An apparatus for washing, filling, and sealing a container includes an enclosure having an opening for receiving a container. The apparatus may include a rotary assembly, a wash station, a rinse station, a fill station, and a seal station all contained within the enclosure. The rotary assembly may include any number of racks for carrying the containers. The rotary assembly advances (e.g., about an axis) and facilitates the washing, filling, and sealing of the containers within the enclosure. The apparatus may be employed in a method for washing, rinsing, filling, and sealing containers within an enclosure. The method may be conducted consecutively. The steps of washing, filling, and sealing are conducted simultaneously.

Consumable liquids (e.g., water, soda, and juice) are commonly packaged in individual containers such as glass or plastic bottles. The bottling of such containers typically takes place on a large industrial scale. For example, a large conveyor advances containers through various stages of the bottling process (e.g., filling and capping the bottles).
Although suitable for large-scale production of filled containers, such bottling machinery is not suitable for local, small-scale production of filled containers at locations such as restaurants, cafeterias, businesses, and resorts. For example, such bottling machinery requires a large space. Moreover, acquiring such bottling machinery requires significant initial capital outlays and operating the machinery is expensive.
Accordingly, a need exists for an apparatus for filling a container that takes up minimal space and is suitable for small-scale production of filled containers. Such an apparatus would also have the added advantage of being readily transportable to various locations. A need also exists for an apparatus that is relatively inexpensive. It is also desirable to minimize the number of containers discarded in landfills. Furthermore, it is desirable to have an apparatus capable of cleaning used containers (e.g., sanitizing) such that the containers can be filled, sealed, and reused. It is also desirable to promote the recycling efforts of individuals and institutions.

Apparatus for cleaning, filling, and sealing a container


A pre-oiler assembly includes a hollow body portion with a hollow float body assembly secured to the lower end thereof. A solenoid operated three-way air valve has one port communicating with the interior of the hollow body, a second port connected to a source of air pressure, and a third port connected to the engine to vent air from the hollow body into the engine. The deactivated position of the air valve connects the first and third ports so as to vent air from an oil chamber within the hollow body, to the engine. The activated position of the air valve connects the first and second ports, such that air under pressure enters the oil chamber to force oil from the hollow body. The float body assembly at the lower end of the hollow body portion has an oil line extending therefrom to the engine to be pre-oiled. A normally closed solenoid operated oil valve is interposed in the oil line, and permits oil passage through the oil line to the engine when activated to the open position. An oil inlet connecting the oil chamber to a source of oil includes a one-way check valve to prevent back flow from the oil chamber. A key switch is provided for actuating the solenoids when it is desired to pre-oil the engine.

Many types of engine pre-oilers have been previously provided in an attempt to pre-oil certain moving parts of an engine prior to the engine being adequately oiled or lubricated by the engine lubrication system. The prior art devices suffer from many disadvantages. One disadvantage of certain prior art engine pre-oilers is that they do not adequately lubricate the engine. Yet another disadvantage of the prior art pre-oilers is that they are extremely complicated and cumbersome. Still another disadvantage of the prior art pre-oilers is that they do not have sufficient safeties associated therewith to prevent damage to the engine should the pre-oiler improperly function. Yet another disadvantage of the prior art pre-oilers is that they are extremely costly.


A pump comprises a pump casing having a pump channel, a pump element rotating in the pump channel, and a rotor shaft mounted in the pump casing and attached to the pump element. The pump element has a cylindrical outer periphery, and undulating surfaces in the axial direction. The opening in the casing which receives the rotor shaft has an annular groove in which there is disposed a spring loaded sealing element which bears slidably against a flat end face of the pump element when the pump element rotates. The sealing element is subjected to the pressure of superheated steam which is conducted to the sealing element via pressure channels in the pump casing connected to the annular groove. The rotor shaft includes radial and axial channels through which a coolant flows.

