A one-piece clamping device for a cup holder retains beverage containers in an automotive vehicle. The cup holder comprises a container receptacle with a base and an outer casing. The one-piece clamping device comprises retaining jaws which may be radially pushed away and which protrude through the outer casing into the container receptacle. Spring elements, such as spring arms, are arranged integrally on a support element which is further arranged on the base of the container receptacle. The spring elements are configured as a dual-acting flexible arm arrangement.

The present invention relates to a clamping device for a cup holder for beverage containers.
In principle, various beverage container sizes on the market require means which have a high capacity for adaptation in order to position the various sizes securely. The base region of typical containers may have a diameter in the range from approximately 50 mm to more than 80 mm, and exhibits various container shapes and angles. Thus, a very flexible clamping device is required for the beverage containers. A difficulty arises whenever the region in which the cup holders are inserted generally provides very little space for the mechanism of the clamping device.
EP 1366952B1 relates to a cup holder with a container receptacle for a beverage container comprising a base and a clamping device with retaining jaws which may be radially pushed away and which protrude into the container receptacle, and which are arranged on spring elements. The spring elements are arranged integrally on a support part which is fastened to the base of the container receptacle. It is provided in this case that the container receptacle on its base comprises an undercut pin to which the support part comprising a keyhole is fastened. According to one embodiment, the retaining jaws are integrally formed on the spring elements. It may be further provided that plastic caps are attached to the retaining jaws.
An arrangement configured in such a manner is intended to provide a cup holder for a beverage container, which may be produced at the lowest possible cost, in particular for the clamping device. For easy fastening it is provided, as disclosed, that the container receptacle on its base comprises an undercut pin to which the support part is fastened by means of a keyhole. During assembly, the support part is slipped over the container receptacle such that the pin is guided through the keyhole. By rotating the support part relative to the container receptacle, the pin engages behind the support part. At the same time, the retaining jaws engage in the openings of the container receptacle, whereby they are prevented from rotating back.
DE 19529877B4 relates to a cup holder for beverage cans, cups, bottles or similar containers in motor vehicles, wherein the cup holder is fastened to internal fittings of the motor vehicle or configured integrally therewith and consists of a cup-like molded part which comprises an integrated space for inserting one of the containers and which is accessible from the top in the installed position. The cup-like molded part comprises regions of reduced inside width, wherein initially a zone of greater inside width adjoins the opening in the direction of the base, to which at least one zone of smaller inside width is adjoined. In this case it is provided that the molded part is surrounded by a clamping device which consists of a central part arranged below the base of the molded part or forming the base of the molded part and resilient arms protruding therefrom, extending along the wall of the molded part and able to be pushed into axially parallel slots of the wall of the molded part, as well as an adjustment member forcing the arms into the slots, by means of which the arms are able to be adjusted from a first position in which they do not protrude beyond the internal contour of the molded part in the slotted region, into a second position in which they protrude radially inward beyond the internal contour of the molded part, and that the arms are stepped inwardly on their flank which protrudes beyond the slots, in a manner which corresponds to the stepped portion of the regions of variable inside width of the molded part, or that by avoiding the adjustment member the resilient arms are able to be moved, by means of a container inserted into the molded part, away from a position in which they protrude radially inward beyond the internal contour of the molded part into a radially outward position counter to the spring force, so that they are supported on the periphery of the inserted container. The arms are stepped on their flank which serves to bear against the container in a manner which corresponds to the stepped portion of the regions of variable inside width of the molded part, so that the edge of the container base bears against the boundary edges of the steps.
In this case, according to one embodiment the arms are integrally formed at the free end of retaining fingers which extend from the central part as far as the opening plane of the molded part, or terminate just before this plane. The arms are oriented from the free ends of the retaining fingers parallel thereto in the direction of the central part, and are arranged between the fingers and molded part or interior of the molded part.
With such a design, a cup holder is intended to be provided which permits the positioning of containers of variable diameters in a manner which is stable and quiet. In this case, the cup-like molded part may have a region of greater inside width, for example in the vicinity of the opening, into which a relatively large cup may be inserted. A region of smaller inside width adjoins the region of greater inside width, into which cans or bottles may be positioned which have smaller diameters than a cup inserted into the first region, but larger diameters than other containers which may alternatively be positioned in the cup holder. Finally, a further zone of even smaller inside width adjoins the zone, into which containers or the like of correspondingly small diameter may be positioned. Thus, depending on the container diameter a corresponding capacity for adjustment in the cup holder is formed, whereby already a marked improvement in the stability and quietness is intended to be achieved. In order to improve the stability and quietness even further, the molded part could be surrounded by the clamping device. In this case, it could be possible by means of the adjustment member to force the resilient arms into the slots of the wall of the cup holder, so that the arms protrude on the inside of the cup holder beyond the wall of the cup holder, and could securely grip the positioned items. As a result, a very high degree of stability and a high level of quietness would be achieved, wherein the appropriate receptacle spaces are able to be provided for containers of variable diameters by means of the stepped portion of the arms corresponding to the stepped portions of the internal diameter of the cup holder.
DE 202004000618U1 relates to a device for receiving in a vehicle receptacle containers which may be filled with liquids, wherein the device comprises a container which is open on one side and which consists of a first plastic material, wherein the container comprises a base and an outer casing. The outer casing comprises elements which may protrude into the interior of the container. The elements consist of a second plastic material which has resilient properties. In this case, a spring element made of plastic material acts on each element protruding into the interior of the container, which exerts a compressive force on the element. It is provided that each spring element comprises a spring arm and a retaining arm, wherein preferably the retaining arms of a plurality of spring elements form a unit.
In such an embodiment, a cup holder for beverage containers is intended to be provided which, on the one hand, is sealed relative to escaping liquids and, on the other hand, may be adjusted for various container sizes. In this case, the inwardly protruding elements and the outer casing consist of different materials, but form a single component. The elements and the outer casing are able to be produced in a single method step in a two-component injection-molding method. Also in this case, the spring element acts via a stud on the outer face of the element, which means that the surface of the element comprises an inwardly facing boss relative to the substantially cylindrical or conical wall. This boss achieves its maximum size when a beverage container is not present in the cup holder. According to the diameter of the beverage container, the spring element is forced outward via the boss through the beverage container, so that the beverage container is able to be pushed in. In addition to the retaining function, the spring element exerts a stabilizing function which has the result that the beverage container is only able to be released again from its cup holder by overcoming a resistance. Thus, beverage containers of which the height exceeds the height of the cup holder are secured against tipping up. By means of the elements made of resilient plastic material and the spring elements acting thereon, therefore, beverage containers of variable diameter could be securely retained. Such a spring element could advantageously consist of plastic material. Spring elements made of metal or rubber and/or flexible component inserts with metal springs would result in rattling noise in cup holders for beverage containers from the prior art, due to the combination of different materials and the joins which remain when assembling more or less costly spring elements to separate retaining elements. Such rattling noise could also occur with substantially more expensive movable spring elements, as a plurality of elements could be used which would have to be displaceably mounted relative to one another in order to fulfill the function of providing a cup holder for beverage containers of variable volume.
A drawback of the foregoing arrangements, in particular, is that the spring mechanisms shown are based on a single flexible bar and only permit a rotation about the clamping point. As a result, a rounded design of the retaining jaws in the lower region is necessary in order to ensure perfect contact. The arrangement shown in DE 202004000618 U1, moreover, for plastic material requires the single flexible bar to be of very long design and namely longer than the beverage container itself, wherein the deflection of the plastic bar in the event of the usual restoring forces may result in stress whitening in this case.

One-piece plastic clamping device for holder for beverage containers


A lamp unit mounted in a vehicle includes a light source, a light source mounting portion on which the light source is mounted, and a projection lens having a front surface with a convex shape and configured to project light from the light source to the front of the lamp unit. When looking at the lamp unit from the front, the front surface of the projection lens takes a substantially round shape which is centered at an optical axis of the lamp unit in a position which lies closer to a front end portion and a substantially non-round shape at a rear end portion. The front surface changing gradually its shape from the substantially round shape to the substantially non-round shape in a region between the position and the rear end portion as it extends from the position towards the rear end portion.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a lamp unit and more particularly to a lamp unit adapted to be mounted on a vehicle.
2. Related Art
A lamp unit including a projection lens is known as a lamp unit configured to be mounted on a vehicle. In this lamp unit, a projection lens is disposed on a front side of a light source, and light emitted from the light source is irradiated to the front of the lamp unit through the projection lens. A planoconvex or biconvex lens having a circular shape as seen from the front thereof is used as the projection lens. On the other hand, for example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an anomalous projection lens for a vehicle lamp, and this projection lens has a polygonal shape as seen from the top thereof and has an edge (ridge) on a surface thereof.


