A method is provided for optimizing the power consumption of a trip unit. The method comprises sensing a first output from a power system, the first output including a first current and a current-sensing signal; supplying a power supply with only the first current, or with a second current alone or in combination with the first current; powering a microprocessor from the power supply; inputting a second output to the microprocessor indicative of whether the power supply is receiving the second current; operating the microprocessor at a first state when the second output indicates the power supply is not receiving the second current; and operating the microprocessor at a second state when the second output indicates the power supply is receiving the second current alone or in combination with the first current.

This disclosure generally relates to circuit breakers having a trip unit. More particularly, this disclosure relates to methods and devices for optimizing power consumption of trip units containing microprocessors.
Electronic trip units are used to actuate the separable contacts in a circuit breaker to protect electrical equipment from damage due to irregularities (e.g., excessive current flow) in the power system. The circuit breaker typically includes voltage and current sensors that provide analog signals indicative of the power system. These signals are provided to the electronic trip unit, which typically compares the signals to predetermined protection parameters. Based on the comparison, the trip unit provides instantaneous protection by means of analog circuitry and higher levels of protection by means of a microprocessor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,329 to Engle et al. provides a trip unit that includes a first microprocessor and analog to digital converter for managing circuit protection, but a second microprocessor and analog to digital converter for managing voltage protection and monitoring.
Thus, prior trip units require either two microprocessors to manage both instantaneous and higher level circuit protection functions, or require a microprocessor and solid-state circuitry to manage both instantaneous and higher level circuit protection functions.
A method is provided for optimizing the power consumption of a trip unit. The method comprises sensing a first output from a power system, the first output including a first current and a current-sensing signal; supplying a power supply with only the first current, or with a second current alone or in combination with the first current; powering a microprocessor from the power supply; inputting a second output to the microprocessor indicative of whether the power supply is receiving the second current; operating the microprocessor at a first state when the second output indicates the power supply is not receiving the second current; and operating the microprocessor at a second state when the second output indicates the power supply is receiving the second current alone or in combination with the first current.
A trip unit comprising a microprocessor, an analog-to-digital converter, and a power supply is provided. The microprocessor is operable at either a first state or a second state, where the second state requires more power than the first state. The analog-to-digital converter is operatively connected to the microprocessor. The converter receives a current-sensing signal and provides this signal to the microprocessor. The power supply receives either a first current, or a second current alone or in addition to the first current. The power supply provides an output to the microprocessor indicative whether the power supply is receiving the second current. Here, the microprocessor adjusts between the first and second states depending upon the output.
A circuit breaker comprising a trip unit, and a current sensor is provided. The trip unit includes a microprocessor and a power supply. The current sensor provides a current-sensing signal to the microprocessor and a first current to the power supply. The circuit breaker further comprises an output from the power supply to the microprocessor. The output is indicative of whether the power supply is receiving the first current, or a second current from an auxiliary power source alone or in addition to the first current. The microprocessor operates at a first state when the power supply receives only the first current, but operates at a second state when the power supply receives the second current alone or in addition to the first current.
A control algorithm for a trip unit is provided. The algorithm comprises a first decision node configured to determine whether to operate a microcontroller in a first state if no auxiliary current is provided to a power supply of the trip unit and to operate the microcontroller in a second state if the auxiliary current is provided to the power supply. The first state consumes a first level of power by executing only a set of basic protection features. The second state consumes a second level of power by executing the set of basic protection features and a set of functional features.
The above-described and other embodiments, features and advantages are appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims.

Method and devices for optimizing power consumption of trip units containing microprocessors


An ice scarifying tool replaces the grass cutting blade of a conventional rotary-type power lawn mower, so that, as the mower is operated over icy surface and the tool rotates in a plane substantially parallel to an icy ground surface, depending fingers chip and scarify the surface to provide improved traction thereon. The tool comprises a support plate which may be in the shape of a substantially rectangular elongate bar, a disc or a cruciform. Coiled ice scarifying fingers are attached to the plate. An ice scarifying tip at the distal end of each finger extends groundward from the support plate. A bag attachment or auxiliary blower may be provided for removal of the chipped ice, or it may be removed by power sweeper or plow.

Ice covered surfaces are treacherous for foot, vehicular and ground aircraft traffic. The use of traction-increasing particulate, such as sand or grit, or ice-melting materials, such as salt or chemicals, is disadvantageous due to cost, storage, and potential for environmental damage, as well as damage to engines with which these materials come in contact. Service data shows that aircraft which operate out of airports in northern climate regions which use winter time sanding suffer accelerated deterioration rates. Engine teardowns show that sand erosion is the primary cause of wintertime performance deterioration, including such problems as eroded fan and compressor airfoil and eroded blade tip seals. Technology trends dictate that sand ingestion must be reduced in the future.
Although a variety of mechanical devices have been suggested for abrading icy surfaces, the present invention provides the convenience of using conventional, readily available rotary-type power lawn mowers. Other attachments for facilitating use of lawn mowers, other than for their normal grass-cutting operation, have been suggested, but none offer the specific features and advantages of the present invention.
Draughon, U.S. Pat. No. 2,863,162, discloses a conventional lawn mower which includes a horizontally rotatable blade transformable to a snow sweeper by application of brushes over the ends thereof. As described therein, this device would simply not provide the abrasive action necessary for increasing traction on icy surfaces.
Erickson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,983,057, discloses a blower head attachment for converting a conventional rotary lawn mover into a snow removal machine. The attachment is a blower head at the forward end thereof with an upright plate having a front blower or pusher face. Again, this device provides snow removal only, without providing increased traction on icy surfaces.
Stoddard, U.S. Pat. No. 2,984,919, discloses a snow removal attachment for a conventional rotary lawn mower with a special rotary support which uses a blower rather than conventional fan action. Here also, no provision is made for increasing traction on icy surfaces.
Beckner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,878, describes a snow removal attachment device for rotary-type mowers. The attachment device is a resilient, snow-engaging wiper-type member inclined at an angle rearwardly away from the direction of rotation, so that the trailing end wipes against the ground surface while resiliently avoiding rocks and surface irregularities. This device also is not suitable for improving traction on icy surfaces.
Blackstone, U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,781 describes a thatching tool for attachment to a rotary lawn mower. The tool includes a rotatable supporting bar to be rotated by a motor of the mower with the bar having thatching teeth mounted at both ends. Although this device bears some similarity to the ice scarifying attachment of the present invention, it does not offer the particular design and materials necessary for extended, rigorous use on demanding ice covered surfaces.
Bokon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,743, describes a lawn mower which can also function as a winter snow thrower. To function as a snow thrower, a sprocket chain is replaced by a gear train to connect the gear box to the sprocket. A short sheet metal ramp is added which scoops up the snow and lifts it to the level of the transverse cutting bar to direct the scooped snow into the cutting zone of the rotary cutter assembly. The rotary cutter assembly loosens the snow and the blower discharges the snow away from the path of the machine. This device is not adapted for improving traction on ice covered traffic surfaces.


An intake manifold assembly has one or more shells coupled together and coupled to a cover. When the manifold cover, or other exterior surface, is rounded, the manifold does not sit stably on a flat surface when the rounded surface is placed onto the flat surface. The manifold may roll off a table and be damaged. To mitigate such situation, the rounded surface is provided with at least two standoffs extending outwardly from a surface of the cover with distal ends of the standoffs substantially lying in a common plane. The standoffs have a central axis and the standoffs extend outwardly from the surface along the central axis at least as far as any other feature of the intake manifold assembly.

1. Technical Field
The present development relates to intake manifold assemblies.
2. Background Art
During the manufacture of an internal combustion engine, various parts or assemblies are transported to and among manufacturing stations. Parts or assemblies that have rounded surfaces may not sit stably on a flat surface. In some cases, a special fixture is provided to make the part easier to handle and to prevent the part from rolling and possibly falling and becoming damaged. Sometimes parts that are found to be slightly out of specification are taken to a special station for repair, which provides another opportunity for the part to be improperly secured and suffer damage. Additionally, in dealer service, parts may be removed and set aside for later reassembly. Perfectly usable parts may be rendered as scrap in the case of damage, increasing manufacturing cost and material waste.


Disclosed is a luminaire (10) comprising a luminaire housing delimited by a light exit structure (20) engaging with an edge of a pliable container (30), wherein the container is structurally reinforced, i.e. rendered less pliable, by its engagement with the light exit structure; and at least one light engine (40) disposed within the luminaire housing. A method of manufacturing such a luminaire is also disclosed.

Luminaires are electrical devices for creating artificial light by using one or more light engines, e.g. electrical lamps such as fluorescent lamps, halogen lamps, solid state lighting (SSL) elements such as LEDs, and so on. Examples of luminaires include, but are not limited to, large-area office troffers, down lights, and so on. Such luminaires typically comprise a housing delimited by a light exit structure and a cover. In order to provide the luminaires with the desired mechanical strength or rigidity, the cover is typically made of a rigid metal structure shaped, e.g. folded, in a desired shape such as a metal box or the like. An example of such a luminaire is disclosed in US 2012/0262918 A1 which has a cover or receptacle having at least a bottom made of aluminium, copper or stainless steel.
A particular challenge luminaire manufacturers are facing is to reduce the manufacturing cost of such devices. The cost is typically dominated by the cost of the light engine(s) and the cost of the cover. Where the one or more light engines are SSL elements, cost reductions are provided by the on-going development of such light engines, i.e. the maturation of the SSL element industry. However, it is less straightforward to reduce the cost of the cover, as its cost is typically dominated by its manufacturing process, i.e. the efforts involved to shape or mold the cover in its desired shape.

