The present invention discloses a ZCS discontinuous mode PFC controller having a power saving modulator. The controller turns on through the feedback resistor and the parasitic diode of the controller, thus eliminating the need for a startup resistor. To achieve ZCS, the inductor current is released to zero, while the switching signal is off, before the next switching cycle starts. In order to decrease the switching frequency for light load conditions, an off-time delay is inserted right before the start of every switching cycle. The off-time delay is modulated to be the function of the feedback voltage and supply voltage. When the supply voltage is lower than the limit voltage, the off-time delay will decrease to inhibit the decrease of a switching frequency therefore prevents a low supply voltage. The switching frequency is decreased in accordance with the decrease of the load. Consequently, the switching losses and power consumption for light load and no load conditions are reduced.

The present invention relates to a power factor correction (PFC) controller and an operation method thereof, and more particularly to a controller for a discontinuous mode PFC controller having a power saving modulator and operation method thereof
Most power factor correction techniques incorporate and utilize a boost topology, which can be operated in either a continuous or a discontinuous inductor current mode at a fixed or a variable switching frequency. The continuous inductor current mode operated at a fixed switching frequency is used for higher power applications because of a low peak current applied and operated. For applications below 250 watts, the usage of the discontinuous inductor current mode operated with the variable switching frequency provides several advantages including small inductors, low costs, simple circuits, and zero current switching (ZCS). A pulse width of a power factor correction (PFC) controller is controlled by a voltage error amplifier, which is compared to a saw-tooth waveform generated by the controller. The pulse width varies with line and load conditions, but should be maintained constant for a half of a line cycle. Therefore, it is necessary for the voltage error amplifier to have a lower frequency bandwidth that below the line frequency.
The ZCS includes several advantages in applications. One advantage is that the inductor current must be released to zero before a next switching cycle is started which produces high switching efficiency. Since the change of the inductor current is equal to the peak inductor current and the current starts and returns to zero in each cycle, the current waveform has a triangular shape with an average value equal to one-half of the peak current multiplied by its time. Thus, the peak current is limited to exactly twice the average current. Since ZCS is switched right on the edging of the continuous and discontinuous current modes, the operation will be in variable switching frequency. Determined by the line input and output load, the pulse width of the switching signal is modulated, the switching frequency turns into low for heavy load conditions and becomes high in response to the light load conditions. The low-bandwidth pulse width modulation (PWM) incorporates ZCS to provide a natural power factor correction for the input current.
In recent prior arts, the ZCS varieties of the discontinuous current PFC controllers have been developed for the power factor correction control. Among them, the PFC controllers include the ST6561 of ST-Microelectronics, France; the MC34262 of ON-Semiconductor, Colorado; and the TDA4862 of Siemens, Germany. All of these controllers are designed to operate in a high frequency for a light load condition and/or no load condition. The switching losses of the power converter and the PFC booster are proportional to the switching frequency, in which the switching loss of the switching transistor, the power consumption of the snubber and the inductor losses are increased in accordance with a higher switching frequency. The drawback of the forgoing controllers is that under high frequency operation in the light load condition, it is difficult for the power converter to meet the energy conservation requirement, especially for light load and no load conditions. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a PFC controller that maintains the PFC function and provides low power consumption for light load.
An objective of the invention is to provide a zero current switching (ZCS) discontinuous mode PFC controller to provide high efficiency PFC, as well as reducing the power consumption of PFC controller under light load conditions.
Another objective of the invention is to eliminate the need of start-up resistors, which in turn, saves power.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a method of limiting the maximum output power of the PFC controller for under-voltage protection.
The present invention is related to a ZCS discontinuous mode PFC controller. When the line voltage is applied to the PFC converter, the feedback resistor and a parasitic diode of the controller startup the controller. Once the controller is turned on, a transistor will switch the feedback resistor to turn into the divider of the voltage feedback loop. For the PFC, an external resistor is used to determine the maximum on-time of the switching signal, thus limit the maximum output power. While the switching signal is off; the inductor current will be released to zero before the next switching cycle is started which achieves ZCS. In order to decrease the switching frequency for light load conditions, an off-time delay is inserted right before the start of every switching cycle. The feedback voltage, which is derived from the voltage feedback loop, and the supply voltage are taken as the variable. The off-time delay is modulated to be the function of the feedback voltage and supply voltage. A threshold voltage is a constant that defines the level of the light load. A limit voltage defines the low-level of the supply voltage. Once the feedback voltage decreases and is lower than the threshold voltage, the off-time delay will be increased accordingly. When the supply voltage is lower than the limit voltage, the off-time delay is decreased to inhibit the decrease of the switching frequency, therefore, preventing a low supply voltage. The switching frequency is decreased in accordance with the decrease of the load. Consequently, this reduces the switching losses and power consumption for light load and no load conditions.

Discontinuous mode PFC controller having a power saving modulator and operation method thereof


A plurality of parameters included in a predetermined illumination equation which defines a brightness are acquired for each pixel of an image. For each of the parameters, a homogeneous region including pixels which are similar in value of the parameter is specified. In each of the specified homogeneous region, each of the parameters is converted according to details of the predetermined image conversion. The brightness of each pixel of a second image is determined using the values of the parameters obtained after the conversion.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image processing technique and specifically to a technique for realizing image conversion, such as upsizing, downsizing, and the like, image compression, and texture mapping.
2. Background Art
Due to digitalization of image-related devices and networks, connection of any image-related devices has been possible, and the flexibility of image exchange has been improving. Further, an environment for users to freely handle images (pictures) without being restricted by difference in system has been constructed. For example, users can print images captured by a digital still camera, lay open the images on a network, and view the images on a household television set.
In the meanwhile, systems need to comply with various image formats and, naturally, a higher technique is required in image format conversions. For example, conversion of image size frequently occurs and, in such a case, an up-converter (converter for increasing the number of pixels or the number of lines) and down-converter (converter for decreasing the number of pixels or the number of lines) are necessary. For example, in the case of printing an image with the resolution of 600 dpi on an A4 (297 mm×210 mm) paper, a document of 7128 pixels×5040 lines is necessary, but many digital still cameras are short of this size, and therefore, an up-converter is necessary. On the other hand, an image laid open on a network does not have a definite final output form. Therefore, every time an output device is selected, the image needs to be converted to have an image size compliant with the selected output device. As for the household television set, since digital terrestrial broadcasting services have been started, conventional standard television images and HD (High Definition) television images are mixed. Thus, conversion of image size is frequently carried out.
If there are various image sizes, the significance of scalability in image compression becomes higher. The scalability means, in some cases, extracting standard television image data and, in other cases, extracting HD television image data from one bit stream. In other words, the scalability means the flexibility in extracting image data of various image sizes. If the scalability is secured, it is not necessary to prepare a transmission path for every format, and only a small transmission capacity is required.
Image conversion, such as image upsizing, image downsizing, and the like, is frequently employed for texture mapping in computer graphics (designs and patterns appearing on a photograph subject are generically referred to as "texture(s)"). Texture mapping is a method for expressing the patterns and textures on the surface of an object by placing two-dimensional images over the surface of a three-dimensional object created in a computer. To place the two-dimensional images so as to comply with the direction of the surface of the three-dimensional object, it is necessary to carry out processes, such as upsizing, downsizing, deformation, rotation, etc., on the two-dimensional images (see non-patent document 1).
Conventionally, the processes, such as image upsizing, image downsizing, image compression, etc., take advantage of the difference in brightness among a plurality of pixels.
In image upsizing, brightness values are interpolated according to a bilinear method, bicubic method, or the like, in order to newly generate image data which does not exist at the time of sampling (see non-patent document 1). In interpolation, only intermediate values of sampling data can be generated, and therefore, the sharpness of an edge, or the like, shows a tendency to deteriorate. In view of such, there has been a technique wherein an interpolated image is used as an initial upsized image and, thereafter, an edge portion is extracted to emphasize only the edge (disclosed in non-patent documents 2 and 3). Especially in non-patent document 3, multi-resolution representation and Lipschitz index are employed, such that an edge is selectively emphasized according to the sharpness of the edge.
In image downsizing, some pixels are deleted. If pixels which are at separate positions before downsizing are placed adjacent to each other, continuity is marred so that moire fringes occur. To avoid such a problem, in general, the data is subjected to a low-pass filter before some pixels are deleted to obtain a smooth brightness variation, and thereafter the some pixels are deleted.
In image compression, a high correlation in brightness between adjacent pixels is utilized. To express the correlation in brightness, a spatial frequency component is divided into quadrature components. In general, discrete cosine transform is utilized for orthogonal transformation, and energy is concentrated at low-frequency terms because of high correlation in brightness between adjacent pixels. Thus, high-frequency terms are deleted, whereby image information is compressed (see non-patent document 4).    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-149390.    [Non-patent Document 1] Shinji Araya, Clear commentary on 3D computer graphics, Kyoritsu Shuppan Co., Ltd., pp. 144-145, Sep. 25, 2003.    [Non-patent Document 2] H. Greenspan, C. H. Anderson, "Image enhancement by non-linear extrapolation in frequency space", SPIE Vol. 2182 Image and Video Processing II, 1994.    [Non-patent Document 3] Makoto Nakashizu, et al., "Increase in resolution of image in multi-scale brightness gradient plane", The IEICE transactions (Japanese Edition), D-II Vol. J81-D-II No. 10 pp. 2249-2258, October 1998.    [Non-patent Document 4] Broadband+Mobile Standard MPEG textbook: Point-by-point illustration edited by Multimedia Communication Study Group, ASCII Corporation, pp. 25-29, Feb. 11, 2003.    [Non-patent Document 5] Image Processing Handbook edited by Image Processing Handbook Editorial Committee, Shokodo Co., Ltd., pp. 393, Jun. 8, 1987.    [Non-patent Document 6] Shinji Umeyama, "Separation of diffuse and specular components of surface reflection—using multiple observations through a polarizer and probabilistic independence property", Symposium on image recognition and understanding 2002, pp. I-469-pp. I-476, 2002.