A lubricating device for a linear guideway, used at either side of the slide block of a linear guideway, comprises: a housing, oil-containing member, magnets and metallic magnetic members. Using a magnetic force to push the oil-containing member against the rail, the magnetic force will not fatigue but will increase with the reduction in distance between the magnets and the metallic magnetic members, therefore, the oil-containing member can be kept in a good contact with the rolling passage of the rail, and the lubricating oil can be continuously transmitted from the oil-containing member to the surface of the rail, thus lubricating the linear guideway automatically without disassembling it.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lubricating device for a linear guideway, and more particularly to a lubricating device for a linear guideway whose oil-containing member can maintain an all-the-time effective contact with the rail even after wear and tear.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the development of science and technology, and the improvement of the precision feeding system, linear guideway and technology thereof have become a most important part of many precision mechanisms. Various types of linear mechanisms have been and are being widely used in different fields. Although the linear guideway technology is developing fast, still there are some problems of the linear products that need to be improved. Many efforts have been made by the related industry to effectively improve the quality of linear guideway, in particularly, those high precision mechanisms (such as wafer processing equipment and CNC Computer Numeric Control instruments) that need to run stably and silently. Therefore, there are still some blind spots in the existing linear mechanisms that need to be exploited and erased.
Most of the existing linear guideways are provided at both sides of the slide block thereof with oil tanks in which is received an oil-containing sponge. The oil-containing sponge will wear out after long time of use, so that a clearance will appear between the sponge and the rail of the linear guideway, and it will prevent the lubricating oil from reaching the linear guideway. Therefore, many linear products have been developed to solve this problem, they generally includes the following three types:
First, arranging a spring in the oil tanks and using it to push the oil-containing sponge against the rail, but the shortcoming is too complicated in structure and not easy for assembly. In addition, the spring will become loose with the wear of the oil-containing sponge and also because of the elastic fatigue of the spring itself (such as the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,285).
Second, arranging a reverse U-shaped elastic piece in the oil tanks and using it to push the oil-containing sponge against the rail, but the shortcoming is, like the previous one, that the spring will become loose with the wear of the oil-containing sponge and also because of the elastic fatigue of the spring itself (such as the device of U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,764).
Third, arranging an elastic rubber in the oil tanks and using it to push the oil-containing sponge against the rail, but it still has the same shortcoming as the previous two.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

Lubricating device for a linear guideway


Porous membranes of (per)fluorinated amorphous polymers having a porosity in the range 5-500 nm, preferably 20-100 nm, measured by an atomic force electronic microscope; the membrane pore average size distribution being narrow, about 80%-90% of the pores have a size ranging from minus 5 nm to plus 5 nm of the value of the distribution maximum peak.