Luminaire having pliable container with restricting light exit structure and manufacturing method therof


A method for manufacturing a wiring substrate 1 includes a conductor layer forming step for forming a second conductor layer 29, through electroless copper plating and copper electroplating, on a first resin dielectric layer 7, which is surface-roughened to a predetermined roughness and to which palladium adheres; a cyan treatment step for cleaning a substrate 41 on which the second conductor layer 29 is formed, using a cyanide-containing solution; and an upper resin dielectric layer forming step for forming a second resin dielectric layer 9 on the first resin dielectric layer 7 and the second conductor layer 29 of the cyan-treated substrate 41.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a wiring substrate configured such that a conductor layer of a predetermined pattern is formed on a resin dielectric layer, and an upper resin dielectric layer is formed on the resin dielectric layer and on the conductor layer, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing a wiring substrate configured such that a conductor layer is formed through copper plating on a resin dielectric layer whose surface has been roughened to a predetermined roughness and to which palladium adheres.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a wiring substrate has been known configured such that a conductor layer of a predetermined pattern is formed on a surface-roughened resin dielectric layer, and an upper resin dielectric layer is formed on the resin dielectric layer and on the conductor layer.
An example of such a wiring substrate is a wiring substrate 101, which is schematically shown in the partial, enlarged sectional view of FIG. 6. The wiring substrate 101 includes a surface-roughened resin dielectric layer 103. A conductor layer 107 of a predetermined pattern, which includes wiring and pads, is formed on the resin dielectric layer 103 through electroless copper plating and copper electroplating. An upper resin dielectric layer 105 is formed on the resin dielectric layer 103 and on the conductor layer 107.
The wiring substrate 101 is manufactured, for example, in the following manner. A substrate 111 having the resin dielectric layer 103 is prepared. The surface of the resin dielectric layer 103 is roughened to a predetermined roughness by etching (see FIG. 7) for the purpose of enhancing bonding strength between the resin dielectric layer 103, and the conductor layer 107 or the upper resin dielectric layer 105, which are to be formed on the resin dielectric layer 103.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7, palladium 113, which serves as a catalytic metal in the course of formation of an electroless copper plating layer, is formed on the roughened surface of the resin dielectric layer 103.
Next, the substrate 111 to which palladium 113 adheres is subjected to electroless copper plating, thereby forming an electroless copper plating layer 115, as represented by the thick line in FIG. 8, on substantially the entire surface of the resin dielectric layer 103.
The substrate 111 on which the electroless copper plating layer 115 has been formed is heated at 120xc2x0 C. for 60 minutes for the purpose of, for example, drying the wet substrate 111 and enhancing bonding strength between the resin dielectric layer 103 and the electroless copper plating layer 115.
Subsequently, a plating resist layer 117 is formed in a predetermined pattern on the electroless copper plating layer 115 (see FIG. 8).
Subsequently, the substrate 111 on which a plating resist layer 117 has been formed is subjected to copper electroplating, thereby forming a copper electroplating layer 119 on the electroless copper plating layer 115 exposed through the plating resist layer 117 as shown in FIG. 8.
Next, the plating resist layer 117 is removed.
Subsequently, the substrate 111, from which the plating resist layer 117 has been removed, is heated at 150xc2x0 C. for 120 minutes to enhance bonding between the resin dielectric layer 103 and the electroless copper plating layer 115 and between the electroless copper plating layer 115 and the copper electroplating layer 119.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9, the electroless copper plating layer 115 is etched away, except where the same is overlaid with the copper electroplating layer 119, thereby forming the conductor layer 107 in a predetermined pattern. In this case, a metallic residue 121 of the palladium 113 and copper may be present on a portion (hereinafter also called xe2x80x9can exposed portionxe2x80x9d) of the resin dielectric layer 103 which is exposed through the conductor layer 107, such as through spaces between conductor lines.
Then, the substrate 111 is cleaned using a permanganic acid solution, thereby completely removing the metallic residue 121 from the exposed portion of the resin dielectric layer 103.
Subsequently, the upper resin dielectric layer 105 is formed on the resin dielectric layer 103 and on the conductor layer 107, thereby completing the wiring substrate 101 shown in FIG. 6.
3. Problems to be Solved by the Invention
However, permanganic acid treatment for removing the metallic residue 121 is adapted to melt the surface of the resin dielectric layer 103 so as to remove the metallic residue 121 together with resin. Therefore, the treatment roughens the surface of the resin dielectric layer 103 (see FIG. 6), to thereby impair bonding strength between the resin dielectric layer 103 and the upper resin dielectric layer 105.
If permanganic acid treatment is not performed, the upper resin dielectric layer 105 is formed while the metallic residue 121 of the palladium 113 and copper is present on the exposed portion of the resin dielectric layer 103, potentially raising a problem such as a short circuit in the wiring substrate 101 or a reduction in insulation resistance.
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the foregoing, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a wiring substrate, wherein a conductor layer of a predetermined pattern is formed, through copper plating, on a resin dielectric layer having a roughened surface to which palladium adheres, and an upper resin dielectric layer is formed on the resin dielectric layer and the conductor layer. The method can remove residual substances such as palladium from an exposed portion of the resin dielectric layer, and can establish reliable bonding strength between the resin dielectric layer and the upper resin dielectric layer.
The above object of the present invention has been achieved by providing a method for manufacturing a wiring substrate including a resin dielectric layer, a conductor layer of a predetermined pattern formed on the resin dielectric layer, and an upper resin dielectric layer formed on the resin dielectric layer and on the conductor layer, comprising: a conductor layer forming step of forming the conductor layer, through electroless copper plating and copper electroplating, on the resin dielectric layer of the substrate, the resin dielectric layer having a surface which has been surface-roughened to a predetermined roughness and to which palladium adheres; a cyan treatment step of cleaning the substrate, on which the conductor layer has been formed, using a cyanide-containing solution; and an upper resin dielectric layer forming step of forming an upper resin dielectric layer on the resin dielectric layer and the conductor layer of the cyan-treated substrate.
As mentioned previously, if permanganic acid treatment is used to remove an adhering metallic residue of palladium and copper from a portion (hereinafter also called xe2x80x9can exposed portionxe2x80x9d) of the resin dielectric layer which is exposed through the conductor layer, such as through spaces between conductor lines, the resin dielectric layer is also roughened. This results in impaired bonding strength between the resin dielectric layer and the upper resin dielectric layer.
By contrast, the present invention employs a cyan treatment in place of permanganic acid treatment; i.e., the substrate is cleaned using a cyanide-containing solution. Cleaning with a cyanide-containing solution can remove a metallic residue of palladium and copper without roughening the resin dielectric layer, thereby preventing a problem such as a short circuit in the wiring substrate or a reduction in insulation resistance, while establishing reliable bonding strength between the resin dielectric layer and the upper resin dielectric layer.
A cyanide-containing solution is an aqueous solution of an inorganic cyanide compound such as potassium cyanide or sodium cyanide, or a solution containing an inorganic cyanide compound serving as a predominant component and additives such as an oxidizing agent and a pH adjusting agent.
Preferably, in the cyan treatment step, the substrate is cleaned a plurality of times using the cyanide-containing solution, and dried between cleanings.
According to the present invention, after the substrate is cleaned with the cyanide-containing solution, the substrate is dried and is then cleaned again with a cyanide-containing solution. If needed, this cleaning-and-drying step is repeated. By cleaning the substrate repeatedly with an intermediate drying step, an adhering metallic residue of palladium and copper can be more reliably removed from an exposed portion of the resin dielectric layer as compared with the case where the substrate is cleaned for a long period of time without intermediate drying, thereby more reliably preventing a problem such as a short circuit in the wiring substrate.
Preferably, the substrate is maintained at a temperature not higher than about 85xc2x0 C. in the course of working ranging from the conductor layer forming step to the cyan treatment step.
As mentioned previously, the conventional manufacturing method heats the substrate twice at high temperature in the course of working ranging from the conductor layer forming step to the cyan treatment step. Specifically, after electroless copper plating is performed, the substrate is heated at about 120xc2x0 C. for 60 minutes; and after the plating resist layer is removed, the substrate is heated at about 150xc2x0 C. for 120 minutes. These heat treatment steps are adapted to enhance bonding between the resin dielectric layer and the electroless copper plating layer, and between the electroless copper plating layer and the copper electroplating layer. However, enhancement of bonding between the resin dielectric layer and the electroless copper plating layer fosters the tendency toward the presence of a metallic residue of palladium and copper on an exposed portion of the resin dielectric layer in the step of forming the conductor layer. Since such metallic residue adheres to the resin dielectric layer with a relatively strong force, reliable removal of the metallic residue by cyan treatment may become difficult.
By contrast, according to the present invention, the substrate is maintained at a temperature not higher than about 85xc2x0 C. in the course of working ranging from the conductor layer forming step to the cyan treatment step; i.e., over a span of working between adhesion of palladium to the resin dielectric layer and cleaning of the substrate with a cyanide-containing solution. Thus, in the step of forming the conductor layer, the amount of a metallic residue of palladium and copper present on an exposed portion of the resin dielectric layer is small. Further, strength of adhesion of the metallic residue to the resin dielectric layer is rather low. Therefore, in the cyan treatment step, the metallic residue can be more reliably removed from the exposed portion, thereby more reliably preventing a problem such as a short circuit in the wiring substrate.
Preferably, the above-described method for manufacturing a wiring substrate further comprises a heat treatment step conducted after the cyan treatment step and before the upper resin dielectric layer forming step, for heating the cyan-treated substrate to a temperature higher than about 85xc2x0 C.
According to the present invention, after cyan treatment, the substrate is subjected to heat treatment for heating the substrate at a temperature higher than about 85xc2x0 C., thereby enhancing bonding between the resin dielectric layer and the electroless copper plating layer, and between the electroless copper plating layer and the copper electroplating layer. Since this heat treatment is carried out after cyan treatment, the tendency toward presence of a metallic residue of palladium and copper on an exposed portion of the resin dielectric layer, and the difficulty in removing the metallic residue can both be avoided, which would otherwise occur if heat treatment were carried out prior to cyan treatment.
Preferably, the above-described method for manufacturing a wiring substrate further comprises conducting a conductor roughening step after the heat treatment step and before the upper resin dielectric layer forming step, for roughening the surface of the conductor layer.
In some cases, in order to enhance bonding strength between the conductor layer and the upper resin dielectric layer, the surface of the conductor layer may be roughened. If surface-roughening of the conductor layer is performed before the heat treatment step, the surface of the conductor layer may fail to be roughened to a predetermined roughness.
According to the present invention, after heat treatment, the surface of the conductor layer is roughened. Since the conductor layer is softened (modified) by heating, the surface of the conductor layer can be reliably roughened to a predetermined roughness, whereby bonding strength between the conductor layer and the upper resin dielectric layer can be enhanced.
The present invention provides another method for manufacturing a wiring substrate including a resin dielectric layer, a conductor layer formed in a predetermined pattern on the resin dielectric layer, and an upper resin dielectric layer formed on the resin dielectric layer and on the conductor layer, comprising: an electroless copper plating step of forming an electroless copper plating layer, through electroless copper plating, on the resin dielectric layer of the substrate, the resin dielectric layer having a surface which has been surface-roughened to a predetermined roughness and to which palladium adheres; a drying step of drying the substrate on which the electroless copper plating layer has been formed, at a temperature not higher than about 85xc2x0 C.; a plating resist layer forming step of forming, after the drying step, a plating resist layer of a predetermined pattern on the electroless copper plating layer; a copper electroplating step of forming a copper electroplating layer, through copper electroplating, on the electroless copper plating layer exposed through the plating resist layer; a plating resist layer removing step of removing, after the copper electroplating step, the plating resist layer; an etching-away step of etching away the electroless copper plating layer except where the same is overlaid with the copper electroplating layer, thereby forming the conductor layer; a cyan treatment step of cleaning the substrate, on which the conductor layer has been formed, using a cyanide-containing solution; and an upper resin dielectric layer forming step of forming an upper resin dielectric layer on the resin dielectric layer and the conductor layer of the cyan-treated substrate.
According to the present invention, after an exposed portion of the electroless copper plating layer is etched away, in place of conventionally practiced permanganic acid treatment, cyan treatment is performed for cleaning the substrate using a cyanide-containing solution. Cleaning with a cyanide-containing solution can remove a metallic residue of palladium and copper without roughening the resin dielectric layer, thereby preventing a problem such as a short circuit in the wiring substrate or a reduction in insulation resistance and establishing reliable bonding strength between the resin dielectric layer and the upper resin dielectric layer.
The present invention replaces the conventional step of heating, after electroless copper plating, the substrate at high temperature (at 120xc2x0 C. for 60 minutes) with the step of heating the substrate at a relatively low temperature not higher than about 85xc2x0 C. for drying the substrate. Therefore, the resin dielectric layer and the electroless copper plating layer are bonded with rather low strength. Thus, in the etching-away step, removal of the electroless copper plating layer and palladium is facilitated, thereby reducing the amount of a metallic residue of palladium and copper remaining on an exposed portion of the resin dielectric layer. In the subsequent cyan treatment step, removal of the metallic residue remaining on the exposed portion is facilitated, thereby more reliably preventing a problem such as a short circuit in the wiring substrate.
Preferably, in the cyan treatment step, the substrate is cleaned a plurality of times using the cyanide-containing solution and dried between cleanings.
According to the present invention, after the substrate is cleaned using a cyanide-containing solution, the substrate is dried and is then cleaned again using the cyanide-containing solution. If needed, this cleaning-and-drying step is repeated. By cleaning the substrate repeatedly using a cyanide-containing solution with an intermediate drying step, an adhering metallic residue of palladium and copper can be more reliably removed from an exposed portion of the resin dielectric layer as compared with the case where the substrate is cleaned for a long period of time without intermediate drying, thereby more reliably preventing a problem such as a short circuit in the wiring substrate.
Preferably, the above-described method for manufacturing a wiring substrate further comprises conducting a heat treatment step after the cyan treatment step and before the upper resin dielectric layer forming step, for heating the cyan-treated substrate to a temperature higher than about 85xc2x0 C.
According to the present invention, the substrate is subjected to heat treatment for heating the substrate at a temperature higher than about 85xc2x0 C., thereby enhancing bonding between the resin dielectric layer and the electroless copper plating layer, and between the electroless copper plating layer and the copper electroplating layer. Since this heat treatment is carried out after cyan treatment, the tendency toward presence of a metallic residue of palladium and copper on an exposed portion of the resin dielectric layer, and the difficulty in removing the metallic residue can both be avoided, which would otherwise occur if heat treatment were carried out prior to cyan treatment.
Preferably, the above-described method for manufacturing a wiring substrate further comprises conducting a conductor roughening after the heat treatment step and before the upper resin dielectric layer forming step, for roughening the surface of the conductor layer.
If the conductor roughening step for enhancing bonding strength between the conductor layer and the upper resin dielectric layer is performed before the heat treatment step, the surface of the conductor layer may fail to be roughened to a predetermined roughness.
According to the present invention, after heat treatment, the surface of the conductor layer is roughened. Since the conductor layer is softened (modified) by heating, the surface of the conductor layer can be reliably roughened to a predetermined roughness, whereby bonding strength between the conductor layer and the upper resin dielectric layer can be enhanced.