Method, device, and program for image conversion, method, device and program for texture mapping, and server-client system


A seal structure is disclosed in which self-aligning bearings have flanges fastened to respective ends of the inner and outer rings. The flanges overlap with an annular gap between them. A sealing ring having two sealing lips is fixed to one of the flanges. The other flange has an axially extending portion which is concentric with the axis of the bearing and has a spherical outer surface. In one embodiment, one sealing lip extends across the gap and presses against the spherically curved surface. This sealing lip remains sealed to the outer surface even when the bearing rings swing out of alignment with one another. The second sealing lip rests against an approximately radial portion of one of the flanges to improve the sealing action. A second embodiment contains an additional third sealing lip, which is obliquely inclined toward the spherically curved portion of the flange. A third embodiment contains a further leg attached to the spherically curved portion of the flange which extends close to the other surface flange, creating a labyrinth pre-seal which is better able to retain the lubricant in the bearing space.

This invention relates to a seal for self-aligning bearings and more specifically relates to a novel seal for such bearings.
A prior art seal is disclosed in Federal Republic of Germany published application 0S 37 09344 includes a sheet metal ring fastened both on the outer ring and on the respective inner ring of the bearing. One of the sheet metal rings has on it at least one sealing ring, and the sealing ring has a lip which comes to rest on the other facing sheet metal ring and therefore seals off the space within which the bearing rollers are contained. One disadvantage of this embodiment is that, particularly in the case of a large angular swing of the rings of the self-aligning bearing, the sheet metal rings shift so that gaps can occur between the sealing lips and the sheet metal rings. Only a small range of swing can readily be accommodated without experiencing problems with the resilient sealing lips.


Disclosed is an induction heating system for a motor-driven vehicle (VC), which comprises a polyphase-type AC motor (1) adapted to drive the vehicle (VC), an electrical storage device (10) which stores an electric power to be supplied to the AC motor (1), a DC-AC converter (11) adapted to convert a direct current from the electrical storage device (10) into an alternating current and supply the alternating current to the AC motor (1), and an induction heating coil (C or C1 to C3) adapted to receive a supply of the alternating current from the DC-AC converter (11), to inductively heat a target component mounted to the vehicle (VC). The induction heating system of the present invention can efficiently inductively heat the target component without providing an additional converter exclusively for induction heating.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an induction heating system for inductively heating a given component mounted to a motor-driven vehicle
2. Description of the Background Art
In a vehicle, such as an automobile, there is a frequent need for heating (warming) a given component mounted thereto (such a component required to be heated will hereinafter be referred to as "target component"). For example, it is required to heat an air-conditioning heater core as a target component to warm a vehicle-interior space, and, in an engine-equipped vehicle, to heat an exhaust gas purifying catalyst as a target component to quickly activate the catalyst. In this connection, JP 2006-151199A discloses an air-conditioning system comprising a heater (auxiliary heater) which is disposed immediately downstream of a heater core and provided with a direct current (DC) resistor (heat-generating element) to secondarily heat air-conditioning air.
As one type of vehicle, there has been known a vehicle adapted to be driven by a motor (hereinafter referred to as "motor-driven vehicle"). It has also been known to use an alternating current (AC) motor as the vehicle-driving motor in view of energy efficiency and other factors. In the motor-driven vehicle using an AC motor, a DC-AC converter (i.e., inverter) is provided to convert a direct current from an electrical storage device into an alternating current and supply the alternating current to the AC motor.
The above heater using the DC resistor (heat-generating element) has extremely poor energy efficiency. Although it is contemplated to heat the heater by means of induction heating, this approach gives rise to a need for additionally providing a DC-AC converter for converting a direct current into an alternating current, which causes a problem about an increase in cost and the number of components.

Induction heating system for a motor-driven vehicle


A method, system, and terminal are provided for controlling travel of transport vehicles within a transfer zone. The transfer zone connects an automatic region for automatically guided transport vehicles to a manual region for manually guided transport vehicles. The transport vehicles travelling through the transfer zone in order to deliver or pick up containers in the transfer zone are granted or refused authorization to enter the transfer zone in order to travel through the transfer zone. In the absence of granted authorization for entry of a manually guided transport vehicle into a transfer region of the transfer zone, an intervention is automatically implemented in a controller of the transport vehicle in such a way that at least full entry, but optionally even partial entry, to the transfer zone is prevented.

Transport vehicles for containers such as gantry lift devices are known from DE 10 2011 001 847 A1, for example. Such gantry lift devices are also referred to as gantry lift trucks, gantry lift stackers, gantry lift stacker trucks, gantry stacker trucks, straddle carriers, van carriers, shuttle carriers, sprinter carriers or runners. Gantry lift devices conventionally include a spider leg-like structure with a lifting device, by means of which a load picking-up means, designated as a spreader or spreader frame, can be raised and lowered in order to be able to pick up and raise containers and then place and thus set them down at a target location after transportation. At their upper end, for this purpose, four gantry struts are conventionally connected to one another via a top frame to form a U-shaped gantry frame, which is open at the bottom and is supported by the gantry struts, and on which the lifting device is arranged. By means of the spider leg-like structure of the gantry frame that has the four rigid gantry struts arranged in the corners of a notional rectangle, gantry lift devices can travel over a container resting on the ground, or on another container, or along the length of a container row and thus additionally also transport a raised container depending on the design. Depending upon the construction height, the gantry lift devices are designated, for example, as 1-over-3 devices, 1-over-2 devices, etc. A 1-over-3 device can move with a picked-up container over three stacked containers without colliding with them, can set a container down onto three stacked containers or can pick up the uppermost of four stacked containers.
Gantry lift devices and also the other transport vehicles described in conjunction with the present invention can also travel freely on a ground surface on wheels and are thus floor-bound, but not rail-bound. Accordingly, the transport vehicles are to be distinguished from rail vehicles and in particular railway wagons. The wheels of the transport vehicles are each provided with a tire arrangement that is optionally an air-filled rubber tire arrangement in the sense of tires. Moreover, each of the transport vehicles includes a travel drive having a motor configured, for example, as an electric motor or internal combustion engine, and a transmission in order to drive the wheels thereby.
Furthermore, corresponding transport vehicles can be guided manually and can be actively controlled accordingly, in particular during acceleration, braking and steering, by drivers typically also travelling in the vehicles. For this purpose, manually guided transport vehicles have a corresponding vehicle controller and typically also a driver's cab, from which manual intervention of the vehicle controller can be effected for the purpose of manual guiding. Alternatively, the transport vehicles can also be automatically guided and can be controlled in an automated manner accordingly, in particular during acceleration, braking and steering, as so-called automated guided vehicles (AGV). For this purpose, automated guided transport vehicles have a suitable vehicle controller and so, by reason of the automatic control or navigation effected thereby, it is not necessary or possible for a driver also travelling in the vehicle to perform any active manual intervention. In this sense, an automated guided transport vehicle can also be manned if a driver also passively travels in the vehicle, but in this case not in the sense of having to or being able to actively intervene in the control of the transport vehicle as a vehicle driver. Transport vehicles that are driverless but are manually remote-controlled by a vehicle driver are not deemed to be automated guided vehicles, but instead are deemed to be manually guided vehicles.
Typical areas of usage for transport vehicles, and in particular gantry lift devices for use in the handling and transportation of containers, in particular standardized ISO containers, within handling plants designed as a terminal in sea ports, or inland ports, or in handling plants for combined road and rail traffic. These transport vehicles are special vehicles designed as heavy-duty vehicles that are operated only internally within such terminals as internal transport vehicles and are generally not authorized for use on public roads. Therefore, the internal transport vehicles are to be operated strictly separately from vehicles on public roads.
The gantry lift devices in the present case are also to be distinguished from container stacking cranes, and in particular from so-called rubber tire gantry cranes (RTG), the horizontal crane girder of which spans two or more rows of containers. In order to pick up or set down containers from/in a container row, the lifting device of such stacking cranes is moved along the crane girder over the desired container row by means of a crane trolley, and then the load picking-up means is lowered/lifted by means of the lifting device. In contrast to the situation in the above-mentioned gantry lift devices, the lifting device in corresponding stacking cranes is not stationary between the gantry struts in terms of its horizontal position but is movable via the crane trolley in the horizontal direction, and thus in the horizontal direction relative to the gantry struts. A gantry lift device, also referred to as a straddle carrier, does not include a corresponding crane trolley.
Handling plants for containers, in particular ISO containers, are known, for example, from EP 2 637 954 B1. An automated area and a manual area are arranged in the handling plant. Exclusively automated guided internal transport vehicles for containers may be operated in the automated area and exclusively manually guided internal transport vehicles may be operated in the manual area. The transport vehicles transport containers between container bridges and a container store in the automated area and in the manual area.
Handling plants are also known, in which a transfer zone having a transfer area for containers is arranged between an automated area and the manual area, into which transfer zone and from which transfer zone automated guided and manually guided gantry lift devices alternately travel and set down, in particular place, and pick up containers in the transfer area. "Transfer" is thus understood to mean not only a direct transfer and reception of a container between two transport vehicles that are located in the transfer area at the same time such that unloading of the transport vehicle delivering a container has to be directly and immediately associated with the loading of the transport vehicle that picks up or receives the container. Rather, a "transfer" in this sense also allows the placing of the container outside of a transport vehicle, before the container is then picked up by another transport vehicle and thus this transport vehicle is loaded with the container. Such a transfer area could thus also be referred to as a "loading/unloading area", which is used at different times by automated guided transport vehicles and also manually guided transport vehicles, and in particular gantry lift devices.
In order to prevent a manually guided transport vehicle and an automated guided transport vehicle from entering the transfer area at the same time and to prevent a collision therebetween, physical access restrictions and barriers, such as gates incorporated in a fence, are provided—in particular for the manually guided vehicles—that can be opened or closed accordingly in order to grant or deny authorization to enter the transfer area.
DE 103 22 765 A1 relates to an automatic forwarding agent's yard. Heavy-goods vehicles are operated in a remote-controlled manner in the forwarding agent's yard and are operated manually by drivers, travelling in the vehicle, outside of the forwarding agent's yard.
DE 10 2012 009 297 A1 and DE 10 2004 035 856 A1 each relate to assisting drivers who operate vehicles manually on public roads.