The present invention relates to porous membranes of amorphous fluoropolymers for separation processes.
Specifically, the invention relates to membranes having improved porosity, in the range 5-500 nm, derived from amorphous (per)fluorinated polymeric films having a flat or cylindrical shape, and usable in separation processes such as ultrafiltration and nanofiltration, in particular of non-aqueous solutions of organic solvents containing a solute, for example a dissolved polymer. Another use is in the contactor field wherein an aqueous liquid phase containing a dissolved gas, for example O2 or CO2, is contacted with the membrane, through which the gas permeation takes place allowing the control of the gas concentration in the liquid phase.
The preparation of films and dense non-porous membranes of amorphous fluoropolymers obtained by dissolving an amorphous fluoropolymer in a solvent, filtering the solution and then using the spin coating method to coat glass substrata having a low thickness, is known in the prior art. This procedure is described in European Patent 416,528, wherein as fluoropolymer an amorphous perfluorinated copolymer formed of perfluoro-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole (PDD) in an amount between 30% and 99% by moles and of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), is used. The obtained films have a substantially uniform thickness in the range 0.3-20 xcexcm.
Dense membranes of this type have a chemical-structural porosity, pore size of about some Angstrom (about 10). See W. J. Davies and R. A. Pethrick, Eur. Polym. J. 30 (1994) 1289. These membranes can be used for the separation of a gas from a liquid. The productivity is rather good as regards the gas passing through the membrane. However, for the membranes to be used in ultrafiltration processes or for contactors, an even improved productivity is desirable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,851 describes articles obtained by the same amorphous perfluorinated copolymers of EP ""528, specifically self-supported films having a thickness of about 100-400 xcexcm, prepared by molding of the melted amorphous polymer. With these copolymers it is possible to prepare self-supported films by casting having a thickness of the order of 20-25 xcexcm. The obtained films are dense and do not show porosity as above said, therefore they have the drawbacks mentioned in EP ""528.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,114 describes films obtained by deposition from casting having a thickness of the order of 25 xcexcm. Such films can be used supported on porous substrata to form composite membranes useful for enriching and/or separating gaseous mixtures. In this patent, selectivity values for the couple O2/N2 from 2.0 to 2.4 are reported, depending on the dioxole PDD content in the PDD/TFE copolymer. It is shown that by increasing the dioxole content, the oxygen permeability increases but the selectivity decreases. Further data relating to the selectivity to gases are given in Chapter 22 of xe2x80x9cModem Fluoropolymersxe2x80x9d (1997) by P. R. Resnick and W. H. Buck, wherein in the case of membranes of copolymers PDD/TFE in molar ratio 87:13 obtained from casting, a value of 5.0 for the couple CO2/N2 and 4.4 for the couple H2/N2 is mentioned. The membranes described in this patent, even though they have a good gas-permeability, have no porosity and therefore they have the drawbacks mentioned in EP ""528.
In European Patent Publication 969,025 in the name of the Applicant the preparation of non-porous manufactured articles of amorphous fluoropolymers formed of a copolymer of 2,2,4-trifluoro-5-trifluoromethoxy-1,3-dioxoles (TTD) with tetrafluorotilene, is described. The obtained membranes are dense and asymmetric and have selectivity towards gases, optionally used on supports suitable for obtaining composite membranes. In order to obtain said membranes under the form of flat dense films the solution is deposited on a smooth flat support with a stratifying knife and the solvent is eliminated by thermal treatment at high temperature, as mentioned in said patent. Tests carried out by the Applicant have shown that in order to obtain said selective membranes, thermal treatments at a temperature close to the boiling point of the used solvent and a subsequent treatment at a temperature near the amorphous polymer Tg, are used. In order to achieve the asymmetric membranes the phase inversion technique is used. According to this technique, after the solution deposition the support coated by the polymer is dipped into a coagulation bath maintained at a predefined temperature and formed of a non-solvent, preferably n-pentane. Such membranes show an improved selectivity in the gaseous separation, but since they have the layer effective to permeation with porosity of chemical-structural type (some Angstrom), they are not very suitable to be used as contactor membranes, for example for the control of the gas concentration in a liquid. Therefore, these membranes also show the drawbacks mentioned above.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) porous films (of the order of thousands of Angstrom) are commercially known, obtained by a complex lubricated extrusion process at a high temperature, wherein the film porosity is induced by a complex stretching mechanical treatment of the extruded film. Films of this kind are known for example by GORETEX(copyright). The membranes obtained from these products are used for ultrafiltration processes. The drawback of these membranes is that they are obtained with an expensive and complex process from the processing point of view.
The need was therefore felt to have available films of (per)fluorinated amorphous polymers characterized by an improved porosity and obtainable by a cheap industrial process, without using the complex thermomechanical treatments used for the porous films based on foam PTFE available on the market.
The present invention provides porous membranes of (per)fluorinated amorphous polymers having a porosity in the range of 5-500 nm, preferably 20-100 nm, measured by an atomic force electronic microscope. With respect to the membrane pore average size, about 80%-90% of the pores have a size ranging from minimum 5 nm to plus 5 nm of the value of the distribution peak. The porous membranes are suitable for use in separation processes such as ultrafiltration or nanofiltration as well as in the contactor field.
The Applicant has surprisingly found that it is possible to obtain films and porous membranes of (per)fluorinated amorphous polymers suitable for ultrafiltration, nanofiltration processes and in the contactor field, not showing the prior art drawbacks.
An object of the invention is porous membranes of (per)fluorinated amorphous polymers having a porosity in the range 5-500 nm, preferably 20-100 nm, determined by an atomic force electronic microscope (FEM).
The membrane pore average size distribution of the (per)fluorinated amorphous polymers of the invention is very narrow, about 80%-90% of the pores have a size ranging from minus 5 nm to plus 5 nm of the value of the distribution maximum peak. Generally, the pore distributions are monodispersed for 80-90% close to the maximum peak value. For example, for a membrane having the distribution maximum peak close to about 60 nm, the pore sizes are for about 80-90% in the range 55-65 nm.
The pore number for mm2 in correspondence of the distribution maximum peak ranges for example from about 20 to 150.
The porous membranes of (per)fluorinated amorphous polymers of the present invention are obtainable from copolymers of the following monomers:
CF2xe2x95x90CY1Y2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(II)
wherein: Z is selected from F, Rf, ORf, preferably ORf; Rf is a perfluoroalkyl radical C1-C5; X1 and X2 are selected from F and CF3; Y1 and Y2 are selected from F, Cl, CF3, ORf, preferably F.
Also homopolymers of the monomers of structure (I) are usable.
Other amorphous (per)fluorinated polymers which can be used are those obtained from the cyclopolymerization of monomers having structure (II) with bisvinyloxymethanes having structure (III):
CFX1xe2x95x90CX2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CX3X4xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CX2xe2x95x90CX1Fxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(III)
wherein X1 and X2, equal to or different from each other, are F, Cl, preferably F; X3 and X4, equal to or different from each other, are F or CF3. The copolymers of monomer (II) with monomers (III) show cyclic repeating units in the backbone. Said copolymers are described in EP 683,181 in the name of the Applicant, herein incorporated by reference. Also homopolymers of the monomers of structure (III) are usable.
Alternatively, other amorphous (per)fluorinated polymers which can be used in the present invention are those obtained by the cyclopolymerization of monomers having structure (II) with dienes having structure (IV):
CF2xe2x95x90CFxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94(CF2)nxe2x80x94CFxe2x95x90CF2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(IV)
wherein n=1-5, preferably 1-2.
Also, in this case copolymers showing cyclic repeating units are obtained. Also, homopolymers of the monomers of structure (IV) are usable. Said polymers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,276.
Also amorphous copolymers of the monomers having structure (I) and/or (III) and/or (IV) can be used.
The amount of one or more comonomers having structure (I), (III), (IV), is to be such to bring to amorphous (per)fluorinated polymers. Those of ordinary skill in the field are able to easily determine the amount of such comonomers.
The copolymers obtained from the structures (I) and (II) wherein Zxe2x95x90ORf with Rfxe2x95x90CF3, X1,X2,Y1,Y2xe2x95x90F, are particularly preferred for the present invention results. The dioxole percentage having structure (I) is generally in the range 40%-90% by moles, preferably 50%-85% by moles.
The dioxole class having structure (I) preferably used in the present invention is mentioned in EP 633,256; still more preferably 2,2,4-trifluoro-5-trifluoromethoxy-1,3-dioxole (TTD) is used.
The compounds having structure (II) used in the polymerization are tetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkylvinylethers (C1-C5), hexafluoropropene, chlorotrifluoroethylene, preferably tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) is used.
The films and membranes of the (per)fluorinated amorphous polymers are obtainable by a casting process comprising dissolving a copolymer derived from the above-mentioned structures in a fluorinated solvent and effecting the solvent evaporation under specific operating conditions.
Specifically, the process for preparing the porous membranes of the present invention comprises the preparation at room temperature, generally in the range 15xc2x0 C.-25xc2x0 C., of a solution of the amorphous polymer in a fluorinated solvent; the solution viscosity at 23xc2x0 C. being in the range 5-5,000 cP (centipoise), preferably 10-300 cP; then the solution is spread on an inert support, preferably by a stratifying knife having a defined thickness; it is allowed to evaporate at a constant temperature, preferably equal to the spreading one, lower than 10xc2x0 C.-45xc2x0 C. with respect to the solvent boiling temperature, preferably lower than 20xc2x0 C.-35xc2x0 C., for a sufficient time to allow a slow solvent evaporation and the consequent formation inside the film of pores having the above-mentioned sizes; said time being in the range of about 1-10 days, preferably 3-6 days.
The fluorinated solvent has generally a boiling temperature in the range 50xc2x0 C.-300xc2x0 C., preferably 50xc2x0 C.-150xc2x0 C., still more preferably 50xc2x0 C.-80xc2x0 C.
Preferred conditions to carry out the invention process are those wherein the polymeric solution spreading and the solvent evaporation are carried out at a temperature in the range 10xc2x0 C.-40xc2x0 C. and using a dihydrofluoropolyether solvent as defined hereunder having a boiling temperature in the range 55xc2x0 C.-60xc2x0 C.
Generally, the polymer concentration in the solution is in the range 1-20% by weight, preferably 1-10% by weight.
With the invention process porous membranes are surprisingly and unexpectedly obtained, whose porosity ranges from 5 to 500 nm and depends on the selected operating conditions. Such porosity is remarkably higher than the porosity of the prior art perfluorinated dense membranes, which only have a porosity of chemical-structural type, with pore size of about some Angstrom (about 10, see the comparative Examples).
Without being bound to any theory, the Applicant maintains that the different pore sizes depend on various parameters, such as the solution vapour pressure at the spreading temperature and at the subsequent evaporation temperature, the polymer concentration in the solution which determines the casting solution viscosity.
As fluorinated solvents for the present invention casting process, (per)fluoropolyethers (Galden(copyright), Fomblin(copyright), Krytox(copyright), Demnum(copyright)), dihydrofluoropolyethers (H-Galden(copyright)), fluorinated and perfluorinated ethers Fluorinert(copyright) (series FC and HFE) optionally containing one or more hydrogen atoms in the end groups, perfluoroalkanes, optionally containing nitrogen and/or oxygen atoms instead of one or more carbon atoms in the backbone, can be used. Generally, all the solvents having a solubility parameter similar to that of the used amorphous polymer, are suitable.
The above-mentioned (per)fluoropolyethers comprise one or more of the following units, statistically distributed along the chain, selected from: (C3F6O), (C2F4O), (CFXO) wherein X is equal to F or CF3, (CR1R2CF2CF2O) wherein R1 equal to or different from R2 is H, F, perfluoroalkyl C1-C3.
In particular, (per)fluoropolyethers containing the following units can be mentioned:
a) xe2x80x94O(C3F6O)mxe2x80x2(CFXO)nxe2x80x2xe2x80x94 wherein the units (C3F6O) and (CFXO) are perfluorooxyalkylene units statistically distributed along the chain; mxe2x80x2 and nxe2x80x2 are integers such as to give products having boiling point generally in the range 60xc2x0 C.-300xc2x0 C., preferably 60xc2x0 C.-150xc2x0 C., and mxe2x80x2/nxe2x80x2 is in the range 5-40, when nxe2x80x2 is different from 0; X is equal to F or CF3; nxe2x80x2 can also be 0;
b) xe2x80x94O(C2F4O)pxe2x80x2(CFXO)qxe2x80x2xe2x80x94(C3F6O)txe2x80x2 wherein pxe2x80x2, qxe2x80x2 and txe2x80x2 are integers such as to give products having the boiling point mentioned in a), pxe2x80x2/qxe2x80x2 ranges from 5 to 0.3, preferably from 2.7 to 0.5; txe2x80x2 can be 0 and qxe2x80x2/(qxe2x80x2+pxe2x80x2+txe2x80x2) lower than or equal to 1/10 and the txe2x80x2/pxe2x80x2 ratio is from 0.2 to 6;
c) xe2x80x94(CR1R2CF2CF2O)nxe2x80x94 wherein R1, R2, equal to or different from each other are H, F, perfluoroalkyl C1-C3; n is an integer such as to give products having the boiling point mentioned in a).
The (per)fluoropolyether end groups are selected from xe2x80x94CF3, xe2x80x94C2F5, xe2x80x94C3F7, optionally containing one or two chlorine atoms, xe2x80x94CF2H, xe2x80x94CFHCF3.
The indicated fluoropolyethers are obtainable with the well known processes in the prior art, for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,041, U.S. Pat. No. 2,242,218, U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,378, U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,271 and European patents EP 239,123, EP 148,482, WO 95/26218.
The hydrofluoropolyethers contain as end groups one or two end groups selected from xe2x80x94CF2H, xe2x80x94CFHCF3. The boiling points for the solvents having hydrogenated end groups are preferably in the range 50xc2x0 C.-250xc2x0 C., still more preferably 50xc2x0 C.-150xc2x0 C.
Preferably, in order to obtain the porous membranes of the present invention for the casting process as a solvent a dihydrofluoropolyether type b) is used, wherein txe2x80x2 is equal to 0, Xxe2x95x90F or CF3 and both the end groups are xe2x80x94CF2H. Preferably the boiling point is between 50xc2x0 C. and 80xc2x0 C.
As a support for the polymer film spreading, glass/quartz, polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polystyrene, ceramic and metal supports, thermoplastic fluoropolymers, preferably glass and polyurethane, can for example be used.
The porous membranes of the present invention amorphous polymers can be used in separation processes such as ultrafiltration and nanofiltration, in particular of non-aqueous solutions of organic solvents containing a solute, for example a dissolved polymer.
Due to the characteristics of high chemical resistance and hydrophobicity due to the (per)fluorinated structure of the amorphous polymer of the invention, said membranes can be used as contactor membranes having a high productivity. As application of contactor membranes, purification of a fluid containing gaseous impurities put into contact with the side of a membrane, which can be in the supported or self-supported form, can be mentioned. For example, in the semiconductor industry, contactor membranes can be used for obtaining ultrapure water free from dissolved gases. The gases to be eliminated, differently from the liquid, pass through the membrane allowing a purified liquid to be obtained. Due to the polymer high chemical resistance the invention membranes can be used with aggressive liquids and/or gases.
Finally the porous membranes of the invention represent an alternative to the foam PTFE films used in multilayer textiles, known by GORETEX(copyright), but obtainable with a simplified process from the industrial point of view.

Membranes of (per)fluorinated amorphous polymers


The present invention relates to a process for preparing a robust crack-absorbing integrated circuit chip comprising a crack trapping structure containing two metal plates and a via-bar structure sandwiched between said plates.