Method of manufacturing wiring substrate


The disclosed finger seals are designed to be operational under rotational velocity or a stationary condition. The contact surface of the finger seals is inclined in an axial direction. The rotational velocity of the bore does not affect the hydrodynamic lift and the finger seals can operate at any rotational speed, unlike prior finger seal where the hydrodynamic lift is generated by rotational velocity. Each finger seal is pressure balanced. The pressure chambers on the two sides of each finger seal are connected through the finger cutouts. The finger seal design is such that the fingers lift and move away from the bore surface in radial direction. In one form, each finger seal is designed with the specific required length to allow sufficient surface area for the hydrodynamic force such that the finger seals would be lifted from the bore surface at the design pressure.

a) Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates to the field of hydrodynamic bore seals, and in particular to layered finger seals of a novel design and arrangement.
b) Background Art
Some examples of dry running seals to seal against leakage of a compressed gas include finger seals, brush seals and labyrinth seals. Typically, these seals are used in turbines, or other high-temperature, high-speed applications where lubricated seals or positive seals fail. Some examples of finger seals are described in patents such as US 2008/0122183, U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,550, U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,116, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,401.
In patent application US 2008/0122183 is disclosed hydrodynamic sealing pads comprising one or two taper angles, one taper angle in the direction of shaft speed (tangential) and the other taper angle in the axial direction. The taper in the tangential direction to rotation allows for an increasing hydrodynamic lift due to increasing RPM of the shaft being sealed. The taper in the axial direction results in a desirable lifting force due only to differential pressure. The two taper angles could be combined or used separately to create a more desirable operating range of RPMs and pressures for a given application.


The disclosure relates to topical compositions comprising a flavonoid compound and a vitamin B3 compound, and optionally a hydrolyzed silk protein or fragment thereof, which are useful for improving the health and appearance of aging skin An exemplary composition contains quercetin, hydrolyzed silk sericin and niacinamide.

