The invention provides a family of 1,4-benzodiazepinone compounds and methods for their use as therapeutic agents in treating cancer. Pharmaceutical compositions and methods of making the 1,4-benzodiazepinone compounds are provided.

Cancer is a significant health problem throughout the world. Significant resources have been devoted to seeking cures for cancer resulting in important advances in the detection and treatment of cancer. However, there is significant need for new therapeutic agents having increased efficacy and reduced side effects. Current therapies, many of which involve a combination of chemotherapy or surgery and radiation, are inadequate for many patients. One of the early cancer chemotherapy drugs was the alkylating agent cyclophosphamide (Endoxan®), which is an oxazaphosphorin pro-drug activated preferentially in a tumor. The target of alkylating agents like cyclophosphamide is DNA and the concept, that cancer cells with uncontrolled proliferation and a high mitotic index are killed preferentially, has been confirmed. Historically, cancers have been linked to genetic changes caused by chromosomal mutations within the DNA. Mutations, hereditary or acquired, can lead to a loss of gene expression critical for maintaining a healthy state.
Many standard cancer chemotherapeutic drugs kill cancer cells upon induction of programmed cell death ("apoptosis") by targeting basic cellular processes and molecules. These basic cellular processes and molecules include RNA/DNA (alkylating and carbamylating agents, platin analogs and topoisomerase inhibitors), metabolism (drugs of this class are named anti-metabolites and examples are folic acid, purine and pyrimidine antagonists) as well as the mitotic spindle apparatus with α,β-tubulin heterodimers as the essential component (drugs are categorized into stabilizing and destabilizing tubulin inhibitors; examples are Taxol/Paclitaxel®, Docetaxel/Taxotere® and vinca alkaloids). Yet agents such as these are insufficient treatments, as evidenced by the following statistics for breast, prostrate, and lung cancer, for example.
Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among males, with an estimated incidence of 30% in men over the age of 50. Moreover, clinical evidence indicates that human prostate cancer has the propensity to metastasize to bone, and the disease appears to progress inevitably from androgen dependent to androgen refractory status, leading to increased patient mortality. This prevalent disease is one of the leading causes of cancer death among men in the United States.
The incidence of breast cancer, a leading cause of death in women, has been gradually increasing in the United States over the last thirty years. Its cumulative risk is relatively high; certain reports indicate that approximately one in eight women are expected to develop some type of breast cancer by age 85 in the United States. In fact, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and still remains a leading cause of cancer death in the United States.
Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 80% of these cases. Attempts to use serum protein markers for the early diagnosis of lung cancer have not yielded satisfactory results for routine screening, and newly developed early diagnostic methods using serum DNA as a diagnostic marker await further validation. Moreover, current therapeutic measures are frequently unable to lower the mortality rate of late-stage lung cancer patients. Of the current therapeutic measures, surgical resection is the best cure currently available for early-stage patients. However, a large portion of early-stage patients, defined by the current staging system and available imaging modalities, still develop distant metastases even after surgical removal of the tumor mass.
In view of the foregoing, the need exists for more effective compositions and methods for treating cancers of all types, including prostrate, breast, and lung cancers, as well as colon cancer, ovarian cancer, leukemia, renal cancer, melanoma and central nervous system cancer. The present invention addresses this need and has other related advantages.

1,4-benzodiazepinone compounds and their use in treating cancer

The Regents of the University of Michigan


A new cultivar of Dianthus plant named xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99 that is characterized by upright, compact habit, grey-green foliage and fragment bi-color flowers that bloom from spring to fall. In combination these traits set xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99 apart from all other existing varieties of Dianthus known to the inventor.

Genus: Dianthus.
Species: xc3x97hybrida.
Denomination: DEVON PP 11.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of carnation that is grown for use as an ornamental landscape and container plant. The new cultivar is known botanically as Dianthusxc3x97hybrid and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99.
xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99 is an induced hybrid plant that is the product of a breeding program started by the inventor in 1980. The breeding program is not federally funded and is on going, conducted in a cultivated area of Houndspool, Dawlish, Devon, United Kingdom. The primary focus of the breeding program is to produce new cultivars of carnations that exhibit unique growth habit. xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99 was selected in 1996 by the inventor from a large group of open pollinated seedlings, and was selected for height and strongly perfume-scented flowers.
xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99 resulted from the open pollination between the female parent plant Dianthus xe2x80x98Devon Glowxe2x80x99 (unpatented) and the male parent plant which is an unidentified cultivar of Dianthus. xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99 is distinguishable from the female parent xe2x80x98Devon Glowxe2x80x99 by short flower stalks, bi-colored flowers, upright compact growth habit, early flowering and long flowering season. The closest comparison plant is xe2x80x98Devon Glowxe2x80x99.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the inventor in 1986 in a cultivated area of Houndspool, United Kingdom. The method of asexual propagation used was stem cuttings. Since that time the characteristics of the new cultivar have been determined stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new Dianthus cultivar xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99. These traits in combination distinguish this cultivar from all other commercial varieties known to the inventor. xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99 has not been tested under all possible conditions and phenotypic differences may be observed with variations in environmental, climatic and cultural conditions.
1. Dianthus xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99 exhibits an upright compact growth habit.
2. Dianthus xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99 exhibits strongly perfume-scented bi-colored flowers.
3. Dianthus xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99 is 12 cm. without blooms and 25 cm. in height with blooms, and 30 cm in width.
4. Dianthus xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99 is a hardy perennial.
5. Dianthus xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99 blooms early and is long flowering with a blooming season from April to October.
6. Dianthus xe2x80x98DEVON PP 11xe2x80x99 is hardy to minus 15xc2x0 Centigrade.


The invention herein disclosed is, in one embodiment, directed to a golf ball of unitary molded construction, wherein the golf ball is foamed from a composition that comprises an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, a thermoplastic elastomer, and a blowing agent, and wherein the golf ball has (i) a diameter that ranges from about 1.6 to about 1.75 inches, (ii) a weight that ranges from about 10 to about 15 grams, and (iii) a coefficient of restitution value that ranges from about 0.33 to about 0.42. In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a golf ball of unitary molded construction, wherein the golf ball is foamed from a composition comprising: a major amount by weight of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer; a minor amount by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer material, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer material is one or more of (i) a thermoplastic elastomer based on a dynamically vulcanized elastomer-thermoplastic blend, (ii) a styrene tri-block copolymer thermoplastic elastomer, and (iii) an ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymer thermoplastic elastomer; and a blowing agent.