In order to minimize processing errors, maximize throughput by reducing the amount of time it takes to manufacture a given number of integrated circuit (IC) chips, and ease of handling considerations, a large number of IC chips are processed simultaneously on the surface of a wafer before the wafer is cut or "diced" into the individual chips. However, the dicing process may cause cracks in the active (wired) areas of the IC chips, thus resulting in chip failure. To reduce the amount of chip failure due to crack propagation during dicing and the resultant device failure, several processes have been developed including: a "free space" crack stop; a dicing channel; removing metal from the dicing channel; using a narrower dicing blade; and implementing an additional inspection process to reject damaged chips.
The following references relate to various examples of attempts to prevent cracking of chips. They are included as general interest.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,883 (Agarwala et al), issued Jan. 16, 2007, discloses an edge seal around the periphery of an integrated circuit device. The edge seal protects the copper circuitry from cracks that can form in the low-k interlevel dielectric layer during chip dicing. The edge seal comprises a dielectric wall between the copper circuitry and the low-k dielectric near the periphery of the IC device; the dielectric wall being of a different material than the low-k interlevel dielectric.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/0026397 (Daubenspeck et al), published Feb. 3, 2005, relates to a crack stop for a low-k dielectric material of an integrated circuit formed on an IC chip. A moisture barrier or edge seal is formed as a metal stack positioned along the outer peripheral edges of the active area of the IC chip. The crack stop is formed by at least one trench or groove positioned outside of the barrier/seal on the outer periphery of the IC chip.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,834,829 (Dinkel et al), issued Nov. 10, 1998, discloses an energy relieving crack stop which is redundant. The redundant pattern allows the crack propagating energy that is not absorbed by the first ring of metallization to be absorbed by a second area of metallization. It also provides for a greater surface area over which the crack producing energy may spread. In the manufacturing process, the redundant crack stop is produced during the metallization process.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,972,209 (Agarwala et al), issued Dec. 6, 2005, relates to a multilevel semiconductor integrated circuit structure. Each layer of dielectric material includes at least one layer of low-k dielectric material. A set of stacked via studs is present in the layer of low-k dielectric material. The set of stacked via studs increases resistance to thermal fatigue crack formation.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/0208781 (Fitzsimmons et al), published Sep. 22, 2005, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,109,093 (Fitzsimmons et al), issued Sep. 19, 2006, disclose methods of formation of an integrated circuit device structure. The structure has vertical interfaces adjacent crack stops around the perimeter of the chip. The vertical interfaces comprise vertical spacers of release materials, vertical trenches of release material or vertical channels of the release material. The vertical interfaces can act by: deflecting cracks away from the penetrating crack stop, absorbing the generated crack energies, or allowing the advancing cracks to lose energy such that they become incapable of penetrating the crack stop.
None of the references cited above, either separately or in combination, anticipate the inventive features of the present disclosure.
A process that would be simple and inexpensive, and would reliably prevent crack propagation into the active areas of the chips during the dicing process is therefore desirable.

Method of forming crack trapping and arrest in thin film structures

International Business Machines Corporation


A tool is provided in the form of an angled and/or offset ratchet wrench extension. The angles may be selected, but in a preferred embodiment, a ratchet extension provides a right angle drive. The tool comprises a socket driver that is adapted to be connected to a socket and a rotatable drive shaft rotatably mounted within a housing. A first direction changing transmission is provided near the end for converting the rotatable drive shaft motion to rotary motion to drive the socket driver at the specified angle. A ratchet wrench is connected to the distal portion of the rotary drive shaft. In a second embodiment, a second direction changing transmission is located near the distal portion of the rotatable drive shaft for converting the rotary motion of a ratchet wrench to the rotary motion of the rotatable drive shaft. The length of the extension may be adjustable. In another preferred embodiment, a chain drive and sprocket are used as the drive and angle changing direction transmission.

Often times in the repair of machinery, fasteners such as nuts and bolts need to be removed and replaced in locations which are difficult to access. This is more particularly a problem today where a significant amount of equipment is compactly mounted in a small space. One example of this is engines on modern automotive vehicles including trucks and automobiles. However, this problem arises in other areas where much equipment is packed into a small area, often making it difficult to access adjustments and fasteners which need to be adjusted, removed and replaced for repairs and/or other purposes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Angled and offset drive ratchet extension


Oxygen and metallic iron are produced from an iron oxide-containing mineral, such as ilmenite, by extracting iron from the mineral with hydrochloric acid, separating solid residue from the resulting solution and drying same, electrolyzing the separated, iron chloride-containing solution to produce electrolytic iron and chlorine gas, combining the chlorine gas with water recovered from the drying and/or iron chloride-containing solution electrolysis steps of regenerate hydrochloric acid and recycling the hydrochloric acid to the extraction step. In an alternate embodiment, the chlorine gas is reacted with recovered water in the presence of a catalyst to produce hydrochloric acid which is recycled to the extraction step, thereby eliminating the need for water electrolysis and a separate hydrochloric acid regeneration step. In another alternate embodiment, electrolysis of the iron chloride-containing solution is operated to produce oxygen instead of chlorine gas at the anode and hydrochloric acid is generated concurrently with plating of iron at the cathode. This hydrochloric acid is recycled to the extraction step, thereby eliminating the need for water electrolysis and a separate hydrochloric acid regeneration step.

This invention relates to processes for extracting oxygen and metallic iron from iron oxide-containing ores such as ilmenite and, more particularly, to such processes which can be used at lunar or other space station installations.
Many prior techniques for extracting oxygen and metallic iron from lunar rocks, such as hydrogen reduction or carbothermal reduction of ilmenite or electrowinning of molten silicates, require temperatures in excess of 900.degree. C. Such techniques are not practical for many applications because they require refractory materials and heavy insulation which results in high construction costs for full scale installations and operational costs are quite high, particularly energy costs. Also, the only useful material directly produced by the hydrogen reduction of ilmenite is gaseous oxygen.
U.S. Pat. No. to Turner et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,441,856 discloses a cyclical process for producing titanium dioxide from ilmenite. However, that process is designed primarily for recovering titanium dioxide pigments and does not produce oxygen.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,420,128to Moxham, U.S. Pat. No. 1,420,129 to Moxham and U.S. Pat. No. to Fahlstrom et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,464 disclose processes for extracting iron from iron-bearing ores and recovering iron by electrolysis. U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,931 to Moklebust discloses a process for regenerating hydrochloric acid from an iron chloride solution derived from leaching a titaniferous ore, such as ilmenite. U.S. Pat. No. to Traini et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,542 discloses an electrolytic process for treating a hydrochloric acid ilmenite leach solution to reduce ferric ions to ferrous ions.