The invention relates to a pump having a pump element which is shaped undulating in the axial direction and cylindrical at its periphery and which is attached to a rotor shaft mounted in a pump casing and rotates in a pump channel of the pump casing.
A pump of the kind specified is known from German OS DE 34 18 708 A1. That pump has a rotor which is disposed in a pump channel and which is formed with the pump element projecting cantilevered. The pump element is formed undulating in its axial longitudinal direction, while its peripheral surfaces are constructed cylindrical. The rotor is attached to a rotor shaft connected to a drive and rotates in a pump channel formed in the pump casing and connected to a pump inlet and a pump outlet. To provide a sealing between the pump inlet and outlet, provided in the pump channel are axially displaceable sealing elements which are forced against the working surface of the pump element and follow the undulatory movement of said element as it rotates.
This prior art pump has been proved to have a reliable delivery, more particularly when delivering thick substances. However, problems arise if the pump is to be used in aseptic surroundings. In such a use it has been found that with this prior art pump, particles entering the pump from outside may cause contaminations of the substance delivered in the pump channel. Moreover, due to the construction of conventional seals, residual deposits of the material conveyed accumulate and may also cause contamination of the material delivered. This is more particularly the case if, due to the running clearance required by the construction, the rotor and shaft bearing system causes excessive stressing of the seal and finally leads to its destruction.
It is an object of the invention so to improve a pump of the kind specified as to make it impossible for particles entering the pump casing from outside to contaminate the material delivered in the pump channel to the pump, while at the same time preventing the depositing of said material. This problem is solved according to the invention by the features that starting from the wall of the pump casing adjacent the rear end face of the pump element, the wall of the casing opening receiving the rotor shaft is formed with an annular groove in which there is disposed a spring-loaded sealing element which bears slidably against the flat end face of the pump element when the pump element rotates and which is subjected to the pressure of superheated steam via pressure channels connected to the annular groove, the rotor shaft having radial and axial channels which form a cooling system and through which a coolant flows.
The provision according to the invention of a seal which is forced as a slide ring seal against the flat end face of the pump element when the pump element rotates ensures a reliable seal of the inner space of the pump casing against atmosphere. Since moreover superheated steam is used to press the seal in contact against the end face of the pump element, sterility is ensured, even if the sealing leaks. Moreover, the side ring elements are stressed concentrically flat-running and are disposed in the flushed inner zone of the pump. This arrangement enables the interior of the pump with the slide ring elements to be cleaned in a simple manner. In this way, when the pump is used in aseptic conditions, it is impossible for the pumped material to be contaminated with impurities at any time.
At the same time the cooling system, which is formed by channels extending radially and axially in the rotor shaft and through which coolant flows, ensures that the pump cannot be damaged by overheating. The invention therefore enables sterile superheated steam to be used for the contact pressure of the seal, while at the same time ensuring the smooth, reliable operation of the pump.
Wear on the sealing element can be reduced by the feature that the flat end face of the pump element is formed with a recess in which a slide ring is disposed against which the sealing element disposed in the annular groove of the casing opening bears. In this way the material of the seal and the material of the slide ring can be adapted to one another in an optimum manner, thus ensuring satisfactory sliding behaviour with low wear on the seal.
More particularly with a one-sided bearing system for the rotor shaft, the rotor shaft is mounted in a bearing flange at least one of whose end faces has cooling fins. With the use of such bearing flange, the heat generated by the sterile barrier subjected to pressure loading with superheated steam during pump operation is removed.
Conveniently the cooling fins extend vertically, since in that case use can be made of the natural air flow set up by the convection of the heated surrounding air. Such cooling can also be used simultaneously for cooling the pump casing if the cooling fins extend on the end face of the bearing flange associated with the pump casing. In addition, the cooling effect of the cooling fins can be boosted by the feature that the coolant flowing through the rotor shaft flows around the cooling fins.


Liquid tank comprising:                a first or storage volume for storing the liquid, bounded at least in part by a wall;        a second or venting volume for venting the tank, bounded at least in part by the same wall;        means of communication between the storage and venting volumes, situated in the top of these volumes;        at least one orifice situated in the top of the venting volume, normally placing the venting volume in communication with a venting circuit; and        means capable of closing off the means of communication, when the liquid in the venting volume reaches a predetermined level.