The present invention relates generally to golf balls, and more specifically, to one piece golf balls of unitary molded construction that are suitable for shorter and xe2x80x9coff-coursexe2x80x9d playing, as well as to methods of manufacturing relating thereto.
Golf balls have traditionally been categorized into three different groups; namely, (1) one piece golf balls of unitary molded construction, (2) multi-piece golf balls (i.e., two or more concentric pieces) of layered construction, and (3) wound golf balls (i.e., core consists of a wound elastic thread) of layered construction. The physical and structural differences among these three distinct groups of golf ball construction are very significant; as are the differences in their play characteristics.
The wound-golf ball (frequently referred to as a three piece golf ball), for example, is generally made from a vulcanized rubber thread wound under tension around a solid or semi-solid center to form a wound core. The wound core is then encased in a single or multi-layer covering of one or more tough protective materials. Similarly, the multi-piece golf ball is generally made from a solid resilient core having single or multiple cover layers thereon. In both types of layered golf ball, the materials of the inner layers tend to vary significantly, while the material of the outermost cover layer is most commonly either balata or SURLYN (E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company, United States). In this regard, it is generally believed that SURLYN provides a stronger, more durable cover, whereas balata provides a softer cover that offers a bit more spin control. Regardless of the cover layer material, golf balls of layered construction have evolved significantly over the years to achieve, among other things, better flight and distance characteristics (innovations made possible, in part, by the development of new synthetic polymers and other specialty chemicals). Indeed, searchable databases maintained by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reveal that several thousand U.S. patents have thus far issued on inventions relating to golf balls of layered construction.
In contradistinction, one piece golf balls of unitary molded construction are typically formed from a homogeneous mass of a moldable synthetic material. As such, golf balls of this type of construction generally possess a homogeneous composition (i.e., the composition is substantially uniform between the interior and exterior of each ball); and there is generally no separate outer protective covering. One piece golf balls of unitary molded construction are known in the art and have been described over the years in the patent literature. Exemplary in this regard are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,238,156, 3,239,228, 3,241,834, 3,313,545; 3,373,123, 3,384,612, 3,421,766, 3,438,933, 3,452,986, 3992,014, 4,165,877, 4,266,772, 5,082,285, 5,330,837, and 6,277,924. In general unitary golf balls described in these patents are suitable only for practice, and not competitive play. More importantly, however, is that these patents reveal that relatively few technological innovations have been made over the years with respect to one piece golf balls, especially with respect to the use of newly developed synthetic polymers and other specialty chemicals.
Specifically, and although numerous attempts have been made to manufacture one piece golf balls of unitary molded construction, a one piece golf ball has not yet been developed that is both relatively lightweight and able to xe2x80x9cpopxe2x80x9d off a club face like that of a layered construction golf ball. In addition, there has not yet been developed a one piece golf ball that has great elasticity and bouncing characteristics and that is suitable for shorter or off-course playing. Accordingly, there is still a need in the art for novel golf balls of unitary molded construction, as well as to methods of manufacturing relating thereto. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides for further related advantages.
In brief, the present invention relates generally to golf balls, and more specifically, to one piece golf balls of unitary molded construction suitable for shorter (e.g., par 3 courses) and xe2x80x9coff-coursexe2x80x9d playing, as well as to methods of manufacturing relating thereto. In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a golf ball of unitary molded construction, wherein the golf ball is foamed from a composition that comprises an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, a thermoplastic elastomer, and a blowing agent, and wherein the golf ball has (i) a diameter that ranges from about 1.6 to about 1.75 inches, (ii) a weight that ranges from about 10 to about 15 grams, and (iii) a coefficient of restitution value that ranges from about 0.33 to about 0.42. In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a golf ball of unitary molded construction, wherein the golf ball is foamed from a composition comprising: a major amount by weight of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer; a minor amount by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer material, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer material is one or more of (i) a thermoplastic elastomer based on a dynamically vulcanized elastomer-thermoplastic blend, (ii) a styrene tri-block copolymer thermoplastic elastomer, and (iii) an ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymer thermoplastic elastomer; and a blowing agent.
As noted above, the present invention relates generally to golf balls, and more specifically, to one piece golf balls of unitary molded construction suitable for shorter and xe2x80x9coff-coursexe2x80x9d playing, as well as to methods of manufacturing relating thereto. In some embodiments, the golf balls of the present invention comprise a thermoplastic elastomer material admixed together with an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer. More specifically, it has been discovered that unitary golf balls made from a composition comprising (i) one or more thermoplastic elastomer materials, (ii) an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and (iii) other optional fillers and/or processing additives, have highly desirable properties and characteristics which make them highly desirable for shorter and xe2x80x9coff-coursexe2x80x9d playing. For example, it has been surprisingly discovered that, among other things, golf balls made from such novel compositions are highly suitable for xe2x80x9coff-coursexe2x80x9d playing because they are highly elastic (and thus have a good xe2x80x9cspringxe2x80x9d feel when hit off a club face), durable, and travel only about one-third to about one-half as far as a conventional golf ball of layered construction. In addition, the unitary golf balls of the present invention are, in general, relatively less expensive to produce than many other types of practice or off-course golf balls.
In some exemplary embodiments, the unitary golf balls of the present invention are made of a foamed thermoplastic elastomer/ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer admixture that has been molded into the shape of a standard sized golf ball (i.e., golf ball having a diameter of about 1.68 inches). The thermoplastic elastomer component of such an admixture is preferably a styrene block copolymer thermoplastic elastomer, and the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer preferably has a vinyl acetate content ranging from about 15% to about 18%. The weight of each such exemplary golf ball generally ranges from about 10 to about 25 grams (and preferably from about 12 to about 16 grams); whereas the xe2x80x9ccoefficient of restitutionxe2x80x9d (COR) generally ranges from about 0.33 to about 0.42 (and preferably from about 0.36 to about 0.39). As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, the xe2x80x9ccoefficient of restitutionxe2x80x9d is simply a measure of the ratio of the relative velocity of an elastic sphere immediately before and after a direct impact. The xe2x80x9ccoefficient of restitutionxe2x80x9d can vary from zero to one, with one being equivalent to a completely elastic collision and zero being equivalent to a completely inelastic collision.
Because many embodiments of the present invention encompass a wide range of possible polymer compositionsxe2x80x94particularly with respect to ingredients such as, for example, thermoplastic elastomer materials and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymersxe2x80x94several subsections have been provided. The several subsections provide additional disclosure pertaining to: (1) Overview of Polymer Nomenclature and Theory (2) Suitable Thermoplastic Elastomer Materials; (3) Suitable Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymers; (4) Suitable Additives; (5) Exemplary Compounding Techniques; and (6) Exemplary Unitary Golf Ball Manufacturing Processes. The several subsections are followed by several illustrative Examples that help demonstrate some of the novel features and characteristics associated with the unitary golf balls of the present invention. Finally, and although many specific details of certain embodiments of the present invention are set forth below, it is to be understood that the present invention may have additional embodiments, and that the invention may be practiced without several of the details described herein.
For purposes of clarity, a brief review of polymer nomenclature is provided to aid in the understanding of the present invention. In general, a polymer is a macromolecule (i.e., a long chain molecular chain) synthetically derived from the polymerization of monomer units or which exists naturally as a macromolecule (but which is still derived from the polymerization of monomer units). The links of the molecular chain are the monomer units. For example, polypropylene is a polymer derived from the monomer propylene (CH2CHCH3). More specifically, polypropylene is a xe2x80x9chomopolymer,xe2x80x9d that is, a polymer consisting of a single repeating unit, namely, the monomer propylene (CH2CHCH3).