Method for controlling travel within a transfer zone for containers of transport vehicles in a terminal for containers, control system for same, and terminal comprising a control system of this kind


A digital camera includes a focus position table. The focus position table, in which focus positions for person-priority pan focus have been set, is used when a face has been detected, and the focus position table, in which focus positions for non-person priority pan focus have been set corresponding to the types of non-person priority pan focus, is used when a face has not been detected. When a face has been detected, the digital camera determines the pan focus as the person-priority pan focus, and after acquiring a focus position from the focus position table, executes the pan focus processing. On the other hand, when a face has not been detected, the digital camera acquires, from the focus position table, a focus position corresponding to a type of non-person priority pan focus determined based on the photography scene and executes the pan focus processing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus and a focus control method that can be used for a digital camera having a focus control function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some conventional imaging apparatuses, for example, some digital cameras are equipped with a pan focus (deep focus) function in addition to a standard auto focus function (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-Open (Kokai) Patent Publication No. 2005-070738).
This pan focus function refers to a function by which a focus lens moves to a predetermined lens position at which the possibility that a photographic subject is focused is high, and has advantages of easier control and shorter time for focusing than auto focus function.
However, as a focus lens only moves to a predetermined lens position, a situation may occur in which the photographic subject the user truly desires to focus is not focused.
The present invention has been conceived in light of the foregoing situations, and is to provide an imaging apparatus and a focus control method that substantially enhance the possibility that the photographic subject the user truly desires to focus on is focused.

Imaging apparatus having focus control function


A method of filling a recess with a nitride film is performed by repeating a cycle. The cycle includes a film-forming raw material gas adsorption process of adsorbing a raw material gas containing an element forming the nitride film to be formed on a target substrate on which the recess is formed on its surface, and a nitriding process of nitriding the adsorbed raw material gas by nitriding species to fill the recess. At least a portion of a period for forming the nitride film is used as a bottom-up growth period, for which a polymer material adsorbable to the surface of the target substrate is supplied in a gaseous state and is adsorbed to an upper portion of the recess to inhibit adsorption of the film-forming raw material gas, and for which the nitride film is grown from a bottom portion of the recess.

In a sequence of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a film forming process of forming a nitride film such as a silicon nitride film (SiN film) or the like as an insulating film on a semiconductor wafer represented by a silicon wafer is performed. In this film forming process of the SiN film, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method is used.
When an SiN film (CVD-SiN) is embedded in a trench by the CVD method, voids or seams may be generated. In this case, a method of forming an SiN film by the CVD method is performed again after performing an etch back to a place where the voids or seams are generated is employed.
Recently, however, as devices have been reduced in size, step coverage is not sufficient for CVD-SiN, making it difficult to suppress generation of voids or seams even by the aforementioned method.
An atomic layer deposition (ALD) method has been known as a technique that allows film formation with step coverage better than that of the CVD method, and the ALD method is also used to embed an SiN film in a fine trench.
However, due to further reduction of devices in size, it is difficult to embed an SiN film, while preventing generation of voids or seams, even by the ALD method.


Provided is a communication terminal capable of suppressing the phenomenon of personal information being transmitted contrary to the will of the person. A communication terminal (1) comprises communication sections (20, 200), a first storage section (131) for storing first information relating to a first communication terminal, an information creating section (121) for creating information which is transmitted to a second communication terminal different from the first communication terminal by the communication section (20), a reply requesting section (122) which allows the communication section (200) to transmit information for requesting a reply of whether or not the transmission of the created information is permitted to the first communication terminal when the information created by the information creating section (121) includes part or all of the first information, and a first communication permitting section (123) which allows the communication section (20) to transmit the created information to the second communication terminal when the communication section (200) has received a permission reply to permit the transmission of the created information from the first communication terminal.

Conventionally, a cellular telephone device as a communication terminal can communicate with other communication terminals by way of infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark) and the like as a communication method that is different from a communication method utilizing a predetermined communication network. For example, a communication terminal can directly transmit information to another communication terminal by way of infrared communication or Bluetooth without using any communication network. In a case of utilizing infrared communication, infrared communication units disposed in the plurality of communication terminals are arranged adjacently to one another, and as a result, information can be easily transmitted or received; therefore, personal information such as profiles of the user and friends are easily transmitted or received.
Here, for example, a radio communication device has been proposed that transmits scrambled data when personal information is transmitted through communication utilizing Bluetooth (for example, see Patent Document 1).    Patent Publication 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, No. 2003-37592

Communication terminal and method for controlling the disclosure of contact information


A quick-change lock assembly is adapted to releasably attach a fill tube to a mold in a casting machine, the fill tube connecting a furnace of the casting machine to the mold. The casting machine preferably utilizes a Vacuum Riserless Casting/Pressure Riserless Casting (VRC/PRC) process. The lock assembly includes an upper ring that is adapted to be attached adjacent an aperture in a surface of the mold of the casting machine. The outer ring has inner and outer concentric surfaces. The lock assembly also includes a lower ring that also has inner and outer concentric surfaces. The inner surface of the lower ring is operable to receive a fill tube. The outer surface of the lower ring is operable to be releasably attached to the inner surface of the upper ring. The lower ring is releasably attached to the upper ring by a ramped portion on the inner surface of the upper ring that engages with a plurality of projection portions extending radially outwardly and axially upwardly from the outer surface of the lower ring. The upper ring is rigidly attached to the surface of the mold with a plurality of fasteners.