The present invention relates to a liquid tank and, in particular, to a fuel tank with which a motor vehicle may be equipped. It also relates to a method for manufacturing this tank.
Liquid tanks, particularly fuel tanks for motor vehicles, are currently fitted, amongst other things, with a breather circuit. This circuit allows air to be introduced into the tank in the event of depression (in particular to compensate for the volume of liquid consumed) or gases contained in the tank to be removed in the event of overpressure (particularly if the contents warm up). This circuit also allows the gases that are to be discharged into the atmosphere to be routed and possibly filtered with a view to meeting the increasingly strict environmental requirements in this area.
The breather circuit comprises, in the known way, at least one value which as far as possible prevents liquid from the tank from leaving the tank if the tank is excessively inclined or rolls over. This breather valve needs to offer a rapid and reliable response when its operating conditions occur, but have minimal sensitivity to transient phenomena such as, in particular, very high flow rates, overpressures in the tank or low-amplitude waves. It also needs to ensure that a minimum amount of liquid is carried over into the canister (or the chamber containing a substance that adsorbs fuel vapours, usually active charcoal) in normal operation and during filling, otherwise the said canister would become saturated and the removal of contaminants from the gases discharged into the atmosphere would be ineffective. This phenomenon is generally termed LCO (for Liquid Carry-Over) in the jargon of the trade.
Many breather valves employ a float comprising an upper needle valve or ridge that closes off a connecting orifice between the tank and the breather circuit.
The disadvantage with this type of valve is its size and, in particular, its height, which limits the useful volume of the tank when positioned inside the latter. The problem is that the said valve lies at least partially above the maximum level for liquid in the tank, so that it can perform its function. However, it must be noted that a minimum head space known as an "expansion space" is nevertheless required by manufacturers and that, in general, the size and geometry of the valves are tailored accordingly.
Now, at the present time, motor manufacturers are seeking to increase accommodation, modularity and aerodynamics offered by the vehicles. A slim tank is an attractive alternative that allows the total height of the vehicle to be minimized while at the same time maximizing the head room inside the cabin and fitting perfectly under a flat floor.
However, reducing the height of the tank has the effect of limiting the size of the components inserted in it, particularly the ventilation valves because, in proportion, they limit the useful volume far more than they would in normal tanks. In reality, even the smallest float valves available on the market still take up too much of the useful height of slim tanks. In other words: the lost volume is far greater than the expansion volume required by motor manufacturers.
In order to solve this problem, recourse may be had to an expansion volume or chamber external to the tank, particularly as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,184. However, such an architecture entails a separate part and lines of connection between the tank and this part, and this is complicated and expensive.

Liquid tank and method for manufacturing it

Inergy Automotive Systems Research (S.A.)


A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders which do not fire one after another and intake ports for the cylinders. A mechanical supercharger is disposed in an intake passage. An intake resonance passage having no enlarged volume space or chambers, which consists of a resonance passage part and a collecting passage part directly communicating with the resonance passage part, is connected to an outlet port of an intercooler forming a pressure reflecting portion. The intake ports for the cylinders are separately communicated with the collecting passage part by way of a plurality of independent intake passages. A bypass passage is connected between the collecting passage part and the intake passage downstream the mechanical supercharger so as to form a circular passage running the mechanical supercharger, intercooler, intake resonance passage.

