All The Claims

1. A printer comprising:
a housing having an accommodating portion that accommodates recording paper and opens in a direction crossing the direction of gravity;
a printer cover coupled to the housing in an openable and closable manner, and closing the accommodating portion;
a control unit provided on the printer cover and having an operation circuit board;
an operation lever provided in the housing at a position above the control unit in the direction of gravity and opening the printer cover; and
a discharge path provided on the printer cover outside the control unit and leading liquid having entered through between the operation lever and the control unit toward an area below the control unit in the direction of gravity,
wherein the discharge path including an upstream side end disposed on the printer cover below the operation lever in the direction of gravity.
2. A printer according to claim 1, wherein
the operation lever includes a projection portion, and
the projection portion includes a tip disposed at a position corresponding to the discharge path above the discharge path in the direction of gravity when the printer cover is in a closed state.
3. A printer according to claim 1, wherein
the housing includes an extended portion extended toward the inside thereof and provided between the operation lever and the discharge path,
the extended portion covers the operation circuit board as viewed from above in the direction of gravity, and
the extended portion includes a tip disposed at a position corresponding to the discharge path.
4. A printer according to claim 1, wherein
the housing has a partitioning wall raised toward above in the direction of gravity outside in the width direction of the recording paper accommodated in the accommodating portion, and
the discharge path includes a downstream side end disposed on a side opposite to the recording paper with the partitioning wall interposed between the downstream side end and the recording paper.
5. A printer according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first reservoir provided outside in the width direction of the recording paper.
6. A printer according to claim 5, further comprising:
a second reservoir provided inside the housing with respect to the first reservoir and communicating with the first reservoir,
wherein the second reservoir has a discharge hole provided in the bottom thereof.
7. A printer according to claim 1, wherein
the discharge path is formed integrally with a protection cover provided in an exterior of the control unit and covering the operation circuit board.

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. An oven for heating blanks on the run, especially preforms or intermediate containers, made of a thermoplastic, this oven comprising conveying means suitable for supporting and moving the blanks one after another while making each of them rotate about its own axis, and heating means placed laterally to the conveying means so as to heat the bodies of said moving blanks, wherein the conveying means are arranged so as to have at least two conveying branches lying substantially parallel to each and having opposite conveying directions, said two branches being traveled one after each other by the blanks, the heating means being placed between said two parallel conveying branches which extend near each other, wherein said heating means includes only one single line of heating infrared lamps, which extends between and substantially parallel to said two conveying branches, so that said infrared lamps heat, bilaterally and simultaneously, the blanks running in the opposite conveying directions along the two conveying branches respectively.
2. The oven as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two conveying branches are joined, at one of their ends, by a loop conveying section that is located outside the zone where the heating infrared lamps act.
3. The oven as claimed in claim 1, wherein it includes two pairs of parallel conveying branches with heating infrared lamp placed between the two branches of each pair respectively, the four conveying branches being connected together via loop conveying sections located outside the zones where the heating infrared lamps act.
4. The oven as claimed in claim 3, wherein the four conveying branches are mutually parallel.
5. The oven as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the conveying branches are substantially rectilinear.
6. The oven as claimed in claim 1, wherein reflectors are placed alongside each conveying branch on the opposite side from that occupied by the heating infrared lamps.