Human skin is comprised of layers. The epidermis is the outermost layer and comprises a cellular continuum of four layers: the stratum corneum, the granular layer, the spinous layer, and the basal layer. Each layer in the epidermis represents various stages along a process in which skin cells undergo a continuous cycle of proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.
The basal layer forms the lower portion of the epidermis and contains basal keratinocytes, mitotically active cells that undergo a proliferative cycle to generate daughter cells that are physically dislocated upward into the spinous and granulous layers above. As the cells migrate upward, they lose their central nucleus and start to produce skin proteins (keratins) and fats (lipids). On passing through the spinous and granulous layers, the cells undergo a process of differentiation into corneocytes and undergo morphological changes that flatten their structure as they lose cellular viability, alter their keratin expression profiles, and transform themselves into cellular remnants, thereby forming the stratum corneum. The corneocytes in the stratum corneum remain connected to each other via proteins and lipids, which create a protective barrier against chemical and biological insults from the outside environment. For example, the barrier attenuates the penetration of harmful radiation, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation, into deeper skin layers. The stratum corneum also acts as a permeability barrier and functions to prevent loss of body moisture to the outside environment. Dysfunction of the epidermal barrier can lead to chronic skin conditions, disease, and in extreme cases, can even threaten the viability of the organism.
Skin aging is a multifactorial process driven by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors include chronological aging and other biochemical changes occurring in skin cells. Extrinsic factors include UV exposure, toxins, pollutants, wind, heat, low humidity, harsh surfactants, abrasives, smoke and other environmental elements. On average, a younger epidermis turns over in about one month, shedding the older cells and replacing them with new ones, but the same process can take over forty days in older skin. As skin ages, the cornified layer becomes gradually thinner, which results in a reduction in the functioning capacity of the barrier. Impairment of the barrier allows harmful stimuli to penetrate the stratum corneum more easily, leading to damage of the underlying dermal layers, degradation of the structural proteins collagen and elastin, and eventually skin wrinkling and atrophy. Additionally, the increase in permeability and a reduction in the amount of lipid in the intercellular matrix decreases the capacity of the barrier to diffuse, i.e., remove, toxins from deeper skin layers. The recovery capacity of the barrier to environmental insult is thus substantially reduced with age.
The effects of aging can result in a number of visible changes in the appearance of skin. Thinning of the stratum corneum and general degradation of the skin by intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors increases the visible appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, inflammation, uneven skin tone and other signs of skin aging. For example, in young skin, melanin is evenly distributed, but as skin ages or is exposed to damaging environmental effects, melanocytes lose their normal regulation process and produce excess pigment, leading to areas of hyperpigmentation such as age spots (lentigines) and uneven skin tone.
Topical compositions comprising vitamin B3 compounds are known to effectively regulate skin appearance, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,082. For example, topical niacinamide can regulate the signs of skin aging, e.g., reduce or efface the visibility of the fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven skin tone associated with aging skin. However, compositions and methods of treatment that are even more effective than currently marketed products at improving the health and appearance of aging skin are continuing desires in the personal care and cosmetic fields.

Methods of regulating skin health and appearance with a combination of flavonoid and vitamin B


An electrostatic powder coating system that comprises a booth, the lower part of which is designed in the shape of a V, and a collecting channel (13), connected to a suction device (2) underneath, the booth having two ends, each of which has a pass-through opening for the workpieces. The collecting channel (13) is covered by floor plates (17), which can be walked upon or swung up into a vertical position, and which are provided with exhaust slots (18, 19, 20) extending in the longitudinal and transverse directions, it being advantageous for the total area of the slots be a function of the discharge of exhaust air and the velocity of the exhaust air.

This application claims the benefit of European Patent Application No. 00810747.6 filed on Aug. 22, 2000.
The present invention pertains to an electrostatic powder coating system according to the introductory clause of claim 1.
A powder coating system of this type is known from, for example, EP-B 0,200,681. Whereas the shape of this known booth brought about a considerable improvement in the collection and exhaust of the powder residues in comparison with the state of the art at the time, it was discovered when systems of this type were built that it was necessary not only to improve the accessibility of these booths to their operators but also to increase the efficiency of the powder return.
A coating system is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,571, in which the powder residues drop through grates onto two channels, each of which leads to a larger channel. A gully cover which is connected to a hinge joint is known from GB-A 2,120,303.
Against the background of this known state of the art, it is the task of the present invention to improve the accessibility of booths of the general type indicated above and to increase the efficiency of the powder return. This task is accomplished by means of an electrostatic powder system according to claim 1.
The invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment, illustrated by drawings.

Abstract: The floor plates, which can be swung upward, improve the ability of the booth to be walked on and thus increase the ease with which the system can be serviced and operated. As a result of the way in which the exhaust slots are arranged, the powder residues can be extracted more homogeneously and uniformly and thus in optimum fashion over the entire length of the booth.


The preseent invention is concerned with congeners of 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine (ddA) with modifications at the 2- and 8- positions to increase stability of the compounds from the standpoint of resistance to deamination and hydrolytic cleavage of the glycosidic bond.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has become recognized as one of the most catastrophic diseases to confront humanity. The etiologic agent of this disease is a lymphotrophic retrovirus referred to as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) (Science, 1988, 239, 573). Other retroviruses related to HIV-1 are also being identified. A few synthetic modified nucleosides have shown some promise in studies involving AIDS or AIDS-related complex (ARC) (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1986, 83, 1911; J. Med. Chem., 1986, 29, 1561). These include 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT), 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddC), and 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine (ddA). The antiviral activity of these compounds is associated with their ability to inhibit, in their phosphorylated triphosphate forms, a key enzyme in the virus life cycle, i.e. reverse transcriptase (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1987, 84, 2033). According to Broder and coworkers (Biochem. Pharmacol., 1987, 36, 1765), ddA is superior to ddC and AZT in terms of therapeutic index. However, the therapeutic efficacy of ddA is limited by its instability, both with respect to rapid enzymatic deamination by the ubiquitous mammalian enzyme, adenosine deaminase, and hydrolytic cleavage of the glycosidic bond. There is, therefore, a continuing need for novel congeners of ddA that continue to have antiretroviral activity against retroviruses such as the AIDS virus, but are more stable than ddA with respect to hydrolytic deamination of the 6-amino group and with respect to hydrolytic cleavage of the glycosidic linkage between the sugar and base moieties.
This invention has as its primary objective the fulfilling of the above need.
In particular, the objective of the present invention is the development of a series of congeners of the anti-AIDS compound, 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine, that involve strategic modification of the 2- and 8- positions such that they are stable and would therefore have markedly enhanced therapeutic potential.
A further objective is to provide an effective and direct route to the synthesis of functionalized congeners of the anti-AIDS compound, 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine.
A still further objective of the present invention is to provide therapeutic compositions containing the stable ddA congeners of the present invention.
The method and manner of accomplishing each of the above objectives of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.

Stable congener of 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine


A rack and pinion steering gear (10) comprises a housing (12) having an axially extending passage (14) and a yoke bore (18) that intersects the axially extending passage (14) within the housing (12). A pinion gear (26) is rotatably mounted in the housing (12). A rack bar (34) extends through the axially extending passage (14) and is movable relative to the pinion gear (26). The rack bar (34) has teeth in meshing engagement with teeth (32) of the pinion gear (26). A yoke assembly (54) is located in the yoke bore (18) of the housing (12) for at least partially supporting and guiding movement of the rack bar (34) relative to the pinion gear (26). The yoke assembly (54) comprises a yoke (56) having first and second roller assemblies (154 and 166) for contacting the rack bar (34) and rotating during movement of the rack bar (34). A first spindle (112) supports the first roller assembly (154) and a second spindle (114) supports the second roller assembly (166).

The present invention relates to a rack and pinion steering gear and, more particularly, to a rack and pinion steering gear having a low friction yoke assembly.
A known rack and pinion steering gear includes a pinion gear that is rotatably mounted in a housing and is connected with a steering wheel of a vehicle. A rack bar extends axially through the housing and has opposite end portions connected with steerable vehicle wheels. Gear teeth formed on the rack bar are disposed in meshing engagement with gear teeth on the pinion gear. A yoke assembly, including a yoke and a spring, is disposed in the housing to support and guide movement of the rack bar relative to the housing.
The yoke 210 of the known rack and pinion steering gear is shown in FIG. 6. An axially extending cavity 212 extends through the yoke 210 and intersects an upper surface 214 of the yoke 210. The axially extending cavity 212 forms diametrically opposite first and second support walls 216 and 218. The first and second support walls 216 and 218 support a spindle 220 that extends across the axially extending cavity 212 of the yoke 210. The length of the spindle 220 is approximately equal to the diameter of the yoke 210. The spindle 220 supports first and second roller assemblies 222 and 224 within the axially extending cavity 212. The first roller assembly 222 is near the first support wall 216 and the second roller assembly 224 is near the second support wall 218. Each of the first and second roller assemblies 222 and 224 include a roller 226 that is fixed to a bushing 228. Each roller 226 has a concave bearing surface 230 for contacting and supporting the rack bar 232. The first and second roller assemblies 222 and 224 rotate relative to the yoke 210 and the spindle 220 during axial movement of the rack bar 232.
During operation of this known rack and pinion steering gear, the yoke assembly may be subjected to both heat and high loads. The heat is produced by friction, generally between the rack bar 232 and the bearing surfaces 230 of the rollers 226 as the rack bar 232 moves over the rollers 226. A high load may occur, for example, when a vehicle hits a pothole in the road surface. The impact load of the vehicle tire with the pothole is transferred to the rack bar 232 through the vehicle tie rods. The rack bar 232, in turn, transfers a portion of the load to the yoke assembly. The load transferred to the yoke assembly should be absorbed by the spring that biases the yoke 210 against the rack bar 232. However, in the yoke assembly of the known rack and pinion steering gear, the load of the rack bar 232 on the rollers 226 creates a significant bending moment on the spindle 220. As a result, the load may cause the spindle 220 to bend in a location between the roller assemblies 222 and 224. When the spindle 220 bends, rotation of the first and second roller assemblies 222 and 224 may be impaired and increased friction and heat may develop between the rack bar 232 and the yoke assembly.
The present invention is a rack and pinion steering gear. The rack and pinion steering gear comprises a housing having an axially extending passage and a yoke bore that extends perpendicular to the axially extending passage and connects with the axially extending passage within the housing. A pinion gear having teeth is rotatably mounted in the housing. A rack bar extends through the axially extending passage of the housing and is movable relative to the pinion gear. The rack bar has teeth in meshing engagement with the teeth of the pinion gear. A yoke assembly is located in the yoke bore of the housing for at least partially supporting and guiding axial movement of the rack bar relative to the pinion gear. The yoke assembly comprises a yoke having first and second roller assemblies for contacting the rack bar and rotating during axial movement of the rack bar. A first spindle is fixed to the yoke and supports the first roller assembly and a second spindle is fixed to the yoke and supports the second roller assembly.