In contrast, a xe2x80x9ccopolymerxe2x80x9d is a polymer containing two (or more) different monomer units. A copolymer may generally be synthesized in several ways. For example, a copolymer may be prepared by the copolymerization of two (or more) different monomers. Such a process yields a copolymer where the two (or more) different monomers are randomly distributed throughout the polymer chain. These copolymers are known as xe2x80x9crandom copolymers.xe2x80x9d Alternatively, copolymers may be prepared by the covalent coupling or joining of two homopolymers. For example, the covalent coupling of one homopolymer to the terminus of a second, different homopolymer provides a xe2x80x9cblock copolymer.xe2x80x9d A block copolymer containing homopolymer A and homopolymer B may be schematically represented by the following formula: (A)x(B)y where (A)x is a homopolymer consisting of x monomers of A, (B)y is homopolymer consisting of y monomers of B, and wherein the two homopolymers are joined by a suitable covalent bond or linking spacer group. While the above formula illustrates a block copolymer having two block components (i.e., a xe2x80x9cdi-block copolymerxe2x80x9d ), block copolymers may also have three or more block components (e.g., a xe2x80x9ctri-block copolymerxe2x80x9d schematically represented by the formula (A)x(B)y(A)x or simply Axe2x80x94Bxe2x80x94A, as well as a xe2x80x9cmultiblock copolymerxe2x80x9d schematically represented by the formula (xe2x80x94Axe2x80x94B)n).
As noted above, exemplary thermoplastic elastomer materials (i.e., TPEs) of the present invention include, but are not limited to, any one or combination of the following: thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (i.e., TPUs), polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomers (i.e., TPOs), thermoplastic elastomers based on dynamically vulcanized elastomer-thermoplastic blends (i.e. TPVs), thermoplastic polyether ester elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers based on halogen-containing polyolefins, thermoplastic elastomers based on polyamides, styrene based thermoplastic elastomers, and ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymer thermoplastic elastomers. As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, many of these materials may be characterized (unlike conventional single-phase thermoplastic materials) as having one or more copolymers that comprise a major proportion of a soft segment and a minor proportion of a hard segment so as to result in a composition having a two-phase morphology.
Without necessarily prescribing to any specific scientific theory, it is believed that many-of the thermoplastic elastomers utilized in the present invention possess unique thermal and mechanical properties because they consist of hard segments that have a high glass transition temperature (Tg) or melting temperature (Tm) alternating with soft segments that have a low Tg ( less than  less than room temperature). In addition to these constraints, the hard and soft segments are generally chosen such that the free energy of mixing is positive. As such, the mutual incompatibility of the segments induces microphase separation in the solid state: the hard segments tend to aggregate to form glassy or semicrystalline hard domains interspersed in a continuous soft segment matrix (hence, a two-phase morphology). The boundaries between these two phases are not well defined because there exists some degree of forced compatibility due to the relatively short average chain lengths and molecular weight distributions (i.e., generally below 4,000 atomic mass units) associated with each of the two types of segments.
In addition to the foregoing and as further appreciated by those skilled in the art, the soft segments contribute to the flexibility and extensibility of the thermoplastic elastomer, whereas the glassy or semicrystalline domains of the hard segments serve as physical crosslinks that impedes chain slippage and viscous flow. Because the crosslinks associated with the hard segments are physical in nature (in contradistinction to the chemical bonds found in vulcanized rubber), they are thermally reversible. As such, heating above the softening or melting point of the hard segment generally causes the hard domains to disassociate and become fluid. Without the hard segment tie points, the thermoplastic elastomer is able to flow, and therefore can be melt processed in conventional thermoplastic processing equipment, such as, for example, conventional injection molding equipment.
Moreover, it is to be understood that the polymer chains associated with the soft and hard segments may be synthesized with any number of monomer unitsxe2x80x94so as to range from short to longxe2x80x94wherein the soft and hard segment chain lengths define, in large part, the physical properties of the thermoplastic elastomer. The lengths of the soft and hard segments notwithstanding, any of the thermoplastic elastomer materials (as well as various combinations thereof) disclosed herein may be used to produce the golf balls of the present invention. For purposes of added clarification, the several different classifications of the above-identified thermoplastic elastomer materials are more fully identified and described below.
The thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (i.e. TPUs) of the present invention are generally made from long-chain polyols with an average molecular weight of 60 to 4,000, chain extenders with a molecular weight of 61 to 400, and polyisocynanates. Within the genus of TPUs, the soft flexible segments generally comprise either hydroxyl terminated polyesters or hydroxyl terminated polyethers, whereas the hard segments generally comprise 4,1xe2x80x2-diphenylmethane diisocyanate. The hard segments may, however, comprise hexamethylene diisocyanate, 4,4xe2x80x3-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, 3,3xe2x80x2-dimethyl-4,4xe2x80x3-biphenyl diisocyanate, 1,4-benzene diisocyanate, trans-cyclohexane-1,4-diisocyanate, and 1,5-naphthalene diisocyanate. As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, the characteristics of the hard segment and to a large extent the physical properties of the TPU are generally determined by the choice of the polyisocyanate and its associated chain extender. In the context of the present invention, the most important chain extenders for the above-identified TPUs are linear diols such as, for example, ethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, and hydroquinone bis(2-hydroxyethyl) ether. Exemplary of the commercially available TPU thermoplastic elastomers include those available from DuPont (I.E. Du Pont de Nemours and Company, United States) under the tradename HYLENE, as well as those available from Morton (Morton International Specialty Chemicals) under the tradename IROGRAN.
The polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomers (i.e. TPOs) of the present invention generally include random block copolymers (e.g., ethylene xcex1-olefin copolymers), block copolymers (e.g, hydrogenated butadiene-isoprene-butadiene block copolymers), stereoblock polymers (e.g., stereoblock polypropylene), graft copolymers (e.g., polyisobutylene-g-polystyrene and EPDM-g-pivalolactone), and blends (e.g. blends of ethylene-propylene random copolymer with isotactic polypropylene and dynamically vulcanized blends of EPDM with a crystalline polyolefin). As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, all of these thermoplastic elastomers generally depend on crystallization of polymer chains to produce an elastomeric structure. For example, in the TPO random block copolymers (which are structurally similar to TPU random block copolymers) ethylene sequences long enough to crystallize at use temperature act as physical crosslinks for the amorphous elastic chain segments. In the TPO stereoblock copolymers, changes, in intrachain tacicity (i.e., alternating stereoregularities) provide for the alternating crystalline and amorphous sequences. Furthermore, those skilled in the art recognize that many TPO thermoplastic elastomers embrace more than one thermoplastic elastomer classification as set forth above.
The thermoplastic elastomers based on halogen-containing polyolefins of the present invention include those thermoplastic elastomers having halogen atoms attached to the polymer backbone, as well as some blends of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with crosslinked or elastomeric polymers. Exemplary in this regard is melt-processable rubber (MBR), as well as blends of PVC with acrylonitrile-butadiene elastomer (NBR), copolyester (CPO), and some thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (TPUs).
The thermoplastic elastomers based on dynamically vulcanized elastomer-thermoplastic blends of the present invention are generally made through the relatively new processing technology referred to as xe2x80x9cdynamic vulcanization.xe2x80x9d This proprietary processing technology has provided several novel thermoplastic elastomer materials (referred to herein as xe2x80x9cthermoplastic vulcanizatesxe2x80x9d) that have many properties as good or even, in some aspects, better than those of more traditional styrenic tri-block copolymers. Exemplary in this regard are the proprietary products prepared by the dynamic vulcanization of blends of olefin rubber with polyolefin resin such as those sold by Shell and Advanced Elastomer Systems (Shell Chemical Company, United States; Advanced Elastomer Systems, L.P., United States) under the tradename SANTOPRENE. Other thermoplastic vulcanizates, now generally referred to as TPVs, include various blends of ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM) elastomer with polypropylene and/or polyethylene, as well as blends of polyolefin with diene rubbers such as butyl rubber, natural rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer (NBR), and styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBR).
The thermoplastic polyether ester elastomers of the present invention are generally multiblock copolyether esters with alternating, random-length sequences of either long-chain or short-chain oxyalkylene glycols connected by ester linkages. These materials are related structurally to the polyurethane and the polyamide thermoplastic elastomers in that they also contain repeating high-melting blocks that are capable of crystallization (hard segments) and amorphous blocks having a relatively low glass transition temperature (soft segments). Typically, the hard segments are composed of short-chain cyclic ester units such as teramethylene terephthalate, whereas the soft segments are generally derived from aliphatic polyether glycols. Exemplary of the thermoplastic polyether ester elastomers are the polyether-ester block copolymers sold by DuPont (DuPont Engineering Polymers) under the tradename HYTREL.