The present invention relates generally to casting processes and, in particular, to a quick-change lock assembly for a casting machine fill tube, where the casting machine preferably utilizes a Vacuum Riserless Casting/Pressure Riserless Casting (VRC/PRC) process.
Casting machines utilizing various processes for producing casts from molds of molten metal such as aluminum to produce articles such as vehicle wheels and the like are well known. In traditional permanent mold processes, metal is melted and poured into a mold having a cavity disposed therein to form the casting. This traditional permanent mold process is disadvantageous because of poor and inconsistent cast quality. More recently, counter gravity casting processes, including low pressure permanent mold casting, have been utilized to improve the quality of the cast product. Counter gravity casting processes typically include a furnace for melting the metal, a mold for forming the cast product, and a riser providing a path for the molten metal to flow from the furnace to the mold. The furnace is typically located below the mold and the molten metal is forced from the furnace into the mold via pressurized gas or an electromagnetic pump.
Casting machines utilizing VRC/PRC processes are a more recent development and are an improvement upon low pressure permanent mold casting processes. As in low pressure permanent mold casting machines, the molten metal is pressurized into the mold but the VRC/PRC process also involves creating a vacuum in the mold cavity before forcing the molten metal into the mold. By creating a vacuum in the mold cavity, the number of risers needed for the casting process and thus the price for the casting machine is reduced. The VRC/PRC process also provides a cleaner and better quality casting than prior art low pressure permanent mold casting machines.
The risers, however, are not completely eliminated and there is a piping connection between the furnace and the mold, known in the art as a fill tube. The fill tubes are typically attached to the bottom surface of the mold with four bolts. Thermal expansions of the bolts are intended to decrease surface pressure between the gasket, the bottom of the mold, and the fill tubes. A typical prior art casting machine utilizing a VRC/PRC process for molten aluminum alloys uses titanium fill tubes. Because titanium fill tubes are very expensive and to reduce contamination of the fill tubes, the interior surface of the fill tube is protected by spraying or by dipping into a coating solution, such as a ceramic insert or the like.
Frequently, a fill tube needs to be replaced because of maintenance, wear, or detected leakage. Replacing the fill tube is an arduous procedure. Because of the heat of the casting process and other concerns, one person is required to hold one guiding device to ensure gasket positioning and align the flanges from below the mold, a second person is required to hold a preheat tube with a graphite gasket and align the flanges from above the mold, and a third person is required to secure the fill tube to the flanges by tightening the mounting bolts. Three workers, therefore, are required for this process. The removal of the fill tubes is very difficult. Often mounting bolts break, slowing the process. The time needed to connect one fill tube in prior art casting machines is approximately six minutes, while disconnecting one fill tube requires four minutes. These two operations combine to make a total of ten minutes of down time to change one fill tube.
It is desirable, therefore, to reduce the amount of time required to connect and disconnect the fill tube for a casting machine utilizing a VRC/PRC process.
The present invention concerns a quick-change lock assembly for releasably attaching a fill tube to a mold in a casting machine. Preferably, the casting machine utilizes a Vacuum Riserless Casting/Pressure Riserless Casting (VRC/PRC) process. The fill tube connects a furnace of the casting machine to the mold. The lock assembly includes an upper ring that is adapted to be attached adjacent an aperture in a surface of the mold of the casting machine. The outer ring has inner and outer concentric surfaces. The lock assembly also includes a lower ring that also has inner and outer concentric surfaces. The inner surface of the lower ring is operable to receive a fill tube. The outer surface of the lower ring is operable to be releasably attached to the inner surface of the upper ring. The lower ring is releasably attached to the upper ring by a ramped portion on the inner surface of the upper ring that engages with a plurality of projection portions extending radially outwardly and axially upwardly from the outer surface of the lower ring. The upper ring is rigidly attached to the surface of the mold with a plurality of fasteners.
In operation, the upper ring is attached to the surface of the mold by a plurality of fasteners and the fill tube is received by the inner surface of the lower ring. The lower ring and the fill tube, when attached, form a tube assembly. The lower ring is then attached to the inner surface of the upper ring, the fill tube extends through the aperture into the mold and the lower ring seals the fill tube to allow molten material to flow from the furnace and though the fill tube into the mold without leaking. The quick-change lock assembly advantageously prevents air from entering mold cavity and prevents molten material from leaking outside the fill tube. Preferably, a gasket is interposed between a sealing surface of the mold and an upper surface of the fill tube. Preferably, another gasket is interposed between an upper portion of the inner surface of the lower ring and another surface of the fill tube. The gaskets are preferably composed of graphite or similar sealing material. Alternatively, the gaskets are a wave spring type gasket.
During operation of the casting machine, the fill tube will need to be changed due to the inevitable development of leaks because of gasket failure and the like. The tube assembly is replaced by first preheating the assembly to a predetermined temperature, preferably 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prior to connecting this tube assembly the bottom of the mold is preheated to a predetermined temperature, preferably 800 degrees Fahrenheit. The tube assembly is then attached to the lower surface of the mold by turning the assembly in an engaging direction.
The quick-change lock assembly in accordance with the present invention solves several important problems in prior art casting machines utilizing the VRC/PRC process. The assembly provides even gasket compression by utilizing the geometry of the ramped portions. The lock assembly also accepts deviation caused in machining tubes, which are within the tolerance field. Furthermore, the design of the present invention advantageously requires only one person to connect and disconnect the fill tubes. The one person can change a fill tube in a reduced time of approximately four minutes, compared to ten minutes and three workers required in the prior art. In operation, the assembly in accordance with the present invention has reduced the average downtime per day by half, has reduced the average number of tube failures per day by over half and has increased the number of cast products produced per tube by four times.
The quick-change lock assembly of the present invention requires fewer maintenance workers to change a fill tube, reduces down time when an assembly needs to be changed, and provides a measurable cost savings because fewer and quicker changes result in less fill tubes being utilized and more time available to produce the cast product.

Quick-change lock assembly for casting machine fill tubes


Embodiments are directed to a duck head connector comprised of a connector for connecting to a power adapter and an electric plug that swivels about the face of the side of the plug, where flexible insulated wires connect the prongs of the electric plug with the contacts of the connector. The flexible insulated wires rotate together with the plug, with the length and shape of the wires enabling the wires to wrap around each other without becoming tangled. In an alternative embodiment, a pair of spring contacts connects the prongs of the electric plug with a pair of stationary half-ring contacts. The spring contacts swivel along the inner surface of the half-ring contacts when the plug rotates. Flexible insulated wires connect the stationary half-ring contacts to the contacts of the connector.

Electronic devices, and specifically portable electronic devices, rely on power adapters for operating from the power mains and for charging the batteries of the devices. Different adapters are used for different devices depending on the type of device, the device power requirements and the country/countries in which the device is sold/used. Along with the different types of devices, adapters have been designed and configured to operate in different ways. For instance, various adapters include the ability to rotate or fold the prongs to increase the flexibility of uses for the adapter. Yet, the physical structure used to provide this functionality varies widely. Various examples are provided below.
U.S. Design Pat. D.308,962 shows the ornamental design of an electrical adapter plug, with the prongs of the plug capable of being adjusted about a pivot point. U.S. Design Pat. D.408,786 shows the ornamental design for a C7 connector. The prongs of the connector move along a single axis between an extended position and a folded position—the prongs folding into the body of the connector. However, the motion of the prongs is not about the face of the plug.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,493 is reputed to be owned by APPLE and teaches a duck head socket adapter. The duck head socket adapter attaches to an AC adapter and battery charger for a portable system. The duck head socket adapter is static and none of its parts move linearly or swivel. U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,051 is also reputed to be owned by APPLE and teaches an AC adapter having prongs that rotate along a pivot to enable the prongs to fold into a recess in the device. This feature is used for storage when the prongs are not being used, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. It also noted that the rotation of the prongs is not about the face of the adapter.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,658,152 teaches a plug having a female plug plugging into an adapter and a male plug plugging into a receptacle with the female plug and the male plugs rotating 180 degrees with respect to each other. A series of notches and dimples are used to maintain electrical contact between the female plug and the male plug during rotation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,821,134 teaches a rotatable plug that rotates parallel to the face of the plug. The patent teaches that each prong is connected to a conductive terminal, and the conductive terminal itself is connected to a conductive wire. However, the conductive wires are never shown in any of the figures. In addition, the conductive wires do not serve a role in implementing or enabling the rotation of the face of the plug.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,707 teaches a C7 connector, with the prongs of the connector rotating to enable the prongs to fold into the body of the connector. The patent describes a complex arrangement of interlocking connecting elements that maintain the electrical connection when the prongs are rotated.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,573,159 teaches an APPLE duck head C7 power adapter. The prongs are moveable along an axis for enabling the prongs to be folded into the body of adapter or to be extended, but the prongs do not rotate about the face of the plug. U.S. Pat. No. 7,575,436 teaches an electrical plug adapter with a rotating cap. The patent describes the use of rotary contacts to maintain the electrical connection with the prongs of the plug.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,658,625 teaches an AC power adapter that includes prongs that swivel about the body of the adapter and that also fold into the body of the adapter for storage. U.S. Pat. No. 7,740,484 teaches a rotating receptacle that uses ring-shaped contact regions to maintain continuously electrical contact with the conductor terminals of the receptacle.
A large number of the references disclosed herein teach connectors whose prongs move linearly or rotate between an extended position and a recessed position (the prongs folded into the body of the connector). Numerous other references teach swiveling of the plug about the face of the plug, but these references either do not disclose how electrical contact is maintained with the prongs of the plug or teach complicated designs, involving numerous static and moving parts, to ensure that electrical connection is maintained even as the plug is rotated. These complicated designs taught by the relevant references increase manufacturing costs due to the increased complexity of assembly. In addition, the more parts involved in a design, the higher the probability that one of those parts will malfunction. It is desirable to have a C7 power adapter with a simple, less complicated design that decreases the number of parts needed to implement rotation of the prongs of the plug while maintaining an electrical connection.


Exemplary of embodiments of the disclosure include a method which includes determining, by a first device, whether the first device has a current time and transmitting a request for the current time to a second device if the first device does not have the current time. The second device is in a local network. The method further includes receiving, by the first device, the current time from the second device, authenticating a certificate based on the current time received from the second device, and establishing a network connection to the local network based on the authenticated certificate.

Embedded devices without real time clocks (RTC) generally receive a current time from a global position service (GPS) server or a network time protocol (NTP) server. However, some devices may not have GPS functionality and/or may be unable to connect to a GPS server or an NTP server. For example, for devices that do not have GPS functionality or cannot connect to a GPS server, the device does not have an alternate mechanism of acquiring a current time without connecting to the NTP server. Accordingly, in such devices, there is no alternate mechanism for acquiring a current time unless a network connection to the NTP server can be established.