Rack and pinion steering gear with low friction roller yoke design


The present disclosure provides an oil hydraulic press including a support frame, at least one main cylinder assembly and at least one fixed die table. The at least one main cylinder assembly and the at least one fixed die table are disposed in the support frame. A pressing mechanism is formed between the at least one main cylinder assembly and the at least one fixed die table. The support frame is in an annular or ring-like shape and is configured for fixing the at least one main cylinder assembly and the at least one fixed die table. The main cylinder assembly and the fixed die table can be fixed by the support frame, which forms a ring-like structure, can be operated in one, two or multiple sets in parallel, and all can realize pressing manufacture. The oil hydraulic press has less components, reduced material consumption and low manufacturing cost.

An oil hydraulic press is a molding machine configured for manufacturing industrial products by pressure and widely applied in the engineering field. In the prior art, the oil hydraulic press used in the production cannot flexibly adapt to the demand and the flexibility in the production process. In addition, the oil hydraulic press has a complicated structure and large material consumption, resulting in high cost.

NINGBO DEMA INTELLIGENT MACHINERY CO., LTD.


An antenna apparatus 1 has an antenna substrate 21 composed of a separator 23 and electrolyte layers 24a and 24b disposed on both surfaces of the separator 23; an antenna pattern 22a disposed on the solid electrolyte layer 24a; and an antenna pattern 22b disposed on the solid electrolyte layer 24b. The antenna patterns 22a and 22b are made of an electroconductive plastic. When a DC voltage is applied between the antenna patterns 22a and 22b, ions can be doped to one of the antenna patterns 22a and 22b, whereas ions can be undoped form the other of the antenna patterns 22a and 22b. In other words, one of the antenna patterns 22a and 22b can become a conductor, whereas the other thereof can become an insulator.

In recent years, a wireless communication function has been mounted on not only information processing devices, such as personal computers, and communication terminal devices, such as cellular phones and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistances), but also various types of consumer electronic devices, such as audio devices, video devices, camera devices, printers, and entertainment robots. In addition, the wireless communication function has been mounted on wireless LAN (Local Area Network) access points and small accessory cards. The accessory cards are wireless card modules having both a storage function and a wireless communication function. Known as wireless card modules are for example PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) type cards, compact flash cards, mini PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnection) cards.
As the wireless communication function has been mounted on various devices, antennas that receive and transmit radio waves have needed various shapes and characteristics. For example, antennas that can deal with a wide frequency band and multiple frequencies have been needed.
For example, for 5 GHz band used in the wireless LAN, antennas have been needed for 4.9 GHz band and 5.8 GHz band that are wider than the existing 5.15 to 5.35 GHz bands. In addition, to satisfy the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11a/b/g standards, antennas are needed to cover both the frequency bands 2.4-2.5 GHz and 5.15-5.35 GHz. In an ultra wide band (UWB), which is gaining attention, antennas need to cover wide bands of 3.1 GHz-10.6 GHz. There is a possibility that the UHF bands (400-800 MHz) of ground wave digital broadcasts and high speed wide band milli-wave communication systems (25 GHz band, 60 GHz band, and so forth) will be combined in future.
So far, to cover a plurality of frequencies, the following methods have been proposed: (1) an antenna is designed to have a main resonance and a sub resonance, and (2) an antenna is designed to broaden a frequency band with one resonance. The method (1) of these methods has been widely used in many commercial antennas.
However, these methods have the following problems. The method (1) sacrifices characteristics such as "deterioration of return loss characteristics" "narrow frequency band" in one of a plurality of bands. In contrast, the method (2) sacrifices a gain of a radio wave in a widened band because the band and gain have a reversely proportional relationship.
In an ideal method of widening a frequency band, which has been proposed, a plurality of antenna elements corresponding to necessary frequency bands are mounted on a device (as disclosed in for example Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-92576).
FIG. 17 shows an example of an antenna substrate having a plurality of antenna patterns. FIG. 17A is a plan view showing one principal surface S3 of an antenna substrate 101. FIG. 17B is a plan view showing another principal surface S4 of the antenna substrate 101. As shown in FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B, the principal surface S3 of the antenna substrate 101 has a first antenna pattern 102a. The other principal surface S4 of the antenna substrate 101 has a second antenna pattern 102b. The first antenna pattern 102a is an antenna pattern corresponding to frequency bands 4.9-5.35 GHz, an antenna pattern corresponding to frequency bands 2.4-2.5 GHz, or an antenna pattern for a DT (Digital Television) corresponding to frequency bands 400-800 MHz. The second antenna pattern 102b is an antenna pattern corresponding to frequency bands 5.35 GHz-5.8 GHz or an antenna pattern corresponding to milli-wave bands.
However, if a plurality of antenna patterns are closely disposed and mounted on a device, they interfere with each other and their characteristics deteriorate. To solve this problem, if a plurality of antenna patterns are disposed with sufficient clearance areas, the size of the device becomes large.
If the antenna substrate 101 shown in FIG. 17 is thinned out (for example, 1 mm or less), the first antenna pattern 102a and the second antenna pattern 102b disposed on both the principal surfaces largely interfere with each other. As a result, characteristics of the antenna deteriorate. Thus, as shown in FIG. 18, the first antenna pattern 102a and the second antenna pattern 102b have to be disposed on the antenna substrate 101 with a sufficient clearance area.
As described above, when a plurality of antenna elements are mounted on a device, the size of the device becomes large. Thus, this method does not satisfy the present needs of which the wireless function is mounted on various consumer devices. Thus, under the existing circumstances, such a method has been hardly used in real devices.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an antenna apparatus that allows a plurality of antenna patterns to be closely disposed and deterioration of characteristics due to interference of antenna patterns to be suppressed; a wireless apparatus therewith; and an electronic apparatus therewith.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Antenna device, radio device, and electronic instrument


A testing equipment including a first joint extending upright from a base (11), a final joint on which a holder (24) for holding a grip of a ball-hitting tool is installed, and an intermediate joint disposed between the first and final joints. The first, intermediate, and final joints are successively connected to each other and rotated by individual driving devices in such a way that the ball-hitting tool held by the holder installed on the final joint is swung in X, Y-, and Z-directions or/and rotated around a longitudinal axis of the ball-hitting tool held by the holder to adjust/increase or decrease a distance, between a ball-hitting plane and the base, corresponding to a motion of a person swinging his/her arm up and down, with the person gripping the ball-hitting tool, adjust/change an angle of the ball-hitting plane corresponding to an inward rotation of the arm or an outward rotation thereof, and/or adjust/change an angle between a longitudinal axis of the ball-hitting tool and the base.