The thermoplastic elastomers based on polyamides of the present invention are generally characterized as having a polyamide hard segment and an aliphatic polyester, aliphatic polyether, and/or aliphatic polycarbonate soft segment. The polyamide-based thermoplastic elastomers, like the TPVs, are relative newcomers to the family of thermoplastic elastomers.
The styrenic thermoplastic elastomers of the present invention are generally characterized as polystyrene-polydiene block copolymers, where both ends of each polydiene chain are terminated by polystyrene segments. With this type of thermoplastic elastomer, the rigid polystyrene domains act as multifunctional junction points to give a crosslinked elastomer network similar in some aspects to that of conventional vulcanized rubber. The polystyrene segments may include substituted polystyrene such as, for example, poly(xcex1-methylstyrene), copolymers of xcex1-methylstyrene, and poly(p-teri-butyl-styrene), although these types of polystyrene segments are generally less preferred. In addition, the polydiene segments may include, for example, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, ethylene-propylene copolymers, and ethylene-butylene copolymers. Exemplary of the styrenic thermoplastic elastomers are those sold by Shell (Shell Chemical Company, United States) under the tradename KRATON. In this regard, the thermoplastic elastomer material of the present invention may comprise one or more styrenic block copolymers. Preferably, such styrenic block copolymers include one or more of a styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS), a styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene block copolymer (SEPS), a styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS), and a styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SIS) (e.g., KRATON thermoplastic elastomer compounds. Shell Chemical Company, United States). In one embodiment, the thermoplastic elastomer of the present invention comprises a styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene block copolymer (e.g., Tuftec, Asahi Chemicals, Japan). As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, SBS and SIS are Axe2x80x94Bxe2x80x94A type block copolymers having unsaturated elastomeric central segments, whereas SEBS and SEPS are Axe2x80x94Bxe2x80x94A type block copolymers having saturated elastomeric central segments. Accordingly, and because of their structure, SBS and SIS are more sensitive to oxidation than SEBS and SEPS and are therefore less preferred.
The ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymers of the present invention generally comprise metallocene catalyzed ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymers, and more preferably, metallocene catalyzed ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymers selected from one or more of an ethylene-butene copolymer, an ethylene-hexane copolymer, and an ethylene-octene copolymer (any one of which may also be classified as a thermoplastic elastomer). In general, the alpha-olefin component of the ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymer ranges from 2% to 30% by weight of the copolymer. Moreover, the metallocene catalyzed ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymers have densities (gm/cc) generally ranging from 0.86 to 0.95, melt indexes (ASTM 1238) generally ranging from 0.2 to 30, and melting points (xc2x0 C., by DSC) generally ranging from 50-120. In one embodiment, the metallocene catalyzed ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymer comprises an ethylene-octene copolymer (e.g., Engage, Dupont Dow Elastomers, United States). As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, polymers manufactured using metallocene based catalyst technology have only been commercial available since about the early 1990s. More importantly, however, is that metallocene polymerization technology now allows for the manufacturing of relatively high molecular weight copolymers of very specific tacticities (e.g., isotactic and syndiotactic polymers), as well as the polymerization of almost any monomerxe2x80x94beyond the traditional C3 to C8 olefinsxe2x80x94in an exact manner. (Note that a metallocene, as is appreciated by those skilled in the art, is a positively charged metal ion sandwiched between two negatively charged cyclopentadienyl anions).
In addition, those skilled in the art also recognize that ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymers, derived from metallocene based catalyst technology, include polyolefin xe2x80x9cplastomersxe2x80x9d or POPs (the name given to Exxon""s EXACT product line, which is manufactured with proprietary EXXPOL catalyst technology, Exxon Chemical, United States) and polyolefin xe2x80x9celastomersxe2x80x9d or POEs (the name given to Dupont Dow Elastomer""s ENGAGE product line, which is manufactured with its proprietary INSITE catalyst technology, Dupon Dow Elastomers LLC, United States). These new polyolefin plastomers (POPS) and elastomers (POEs) are recognized as low molecular weight, linear low density ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymers made possible as a result of metallocene based catalyst technology. Moreover, any one of the above-identified ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymers, or combinations thereof, may be used in the various compositions of the present invention.
In addition to having one or more of the foregoing thermoplastic elastomers, some of the exemplary unitary golf balls of the present invention also include an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer component. As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers are long chains of ethylene hydrocarbons with acetate groups randomly distributed throughout the chains. Ethylene is generally copolymerized with vinyl acetate to yield ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer. Exemplary of the commercially available ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers include those available from DuPont (I.E. Du Pont de Nemours and Company, United States) under the tradename ELVAX.
In order to optimize processability, many of the above-described thermoplastic elastomer materials and/or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers may be compounded (albeit optionally) to a large extent with other polymers (e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, etc.), and may also be compounded with various oils, plasticizers, fillers and extenders, as well as other specialty additives (collectively referred to as processing additives). Indeed, and as appreciated by those skilled in the polymer compounding art, any number of various processing additives may be added to enhance one or more physical characteristics and properties of the unitary golf balls disclosed herein. Exemplary of such processing additives are those identified in G{haeck over (a)}chter R., Mxc3xcller H., The Plastics Additives Handbook, 4th ed., Hanser Publishers, Munich, Germany (1996) (incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). Thus, and in some embodiments, the thermoplastic elastomer materials and/or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers of the present invention may optionally be compounded with an xe2x80x9cextending oilxe2x80x9d and/or a xe2x80x9cfillerxe2x80x9d such as calcium carbonate. Such processing additives may improve the base composition""s overall processability, and enhance certain performance characteristics of the unitary golf balls made therefrom.
As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, selected amounts of one or more of the above-identified ingredients (which are all associated with certain embodiments of the present invention) may be compounded together as in the following exemplary manner. First, desired weight percentages of a selected thermoplastic elastomer (e.g., 20-25% of a SEBS block copolymer having a Shore Hardness ranging from about 45 to 75) and an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (e.g., 65-75% of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, wherein the vinyl acetate content is about 15-18%), as well as desired amounts of processing additives and other specialty chemicals (e.g., colorants and stabilizers) may be added together in an appropriately sized first mixer. This dry blend may then be mixed and allowed to reach a temperature of 80xc2x0 F. prior to feeding to an appropriately sized second continuous mixer. The blades of the second continuous mixer may then be rotated (e.g., at 175 rpm) so as to cause the dry blend to flux into a homogeneous melt at an elevated temperature (e.g., 340xc2x0 F.). The molten composition may then be transferred (e.g., via a transfer line jacketed with nitrogen) to a single screw palletizing extruder, extruded through the die of the extruder (e.g., a multi-hole die), cooled in a water bath, and strand cut through a cutter. The resulting pellets are then ready for manufacturing exemplary unitary golf balls of the present invention.
As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, the compounded ingredients (e.g., pellets) of the present invention may be formed into unitary golf balls by, for example, injection molding (e.g., use of a gated production mold in conjunction with a hot-runner system). In connection with an injection molding process, the feedstock ingredients are combined with a suitable blowing agent (e.g., using automatic metering and mixing devices mounted directly on an injection molding machine), heated to a suitable temperature, and injected into one or more molds. In general, the chemical blowing or foaming agents are specialty additives that evolve gas, such as N2 or CO2, through chemical reactions, so as to produce a foamed structure within a polymeric matrix. In some embodiments, the blowing agent is an azodicarbonamide (or modified azocarbonamide), sodium bicarbonate, or a mixture thereof (e.g., Spectratech FM1150H, Quantum Chemical Corp., United States). The blowing agent is generally temperature sensitive and comprises greater than about 1% by weight of the total feedstock, and typically comprises from about 6% to about 8% by weight of the total feedstock. In general, the feedstock ingredients and blowing agent are heated at the point of injection, in large part, due to the shear friction of rapidly passing through the small opening of the gate (thereby initiating the foaming of the blowing agent). After a time period sufficient for the overall composition to effectively harden within the mold, the mold is opened and the formed unitary golf balls are removed. In order to ensure uniformity, it is also generally desirable to cool the just removed golf balls by immersion into a cold water bath for about 5 to about 7 minutes.