A cross current compensation system for controlling reactive currents in a generator is provided. A control system for receives voltage feedback from a first generator of a plurality of generators and cross current feedback from at least a second generator of the plurality of generators. The control system determines a phase angle based on the voltage feedback from the first generator and cross current feedback from the at least a second generator. The control system determines a compensation signal corresponding to the phase angle and cross current feedback. The control system modifying a generator excitation signal for the first generator based on the respective compensation signal and a bi-linear transformation technique.

Power generation is a fundamental aspect of the modern technological age. The need for efficient power at affordable prices is found in many areas such as, for example, industrial, commercial, and consumer applications. Power needs are ever increasing as computer users demand more power. As the need for power increases, so does the need for uninterrupted power. Many industrial applications require twenty four hour a day operation, therefore, loss of power can have severe economic consequences. Many commercial applications, such as banking, require round the clock service to customers, and computer power must be maintained to provide such services. Even home consumers have increased needs for continuous power as a result of the home computer revolution.
One way power suppliers provide uninterrupted power is to employ parallel voltage generating systems. By paralleling generators, power can be delivered reliably because one generator can provide power for another when it fails. Technical problems must be overcome, however, because parallel generators may produce large reactive circulating currents flowing between the generators. Reactive circulating currents are therefore undesirable. Reactive currents increase generator power losses and reduce generator efficiency.
Analog systems have historically been employed to control reactive circulating currents. Although analog systems were able to accomplish the task, such systems were subject to drift and frequently required readjustment thereby increasing maintenance expenses and reducing reliability. As a consequence, digital systems have evolved to improve deficiencies of analog systems.
Digital control systems have mitigated the need to manually adjust control systems. Digital systems operate by computing control signals in response to generator feedback. Traditional analog systems rely on analog systems such as amplifiers, capacitors, diodes, and resistors to control necessary parameters to reduce reactive circulating currents. Digital systems, however, rely on control systems to compute the necessary parameters for controlling reactive circulating currents. Several of the determined parameters require complex algebra and trigonometry in conventional control systems. Therefore, fairly rigorous mathematical steps are necessary to determine the parameters. Rigorous mathematical computations produce inefficiencies in control systems by increasing the processing requirements of the controllers. Such inefficiencies contribute to increased power losses in the generators and may ultimately lead to increased costs to consumers.
Consequently, there is a strong need in the art for a system and/or method for controlling reactive circulating currents in voltage generators which mitigate some of the aforementioned problems associated with conventional systems and/or methods.

Cross current compensation system and method


A method of fabricating a glue layer and a barrier layer. A Ti layer is formed with a collimator sputtering in the via opening or the contact opening of the substrate. Through the control of flow of N.sub.2 and Ar, a nitride mode TiN.sub.x layer is formed on the Ti layer by sputtering. The nitride mode TiN.sub.x layer and the Ti layer uncovered by the nitride mode TiN.sub.x layer are treated with N.sub.2 RF plasma. This strengthens the structure of the nitride mode TiN.sub.x layer and allows the reaction with the exposed Ti layer so that it is transformed into a TiN.sub.x layer.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating an integrated circuit. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fabricating method for forming a glue layer and a barrier layer.
2. Description of Related Art
Among all metal materials, tungsten has an advantageous high melting point, heat expansion ratio, and correspondence to silicon. In addition, tungsten deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) does not have a high internal stress, and has a better step coverage. Thus, the manufacture of a metal plug with tungsten deposited by CVD has been widely used in the secondary micrometer process.
It is well known that a glue layer, also known as a barrier layer is formed between the surface of a contact opening or via opening and the metal plug to improve the adhesion between the tungsten plug and other materials. For example, TiN.sub.x is most often used as the material for glue layer in the present process. However, a metal nitride layer is usually added below the TiN.sub.x so that the contact resistance between the TiN.sub.x and bottom material of the contact opening or via opening is reduced.
The Ti layer and the TiN.sub.x layer are usually deposited by sputtering in the process of the integrated circuits. However, the TiN.sub.x layer formed by sputtering has poor step coverage and poor filling. To improve the step coverage and the filling of the TiN.sub.x layer, the TiN.sub.x layer is deposited by a collimator sputtering. Thus, this improves the deposition by sputtering at the bottom of the contact opening or via opening.
However, there is limited step coverage to the bottom corner of the contact opening and via opening with the above method. The TiN.sub.x layer is unable to completely cover the Ti layer below while part of the Ti layer is exposed.
Since WF.sub.6 serves as the gas source for CVD in the subsequent tungsten deposition. When the lower Ti layer is exposed due to the poor step coverage of the TiN.sub.x layer or any defect in the TiN.sub.x layer, F atoms released by WF.sub.6 can then pass through the TiN.sub.x layer and react with Ti located below to form TiF.sub.4. As TiF.sub.4 is a volatile gas, a phenomenon similar to an explosion will occur when tungsten is deposited on the contact window or via opening. This is known as a volcano effect. The occurrence of such effect results in removal or bending of the TiN.sub.x layer, allowing tungsten to be deposited on both sides of the TiN.sub.x layer that are removed. If this occurs on the top end corner of the contact opening or via opening, there will be a projection of the surface of the tungsten layer. When the projection is too severe, it is not easily removed by usual reactive etching process. As a result, this leads to the problems of blind window, short circuit, wafer pollution, and low yield.
Conventionally, the rapid thermal process (RTP) is usually performed in the N.sub.2 or NH.sub.3 based surroundings to prevent the above from occurring during the manufacture of the contact opening. This performs a nitridation reaction to the exposed Ti layer. However, in view of the thermal budget of the lower metal layer, it is not appropriate to perform a nitridation reaction to the Ti layer with the above RTP.

Fabricating method of glue layer and barrier layer


A RFID comprising a value sensor such as a pressure sensor is integrated with a liquid drug container to enable wireless pressure or other drug relevant parameter value monitoring and code-matching of drug container to a medical delivery device.

A medical drug delivery device such as for instance an insulin injection device or an insulin pump for substantially continuous delivery of insulin, or any other medical liquid drug delivery device need a high security level to ensure that the correct dose size or volume flow of liquid drug is delivered to the user, and that there is at all delivered drug to the user. A potential error in a liquid drug delivery device is an occlusion anywhere in the outlet path from the drug container to the delivery point such as the tissue or a vein of a user. For instance an injection needle mounted in fluid connection to a drug cartridge through a penetrable septum can be occluded, or a butterfly needle luer lock connected to a liquid drug container can be occluded. Another problem is the occurrence of a leak in the drug container itself or along the fluid drug delivery line. A security system is therefore needed to sense if an occlusion or a leak occurs in the medical drug delivery device so the appropriate action can be taken, such as change of needle and recalculation of an appropriate dose. U.S. Pat. No. 7,195,609 addresses the problem of detecting an occlusion or a leak by incorporating a sensor in the movable piston of a product container and connecting the sensor via wires for monitoring the pressure in the drug container. However U.S. Pat. No. 7,195,609 poses the problem of connecting the sensor via wires which are complicated and expensive to manufacture and mount and poses a security problem as the wires can be broken or the electrical connections can be poor or corrode.
The amount of drug delivered is important, but further the correct type of drug is crucial and poses a security issue in medical drug delivery devices. This problem is discussed in WO 9965548, which discloses a way to share information on syringe configuration between syringes and injector systems.
Thus, there is a need for a simple and cost effective system to ensure correct dose size, reliability of dose delivery and correct type of drug delivered from a medical liquid drug delivery.


A washing machine appliance includes a cabinet having a top panel and a wash tub positioned within the cabinet and defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing. A bulk tank is positioned below the top panel and defines a reservoir for storing wash additive, the reservoir defining a primary outlet for supplying wash additive into the wash chamber. In addition, a dispensing device, which may include a manual pump, a gravity fed supply valve, or an electronic pump, is fluidly coupled to the reservoir and conveniently positioned for selectively dispensing wash additive, e.g., for pretreating an article of clothing.

Washing machine appliances generally include a tub for containing water or wash fluid, e.g., water and detergent, bleach, and/or other wash additives. A basket is rotatably mounted within the tub and defines a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing. During normal operation of such washing machine appliances, the wash fluid is directed into the tub and onto articles within the wash chamber of the basket. The basket or an agitation element can rotate at various speeds to agitate articles within the wash chamber, to wring wash fluid from articles within the wash chamber, etc.
During operation of certain washing machine appliances, a volume of wash fluid is directed into the tub in order to wash and/or rinse articles within the wash chamber. However, in certain situations, a user may wish to pretreat an article of clothing, e.g., by spot treating a specific region on the article with wash additive such as detergent. However, conventional washing machine appliances do not include integral features for providing a small, localized quantity of detergent to an article of clothing for pretreating purposes. Although a user could pour detergent directly from the bottle or use a stand-alone applicator to pretreat an article of clothing, such options are typically messier and require additional tools which are not often conveniently stored or accessible.
Accordingly, a washing machine appliance that provides a quick and easy feature for dispensing a wash additive such as detergent is desirable. In particular, a dispensing assembly that is integral to a bulk tank of a washing machine appliance and enables quick and effective dispensing of wash additive would be particularly beneficial.

