A screw joint between two components, such as the rotor (3) and a lid locking ring (5) of an ultracentrifuge. During rotation the forces transferred by the screw joint and/or the centrifugal forces acting on the components tend to give rise to uneven distribution of the load between the threads of the screw joint. For distributing the forces transferred by the screw joint more uniformly, one of the components (3, 5) includes, a part (7) intended to be deformed due to the rapid rotation of the component to strive to rotate the component about axes perpendicular to axial sections through the center axis of the screw joint. In this way, variable contributions to the radial deformation of this component are produced along the axial extension of the screw joint, so that the load distribution is equalized between the screw threads.

The present invention relates to a screw joint of the kind intended for holding together two components which are arranged for rapid rotation about the centre axis of the joint and of which screw joint the mutually co-acting screw threads have a profile that exhibits flank surfaces inclined relative to said centre axis. The components are so arranged that when rotating at least one of (a) the forces transmitted by the screw joint and (b) the centrifugal forces acting on the components constitutes a deforming load on the screw joint which, if not compensated for, is liable to result in an uneven distribution of load between the various screw threads of the screw joint.
As a result of varying axial deformation occurring in the screw-joint material when the joint is under tension, the major part of the force transmitted by the screw joint is normally concentrated on a few screw threads thereof, while other screw threads of the joint are only subjected to a relatively slight load. For example, in the case of a conventional nut and screw joint, 50% of the load lies on a first screw thread, 25% of the load lies on the next screw thread and 12.5% of the load lies on the next following screw thread, whereas the remaining screw threads are relatively free of load. Since the distribution of load between the screw threads influences the dynamic strength of the screw joint, the aforementioned uneven load distribution on the screw threads causes the majority of fatigue fractures to occur at the "first" load-bearing thread. Consequently, the useful life of a screw thread could be extended considerably, if it were possible to relieve the load on this "first" screw thread, this first screw thread normally taking 50% of the total load.
Attempts to achieve more uniform distribution of the load on the screw threads of a screw joint have been made in the past by designing the nut in a particular manner, such that the pressure-activated surface is located, for steering the force flow, so that the load is distributed as uniformly as possible over a plurality of screw threads.
It is true of all types of screw joints which incorporate screw threads that have flank surfaces which slope in relation to the longitudinal axis that the axial contact between two mutually co-acting screw threads is influenced by the mutual radial position of the threads. Thus, the distribution of load between the screw threads of a screw joint can be influenced by changing the mutual radial position between the screw threads, as this will cause a change in the axial distance between mutually co-acting screw threads. Earlier attempts have been made to utilize this fact in a manner to obtain a uniform distribution of the load on a stationary screw joint, by providing one of the screw-threaded components of the screw joint with a conical screw thread along at least a part of its axial extension, c.f. for example GB-A-2 074 280. It is also possible by means of a suitable load to obtain a corresponding deformation of, e.g., a nut.


A composition and method which prevents or mitigates irritation on the skin of a subject by protecting against or relieving chafing, itching and moisture, and which provides a cooling sensation where applied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to anti-irritants used to prevent, reduce or relieve chafing, and to methods of delivering such anti-irritants by way of aerosol spray canisters.
2. Discussion of the Known Art
It is known that chafing and irritation resulting in skin inflammation can result from perspiration and friction caused by rubbing of skin on skin, or of skin on articles of clothing, and that individuals often perspire the under arm, foot, groin and other areas which contributes to the chafing. Individuals apply compounds to the skin to prevent or alleviate skin inflammation, and such compounds may be applied through a variety of carriers such as gels, foam, aerosol or liquid. Examples of such compounds and their method of application are disclosed in, e.g., Hill et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,077; and Fass, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,693.
Individuals also apply powders to the skin to absorb moisture which forms on the skin, and to reduce friction by providing lubricity. This in turn may eliminate skin irritation or the "itching" sensation caused by the build-up of moisture and from friction. Powders commonly used are talc or baby powder sold under the registered trademark Johnson & Johnson, and common corn starch. These powders as well as anti-inflammation compounds are commonly applied topically to exposed areas of the skin by dumping or shaking the powder onto the skin, and such powders rely primarily on gravity to reach the intended area. The compounds disclosed in the mentioned patents may be categorized as medicinal or pharmaceutical compounds, and are utilized to treat or prevent various types of actual skin inflammation or abrasion.
It is also known to apply powders by means of an aerosol spray. Examples of such methods are disclosed in, e.g., Geary et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,874; and Takao et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,833.
A problem exists, however, in applying a powder effectively to adhere to areas of the body that are not easily accessible by means of gravity, or are otherwise difficult to reach. This frequently entails areas at and around the groin, the buttocks, the feet and the area between the scrotum and the anus.
A further problem exists with respect to powders which cannot be applied with any precision to the target area, tend not to adhere to the skin, clump after application, and/or leave a mess on the ground or floor beneath the individual user.
A need therefore exists for a method of applying a powder onto targeted, difficult to reach areas of the skin, wherein the powder adheres to the skin, resists clumping, and does not leave a residue on the surrounding ground. Talc (or baby powder) and corn starch tend to disperse over a wide area, are affected by the slightest air movement, easily fall off the skin and leave a residue on the ground around an individual applying these compounds.


The embodiments of the present invention relate to a magnetic write head and a method for forming the magnetic write head. The magnetic write head includes a partially laminated main pole that has a magnetic layer that is recessed from a media facing surface, a nonmagnetic spacer layer disposed on and adjacent to the magnetic layer and a laminated stack disposed on at least a portion of the nonmagnetic layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer has a first end at the media facing surface and a second end at a distance from the media facing surface and the laminated stack has a first end at the media facing surface and as second end at a distance from the media facing surface.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a magnetic write head for use in a hard disk drive.
2. Description of the Related Art
The heart of a computer is a magnetic disk drive which typically includes a rotating magnetic media, such as a disk, a slider that has read and write heads, a suspension arm above the rotating disk and an actuator arm that swings the suspension arm to place the read and/or write heads over selected circular tracks on the rotating disk. The suspension arm biases the slider towards the surface of the disk when the disk is not rotating but, when the disk rotates, air is swirled by the rotating disk adjacent a media facing surface, such as an air bearing surface (ABS) of the slider causing the slider to ride on an air bearing a slight distance from the surface of the rotating disk. When the slider rides on the air bearing, the write and read heads are employed for writing magnetic impressions to and reading magnetic signal fields from the rotating disk. The read and write heads are connected to processing circuitry that operates according to a computer program to implement the writing and reading functions.
To write data to the magnetic disk, an electrical current is caused to flow through a conductive coil in the write head to induce a magnetic field across the gap between the main and return poles of the magnetic write head. By reversing the polarity of the current through the coil, the polarity of the data written to the magnetic media is also reversed.
The main pole is generally made of a soft magnetic material that becomes magnetized in a direction perpendicular to the ABS, and generates a magnetic field in the media during recording when the current is applied to the coil. The residual magnetic moment of the main pole when the main pole does not have a write current field from the conductive coil should be close to zero, and the easy axis of the main pole should be oriented along an easy axis parallel to the ABS. When the magnetic moment does not return to an orientation parallel to the ABS, the main pole has a remnant moment with a component perpendicular to the ABS. This remnant magnetic field of the main pole may deteriorate or even erase data from the magnetic medium. To minimize the data erasure, the main pole may be a laminated stack of high moment magnetic layers separated by thin nonmagnetic layers with each layer of the laminated stack forming a part of the main pole at the ABS. However, laminated main pole is known to require higher current to energize and also results in less output compared to an un-laminated main pole.
Therefore, an improved magnetic write head is needed.

Partial main pole lamination for pole erasure improvement


Provided is a photoelectric conversion element including a photoelectric conversion material layer that is constituted by an organic material having more excellent sensitivity and responsiveness than those of conventional ones.

A photoelectric conversion element using an organic material (organic photodiode) can effect photoelectric conversion of only a specific color (wavelength zone). Furthermore, since the photoelectric conversion element has such characteristic, in the case when it is used as a photoelectric conversion element in a solid-state imaging device, it can provide a structure in which subpixels are laminated, which cannot be obtained by a conventional solid-state imaging device comprising subpixels each comprising a combination of an on-chip color filter (OCCF) and a photoelectric conversion element, wherein the subpixels are arranged in a two-dimensional fashion. Therefore, incident light can be received at a high efficiency, and thus it is expected that the sensitivity of the solid-state imaging device is enhanced. Furthermore, the photoelectric conversion element has an advantage that it does not require demosaicing, and thus a false color is not generated.
On the other hand, an organic photoelectric conversion element used in a solid-state imaging device has an identical or similar structure to that of various organic thin film solar cells (for example, see JP 2006-339424 A, JP 2007-123707 A, JP 2007-311647 A and JP 2007-088033 A) and aims at improving a photoelectric conversion rate.

Photoelectric conversion element and solid-state imaging device

Abstract: The photoelectric conversion element of the present invention includes (a-1) a first electrode 21 and a second electrode 22 which are disposed apart from each other, and

Abstract: (a-2) a photoelectric conversion material layer 30 that is disposed between the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22,

Abstract: wherein the photoelectric conversion material layer 30 is formed of a dioxaanthanthrene-based compound represented by the following structural formula (1).