Golf ball of unitary molded construction


An input power supply voltage level detection circuit and method are presented. The circuit includes a main detector core and a two-inverter buffer block that can include a first inverter and a second inverter. The circuit receives a voltage input signal and outputs a voltage output signal that is substantially equal to either the voltage input signal or ground, depending on whether the voltage input signal has reached a threshold voltage. The threshold voltage is defined by component characteristics of the main detector core and the two-inverter buffer block. The circuit can receive a hysteresis input signal, tied to the voltage input signal or the ground, that allows the threshold voltage to have a first threshold value when the voltage input signal increases and a second threshold value when the voltage input signal decreases. A power down input signal can also be received that allows the circuit to be powered down.

1. Field
The present invention is related to power supply voltage level detection and control for use in electronic circuits.
2. Related Art
Previous voltage level detectors consume large amounts of power and current and do not maintain a constant threshold voltage over process and temperature variations. Therefore, what is needed is a low-power, input power supply voltage level detection circuit that maintains a substantially constant threshold voltage over process and temperature variations and keeps current consumption as low as possible.

Low-power supply voltage level detection circuit and method


A dry granulation process using a twin-screw extruder for granulating a powder mixture which includes at least one active ingredient and at least one carrier. The process includes steps of kneading the powder mixture in the screw barrel of the twin-screw extruder at a barrel temperature below a melting point of the at least one active ingredient and a melting point or a glass transition temperature of the at least one carrier to provide a kneaded powder mixture, and extruding the kneaded powder mixture to form granules. Granules and tablets produced using the dry granulation process in the twin-screw extruder are also provided.

Granulation is a process in which small particles agglomerate into larger, multi-particle masses called granules. The granulation process is routinely utilized in the pharmaceutical industry for formulating solid oral dosage formulations as well as in various other industries. Granulation has several advantages such as reducing dust of fine particles that may cause potential health and environmental hazards, avoiding segregation of different components in a formulation, producing granules that are easy to handle and transport, and improving flowability and compressibility of the ingredients.
Granulation processes can be divided into two types: wet granulation and dry granulation. Wet granulation processes utilize some form of solvent or liquid binder to bind small particles together to form agglomerates. Dry granulation processes are carried out without a solvent or liquid binder. Wet granulation may use any of low-shear mixing, high-shear mixing, extrusion-spheronization, or fluid-bed processing for producing wet granules, which are then dried, sieved, and optionally ground prior to being compressed into tablets (when tableting is desired). Wet granulation is frequently used in the pharmaceutical industry, but it has proven to have some disadvantages. In some cases, for example, the solvent or liquid binder may have an adverse effect on other ingredients in the formulation and/or on one or more properties of the end product, such as a tablet. Further, the wet granulation process usually requires a drying step to remove the solvent or liquid binder after granulation.
WO 2012160051 A2 discloses wet granulation methods using different granulation solvents such as isopropyl alcohol, dichloromethane, methanol, acetone or mixtures thereof for manufacturing cetyl myristate or cetyl palmitate or a combination of cetyl myristate and cetyl palmitate. Moreover, it is known that selection of an appropriate granulation solvent in an appropriate amount is important for granulation of waxy materials. The physical and chemical properties of the active ingredient(s) also should be considered for the selection of the granulation method.
Dry granulation can be employed to overcome some of the disadvantages of wet granulation that result from the use of a solvent or liquid binder. In a dry granulation process, powdered components, typically in the form of fine particles are mixed prior to granulation and then compressed to yield hard granules which may then be ground and sieved, as necessary, to produce particles of a desired size distribution. In some cases, dry granulation may use either slugging or roller compression to produce compacts, also known as briquettes, flakes or ribbons, which may then be milled to obtain the desired granules. Unfortunately, it is often challenging to produce granules having the desired properties using dry granulation. Dry granulation processes, as well as known issues related to them, are discussed in a review article by Peter Kleinebudde, "Roll compaction/dry granulation: pharmaceutical applications," European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, vol. 58, pages 317-326, (2004).
Roller compaction is a widely used dry granulation method as it does not require an additional drying step. This enables robust processes using small equipment. Agglomeration depends mainly on the compactibility of the substances, thus high amounts of fines are often produced, which is the major drawback of the roller compaction process. If a tablet press is used for the compaction process, the process is termed, "slugging." However, since particles with a small particle size do not flow well into the die of a tablet press, this may result in weight differences from one tablet (slug) to another. This, in turn, causes large fluctuations in the forces applied to the individual slugs, which translates into variations in the mechanical strength of different slugs. Therefore, the properties of granulates obtained by milling the slugs also may not be controlled to the desired extent. This is one of the main reasons why slugging is infrequently used as a dry granulation method.
US 2010/0184861 discloses a method for producing granules from a powder, by application of a compaction force on the powder to produce granules comprising a mixture of fine particles, followed by separating and removing fine particles and/or small granules from larger granules by entraining the fine particles and/or small granules in a gas stream. The powder, which may comprise APIs and/or pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, is generally composed of fine particles with a mean particle size of less than 100, 50, or 20 μm. The method may be carried out as a continuous process in the substantial absence of liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,846,088 discloses a melt granulation process for making a composition comprising a powder of a calcium-containing compound and a sugar alcohol. The process is said to produce granules with a desirable taste and mouth feel. Heating is applied to the composition during granulation to sufficiently melt or soften the sugar alcohol to enable at least partial coverage of the calcium-containing compound particles. The sugar alcohol provides taste masking of the calcium-containing compound and can also improve mouth feel. The method is especially suitable for manufacturing tablets having a high loading of a calcium-containing compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,984 discloses a single pass, continuous, automated system for producing pharmaceutical granules using a wet granulation process. The system includes multiple feeders to feed powders and liquids into the system, a twin-screw processor to granulate the powders, a radio frequency or microwave based drying apparatus to dry the granules, and at least one mill to process the dried granules to desired particle sizes. The system also includes means for monitoring key process parameters on-line, which parameters may be controlled by a controller that provides feedback control to the monitored components in the system. The produced granules can be compressed into tablets or incorporated as a fill material into capsules. The system produces granules having consistent properties even when production is scaled-up for commercial manufacture.
It is known in the art to use twin-screw extruders for granulation using a wet granulation process. In a twin-screw extruder, the input materials, typically powders and granulation fluid, are introduced into a screw barrel by a feeder and granules are produced, often by extrusion of the wet mass through a die block, at the exit of the twin-screw extruder. Maniruzzarnan can be prepared by wet granulations of ibuprofen using hot-melt twin screw extruder using water as a liquid binder. (Maniruzzaman M, Nair A, Renault M, Nandi U, Scoutaris N, Famish R, Bradley M S, Snowden M J, Douroumis D. Continuous twin-screw granulation for enhancing the dissolution of poorly water soluble drug. International journal of pharmaceutics. 2015 Dec. 30:496(1):52-62).
It is also known in the art to use twin-screw extruders for melt granulation. (see e.g. Michael R. Thompson "Hot-Melt Granulation in a Twin Screw Extruder: Effects of Processing on Formulations with Caffeine and Ibuprofen" Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vol. 102, 4330-4336 (2013); and Van Melkebeke et al., "Melt granulation using a twin-screw extruder: a case study." International Journal of Pharmaceutics, (2006) December 1; 326(1), pp. 89-93) investigated the use of a twin screw extruder for melt granulation. Polyethylene glycols (PEG 400 and 4000) were used as meltable binders. During granulation the drug particles were finely dispersed in the molten mixture, whereby the PEG 400 and 4000 created a micro-environment around the drug particles enhancing the dissolution rate.

Twin-screw dry granulation for producing solid formulations


A bale loading apparatus, which includes a wheeled undercarriage having front and rear ends; a deck pivotally mounted by a pivot mount to the rear end of the undercarriage for supporting a row of bales thereon; and actuating component driven by a first drive to pivot said deck between a first generally horizontal position and a second generally vertical position. The apparatus also includes forks mounted to the rear of the deck, with the forks preferably composed of tines. The forks are positionable at substantially ground level and in a generally horizontal orientation when the deck is generally vertical. A conveyor is incorporated within the deck to convey a bale from the rear end of the deck to the front end thereof. A drive component is provided to drive the conveyor.

