The present invention relates to the production of ternesite clinkers containing 20 to 100% by weight C5S2$ and less than 15% by weight C4A3$, and to the use of ternesite as an additive to Portland cement or Portland composite cement, and to a binder containing 20 to 95% by weight Portland cement (clinker) and 80 to 5% by weight ternesite (clinker).

The invention concerns a composition comprising as component (A): 10% to 97% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition, of one or more monocarboxylic esters of the general formula R1—CO—OR2, in which R1 is a saturated or unsaturated, branched or straight-chain, aliphatic group having 11 to 23 carbon atoms and R2 is a branched or straight-chain aliphatic group, a cycloaliphatic group or aromatic group having 1 to 13 carbon atoms, and the sum of the carbon atoms of the groups R1 and R2 is not more than 30, the monocarboxylic ester or esters possessing a boiling point of more than 250° C. under a standard pressure of 101.3 kPa, and as component (B): 3% to 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition, of one or more dispersants, the composition possessing a viscosity at 25° C. of less than 5000 mPas. The invention further concerns the use of the composition as a dispersion medium, millbases obtained from the composition, and the use of the millbases.

A stranding of long winding material using a substantially cylindrical rotary body. The rotary body includes a first passage for guiding a first winding material through the cylindrical rotary body and a second passage for guiding a second winding material through the cylindrical rotary body. The first passage connects a first offset inlet on a first end side of the rotary body to a first offset outlet on a second end side of the rotary body, which opposes the first end side. The second passage connects a second input, arranged on a surface of the rotary body extending between the two end sides, to a second offset output on the second or first end side of the rotary body.

Method, apparatus, and system for preparing a cellular material based on hollow metal beads. According to the description, at least one bead chain in which said hollow metal beads are linked to one another in pairs by means of an articulation is used as elementary structure constituting the cellular material.

A highly reliable rectifying device of a vehicle alternator capable of improving the vibration resistance of a diode. A connection lead 33d of a diode 33 included in a rectifying device includes a linear part 33f extended in parallel from a metallic base 33b, and a bent part 33g bent 90° or more substantially like an arc from the linear part 33f. The bending radius R of the bent part 33g is set to a value larger than a separation distance w in a horizontal direction between the terminal of the linear part 33f and the distal part of the connection lead 33d.

A device for use as an adjunct in assuring that a manufactured wire is substantially free of internal flaws. A plurality of successively adjacent wire bending stations are provided, where each station includes means for bending the wire into bending planes which are different for each of the stations. The wire is passed through the successive stations, whereby the different bending planes at each station subject the wire at each station to tensile bending strain at portions of the wire cross-section which are different for each station. As a result the probability is increased that a given internal flaw in the wire will be exposed to the tensile bending strain condition as the wire passes through the successive stations, increasing likelihood of breakage of the wire at the flaw or of flaw magnification to improve detection of the flaw during subsequent wire inspections.

A protective metal netting comprises a plurality of longitudinal metal wires or cables (10) side by side, each interwoven with at least one adjacent longitudinal wire or cable (10) in an interweave portion (24), in which at least one of the metal wires or cables (20) has an almost rectilinear development, or in any case with loops that are less pronounced than the lower-strength neighboring cables. A machine for manufacturing interwoven metal nettings comprises a cylindrical drum (50), on the outer surface of which a plurality of pins (52) protruding radially and arranged in axial rows at equal angular intervals is fixed, with an equal pitch in all the rows. Some pins (54) present on the cylindrical drum (50) are fitted out-of-alignment with respect to the above-mentioned pitch.

A counterweight suspension device includes a pair of suspension cylinders that suspends a counterweight and that are hung from first and second hanging points provided separately in a left and right direction at a top end of a rear mast. A coupling member couples cylinder rod ends of the pair with each other. A lifting member lifts the counterweight. First and second connection points of the counterweight are connected with each of the cylinder rod ends, with the first and the second connection points provided separately in the left and right direction on the counterweight for attaching the lifting member to the counterweight. A first communication circuit is provided through which rod chambers of the suspension cylinders communicate with each other. A second communication circuit is provided through which bottom chambers of the suspension cylinders communicate with each other.