An improved truck architecture includes a truck frame, a cab coupled with the truck frame, and a hood. The cab has a front end and a rear end. The front end of the cab is positioned over the truck engine such that a portion of the engine is positioned beneath the cab. A device is provided for lifting and tilting the cab rearward relative to the engine to provide access to the engine. The hood is coupled with the truck frame and covers the remaining portion of the engine not covered by the cab.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to motor vehicles. More particularly, the present invention is related to an improved truck architecture for heavy trucks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heavy trucks, also known as Class 8 vehicles in North America and Australia, or as "over 16 tonness" in most other places, are generally configured with one of two known architectures: "Conventional" and "Cab-Over-Engine" ("COE") architectures.
A heavy truck having a Conventional architecture (referenced herein simply as a "Conventional") is shown in FIG. 1. A Conventional is configured similar to that of a normal automobile. The engine compartment 102 is positioned in front of the cabin or cab 104 (i.e., in front of the driver and occupants) and is disposed completely underneath a relatively long hood 106.
A heavy truck having a COE architecture (referenced herein simply as a "COE") is shown in FIG. 2. As shown, the COE is characterized by having no hood at all, and the engine compartment 202 is positioned below the cab 204 (hence "cab-over-engine"), and therefore, the engine is positioned underneath the driver. As a result, COE's are much shorter in length than Conventionals and can maximize cargo capacity while complying with shorter overall length regulations in most parts of the world. That is, in most parts of the world, an overall length restriction covers the combined length of the vehicle plus the trailer, and therefore, a shorter vehicle (e.g., a COE truck) can pull a longer trailer than a longer vehicle (e.g., a Conventional).
However, in North America, length restrictions are based upon the length of a trailer and not the overall length of the vehicle plus the trailer. As a result, Conventionals dominate the commercial trucking landscape in North America.
Conventionals are preferred over COE's for a number of reasons. First, Conventionals are generally safer than COE's due to the hood in front of the cab design (forward engine compartment), which provides good crash protection for the occupants of the truck. Second, the ride is smoother due to a longer wheel base and a driver's position being between the front and rear wheels, as opposed to a COE, which has a shorter wheelbase and wherein the drive is positioned over the front wheels. Third, the design of a Conventional is a simpler design than that of COE and therefore, a Conventional is less costly to maintain.
For example, in a COE, the entire cab must be tilted forward for servicing of the engine and other vehicle components. This necessitates a more complex system to route control lines to the cab interior around a pivot point and for disconnecting the cab mounting at the rear of the vehicle. Whereas, in a Conventional, the hood provides good access to the engine compartment and to most vehicle components, and does not require such complex systems.
Because of the numerous advantages that a Conventional has over a COE, a Conventional is almost always preferred to the COE except when complying with international overall length regulations. Therefore, there is a need for new and improved truck architectures that improve over the known COE architecture, which provide a shorter overall length than a Conventional architecture yet avoid the disadvantages of a COE architecture.


An electrode composed of a substrate including a graphene layer coated on a first metal; and a complex including a second metal deposited on the substrate and a hydroxide of the first metal, where the complex is in the form of core-shell in which the second metal is a core and the hydroxide of the first metal is a shell, and the second metal has a higher standard reduction potential than the first metal. The graphene-coated metal foam of the present invention is the first case that proves not only theoretically but also by experiment that the remarkable catalytic ability reducing other metals (Au, Pt, Ag, and Cu, etc.) with a higher reduction potential than the metal by graphene coated on the metal surface it electroless deposition without additional reductant or electrical reduction conditions is due to the electrical double layer or interfacial dipole induced between the graphene and the metal.

It has widely known that the conjugation of metal nanoparticles or other compounds with graphene is a possible strategy to prepare a highly active catalyst. The unique properties of graphene such as high conductivity, transparency, 2D morphology and high stability in acid and alkali solutions make graphene an excellent electron transfer medium at the interface of graphene/active material as a catalyst. In particular, a graphene/metal nanoparticle (G/MNP) complex is more attractive due to its significantly improved catalytic properties, partially due to synergistic effects from the interface of graphene and active site. However, it is not known where this synergistic effect is originated. In general, the metal ions such as Au3+, Pt4+, Ag+ and Cu2+ (Mx+) are in-situ converted to MNPs on the surface of graphene by using a reducing agent or by electro deposition in order to produce a G/MNP complex. On other hand, unlike chemical reduction using general reducing agents or electro deposition under reducing conditions, the metals such as Ag or Au, which have a higher reduction potential than copper metals articles on the graphene substrate, can be auto-deposited on the copper particles loaded on the substrate as MNPs through galvanic displacement mechanism. It has been reported that graphene and carbon nanotube (CNT) are oxidized by a strong oxidant such as Au3+ and Pt4+, so that they can be doped by Au and Pt in HAuCl4 (Au3+) and Na2PtCl6 (Pt4+) solutions respectively. However, this method is not widely used because such metal ions having weak oxidizing power (e.g., Ag+ and Cu2+) cannot be reduced by graphene and CNT.
According to the galvanic displacement mechanism, some metal ions can be reduced by nickel through electroless deposition, but the reduction potential of the metal above should be higher than nickel (Ni2+/Ni, −0.257 V vs. SHE), which is an essential condition for causing a displacement reaction. Thus, Cu2+ (Cu2+/Cu, 0.342V vs. SHE), Ag+ (Ag+/Ag, 0.799 V vs. SHE), Pt4+ ([PtCl6]2−/[PtCl4]2−, 0.68 V vs. SHE; [PtCl4]2−/Pt, 0.755 V vs. SHE), and Au3+ ([AuCl4]−/Au, 1.002 V vs. SHE) can be reduced to Cu, Ag, Pt, and Au, respectively, by nickel. Ni foam has an excellent conductivity and a porous structure, based on which many attempts have been made to load various metals on the Ni foam. In particular, the method to load an active material directly on a conductive structure is a very effective way to eliminate the binder induced resistance. However, there is no case in which nickel and graphene are used together to form a complex reactive structure that would be used for direct chemical conversion. In the present invention, Ni foam was coated with grapheme (graphene-coated Ni foam: GNF) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and the prepared GNF was used for the direct deposition of MNP (Au, Pt, Ag, and Cu) for the first time. Surprisingly, unlike the pure Ni foam, GNF was able to accelerate electroless reduction of Mx+ ions significantly on the surface of graphene. More interestingly, MNP deposition and Ni(OH)2 nanosheet assembly were simultaneously occurred on GNF. When the catalytic mechanism is investigated more carefully, it can reveal the catalytic mechanism of graphene in other applications such as graphene-based photocatalysis and can be also an important reference for the design of highly active catalysts.
The hierarchical structure of Ni(OH)2-wrapped Ag surrounded by Ni(OH)2 [Ag@Ni(OH)2] is a binderless composite material which favors the electrochemical sensing electrode reaction. Ni(OH)2 displays excellent electrical catalytic properties for glucose and has been studied for a long time to develop an electrochemical sensor due to its low cost, high selectivity and low detection limit. To detect glucose, glassy carbon electrode is often applied as a basic platform for current collection. However, the surface area for supporting an active material is limited. Unfortunately, a binder is generally used to fix Ni(OH)2 on a current collector and therefore contact resistance is necessarily increased. In addition, the low conductivity of metal oxides or hydroxides significantly decreases the performance. The secondary structure of the active material and contact state with the current collector play key role in the electrode performance. In particular, the hierarchical structure of the active material can increase the surface area significantly, shorten the electron mobility path, and generate more active sites in the electrode. Therefore, the hierarchical structure of Ag@Ni(OH)2 without a binder has many advantages as an electrochemical sensing electrode. In general, the performance of a sensor depends significantly on the electrochemical reaction occurred at the electrode. Therefore, the development of a structure-functionalized electrode design favorable for the certain electrochemical reaction will be a great challenge for the preparation of an electrochemical sensor.
In this invention, Ag@Ni(OH)2 hybrid structure was grown on GNF (Ag@Ni(OH)2-GNF). The Ag@Ni(OH)2-GNF complex above has a unique structure to overcome the problems above.
It consists of a Ni(OH)2 shell for fast molecular diffusion in electrolyte, a highly conductive silver core internally grown for current collection, and a GNF support with a large surface area for active material loading to form an excellent and sensitive platform for chemical or biological species detection. So, the said Ag@Ni(OH)2-GNF complex was used directly herein as a binderless electrode for the detection of glucose without an enzyme. It is also expected that the Ag@Ni(OH)2-GNF complex can be effectively applied in various fields.
In relation to the above, Korean Patent No. 10-1765844 describes an nickel/cobalt oxide-based electrode for elements measurement and a preparation method of the same.

Electrode having hierarchical structure, a sensor for detecting glucose including the electrode, and a method for preparing the electrode

DAEGU GYEONGBUK INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

GLOBAL FRONTIER CENTER FOR MULTISCALE ENERGY SYSTEMS


Methods are provided for manufacturing an antiperspirant or deodorant product within a container, the product having an application surface that includes first and second portions having different compositions. The methods generally include (a) delivering to an open end of the container, through a first delivery nozzle, a first composition that will form the first portion, and, through a separate second delivery nozzle, a second composition that will form the second portion, the first and second compositions being in molten form during delivery, (b) providing a barrier between the first and second compositions to prevent intermingling thereof, (c) allowing the first and second compositions to solidify to form the product; and (d) removing the barrier.