In modern farming, hay and straw is often harvested in large bales, which may be square or rectangular in section. These are typically left in place on the field after the baling operation and are often stacked two or more high. Typically, the stacked array of bales left on the field, or in a storage yard, be retrieved periodically, as required, and delivered to a cattle feeding station or the like. At the delivery end, the bales are then either chopped or separated to distribute the hay or straw to cattle or other livestock for feed or bedding. It is preferable that the entire operation be carried out with a single piece of equipment which picks up the bales from the field, places the bales on a towable flatbed trailer or the like for transport, and separates or chops the bales at the delivery point and discharges the hay or straw with sufficient force to emplace a suitable bed at a point remote from the device. Conveniently, such an apparatus is operable by a single operator, and is desirably readily towed behind and powered by a conventional tractor.
Conventionally, farmers transfer large hay bales from the field onto a flatbed trailer by means of a fork lift. A conventional fork lift, whether integrated into a tractor or otherwise, is not well suited for handling of stacked large bales, which may be stacked too high for a fork lift to safely and easily handle. In order to address this and other drawbacks of operating a separate lift, a forklift-type hoist may be integrated into a towable flatbed trailer or bale processor: Examples of an integrated fork lift/flatbed trailer arrangement are disclosed in patent numbers:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,630 (Kopecky et al.) PA0 Soviet Union 1704694 A1 (Lith Agic Acad) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,703 (Bartolini) PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,672 (Morlock et al.)
It has been proposed to provide a combination fork/trailer combination which is uniquely suited for handling stacked bale arrangements. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,345 (Siebenga) discloses a trailer undercarriage, which supports a long deck hinged to the rear end of the undercarriage. A bale processing means such as bale chopper is mounted at the front of the undercarriage. The deck is tiltable on the undercarriage by means of fluid driven rams, between a generally vertical position and a horizontal position. An array of prongs or forks extends from an end of the deck. When the deck is tilted into a substantially vertical position, the forks point rearwardly. The trailer in this position may be backed into a stacked array of bales, whereby the forks engage the base of the stack of bales. The deck when thus oriented must be longer than the height of the bale stack being loaded. As the deck is tilted downwardly, the forks lift and tilt the bale stack rearwardly towards the deck. The stack is brought to bear on the deck as the same reaches its horizontal position. When the trailer is towed to a feeding station or the like, the bales may transferred from the tiltable deck to the processor, by tilting the deck forwardly to permit the bales to slide onto the processor. A drop between the deck and the processor causes the bales to tumble by one turn (90.degree.) as they drop from the deck of the trailer bed onto the processor deck, to expose a selected face of a bale to the processing means. The bales may then be chopped by means of the integral bale processor.
The above prior art arrangement suffers several potential drawbacks. First, the means by which bales are conveyed along the tiltable deck to transfer the bales from the deck onto the processor, relying on gravity to slide the bales along the deck, renders this aspect unreliable. It is desirable to provide a reliable, positive means to convey the bales along the deck into the processor. Second, it is not always desirable to cause the bales to tumble as they drop onto the processor deck. In some circumstances, the farmer may wish to directly transfer the bales onto the processor deck, in the same orientation as they rest on the tiltable deck. It is thus desirable to provide an arrangement whereby a farmer may select whether or not to tumble the bales in the transfer step. Further, there is no means provided in the prior art to prevent a stacked array of bales from toppling backwards, as the fork lift arrangement backs into the stack and engages the stack onto the tiltable deck. It is thus desirable to provide a means to temporarily fasten the bales to the deck as the same is tilted away from the vertical. Rearward toppling of the stack can be inconvenient, as it renders pickup of the bales difficult and may cause the bales to break; it is also dangerous, since the bales could injure a worker when they topple.
It is also desirable to provide a component of the bale handling apparatus for cutting the baling twine or wire as the bales are transferred onto the tiltable deck. The cutting operation should be performed in the same operation as the transfer of the bales from the field stack onto the trailer deck. This is a useful function in light of the tendency of baling twine on the lowermost bale to tangle as the bale shifts relative to the ground during the transfer. Finally, the bale processors of the prior art appear to be suitable only for grinding or chopping of bales. It is desirable to provide a means for separating rather than chopping of bales, in order to preserve relatively long lengths of straw, in an arrangement of the type characterized above.

Square bale loading platform and processing apparatus


A magnetic disk storage device has a magnetic disk with a storing/reproduction region formed thereon and a head slider facing the disk surface with a plurality of parallel projections to generate an air bearing. Magnetic heads each having a head gap are provided in the projections and have an interval between head gaps of at least 1/N of the width of the whole storing/reproduction region of the disk where N is the number of heads. The device makes it feasible to increase the number of heads per disk and to shorten the seek distance without increasing the weight of the head actuator.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a magnetic disk storage device, and especially to a magnetic disk storage device assembled with an improved magnetic head.
2. Discussion of the Background
In conventional magnetic disk storage devices, the signal recording and reproduction are generally carried out with a single magnetic head for the whole surface of a magnetic disk.
FIG. 20 shows an example of the conventional magnetic disk storage device. In this figure, reference 1 shows a magnetic disk, 2 shows a head slider, and 3 is a gimbal which supports the head slider 2. In conventional devices, a single head gap is generally provided for one head slider 2, and the signal recording and reproduction are carried out for the entire data recording and reproduction area on magnetic disk 1 using this head.
Consequently, one head has to move from the innermost circumference to the outermost circumference of the data recording and reproduction area as shown in FIG. 20. This causes a problem in that it increases the seeking distance of the head. The reference 4 in FIG. 20 indicates the effective area of the disk 1. The time required for seeking by the head is proportionate to a 1/2 multiple of the seek distance assuming that the thrust of the head actuator is fixed. In response to a large demand for high speed and large capacity in this magnetic disk storage device, the seek distance must be shortened to achieve the high speed. An effective reduction of the seek distance is demanded for the purpose. There is a magnetic disk storage device provided with two sets of heads 2 and gimbals 3 on an actuator for the one face of a disk 1 as shown in FIG. 21 for the reduction seek distance 4. In this figure, two head sliders 2 take charge of the data recording and reproducing for the inner half and outer half of the recording and reproduction area, respectively. This reduces the seek distance 4 by a half as compared with the case of a single head.
In fact, however, since twice the number of the head sliders 2 and gimbals 3 are needed for this purpose, the weight of the actuator increases as a whole. On the other hand, since the seek time is proportionate to a 1/2 multiple of the weight of the head actuator, the increase in the weight of the head actuator acts against the purpose of shortening the seek time. Then is is necessary to shorten the seek time without increasing the weight of the head actuator.
In the case where two sets of head sliders 2 and gimbals 3 are used like this, two areas of landing zones 5 are required in a contact start/stop (CSS) as shown in the oblique lined portions in FIG. 22. Since the width of one landing zone 5 is larger than that of the head slider 2, if two areas of landing zones 5 are provided, a rate occupied by the landing zone 5 in the whole recording and reproduction area increases greatly. This inevitably reduces the effective area where the signal can be recorded and reproduced on the surface of magnetic disk 1. It also goes against the purpose of enlarging the capacity of the magentic disk storage device. Then, another necessity arises to increase the number of heads per face of the magnetic disk 1 without increasing the area of the landing zone 5.
In conventional magnetic disk storage devices, the relative speed between an air bearing surface (ABS) section (ski section) of the head slider 2 and the rotating magnetic disk 1 is proportionate to the distance from the center of rotation of the magnetic disk 1 to the ABS section. The floating force generated in the ABS section is relatively increased as the speed raises.
In the conventional magnetic disk storage devices as shown in FIG, 23, the actually used head is only one side head with good characteristic. The other side head (described by oblique line) is not used. Namely, one head covers the whole of the recoding and reproduction area. A pivot 6 of the gimbal 3 which supports the head slider 2 is positioned on a center line of equal distance from the right and left hands 7. The width and structure of the right and left ABS section 8 of the head slider 2 are the same. When the interval between the two ABS sections 8 is made larger compared to the radius of the magnetic disk 1, the difference in the relative speed between two ABS sections 8 becomes larger. This makes the amount of float different between the right and left ABS sections, and also the floating posture of the head slider 2 unstable. This hinders an exact data recording and reproduction. In this figure, reference 1 shows the magnetic disk and 9 shows a suspension.
In order to improve the tracking density in this magnetic disk storage device by raising the accuracy in positioning, servo information to provide the track positioning data is formed beforehand on the magnetic disk. This is to follow up the track oscillation of its data tracking caused by deformation of the disk due to changes in temperature and humidity by applying a closed loop control to the head to make it follow up the data track accurately according to the servo data.
In this data surface servo method in which the servo data is formed beforehand on the same magnetic disk for the positioning of the head, the surface of the magnetic disk 11 is divided in the circumferential direction to keep the servo data written in a part of its servo sector 12 as shown in FIG. 24. The servo pattern which becomes the servo data at this time consists of servo patterns A, B, C and D which detect the track finely and other servo patterns P, Q and R which detect the track coarsely as shown enlarged in the lower part of FIG. 24. Although, the track can be detected with a 16 tracking cycle in this example, it would be necessary to increase the number of servo patterns to detect the track with a longer cycle.
These servo patterns are formed almost throughout the area of the servo sector 12. This poses a problem in that the head, when there is one, has to move from the innermost circumference to the outermost circumference of the recoding area. This causes the seek distance by the head 13 to become longer. The seek time must be shortened to meet the prevailing demand for a higher speed and capacity for the magnetic disk. For the purpose, it is necessary to reduce the seek distance effectively. There is a servo surface servo method which provides an exclusive surface to form the servo data for positioning on one of a plurality of magnetic disks and an exclusive head for the servo data reproduction.
In this servo surface servo method, one head exclusively for the data reproduction and a plural number of data recording and reproducing heads are mounted on a same head actuator through an gimbal. The biggest problem in this methos lies in the fact that even though the thermal expansion coefficient is assumed to be the same in the disk, head, gimabl and head actuator on both the servo surface and data surface, the amount of a metaphysical change might vary due to depression in the temperature distribution according to location. This causes an off-track condition (a thermal off-track). In addition, the off-track might occur after a lapse of time, due to a change after lapse of time of in their mounting sections, etc.
Futhermore, a combined method of the servo surface servo and sector is also proposed as a method, which is free from such a thermal off-track, which can take the servo zone higher. This method, too, has a shortcoming in that the formatting is worsened due to the increase in the servo data area.
In an effort to shorten the seek distance and to reduce the seek time for the realization of a high speed of the magnetic disk storage device so far, it has been tried to shorten the seek distance by providing two sets of head sliders and gimbals for one magnetic disk surface. In this method, however, the weight of the head actuator increases. This goes against the purpose of shortening the seek time. To the worse, the area of the landing zone is doubled on account of two heads provided in this method, this causing another problem to reduce the effective operating area per one disk surface.
When the width of the head slider was made larger relatively as compared with the radius of the disk in a conventional magnetic disk storage device, a difference occurred in the floating force between the inner and outer sides of the head slider. This caused the floating posture of the head slider to become unstable as a hindrance for an accurate data recoding and reproduction.
In the conventional magnetic disk storage device in which one magnetic head is provided for one head slider, the position of the servo head is apart from that of the data head and also they are connected through many different components such as the gimbal and head actuator, etc. As a result, a thermal off-track occurs due to dispersion of the temperature distribution according to location in the servo surface servo method. While, in the sector servo method, although the thermal off-track does not occur, the servo zone could not be taken higher.
In these servo methods, since the servo data is formed in the same area where the data is recorded and reproduced, the formatting efficiency becomes worse as compared with a non-servo positioning method using a stepping motor, etc. When the servo data is formed on the data surface lest the thermal off-track occurrs for instance, the track density raises, but the formatting efficiency lowers and the data format storage capacity does not raise in proportion to the track density. To move the head acutuator at a high speed to shorten the seek time, it becomes necessary to increase servo patterns to raise the track detecting capacity. This might cause trouble in reducing the effective area where the signal can be recorded and reproduced on one of the disks due to an increase in the rate of the servo data occupying the entire recording area.

