Abstract: Disclosed is a molded or extruded thermoplastic article, including a thermoplastic polyamide composition including (a) a polyamide resin having a melting point and/or glass transition; (b) 0.25 to 20 weight percent of one or more polyhydroxy polymer(s); (c) 0 to 3 weight percent of one or more co-stabilizer(s) selected from the group consisting of secondary aryl amines, hindered amine light stabilizers, hindered phenols, and mixtures thereof; (d) 10 to about 60 weight percent of one or more reinforcement agents; (e) and 0 to 20 weight percent of a polymeric toughener; wherein molded 4 mm test bars prepared from said polyamide composition, and exposed at an test temperature of 170° C. for a test period of 500 hours, in an atmosphere of air, and tested according to ISO 527-2/1A, have, on average, a retention of tensile strength of at least 50 percent, as compared with that of an unexposed control of identical composition and shape.

Abstract: Thermoplastic compositions containing certain salts of fluorinated sulfonic acids adhere especially well to coatings (paints) applied to the surface(s) of that composition. Useful parts that can be made include painted automotive body parts, appliance cases, and other parts with painted aesthetically pleasing surfaces.

Abstract: A composition comprises or is produced from polyester, a first modifier, and a second modifier wherein the first modifier includes a polymer that is incompatible with poly(hydroxyalkanoic acid) and is not an acid-containing or acid generating polymer. Also provided is an article comprising or produced from the composition.

Abstract: The invention is directed to nanocomposite compositions that contain at least one thermoplastic polyamide; unmodified sepiolite-type clay nanoparticles; and a copper species. It, also, includes articles containing such compositions.

Abstract: There is provided a disk drive including a base chassis, a first optical pickup mechanism including a disk rotation drive disposed on the base chassis, first optical pickup unit to write and/or read data to and/or from a first optical disk and a first pickup moving mechanism to move the first optical pickup unit radially of the first optical disk, a second optical pickup mechanism disposed opposite to the first optical pickup mechanism and including a second optical pickup unit to write and/or read data to and/or from a second optical disk and a second pickup moving mechanism to move the second optical pickup unit radially of the second optical disk, and a controlling means for detecting the movement of one of the optical pickup units and moving the other optical pickup unit to make weight balancing of the base chassis. Thus, the base chassis weight is balanced while one of the two optical pickup units is being moved.

Abstract: Painted composite articles having good mechanical properties and smooth surface appearance comprising a reinforced thermoplastic polymeric components, a film, and a coating.

Abstract: Composite articles having good mechanical properties and smooth surface appearance comprising a reinforced thermoplastic polyamide and/or polyester component and a film.

Abstract: A process for coating vehicle parts comprising composite articles having good mechanical properties and smooth surface appearance comprising a reinforced thermoplastic polymeric component and a film.

Abstract: Provided is an optical disc device for reading a signal recorded on an optical disc medium, which detects surface reflection at a surface of the optical disc medium, a fake signal generated based on the surface reflection, and light reflected by a data recording layer of the optical disc medium while an objective lens is moved relative to the surface of the optical disc medium, and discriminates a type of the optical disc medium based on a ratio of a first time period between an instant when the surface reflection is detected and an instant when the fake signal is detected, and a second time period between the instant when the surface reflection is detected and an instant when light reflected by the data recording layer is detected.

Abstract: An optical disk unit, for reading signals stored on an optical disk medium, is provided with an optical pickup 23 selectively irradiating light of one wavelength, from several mutually different wavelengths, to an optical disk medium by means of a single objective lens and outputting signals based on light reflected by the optical disk medium, a drive section for causing relative movement of the objective lens of the optical pickup with respect to a surface of the optical disk medium, wherein a peak level of a fake signal generated in the received light signal based on surface reflection at the optical disk surface while the objective lens is being moved relative to the optical disk medium surface by the drive section is detected, and the received light signal is compared with a threshold value that is set based on the detected peak level, to detect reflected light of a data storage layer.

Abstract: Toughened poly(ethylene terephthalate) compositions which contain functionalized polymeric tougheners, and wherein the poly(ethylene terephthalate) contains little or no antimony, have superior heat stability and retain their toughness for longer periods at higher temperatures. The compositions are useful for molded and shaped parts, such as mechanical parts, automotive parts and electrical parts.

Abstract: Synthetic resins, such as thermoplastics and thermosetting resins, which have certain specified surface resistivities and static dissipation voltage values, are advantageously used as substrates to be coated in electrostatically assisted coating processes. Thus less of an electrically conducting additive, which is often deleterious to the substrate physical properties, may be used and/or additives which do not increase the electrical conductivity of the substrate to much may be used.