Dispensing assembly for a bulk tank of a washing machine appliance


A delivery apparatus for delivering to multiple areas, wherein one or more radio communication systems are available in each of the areas, includes a storage unit configured to store system information for each of the areas, the system information being required to connect to the available radio communication systems, a detection unit configured to detect a second delivery apparatus for delivering to a portion of the delivery areas of the delivery station and a delivery unit configured to deliver system information for each of the areas as control information, the system information being required to connect to a radio communication system available in the area. If the detection unit detects the second delivery apparatus, the delivery unit delivers system information as the control information, the system information in the storage unit excluding a portion of the system information required to connect to a radio communication system available in an area where the second delivery apparatus is responsible for delivering the control information.

Although a broadband is required for faster communications, it is difficult to reserve a common broad frequency band available around the world due to a variety of operating radio communication systems. For this reason, there is being discussed an approach for using several frequency bands to assign priority of frequency utilization to each of the frequency bands and allowing several radio communication systems to utilize a common frequency band. Also, since it is hard to reserve such a common frequency band available around the world, a terminal apparatus must selectively use frequency bands among several frequency band candidates in different countries, and accordingly some components are needed for identifying radio communication systems presently operated in the terminal apparatus residing area depending on areas where the terminal apparatus is used. However, a large amount of consumed power and/or a long identification time period are required for the terminal apparatus to identify available radio bands from a very broad band where many radio communication systems may be operated. Also, in environments of shared frequencies, a higher priority assigned radio communication system (referred to as a primary system hereinafter) and a lower priority assigned radio communication system (referred to as a subsidiary system hereinafter) use the same frequency band for communication while avoiding interference to the primary system. This technique includes some techniques for calculating the amount of interference to the primary system based on propagation loss between the primary system and the subsidiary system and some techniques for controlling transmit power of the subsidiary system depending on the calculated amount of interference. In addition, in consideration of the traffic amount during communication by the primary system, an allowable amount of interference may be determined, and the transmit power of the subsidiary system may be controlled. For example, the allowable amount of interference may be set to be larger in a time period of a less traffic amount in the primary system, and the subsidiary system can be controlled to operate at a higher level of maximum transmit power than a time period of a larger traffic amount in the primary system.
In the case where this type of technique is used, frequency utilization schemes are dynamically changed, and thus a terminal apparatus must always utilize functions of identifying available frequency bands and radio communication systems.
A cognitive pilot channel (CPC) for broadcasting information items such as frequency bands and radio schemes available in individual radio communication systems operated in each area is proposed to handle the above-mentioned dynamic change in the frequency utilization schemes. Applying the CPC enables the terminal apparatus to do without scanning fundamental parameter information on connectable radio communication systems. Also, in the case where the CPC is applied, some parameters of the radio communication systems can be changed by changing the above-mentioned control information. In addition, the CPC can be applied without modification of the terminal apparatus itself.
Thus, this technique can decrease cost of the terminal apparatus and address change in the parameters for the radio communication systems, which can improve the frequency utilization efficiency.
In the technique, a coverage area of a base station apparatus is divided into multiple areas. The divided areas may be referred to as meshes. In the areas covered by the base station apparatus, a control signal is broadcast. Also, the base station apparatus indicates a utilization scheme of radio resources such as the fundamental parameter information of the radio communication systems for each mesh several times. The same information may be broadcast. Also, there are two types of control signal delivery methods, that is, a broadcast type delivery method and an on-demand type delivery method. In the broadcast type delivery method, a base station apparatus periodically broadcasts control information corresponding to meshes within its coverage area. In the on-demand type delivery method, in response to a delivery request from a terminal apparatus, a base station apparatus delivers control information corresponding to a mesh where the requesting terminal apparatus resides. Also, a hierarchical advertiser CPC has been proposed. In the hierarchical advertiser CPC, several delivery stations and means are utilized, and a delivered control signal is partially separated.

Delivery apparatus, terminal apparatus, system and method


The invention relates to an oxygen sensor which measures the concentration of oxygen based upon ultrasonic sound waves traveling through a binary gas. The measured sound-wave delay through the gases determines the concentration level for oxygen within the transducer chamber. The invention includes an L-shaped housing where a transmitter/transducer is attached to one end of the housing and the receiver/transponder is positioned at the junction between the two substantially straight portions of the L-shaped housing. A straight transducer chamber is thereby provided, while simultaneously provided a housing design which minimizes reflected standing waves for detection by the receiver/transponder. The invention includes a sonic baffle positioned at the opposite end of the L-shaped housing from the transmitter/transducer which minimizes standing waves thereby improving the performance of the gas detection device. The invention also includes a sound buffer affixed to the interior of the L-shaped housing which further reduces the existence and reflection of standing waves for detection by the receiver/transponder. Temperature is monitored within the transducer chamber by an angularly offset temperature sensor.

This invention relates generally to an ultrasonic gas measuring device for detecting and determining the concentration of oxygen within a binary oxygen gas mixture. The concentration of oxygen within a binary gas mixture is then used in therapeutic medicinal applications. The invention incorporates a means for providing a more efficient and precise determination of the concentration of oxygen within a binary gas mixture, such as an oxygen/nitrogen mixture.
In the past, the analysis of simpler gas mixtures normally required the use of measurement techniques which involved difficult calibration procedures, replenishment of reagent chemicals, and/or other awkward, costly or time-consuming procedures.
Prior art devices have been developed to continuously monitor the ratio of two known gases within a gas mixture. A typical example of a binary gas composition to be measured would include oxygen/nitrogen mixtures used in the therapeutic administration of oxygen from oxygen concentrators in home health care environments. Additionally, respirators, ventilators, and air/oxygen blenders are commonly used in hospitals requiring known ranges of oxygen concentration. Gas concentration detection devices are also used in medical applications involving the application of anesthesia to individuals. In the medical field, many patients require supplemental oxygen. The two most common forms for the supply of oxygen include bottled oxygen compressed and confined within a canister, and oxygen concentrators which convert room air into oxygen. Many states require oxygen concentrators to include oxygen monitors installed to verify the concentration levels for the supply of therapeutic oxygen. Oxygen concentrator suppliers may therefore use oxygen monitors to verify correct operation, and reduce the need for maintenance of oxygen detection devices.
Prior art oxygen measurement devices are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature and are generally poorly temperature compensated. In addition, these devices are extremely sensitive to barometric pressure or humidity changes. Acoustical techniques have been used for gas analysis for measurement of the concentration of a particular gas within a binary gas mixture. The use of acoustical techniques creates severe technical problems with respect to the analysis of gases, due to the mechanical, electronic, and thermal problems associated with standing waves, temperature variations, and barometric pressure or humidity variances. The temperature of the gas must be measured and used to compensate for an accurate output reading. As the temperature increases, the sound waves within the transducer chamber travel at a faster rate due to the increased speed of the molecules of gas moving within the chamber.
Continuous wave systems have been considered appealing, due to the ability of such systems to use a resonant transmitter and receiver element which affords an adequate signal-to-noise ratio, acceptable sensitivity, and simplicity of design for a gas concentration measurement device. However, the continuous-wave approach is not free from problems, particularly with respect to standing waves within the closed transducer chamber. In a continuous-wave system, the receiver accepts acoustic energy from the transmitter within a transducer chamber and generates a signal, with a phase shift, which is affected by the mean molecular weight and temperature of the gas to be detected. The acoustical waves within the transducer chamber reflect from various surfaces, thus setting up standing waves that frustrate repeatability measurements. In addition, upon excitation of the transmitted energy, the receiver retransmits a signal at its anti-resonant frequency, in a complex fashion, back toward the transmitter. As a result, a beat frequency is encountered which yields unpredictable effects in response to temperature variations. The primary problem of gas-sensing devices, as known, is the standing waves which are encountered within the transducer chamber yielding unacceptable high signal-to-noise ratios and/or signal frequency errors.
The disclosed invention provides a more precise analysis of the concentration of a gas or gases within a gaseous mixture, primarily through the elimination of reflected standing waves within a transducer chamber. The invention thereby furnishes a more consistent and accurate analysis of the specific concentration of any one of the gases being detected, particularly oxygen, than can be achieved through the usage of the individual or combined prior art teachings.
An example of the prior art teachings include the U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,506 to Douglas and the U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,514 issued to Aylsworth. Both patents generally disclose ultrasonic gas measuring devices for the measurement of gas mixtures involving a transducer chamber having a design which does not minimize signal-to-noise ratios resulting from standing waves.


There is provided a sole unit having a midsole section and an outsole section. The midsole incorporates a number of cavities which open at their top ends and which are wider at their bottom ends. The outsole section incorporates a number of diaphragm elements which close off the bottoms of the cavities. In some arrangements there is a footbed which has in its underside a number of recesses disposed above each of the cavities, the recesses being linked by channels and incorporating orifices leading to the inside of an article of footwear.

Radford, EP 0122985 entitled "Improvements Relating to Footwear" discloses a sole unit molded from a resilient material, in which sole unit is provided a plurality of cavities and a system of channels formed in the upper surface of the sole unit which interconnect the cavities. At the lower end of each cavity a bulge extends downwardly from the bottom surface of the sole unit at the location of each cavity, so that the pressure exerted by the foot on any bulge expels air from the associated cavity, and the action of walking pumps air from one cavity to another along the channels and in this way absorbs the shocks of impact of the foot with the ground. The cavities are formed substantially wholly in the general thickness of the sole unit.