Head slider arrangement for magnetic disk storage device


A method for manufacturing a magnetic tape cassette incorporating and holding therein a tape winding member and having upper and lower half cases molded from a synthetic resin, wherein the upper and lower half cases are constructed such that conductive fillers form at least a joint between the cases. The components other than the magnetic tape are then inserted into the cassette and the halves are put one upon another prior to being heated by induction heating. Finally, the magnetic tape is wound onto the tape winding member.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a magnetic tape cassette incorporating and holding therein freely rotatable tape winding members or hubs and having upper and lower half cases formed from a synthetic resin.
Conventional magnetic tape cassettes such as those for audio and video equipment, computers and the like, include a magnetic tape wound around a tape winding member or members, for example, a hub, a reel or the like, such that the magnetic tape can be continuously advanced for recording and/or playback.
Conventional magnetic tape cassettes as described above typically include upper and lower half cases each formed from a synthetic resin such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin (hereinafter referred to as "ABS" resin) or the like.
An audio tape cassette is an example of the conventional cassettes described above. As shown in FIG. 6, this magnetic tape cassette 41 is constructed such that a pair of hubs 43a and 43b, each having a magnetic tape wound therearound, are rotatably mounted in and held by a case body composed of upper and lower half cases 41a, 41b formed from ABS resin. After the upper and lower half cases 41a, 41b are respectively molded, the half cases are fastened together by a plurality of screws 44 (five screws as depicted in FIG. 6).
Conventional magnetic tape cassettes, one example of which includes the audio tape cassette above, contain relatively small-sized parts such as the screws 44 in FIG. 6. Furthermore, the conventional cassette case requires boss portions into which the screws 44 are inserted and recessed portions which prevent the heads of the screws 44 from projecting above the surface of the cassette. As a result, the cassette case has a relatively complicated structure.
Furthermore, in fastening the upper and lower half cases 41a, 41b together by means of screws 44, uneven contact pressures result between the contact surfaces of the upper and lower half cases in accordance with the fastening forces. For example, in the vicinity of the screws 44, the contact pressures are high. By way of contrast, the contact pressures are lowest at a midpoint between adjacent screws.
Furthermore, the fastening pressures on the contact surfaces of the upper and lower half cases 41a, 41b will vary in accordance with temperature changes in the environment in which the cassette is used. The tape cassette 41 may therefore be easily deformed especially with respect to relatively large cassette cases, such as VHS tape cassettes, where the distance between adjacent screws is typically 160 mm or more.

Method for manufacturing magnetic tape cassette


A method of fabricating a FET device is provided that includes the following steps. A wafer is provided. At least one active area is formed in the wafer. A plurality of dummy gates is formed over the active area. Spaces between the dummy gates are filled with a dielectric gap fill material such that one or more keyholes are formed in the dielectric gap fill material between the dummy gates. The dummy gates are removed to reveal a plurality of gate canyons in the dielectric gap fill material. A mask is formed that divides at least one of the gate canyons, blocks off one or more of the keyholes and leaves one or more of the keyholes un-blocked. At least one gate stack material is deposited onto the wafer filling the gate canyons and the un-blocked keyholes. A FET device is also provided.

Replacement metal gate transistor processing relies on the encapsulation of a dummy gate material in a dielectric fill. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,923,337, issued to Chang et al., entitled "Fin Field Effect Transistor Devices with Self-Aligned Source and Drain Regions," the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
The dielectric fill serves both a structural and electrical purpose. Specifically, the dielectric fill allows for the selective removal of the dummy gate material. The dielectric fill is also used to insulate between the source/drain (S/D) contact and the gate electrode.
When the dielectric material is deposited around the dummy gates, keyholes, air gaps or voids can be formed in the dielectric in the spaces between the dummy gates. The formation of keyholes during the dielectric deposition process can be a major problem in replacement metal gate processes. Namely, unwanted keyholes can provide a path for the formation of parasitic metal "stringers" which can short out adjacent devices or circuits unintentionally. In some instances, keyhole formation might be desirable. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,981 issued to Lee et al., entitled "Keyhole-free process for high aspect ratio gap filling," which describes how these air gaps or keyholes might be helpful or harmful depending on the situation.
Therefore, fabrication techniques that leverage the helpful aspects of keyhole formation exclusive of the harmful aspects would be desirable.

Method for keyhole repair in replacement metal gate integration through the use of a printable dielectric

International Business Machines Corporation


Methods, devices and systems enable restoring a database system more efficiently. A server computing device may be configured to determine a recovery time interval for a session store database system so as to allow a large number of sessions (e.g., ninety percent of sessions, etc.) to start and finish within that interval, periodically review database records to identify a database record that has not been updated within a most recent recovery time interval, add the identified database record to a journaling log, and update the identified database record to include information identifying a time at which the database record was last added to the journaling log. After detecting a failure event, the server computing device may perform the database operations identified in the journaling log to restore the database system.