This invention relates to methods of manufacturing personal care products.
Antiperspirant and deodorant compositions are well known personal care products. The compositions come in a variety of forms and may be formulated, for example, into aerosols, pumps, sprays, liquids, roll-on, lotion, creams, and sticks (both hard and soft), etc.
There are various types of stick antiperspirant compositions. In one type, an antiperspirant salt is suspended in an anhydrous vehicle often including a solid water-insoluble wax. In a second type, an antiperspirant salt is dissolved in a liquid vehicle such as propylene glycol and gelled with a gelling agent such as dibenzylidene sorbitol. A third type includes an emulsion of an aqueous phase containing the antiperspirant salt and an oil phase containing, for example, a volatile silicone, fragrances, gallants, and other additives.
Cosmetic sticks including an antiperspirant portion and a deodorant portion are known in the art. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,202,879; 4,120,948; and 2,970,083.
Generally, the invention relates to methods of manufacturing an antiperspirant or deodorant product including an application surface having two portions having different compositions. The term xe2x80x9cportionxe2x80x9d, as used herein, includes the section or sections of the application surface having the same composition; for example, two sections having the same composition but separated by a third section (for instance, a central stripe) having a different composition constitute a single xe2x80x9cportionxe2x80x9d.
A product including two different portions provides flexibility in designing the product. For example, the two portions may include different antiperspirant salts, or different quantities of the same antiperspirant salt. Alternatively, a multiple-portion product allows ingredients that generally should be kept apart to be incorporated into the same product. For example, one portion may include an antiperspirant salt while a second portion includes a fragrance that is incompatible with the antiperspirant salt. Moreover, one portion may be firmer or stronger than, and provide support for, the other portion.
The multiple portion antiperspirant or deodorant product also provides the option of selecting from a number of aesthetically pleasing design choices. One portion can be clear and the other portion opaque. Moreover, the first portion and the second portion may have different colors, thus providing for a way to provide a composition including one or more stripes. xe2x80x9cDifferent colorxe2x80x9d, as used herein, includes different shades of a color. In addition, white and black are considered colors.
Two portion antiperspirant and deodorant products are described in copending application U.S. Ser. No. 09/784,493, filed the same day as the present application and commonly owned with the present application, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
In general, the invention features methods of making two portion antiperspirant products within a container. Preferred methods allow a two portion antiperspirant product to be manufactured quickly, e.g., in less than 10 seconds, or even in less than 6 seconds. There are a number of different aspects of the invention.
In one aspect, the invention features a method including delivering to an open end of the container, through a first delivery nozzle, a first fluid composition that will form the first portion, and, through a separate second delivery nozzle, a second fluid composition that will form the second portion, and preventing intermingling of the first and second compositions.
In some embodiments, intermingling is prevented by providing a molding surface against which at least one of the compositions is formed. The molding surface may provide a barrier between the first and second compositions. The molding surface may be removed before either of the compositions has solidified. The first and second compositions may be delivered simultaneously. Alternatively, one of the compositions may be delivered first, and allowed to at least partially solidify before the other composition is delivered. Preferably, the composition that is delivered first is allowed to solidify sufficiently so that it will not intermingle with the composition that is subsequently delivered. Preferably, the molding surface is cooled.
In another aspect, the invention features a method that includes (a) delivering to an open end of the container, through a first delivery nozzle, a first fluid composition that will form the first portion, (b) providing a molding surface, within the container, to define a molding cavity for the first fluid composition, (c) allowing the first composition to partially solidify, (d) through a separate second delivery nozzle, delivering a second fluid composition that will form the second portion, after the first composition has solidified sufficiently to prevent intermingling of the first and second compositions, and (e) removing the molding surface from the container during delivery of the second composition.
The term xe2x80x9cnozzlexe2x80x9d refers to any device that is capable of delivering a fluid composition. xe2x80x9cWithin the containerxe2x80x9d, as used herein, means that at least part of the composition is within the container; for example, when the upper end of the composition including the application surface extends above the container the composition still is considered xe2x80x9cwithin the containerxe2x80x9d. xe2x80x9cSolidifyxe2x80x9d, as used herein, encompasses fluids that solidify, for example, when cooled and gels that flow (i.e., are fluid) under pressure but then become substantially solid once the requisite pressure to flow is removed.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

Methods of manufacturing personal care products


According to an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes an analog/digital conversion unit, a pulse width modulation unit outputting a transmission signal, the transmission signal being a pulse pattern corresponding to a digital signal output from the analog/digital conversion unit, a reference signal generation unit generating a reference signal, the reference signal being a fixed pulse pattern. The device includes a first control unit selecting one of the transmission signal and the reference signal, a light emitting element drive unit outputting a drive current based on the transmission signal or the reference signal, a light emitting element driven by the light emitting element drive unit. The device includes an optical receiving unit converting the optical signal into a voltage signal, and a demodulation unit demodulating the voltage signal into a digital signal based on the transmission signal or the reference signal.

Insulating circuits that have large noise immunity and are capable of transmitting analog signals with high integrity are necessary in semiconductor devices used to control power devices. Although semiconductor devices including optically-coupled insulating circuits such as photocouplers and the like that optically transmit signals have excellent noise immunity because the output is completely electrically insulated from the input, such semiconductor devices are not suited to the transmission of analog signals. For example, although IC output-type photocouplers that include a signal processing circuit on the receiving side are used widely to transmit digital signals, analog signals cannot be transmitted with high integrity. Also, insulating circuits such as transistor couplers, etc., that are used to transmit analog signals unfortunately have distortion of the signal waveform caused by nonlinearity and are not suited to transmitting analog signals with high integrity.
Therefore, technology has been developed to add an analog/digital (AD) conversion circuit to the transmitting side of the optically-coupled insulating circuit to transmit the analog signal with high integrity. In other words, the effect of the nonlinearity of the optical coupling unit can be avoided when transmitting by converting the analog input into a digital signal; and the analog transmission is possible with high integrity.
In the case where a delta-sigma conversion circuit is used as the analog/digital conversion circuit, it is desirable to increase the clock frequency of the AD conversion to transmit the information included in the analog signal with high integrity. To have one optical signal path in the optically-coupled insulating circuit, a modulation circuit to superimpose the sampling clock and the digital data into a signal of one series is used in the analog/digital conversion circuit. When the optical transmission is performed using pulse width modulation as the modulation method, there are cases where demodulation errors occur on the receiving side due to pulse width distortion as the sampling clock frequency approaches the response limit of the optical coupling unit. Therefore, an optically-coupled insulating circuit capable of suppressing the demodulation errors by ensuring the transmission margin of the optical coupling unit and realizing signal transmission with high integrity and a semiconductor device including such an optically-coupled insulating circuit are necessary.

Semiconductor device, method for testing same and transmitting circuit


An apparatus that is a multi-purpose device that provides the caretaker of an infant a mobile, collapsible frame that can convert to a stroller, a walker, a high chair, a carrier, a bassinet and a backpack and that can accommodate the placement of car seats made by third party manufacturers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of infant products and more particularly to a novel device that is collapsible and mobile that can be converted into a stroller, a walker, a high chair, a carrier, a bassinet, and a backpack and that can also accommodate the infant car seats of third party manufacturers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The field of multi-purpose infant products is a relatively crowded one. The advantages of having one device perform more than one function include the versatility involved, the space saving features and quite significantly, the cost savings. When providing necessities for babies, both space and funds can quickly be consumed.
Many of the devices found in the prior art related to combination infant products is bulky and limited to a relatively few number of uses. When a busy mobile parent or infant caretaker takes an infant on outings, to daycare or to visit relatives, many devices are desired to accommodate the infant's needs. These devices include: an infant car seat to keep the infant secure while driving, a stroller to walk the infant once at the destination, a walker to allow the infant to exercise his legs and find his way about, a high chair to feed the infant, a carrier to carry the baby into smaller spaces such as a restaurant, a bassinet in which the baby can nap and a backpack that holds the collapsed frame of the device, which can be attached to the back of the caretaker while carrying the baby by hand in the infant carrier for convenient and comfortable walking.
However, there is a major drawback to having to transport all of these devices, i.e., the amount of space required and the cumbersome aspects of moving the devices from the transport vehicle to the final destination. In the past, many combinations of various baby features have been utilized, with mixed results.
Some of these combinations include combination car seats and baby strollers (See U.S. Pat. No. DES345,720 to Pohl, U.S. Pat. No. DES358,058 to Anthony et al., U.S. Pat. No. DES402,235 to Haut, U.S. Pat. No. DES508,443 to Sanchez, U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,306 to von Wimmersperg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,256 to Whitaker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,523 to Wilhelm, U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,951 to Ryu, U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,339 to Svendsen et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,470 to Syendsen).
Other combinations have included a baby carrier/backpack combination (See U.S. Pat. No. DES365,925 to Roan), a scooter/walker/stroller (See U.S. Pat. No. 2,907,372 to Leger), a stroller/walker/carriage (See U.S. Pat. No. 3,079,162), a sleeper/walker/stroller (See U.S. Pat. No. 3,248,125 to Gill), a carrier/stroller/backpack/car seat (See U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,711 to Dick), a face-to-face carrier/diaper bag/changing surface/portable crib (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,769 to Skroski), a backpack/stroller, car seat/bed, chair (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,478 to Noonan), a dining chair/car seat/cradle/bed (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,096 to Ting), a bed/carrier/rocker (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,665 to Simantob et. al), a car seat/stroller/swing (See U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,654 to Willis), a car seat/rocker/stroller (See U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,696 to Bargery et. al), and a car seat/stroller/backpack (See U.S. Pat. App. US2003/0192925 to Boone).
None of the prior art provides the utility of combining the ability to load third party manufacturer car seats, plus the ability to collapse the device for storage and transport and having the ability to transport a stroller, a walker, a high chair, a carrier, a bassinet, and a backpack. By providing all of these devices in one, not only is the infant caretaker experiencing heightened convenience, but both space and money are conserved.
Accordingly, it is the objective of the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a multi-use baby device that saves both space and money while still providing the caretaker of the infant the versatility to fully accommodate the needs of the infant both at home and while traveling.