An internal combustion engine with a supercharger has been developed with improved charging efficiency obtained by means of utilizing kinetic effects, such as inertia effects or resonance effects, of intake air. To obtain high volumetric efficiency over a wide range of engine speeds, it was taught that the natural frequency of resonance air column should be changed depending upon engine speed. One example of such internal combustion engines is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-14,169, consisting of cylinders divided into two groups, so that adjoining cylinders in each group do not fire one after the other. The cylinders in each group are separately communicated with an intake collecting passage by way of discrete intake passages. The intake collecting passages for the two groups of cylinders are communicated with each other by way of separate intake resonance passages having enlarged volume chambers, such as surge tanks, respectively. A switch means is disposed at the junction of the intake resonance passages for the two groups of cylinders for bringing the intake resonance passages into communication with each other in high engine speed range or interrupting communication therebetween in low engine speed range.
According to the internal combustion engine, the vibration of an air column in the intake resonance passage is generated by pressure waves due to periodic openings of the intake ports of the cylinders, generating the vibration of the air column in the intake collecting passage and the discrete intake passages. The resonance of vibration of the air column induces the greatest amplitude of pressure vibration, thereby greatly enhancing resonance effect of supercharging. The resonance effect supercharging is still more improved or enhanced by forming the intake resonance pipe with no enlarged volume chamber wherein pressure vibrations are attenuated. The provision of the intake resonance pipe having no enlarged volume chamber also contributes to an attempt at making the intake system, and hence the engine, compact.
In the above mentioned internal combustion engine, the more downstream a cylinder is located, the lesser the amount of intake air fed to the cylinder is with respect to an upstream located cylinder, whereby intake air is possibly unequally distributed and supplied among the cylinders. That is, when a cylinder is in its intake stroke in the state or condition that the intake air is less dense in the intake resonance pipe immediately after the intake of a cylinder located upstream the cylinder, the amount of intake air supplied to the downstream located cylinder tends to become less. The more the tendency is strengthened, the smaller the diameter of the intake resonance pipe becomes. However, in the case of supercharging intake air by way of utilizing kinetic effects, such as resonance effects, increasing the diameter of the intake resonance pipe results in a small amplitude of pressure vibration and weakened supercharging effect.
To obtain high engine output, it was thought that the intake system which charging air to the engine with utilizing resonance effects of intake air should be provided with a supercharger. If volumetric efficiency is not uniform among the cylinders, a cylinder having a volumetric efficiency higher than that of the other cylinders is apt to knock. In order to avoid knockings, it is required to decrease supercharging pressure, to retard firing timings or to change the compression ratio of intake air. This leads to an insufficient engine power output and an decrease of fuel efficiency.

Intake system for multi-cylinder engine with supercharger


A microcomputer section operates by use of electric power from a power supply section. The microcomputer section carries out control so that any one of a plurality of switching circuits is selected, the selected one of the plurality of switching circuits causes an electric current from a corresponding current transformer of a plurality of current transformers to flow to the microcomputer section, whereas the other unselected switching circuits cause electric currents from respective current transformers of the plurality of current transformers to flow to the power supply section, and the selection is carried out successively with respect to each of the plurality of switching circuits.

Industry has recently been required to achieve a reduction in amount of electric power consumption (consumption energy) (hereinafter abbreviated to "energy saving") in various electrical appliances for use in production so as to reduce production costs. Further, an ordinary household has also been required to achieve energy saving in various home electronics (domestic electrical appliances) so as to reduce electric power rates.
Energy saving generally starts with a grasp of an actual state of electric power consumption (use of electric power). Thus, it has been considered to measure electric power by providing wattmeters to indoor wires or various electrical appliances in buildings such as a factory and a house. Generally, a clamp electric current sensor is used in such a wattmeter to measure an electric current. A conventional electric power measuring device or a conventional electric current measuring device is exemplified by electric power measuring devices or electric current measuring devices disclosed in Patent Literatures 1 through 3.
An electric current sensing device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is arranged to cause a current transformer (CT) provided to a power line to sense a system electric current. According to the electric current sensing device, a power supply section of an electric current sensing calculation and monitoring section provided on the secondary side of the CT is provided with a rectifier circuit, a constant voltage DC output circuit, a backup power supply circuit, and a level converting circuit that are located in this order from the upstream side, the level converting circuit supplying electric power to the electric current sensing calculation and monitoring section by converting an output voltage of the constant voltage DC output circuit or the backup power supply circuit to a predetermined level. In a case where the output voltage of the constant voltage DC output circuit decreases, electric power is supplied from the backup power supply circuit. This allows a single CT to sense an electric current and supply electric power.
An electric power sensing device disclosed in Patent Literature 2 is included in a sensing target device that is driven by a three-phase four-wire system power supply. According to the electric power sensing device, a voltage measuring circuit includes no transformer and is constituted by a resistance voltage-dividing circuit, and the voltage measuring circuit is connected to three power lines of the respective phases other than a neutral line of the three-phase four-wire system power supply. Meanwhile, an electric current measuring circuit is electromagnetically-coupled with the three power lines by a current transformer. Electric power generated by a power supply section of the sensing target device is supplied to an electric power receiving circuit via an interface such as a connector, and the electric power is supplied from the electric power receiving circuit to each section of the electric power sensing device, so that the electric power sensing device starts operating.
The voltage measuring circuit senses a voltage between the neutral line and each of the power lines of the three phases, and the electric current measuring circuit senses respective electric currents of the three phases by use of the current transformer. An analog output, which is a result of the measurement by each of the voltage measuring circuit and the electric current measuring circuit is digitalized by an A/D converter, and a result obtained from the A/D converter is used by a calculation section to calculate, for example, a phase voltage, a phase electric current, phase electric power, and total electric power. A result obtained from the calculation section is supplied to a communication circuit, and the result is transmitted from the communication circuit to the sensing target device via the interface such as a connector.
According to an electric power usage providing device disclosed in Patent Literature 3, one (1) power line of an alternating-current power device is provided with three core coils, and an electric power sensing section uses induced electromotive force, which is generated by a first core coil, to calculate electric power used by the alternating-current power device. A sensing electric power generating section uses induced electromotive force, which is generated by a second core coil, or uses a primary battery to supply electric power to the electric power sensing section. A communication section uses induced electromotive force, which is generated by a third core coil, or uses the primary battery to transmit the used electric power to another communication device. By thus intermittently calculating and transmitting used electric power, used electric power can be stably calculated and transmitted for a long period even in the case of electric power supply by electromagnetic induction.