The present invention provides a crane with an automatic counterweight balancing device and a method of arranging counterweight thereof. The crane includes a main body and a counterweight device mounted to the main body. The counterweight device includes first and second magnetic field generators and first and second permanent magnetic counterweight blocks. The crane uses a combined arrangement of the magnetic field generators, the permanent magnetic counterweight blocks, an electrical control device, and a transducer device to detect, in a real time manner, output torques of servo motors, whereby when the output torques are not equal to rating torques, magnetic field intensities are varied to change downward magnetic forces acting on the permanent magnetic counterweight blocks thereby regulating loading of the servo motors and thus regulating the output torques of the servo motors to effect automatic balancing of counterweight and improve stability of the crane during a conveyance process.

A counterweight block apparatus includes a pair of interconnecting counterweight blocks having top and bottom surfaces, the counterweight blocks forming a plane of interconnection along adjacent sides thereof; and a shear bar releasably secured between the adjacent sides of the interconnecting counterweight blocks, generally perpendicular to the plane of interconnection, to provide resistance to relative vertical movement of the interconnecting counterweight blocks along the plane of interconnection. In another aspect, each counterweight block includes in at least one side thereof an indentation from a top of the counterweight block to a depth more shallow than the thickness of the counterweight block, the indentation defining a lip for hand grabbing. An aperture may be formed through the rest of the thickness of the counterweigh block at each indentation, wherein a securing strap can be run through each aperture of a stacked plurality of counterweight blocks to secure them to each other.

Disclosed is a crane comprising: a lower body; an upper slewing body; a counterweight unit including a plurality of wheels to travel on the ground in a turning direction equal to a slewing direction of the upper slewing body while being suspended from the upper slewing body; a steering actuator for rotating each of the wheels around a steering-rotation center axis to change the steering angle; and a steering control device for controlling the steering actuator. The steering control device includes: a slewing-identification-signal receiving section which receives a slewing identification signal for identification of the slewing direction of the upper slewing body; and an actuator operating section operates the steering actuator to orient each of the wheels to the inside of a tangent line to an orbit of the wheel at the steering-rotation center axis, based on the identified slewing direction identified from the slewing identification signal.

A mobile lift crane includes a carbody; a rotating bed; a boom; a moveable counterweight unit; at least one linear actuation device; and at least one arm pivotally connected at a first end to the rotating bed and at a second end to the linear actuation device. The arm and linear actuation device are connected between the rotating bed and the counterweight unit such that extension and retraction of the linear actuation device changes the position of the counterweight unit compared to the rotating bed. In one method of operation, the counterweight unit is never supported by the ground during crane pick, move and set operations other than indirectly by the ground engaging members on the carbody.

When an extension pattern selection device is activated, a normal mode is displayed on a screen of a monitor. An operator presses a manual mode switch key of an operation unit to switch the display mode of the screen from the normal mode to an extension pattern manual rearrangement mode. In the extension pattern manual rearrangement mode, the operator rearranges extension patterns so that frequently selected extension patterns P may be displayed at upper positions. Thus, the frequently selected extension patterns P are more preferentially displayed than the other extension patterns P.

Various embodiments of the present invention provide adjustable pit liners for use in conjunction with pipelines installed underground. The pit liners provide surface access to devices in fluid communication with the pipeline. The adjustability of the pit liners facilitates installation of the pit liners before the final grade surrounding the pit is known. In various embodiments, a tubular structure having an upper section and a lower section is provided, wherein the upper section and the lower section are slideably connected in a telescoping relationship. A locking mechanism is also provided to releaseably lock the overall height of the tubular structure as desired.

A water divider includes a water divider shell with openings formed on two ends and sides. A fixed water dividing device and a rotated water dividing device are provided within the water divider shell. A first through hole extends between the side and the bottom end of the fixed water dividing device, the side through hole opening position of the first through hole corresponds to the position of the opening provided on the side of the water divider shell. A second through hole extends between the top end and the bottom end of the fixed water dividing device, the top end through hole opening of the second through hole corresponds to the top end opening of the water divider shell. The rotated water dividing device includes a third though hole having a through hole opening that corresponds to the bottom end opening of the water divider shell.