The present invention relates to a ball hitting tool testing device and more specifically to a testing device applicable to a ball-hitting tool such as a racket for tennis, badminton, squash, table tennis, a golf club, and a bat for baseball. In particular, the present invention relates to a testing device, which is preferably used for the tennis racket. With a robot gripping the tennis racket, the testing equipment device performs several motions of the tennis racket which is performed at the time of stroke by a person with the person gripping the tennis racket. Thereby the testing device allows quantitative evaluation of speed of the a ball at the time of a stroke, controllability, and spin performance.
Research has been made for a testing device of a ball-hitting tool such as the tennis racket so that the testing device has a function of hitting a ball in a state close to that in which a person actually hits the ball.
For example, the conventional testing device of the tennis racket is disclosed in the following books: Journal [No. 940-9] of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Symposium on AVD Lecture Papers, Page 128; Journal [No. 95-28] of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, fourth meeting Symposium on Motion and Vibration Control Lecture Papers, Page 170; [No. 95-17] Journal of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Robotics and Mechatronics lecture, 1995 Lecture Papers (Vol.B), Page 1260; Journal [No.96-20] of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Symposium Lecture Papers, Page 35; and Nikkei Mechanical, May 15, 1995, No.454, Page 66.
The testing device of the tennis racket reported in the above-described books has a construction shown in FIG. 10. The testing equipment is designed by considering that when a person performs a ball-hitting motion, with the human gripping the tennis racket, the tennis racket makes a complicated motion which is a combination of a translation motion and a rotary motion. The testing equipment is a horizontal two-joint robot having a minimum necessary degree of freedom to allow the translation motion and the rotary motion to be accomplished.
That is, in the testing device, the motor 1 rotates (rotation on S-axis) the first joint 2 directly in a direction shown with an arrow, the first joint 2 is connected to one end of the connection plate 3, the second joint 4 is rotatably installed on the other end of the connection plate 3, the first joint 2 and the second joint 4 are interlocked with each other with the timing belt 5, and the motor 1 rotates (rotation on T-axis) the second joint 4 in a direction shown with an arrow. The holder 6 is fixed to the second joint 4, and the grip 8a of the tennis racket 8 is inserted into and fixed to the holder 6.
The testing device having the horizontal two joints is driven by one driving device (motor 1). The rotation of the first joint 2 (corresponding to person""s shoulder) on the S-axis and the rotation of the second joint 4 (corresponding to person""s wrist) on the T-axis are synchronous with each other. The testing device can reproduce a ball-hitting motion of the tennis racket at a volley time in playing tennis.
As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the holder 6 has the shock-absorbing rubber sheet 2 disposed on the inner peripheral surface of each of the fixing parts 1a and 1b each made by dividing a metal cylinder into halves. With the grip 21a of the tennis racket 20 sandwiched between the fixing parts 1a and 1b through the rubber sheet 2, the fixing parts 1a and 1b are clamped with the screw 3 to hold the tennis racket 10 thereby.
The testing device having two horizontal joints has been developed to measure the mechanical characteristic of the tennis racket at the time of a volley in playing tennis. Thus the tennis robot is capable of evaluating the performance of the tennis racket only at the time of the volley but is incapable of evaluating the performance of the tennis racket at the time of a stroke. In evaluating the performance of the tennis racket, the evaluation of speed of a ball, controllability, and spin performance at the time of the stroke are more important than the evaluation of the tennis racket at the time of the volley. As described above, since the conventional testing device has the horizontal two joints, it has a problem in that it is incapable of evaluating the performance of the tennis racket at the time of the stroke.
More specifically, a swing in tennis is made not in one swing plane but is varied because a player raises his/her body and lifts his/her arm. To spin a ball when the ball is served, it is necessary to angularly change the racket plane by inward rotating the arm. An effective volley can be made not only by hitting the ball with the racket plane vertical to the ground but also in combination of an angle change of the longitudinal axis of the racket to the ground by a vertical swing motion of the wrist and the outward rotation of the arm.
The testing, having two horizontal joints, shown in FIG. 10 is incapable of reproducing several motions including a rotation-accompanied vertical motion of the tennis racket following a motion of the upper part of a player""s body, a rotating motion of the tennis racket by a twist of the wrist caused by inward and outward rotation of the arm and a vertical motion of the wrist.
The collision speed of the tennis racket held by the testing device is as low as about 5 m/sec. Although description is made in the above-described books that the collision speed of the tennis racket held by the testing equipment is as high as 30 m/sec, the description is not substantiated.
The head speed of the tennis racket at the time of the stroke is 10-30 m/sec in regulation-ball tennis and 50 m/sec in softball tennis. The head speed of the tennis racket swung by a high-class player is faster by about 10 m/sec than that of the tennis racket swung by a beginner. The angular velocity of the high-class player""s wrist is faster by 700xc2x0/sec than that of the beginner""s wrist (page 70 through 77 of xe2x80x9cNew Science of Tennisxe2x80x9d published by tennis journal).
The most conspicuous difference in players"" swings is a swing speed and in particular the difference between swing speeds of wrists. Thus there is a demand that the testing equipment is capable of adjusting the head speed of the tennis racket in the range of 5-50 m/sec. However, as described above, since the collision speed in the testing equipment device is about 5 m/sec, the testing equipment is incapable of realizing a high head speed.
Depending on the high-class player and the beginner, the testing device is required to allow the rotation speed of the entire testing equipment and the rotation speed around the wrist to be freely adjusted. However, in the testing device shown in FIG. 10, since one motor drives the first joint and the second joint, the testing device is incapable of freely adjusting the rotation speed (rotation speed of the first joint) of the entire testing device and the rotation speed (rotation speed of the second joint) around the wrist independently and freely.
Further the holder 6, made of metal and rubber, used in the testing device shown in FIG. 10 is incapable of absorbing a shock and a strain applied to the holder 6 as a result of a collision between the tennis racket and the ball at the time of a high-speed swing. Thus in the case where the testing device conducts a ball-hitting test repeatedly, the tennis racket is broken at the shaft or the throat thereof.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem. It is a first object of the present invention to provide a testing device, of a ball-hitting tool such as a tennis racket, which reproduces a motion of a tennis racket at the time of a stroke. It is a second object of the present invention to provide a testing device, which can adjust a ball collision speed from a low speed to a high speed and adjust a rotation-speed thereof and a rotation speed of a wrist independently. It is a third object of the present invention to provide a testing device whose racket-holding part can hold a ball-hitting tool in a state similar to a state in which a person grips the ball-hitting tool.
To solve the above-described problem, there is provided a testing device including a first joint extending upright from a base, a final joint on which a holder for holding a grip of a ball-hitting tool is installed, an intermediate joint disposed between the first and final joints. The first, intermediate, and final joints are successively connected to each other and rotated by individual driving devices in such a way that the ball-hitting tool held by the holder installed on the final joint is swung in X-, Y-, and Z-directions or/and rotated around a longitudinal axis of the baIl-hitting tool held by the holder to adjust/increase or decrease a distance, between a ball-hitting plane and the base, corresponding to a motion of a person swinging his/her arm up and down, with the person gripping the ball-hitting tool, adjust/change an angle of the ball-hitting plane corresponding to an inward rotation of the arm or an outward rotation thereof, and/or adjust/change an angle between a longitudinal axis of the ball-hitting tool and the base.
More specifically, the intermediate joint connected to the first and final joints having a swinging head respectively for swinging a body includes a lower arm joint (L-axis) connected to an upper end of the first joint (S1-axis) and swinging in a front-to-back direction; an upper arm joint (U-axis) connected to the lower arm joint (L-axis) and swinging in a vertical direction; a wrist joint (R-axis) connected to the upper arm joint (U-axis) and rotating on a longitudinal axis thereof; a wrist-swinging-joint (B-axis) connected to one end of the wrist joint (R-axis) and rotating in a vertical direction; and a wrist-rotation-joint (T1-axis) connected to the wrist-swinging joint (B-axis) and swinging in a left-to-right direction.
Further, a wrist-speed-increase-rotation-joint (T2-axis) swinging horizontally is provided on the wrist-rotation-joint (T1-axis) as the final joint; an extension plate is installed on the final joint; and the holder for holding the ball-hitting tool consisting of a tennis racket is held on one end of the extension plate (claim 2).
Let it be supposed that the ball-hitting tool testing device having the above-described construction is used as a testing equipment for a tennis racket. In this case, the testing equipment has the rotation shaft which rotates in a vertical direction, the rotation shaft corresponding to an inward rotation and outward rotation of a person""s arm, and the rotation shaft that can change the angle of the longitudinal axis of the tennis racket to the ground. Thus the testing device can reproduce a several ball-hitting motion including a spin-giving motion in a stroke or a serve and a volley similar to that in an actual play.
Further since the joints are driven by separate driving devices (motors), the rotation speeds of the joints can be adjusted separately. Thus it is possible to reproduce the characteristics of swings different from each other depending on a player. It is also possible to adjust the rotation speed of the entire testing device and the rotation speed of the joint corresponding to a player""s wrist independently. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the ball collision speed and the angular velocity of the wrist independently and freely.
The holder for holding the ball-hitting tool is fixed to a free end of an extension plate mounted on the final joint. Thereby it is possible to allow the rotation radius of the ball-hitting tool held by the holder and the head speed of the ball-hitting tool to be high.
Since the intermediate joints rotate simultaneously in the X-direction, the Y-direction, and the Z-direction, it is possible to reproduce an operation corresponding to a swing-up motion and a swing-down motion of an arm holding the ball-hitting tool. The operation is performed by adjusting/increasing or decreasing the distance between the ball-hitting plane and the base (ground). It is necessary for the ball-hitting tool testing equipment to perform an operation (swing) in such a way that a swing-up angle or a swing-down angle, namely, a straight line connecting a swing start point and a swing finish point to each other forms an angle of in the range of xe2x88x9210xc2x0xcx9c+10xc2x0 to the ground. Favorably in the range of xe2x88x9240xc2x0xcx9c+40xc2x0. More favorably in the range of xe2x88x9270xc2x0xcx9c+70xc2x0.
Further since the ball-hitting tool testing device has a function of rotating the ball-hitting tool, with the longitudinal direction thereof set as the axis of rotation, a function corresponding to inward and outward rotation of a player""s arm can be reproduced. This operation can be performed by adjusting/varying an angle of the ball-hitting plane. The angle range of the ball-hitting plane can be adjusted/varied favorably in the range of xe2x88x9230xc2x0xcx9c+30xc2x0 and more favorably in the range of xe2x88x9245xc2x0xcx9c+45xc2x0.
The ball-hitting tool testing device also has a function of altering an angle between the axis of the ball-hitting tool in its longitudinal direction and the base (ground). It is favorable to adjust/vary the angle in the range of xe2x88x9210xc2x0xcx9c+10xc2x0. It is more favorable to adjust/vary the angle xcex1 in the range of xe2x88x9245xc2x0xcx9c+135xc2x0. It is most favorable to adjust/vary the angle xcex1 in the range of xe2x88x9255xc2x0xcx9c+215xc2x0.
The intermediate joint is rotatably installed on an upper portion of the first joint and includes a speed increase joint (S2-axis) that is rotated by a rotation driving device separate from that of the first joint, and the head speed of the ball-hitting tool held by the final joint can be adjusted in the range of 5 m/sec-50 m/sec. Therefore the testing device is capable of coping with the head speed at the time when a high-class player hits a ball as well as to a head speed at the time when a beginner hits the ball.
Further the holder installed on the final joint includes an elastic sheet disposed along an inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical portion consisting of a rigid body in such way that the elastic sheet contains an air layer inward therefrom to allow the elastic sheet to grip the ball-hitting tool inserted into a bore of the cylindrical portion by injecting air into the air layer and inflating the elastic sheet; and a force for holding the holder is set to a range of 0.5-5 kgf/cm2.
The reason the force for holding the holder is set to the range of 0.5-5 kgf/cm2 is as follows: If the force is less than 0.5 kgf/cm2, the tennis racket cannot be gripped firmly. On the other hand, if the force is more than 5 kgf/cm2, an abnormal strain is generated on the tennis racket because the force exceeds a pressure at which a person grips the tennis racket.
More specifically, the elastic sheet disposed along the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion in such way that the elastic sheet contains the air layer inward therefrom consists of an elastic tube having a hollow peripheral wall bonded to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. An air injection path is formed on a peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion and a peripheral wall of the elastic tube in such a way that the air injection path penetrates through the peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion and the peripheral wall of the elastic tube. A check valve is provided inside the air injection path to seal air injected into the elastic tube.
The elastic tube is inserted into the bore of the cylindrical portion and an extra portion of the elastic tube projecting from an opening at the upper and lower ends of the cylindrical portion is folded. The folded portion is fixed to the peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. Thereby it is possible to obtain the elastic sheet disposed along the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion in such way that the elastic sheet contains the air layer inward therefrom. The air injection path communicating with the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion and the elastic tube is formed on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. The check valve is provided inside the air injection path to seal air injected into the gap from outside.
In the holder, since the ball-hitting tool is gripped with the elastic sheet (elastic tube) inflated with an air pressure. Thus the ball-hitting tool-gripping state is similar to the state in which a person grips it with her/his hand. That is, because the ball-hitting tool is gripped with the elastic force of the elastic sheet and the air pressure, the elastic sheet deforms greatly when a ball collides with the ball-hitting tool gripped in this way. Thereby the gripped ball-batting implement moves greatly. Therefore when the ball is hit with a tennis racket gripped in this way, it is possible to effectively lessen an impact force generated when the ball is hit and eliminate a disadvantage that a strain concentrates on the shaft and throat of the tennis racket.