Current measurement device, control method for same, recording medium, and power measurement device


Provided herein are compounds that inhibit MALT1, a protein whose activity is responsible for constitutive NF-κB signaling in certain cancers (e.g., activated B-cell diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (ABC-DLBCL)). Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions and kits comprising the compounds, and methods of treating MALT1-related diseases and disorders (e.g., cancer) with the compounds in a subject, by administering the compounds and/or compositions described herein.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a cancer of B cells and is the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in adults. DLBCL is an aggressive tumor which can arise in almost any part of the body. Typically, DLBCL arises from normal B cells, but it can also represent a malignant transformation of other types of lymphoma or leukemia with underlying immunodeficiency being a significant risk factor. Despite advances in treatment, one third of DLBCL patients either do not respond or relapse within a short time. There are two major biologically distinct molecular subtypes of DLBCL: germinal center B-cell (GCB) and activated B-cell (ABC). ABC-DLBCL is derived from B cells that are in the process of differentiating from germinal center B cells to plasma cells. Typically, patients diagnosed with the ABC subtype have poorer outcomes than GCB patients.
Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT1) is part of the paracaspase family and possesses proteolytic activity. It is a functional cysteine protease activated by T-cell receptor stimulation that has an important role in the activation of the transcription factor NF-κB, in the production of interleukin-2 (IL-2), and in the proliferation of T and B lymphocytes. For example, the survival of several known ABC-DLBCL cell lines depends on a trio of signaling adapters: CARD11, MALT1, and BCL10. These proteins form the CBM complex that is involved in the antigen-dependent activation of NF-κB. In addition to acting as a scaffold protein within the CBM complex, MALT1 also contains a proteolytic activity that is constitutively activated in ABC-DLBCL. MALT1 inhibitors are known to inhibit NF-κB target gene expression and ABC-DLBCL viability, making MALT1 inhibition an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of ABC-DLBCL. In addition, dysregulation of MALT1 activity plays a role in the development of other diseases, such as MALT1-dependent inflammatory and/or autoimmune diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, systemic lupus, Sjögren's syndrome, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis). Accordingly, a need exists to discover and develop MALT1 inhibitors.


A method for compensating for chromatic dispersion of an optical signal includes: receiving the optical signal from an input fiber; collimating the optical signal using a collimator; delivering the collimated optical signal to a Gires-Tournois interferometer; reflecting a chromatic-dispersion-compensated optical signal from the Gires-Tournois interferometer to the collimator; focusing the chromatic-dispersion compensated optical signal into an output fiber. The compensator in accordance with the present invention provides flexibility in producing periodically varying chromatic dispersion so as to compensate for unwanted periodic chromatic dispersion produced in an interferometric interleaved channel separator. Also, the compensator enables compensation of fiber optic chromatic dispersion.