To improve operability of a switching operation and locking operation of an operation pattern switching valve for switching the operation pattern of controlling devices for actuator control valves. An operation pattern switching device has a rotating operation member that rotates around a shaft center of a rotating support shaft, and thereby performs a switching operation of the operation pattern switching valve; and an operation lever that is provided rotatably integrally with the rotating operation member and performs a rotating operation of the rotating operation member. The rotating support shaft is, at each pattern switching position of the operation pattern switching valve, in a circumferential direction, provided with a plurality of lock engagement parts each with which the operation lever engages. The operation lever moves in a direction orthogonal to the shaft center of the rotating support shaft, and be thereby made engageable/removable with/from each of the lock engagement parts.

A system and method are disclosed for containing an underwater gas or oil leak. The system and method may include a vortex device comprising a vortex chamber, a high pressure inlet tangentially engaging the vortex chamber, a low pressure inlet axially engaging the vortex chamber, and a low pressure outlet axially engaging the vortex chamber opposite the low pressure inlet. The vortex device may be positioned underwater proximate an underwater leak. A vortex may be generated within the vortex device. The vortex device may then collect a leak flow issuing from the underwater leak. The vortex device may collect the leak flow via the low pressure inlet, the high pressure inlet, or both.

A method is presented for making a composite material from strips comprising longitudinal fibers and a binder or resin, which material comprises a number of layer assemblies one on top of the other. Each layer assembly comprises m sets (with m at least 2) of parallel strips each extending in a different direction, Each layer assembly is manufactured by successive steps of depositing groups of parallel strips according to a well defined pattern (without longitudinally interweaving strips with previously deposited strips). Before completing a layer assembly, with the exception of the last layer assembly, by depositing its last group of parallel strips, the first group of parallel strips of the following layer assembly is already deposited. A composite material manufactured with such a method is presented too.

A braider for braiding wires to a tube comprising an iris assembly having stacked iris plates. Each of the iris plates includes a center aperture, a wire orifice disposed radially outward from the center aperture, and an arcuate channel. The iris plates are rotatable relative to each other to adjust a circumferential orientation of the wire orifices relative to each other. The arcuate channel(s) of each respective iris plate is coincident with the wire orifice(s) of the remaining iris(es). The braider comprises a feeder assembly configured for advancing the tube through the center apertures, and advancing the wires through the respective wire orifices. The braider further comprises a braiding assembly configured for braiding a plurality of filaments around the tube and the plurality of wires as they are fed through the iris assembly, thereby creating a braided tube assembly.

A composite material comprising a plurality of fiber tape strips woven or braided together. Each of the plurality of fiber tape strips is made of a single layer of unidirectional fibers. The fibers are at least partially embedded in a thermoplastic matrix. A tubular composite part is made from this composite material and of an internal film. A method of manufacturing the composite material comprises weaving or braiding the fiber tape strips, especially in the form of a tube. A method of manufacturing a composite part comprises pressurizing the film inside the tube while heating both the tube and the film up to their forming temperature so as to bond the film to the woven fiber tape strips.

A braider comprises a plurality of horngears. The horngears can be arranged for forming at least two closed paths for braiding. Each horngear has a driving gear and a hornplate. Each horngear can be selectably operated in a first mode, to rotate with the driving gear, and in a second mode, in which the driving gear rotates, but the hornplate does not. Bobbin carriers are positioned on some of the horngears. A track is configurable in: a first flat braiding mode with the carriers arranged on the horngears, so that there is one or more separate closed path for forming a first flat braid configuration; and a second flat braiding mode for forming a second flat braid configuration different from the first flat braid configuration. A switch is provided for changing a configuration of the track between the first and second flat braiding modes.