A combined umbrella and canopy (10) that provides the advantages of both of these devices for providing maximum shade. The umbrella portion (12) is substantially similar to a standard beach umbrella having a vertical pole (16) with spokes or ribs (22, 24, 26, 28) extending radially outwardly adjacent the top (20) for supporting a fabric cover (30). The fabric cover (30) defines a front (32) and back (34) and at least two sides of the umbrella. The back (34) of the umbrella includes an additional length of fabric (36) that extends horizontally rearwardly and then curves downwardly and terminates in two spaced apart ends (38, 40). Each end includes a pocket (42, 44) that can be filled with sand to weigh the same down to maintain the ends on the beach. The additional fabric (36) is essentially a canopy (14). The umbrella structure (12) provides better support for the forward end of the canopy and prevents the same from collapsing when the wind conditions change.

Umbrellas have been used on the beach for many years to shade people from the sun. While there have been variations over the years, they have essentially stayed the same. A beach umbrella includes a vertical central pole that supports a number of radially extending spokes or ribs near the top thereof which, in turn, support a fabric top. As is well known in the art, the spokes or ribs and the fabric top can be collapsed for easy handling and storage and are easily erected when it is desired to use the same. Umbrellas are useful but are relatively small, thereby providing very little shade.
Sun canopies for use at the beach for protection from the sun are also well known. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,051,756 and U.S. Published Patent Application Nos. 2012/0291830 and 2014/0041703. The entire contents of each of these prior documents are incorporated herein by reference.
In each of these prior art canopy devices, the forward end thereof is held up in place by a vertical pole that is inserted into the ground. The top of the vertical pole includes a horizontally extending cross beam that supports the fabric from which the canopy is made. In each case, the cross beam is perfectly straight. Each of these prior art devices also includes pockets at the far end into which sand can be placed to weigh them down. Furthermore, the canopy is made essentially of a single piece of fabric.
While these prior art devices may be somewhat useful and, under the right conditions, can provide more shade from the sun than many umbrellas, they require that there be wind, that the wind be relatively steady and that the wind come from the proper direction. Any shift in the wind or any temporary loss of wind may cause the canopy to collapse.
A need exists, therefore, for a beach canopy that is not fully dependent on the direction of the wind and that does not necessarily need to be reoriented each time that there is a shift in the wind direction.


A process for producing a chitin derivative and/or a chitosan derivative that have a crosslinked structure, which comprises irradiating a paste of a mixture consisting of 100 parts by weight of a chitin derivative and/or a chitosan derivative and 3˜1,000 parts by weight of purified water.

This invention relates to a process for producing chitin derivatives and/or chitosan derivatives with a crosslinked structure by adding purified water to chitin derivatives and/or chitosan derivatives, kneading the mixture well and applying an ionizing radiation to the kneaded mixture. The chitin derivatives having a crosslinked structure are hydrogels and the chitosan derivatives having a crosslinked structure are hydrogels having antimicrobial activity.
Hydrogels can hold a large amount of water within the three-dimensional network structure generated by crosslinking with radiation. The retained water will not seep out under slight pressure. Such hydrogels are already in use as disposable diapers and as humectants in cosmetics.
Carboxymethyl-chitin (CM-chitin) and carboxymethyl-chitosan (CM-chitosan), if they are irradiated in either a solid form or as a dilute (≦5%) aqueous solution, preferentially undergo decomposition and no hydrogels will form. If they are irradiated in a concentrated paste form (that will not flow out if the container is tilted), a crosslinked structure can be introduced and the resulting gel will absorb water upon immersion in it to become a hydrogel. In the case of a CM-chitosan hydrogel, it has been found to have a new feature, antimicrobial activity, in spite of it being a hydrogel.
Hydrogels can be easily obtained by applying an ionizing radiation to aqueous solutions of polyethylene oxides, poly(vinyl alcohol), polyacrylamides, polyvinylpyrrolidone, etc. Being capable of absorbing and holding a large amount of water, hydrogels are used in medical and cosmetics fields as sanitary products (e.g. disposable diapers) and humectants. These hydrogels are primarily made of poly(sodium acrylate) based materials. Used hydrogels are disposed of by incineration, so if they are treated massively, the temperature in the incinerator will drop to cause a potential problem of producing dioxins. Attempts are therefore being made to use hydrogels that decompose in the soil to exert no environmental impact, as exemplified by poly(sodium glutamate) and poly(sodium aspartate) having irradiation-generated crosslinks.
Formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde are conventionally used to create chemical crosslinks in chitin and chitosan. However, since the aldehydes contaminate the working environment or the residual aldehydes may irritate the skin, a safer method of crosslinking is desired.
Hydrogels produced by crosslinking water-soluble polymers absorb a large amount of water, so they are used in sanitary products such as disposable diapers. Typically, zeolite incorporating antimicrobes such as silver are added as an antimicrobial agent. However, accumulation of silver is not preferred from the viewpoint of health. It is therefore required to develop high-molecular weight polymers that themselves have antimicrobial activity.
Chitosan has positive electric charges, so they bind to negatively charged microorganisms and exhibit antimicrobial activity to inhibit microbial growth. Thus, the applicable scope of chitin and chitosan which are currently discarded will expand and their added value will further increase if a safer method of their crosslinking is found and if hydrogels that themselves have antimicrobial activity are developed. However, chitin and chitosan have no compatible solvents and if they are irradiated in a solid state, marked decomposition will occur. Therefore, chitin and chitosan are difficult to process into films or fibers and it is also difficult to crosslink them by radiation.
If the hydrogen in hydroxyl groups in chitin and chitosan is replaced by a hydroxyl or carboxyl group, intermolecular hydrogen bonds sufficiently weaken that chitin and chitosan will come to dissolve in water. As a result of their intensive studies, the present inventors found that carboxymethylated chitin and chitosan (chitin and chitosan derivatives) could be crosslinked when irradiated in a thick paste form. The present invention has been accomplished on the basis of this finding. It was also revealed that CM-chitosan was a hydrogel having a unique feature of presenting antimicrobial activity.

Process for producing chitin derivatives and/or chitosan derivatives having a crosslinked structure