Process for the extracting oxygen and iron from iron oxide-containing ores

Board of Control of Michigan Technological University


A cell voltage measuring device for a fuel cell includes a terminal member to be connected to a separator of the fuel cell, the terminal member including a first end and a second end, and a voltage measuring unit which measures cell voltage of the fuel cell through the terminal member. The first end of the terminal member is fixed to the voltage measuring unit, and the second end of the terminal member makes contact with the separator, and an elastic portion is provided between the first end and the second end of the terminal member. The cell voltage measuring device may further includes a holder member which is capable of maintaining a state in which the second end of the terminal member is separated from each other, and the holder member is movably attached in a stacking direction of the separator with respect to the voltage measuring unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cell voltage measuring device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cell voltage measuring device which measures the cell voltage of a fuel cell.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 12 shows an example of conventional fuel cells which may be mounted in vehicles, such as fuel cell powered vehicles. In the fuel cell shown in FIG. 12, a plurality of cell units 95 are stacked, each of which includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane 91 formed by, for instance, a solid polymer ion exchange membrane, sandwiched by an anode 92 and a cathode 93, and a pair of separators 94 and 94 holding the electrodes 92 and 93. Also, a fuel gas passage 96 which supplies a fuel gas (for instance, hydrogen gas), and an oxidant gas passage 97 which supplies an oxidant gas (for instance, air) are provided for each of the cell units 95.
In a fuel cell of this type, hydrogen ions generated at the anode 92 by a catalytic reaction move to the cathode 93 by passing through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 91, and generate electric power at the cathode 93 by causing an electrochemical reaction with oxygen.
In a fuel cell having the above structure, it is necessary to control a power generation state of each cell unit 95 in order to detect abnormal cell units (i.e., malfunctioning or deteriorating cell units) as quickly as possible. For this reason, voltage (hereinafter referred to as cell voltage) of each cell unit 95 is measured.
In order to measure the cell voltage, the pair of separators 94 and 94 of each cell unit 95 are connected to a voltage detection circuit 101 of an electrical control unit (ECU) 100.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 9-283166 discloses a technique relating to a connection structure of a harness 102, which is connected to the voltage detection circuit 101, with the separator 94. In the connection structure described in the above publication, a hole used for attachment to a terminal is formed for each separator, and an output terminal provided with an end of each harness is inserted into the hole to make a connection.
Also, in another connection structure, an output terminal for measuring voltage is provided with a separator, and a connector is provided with an end of each harness so that the connector is connected to the output terminal of each of the separators.
However, in the former conventional connection structure, the output terminal must be inserted into the holes of the separator one by one to establish a connection, and in the latter conventional connection structure, the connector must be connected to the output terminal of each separator one by one. Accordingly, in the cell stack formed by stacking a few tens to a few hundreds of cell units 95, the connection process become very complicated for both of the two types of conventional connection structure, and there are problems in that errors in connection occur or a connection portion tends to be easily disconnected due to defective connection.
Also, since a harness which corresponds to each of the separators 94 is required in any of the conventional connection structures, the number of harnesses required becomes significant, and this is a drawback for decreasing the size and the weight of the device. Moreover, there is a problem in that each of the harnesses used may be tangled in a complicated manner.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a cell voltage measuring device for a fuel cell which enables an easy connection operation and reduction in the size and weight of the device by connecting a separator of the fuel cell with a voltage measuring means without using a harness.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cell voltage measuring device for a fuel cell including a terminal member to be connected to a separator of the fuel cell, the terminal member including a first end and a second end, and a voltage measuring unit, such as a control unit which measures cell voltage of the fuel cell through the terminal member, wherein the first end, such as a base portion, of the terminal member is fixed to the voltage measuring unit, and the second end, such as a connection portion, of the terminal member makes contact with the separator, and an elastic portion, such as a spring arm is provided between the first end and the second end of the terminal member.
According to the cell voltage measuring device described above, since the terminal member and the separator can be connected without using harness, the connection process becomes easy, and the size and weight of the device can be decreased. Also, since the positional error between the terminal member and the separator to which the terminal member makes contact can be absorbed by the elastic portion, it becomes possible to securely contact the terminal member with the separator during the assembly. Moreover, when the separator is displaced due to heat generated by the fuel cell in the stacking direction thereof, the displacement can be absorbed by the elastic portion so as to prevent an excessive load from being applied to the terminal member. Accordingly, it becomes possible to prevent the terminal member from being damaged.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the cell voltage measuring device for a fuel cell further includes a terminal cover, which covers at least a part of the terminal member.
According to the above cell voltage measuring device, since it becomes possible to avoid foreign materials, such as water, attaching to the terminal member, electrical shorts among the terminal members can be prevented. Therefore, the reliability of the cell voltage detection can be improved.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the cell voltage measuring device for a fuel cell further includes a holder member, which is capable of maintaining a state in which the second end of the terminal member is separated from each other, wherein the holder member is movably attached in a stacking direction of the separator with respect to the voltage measuring unit.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the cell voltage measuring device for a fuel cell further includes a holder member, which is capable of maintaining a state in which the second end of the terminal member is separated from each other, wherein the holder member is movably attached to the terminal cover in a stacking direction of the separator with respect to the voltage measuring unit.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the cell voltage measuring device for a fuel cell further includes a holder member, which is capable of maintaining a state in which the second ends of the terminal members is separated from each other, wherein the holder member is attached to the voltage measuring unit in a movable manner in a stacking direction of the separator with respect to the voltage measuring unit.
According to the above cell voltage measuring device, it becomes possible to make the second end of the terminal member follow the movement of the separator in the stacking direction while maintaining the electrically separated state of the second end of the terminal members. Accordingly, generation of electrical shorts among the terminal members can be assuredly prevented even when the second ends of the terminal members are displaced in the stacking direction of the separator, and the reliability of cell voltage measurement is improved.
The present invention also provides a cell voltage measuring device, such as a cell measuring device, for a fuel cell including a terminal member to be connected to a separator of the fuel cell, the terminal member comprising a first terminal portion and a second terminal portion, and the second terminal portion including a first end, such as a coupling portion, and a second end, such as a connection portion and a voltage measuring unit (for instance, a control unit 31 in the second embodiment described later) which measures cell voltage of the fuel cell through the terminal, wherein the first terminal portion is fixed to the voltage measuring unit, and the first end of the second terminal portion is rotatably supported by the first terminal portion, and the second end of the second terminal portion makes contact with the separator, and an elastic portion, such as a spring arm 45 is provided between the first end and the second end of the second terminal portion.
According to the above cell voltage measuring device, excellent effects can be obtained in that the second terminal portion can be easily contacted or separated from the separator by rotating the second terminal portion with respect to the first terminal portion. Also, since the second terminal portion can be contacted to the separator without using the harness, the connection operation becomes easy and the size and weight of the device can be decreased. Moreover, since the positional error between the second terminal portion and the separator to which the second terminal portion makes contact can be absorbed by the elastic portion, it becomes possible to securely contact the second terminal portion with the separator during the assembly. Further, when the separator is displaced due to heat generated by the fuel cell in the stacking direction thereof, the displacement can be absorbed by the elastic portion so as to prevent an excessive load from being applied to the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion. Accordingly, it becomes possible to prevent the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion from being damaged.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the above cell voltage measuring device for a fuel cell further includes a terminal cover which covers at least a part of the terminal member.
According to the above cell voltage measuring device, since it becomes possible to avoid foreign materials, such as water, attaching to the terminal member, and electrical shorts among the terminal members can be prevented. Therefore, the reliability of the cell voltage measurement can be improved.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the above cell voltage measuring device for a fuel cell further includes a holder member which is capable of maintaining a state in which the second ends of the second terminal portions are separated from each other, wherein the holder member is movably attached in a stacking direction of the separator with respect to the voltage measuring unit.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the cell voltage measuring device for a fuel cell further includes a holder member which is capable of maintaining a state in which the second end of the second terminal portion is separated from each other, wherein the holder member is attached to the terminal cover in a movable manner in a stacking direction of the separator with respect to the voltage measuring unit.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the cell voltage measuring device for a fuel cell further includes a holder member which is capable of maintaining a state in which the second end of the terminal is separated from each other, wherein the holder member is attached to the voltage measuring unit in a movable manner in a stacking direction of the separator with respect to the voltage measuring unit.
According to the above cell voltage measuring device, it becomes possible to make the second end of the second terminal portion to follow the movement of the separator in the stacking direction while maintaining the electrically separated state of the second end of the second terminal portions. Accordingly, generation of electrical shorts among the terminal members can be assuredly prevented even when the second end of the second terminal portions are displaced in the stacking direction of the separator, and the reliability in cell voltage detection is improved.

Cell voltage measuring device for fuel cell


A method for building user customizable documents. In one embodiment, the present invention is comprised of a selectable plurality of templates. In the present embodiment, the selected template is comprised of sections, sub-sections, and fields for inclusion in a particular document. A user is enabled to specify which sections, sub-sections, and fields are to be included in the particular document. A user is further enabled to determine the sequence of the sections, sub-sections, and fields that are to be included in the particular document. The present invention is further comprised of content comprising selectable subject matter for inclusion in the particular document. The sections, sub-sections, and fields are relative to the selected subject matter of the particular document to be built.

