1. A tube joint comprising:
a joint body which has a through-hole as a fluid passage formed in an axial direction and which has a first screw section formed at least at one end;
a nut member which connects a tube member to said joint body, said nut member being fitted to said one end of said joint body by a second screw section that is screwed with said first screw section;
a fastening mechanism which is provided at said one end of said joint body and which is pressed radially inwardly by an inner wall surface of said nut member for engaging with a diametrally-expanded outer circumferential surface of said tube member; and
a regulating element which is provided on an end surface of said nut member to be screwed on said joint body and which regulates a screwing amount of said nut member on said joint body,
wherein said regulating element comprises an annular projection having a continuous annular shape that protrudes a predetermined length from said end surface of said nut member toward said joint body, and said screwing amount of said nut member is regulated by abutment of a continuous annular end surface of said annular projection against an annular step of said joint body, said annular projection being plastically deformable so that said nut member is capable of being further screwed after said continuous annular end surface of said annular projection abuts against said annular step of said joint body through compression and deformation of said annular projection.
2. The tube joint according to claim 1, wherein said fastening mechanism includes a plurality of collet sections which are elastically deformable toward an outer circumference of said tube member inserted into said joint body and which are segmented in a circumferential direction to surround said outer circumferential surface of said tube member, and fastening pawls which are formed on said collet sections and which bite into said outer circumferential surface of said tube member.
3. The tube joint according to claim 2, wherein a pressing section is provided on said inner wall surface of said nut member, said pressing section comprises a tapered surface having gradually decreasing inner diameters from said second screw section, and said collet sections are pressed by said pressing section radially inwardly when said nut member is screwed.
4. The tube joint according to claim 1, wherein said end surface of said nut member is formed with an annular recess for receiving said annular projection, which is deformed when said nut member is further screwed toward said joint body after said annular projection abuts against said annular step of said joint body.
5. The tube joint according to claim 1, wherein said nut member is formed with a plug hole for inserting said tube member thereinto, and an edge section is provided on said inner wall surface of said nut member in the vicinity of an end of said plug hole, said edge section bites into said outer circumferential surface of said tube member.
6. The tube joint according to claim 5, wherein a tapered surface is formed at said end of said joint body, said tapered surface is diametrally expanded gradually in a direction in which said tube member is inserted, and a projection is formed circumferentially on said tapered surface, corresponding to said edge section of said nut member.
7. The tube joint according to claim 2, wherein a projection is formed circumferentially corresponding to said fastening pawls formed on said collet sections, said projection is provided on an outer circumferential surface at an end of said joint body.
8. The tube joint according to claim 1, wherein each of said joint body and said nut member is formed of a resin material.
9. The tube joint according to claim 1, wherein a cylindrical section is formed at said end of said joint body, a diametrally expanded section of said tube member is attached to said cylindrical section, a chamfered section is formed at an end of cylindrical section, said chamfered section faces a through-hole.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method, comprising:
providing an image of a gemstone comprising different colors, wherein the different colors correspond to light incident on the gemstone from different ranges of ray directions; and
evaluating the gemstone based on the colors.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the image comprises illuminating the gemstone with light of different colors from different ray directions, and acquiring the image at an observation location while the gemstone is illuminated.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the image comprises using a computer to generate a representation corresponding to light the gemstone directs to an observation location in response to illumination, wherein the representation is the image.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein a first color in the image corresponds to light directed by the gemstone to an observation location from a first range of polar ray directions with respect to a hemispherical reference frame.
5-24. (canceled)
25. The method of claim 4, wherein the observation location corresponds to a location between about one centimeter and about 100 centimeters from the gemstone.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the observation location corresponds to a location between about 20 centimeters and about 30 centimeters from the gemstone.
27-29. (canceled)
30. A method, comprising:
determining a proportion of a gemstone that directs light to an observer when illuminated by light from a predetermined subset of illumination directions; and
assigning a grade to a gemstone based on the determined proportion.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein assigning the grade comprises determining values corresponding to multiple characteristics of the gemstone and deducting from an initial grade based on each value and at least one of the characteristics is related to the portion of the gemstone that directs light to the observer when illuminated by light from the predetermined subset of illumination directions.
32. The method of claim 30, wherein the proportion of the gemstone that directs light to the observer when illuminated by light from the predetermined subset of illumination directions is related to a brilliance of the gemstone’s appearance.
33. The method of claim 30, wherein the proportion of the gemstone that directs light to the observer when illuminated by light from the predetermined subset of illumination directions is related to a contrast of the gemstone’s appearance.
34. The method of claim 30, wherein assigning the grade further comprises determining a value corresponding to a spread of the gemstone and adjusting the grade based on the value.
35. The method of claim 30, wherein assigning the grade further comprises determining a value corresponding to an amount the gemstone disperses incident illumination and adjusting the initial grade based on the value.
36. The method of claim 30, wherein assigning the grade comprises adjusting an initial grade based on the proportion of the gemstone that directs light to the observer when illuminated by light from the predetermined subset of illumination directions.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein the initial grade is adjusted by deducting from the initial grade based on the proportion of the gemstone that directs light to the observer when illuminated by light from the predetermined subset of illumination directions.
38. The method of claim 37, wherein the deduction increases as the proportion decreases.
39. The method of claim 30, wherein the predetermined subset of illumination directions corresponds to light incident on the gemstone from polar angles from 45\xb0 to 75\xb0 with respect to a hemispherical reference frame.
40-43. (canceled)
44. The method of claim 30, wherein the predetermined subset of illumination directions corresponds to light incident on the gemstone from polar angles from 70\xb0 or more with respect to a hemispherical reference frame.
45. The method of claim 30, wherein the predetermined subset of illumination directions corresponds to light incident on the gemstone from polar angles from 75\xb0 or more with respect to a hemispherical reference frame.
46-48. (canceled)
49. The method of claim 30, wherein the gemstone is a diamond.
50. (canceled)
51. The method of claim 49, wherein the grade is assigned based on a cut of the diamond.