1. A microfluidic device comprising a body and at least one nozzle extending outwardly therefrom, the body having at least one channel formed therein, each channel extending through the body from a first surface to a second surface thereof, wherein each channel has a reservoir section that is open at the first surface for receiving a sample, the at least one nozzle extending outwardly from the second surface, wherein each nozzle is in fluid communication with one channel such that each channel terminates in a nozzle opening that is formed as part of the nozzle, the body and at least one nozzle being formed by a process comprising the steps of:
providing a mold which includes a negative impression of the channel and the at least one nozzle;
injecting a polymeric material into the mold;
curing the polymeric material to form the body with the at least one nozzle extending outwardly from the second surface with the at least one channel formed in the body; and
removing the body from the mold.
2. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the mold is constructed so that the nozzle opening of the formed microfluidic device has a diameter equal to or less than 100 \u03bcm and an outside diameter of the nozzle is equal to or less than 150 \u03bcm.
3. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the mold is constructed so that the nozzle opening of the formed microfluidic device has a diameter equal to or less than 50 \u03bcm and an outside diameter of the nozzle is equal to or less than 100 \u03bcm.
4. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the mold is constructed so that the nozzle opening of the formed microfluidic device has a diameter equal to or less than 20 \u03bcm and an outside diameter of the nozzle is equal to or less than 50 \u03bcm.
5. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the mold includes a first die and a second die, the first die having a plurality of pins extending outwardly therefrom which are received in openings formed in the second die, each opening terminating in a closed, conically shaped section.
6. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein in a closed position, a tip of each pin is in intimate contact with a tip of the conically shaped section of the second die, the interface between the two tips defining the nozzle opening.
7. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein in a closed position, a tip of each pin is spaced a predetermined distance from a tip of the conically shaped section of the second die to form a gap between the two tips, wherein during the step of injecting the polymeric material, the polymeric material is only partially disposed within the gap so as to form the nozzle opening.
8. The microfluidic device of claim 7, wherein the nozzle opening has a diameter greater than a diameter of the tip of the pin.
9. The microfluidic device of claim 1, further including the step of:
controlling a pressure used to inject the polymeric resin such that an area within the gap is free of polymeric material, thereby defining the nozzle opening.
10. The microfluidic device of claim 1, further including the step of:
polishing at least a portion of the mold to create a smooth finish prior to injecting the polymeric material, wherein the portion at least includes a section of the mold that defines an outer surface of the nozzle.
11. The microfluidic device of claim 1, further including the step of:
varying the surface characteristics of at least a section of the mold that defines and outer surface of the nozzle so as to reduce the surface friction in this section to enhance the flow properties of the injected resin in the section.
12. A method for manufacturing a microfluidic device comprising a body and at least one nozzle integral thereto and extending outwardly from one face thereof, the body having at least one channel formed therethrough with a length of the channel being formed through the nozzle and terminating in a nozzle opening, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a mold which includes a negative impression of the channel and the at least one nozzle, the negative impression being shaped such that the formed nozzle has a beveled outer surface;
injecting a polymeric material into the mold;
curing the polymeric material to form the microfluidic device; and
removing the body from the mold.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of providing a mold including the step of:
forming the negative impression of the channel such that at least the length of the channel that is formed in the nozzle has a tapered shaped.
14. The method of claim 12, further including the step of:
forming the mold such that the resulting nozzle opening has a diameter equal to or less than 100 \u03bcm and an outside diameter of the nozzle is equal to or less than 150 \u03bcm.
15. The method of claim 12, further including the step of:
forming the mold such that the resulting nozzle opening has a diameter equal to or less than 50 \u03bcm and an outside diameter of the nozzle is equal to or less than 100 \u03bcm.
16. The method of claim 12, further including the step of:
forming the negative impression of the mold such that the resulting microfluidic device has a a nozzle that is conically shaped.
17. The method of claim 12, further including the step of:
forming the negative impression of the mold such that the resulting channel formed in the nozzle has a varying diameter.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein a section of the channel formed in the body poximate to an interface between the nozzle and the body has a varying diameter.
19. The method of claim 12, further including the step of:
forming the negative impression of the mold such that a section of the channel defines a sample reservoir that is open along another face of the body, the reservoir having a varying diameter.
20. The method of claim 12, wherein the negative impression includes a plurality of pins, one pin for each channel and nozzle, the pin being of varying diameter and having a two or more sections corresponding to at least the body and the nozzle of the microfluidic device.

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 direct current detecting mechanism for a direct current circuit breaker, the circuit breaker having an electric power source side terminal and an electric load side terminal, the mechanism comprising:
a direct current detecting shunt,
wherein the direct current detecting shunt comprises:
a plurality of resistor members with high resistivity;
a connection conductor having a plurality of first recess portions in which the resistor members are inserted; and
a load terminal part having a plurality of second recess portions in which the resistor members are inserted.
2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of resistor members are configured by a plurality of plate-shaped resistor members with the high resistivity, and
wherein each first recess portion of the connection conductor and each second recess portion of the load terminal part are configured by a linear recess portion.
3. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of resistor members are configured by a plurality of rod-shaped resistor members with the high resistivity, and
wherein each first recess portion of the connection conductor and each second recess portion of the load terminal part are configured by a circular recess portion.
4. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the connection conductor is connected with a movable contact arm of the direct current circuit breaker.
5. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein resistance of the resistor member has a ratio of 10% to 15% of contact resistance between the connection conductor and the load terminal part when the maximum rated current flows.
6. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the resistor members are electrically connected to the connection conductor and the load terminal part in a brazing manner after being inserted into the first recess portions of the connection conductor and the second recess portions of the load terminal part.
7. A current detecting mechanism for a direct current circuit breaker, the circuit breaker having at least a pair of electric power source side terminals and at least a pair of electric load side terminals, the mechanism comprising:
a direct current shunt installed to be electrically connected to one of the pair of electric load side terminals and having a plurality of resistor members with high resistivity, the direct current shunt outputting an electric potential difference across the resistor members, which is proportional to a current flowing through the connected load side terminal, as a voltage signal; and
a hall sensor assembly having a pair of magnetic cores installed near the other of the pair of electric load side terminals with being spaced therefrom for insulation, the pair of magnetic cores being installed to face each other with an air gap therebetween, and a hall sensor installed in the air gap between the magnetic cores, the hall sensor outputting an output voltage according to a magnetic flux induced in proportion to a current flowing through the other of the pair of load side terminals.
8. The mechanism of claim 7, wherein the direct current shunt comprises:
a plurality of resistor members with high resistivity;
a connection conductor having a plurality of first recess portions in which the resistor members are inserted; and
an electric load terminal part having a plurality of second recess portions in which the resistor members are inserted.
9. The mechanism of claim 7, wherein the direct current shunt is installed on an anode load side terminal of the pair of load side terminals in a contact manner, and
wherein the hall sensor is installed near a cathode load side terminal of the pair of load side terminals in a non-contact manner.
10. The mechanism of claim 8, wherein the plurality of resistor members are configured by a plurality of plate-shaped resistor pieces or a plurality of resistor rods with high resistivity.