Abstract: Thermoplastic compositions containing certain salts of fluorinated sulfonic acids adhere especially well to coatings (paints) applied to the surface(s) of that composition. Useful parts that can be made include painted automotive body parts, appliance cases, and other parts with painted aesthetically pleasing surfaces.

Abstract: A bottom hold circuit generates a bottom hold signal (BH signal) from an RFDC signal from an RF amplifier, and sends it to a comparator. The comparator compares a reference level and the BH signal, and generates an Rfdet signal having H level if the BH signal was found to be lower than the reference level. The Rfdet signal is a signal having H level when a laser spot falls in a data-recorded area on an optical disk, and having L level when in a non-recorded area. When it was detected that Rfdet signal had H level throughout a single turn of the disk, a servo-processing microcomputer controls an optical pickup so as to apply tracking servo. This makes it possible to precisely detect a boundary position between the data-recorded area and non-recorded area. If the optical disk is decentered, the boundary area corresponded to the amount of decentering can successfully be isolated from the data-recorded area.

Abstract: To provide an antistatic polymer composition that can manifest a uniform antistatic effect permanently with little change in the surface resistance of moldings owing to humidity. Along with a polyether-system ion-conducting polymer, an ion source comprising a source of carboxyl groups and a source of at least one metal ion that can react with these carboxyl groups and a plasticizer of the ion-conducting polymer are compounded in one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of polyester, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyoxymethylene, polyphenylene sulfide, and compounds of polyphenylene oxide and polystyrene.

Abstract: An objective lens of an optical pick-up is ascended from the disc Far position towards the disc Near position at a constant velocity, and a peak bottom detector detects levels between the peak to the bottom (peak-to-bottom levels) of focus error signals obtained during the focus movement. A servo processing microcomputer counts the number of focus error signals having a peak-to-bottom level not smaller than the predetermined minimum level, out of all peak-to-bottom levels obtained during the focus movement across the recording layer of a disc, and defines the count value as the number of the recording layers of the disc. This allows correct determination of the number of recording layers of recording medium while not being affected by variation in property of the instruments, variation in reflectivity of recording medium, variation in the ambient temperature and fake pulse corresponded to waviness in focus error signal.

Abstract: One of the objects of the invention is to provide an optical disc apparatus capable of focusing on a signal surface regardless of appearance of a fake signal. The optical disc apparatus includes: an optical pickup for outputting a signal on the basis of reflection light of the optical disc, the optical pickup including an objective lens; a driving section for moving the objective lens of the optical pickup relative to an optical disc surface; and a focus controlling section for carrying out a focus detecting operation by detecting a reflection signal on a signal surface of the optical disc from the output signal of the optical pickup within a predetermined range of distance between the objective lens and the optical disc surface while the objective lens is being moved relative to the optical disc surface by means of the driving section.

Abstract: In a layer jump, a control signal based on a focus error signal is masked in a period based on a moving speed of an objective lens so as not to be influenced by an unnecessary light component. Thereafter, an observation of the control signal based on the focus error signal is restarted, and a brake signal is sent to the objective lens, and a focus servo is switched to the ON status. Thus, accuracy of the layer jump is improved when the unnecessary light component exists in an interlayer portion of the focus error signal.

Abstract: An objective lens of an optical pickup is made to move from far position to near position with respect to DVD with constant speed, and a timer counts time taken for the movement of a focus of a laser beam between recording layers of the DVD on the basis of a focus error signal obtained from this movement. In the case of the DVD of the single-layer, since the recording layer is one-layer, and there is no interlayer, count value becomes small value. While, in the case of DVD of the multi-layer, the recording layer consists of a plurality of layers, thus one or plural-interlayer exists, therefore, count value becomes large value. Accordingly, if small count value is obtained, its DVD is discriminated as DVD of the single-layer. While, if large count value is obtained, its DVD is discriminated as DVD of the multi-layer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an optical disk drive in which laser beams are emitted to an optical disk in a state of not rotated, and simultaneously an objective lens which collects the laser beams is moved to a direction approaching the optical disk at a constant speed, a time length required for moving a focused position of the laser beams from a surface of the optical disk to a recording layer is measured by observing a reflected light from the optical disk, and a type of the optical disk is determined based on the time Tdet thus measured, includes a control means which executes, a calculating process which calculates an additional travel time Tadd, based on the Tdet and an in-periphery maximum surface wobbling amount Vd of the optical disk, a moving process which further moves the objective lens for the additional travel time Tadd at the constant speed after the laser beams are focused on the recording layer, a rotating process which rotates the optical disk, a move-away process which moves the ob