The present invention relates to fiber optic networks, and more particularly to chromatic dispersion compensators utilized in fiber optic communications networks that carry wavelength division multiplexed information signals.
Fiber optic communication systems are becoming increasingly popular for data transmission due to their high speed and high data capacity capabilities. Wavelength division multiplexing is used in such fiber optic communication systems to transfer a relatively large amount of data at a high speed. In wavelength division multiplexing, multiple information-carrying signals, each signal comprising light of a specific restricted wavelength range, may be transmitted along the same optical fiber.
In this specification, these individual information-carrying lights are referred to as either xe2x80x9csignalsxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cchannels.xe2x80x9d The totality of multiple combined signals in a wavelength division multiplexed optical fiber, optical line or optical system, wherein each signal is of a different wavelength range, is herein referred to as a xe2x80x9ccomposite optical signal.xe2x80x9d
The term xe2x80x9cwavelength,xe2x80x9d denoted by the Greek letter xcex (lambda) is used synonymously with the terms xe2x80x9csignalxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cchannel.xe2x80x9d Although each information-carrying channel actually comprises light of a certain range of physical wavelengths, for simplicity, a single channel is referred to as a single wavelength, xcex, and a plurality of n such channels are referred to as xe2x80x9cn wavelengthsxe2x80x9d denoted xcex1-xcexn. Used in this sense, the term xe2x80x9cwavelengthxe2x80x9d may be understood to refer to xe2x80x9cthe channel nominally comprised of light of a range of physical wavelengths centered at the particular wavelength, xcex.xe2x80x9d
One common and well-known problem in the transmission of optical signals is chromatic dispersion of the optical signal. Chromatic dispersion refers to the effect wherein the various physical wavelengths comprising an individual channel either travel through an optic fiber or component at different speedsxe2x80x94for instance, longer wavelengths travel faster than shorter wavelengths, or vice versaxe2x80x94or else travel different length paths through a component. This is a particular problem that becomes more acute for data transmission speeds higher than 2.5 gigabytes per second. The resulting pulses of the signal will be stretched, will possibly overlap, and will cause increased difficulty for optical receivers to distinguish where one pulse begins and another ends. This effect seriously compromises the integrity of the signal. Therefore, for a fiber optic communication system to provide a high transmission capacity, the system must compensate for chromatic dispersion.
The chromatic dispersion characteristics of optical fibers and components are given by the quantity D (ps-kmxe2x88x921-nmxe2x88x921) defined by the relationship of Eq. 1                     D        =                                            ⅆ                              ⅆ                λ                                                                (                              1                                  v                  g                                            )                                =                                    1              L                                                  (                                                ⅆ                                      τ                    g                                                                    ⅆ                  λ                                            )                                                          (        1        )
wherein xcex is the channel wavelength (nm), vg is the group velocity (km/ps), xcfx84g is the group delay time (ps), and L is the fiber length (km). If vg decreases with increasing wavelength (i.e., longer or xe2x80x9credxe2x80x9d wavelengths travel slower than relatively shorter or xe2x80x9cbluexe2x80x9d wavelengths) then D is positive, otherwise D is negative.
Conventional apparatuses that can be used as dispersion compensating components include dispersion compensation fiber, chirped fiber Bragg gratings, and diffraction gratings.
A dispersion compensation fiber, which is used in-line within a fiber communications system, has a special cross-section index profile so as to provide chromatic dispersion that is opposite to that of ordinary fiber within the system. The summation of the two opposite types of dispersion negates the chromatic dispersion of the system. However, dispersion compensation fiber is expensive to manufacture, has a relatively large optical attenuation, must be relatively long to sufficiently compensate for chromatic dispersion and cannot compensate for periodically varying chromatic dispersion.
A chirped fiber Bragg grating is a special fiber with spatially modulated refractive index that is designed so that longer (shorter) wavelength components are reflected at a farther distance along the chirped fiber Bragg grating than are the shorter (longer) wavelength components. By causing certain wavelength components to travel longer distances than other wavelength components, a controlled delay is added to those components and opposite dispersion can be added to a pulse. Unfortunately, a chirped fiber Bragg grating has a very narrow bandwidth for reflecting pulses, and therefore cannot provide a wavelength band sufficient to compensate for light including many wavelengths, such as a wavelength division multiplexed light. A number of chirped fiber Bragg gratings may be cascaded for wavelength multiplexed signals, but this results in an expensive system.
A conventional diffraction grating has the property of outputting different wavelengths at different angles. By using a pair of gratings in a coupled spatial arrangement, this property can be used to compensate chromatic dispersion in a fiber communications system. In such a spatial grating pair arrangement, lights of different wavelengths are diffracted from a first grating at different angles. These lights are then input to a second grating that diffracts them a second time so as to set their pathways parallel to one another. Because the different lights travel with different angles between the two gratings, certain wavelength components are made to travel longer distances than those traveled by other wavelength components. Chromatic dispersion is produced in the spatial grating pair arrangement because the wavelength components that travel the longer distances incur time delays relative to those that travel the shorter distances. This grating-produced chromatic dispersion can be made to be opposite to that of the fiber communications system, thereby compensating the chromatic dispersion within the system. However, a practical spatial grating pair arrangement cannot provide a large enough dispersion to compensate for the relatively large amount of chromatic dispersion occurring in a fiber optic communication system. More specifically, the angular dispersion produced by a diffraction grating is usually extremely small, and is typically approximately 0.05 degrees/nm. Therefore, to compensate for chromatic dispersion occurring in a fiber optic communication system, the two gratings of a spatial grating pair would have to be separated by a very large distance, thereby making such a spatial grating pair arrangement impractical.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved chromatic dispersion compensator. The present invention addresses such a need.
A method for compensating for chromatic dispersion of an optical signal includes: receiving the optical signal from an input fiber; collimating the optical signal using a collimator; delivering the collimated optical signal to a Gires-Tournois interferometer; reflecting a chromatic-dispersion-compensated optical signal from the Gires-Tournois interferometer to the collimator; focusing the chromatic-dispersion compensated optical signal into an output fiber. The compensator in accordance with the present invention provides flexibility in producing periodically varying chromatic dispersion so as to compensate for unwanted periodic chromatic dispersion produced in an interferometric interleaved channel separator. Also, the compensator enables compensation of fiber optic chromatic dispersion.