Multi-use convertible infant carrying device


A deployable cabin attendant seat system may include a primary cabin attendant seat, an auxiliary cabin attendant seat, a main support coupled to at least one of the primary cabin attendant seat or the auxiliary cabin attendant seat, and an actuation assembly coupled to at least the primary cabin attendant seat. The actuation assembly may be configured to actuate the primary cabin attendant seat relative to the auxiliary cabin attendant seat between a stowed seat position and a deployed seat position. The primary cabin attendant seat and the auxiliary cabin attendant seat may be arranged in a side-by-side configuration when the primary cabin attendant seat is in the deployed seat position. The primary cabin attendant seat may be stacked on the auxiliary cabin attendant seat when the primary cabin attendant seat is in the stowed seat position.

Aircraft cabin designs include cabin attendant seats for taxi, takeoff, or landing (TTOL) situations, turbulence, emergencies, or the like, as aviation guidelines and/or standards dictate that flight attendants be seated at these times. However, the aircraft cabin designs need to address competing interests for increased passenger seating, storage space, lavatories, and/or galley spaces in addition to the need for the cabin attendant seats.


An adhesive dispensing assembly includes a positioning module, a driving rod, a guiding block, a screw nut, a moving rod, and a motor. The positioning module is for positioning an adhesive cylinder. The screw nut is secured in the guiding block and engages with the driving rod by a screw thread. The moving rod has one end fastened to the guiding block and the other end for moving the adhesive cylinder. The motor drives the driving rod to rotate to move the screw nut, the guiding block, and the moving rod in one direction or another. An adhesive dispenser using the assembly is also described.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an adhesive dispensing assembly, especially to an automatic adhesive dispensing assembly and an adhesive dispenser using the assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Adhesive dispensers or related art are commonly pneumatically controlled to press or dispense adhesive out of storage cylinders and onto products. However, pneumatically controlled adhesive dispensers can be difficult to precisely extrude the desired amount of adhesive.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

Adhesive dispensing assembly and adhesive dispenser using the assembly

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


A handle device for use with a collapsible wheelchair, the wheelchair positionable between a first working position and a second collapsed position. The wheelchair having first and second generally horizontal handlebars extending rearward to facilitate movement of the wheelchair. The handle device comprising first and second substantially “L”-shaped members, each “L”-shaped member having a lower portion and an upper vertically oriented portion. The lower portion is adapted to receive the respective first and second horizontal handlebars therein. The upper portion extends substantially perpendicular to the lower portion, wherein the upper portion of each member upwardly extends beyond a height of the chair allowing the user to grasp each member without flexion of the torso.

The present invention is generally directed at wheelchairs. More specifically, the present invention includes a pair of ergonomic extension handles attachable to existing wheelchair handlebars such that the extension handles are positioned in a generally upward direction as opposed to a generally horizontal direction.
Wheelchairs are well known in the art as a means of assisting or transporting those who have a difficult time of walking, or cannot walk, on their own. Foldable wheelchairs, especially those that bring opposing sides together, are also well known in the art, especially as a means of reducing the overall footprint of a wheelchair so that it can be conveniently stored or more easily placed inside a vehicle during transport. This is especially important in areas and facilities where there are a high volume of wheelchairs with limited storage area for keeping the wheelchairs when not in use, including for example hospitals and airports.
There exist in the art a wide variety of examples which attempt to reduce the overall size of the wheelchair in its folded state so as to take up as little space as possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,918 suggests a foldable wheelchair having two rearwardly extending handlebars by which an assistant can grasp to push and maneuver the wheelchair. However, because of the positioning of the handlebars, most assistants must flexion their torso, or bend downward, when grasping the handlebars in maneuvering the wheelchair. Further, it is also generally necessary that the assistant grip the handlebars with their wrists bent at a downward angle, or wherein the wrist is positioned with ulnar deviation. Both torso flexion and ulnar deviation of the wrist can lead to discomfort and back or wrist pain as both these positions are non-relaxed positions resulting in muscle tension and strain. Such occurrences are drastically increased in situations where, such as in hospitals or airports, assistants may be pushing wheelchairs for more than six hours a day.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,712 suggests a handgrip crossbar attachable to the handlebars of a wheelchair. However, because of the configuration of the crossbar and how it attaches to the handlebars of the wheelchair, the wheelchair is incapable of being folded without removal of the crossbar. Moreover, because of the positioning of the crossbar when attached to the wheelchair handlebars, most assistants must flexion their torso when grasping the crossbar in maneuvering the wheelchair. Further, it is necessary that the assistant grip the handlebars with their wrists rotated such that the palms are downward facing, or supination. Both torso flexion and supination of the wrist can lead to discomfort and back or wrist pain as both these positions are non-relaxed positions resulting in muscle tension and strain.
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2013/01044691 suggests a handgrip attachable to a wheelchair handlebar. However, it is again necessary that the assistant grip the handgrip with their back bent and their wrists supinated, resulting in both back and wrist discomfort.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,694,606 suggests a wheelchair handle for use on a wheelchair handlebar. However, the wheelchair handle does not accommodate for differing heights of various users, ultimately causing torso flexion when gripping. Further, the wheelchair handle rearwardly extends past the wheels of the wheelchair, thereby increasing the footprint of the wheelchair.
Another problem that has arisen with the widespread of use of foldable wheelchairs, especially at hospitals and airports, is their theft. Because by their very nature foldable wheelchairs can be made compact and easily fit into a vehicle, hospitals and airports have experienced high rates of theft of the foldable wheelchairs. This can lead to annual losses in the tens of thousands of dollars, if not more, for large hospitals and airports. Measures to reduce theft, and yet keep the wheelchairs at these facilities readily accessible to patients or passengers who need to use a wheelchair, have thus far been unsuccessful.
There therefore exists a need in the art to provide handles for foldable wheelchairs that can be grasped by assistants of varying heights which do not require the assistant to bend over or hunch downward when maneuvering the wheelchair, to grasp the handles with the wrist in a neutral position, and which do not interfere with the foldable nature of the wheelchair. There also exists a need in the art to provide foldable wheelchairs with a means to reduce or prevent theft of the wheelchair from large facilities such as airports and hospitals.


Wheel apparatus for use with vehicles are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a wheel for a vehicle. The wheel has a groove disposed on an annular wall adjacent a drop well and extending away from the drop well. The example apparatus also includes a ring positioned in the groove.

A vehicle may be implemented with one or more lightweight components to improve vehicle performance, such as fuel economy or efficiency, vehicle handling and/or maneuverability, etc. For example, a known vehicle wheel may be constructed of a lightweight alloy (e.g., an aluminum alloy) to provide a reduced unsprung weight of a vehicle compared to other known wheels (e.g., vehicle wheels composed of steel).


The invention relates to the use of interleukin-2 in treating Sjögren's syndrome in a subject, wherein IL-2 is to be administered at a low dose of less than about 3.5 MIU/day.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a mild indolent chronic disease mainly characterized by mucosal dryness in the majority of cases. A subgroup of patients displays extra-glandular manifestations. Virtually any organs and systems can be affected, leading to serious disease prognosis. Pain and stiffness in the joints with mild swelling may occur in some patients, even in those without associated rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Rashes on the arms and legs related to inflammation in small blood vessels and inflammation in the lungs, liver, and kidney may occur rarely. Numbness, tingling, and weakness also have been described in some patients. The parotid gland can become swollen and inflamed in some patients.
No effective cure is available. Treatment is typically designed to lessen the most bothersome symptoms. Dry eyes usually respond to artificial tears applied regularly during the day or to gels applied at night. Hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug, may be helpful in some patients with Sjögren's syndrome by reducing joint pain and rash. Patients with rare but serious systemic symptoms, such as fever, rashes, abdominal pain, or lung or kidney problems, may require treatment with corticosteroids such as prednisone and/or immunosuppressive agents like methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate or cyclophosphamide. In addition, rituximab and other biological therapies that target Th17 cytokines, cytokine receptors and transcription factors are being proposed.
However there is a clear need for more effective and safer drug in managing Sjögren's syndrome.

Use of interleukin 2 for treating Sjögren's syndrome


In an axial flow fan according to the present invention, a plurality of blades rotate about a rotation axis of the blades to convey a fluid. In the axial flow fan, the plurality of blades each have a leading edge at a leading side in a rotational direction, a trailing edge at a trailing side in the rotational direction, and an outer peripheral edge connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge. The leading edge of one of the plurality of blades and the trailing edge of another blade adjacent to the leading edge of the blade in the rotational direction are connected by a plate-shaped connection portion. The plurality of blades each have at least one plate-shaped reinforcement rib extending from a periphery of the rotation axis toward the outer peripheral edge of the blade.