A method, consisting of passing a cylindrical carbon fiber through a press so as to produce a flat ribbon. The method further includes weaving multiple strands of the flat ribbon together to create a cylindrical braid.

An electrical device such as a headset may have a cable. Wires in the cable may be used to connect speakers in the headset to a connector such as an audio jack. The cable may have a tubular intertwined cable cover that covers the wires. Computer-controlled servo motors in fiber intertwining equipment may be adjusted in real time so that intertwined attributes such as intertwining density and intertwining tension are varied as a function of length along the intertwined cable cover. The fiber intertwining equipment may make these variations to locally increase the strength of the intertwined cable cover and the cable in the vicinity of a bifurcation in the cable and in the vicinity of the portion of the cable that terminates at the audio jack.

A continuous braid structure has one or more first braid sections, each having a respective single flat braid or a respective single tubular braid. A plurality of second braid sections each have at least two flat braids with a gap between them. The second braid sections alternate with the one or more first braid sections. The adjacent first and second braid sections are continuous with each other. A length of material extends through the respective gap of at least one of the one or more second braid sections, so the length of material crosses one or more times between a first side of the continuous braid and a second side of the continuous braid.

A system includes a communication module and a determination module. The communication module is configured to be located onboard a vehicle configured to travel along a route including plural sub-routes. The communication module is configured to receive route occupancy information from an off-board wayside module disposed along the route. The route occupancy information corresponds to a presence or absence of vehicular traffic on each sub-route within a range of a route detection system operably coupled to the wayside module. The determination module is configured to be located onboard the vehicle, and to obtain position information from one or more onboard detection units disposed onboard the vehicle. The determination module is configured to determine a particular sub-route on which the vehicle is disposed using a comparison of the position information obtained from the one or more onboard detection units and the occupancy information received from the off-board wayside module.

A system and method for interactively producing a 3D representation of a vector graphic is disclosed. A vector graphic representing a 2D graphic having a number of endpoints joined by vector segments is automatically or interactively converted into a triangulated mesh in a form readable by a 3D printer. The conversion from vector graphic to a triangulated mesh is accomplished by generating an n-sided polygon in the vicinity of each endpoint of the vector graphic. Each of the vertices of the polygon are then be joined by a line to a corresponding vertex on the next adjacent polygon. Each vertex is also joined to an adjacent vertex on the next adjacent polygon. The process is continued until all polygons are joined, resulting in a triangulated mesh, which is then converted into a format readable by a 3D printer and sent to a 3D printer to produce the 3D representation.

A method for determining a slack condition of a vehicle system includes determining when each of first and second vehicles reaches a designated location along a route. The method also includes communicating a response message from the second vehicle to the first vehicle responsive to the second vehicle reaching the designated location, calculating a separation distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on a time delay between a first time when the first vehicle reached the designated location and a second time when the second vehicle reached the designated location, and determining a slack condition of the vehicle system based on the separation distance. The slack condition is representative of an amount of slack in the vehicle system between the first and second vehicles.

A system and method for determining dynamically changing distributions of vehicles in a vehicle system are disclosed. The system and method determine handling parameters of the vehicle system. The handling parameters are determined for different distributions of the vehicles among different groups at different potential change points along a route. The system and method also determine whether to change the distributions at potential change points based on the handling parameters. Based on determining that the distributions are to change, a selected sequence of changes to the distributions is determined at one or more of the potential change points along the route. Change indices are generated based on the selected sequence. The change indices designate times and/or the one or more potential change points at which the distributions changes. The vehicles included in a common group have common designated operational settings while the vehicles are in the common group.

The invention relates to a molding tool for the production of components composed of fiber composite materials, in which the molding tool has a fiber composite structure and an electrical resistance heating element, whereby carbon fibers or carbon filaments are embedded into the fiber composite structure of the molding tool in a plastic matrix, close to the shaping surface of the molding tool. Such a molding tool is further developed in that the carbon fibers or carbon filaments in the plastic matrix, close to the shaping surface, essentially determine the mechanical strength of the molding tool, and that the electrical resistance heating element is interconnected in such a manner that at least individual sections of the electrical resistance heating element form an electrical parallel circuit with one another.