A laser irradiation device and a method of fabricating an organic light emitting display device (OLED) using the same are disclosed. The laser irradiation device includes: a laser source generating a laser beam; a mask disposed below the laser source and patterning the beam and a projection lens disposed below the mask and determining magnification of the laser beam through the mask, wherein the laser beam penetrating the mask has different doses in at least two regions. Thus, the laser irradiation device can maximize emission efficiency and enhance the quality of a transfer layer pattern when an organic layer of the OLED is formed using the laser irradiation device.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a laser irradiation device and a method of fabricating an organic light emitting display device (OLED) using the same, and more particularly, to a laser irradiation device which can enhance the quality of a transfer layer pattern and maximize transfer efficiency when an organic layer is formed by a laser induced thermal imaging (LITI) method, and a method of fabricating an OLED using the same.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Among flat panel displays, OLEDs can display high-quality moving pictures regardless of device size. OLEDs also have a fast response speed, low power consumption, and a wide viewing angle. In addition, OLEDs are self emissive, and thus need no additional light source. OLEDs also have drawn attention as a next generation flat panel display because they can be manufactured at a low temperature and by a simple process using conventional semiconductor processes.
In fabricating an OLED, various methods can be used to pattern an organic layer including an organic emission layer. Among other methods, a Laser-Induced Thermal Imaging (LITI) method can yield excellent pattern uniformity. The LITI method is favorable for large-size OLEDs.

Laser irradiation device and method of fabricating organic light emitting display device using the same


An improvement is provided for connecting an air-spring suspension to the subframe of a slider comprising parallel frame rails. A beam is disposed beneath and extends between the frame rails and is suspended therefrom by three platelike gussets. Hanger brackets for trailing arms depend from a bottom surface of the beam. Support brackets are also provided for mounting air springs adapted to cushion the swinging movement of the trailing arms.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to slidable suspensions for trailers and more particularly to an apparatus for attaching a trailing arm air spring suspension to a sliding frame.
2. Scope of the Prior Art
Sliders are frequently used with truck trailers where it is desirable to adjust the space between the trailer axles and the drive axles on the tractor. Typically, the trailer is formed with a structural boxlike container. Unlike conventional trailers, there is no frame beneath the container. Rigidity is achieved through the construction of the container. A pair of rails are mounted at a rear portion of the trailer, and the slider is mounted to the rails for slidable movement in a fore and aft direction. The slider includes a subframe with axles and wheels suspended from the subframe. When the slider and its suspension is moved in the aft direction, the spacing between the trailer axles and the drive axles on the tractor is increased. Conversely, when the slider is moved in the forward direction, the spacing is decreased.
Typically, sliders utilize leaf springs to suspend the axles from the subframe. Leaf spring suspensions are considerably less expensive and lighter in weight than air suspensions which include a pivotable trailing arm and an air spring. However, the ride provided by a leaf spring suspension tends to be relatively harsh which negatively affects vehicle durability, promotes cargo damage, and adversely affects the control of the tractor and trailer. To a lesser degree, air spring suspensions are used on slidable trailers. Air spring suspensions provide a smoother ride and improve the control of the tractor and trailer. However, a typical air spring suspension has less connections for conducting lateral forces to the subframe than a leaf spring suspension. Thus, more stress is placed on the connections for an air spring suspension. Prior solutions to the problem have been directed at providing heavier-weight metal and strengthening rigid connections between the air spring suspension and the frame.

Apparatus for mounting a trailing arm air suspension to a sliding frame


A valve and an arrangement for testing and draining a fire suppression water sprinkler system includes a valve which has a valve member with first, second and third ports which are provided at right angles to one another. The selective rotation of the valve member interrupts a flow of water through the valve and permits a flow at two different preselected flow rates.