Method, system and apparatus for chromatic dispersion compensation utilizing a Gires-Tournois interferometer


A semiconductor device includes a substrate that includes a first insulating layer, a conductive layer on the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer on the conductive layer, and an opening that passes through the conductive layer and the second insulating layer and in which part of the conductive layer is exposed, a conductive material that contacts at least the first insulating layer and the part of the conductive layer in the opening, and a semiconductor chip that has an electrode extending towards the first insulating layer within the opening and contacting the conductive material.

As a method of flip-chip bonding for connecting a semiconductor chip to an interconnection board, a mass reflow approach and a thermo-compression bonding approach are known. In the flip-chip bonding based on the thermo-compression bonding, when the semiconductor chip is mounted on the interconnection board, a solder is melted by heat, and bumps on the semiconductor chip are connected to pads of the interconnection board by thermo-compression bonding.
The interconnection board used in such a thermocompression bonding approach has an opening in a solder resist in each bump connection region, and part of an interconnection or the pads are exposed within the openings. Thus, in this connection region, a level (height) difference is present between the solder resist and the substrate (e.g., prepreg) on which the solder resist is disposed. As a result, voids often remain within the connection region or around each bump at a time of supplying an NCP (Non-Conductive Paste). Such voids disadvantageously cause a short circuit failure between adjacent bumps, poor adhesiveness of the NCP resin, or a deterioration in reliability.

