to the magnetic field in the gap. The Hall element is positioned in the center of the gap, that is, at the position which is the same distance from the end surfaces of the magnetic core.

Abstract: An electric current detector according to the present invention detects an amount of current flowing through a conductor inserted into a through-hole of the current detector. The current detector includes a magnetic core casing in which a ring-shaped magnetic core having an air gap is molded and a detector element holder made by resin on which a detector element such as a Hall element is mounted. The detector element holder is coupled to the magnetic core casing so that the detector element is correctly positioned in the air gap of the ring-shaped magnetic core. Since the detector element is exposed to the air gap without being molded by resin, the detection accuracy is not affected by temperature changes in the course of usage. The detector element holder is simply coupled to the magnetic core casing without using complex connecting members. Accordingly, the electric current detector is manufactured at a low cost.

Abstract: Blades are connected to the surface of a disk and slots are formed in the surface of a shroud, which is opposite from the other surface of the shroud where the blades are to be welded. The blades are arranged on the opposite surface from the slots and a laser beam is applied from the surface in which the slots are formed, to weld the shroud and the blades. If powder is melted and put in the slots formed for welding in the shroud to fill the slots, thermal distortion occurs. On the other hand, if the slots are left empty, a problem of degrading the fluid performance arises. To solve these problems, components are installed on the surfaces of the slots on the opposite side from the blades after the blades and the shroud in which the slots are formed are welded. Alternatively, the slots are filled with a material different from that of the shroud, such as a resin. With this configuration, distortion caused by welding heat can be reduced without degrading the fluid performance.

Abstract: An optical sensor includes a light receiving device disposed in a housing, an exterior filter rotatably mounted to an attachment surface of the housing, and a light intercepting member which rotates along with a rotation of the exterior filter to adjust an amount of light incident on a light receiving surface of the light receiving device. In this optical sensor, the light intercepting member has a rotary shaft fixed at its center, and has a light adjusting mechanism for adjusting the amount of light incident on the light receiving surface of the light receiving device in a range in a direction of rotation around the rotary shaft. Accordingly, the sensitivity of the optical sensor can be arbitrarily adjusted with a high accuracy.

Abstract: A magnetic core is shaped in a ring having a gap and disposed to surround a conductive wire. When an electric current flows in the conductive wire, a magnetic field is generated in the gap. A sensor package includes a Hall element and a lead frame, which are embedded in a resin mold. The sensor package is disposed in the gap to produce an output signal corresponding to the magnetic field in the gap. The Hall element is positioned in the center of the gap, that is, at the position which is the same distance from the end surfaces of the magnetic core.

Abstract: An electric current bonding apparatus, comprising: a plurality of metallic members 101, 102 through which electric current is capable of flowing; a pressurizing unit 2a1, 2a2, 2b for applying pressing forces to the plurality of metallic members 101, 102 so as to press the metallic members against each other; a plurality of paired electrodes 12a, 12b disposed on the plurality of metallic members 101, 102 to heat the metallic members by use of resistance heat generated by a flow of electric current; a power supply 6a, 6b for supplying electric current to the plurality of paired electrodes; and an energizing controller 5 for supplying electric current from the power supply to the plurality of electrodes by making a switchover to an electrode pair across to supply the electric current.

Abstract: In a light control device for a vehicle, a control portion determines whether an illuminance detected by an illuminance sensor reaches a first reference illuminance, and performs a turning on or off control of lights of the vehicle based on the determined result. When the control portion receives an external environment change signal from an environment change detecting means, the control portion uses a second reference illuminance higher than the first reference illuminance, instead of the first reference illuminance, and performs the turning on or off control when the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor reaches the second reference illuminance. Accordingly, vehicle lights can be suitably turned on or off in accordance with an external environment of the vehicle.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image processing apparatus provided with a reader for reading an original image, a connection unit for connection with a network to which plural computers are connected, and a transfer units for transferring the image data, read by the reader, to a computer through the connection unit, the apparatus comprises a specifying unit for specifying desired one among the computers connected through the connection unit, and a designation unit for designating image reading by the reader, wherein the transfer unit is adapted to transfer the image data, read by the reader in response to the designation by the designation unit, to a computer specified by the specifying unit.

Abstract: A resistance bonding method comprises contacting a plurality of bonding members, which are electro-conductive, supplying current to the bonding members under a stress applied to a contact interface therebetween by means of plural electrodes in contact with the bonding members thereby to bond the members. The current supply is conducted by switching energizing paths. Part of the members is thermally expanded by current supply before one of the bonding members is contacted with other member, and the members in contact with each other are bonded by the second current supply.

Abstract: An optical sensor includes a light receiving device disposed in a housing, an exterior filter rotatably mounted to an attachment surface of the housing, and a light intercepting member which rotates along with a rotation of the exterior filter to adjust an amount of light incident on a light receiving surface of the light receiving device. In this optical sensor, the light intercepting member has a rotary shaft fixed at its center, and has a light adjusting mechanism for adjusting the amount of light incident on the light receiving surface of the light receiving device in a range in a direction of rotation around the rotary shaft. Accordingly, the sensitivity of the optical sensor can be arbitrarily adjusted with a high accuracy.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image processing apparatus provided with a reader for reading an original image, a connection unit for connection with a network to which plural computers are connected, and a transfer units for transferring the image data, read by the reader, to a computer through the connection unit, the apparatus comprises a specifying unit for specifying desired one among the computers connected through the connection unit, and a designation unit for designating image reading by the reader, wherein the transfer unit is adapted to transfer the image data, read by the reader in response to the designation by the designation unit, to a computer specified by the specifying unit.

Abstract: A rain sensor provided in a vehicle includes a camera and a processor. The camera takes an image of a scene outside of the vehicle through a windshield of the vehicle with an infinite focal length. The processor detects rain based on a variation degree of intensities of pixels in the image from an average intensity of the pixels.

Abstract: A cooling system is provided employing at least two modular cooling units (MCUs). Each MCU is capable of providing system coolant to multiple electronics subsystems to be cooled, and each includes a heat exchanger, a first cooling loop with at least one control valve, and a second cooling loop. The first cooling loop receives chilled facility coolant from a source and passes at least a portion thereof through the heat exchanger, with the portion being controlled by the at least one control valve. The second cooling loop provides cooled system coolant to the multiple electronics subsystems, and expels heat in the heat exchanger from the multiple electronics subsystems to the chilled facility coolant in the first cooling loop. The at least one control valve allows regulation of facility coolant flow through the heat exchanger, thereby allowing control of temperature of system coolant in the second cooling loop.

Abstract: A vehicle tunnel detecting device includes an image pickup unit for picking up images of a forward area and an obliquely upper area with respect to a travel direction of a vehicle, an obliquely upper area brightness reduction detecting unit for judging whether an average brightness of the images of the obliquely upper area with respect to the travel direction picked up by the image pickup unit is lower than a predetermined value, a brightness difference detecting unit for calculating a difference in average brightness between the images of the forward and obliquely upper areas achieved by the image pickup unit when it is judged by the obliquely upper area brightness reduction detecting unit that the average brightness of the image of the obliquely upper area is lower than the predetermined value, and a tunnel identifying unit for identifying a tunnel when the difference in average brightness between the image of the forward area and the image of the obliquely upper area that is calculated by the brightness di