The present invention relates generally to valves and more particularly relates to valve arrangements for use in testing and draining fire suppression water sprinkler systems.
In a typical fire suppression water sprinkler system as installed in many buildings, an array of individual fire sprinklers is supplied with water through a main conduit and various branch conduits. The individual fire sprinklers are generally provided with a member that melts when the ambient temperature reaches a predetermined level indicative of a fire. The melting of the member opens a fire sprinkler to spray water in order to suppress the fire. The individual fire sprinklers are provided with meltable members so that the spray of water will hopefully be limited to the region of the building where the fire is present. In this way, the extent of water damage may be minimized.
After a fire, and especially during maintenance and renovation, it may become necessary to replace one or more of the individual water sprinklers. At such times it is desirable to be able to drain the system of water conduits, so that the removal of one or more of the individual water sprinklers (after the supply of water to the main conduit has been turned off and after the system has been drained) will not result in a flow of water through the fitting for the water sprinkler. Accordingly, it is conventional in the art to provide a valve which when opened will drain the water conduits of the system.
Such fire suppression systems also oftentimes have a switch or sensor that detects the flow of water in the conduits to indicate that even only one of the individual water sprinklers has opened. Since the flow of water in the conduits generally means that a fire is present in the building, the switch or sensor typically triggers a fire alarm or sends an appropriate signal directly to a fire department. Therefore, many fire codes require, and it is otherwise desirable, that the switch or sensor which detects the flow of water in the conduits be periodically tested. Accordingly, it has also become conventional in the art to provide a valve which enables the system to be tested by permitting a flow of water corresponding to the flow through only one individual water sprinkler that has been opened.
In addition, it is desirable (and sometimes required by the applicable fire code) to be able to visually observe the flow of water from the testing valve. Since the testing valve (and oftentimes the drainage valve) is frequently connected directly to a drain pipe, it is conventional to provide a sight glass downstream of the testing valve (and sometimes the drainage valve). It is, of course, possible to alternatively place a sight glass upstream of the testing valve. Also, since it is typically desirable to determine the pressure of the water upstream of the testing valve, prior to and during a test operation, it is conventional to provide a fitting or port to receive a pressure gauge upstream of the testing valve.
The use of separate drainage valves and testing valves results in significant time and expense during the installation of such plumbing. More recently, the testing valve and the drainage valve have been incorporated into a single device along with a sight glass and a pressure port. One such device is provided by the Fire Protection Division of Victaulic in Easton, Penn. under the designation "Testmaster". Such a device remains relatively expensive and cumbersome, however, since the device includes two separate valves that have been provided in a single housing.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a valve and arrangement for a fire suppression water sprinkler system which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement for testing and draining a fire suppression water sprinkler system which is relatively simple and easy to install and use.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement for testing and draining a fire suppression water sprinkler system which is relatively inexpensive.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a valve which permits a fire suppression water sprinkler system to be tested and drained.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a valve which provides two different flow rates for a supply of fluid through the valve.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an arrangement which permits an easy observation of the flow of water through the valve.
These and other objects are accomplished by a valve and an arrangement for testing and draining a fire suppression system according to the present invention.
The arrangement according to the present invention comprises a conduit for supplying water to a plurality of sprinklers with a sensor provided for sensing the flow of water in the conduit. A valve is provided downstream of the sensor in communication with the conduit.
The valve has a housing which defines an interior chamber with an inlet and at least one outlet. A valve member provided within the interior chamber has a turning axis and first, second and third ports arranged at right angles to one another. The first port has a size which is different than the second and third ports. A surface of the valve member is selectively sealingly received by a seat member adjacent the outlet. If the valve has a second outlet, a plug member is provided for closing off the second outlet. A moving member selectively moves the valve member within the interior chamber, whereby communication between the inlet and the outlet may be sequentially closed, opened to a first preselected flow rate and then opened to a second preselected flow rate. The second preselected flow rate is greater than the first preselected flow rate.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the valve has a housing which defines an interior chamber with an inlet and at least one outlet. A valve member provided within the interior chamber has a turning axis and first, second and third ports arranged at right angles to one another with one of the ports provided in parallel with the turning axis. One of the ports has a size which is different than at least one of the other two ports. A surface of the valve member is selectively sealingly received by a seat member adjacent one of the outlets. If the valve housing has first and second outlets, a plug member is provided for closing off one of the first and second outlets and a moving member selectively moves the valve member within the interior chamber, whereby communication between the inlet and the other of the outlets may be sequentially closed, opened to a first preselected flow rate and then opened to a second preselected flow rate. The second preselected flow rate is greater than the first preselected flow rate. The plug member closes off the one outlet during all of the sequential movements of the valve members.
Additionally, a sight glass housing may be provided, either as a unitary portion of the valve housing or as a separate element, which presents two sight glasses at a substantially 90 degree angle to one another so as to simplify the task of determining whether water is flowing past the sight glass housing. For example, by providing two sight glasses, light is permitted to enter one of the glasses at an angle to the line of vision through the other sight glass so as to illuminate the interior of the sight glass housing.

Valve and arrangement for fire suppression water sprinkler system


A holder assembly for holding a displaying device is disclosed. The holder assembly includes a body, a first arm, a second arm and a base. The body includes an outer surface and an inner surface. An accommodating space is formed by the inner surface. A first opening is formed on the body and connected to the accommodating space. A first connecting portion and a first pivoting portion are disposed on two ends of the first arm. A second connecting portion and a second pivoting portion are disposed on two ends of the second arm. The first and second connecting portions are connected to the displaying device. The first and second pivoting portions are pivotally disposed on the outer surface. The base includes a sliding portion and a plurality of supporters. The sliding portion is slidably connected to the inner surface. The supporters are pivotally disposed on the sliding portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holder assembly, and more particularly, to a holder assembly for holding the dual-monitor displaying device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A plurality of displaying devices is utilized to show image and information at public place, such as the office, the exhibition site and the department store. A conventionally independent holder is disposed on each displaying device for stably holding the displaying device. The conventional holder has drawbacks of huge volume and inconvenient assembly/disassembly. Further, a specific holder is developed to dispose on a dual-monitor displaying device. However, the holder for supporting the dual-monitor displaying device has drawbacks of huge volume and difficult adjustment of a relative angle of monitors.


A ground fault detector which does not need complicated circuitry and can detect a ground fault with high accuracy in conformity to a capacitance of a common mode capacitor is presented. Upon judging the ground fault on the basis of a threshold for a high-tension power supply system which is electrically isolated and mounted in a vehicle, a controller in a ground fault detector alters the threshold in conformity to a capacitance of a common mode capacitor of which value is different between a first state that a system main relay is ON and a second state that the system main relay is OFF, thereby judges the ground fault on the basis of the altered threshold. Thus the ground fault detector can adequately detect the ground fault in conformity to the capacitance of the common mode capacitor. Thus the detector can detect the ground fault with accuracy without complicated circuitry.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ground fault detector.
2. Related Art
For example, Japanese registered patent No. 4,017,770 teaches an electric leakage detector. This detector decides an electric leakage exists or not on the basis of calculating a resistance component from an electric leakage admittance and compensation of a capacitance component of a vehicle' body. The detecting method relies on a highly secure alternating current. Specifically the electric leakage detector calculates a real part of the electric leakage admittance, i.e. a resistance component, and then compares the resistance component to a certain threshold corresponds to a criterion for the leakage of electricity.
Still, Japanese registered patent No. 4,122,858 teaches another electric leakage detector. This detector detects the location of an electric leakage. More specifically the device includes multiple electric leakage detecting circuits and each circuit is respectively connected to certain portions, e.g. an inverter, through a relay. This electric leakage detector detects in which line(s) leakage of electricity occurs by means of providing separate electric leakage detecting circuits.
However, the method based on Japanese registered patent No. 4,017,770 has such a problem that the detector needs a circuit for detecting a phase difference in order to detect the admittance component. Thus the detector becomes complicated.
Though both a high-tension power supply system and a high-tension device like an inverter are commonly connected to each other by a relay, a capacitance of a common mode capacitor may be altered significantly by the relay being switched ON or OFF. The capacitance of a common mode capacitor herein means an actual capacitance of devices in the vehicle and/or its stray capacitance. Therefore the degree of the ground fault may be altered by the relay being switched ON or OFF. If the magnitude of capacitance of the common mode capacitor is larger, the amount of change of the capacitance of the common mode capacitor by the relay being switched ON or OFF may become larger. Accordingly, the user actually cannot find a location of a ground fault exactly as disclosed in Japanese registered patent No. 4,122,858.
Therefore, in the light of conditions set forth above, it is needed to provide such a ground fault detector which does not need complicated circuitry and can detect the ground fault with high accuracy in conformity to the capacitance of the common mode capacitor.


The present invention discloses a roller assembly of an in-line roller skate, the roller assembly comprising a roller frame and a plurality of roller wheels, of at least two different sizes, which are fastened pivotally with the roller frame, such that the roller assembly may rock forwards and backwards upon a surface.

Many roller assemblies for in-line roller skates have been introduced to this day. Typically, the roller assemblies have in common a plurality of equal size weight bearing roller wheels fastened pivotally with a roller frame such that the roller wheels are arranged linearly and glide in the same plane upon a surface. The roller frame is generally fabricated using an extrusion process, the material being a metal, such as steel or aluminum, or a composite material. The extrusion is machined so as to create two side walls that extend lengthwise of the frame and that are spaced apart transversely of the frame. The side walls are bridged by mounting brackets that are spaced lengthwise of the frame to provide for mounting of the frame to the heel and sole regions of a skating boot or shoe. It is further known to provide a transverse slot in one of these mounting brackets so that a fastening means which is used to fasten the roller frame to the boot or shoe may pass through and provide a limited degree of transverse adjustment of the roller frame on the boot or shoe at that mounting bracket. It is also known to mount the roller wheels, typically made of polyurethane, between the side walls of the frame by means of axles that fit in aligned through-holes in the side walls.
Maneuverability and stability are two important characteristics of in-line roller skates. The longer the roller wheel base of the roller assembly (e.g. the distance from front to rear roller wheels), the more stable the roller skate is but the less maneuverable it becomes. Conversely, the shorter the roller wheel base of the roller assembly, the more maneuverable the roller skate is but the less stable it becomes. The stability is due to the fact that the longer the roller wheel base is, the farther the roller wheels extend beyond the toes and heel of the skating boot or shoe having for effect to stop the user from tumbling forwards or backwards when the weight of the user is biased forward or backward, respectively. On the other hand, the longer roller wheel base hinders maneuverability by increasing the turning radius of the in-line roller skate. Conversely, the maneuverability is due to the fact that the shorter the roller wheel base is, the smaller the in-line roller skate's turning radius is. On the other hand, the shorter roller wheel base makes it easier for the user to tumble forwards or backwards when his weight is biased forward or backward, respectively.
Thus, an increase in either of the two characteristics entails a reduction in the other characteristic.

Roller assembly for an in-line roller skate