FIGS. 20 to 23 schematically illustrate an axial flow fan in the related art.
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a boss-equipped axial flow fan in the related art.
FIG. 21 is a front view of the boss-equipped axial flow fan in the related art, as viewed from upstream in a fluid flowing direction.
FIG. 22 is a front view of the boss-equipped axial flow fan in the related art, as viewed from downstream in the fluid flowing direction.
FIG. 23 is a side view of the boss-equipped axial flow fan in the related art, as viewed from a lateral side relative to a rotation axis.
As shown in FIGS. 20 to 23, the axial flow fan in the related art includes a plurality of blades 1 along the peripheral surface of a cylindrical boss. When a rotational force is applied to the boss, the blades 1 rotate in a rotational direction 11 to convey a fluid in a fluid flowing direction 10. Such a configuration is also disclosed in, for example, Patent Literature 1. In the axial flow fan, the blades 1 rotate to cause the fluid existing between the blades to collide against the blade surfaces. The surfaces against which the fluid collides increase in pressure and press and move the fluid in the direction of a rotation axis serving as a central axis when the blades 1 rotate.
In terms of the shape of an axial flow fan, a so-called boss-less fan not having a cylindrical boss is also known (see Patent Literature 2). In a boss-less fan, leading edges and trailing edges of neighboring blades among a plurality of blades 1 are connected by a continuous surface without the intervention of a boss, and the boss-less fan is provided with a small-diameter cylindrical portion at the center thereof for securing a drive shaft of a motor thereto. Thus, the minimum radius of the continuous surface between the blades centered on a rotation axis is larger than the radius of the cylindrical portion for securing the drive shaft thereto.

Axial flow fan and air-conditioning apparatus having axial flow fan


A method for switching between two communication links present between two communication systems. A first and a second communication system are connected through a first link which uses a first communication network and through a second link which uses a second communication network. These two links each include a transmitting channel and a receiving channel that are used for data transmission by the communication systems. The first link is switched into the second link by switching between the transmitting channel and the receiving channel of the two communication systems.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for switching connections between two connection systems, and in particular to connection systems each having a transmitting channel and a receiving channel.
The use of telecommunication services for transmitting speech and data is continuously increasing due to an increasing global orientation of companies.
2. Description of the Related Art
As such the costs caused by these telecommunication services are continuously increasing and become a considerable cost factor for the companies, which search for possibilities in order to reduce these costs. Global computer networks such as the xe2x80x9cinternetxe2x80x9d offer one possibility for cost-efficiently transmitting data worldwide.
The United States patent application having the official Ser. No. 08/942,592 has already proposed a method for enabling a transmission of data to be transmitted in the framework of a speech connection via a computer network such as the xe2x80x9cinternetxe2x80x9d. It has also been proposed that a new connection is set up via an alternative communication networkxe2x80x94for example an ISDN-oriented communication network (Integrated Services Digital Network) when a sufficient transmission quality can be no longer assured in the framework of a realtime-critical transmission of speech data via the computer network and that the data to be transmitted are then transmitted via this new connection.
The present invention is based on the object of providing a method for establishing a new connection via a telecommunication network, whereby the interrupt time for switching from a previous connection led via a computer network to the new connection led via a telecommunication network can be minimized.
According to principles of the related art, if a first communication system, which, on one hand, is connected to a telecommunication network such as the ISDN communication network and, on the other hand, to the internet via a first internet terminal unitxe2x80x94frequently abbreviated as TIS (Telephony Internet Server) in the literaturexe2x80x94receives a call number identifying a called terminal device from a calling terminal device, it is checked whether the received call number or, portions of the received call number identifying the target are entered into a list that is stored in the communication system. This list contains bits of routing information allocated to the call numbers or, to the portions of these call numbers identifying the target, whereby said bits of routing information disclose that a connection for transmitting speech data has already been set up via the xe2x80x9cinternetxe2x80x9d.
If the received call number or, portions of the received call number identifying the target is not deposited in the list, the first communication system sends a signaling message via the telecommunication network to a second communication system, which has the called terminal device allocated. This signaling message signalizes with respect to the second communication system that the first communication system is connected via a first internet terminal unit to the xe2x80x9cinternetxe2x80x9d. If the second communication system is also connected via a second internet terminal unit to the xe2x80x9cinternetxe2x80x9d, the second communication system signalizes this with respect to the first communication system together with the internet address of the second internet terminal unit in a corresponding response message.
If the first communication system does not receive a response message within an adjustable time interval, the connection between the calling terminal device and the called terminal device is traditionally set up via the telecommunication network.
If the call number or, the portions of the received call number identifying the target received at the first communication system is entered into the list, or when the first communication system receives a response message within the adjustable time interval, the fist communication system transmits the internet address of the second internet terminal unit to the first internet terminal unit. If the transmission bandwidth provided via the internet connection between the first internet terminal unit and the second internet terminal unit is sufficient for a realtime-critical transmission of speech data, the fist internet terminal unit packages the speech data, which are transmitted by the calling terminal device and which are potentially digitalized in the first communication system, into data packets according to the IP protocol (Internet Protocol) and transmits them to the second internet terminal unit on the basis of the internet address of the second internet terminal unit. The second internet terminal unit unpacks the speech data contained in the transmitted data packets, transforms them into a time slot-oriented data format (TDM: Time Division Multiplex) provided for the further transport, and forwards them via the second communication system to the called terminal device. The speech data are transmitted from the called terminal device to the calling terminal device in a corresponding manner.
If the first communication system or, the first internet terminal unit finds out during the call that the transmission qualityxe2x80x94frequently also referred to as xe2x80x9cQuality of Service QoSxe2x80x9d in the literaturexe2x80x94of the internet connection between the first and the second internet terminal unit is no longer sufficient for the realtime-critical transmission of speech data in the framework of the call between the calling terminal device and the called terminal device, a new connection, proceeding from the first communication system, is normally set up via the telecommunication network to the second communication system and the data transmission is subsequently reconnected onto this new connection. Alternatively, the transmission quality of the internet connection between the first and the second internet terminal unit can also be monitored by the second communication system or, the second internet terminal unit.
A bidirectional data transmission between the first and the second communication system is generally possible via both connections. For this purpose, both bidirectional connections consist of two unidirectional connections via which the communication systems that are a part of the connection respectively transmit data or, receive data. These two unidirectional connections are generally referred to as transmission path and as reception path.
Given a reconnecting of the existing connection onto the new connection in the traditional way, whereby a simultaneous switching of the transmission path and of the reception path occurs on the calling part and also on the called part, longer interrupt times arise by message runtimes of the messages to be transmitted between the involved communication systems for the reconnecting, whereby data cannot be transmitted in said interrupt times. Given a specific number of network nodes to be passed, these interrupt times can be within a second range in larger telecommunication networks and therefore are not acceptable.
The present invention discloses a method that reduces these interrupt times by controlling the communication systems as to the transmission/reception paths of the network.
A critical advantage of the inventive method is that the method can be simply implemented in already existing systems.
Furthermore, the present may be implemented upon a decline of the transmission quality beyond a predetermined value. This predetermined value may be provided by one of the communication networks.

Method for switching a first communication link to a second communication link between two communication systems


Reservoir characterization based on observations of displacements at the earth's surface. One method of characterizing a reservoir includes the steps of: detecting a response of the reservoir to a stimulus, the stimulus causing a pressure change in the reservoir; and determining a characteristic of the reservoir from the response to the stimulus. The response may be the pressure change which varies periodically over time, or a set of displacements of a surface of the earth. In another example, a method includes the steps of: detecting a set of displacements of the earth's surface corresponding to a pressure change in the reservoir; and determining a characteristic of the reservoir from the surface displacements. In yet another example, a method includes the steps of: detecting a set of displacements of the earth's surface corresponding to a change in volume of the reservoir; and determining a characteristic of the reservoir from the surface displacements.

The present invention relates generally to operations performed and systems utilized in conjunction with subterranean wells and, in an embodiment described herein, more particularly provides a method of reservoir characterization based on detection of displacements at the earth's surface.
Many benefits may be realized by having the capability of accurately determining characteristics (such as volume, permeability, shape, location, presence, etc.) of a reservoir. For example, optimal locations for drilling infill wells in a field, optimal production and/or injection rates and other useful information may be determined once the reservoir characteristics are reasonably well known.
Further benefits may be realized if the reservoir characteristics can be evaluated without flowing reservoir fluid to the surface as is done in typical drill stem tests. For example, environmental hazards, safety hazards, the cost of transporting drill stem testing equipment and crews to drilling sites, etc. may be reduced or eliminated if reservoir fluid is not flowed to the surface.
Still further benefits may be realized if reservoir characteristics can be known, or at least predicted with acceptable accuracy, without drilling into the reservoir. For example, the substantial cost of drilling could be avoided if the predicted reservoir characteristics do not justify the drilling cost; or the drilling location could be optimized to produce a maximum return on investment.

Method of reservoir characterization and delineation based on observations of displacements at the earth's surface


A digital camera includes a first frame formed of a thermal conductive material; an imaging unit disposed in front of the first frame; an optical system including lenses and focusing image light on the imaging unit; a first display unit disposed on a rear portion of the first frame; a first heat generator that located at a side surface of the optical system and disposed on a front portion of the first frame; a second heat generator disposed on a front portion of the first heat generator; a second frame formed of a thermal conductive material, and disposed between the first heat generator and the second heat generator; a third frame formed of a thermal conductive material, and disposed on a front portion of the second heat generator; and a second display unit disposed on a front portion of the third frame.

