Abstract: A valve mechanism for controlling release of pressurized fluid includes a fluid chamber, a plunger and a plunger driver. The plunger is received in an aperture in the fluid chamber, and is movable between a fluid retention position in which fluid is substantially trapped in the fluid chamber and a fluid release position in which fluid can escape from the fluid chamber through passages in the plunger. The plunger is biased into the fluid retention position. The plunger driver engages the plunger to cause the plunger driver and the plunger to move in unison and move the plunger into the fluid release position during a first portion of a stroke of the driver towards the fluid chamber, and the plunger driver is further guided to permit the plunger to return to the fluid retention position during a second portion of the stroke.

Abstract: A solar heat collector, wherein an absorber plate is mounted in a box member provided on the upper surface thereof with a transparent sheet. The surface of the absorber plate is subjected to a selective absorption surface treatment, and a transparent heat trap is bent into continuous V-shapes and disposed between the transparent sheet and the absorber plate. The transparent heat trap is formed of an ethylene fluoride series resin film having a film thickness of 1 to 100 .mu.m, having a degree of crystallinity of 35 to 55% and being transparent for the infrared rays as well as for the solar rays. With this arrangement, heat losses due to convection, radiation and conduction are suppressed at the same time, so that a high heat collecting efficiency can be secured.

Abstract: A solar heat collector assembly including a heat collector plate, a base for accommodating therein the heat collector plate, and a top cover for joining with the base for housing the heat collector plate. The base is made of a foamed resinous material and is provided with a latticed configuration which defines a plurality of cavities therein. The top cover is provided a number of air cavities serving as heat insulators.

Abstract: A solar ray collecting device suitable for being loaded and employed in a spacecraft. The device is made of a cylindrical cover, a plurality of round solar ray collecting portions, the light-receiving surface of which is equal in size to said cylindrical cover in square measure, supporting arms for rotatably supporting said solar ray collecting portions respectively, and supporting poles supporting said supporting arms respectively at the tip end portion thereof and capable of rotating and moving up and down. The solar ray collecting portions being taken out from the upper portion of said cylindrical cover at the time of being employed and accommodated in said cylindrical cover at the time of not being employed.

Abstract: An electric travel iron includes as an upper component a hand-held hot-air type hair dryer having a hand grip, an electric heating unit for heating a stream of air and an outlet duct through which a hot air stream is discharged. The lower component of the iron is formed by a thin flat metallic ironing plate detachably connected to the duct of the dryer in spaced confronting relationship to the open end thereof. The ironing plate is planar and has a surface facing the open duct end to define a direct hot-air impingement surface region and extends laterally outwardly from the direct hot-air impingement region beyond the contour of the duct end for providing a region heated by hot air laterally deflected in all directions from the hot-air impingement region. The hot air impingement region is provided with holes for direct access of hot air to the material being ironed, with the holes being located in a group having a shape corresponding to the contour of the open duct end.

Abstract: An electric travel iron includes as an upper component a hand-held hot air type hair-dryer having a hand grip, an electric heating unit for heating a stream of air and an outlet duct having an open end through which a hot air stream is discharged. The lower component of the iron comprises a thin flat metallic ironing plate detachably connected to the air outlet duct of the dryer in spaced confronting relationship to the open end of the duct. The ironing plate is planar and has an upper side facing the open duct end to define a direct hot-air impingement surface region and extends laterally outwardly from the direct hot-air impingement region beyond the contour of the duct end for providing a region heated by hot air laterally deflected from the direct hot-air impingement region. The lower side of the ironing plate forms the ironing surface.