Generally, telecommunication systems include network components (e.g., server computing devices) that implement various features, functions, technologies, or solutions to process, route, and/or otherwise manage the voice, data, and control signals that are sent to and from user equipment devices. As part of these operations, these network components frequently access, use and update telecommunication data stored in one or more database systems. In doing so, the network components and/or database systems are often required to perform a large number of simple yet time-consuming database operations (e.g., insert, read, delete, update, etc.). These database operations may have a direct and significant impact on the performance characteristics of the services, applications, and components of the telecommunication system. As such, improving the performance characteristics of the database systems will improve the performance characteristics of the services, applications, and components in the telecommunication system. This will be beneficial to telecommunication network operators and to the consumers of their services.

Method and system for eliminating backups in databases


An encapsulation for an organic light emitting diode (OLED) device is disclosed. The encapsulation includes a sealing dam surrounding the cell region of the OLED device to support a cap. Spacer particles are randomly located in the cell region to prevent the cap from contacting the active components, thereby protecting them from damage. The sealing dam provides a sealing region between the edge of the cap and dam in which an adhesive is applied to seal the OLED device. The use of the sealing dam advantageously enables devices to be formed with narrower sealing widths.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional OLED device 100. OLED devices can be used as displays in various consumer electronic products, including cellular phones, cellular smart phones, personal organizers, pagers, advertising panel, touch screen displays, teleconferencing equipment, multimedia equipment, virtual reality products, and display kiosks.
The conventional OLED device comprises a functional stack of one or more organic functional layers 110 between a transparent conductive layer 105 and a conductive layer 115. The functional stack is formed on a transparent substrate 101. The conductive layers can be patterned to form one or more cells or pixels on the substrate. Bond pads 150 are coupled to the cathodes and anodes to control the OLED pixels. In operation, charge carriers are injected through the cathodes and anodes for recombination in the functional layers. The recombination of the charge carriers causes the functional layer to emit visible radiation.
A cap 160, which forms a cavity 145 between it and the pixels, is mounted on the substrate. A sealant 187 is applied around the edges of the cap where it contacts the substrate. However, due to the gap G that exists between the cap and substrate, the sealing width W needs to be sufficiently wide to prevent oxygen and moisture from permeating through the sealant. Typically, the sealing width is about 0.2-2 mm with a gap of about 0.01-0.5 mm. Such a large sealing width results in inefficient use of chip area, limiting miniaturization of OLED devices.
As evidenced from the above discussion, it is desirable to provide OLED devices having improved sealing and reduced chip size, particularly those formed on thin or flexible substrates to prevent mechanical damage of the active device layers.

Organic electronic devices with an encapsulation

Institute of Materials Research and Engineering


An LED lead frame includes an insulative base having a cavity on one side. A pair of conductive leads each has an end exposed in the cavity and another end extended out of insulative base. An electrostatic discharge protection device is insert-molded in the insulative base with only one side thereof exposed out of the insulative base, and is electrically interconnecting with the conductive leads.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an LED lead frame, and more particularly to an LED lead frame having an electrostatic discharge protection device insert-molded in an insulative base with a side thereof exposed out of insulative base.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,462,870 issued to Nakashima on Dec. 9, 2008 discloses a semiconductor device including an insulative base with a concave cavity in which an LED chip is seated. A plurality of metal members are mounted in the base to be connected to the LED chip. The metal member is partially embedded in the insulative base with one end thereof exposed in the cavity and the other end extending out of the insulative base for being mounted to an external device. The cavity has a recess on a step of the side wall thereof to receive a protective element for protecting the LED chip destroyed by static. The protective element is mounted in a center of the recess without engaging with sides walls of the recess.
However, the protective element can absorb part light of the LED chip that will result the semiconductor device has a lower brightness.
Therefore, an improved semiconductor device is desired.

LED lead frame having insert-molded electrostatic discharge protection device


A storage control apparatus includes a controller configured to control to convert an access to logical volume into an access to associated RAID group in response to an access to the corresponding virtual volume on the basis of access conversion information, monitor frequency of access to each of logical volumes, select a logical volume on the basis of the monitored frequency of access, move data stored in a RAID group corresponding to the selected logical volume to a different RAID group corresponding to a logical volume to be a data shift destination, and update the access conversion information to convert access to the RAID group corresponding to the selected logical volume into access to the different RAID group.

A MAID (Massive Array of Idle Disks) technology, e.g., is known as a method for controlling a storage device. The MAID technology is to shift a disk of a storage device of a RAID (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks) apparatus (RAID group) without being accessed to an idling state so as to suppress power consumption of the storage device. There is a method for controlling a disk motor of every RAID group by using the MAID technology. As a motor of a disk (disk device) in the RAID group is kept off for a longer period of time, the storage device may more reduce power consumption. Thus, an operation such that one and the same host or server accesses a logical volume in one RAID group and turns off a motor of a disk in another RAID group is disclosed. Further, e.g., an operation in a case where a volume in one RAID group is used by a plurality of servers such that the respective servers access a logical volume in the RAID group in similar periods of time is disclosed.
In a storage device group in which a virtual volume is built through Thin Provisioning, a logical volume is assigned from a pool area in a case where the virtual volume runs short of capacity. The pool area ordinarily includes RAID groups of individual levels, and some logical volume which forms each of the RAID groups is acquired as an area of the virtual volume. The number of RAID groups allotted to the virtual volume tends to increase if a file system adds and deletes data to and from the virtual volume repeatedly. As the number of the allotted RAID groups increases, the number of the storage devices grows somewhat larger with respect to an amount of frequently accessed data, resulting in an increase in power consumption.
The following are reference documents.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-110451
[Patent Document 2] PCT International Application Publication No. WO2003/050707

Storage control apparatus, storage system and method


A vibratory linear motor system employs a comb-shaped electromagnet to excite transverse mechanical oscillations of a relatively thin, spring-like beam. The electromagnet establishes an approximate standing wave on the beam for which brakes mounted on either side of the beam provide independently established boundary conditions and produce rectified linear motion thereof. The brakes may be electromagnetically, magnetostrictively, or piezoelectrically actuated. An electronic control provides modulated currents to the exciter electromagnet and the brakes in order to control the rectified linear motion of the beam.

Mechanical rectification involves converting reciprocating motion to either rotational motion or rectilinear motion. The classic mechanical rectifier is a piston/crankshaft mechanism. To produce mechanical advantage in the classic system, gearing and lubrication are required, thus making such a system unsuitable for applications requiring both a compact mechanism and a high degree of precision, such as robotics applications, e.g. prostheses and other high force-to-weight ratio applications. Such a system is likewise unsuitable for applications involving high-temperature or vacuum environments. Recently, however, vibratory motors, which may be well-suited to such applications, have been considered theoretically by R. W. Brockett in the paper entitled "On The Control of Vibratory Actuators", Proceedings of the 1987 IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, December 1987, pages 1418-1422, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Linear motors employing piezoelectric transducers are described in a paper entitled "Present State of the Art of Ultrasonic Motors", by S. Uheha, Proceedings of the 9th Symposium on Ultrasonic Electronics, Sendai 1988 Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 28 (1989) Supplement 28-1, pp. 3-6. Such motors rely on intermittent frictional contact between a rotor movable along a contacting surface and a vibrating stator, which is excited by piezoelectric elements, resulting in the propagation of a travelling wave along the contacting surface. The contacting surface of the motor follows an elliptic path which results in unidirectional motion. In a paper entitled "Hybrid Transducer Type Ultrasonic Linear Motor", by M. Kurosawa et al., Proceedings of the 9th Symposium on Ultrasonic Electronics, Sendai 1988 Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 28 (1989) Supplement 28-1, pp. 158-163, a different mode of operation is described wherein piezoelectric transducers are employed directly as extenders and clamps in order to generate linear motion. Disadvantageously, since piezoelectric materials comprise the primary moving, or "working", elements of such motors, the power output capability is generally limited by the energy density and strain of piezoelectric materials.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a new and improved linear motor that is practical for applications involving a wide range of load levels and is simple in construction.