A mold structure, a patterning method thereof and a method of fabricating an LCD device using the same are disclosed, which can realize a conformal contact by applying a voltage between a mold structure and a material layer being opposite to each other in an In-Plane Printing process, so as to prevent defective patterns, wherein the mold structure comprises a mold whose surface is provided with patterns; a backplane for supporting the mold; and a conductive film formed between the backplane and the mold.

The present invention provides templating methods for replicating patterned metal films from a template substrate such as for use in plasmonic devices and metamaterials. Advantageously, the template substrate is reusable and can provide plural copies of the structure of the template substrate. Because high-quality substrates that are inherently smooth and flat are available, patterned metal films in accordance with the present invention can advantageously provide surfaces that replicate the surface characteristics of the template substrate both in the patterned regions and in the unpatterned regions.

Provided are a polycrystalline silicon ingot casting mold and a method for producing a polycrystalline silicon ingot casting mold, with which high-quality silicon ingots can be obtained at high yields by minimizing sticking with the surfaces of the silicon ingot casting mold, and losses and damages that occur when solidified silicon ingot is released from the mold. The method for producing a polycrystalline silicon ingot casting mold having a release layer, including: forming a slurry by mixing a silicon nitride powder with water, coating the surface of the mold with the slurry, and heating the mold at 400 to 800° C. in an atmosphere containing oxygen, after coating the slurry.

A system for accelerated manufacturing of concrete modular housing units including a first deck platform including a plurality of exterior movable wall forms. A second deck platform including a plurality of exterior movable wall forms. A first concrete slab is placed on the first deck platform. At least one core including a plurality of core walls placed on the first concrete slab. The exterior movable wall forms of the first deck platform are positioned proximate the core walls to define a wall space there between configured to receive wet concrete and create a first concrete modular housing unit. A second concrete slab is placed on the second deck platform. Wet concrete in the wall space is allowed to set a until it is partially cured and then the at least one core is removed from the first concrete slab and placed on the second concrete slab such that the at least one core can be reused one or more times during a predetermined amount of time to create a least a second concrete modular housing unit while the first concrete modular housing unit is still curing.

A polycrystalline silicon ingot casting mold, and method for producing same. Mold release material being obtained by blending a silicon nitride powder (A) having an average particle diameter along the short axis of 0.6 to 13 μm with a silicon nitride powder (B) having an average particle diameter along the short axis of 0.1 to 0.3 μm at a weight ratio of 5:5 to 9:1; coating the mold surface with the slurry; and a heating the mold at 800 to 1200° C. in an atmosphere containing oxygen.

A projectile shooter toy has a body with a sidewall forming a space for holding a projectile in a loaded state and a pathway leading away from the space and along which the projectile moves in a forward direction. An actuator is arranged to engage the projectile to move the projectile forward along the pathway. At least two pinching members are spaced forwardly along the pathway from the actuator. The pinching members are separate from, and movable relative to, the actuator and the sidewall, and are configured to exert a force on the projectile as the projectile passes between the at least two pinching members.

A water balloon launching cannon is disclosed. The water balloon launching cannon includes a slotted barrel for rapid and easy loading and uses compressed air as the propelling force for firing the water balloon. Namely, the water balloon launching cannon includes an I-beam support upon which is mounted an air delivery system and the slotted barrel. For ease of disassembly, (1) the air delivery system includes quick-release mechanisms and (2) a plunger assembly inside the barrel is held by an easily removable pin. Further, a method of operating and a method using the water balloon launching cannon are disclosed.

The invention relates to a high-precision revolving center (10) for machine tools. Prestressed bearings 40 and 45 are brought into abutment on the one hand against internal 33 and external 25 cylindrical surfaces whose deviation, at any point on the surface, with respect to the theoretical surfaces centered on the axis, is less than 1 μm, and on the other hand against reference surfaces 26 and 34 perpendicular to the axis. Threaded elements 50, 55 enable the bearings 40, 45 to be stressed. Once the center 10 has been assembled and the bearings stressed, the revolving center is mounted on a grinder in order to give a precision finish to the tip 90, the concentricity reference surface 91 and the perpendicularity reference surface 92.