Various embodiments of the invention relate to a digital camera, and more particularly, to a digital camera capable of reducing heat generated by internal elements thereof.
Digital cameras, which have been replacing film cameras more and more, are apparatuses for converting light reflected from a subject to an electric signal to be stored as digital data, processing the stored image, or reproducing the image.
Since digital cameras have various electronic components, heat is generated inside the digital camera. In particular, a display device, a printed circuit board (PCB), and a battery chamber generate a lot of heat. The internal heat is transferred to a cover of the digital camera, which is formed of a metal material, and thus, a user of the digital camera may feel uncomfortable due to the heat or may misunderstand the heat as a malfunction of the digital camera.
As fabrication technologies of semiconductor devices have developed rapidly and consumer demand has become more varied, digital cameras have become smaller and thinner; however, the number of components installed in the digital camera has increased. For example, digital cameras having a plurality of display devices have been developed, and it is difficult to discharge the heat generated by the display devices. In addition, since the PCB in the digital camera is designed to have as small a size as possible, there is a limitation in reducing the heat generated by the PCB.


A standby system device 200 which is connected to an active system device 100 includes a process information sharing unit 203B and a standby process management unit 203C. The process information sharing unit 203B receives active side process information indicating usage of resources of an active system process 103A operating on the active system device 100 from the active system device 100. The standby process management unit 203C terminates a standby process 203A before activating a takeover process 203D used for taking over processing of the active system process 103A when a takeover of the active system process is requested on the standby system device 200, the standby process 203A referring to the active side process information and acquiring resources in such a way that usage of resources of the standby process 203A is equal to or greater than the usage of resources of the active system process 103A.

In a cluster system in which an active system device and a standby system device are connected by a network, at the time of a failure, fault, or periodic maintenance of the active system device, service processing performed on the active system device is taken over by the standby system device. However, because there is no guarantee that the takeover is carried out without fail, the reliability of the system decreases.
There are some factors which cause the failure of the takeover of the service processing. The biggest factor in this is a shortage of resources in the standby system device. In order to take over the service processing performed in the active system device by the standby system device, the standby system device has to acquire an amount of resources that is greater than the amount of resources (for example, a memory amount, a disk capacity, or the like) that is used in the active system device to perform the service processing. However, in the cluster system that is not configured as a hot standby, at a time at which the takeover is required, a process for the takeover is activated in the standby system device and the resources are acquired. Therefore, a status in which a sufficient amount of resources cannot be acquired occurs because of the shortage of resources in the standby system device at the time.
Accordingly, in order to prevent a failure of the takeover of the service processing caused by the shortage of resources in the standby system device, the following technology is proposed (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Publication No. 3248485). First, the active system device periodically detects usage of resources and notifies the standby system device. The standby system device compares the usage of the resources that is reported with an available amount of resources of the standby system device. When the available amount of resources of the standby system device is smaller than the usage of the resources of the active system device that is reported, the standby system device determines that the fault occurs and transmits a report showing abnormality.