When an individual, or groups or teams of individuals, utilize the Internet to search for and to access a web site that contains specific information/data, e.g., some type of technical information that is pertinent to that individual's search, the information/data that is returned to those individuals, via a graphical display, has been previously compiled. This means that the information/data that is presented to the individual is only as current as the last update. It is, unfortunately, commonplace for the most recent update to have taken place weeks, months, or, in some instances, years earlier.
The information/data, e.g., technical information regarding a company's product, that is available to the individual, or groups thereof, is the result of a rather laborious process of acquiring the necessary information, categorizing the information into related sections, compiling that information into a, hopefully, well organized format, which will then allow an individual to obtain the information/data that is pertinent to their specific needs.
The acquisition, categorization, compilation, presentation, and the subsequent mandatory maintenance of that technical information is an extremely expensive, time consuming and laborious task. Current methods used for knowledge acquisition and subsequent propagation to its audience are time consuming, very inefficient and expensive. Access to the experts, e.g., development engineers, software developers, field engineers, etc., who supply the source information is difficult at best due to their busy schedules. As such, they have a minimal amount of time to contribute to and/or to review the technical information to be documented, much less spending time explaining things to those who are directly involved in the writing and creating of the technical guide. In addition, pulling them away from their primary tasks could be directly associated with added costs of product development as well as impacting the projected delivery date of their company's products. However, their collaboration, with regard to the technical information, is clearly required throughout all phases of deployment of, e.g., that company's product/solution.
Additionally, it is also important to obtain the information to be utilized from a wide array of organizations and perspectives such as technical assistance centers, field organizations, and professional services. It would be especially advantageous to have a more comprehensive knowledge base from which to draw the information, therefore providing to an individual a more complete reference material.
Furthermore, dissemination of the technical information/data is critical to the success of a company's product line as the production/solution must be supportable throughout all phases of deployment of that product.
Currently, common viable means of gathering this information from the engineers, developers, and other experts include, in one example, the acquisition of the information through countless e-mails, which is accompanied by the usual wait time for a response. Another method of gathering the information can be through conference calls between the involved contributors, provided, of course, that each contributor has the time available. As is well known, scheduling conflicts among engineers and developers are not uncommon, which can postpone the conference calls for days, weeks, or even months, which could delay the release of the company's products. Additionally, another means of gathering the information involves the off-site meeting, which, by virtue of the travel required, is even more difficult to schedule than a conference call.
All of these factors contribute to unnecessarily incurred expenses in either the time spent tracking down the information, or in time spent completing the information when acquired in a fragmented form, or in the time and effort spent determining if there was a duplication of the information obtained. Other factors that may contribute to the higher costs of production and/or deployment of a company's product/solution may include the determination of whether the information obtained is marginal, with regard to the appropriateness of the content, and/or incomplete documentation, and the delayed transfer of that information from the engineers, developers, and the like.
Once the information has been obtained, the question remains of how to publish the information. Common publishing methods have numerous drawbacks. One such draw back to the customary methods of publishing technical guides, e.g., troubleshooting guides, is that the desired information is usually in a format dictated by the author or company thereof. Because of the technical guide's fixed format, it is quite common for a published technical guide to contain sections or portions thereof that are of very little interest to a user. A reader or user may only want one specific section, or a select portion of the guide, and therefore may have little or no use for other sections or portions that are not related to their specific requirements.
An additional drawback to the customary methods of online publishing is that the order in which the content of the document, e.g., a technical guide, is presented is controlled by the author or the company thereof. For example, the order of the content in the document may be in proper order to a company or author distributing a document such as troubleshooting guide. However, to a different individual or company, the order of that same document may appear to have been organized in a totally haphazard, illogical, and confusing manner.
A further draw back to the customary methods of the publishing of technical guides, is that once the information has been assimilated, it is usually presented to the individual in a completed format, where the individual has to view the entire technical guide. This wastes not only the individual's time having to read through the entire guide, regardless of whether the information is relevant, but also wastes either space on the storage device when it is saved in an electronic form or it wastes natural resources by requiring the printing of the entire document.
Thus, a need exists for a method of receiving user submitted information that not only has continuous, simultaneous and omnipresent availability to all potential information providers, but also is capable of storing and categorizing that information as it is received. A further need exists for providing feedback to the user who submitted the information. Additionally, a need exists for a method to make this information available to all potential users of the information as soon as it is received.
Thus, a need exists for providing a method for documents, e.g., technical guides, to be published or distributed such that the information contained within the document is current and up-to-date. Another need exists for a method of distributing or publishing the document in such a manner that the entire document does not need to be published. An additional need exists for a method for providing a way for a user to determine the order of the document, thereby fulfilling their particular requirement at that particular time. A further need exists for a method that provides a way for a user to determine the output formatting properties of the document. Additionally, a need exists for a method that provides a way for a user to determine the content, e.g., technical information, of the document to be distributed or published.

Document builder for interactive dynamic documentation web site


An optical fiber cleaving apparatus includes: a main body on which an optical fiber having a predetermined length of a glass fiber portion exposed at a tip is placed; a cover member which fixes the optical fiber between the cover member and the main body; a blade member which scratches the glass fiber portion of the fixed optical fiber; and a breaking member which breaks the glass fiber portion at the scratched portion. The optical fiber cleaving apparatus further includes a retreat member which moves a broken end portion of the optical fiber to a position that does not contact with the blade member.

Patent Literature 1 discloses an optical fiber cleaving apparatus including a blade capable of scratching an outer peripheral surface of an optical fiber and a pusher for pushing the optical fiber to break at a scratched portion. The optical fiber cleaving apparatus includes a reverse-running prevention mechanism that prevents the blade which scratched the optical fiber from being moved in the reverse direction and scratching the optical fiber again.
Patent Literature 2 discloses an optical fiber cleaving apparatus in which an optical fiber is fixed by a pair of clamps and then the optical fiber is pressed against a cleaving blade provided between the pair of clamps by an optical fiber pressing member to be cleaved. In the optical fiber cleaving apparatus, the cleaving blade is press-fitted and fixed to be embedded in the cleaving blade mounting groove formed in the blade base and only the cleaving edge portion of the cleaving blade is protruded from the blade base. The blade base includes a receiving portion for receiving the cleaved end portion of the optical fiber after cleaving.

Optical fiber cleaving apparatus and optical fiber cleaving method

SUMITOMO ELECTRIC OPTIFRONTIER CO., LTD.


A portable, battery-powered sprayer for dispensing two liquid products at the same time. A reservoir cartridge having two liquid chambers is removably installable in a reciprocating bay in the housing. First and second mating pairs of fluid connectors each have a component mounted on the cartridge and a component mounted in the housing. A cam on a pivotable lever causes the bay to move the fluid connector components into and out of engagement. The fluid connector components permit fluid flow when they are joined and prevent it when they are separated. A support beam locks the housing components of the fluid connectors in fixed relation to one another. A guide strip locks the cartridge components in the same fixed relation to one another. A docking station in the bay locates the guide strip.

This invention relates to a portable sprayer and is particularly concerned with a sprayer for treating an area with two different products in a single pass. The sprayer is particularly adapted for applying mosquito control products, although its use is not limited to this application.
The most effective treatment of an area for mosquito control results from the application of two products. The first product, known as a knockdown product or knockdown treatment, is designed to kill mosquitoes already in a treatment zone. It is most effective when applied as an ultra low volume (ULV) spray or fog with small, lightweight droplet sizes. The second product, known as a barrier product or barrier treatment, is designed to prevent mosquitoes from entering the treatment zone. It is best applied in larger, heavier droplet sizes that impinges on plants and foliage with a material that repels and/or kills mosquitoes. The difference in required droplet sizes for the knockdown product and barrier product dictates that two separate nozzles be used to distribute the two products. This has been done commercially with a variety of units, all having separate sprayers.
Some prior art ULV sprayers of this type are mounted on a truck and are engine-powered. Similarly, truck-mounted mist blowers having very large blasts of air are powered by gasoline engines. With these types of units mounted on trucks there is ample space to accommodate separate nozzles and ample power available to drive them. Such is not the case with sprayers intended for household or consumer use. Other prior art sprayers have ULV nozzles in a hand-held unit powered by a small gasoline engine or an electric motor using a power cord. There are also prior art barrier product sprayers that supply a liquid stream only. That is, there is no air mixed with the liquid. These are available for nursery and household use in both truck-mounted and hand-cart mounted units. They are powered both by gasoline engines and electric motors, including battery powered motors.
Household sprayers need to be portable, preferably hand-held units which do not require an electrical cord. Because of these limitations in portable units, the conventional practice in household sprayers has been to make two separate passes with two separate nozzles, one for applying the knockdown product and one for applying the barrier product. Obviously, this is not the most convenient arrangement since making two passes takes twice as long as making one pass. Also, with this conventional practice either two entirely separate sprayers must be used or a single sprayer must have its nozzle and product supply reservoir changed after the first pass. Neither of these arrangements is optimal.
Furthermore, it is desirable to use battery power for household sprayers because rechargeable batteries are more convenient to use compared to units powered by gasoline engines or household current, the latter requiring a long, unwieldy extension cord. While hand-held, battery-powered sprayers are preferable from a convenience standpoint, the batteries are limited in the amount of power they can supply so the sprayer must be designed to minimize power use and make changing the battery pack simple and quick. It has not previously been feasible to have a dual-output sprayer including a ULV nozzle in a hand-held, battery-powered unit.

Portable sprayer with connector mounting beams


A method for evaluating a single-photon detector signal includes duplicating the single-photon detector signal into a first and a second signal. The first signal is processed and the second signal is either not processed or is processed in a manner different from the first signal. A differential signal is formed between the unprocessed or differently processed second signal and the processed first signal. The differential signal is evaluated to determine pulse events.