A rotating tenon cutter having a wooden or aluminum body and a curved cutter blade positioned adjacent to a throat having a bell mouth with a matching curve. A cylindrical tenon is formed with an attractive shoulder that curves from the tenon to the largest cross-sectional dimension of the work piece on the same radius as the cutter blade. A bubble level vial in the body indicates when the axis of rotation (and axis of the tenon to be formed) is horizontal. The cutter blade is repositionable on the body so that the bevel is appropriately presented for sharpening using a drum sander while the face or a flat side of the tenon cutter body rests on a drill press table.

A miniature tenon cutter having an aluminum body and a flat cutter blade positioned adjacent to a throat having a funnel mouth utilizing a gauge to assist in establishing cutter blade position. The tenon cutter is used with an electric drill motor, and it forms a cylindrical tenon with a sloping shoulder.

A lathe cutter and chip fan is described in which an annular frame includes a rotary portion that is driven to rotate about an axis. The rotary portion is annular, forming a workpiece receiving opening. A cutter is mounted on the rotary portion and projects into the workpiece receiving opening. The cutter rotates with the rotary portion to cut material from a workpiece positioned within the workpiece opening. A housing forms a compartment about the rotary portion and cutter, with a central housing opening substantially aligned with the workpiece receiving opening. A chip discharge openly communicates with the compartment and is situated substantially tangentially with respect to a rotational path of the cutter. A plurality of impellers are mounted to the rotary portion for rotation therewith. The impellers are configured to produce an airflow through the housing with intake air entering through the central housing opening and discharging through the chip discharge, whereby chips of workpiece material removed from the workpiece by the cutter may be discharged in the airflow through the chip discharge.

Interfaces for electrical (e.g., lighting) devices involve use of electrically conductive edge contacts arranged on or protruding from edges of printed circuit boards (PCBs) that provide or facilitate electrical connections to first and second externally accessible electrical contacts, such as may include threaded and foot contacts of a lighting device including a screw-shaped male base. First and/or second edge contacts of a PCB may protrude through first and second openings in a housing to form first and second externally accessible contact, or directly engage first and second externally accessible contact elements associated with (e.g., retained by) the housing. A contact element retained by a housing may define a slot in the interior of the housing to directly engage an edge contact of the PCB. Electric power is supplied to the PCB via edge contacts without need for intervening wires or soldered connections.

Magnetically adjusting color-converting particles within a matrix and associated devices, systems, and methods are disclosed herein. A magnetic-adjustment process can include applying a magnetic field to a mixture including a non-solid matrix and a plurality of color-converting particles (e.g. magnetically anisotropic color-converting particles). The magnetic field can cause the plurality of color-converting particles to move into a generally non-random alignment (e.g., a generally non-random magnetic alignment and/or a generally non-random shape alignment) within the non-solid matrix. The non-solid matrix then can be solidified to form a solid matrix. A magnetic-adjustment process can be performed in conjunction with testing and/or product binning of solid-state radiation transducer devices. For example, a position, direction, strength, or duration of a magnetic field used to perform a magnetic-adjustment process can be controlled according to optical output collected from a solid-state radiation transducer device. Measuring the optical output and performing the magnetic-adjustment process can be at least partially concurrent.

The present invention describes novel indenofluorene derivatives which can preferably be employed as matrix materials for phosphorescent dopants or as electron-transport materials, in particular for use in the emission and/or charge-transport layer of electroluminescent devices. The invention furthermore relates to polymers which comprise these compounds as structural units and to a process for the preparation of the compounds according to the invention and to electronic devices which comprise same.

The present invention relates to an electronic device comprising at least one organic semiconducting material according to the following formula (I): wherein R1-4 are independently selected from H, halogen, CN, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C20-alkyl or heteroalkyl, C6-C20-aryl or C5-C20-heteroaryl, C1-C20-alkoxy or C6-C20-aryloxy, Ar is selected from substituted or unsubstituted C6-C20-aryl or C5-C20-heteroaryl, and R5 is selected from substituted or unsubstituted C6-C20-aryl or C5-C20-heteroaryl, H, F or formula (II).