Standby system device, a control method, and a program thereof


Novel processes for preparing hydridosiloxane and organohydridosiloxane resins are disclosed. The processes of the invention broadly provide for the steps of contacting a silane monomer with a phase transfer catalyst in the presence of a reaction mixture that includes a nonpolar, e.g., hydrocarbon, solvent, and a polar solvent, e.g., alcohol and water. The process is conducted under conditions effective to catalytically convert said silane monomer into hydridosiloxane and organohydridosiloxane resins. Recovery of the products is advantageously aided by the ease of separating the phase transfer catalyst from the dual phase reaction mixture by separating the immiscible polar solvent carrying the catalyst from the nonpolar solvent, that carries the product. Hydridosiloxane and organohydridosiloxane resins produced by the processes of the invention are also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the preparation of substrates used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. In particular, the invention provides new and improved methods for preparing siloxane resins, including hydridosiloxanes and organohydridosiloxanes, that are free of the many disadvantages that previously attended the preparation of such materials. More particularly, the invention pertains to synthetic methods that employ phase transfer catalysts that avoid the disadvantages of previously employed catalytic systems that required hazardous catalytic reagents. The invention also pertains to synthetic methods that avoid the need for additional washing and purification steps that have heretofore been believed to be required to produce such resins.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the art that siloxane based resins are useful in the electronic and semiconductor fields to coat silicon chips and other similar components. Such coatings protect the surface of substrates and form dielectric layers between electric conductors on integrated circuits. Such coatings can be used as protective coatings, interlevel dielectric layers, doped dielectric layers to produce transistor like devices, pigment loaded binder systems containing silicon to produce capacitor and capacitor like devices, multilayer devices, 3-D devices, silicon on insulator devices, coatings for superconductors, superlattice devices and the like. These resins include hydridosiloxanes and organohydridosiloxanes containing a significant portion of organic moieties.
The production of siloxane resins, such as silsesquioxane resins, is well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,564 describes the production of polyhydrogensilsesquioxane resins for electronic coatings. However, the process employs dangerous fuming sulfuric acid/sulfuric acid as a catalyst to produce polyhydrogensilsesquioxane. The product was contaminated with significant levels of trace metals despite washing in multiple steps with water containing decreasing percentages of sulfuric acid, followed by removal of all traces of water by azeotropic distillation. In an attempt to remedy these shortcomings, U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,190 describes fractionation of the silsesquioxane product using polar and nonpolar solvents. Other attempts to remedy these deficiencies in the production of silsesquioxane compounds employed supercritical fluid extraction in the purification process, as described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,267 and employed fuming/concentrated sulfuric acid but with CaCO3 neutralization, as described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,159.
It is also known that the dielectric constant of such insulating films is an important factor where integrated circuits or IC""s with low power consumption, cross-talk, and signal delay are required. As IC dimensions continue to shrink this factor increases in importance. As a result, siloxane based resin materials, and methods for making such materials, that can provide insulating films with dielectric constants below 3.0 are very desirable. In addition, it would be desirable to have siloxane-based resins, and methods for making the resins, that provide such low dielectric constant films and which additionally have a high resistance to cracking. It would also be desirable for such films to have low stress when formed in thickness of approximately 1.0 micron (xcexcm) or greater. Additionally, it would be desirable for such siloxane-based resins, and methods for making, to provide low dielectric constant films via standard processing techniques. In this manner curing processes that require an ammonia or ammonia derivative type of atmosphere (See, U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,723, Sep. 8, 1992, Ballance et al.), an ozone atmosphere (See, U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,532, Haluska et al.), or other non-standard type of semiconductor process, are avoided.
Thus, it would be desirable to produce useful siloxane coating compositions, such as hydridosiloxane and organohydridosiloxane resins, by methods which are both efficient and which do not employ toxic catalytic reagents. It has now surprisingly been found that a reaction employing a phase transfer catalyst will produce the desired siloxane resins while avoiding all of the above described shortcomings of previous methods.
The processes of the invention provide for production of siloxane resins such as, for example, hydridosiloxanes and hydridosilsesquioxanes as well as organohydridosilsesquioxanes and organohydridosiloxanes, in high yield, by catalyzing the hydrolysis and condensation of a monomer precursor having the general formula of R1SiX3. In this formula, X is a halogen or OR2, and R1 and R2 are independently H or an alkyl or aryl functional group. When R1 and/or R2 is not H, either or both is independently a substituted or unsubstituted, straight or branched alkyl group, cycloalkyl group and/or aryl group, or a combination thereof. Thus, one, or optionally more than one, kind of phase transfer catalyst is employed in the hydrolysis and condensation of the above-described starting compounds, or monomeric precursors, to form desired siloxane resins.
The processes of the invention therefore include the steps of contacting a silane monomer with a phase transfer catalyst in the presence of a reaction mixture comprising a nonpolar, e.g., hydrocarbon, solvent, a polar solvent, e.g., alcohol and water, under conditions effective to catalytically convert said silane monomer into hydridosiloxanes and organohydridosiloxanes; and thereafter recovering the produced hydridosiloxanes and organohydridosiloxanes.
The processes of the invention are preferably conducted employing a dual phase solvent system. Further, the process is preferably conducted while protected from atmospheric oxygen, e.g., the reaction is conducted in a container that has been purged of oxygen and that is maintained in a flow of an inert gas, e.g., nitrogen gas (N2). In particular, the process is conducted by adding one or more monomer precursors, as described above, such as, trichlorosilane and/or one or more organotrichlorosilanes, or other art-known silane monomers, to a mixture that includes, but is not limited to, a phase transfer catalyst, a hydrocarbon solvent, alcohol and water. Once the reaction is complete, the reaction mixture is e.g., filtered, settled or centrifuged to remove any filterable impurities or precipitants and the phase transfer catalyst is removed by phase separation, e.g., by separation of the aqueous phase. The remaining hydrocarbon solvent, e.g., hexane, is then dried and evaporated to leave the product, typically a white solid. Thereafter, the recovered solid may optionally be slurried in a suitable hydrocarbon solvent to remove residual low molecular weight components, and then the solvent evaporated to leave desired product. The resulting product can be formulated in a suitable solvent for use as a spin-on polymer by methods well known to the art.
The weight average molecular weight (xe2x80x9cMwxe2x80x9d) of the produced polymer can range from about 400 to about 300,000 atomic mass units (xe2x80x9camuxe2x80x9d). In another embodiment, the Mw of the produced polymer can range from about 10,000 to about 80,000 amu, depending on the reaction conditions. In a more particular embodiment, the Mw of the produced polymer can range from about 4,500 to about 75,000 amu. Simply by way of example and with no limitation intended, it has been confirmed that materials produced by the methods of the invention having, e.g., Mw""s of about 20,000, about 40,000 and about 60,000 amu have good coating properties.
Thus, the invention provides methods for producing useful siloxanes, such as hydridosiloxanes and organohydridosiloxanes, using suitable starting materials and solvents. In particular, it has surprisingly been discovered that the processes of the invention are efficiently catalyzed by a phase transfer catalyst. Catalysts according to the invention include quaternary ammonium salts (R4N+Xxe2x88x92). Advantageously, quaternary ammonium salts are soluble in polar, e.g., aqueous solvents, and are also lightly soluble in nonpolar, e.g., hydrocarbon or organic solvents.
Accordingly, the invention provides for novel and unexpected processes for preparing useful compounds, e.g., resins, as described above. In addition, while the invention is described with reference to various embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented as examples and not limitations of this invention. Thus, various modifications or adaptations of the specific materials and methods may become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such modifications, adaptations or variations that rely upon the teachings of the present invention as illustrated by the embodiments herein, are considered to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Any precursor conforming to the general formula given above may be employed in the process of the invention. Thus, the precursor is generally R1SiX3, wherein X is a halogen or OR2, and R1 and R2 are independently H or an alkyl or aryl functional group and when R1 and/or R2 is not H, either or both is independently a substituted or unsubstituted, straight or branched alkyl group, cycloalkyl group and/or aryl group, or a combination thereof Thus, in one embodiment X is a halogen, and preferably is chlorine. More preferably, the three X moieties are the same, e.g., HSiCl3. In another preferred embodiment, R1 is as described above and X is OR2, wherein R2 is an alkyl and/or aryl substituent chosen to provide the desired reaction product. Simply by way of example, R2 alkyl substituents are C1 through C20, or more, in size, and may be straight chain, branched or cyclic in form. Aryl substituents can, in turn, include straight or branched alkyl, aryl and heteroaryl substituents that are preferably C5 through C20, or greater, in size, and are themselves, in turn, optionally alkyl and/or aryl substituted. In a preferred embodiment, all R2""s are the same and, in another preferred embodiment, are all C2H5xe2x80x94. In other optional embodiments, X is X1, X2 and X3 and each of X1, X2 and X3 is independently selected from a halogen and/or OR2, wherein R2 is defined as above. Examples of silane precursors useful according to the invention include, but are not limited to, trichlorosilane, methyltrichlorosilane, ethyltrichlorosilane, propyltrichlorosilane, n-butyltrichlorosilane, cyclohexyltrichlorosilane, phenyltrichlorosilane, and triethoxysilane, to name but a few. Of course, the artisan will appreciate that any other art-known silane monomers and/or derivatives may be employed as precursors in the processes of the invention and that, optionally, the precursors may be employed singly or in combination, depending on the desired end product.
Any suitable solvent systems may be used in the processes of the invention. Preferably, the processes of the invention employ a dual phase solvent system that includes a continuous phase non-polar solvent and a polar solvent.
Non-Polar Solvents
Non-polar solvents employed in the processes of the invention include, but are not limited to, any suitable aliphatic or aromatic compounds or a mixture of any or all such suitable compounds, the operational definition of xe2x80x9csuitablexe2x80x9d in the present context includes the functional characteristics of:
1) solubilizing the precursor, e.g., monomeric trihalosilane compounds,
2) solubilizing the polymeric products as they are formed and increase in molecular weight during the reaction process,
3) stabilizing the polymeric products in the solvent, and
4) rendering unwanted reaction products insoluble in the non-polar solvent for ease of removal.
Exemplary non-polar solvents include, but are not limited to, pentane, hexane, heptane, cyclohexane, benzene, toluene, xylene, halogenated solvents such as carbon tetrachloride and mixtures thereof.
Polar Solvents
The polar phase of the solvent is substantially immiscible with the non-polar solvent phase, and includes any suitable art-known polar solvents, including, but not limited to, water, alcohols, and water alcohol mixtures. The amount of alcohol present is preferably sufficient to ensure solubility of the reactive intermediates. In particular, exemplary alcohols and other polar solvents suitable for use in the polar phase include, but are not limited to, water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, glycerol, diethyl ether, tetrahydrofiran, diglyme and mixtures thereof In one embodiment, the polar solvent includes a water/alcohol mixture wherein the water is present in an amount sufficient to preferentially solubilize ionic impurities not soluble in alcohol, and/or preclude solvent extraction of product compounds that might otherwise be soluble in alcohol. The polar solvent phase advantageously retains the hydrochloric acid (HCl) condensation product and any metal salt or other ionic contaminants, that may be present. As essentially all ionic contaminants are retained in the polar solvent phase, the hydridosiloxane and/or organohydridosiloxane product of this invention is of high purity and contains essentially no ionic contaminants.
It has been found that a polar solvent to non-polar solvent ratio of between about 5 percent weight to weight (% w/w) to 80% w/w is desirable and between about 9% w/w to about 40% w/w is preferred.
In order to protect the reaction mixture from exposure to atmospheric oxygen, the reaction is preferably conducted while isolated from the atmosphere by a suitable enclosure and/or a protective flow of a sufficient quantity of any nonreactive, i.e. chemically inert gas, e.g., helium, argon and nitrogen gas. For the instant processes, nitrogen gas is generally preferred as the most cost effective. Further, the reaction vessel is preferably purged of atmospheric contaminants, A oxygen, by a flow of inert gas, prior to commencing the reaction process. More preferably, e.g., when the reaction takes place in an open-top vessel, a blanket of flowing inert gas is maintained over the reaction mixture during the reaction process.
In conducting the reaction process of the invention, a silane precursor, e.g., in certain embodiments a trichlorosilane, alone or in combination with one or more different silane precursors, is added to a mixture of catalyst, non-polar solvent, and polar solvent to form a reaction mixture. The polymerization reaction is allowed to proceed, preferably with mixing. Upon completion of the polymerization reaction, the reaction mixture is, e.g., filtered to remove undesirable precipitates, the polar solvent is separated, carrying away the soluble phase transfer catalyst, and the solution is dried and then evaporated to leave a white solid. This solid is then optionally slurried in a hydrocarbon solvent to remove residual low molecular weight material, and finally evaporated to leave the desired product. The so-produced siloxane polymers are suitable for any art-known use, such as formulation in a suitable solvent for use as a spin-on-dielectric film.
The processes of the invention may be conducted at any appropriate temperature, ranging, simply by way of example, from about 10xc2x0 C. to about 40xc2x0 C. For example, the reaction may be conducted in an externally heated or cooled reaction vessel, such as, e.g., a water-jacketed reaction vessel. The artisan will appreciate that reaction temperatures will vary depending on the levels of exothermic energy release (when present) of any particular desired reaction process. Thus, the reaction vessel is optionally cooled or heated to achieve an optimal range of reaction temperature, as determined by the time-course and yieldxe2x80x94as evidenced by routine testing of a particular desired process. Preferably, the inventive processes are conducted at room temperature, which is generally considered to be about 25xc2x0 C.
The processes of the invention are optionally conducted for a wide range of time durations. Essentially, the longer that the reaction mixture is stirred, the higher will be the Mw of the product produced by that reaction, when all other parameters are constant. Simply by way of example, the reaction processes of the invention are conducted for a time ranging from about 1-4 minutes to about 12 hours, or more.
It has unexpectedly been found that the processes of the invention are catalyzed by phase transfer catalysts, e.g., quaternary ammonium salts (R4N+Xxe2x88x92) that are soluble in aqueous or polar solvents, and are also slightly soluble in nonpolar, e.g., hydrocarbon or organic solvents. This solubility allows the catalyzed reaction process being conducted in a dual phase solvent system to occur not just at the interface of the two solvent phases, but also in the nonpolar or organic solvent layer. The quaternary ammonium salts are basic catalysts and catalyze the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of the silane precursors employed in the processes of the invention, e.g., catalyzing the reaction of chlorosilanes to form the desired siloxane resins according to the invention. Any catalytically active, art known quaternary ammonium salt or salts may be employed in the processes of the invention. Thus, for a quaternary ammonium salt having the structure of R4N+Xxe2x88x92, each R can be the same or different, and each R can independently be straight alkyl, branched alkyl cycloalkyl, aryl and/or a combination or variation of these features. Each R can be of any size suitable for the purpose, provided that the resulting quaternary ammonium salt remains soluble in polar, e.g., aqueous solution and sparingly soluble in nonpolar, e.g., hydrocarbon solution and retains useful catalytic activity. X is any suitable anionic moiety, e.g., including halogen and sulfates, to name but few.
The artisan will appreciate that the amount or concentration of catalyst will depend, for example, upon the particular reaction to be catalyzed, the particular catalyst selected and the desired product molecular weight range and yield of that desired product.
Generally, and simply by way of example, the quaternary ammonium salts will be present in the reaction mixture in catalytically effective amounts, e.g., in a ratio of catalyst to silane precursor ranging from about 0.1 to about 10 percent (mol/mol) or in a ratio of catalyst to silane precursor ranging from about 0.1 to about 5 percent (mol/mol). Of course, these amounts will be routinely varied depending upon the particular reaction conditions of interest.
The Examples below provide confirmation of the catalytic utility of several quaternary ammonium salts in the processes of the invention. The artisan will appreciate that other quaternary ammonium salts will be readily employed in conducting the processes of the invention. For example, the catalytic properties of additional quaternary ammonium salts are readily determined by conducting the desired reaction process in the presence of a quaternary ammonium salt of interest and assaying for production of the desired siloxane resins by art known methods, as illustrated in the Examples given below. In any event, suitable quaternary ammonium salts for catalytic use in the processes of the invention include, for example, the chlorides of tetrabutylammonium, benzyltrimethylammonium, tetraethylammonium, benzyltributylammonium, cetyltrimethylamrnonium, as well as tetrabutylammonium bromide, methyltrioctylammonium bromide and others too numerous to mention. Preferably, tetrabutylammonium chloride and benzyltrimethylammonium chloride are used to catalyze the inventive processes.
Polymers usefully produced by the processes of the invention include, simply by way of example and without limitation, hydridosiloxane e.g., hydridosilsesquioxanes and organohydridosiloxane resins such as, for example, hydridomethylsiloxane, hydridoethylsiloxane, hydridopropylsiloxane, hydridobutylsiloxane, hydridotert-butylsiloxane, hydridophenylsiloxane, hydridomethylsilsesquioxane, hydridoethylsilsesquioxane, hydridopropylsilsesquioxane, hydridobutylsilsesquioxane, hydridotert-butylsilsesquioxane and hydridophenylsilsesquioxane, to name but a few.
Thus, the hydridosiloxane resins produced by the processes of the present invention can have, e.g., one of the following six general formulas:
wherein:
p is an integer ranging in value from about 8 to about 5000;
the sum of n and w is an integer ranging in value from about 8 to about 5000;
the sum of n and m is from about 8 to about 5000, and m is selected such that the organic substituent is present from about 1 to about 99 Mole percent (Mol %), or greater. In another embodiment, m is selected such that the organic substituent is present in an amount ranging from about 4 to about 40 Mole percent (Mol %). In yet another embodiment, m is selected such that the organic substituent is present in an amount ranging from about 4 to about 20 Mole percent (Mol %). In yet a further emdodiment m is selected such that the organic substituent is present in an amount ranging from about 40 Mol percent to about 90 Mol percent.
wherein:
the sum of x, y and z is from about 8 to about 5000 and y is selected such that the organic substituent is present up is selected such that the organic substituent is present from about 1 to about 99 Mole percent (Mol %), or greater. In another embodiment, y is selected such that the organic substituent is present in an amount ranging from about 4 to about 40 Mole percent (Mol %). In yet another embodiment, y is selected such that the organic substituent is present in an amount ranging from about 4 to about 20 Mole percent (Mol %). In yet a further emdodiment y is selected such that the organic substituent is present in an amount ranging from about 40 Mol percent to about 90 Mol percent.
In a further embodiment, R1 is selected from substituted and unsubstituted organic groups including normal and branched alkyl groups, cycloalkyl groups, aryl groups, and mixtures thereof; and the specific Mol % of organic or carbon containing substituents is a function of the ratio of the amounts of starting materials.
In some embodiments of the inventive processes, the product will have substituted and unsubstituted normal and branched alkyl groups having between about 1 and 20 carbons; the product will have substituted and unsubstituted cycloalkyl groups having between about 4 and 10 carbons and the product will have substituted and unsubstituted aryl groups have between about 6 and 20 carbons.
For example, where R1 is an alkyl group, R1 includes, but is not limited to, methyl, chloromethyl and ethyl groups, and the normal and branched propyl, 2-chloropropyl, butyl, pentyl and hexyl groups. Where R1 is a cycloalkyl group, R1 includes but is not limited to cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, chlorocyclohexyl and cycloheptyl groups; where R is an aryl group, R includes but is not limited to phenyl, naphthyl, tolyl and benzyl groups. It will be understood, that the specific carbon content of any specific organohydridosiloxane resin, in accordance with this invention, is a function of the mole ratio of organotrihalosilane(s) to hydridotrihalosilane starting materials employed.
Advantageously, products produced by processes in accordance with the present invention are polymers having a caged structure with a polymer backbone encompassing alternate silicon and oxygen atoms. In particular, each backbone silicon atom is bonded to at least three backbone oxygen atoms to form the aforementioned cage structure. Essentially all additional silicon bonds are only to hydrogen and the organic substituents, when present, defined in Formulae 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Thus, polymers of the present invention have essentially no hydroxyl or alkoxy groups bonded to backbone silicon atoms and cross-linking reactions are suppressed.
In contrast, previously known organosiloxane resins had high levels of alkoxy groups bonded to backbone silicon atoms, thus significant hydrolysis to form silanol groups was observed. This hydrolysis resulted in higher dielectric constants for the as-cured polymer films formed from those previously known resins, as well as reduced shelf life of solutions of these resins. The latter effect was reported to be caused by unwanted chain lengthening and cross-linking.
Thus, the processes of the invention, by providing only hydrogen and organic groups directly bonded to backbone silicon atoms, advantageously avoids unwanted chain lengthening and cross-linking caused by condensation of the hydroxyl or silanol groups. Consequently, in an additional benefit, the shelf life of solutions of organohydridosiloxane resins produced by the processes of the invention is significantly prolonged over similar resin solutions produced by previously employed processes.
The polymer component is generally produced by the inventive processes in an amount ranging from about 20% to about 90% Mol. percent of the staring materials. In particular, the product is produced at a yield ranging from about 35 to about 75% Mol. percent of the starting materials.
The following characteristics encompass non-limiting measurements that illustrate the properties of the above-described organohydridosiloxane polymer resins produced by the novel processes of the present invention. The methods of measurement used are as follows:
1) Film Thickness (A): Film thickness is measured using a calibrated Nanospec(copyright) AFT-Y CTS-102 model 010-180 Film Thickness Measurement System available from Nanometrics, Co. An average of measurements at five locations on a wafer are reported as the film thickness for each sample.
2) Molecular Weight (xe2x80x9cMWxe2x80x9d): Molecular weight is determined referenced to polystyrene standards using a gel phase chromatography (xe2x80x9cGPCxe2x80x9d) system from Waters Corporation, Milford, Mass., equipped with a Waters 510 pump, Waters 410 differential refractometer and a Waters 717 autosampler. The procedure used is as set forth by S. Rosen in xe2x80x9cFundamental Principles of Polymeric Materials, pages 53-81, (2nd Ed. 1993) and incorporated herein by reference.