For example in confocal microscopy, light detectors that are as sensitive as possible are used in order to record the fluorescent light emanating from the sample with a signal-to-noise ratio that is as good as possible and quantitatively as accurately as possible. Various types of photomultipliers are suitable for this purpose. It is in particular desirable also to use semiconductor photomultipliers (SPM) such as silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) for this purpose, since these offer advantages in terms of sensitivity, temporal resolution and robustness at comparatively low costs.
In an SPM, each detected photon results in an analog pulse, a typical signal profile (intensity over time) being shown in FIG. 1. The pulse form is divided into a rapid rise in the ns to sub-ns range, and a fall in the range of typically 20-100 ns. The signal level is given essentially by the bias voltage above the avalanche breakdown and the capacitance of the individual cell, and of course by amplification factors of the downstream electronics. The rapid rise is a consequence of the breakdown in which the capacitance of the biased diode is discharged to below the breakdown voltage, and the slower fall results from the RC time constants in combination with what is known as the "quenching" resistor. The area under the signal curve corresponds as it were to the charge that was released at the breakdown. An SiPM having dimensions expedient for confocal microscopy (for example 1.3 mm×1.3 mm; 200-1500 individual cells connected in parallel) delivers, with great homogeneity, signals of the same magnitude or the same amount of charge for each cell impinged on by a photon.
In principle, data may be recorded in photomultipliers either in counting mode or in integration mode (also called digital or analog mode).
One possible approach for obtaining a signal proportional to the number of incident photons is that of counting the events by comparing the analog signal with a threshold and increasing a counter each time it is exceeded. As soon as pulses overlap, the measured count rate is however smaller than the actual number of events. With knowledge of existing photon statistics and with a known pulse form of the detection signal, it is possible to draw conclusions about and possibly correct errors. In the case of pulsed excitation, knowledge of the fluorescence lifetime is also necessary for successful correction. That is to say, the correction has to be performed in a sample-dependent manner, which is connected with additional expenditure.
A further possibility for keeping the errors as small as possible when counting pulses is that of bringing the pulses into a form that is as short as possible. This may be performed either by high-pass filtering of the output signal or by way of a capacitive tap between the diode and the quenching resistor, as disclosed for example in US 2013/0099100 A1. The signal level is however thereby reduced.
To detect the impingement of a photon and to record the signals of a single-photon detector with high temporal resolution, in particular in the case of a temporally close sequence of the detected photons, the high-pass-filtered signal may be amplified and then compared with a threshold value. As soon as the threshold value is exceeded, a digital signal that is able to be processed further with high temporal resolution is generated. A passive RC element, that is to say resistor and capacitor with downstream amplifier, may for example be used to couple out the high-pass-filtered signal.
This high-pass-filtered signal in this case generally always has voltage components above and below the quiescent position, such that the surfaces above and below the quiescent position are of virtually the same size. The result of this is that, in the case of a plurality of closely consecutive pulses, the level of the pulses depends on how they overlap with preceding pulses. As a result, pulses may either be lost or be counted at the incorrect time or, in the case of reverberation, also be counted too high. FIG. 2a shows one possible curve profile of a high-pass-filtered signal having a plurality of consecutive pulses on a longer timescale than FIG. 1. The threshold value is denoted 100. In the case for example of three closely consecutive pulses, the pulse level possibly drops below the threshold value 100, such that the third pulse is not counted in this example.
One reason for this phenomenon is inter alia the non-ideal behavior of real filters. In the case of real filters in the frequency range of several MHz, stray inductances and capacitances also play a role, for example, such that usually not just one simple first-order high-pass filter arises. As illustrated in FIG. 2b, a real high-pass-filtered signal 201 corresponds for example to a 2nd-order filter. In contrast to an ideal profile 200, the brief pulse above follows a significant undershoot. If a second pulse overlaps such that the maximum of the second pulse impinges on the minimum of the first pulse, the level of the second pulse is correspondingly distorted.
Another complicating factor is that the signals of an SPM preferred here are usually only of a magnitude of 1-2 mV and are therefore amplified in practice, for example by a factor of 100. In this case, however, each offset is also correspondingly amplified. Although it is then possible to amplify the signal with several amplifier stages, each stage in each case amplifying only the high-pass-filtered signal of the preceding stage so as to keep the offset small, the real behavior with undershoots is thereby encouraged.
It is therefore desirable to reduce or to overcome the disadvantages from the prior art and to record the signals of a single-photon detector with better temporal resolution and higher accuracy.

Method for evaluating a single-photon detector signal


A tube shaped skirted lure comprising a flexible cylindrical silicon tube having a closed end and an open end. A circular channel surrounding the open end and a plurality of flat silicon blanks, each blank having a tab end and a plurality of flexible strands. The circular channel having a “U” shaped cross section. Each tab inserted into the channel and adhesively attached in the channel such that the open end has a plurality of flexible strands radiating out from the open end.

1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to a fishers tube shaped skirted lure.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art.
One piece, tube shaped, skirted lures are well known and generally comprise a one piece PLASTISOL (TM) or other pourable plastic elastomer shaped body where one end is a closed bulbous end and the other end an open end, from which a multiple strands are created by slitting the open end into the multiple strands to form a skirted tube.
The skirted tube, being made of a pourable plastic elastomer, can be compounded to various colors, glitters, and other properties, to attract fish under various conditions. It is easy to manufacture. However, it exhibits limited durability, the coloration of the plastic elastomer multiple strands is limited to color and glitter only, and the pulsation action of the plastic elastomer multiple strands as retrieved through the water is minimal.
In mankind's epochal struggle to prove itself smarter than fish, said fish seemingly get even more difficult to catch.
As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome shortcomings of the prior art.


An example method may include configuring a pattern of a sounding packet of a first wireless node in a resource space. Configuring the pattern may include assigning first precoders to a first subset of the resource space for a first antenna sector of the first wireless node; and assigning second precoders to a second subset of the resource space for a second antenna sector of the first wireless node. The method may include wirelessly transmitting the sounding packet with the configured pattern to a second wireless node. The method may include transmitting data packets from the first wireless node to the second wireless node according to one or more transmission parameters that are at least one of received from the second wireless node or determined based on channel state information (CSI) feedback received from the second wireless node.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described herein are not prior art to the claims in the present application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Home, office, stadium, and outdoor networks, a.k.a. wireless local area networks (WLAN) are established using a device called a Wireless Access Point (WAP). The WAP may include a router. The WAP wirelessly couples all the devices of the local network, e.g. wireless stations such as: computers, printers, televisions, digital video (DVD) players, security cameras and smoke detectors to one another and to the Cable or Subscriber Line through which Internet, video, and television is delivered to the local network. Most WAPs implement the IEEE 802.11 standard which is a contention-based standard for handling communications among multiple competing devices for a shared wireless communication medium on a selected one of a plurality of communication channels. The frequency range of each communication channel is specified in the corresponding one of the IEEE 802.11 protocols being implemented, e.g. "a", "b", "g", "n", "ac", "ad", "ax". Communications follow a hub and spoke model with a WAP at the hub and the spokes corresponding to the wireless links to each 'client' device.
After selection of a communication channel(s) for the associated local network, access to the shared communication channel(s) relies on a multiple access methodology identified as Collision Sense Multiple Access (CSMA). CSMA is a distributed random access methodology for sharing a single communication medium, by having a contending communication link back off and retry access if a prospective collision on the wireless medium is detected, i.e. if the wireless medium is in use.
In some related art approaches, packet detection and decoding requires the best antenna and receive (RX) beamforming (BF) pattern selection to use for optimal performance in the presence of directional sectorized antennas.
The subject matter described herein is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some implementations described herein may be practiced.

SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC


The file creating processing unit creates at least one material data and at least one control information file to display the material data in a presentation package storage folder corresponding to a presentation pack. When a package creating processing unit receives a delivery designation, the package creating processing unit creates at least one package from all files in the presentation package storage folder to satisfy a predetermined condition and delivers presentation packs in units of packages to an information display device through a data distribution server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information delivery display system that provides information such as an animated image, a static image, or a character image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various techniques are conventionally considered that deliver animated image contents (i.e., programs) such as movies by using a network technique. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-101988 discloses the following conventional technique. In a sale of large-capacity animated image contents, a data transmission device and a receiving/reproducing device are connected to each other through a wide-band broadcast line and a security line having security higher than that of the broadcast line. An order or an accounting process uses the security line, and an ordered program is superposed on broadcast data and delivered.
On the other hand, an information delivery display system having the following configuration is known. Information (i.e., a program) of an in-building guide, a guide of each floor of a department store, or an introduction of a commercial product handled on the floor is created by an information creating device. The created program is delivered to an information display device through a network such as the Internet or a Local Area Network (LAN) to provide the program to an information viewer. In general, the airtime of a program handled by the information delivery display system is considerably shorter than that of a movie or the like. However, one program is not repeatedly displayed. For example, programs are produced for respective commercial products handled on a floor. In many cases, these programs are sequentially displayed as one set. Therefore, in program delivery, a plurality of programs are delivered as a set.
When the conventional technique is applied to the information delivery display system, delivery processes must be performed for respective programs. Therefore, a lot of trouble is caused when there are a large number of programs.
Programs may be delivered in units of sets to reduce the number of times of delivery. However, when a transmission error occurs in delivery, it is not easy to determine the specific program in which the transmission error occurred. Thus, the programs must again be delivered in units of sets. As a result, delivery time becomes disadvantageously long.

Information delivery display system and information delivery display method


A method is disclosed for determining a boundary surface network of the tubular object. In an embodiment, a representation of the tubular object is initially provided on the basis of image data and local dimension information is provided for points of the representation. A subdivided division structure presentation of the tubular object with division cells is then created, which based on the local dimension information, including a different spatial extent. Finally a boundary surface network is derived on the basis of the division structure presentation. Also described are a boundary surface network determination system and a division structure determination system for performing such a method.