A support apparatus supporting a lens barrel includes an annular fitting member, constructed by cutting a metal die case blank, to form an inner peripheral groove therein, and annular sheets disposed on front and rear cut surfaces of the inner peripheral groove in a direction of an optical axis. A plurality of engaging members provided on an outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel are positioned between the annular sheets disposed in the inner peripheral groove.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a support apparatus supporting a lens barrel (i.e., a lens barrel support), which has a socket (such as a tripod mount) produced by metal die casting, and which is revolvable about an optical axis with respect to the tripod mount.
2. Description of the Related Art
A relatively large lens barrel for, e.g., a super-telephoto lens often includes a fixed or detachable tripod mount or the like for securely holding an image taking apparatus to a tripod or a monopod. Also, the lens barrel is generally rotatable about an optical axis of a lens, i.e., revolvable, while the tripod mount is held stationary, to take an image in any of landscape- and portrait-oriented frames.
FIG. 5A illustrates a structure of a lens barrel provided with a general tripod mount produced by metal die casting. A lens barrel 1 is held rotatably with respect to a tripod mount 2 by fitting an annular fitting member 2a, which is a part of the tripod mount 2, into a groove 1a formed in a fixed barrel as a part of the lens barrel 1. As shown in FIG. 5B, after rotating the lens barrel 1 relative to the annular fitting member 2a fitted into the groove 1a of the lens barrel 1 to a predetermined position, a fastening screw 2b is tightened such that the annular fitting member 2a clamps the lens barrel 1 to fix the lens barrel 1 at the predetermined rotated position.
In order to allow the revolving operation, a slight play needs to be left at a portion where the lens barrel 1 and the tripod mount 2 are fitted to each other. Also, when the annular fitting member 2a is fitted and held in the groove 1a of the lens barrel 1, the position of the center of gravity of the lens barrel 1, including a camera (not shown) mounted thereto, in the direction of the optical axis sometimes differs from the position where the lens barrel 1 is supported to the tripod mount 2.
In such a case, if a force acting to tilt the lens barrel 1 is applied to a fitting portion of the tripod mount 2, contact pressure caused by end surfaces 2c of the annular fitting member 2a abutting against front and rear walls 1b of the groove 1a, which are located in planes perpendicular to the optical axis in the lens barrel 1, is increased in accordance with the principle of leverage, thus generating a large load of resistance to rotation.
To overcome the above-described problem, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-082935, the front and rear end surfaces of the annular fitting member 2a are brought into point contact with the corresponding walls of the groove 1a of the lens barrel 1 to reduce the area of a frictional surface and to decrease the load of resistance to rotation.
FIG. 6A illustrates another example of a lens barrel provided with a tripod mount. A tripod mount 4 is fixed to a lens barrel 3 by using an annular fitting member 4a. A plurality of screwed shaft pins are attached to an outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel 3 at predetermined angles in the circumferential direction, and cylindrical retaining collars 5 are rotatably inserted over the screwed shaft pins. On the other hand, an inner peripheral groove 4b is formed inside the annular fitting member 4a, and guide grooves 4c are formed to extend perpendicularly to the inner peripheral groove 4b in continuation with it in the same number as the retaining collars 5 for guiding the retaining collars 5 to the inner peripheral groove 4b.
The annular fitting member 4a is fitted to the lens barrel 3 by introducing the retaining collars 5, which are attached to the lens barrel 3, to the inner peripheral groove 4b through the guide grooves 4c, and by rotating the annular fitting member 4a to be engaged in the inner peripheral groove 4b. Thus, the lens barrel 3 is engaged with and supported to the tripod mount 3 in a state rotatable about the optical axis. By tightening a fastening screw 4d, the lens barrel 3 can be fixed to a desired rotated position.
Alternatively, instead of the guide grooves 4c, tooling holes can be bored in the lens barrel 3 from the outer peripheral side at positions coincident with the inner peripheral groove 4b in the direction of the optical axis. In this case, after fitting the annular fitting member 4a over the lens barrel 3, retaining collars 5 are inserted through the tooling holes and are assembled to the lens barrel 3 by using screwed shaft pins. The tooling holes are not exposed to the exterior in a finished state because they are concealed by another part after the assembling of the retaining collars 5.
The assembly method using the guide grooves 4c enables a user to detach the tripod mount 4 from the lens barrel 3, while the assembly method using the outer-peripheral tooling holes does not allow the user to detach the tripod mount 4 from the lens barrel 3.
The retaining collars 5 are selected to have a slight fitting play with respect to the width of the inner peripheral groove 4b of the tripod mount 4 so that the lens barrel 3 is smoothly rotatable without undergoing resistance. With the related art shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, unlike the structure of FIGS. 5A and 5B in which the tripod mount 2 is fitted into the groove 1a of the lens barrel 1, a load imposed in the direction of the optical axis is generated as rotational friction. Accordingly, even when the position of the center of gravity of the lens barrel 3 in the direction of the optical axis fairly differs from the position where the lens barrel 3 is supported to the tripod mount 4, the operation of revolving the lens barrel 4 can be performed with a relatively small load.
The tripod mounts 2 and 4 need sufficient strength and are difficult to have a rotationally symmetrical shape. For that reason, the tripod mounts 2 and 4 are generally manufactured through the steps of producing a blank of each tripod mount by metal die casting, and forming the fitting portion (diameter), the engaging groove, etc. in match with a body of the lens barrel 1 or 3 by secondary working using a lathe.
In the case of the tripod mount 4 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the inner peripheral groove 4b is formed by secondary working. FIG. 7 illustrates a finished shape of the annular fitting member 4a obtained by machining a blank of the tripod mount 4 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, which has been produced by metal die casting, to cut an unnecessary portion, indicated by dotted lines, of the annular fitting member 4a with a lathe, thus forming the inner peripheral groove 4b by the secondary working.
In general metal die casting, however, when a die casting material is poured into a die, a slight amount of air is entrained with the die casting material in some cases. Accordingly, porosities (cavities) are often generated in a central region of a thick portion where the applied casting pressure tends to be insufficient. This increases a possibility that porosities appear on the cut surface when a cutting amount by the secondary working is large as in the case of machining the inner peripheral groove 4b shown in FIG. 7.
If porosities are exposed to the surface of the inner peripheral groove 4b, i.e., its sliding surface in contact with the retaining collars 5, as in the example shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a feeling of the revolving operation deteriorates upon the retaining collars 5 sliding against the porosities when the lens barrel 3 is revolved.
Another problem is that, because the annular fitting member 4a has insufficient strength and is apt to brittle at locations where the porosities are generated, the sliding surface is apt to crumble with repeated sliding movements, thus generating wear debris.
A metal die casting method for making porosities hard to generate inside a die-cast product (i.e., a die cast) is also known as, for example, a vacuum die casting method of pouring a die casting material into a die after the interior of the die has been evacuated to a vacuum state, or a PF (Pore Free) method of filling the interior of the die with active oxygen. However, those methods have the problems of needing large man-hours and increasing the cost.


An embossing device (1) includes an embossing area in which are arranged at least: a first embossing roller (5); a second embossing roller (7;9); a first pressure roller (11) co-acting with the first embossing roller; and a second pressure roller (15) co-acting with the second embossing roller. The embossing device further includes a storage unit (51) configured for containing spare embossing rollers (55, 57, 59), for replacing one or the other of the embossing rollers (5, 7) in the embossing area. The storage unit (51) develops substantially vertically, with mutually superposed seats (53) for receiving embossing rollers (55, 57, 59, 5, 7).

In the continuous web manufacturing industry, such as webs of tissue paper or the like, for example to produce rolls of toilet paper, paper napkins, rolls of kitchen towels and similar, machines are used to emboss cellulose web materials, by means of which the originally smooth material is subjected to a permanent deformation resulting in the formation of embossed protrusions. Two or more plies of web material are usually embossed separately from one another and then bonded, using glue, with different mutual arrangements of the protuberances produced by embossing on the one or more plies. Generally speaking, the embossed plies are bonded using so-called tip-to-tip technology, or using a so-called 'nested' technology, or using variants of these two base technologies.
The embossing patterns for one or the other of the plies forming the embossed tissue paper are changed with a certain frequency, both in order to obtain a variation in the outer appearance of the product, and for technical reasons, for example because certain patterns are more suitable for the production of toilet paper while others are preferable for the production of kitchen towels, or vice-versa. Therefore, when switching from the production of one type of item to another it may be necessary or useful to change one or more embossing rollers on the embossing device. Furthermore, embossing patterns must be selected as a function of the embossing technique used, for example some patterns used for tip-to-tip embossing may not be suitable for nested embossing, and vice-versa. Embossing devices exist, with which it is possible to produce both types of item, and in this case there is a further need to change the embossing rollers.
Embossing devices also exist, which are fitted with a plurality of interchangeable embossing rollers, forming a sort of storage unit. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,366 discloses an embossing device with a plurality of pairs of interchangeable embossing rollers, fitted onto a rotating support, or onto sliding supports that can move from a standing-by position to a working position. This embossing device is complex and not very efficient, since it does not permit the replacement of single rollers, but rather only the replacement of pairs of rollers.
The production of tissue paper may sometimes be carried out in small batches, meaning that in some cases, replacement of the embossing rollers may also be quite frequent.
A need, therefore, exists for embossing devices, wherein the embossing rollers can be changed quickly, by means of simple, easily-automated operations.

Embossing device with embossing roller storage unit


An electronic imaging device includes a display unit having a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of pixels, and a barrier layer disposed in front of the display unit and divided into a plurality of areas along a scan direction. The barrier layer includes a plurality of first barrier electrodes and a plurality of second barrier electrode. The plurality of first barrier electrodes includes a plurality of first and second sub-electrodes in a zigzag pattern along the scan direction, the plurality of second barrier electrodes includes a plurality of third and fourth sub-electrodes in a zigzag pattern along the scan direction, and the third and fourth sub-electrodes being offset with respect to the first and second sub-electrodes along the scan direction.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to an electronic imaging device and a driving method thereof. More particularly, example embodiments relate to an electronic imaging device that displays a stereoscopic image, and a driving method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic imaging device that displays a stereoscopic image provides an image of which a viewer perceives a stereoscopic effect by providing different images to the left eye and the right eye of the viewer. Such an electronic imaging device may provide autostereoscopy that enables a viewer to view a stereoscopic image without wearing an aiding device, e.g., polarizing spectacles, by using binocular parallax.
A typical autostereoscopy device may include a display unit and a barrier unit disposed in front of the display unit. The display unit may divide pixels for the left eye and the right eye and display a left-eye image and a right-eye image together, and the barrier unit may divide the left-eye image and the right-eye image realized by the display unit respectively toward the left-eye direction and the right-eye direction of the viewer. A barrier unit provided with transparent electrodes and a liquid crystal layer may optically form a light blocking unit and a light transmitting unit.
A conventional display unit may divide one frame into first and second periods, and may display an image that is combined in an order of the left eye and the right eye along a horizontal direction of the screen during the first period, and display an image that is combined in an order of the right eye and the left eye during the second period. In addition, the barrier unit may be synchronized by driving of the display unit, and may change a location of the light transmission unit in the first period and the second period. This method is called a time-division driving method, and a stereoscopic image with resolution of a plane image may be realized through this method.
However, a display unit, e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, may display images by using a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines, so an image of the first period and an image of the second period may be sequentially displayed along a scan direction, e.g., sequentially displayed along a vertical direction. That is, the image of the second period may be displayed from a top of the display unit toward a bottom thereof, after the image of the first period is displayed along a same direction. Therefore, there may be a period in which portions of the image of the second period and the image of the first period are displayed simultaneously on the display unit. Since a left-eye image and a right-eye image cannot be divided while the image of the first period and the image of the second period are displayed together, i.e., simultaneously, by the display unit, crosstalk may be generated.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Electronic imaging device and driving method thereof