Compounds (including polymers) for use in hybrid host materials which can be used in electroluminescent devices. The compounds comprise at least one electron-transporting moiety and at least one hole-transporting moiety which are joined by a flexible linker. Hybrid host materials comprising the compounds exhibit stability against phase separation, elevated glass transition temperature, morphological stability against crystallization, and isolation of the electron transporting moiety and hole transporting moiety π-systems.

A carbazole derivative represented by the general formula (1) is provided. In the formula, Ar1 represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms which form a ring; α and β independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms which form a ring; R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms which form a ring; and R11 to R17 and R21 to R28 independently represent hydrogen, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms which form a ring.

To form stabilized organic light-emitting medium layers using the relief printing method and to provide an organic EL element excellent in terms of pattern-forming accuracy, film thickness uniformity and light-emitting characteristics, a substrate 2, first electrode layers 3 provided on the substrate 2, organic light-emitting medium layers 5 which are provided on the first electrode layers 3 and emit light when electrically connected, and second electrodes 6 which are provided on the organic light-emitting medium layers 5 and make the organic light-emitting medium layers 5 electrically connected when voltage is applied between the first electrodes 3 and the second electrodes are provided. In addition, at least one of the organic light-emitting medium layers 5 is formed of a mixture containing a polymer material having a weight-average molecular weight in a range of 1.5 million to 25 million and at least one low molecular material having a non-repetitive structure. Also, the mixing ratio between the polymer material and the low molecular material is set in a range of 0.05:1 to 0.5:1 in terms of weight ratio.

A corona igniter (20) for emitting a radio frequency electric field and providing a corona discharge (24) includes a central electrode (22) at a positive voltage, a grounded metal shell (30), and an insulator (28) with an abruption (34) extending radially outward relative to the central electrode (22). The abruption (34) is typically an increase of at least 15% of a local thickness (t) of the insulator (28) over less than 25% of a nose length (el) of an insulator nose region (74). The abruption (34) is typically one flank (82) of a protrusion or a notch, and the flank (82) faces the shell (30). The abruption (34) reverses the electric field and voltage potential gradient along the insulator outer surface (32), repels charged ions away from the insulator (28), and thus prevents the formation of a conductive path between the central electrode (22) and the shell (22).

In a spark plug, a center electrode includes a base member and a discharge chip that has a higher melting point than the base member. The base member and the discharge chip are joined to each other by both a weld and a diffusion layer. The weld is formed, by fusion welding, along an outer periphery of an interface between the base member and the discharge chip into an annular shape. The weld is made up of those parts of the base member and the discharge chip which are molten and mixed together during the fusion welding and solidified after the fusion welding. The diffusion layer is formed radially inside the annular weld. The diffusion layer is made up of those parts of the base member and the discharge chip which are diffused into each other across the interface between the base member and the discharge chip.

In a charging process of a shaft furnace, in particular of a blast furnace, batches of charge material are typically discharged in cyclical sequence into the furnace from a top hopper using a flow control valve. A method and system is proposed for adjusting the flow rate of charge material in such a process. Pre-determined valve characteristics for certain types of material are provided, each indicating the relation between flow rate and valve setting for one type of material. According to the invention, a specific valve characteristic is stored for each batch of charge material, each specific valve characteristic being bijectively associated to one batch and indicating the relation between flow rate and valve setting of the flow control valve specifically for the associated batch. In relation to discharging a given batch of the sequence the invention proposes: using the stored specific valve characteristic associated to the given batch for determining a requested valve setting corresponding to a flow rate setpoint and using the requested valve setting to operate the flow control valve; determining an actual average flow rate for the discharge of the given batch; correcting the stored specific valve characteristic associated to the given batch in case of a stipulated deviation between the flow rate setpoint and the actual average flow rate.