A double-wall-tube heat exchanger has outer and inner tubes. A clearance between the outer and inner tubes and the interior of the inner tube serve as refrigerant flow paths. Opposite end portions of the inner tube project from opposite ends of the outer tube. The outer tube includes expanded portions formed near the opposite ends. Contracted portions are formed on the outer tube to be located on the outer sides of the expanded portions, and are brazed to the inner tube. Longitudinally extending ridges project radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the outer tube at predetermined circumferential intervals. The ridges on the inner circumferential surfaces of the expanded portions and the contracted portions are crushed. The clearances between the inner tube and portions of the contracted portions of the outer tube where the ridges are not formed are filled with a brazing filler metal.

The present invention relates to a double-wall-tube heat exchanger and, more particularly, to a double-wall-tube heat exchanger which has an outer tube, and an inner tube provided in and spaced apart from the outer tube.
Herein, the term "condenser" refers to not only an ordinary condenser but also a subcooling condenser, which has a condensing section and a supercooling section.
A conventionally proposed refrigeration cycle for use in a car air conditioner includes a compressor; a condenser having a condensing section and a supercooling section; an evaporator; an expansion valve serving as a pressure-reducing device; a vapor-liquid separator; and an intermediate heat exchanger disposed between the condenser and the evaporator and adapted to perform heat exchange between a high-temperature refrigerant from the supercooling section of the condenser and a low-temperature refrigerant from the evaporator (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2006-162238). In the refrigeration cycle described in the publication, the refrigerant which has been supercooled in the supercooling section of the condenser is further cooled in the intermediate heat exchanger by the low-temperature refrigerant from the evaporator. By this procedure, the cooling performance of the evaporator is improved.
The intermediate heat exchanger used in the refrigeration cycle described in the above-mentioned publication is a double-wall-tube heat exchanger which has an outer tube, and an inner tube disposed in and spaced apart from the outer tube. A clearance between the outer tube and the inner tube serves as a high-temperature refrigerant flow path through which the high-temperature refrigerant from the condenser flows, and the interior of the inner tube serves as a low-temperature refrigerant flow path through which the low-temperature refrigerant from the evaporator flows. Opposite end portions of the inner tube project from opposite end portions of the outer tube. Expanded portions are formed on the outer tube near the opposite ends thereof. A refrigerant inflow pipe which communicates with the refrigerant flow path between the outer tube and the inner tube is connected to one expanded portion, and a refrigerant outflow pipe which communicates with the refrigerant flow path between the outer tube and the inner tube is connected to the other expanded portion. Contracted portions are formed on the outer tube to be located on the outer sides of the expanded portions without respect to the longitudinal direction thereof, and are brazed to the inner tube.
Incidentally, in the case where the refrigeration cycle described in the above-mentioned publication is used in a car air conditioner, in some cases, an intermediate portion of the intermediate heat exchanger with respect to the longitudinal direction thereof must be bent at least one location in order to reduce a required install space of the intermediate heat exchanger in the engine compartment of an automobile. However, at the bent portion, the outer tube deforms, and the high-temperature refrigerant flow path collapses, so that its cross sectional area decreases, which raises a problem of increased pressure loss.
In the case of the double-wall-tube heat exchanger described in the publication, the groove portions of the inner tube not only increase the heat transmission area between the refrigerants flowing through the two flow paths, but also prevent collapse of the high-temperature refrigerant flow path at the bent portion, which collapse would decrease the cross sectional area of the high-temperature refrigerant flow path.
However, since the groove portions of the inner tube of the double-wall-tube heat exchanger described in the publication are formed by means of performing additional work on a manufactured inner tube over a relatively wide area so as to deform the tube wall, the conventional double-wall-tube heat exchanger has a problem in that the additional work is troublesome.