The pictorial presentation of surfaces of a tubular object with a complicated shape, such as the bronchial system, a vascular system or other hollow organs, forms the basis for a plurality of analyses, especially in the clinical field. Numerous problems can be detected for example with the aid of a fly-through of the hollow organ, the simulation of the course of a fluid or the more detailed three-dimensional presentation of critical areas, so that a further procedure can be defined especially in relation to the medical treatment. This requires that the most complete information possible about the topological structure of the tubular object is available. Such information about the topological structure can be obtained for example with the aid of imaging methods, such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance tomography for example. Without further processing the images and presentations thus obtained are only suitable to a limited extent or not suitable at all for the analyses. The multidimensional description of the surface of the hollow organ with the aid of a boundary surface network presentation or surface network modeling, abbreviated hereafter to "boundary surface network", delivers the desired geometrical information and for the above analyses should also reproduce details of the surface to a sufficient extent.
Methods are known for calculating a boundary surface network of a hollow organ in precise detail, which describe the surface with the aid of numerically complicated and computing-intensive interpolations. The calculated boundary surface networks are generally characterized by an outstanding level of accurate detail. Because the enormous computing effort involved however, these presentations cannot be calculated within a short time or instantaneously, so that real-time manipulations, for example for "what if" analyses, in order to simulate the insertion of a stent into a blood vessel for example, only enter into consideration to a limited extent on the basis of these methods for calculating a boundary surface network.
The necessary speed in the determining of the boundary surface network can be achieved by simplifying the numerical effort with the aid of a model of the surface that is as simple as possible. By contrast with "model-free" interpolation computation methods which are based on the analysis of point clouds, such models approximate the hollow organ of which an image is to be produced with the aid of a set of simple geometrical shapes such as cylinders or spheres for example. This approximation however only rarely delivers a boundary surface network of the hollow organ which reproduces critical details, especially in the area of branching points, approximately correctly. As a result of this an exact dimensioning of geometrical changes of the vascular system is unsuitable for diagnosis and treatment planning of a pathology.
For simulation of a course of the fluid it is for example necessary for the entire geometry and especially branches of the hollow organ to be reproduced as identically as possible to their natural state, and above and beyond this the boundary surface network calculated should frequently be "watertight", i.e. it may not feature any openings which are not present in reality.
Results of the model-based determination of a boundary surface network only rarely meet these requirements however, since especially the adaptation of the simple geometrical basic form is complicated when the size conditions of part structures of the hollow organ vary greatly and when branches occur. Undesired artifacts in the boundary surface network determined occur at branches as a result of simple geometrical basic model elements such as spheres or the like frequently used for modeling projecting into each other and structures which are not present in reality are modeled in the interior of the boundary surface network determined. These boundary surface networks are for example only usable to a restricted extent for the said "fly-through" applications.

Method and system for determining a boundary surface network


A terminal discriminating apparatus and a terminal discriminating method using the same are provided. The terminal discriminating apparatus includes: a measurement unit for measuring a pull-up voltage and a pull-down voltage of each of candidate terminals to be discriminated; a discriminating unit for comparing the pull-up voltages, pull-down voltages, and the differences between the pull-up voltages and pull-down voltages for the candidate terminals to discriminate the types of the candidate terminals; and an output unit for outputting results of the discrimination of the candidate terminals transferred from the discriminating unit. The types of the candidate terminals can be discriminated by comparing the pull-up voltage, the pull-down voltage, and the differences between the pull-up voltages and the pull-down voltages for the candidate terminals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal discriminating apparatus and a method for discriminating a terminal using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for discriminating a joint test access group (JTAG) terminal on a system printed circuit board (PCB) and a method for discriminating a terminal using the same.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Terminals having various functions are provided on a system PCB. Thus, in order to normally operate the system, a pin-map of each terminal must be checked and a command must be transferred to the terminal having a corresponding function. Otherwise, an erroneous command may be transferred to a terminal having a different function, and thus the system may malfunction or may not react.
Thus, when there is no information regarding a terminal on the system PCB, an apparatus or method for discriminating a pin-map of each terminal is required in order to normally operate the system.
For example, Joint Test Access Group (JTAG) will be described. JTAG provides the function capable of driving all the external terminals of the system or reading values, so that it is used to test an internal core or board of the system. In addition, the JTAG may be connected to a JTAG emulator in order to program a flash memory device. In an embedded system, the JTAG can install firmware in the flash memory device and read data from the flash memory device through the JTAG emulator. For example, the JTAG may upload a boot program to the flash memory device or directly access a controller of the flash memory device to dump data from the flash memory device.
Thus, in order to accurately test the internal core or board of the system, an accurate command needs to be transferred to a JTAG terminal on the PCB of the system. Also, in connecting the JTAG emulator, the JTAG emulator must be connected to an accurate terminal and an accurate command corresponding to the terminal must be transferred to the terminal.
Here, when identification information of the JTAG terminal on the PCB of the system is presented on the PCB or when a pin-map of the JTAG terminal is provided through a data sheet, the JTAG terminal can be easily discriminated. However, if such information is not provided, the JTAG terminal cannot be discriminated (or identified), making it impossible to test the internal core or board of the system. Additionally, an inappropriate terminal and the JTAG emulator are likely to be connected erroneously to cause the system to malfunction or not react.
Therefore, a JTAG terminal discriminating apparatus and method capable of discriminating a terminal provided on the system PCB to discriminate a pin-map of a JTAG terminal are required.

Terminal discriminating apparatus and terminal discriminating method using the same

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressurizing member, a heat source, and a temperature sensing device. The fixing belt is rotatably provided. The pressurizing member is rotatably provided and is in pressed contact with the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressurizing member and the fixing belt. The heat source heats the fixing belt. The temperature sensing device detects the temperature of the fixing belt. The temperature sensing device has a sensing element that is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt in a neighboring region of an end portion of the fixing nip and a pressing member configured to press the sensing element against the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt.

The present disclosure relates to a fixing device that fixes a toner image onto a paper sheet and an image forming apparatus including the fixing device.
Electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and printers are conventionally provided with a fixing device that fixes a toner image onto a paper sheet. As a fixing method used in such a fixing device, a "heat roller method" may be used in which a toner image is fixed onto a paper sheet at a fixing nip formed between a pair of rollers. The heat roller method is superior in terms of the thermal efficiency or the safety. Meanwhile, due to a demand for reduction of the warm-up period and energy saving, a "belt method" is also known in which a fixing nip is formed using a fixing belt to be heated by a heat source.
The belt method includes a method in which a fixing belt is caused to slide on a pushing member in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt (hereinafter, referred to as "slide belt method"). According to such a slide belt method, it is possible to reduce the heat capacity of members in contact with the fixing belt and perform more focused heating on the fixing belt compared to the case where a fixing belt is provided around a roller.
However, employment of the above-described slide belt method involves a problem in that stress is concentrated on the fixing belt in a neighboring region of an end portion of the fixing nip, and therefore the fixing belt is locally deformed. In particular, the fixing belt may be broken earlier when the fixing belt is formed of a relatively hard material (for example, a metal) and the stress concentration is intense. The early breaking of the fixing belt makes the fixing device unusable and therefore shortens the life of the fixing device. For this problem, a configuration is known in which the cross-sectional shape of a central portion of the pushing member in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt is made different from the cross-sectional shapes of opposite end portions thereof to avoid the deformation of the fixing belt.
Incidentally, a fixing device fixes toner images onto paper sheets in a variety of sizes ranging from small to large. The case where the fixing device fixes a toner image onto a paper sheet in a first size (for example, B5 paper sheet) will be discussed. In this case, heat is consumed by heating of the paper sheet in the first size in a region of the fixing belt through which the paper sheet in the first size passes (hereinafter referred to as "first size sheet passage region"). On the other hand, no heat is consumed in regions which are outside the first size sheet passage region and through which a paper sheet in a second size (for example, A4 paper sheet) having a larger width than the paper sheet in the first size passes (hereinafter, referred to as "non-first size sheet passage regions"). Thus, the temperature of the non-first size sheet passage regions will be higher than the temperature of the first size sheet passage region, and the distribution of the temperature of the roller and the belt forming the fixing nip will be non-uniform. For this problem, a configuration is known in which the temperature of the non-first size sheet passage regions is prevented from rising to be excessively higher than the temperature of the first size sheet passage region with a thermally conductive member.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus


A system and method for merging a first voice call and a second voice call. A first topic discussed during the first voice call is compared to a second topic discussed during the second voice call. If the first topic matches the second topic, the first voice call may be merged with the second voice call. A semantic analysis may be performed on the first topic and the second topic to determine if the first topic and the second topic match one another. Filter criteria may be defined by participants of the first voice call and the second voice call that identify criteria that may preclude merger of the first voice call and the second voice call.

Participants of a voice call who discuss a particular topic may be interested in discussing the topic with other individuals who have similar interests. Because the relevancy, or interest, in a particular topic may be relatively fleeting during a conversation, the logistical difficulty of locating and joining another individual to a voice call who the participants know have similar interests is frequently not worth the effort. Moreover, even if the effort is undertaken, the individual being joined to the voice call may not have a current interest in discussing the topic, irrespective of a general interest in the topic by the individual.
In some situations people may be interested in joining other individuals to a voice call who share similar interests even if the participants of the voice call do not personally know the other individuals. For example, in a social context, inviting people to talk about topics in which they have a common interest may be a prelude to making new friends. In other contexts the participants of the voice call may just be interested in learning more about a topic from someone with superior knowledge of the topic, irrespective of their personal relationship with the individual.
Accordingly, there is a need for a mechanism that can determine whether participants of two separate voice calls are discussing the same or similar topics, and if so, that can easily enable the participants to merge the two voice calls into a single voice call to allow all of the participants to discuss the topic together.

System and method for merging voice calls based on topics