Semiconductor device and semiconductor device manufacturing method


A toothbrush combined with a toothpaste dispenser with a wall mounted holder. The present invention comprises of a twist knob that is able to push a piston up a toothpaste compartment. The piston creates pressure inside the toothpaste compartment and causes the toothpaste to travel up a main channel. The main channel branches into a plurality of smaller tubes. Each tube has a respective rubber tube dispenser that protrudes and extends from the brush head. The rubber tube dispensers allow the toothpaste to be dispensed on top of the bristles. The toothbrush additionally comprises of a mouthwash strip roll dispensing mechanism positioned in the knob. The present invention additionally comprises of audio and visual indicators to provide users with visual or hearing impairments with a signal notification of toothpaste depletion.

The morning routine of waking up and brushing teeth is a tedious but necessary process. The morning brush is able to get rid of any bacteria and plaque buildup on one's teeth during the night. However, groggy users in the mornings may accidentally miss the toothbrush when applying the toothpaste onto the bristles. At times, half awaken users can also accidentally squeeze the toothpaste from the tube onto their clothing. The user will generally wet the toothpaste and brush combination under the faucet. The toothpaste will foam when agitated inside the mouth. The present invention aims to simplify the tooth brushing process by allowing users to dispense toothpaste from the toothbrush itself.
Veterans and those in the armed forces who may be handicapped or injured may benefit from the present invention as it makes the process of dispensing toothpaste onto a toothbrush simplified. Whereas traditionally, coordination is required to position the dispensing toothpaste from a tube onto the bristles of a toothbrush, the present invention simply dispenses the toothpaste directly onto the bristles from the toothbrush's internal chamber.
The American Dental Association recommends that a toothbrush be replaced every 90 days. The present invention will have a supply of tooth gel/paste for 90 days and 90 concentrated/perforated mouthwash strips. The invention will not only meet the criteria of the ADA, but the ease of dispensing toothpaste/gel onto the rounded bristles will meet the needs of the handicapped and disabled veterans. Hearing and visually impaired will be able to use the present invention with ease by having an audio/visual sensor to alert the user that the 90 day supply of tooth gel/paste is depleting and a new brush will need to be purchased.
The present invention will provide users convenience in reducing the number of items in their bathrooms. The present invention also prevents users from accidentally missing the toothbrush when applying toothpaste. Another convenience provided by the present invention is that users will not have to worry about losing the cap to the toothpaste tube. The present invention additionally is able to store and dispense mouthwash strip. When the toothpaste supply has neared depletion, the present invention additionally comprises of a visual and audio indicator that is triggered when a sensor is activated.

Toothpaste dispensing toothbrush with mouthwash strip roll compartment


An electronic device includes a semiconductor body and a dielectric layer extending over the semiconductor body. A galvanic isolation module includes a first metal region extending in the dielectric layer at a first height and a second metal region extending in the dielectric layer at a second height greater than the first height. The first and second metal regions are capacitively or magnetically coupleable together. The second metal region includes a side wall and a bottom wall coupled to one another through rounded surface portions.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an electronic device including a galvanic isolation module and to a manufacturing method of the same.
Description of the Related Art
In the field of galvanic isolation, for safety reasons, many power applications directly connected to high-voltage lines, such as systems for driving industrial machinery or household appliances, or control systems for motors and battery packs of electric vehicles, require decoupling between the power stage and the user control panel. Traditionally, in these applications, galvanic isolation has been obtained by optical couplers with isolation classes of several kilovolts and bandwidths of hundreds of kilohertz, or by coreless transformers on printed-circuit boards (PCBs).
In the field of integrated transformers for signal transmission, in order to obtain large bandwidths and reduce the size and costs, there have been recently introduced integrated coreless transformers. Design of transformers of this type requires the need to take into consideration numerous parameters, such as the breakdown voltage (also known as "dielectric rigidity"), the bandwidth, the time derivative of the voltage dV/dt, and the immunity to external fields.
In the field of integrated transformers for power transmission, in order to supply the driving system connected to the high-voltage power MOS transistor, it is desirable to use a power transmission line between the low-voltage (LV) portion and the high-voltage (HV) portion. In order to reduce the power losses and increase the efficiency of the system, it is important to reduce the resistance of the winding and the value of parasitic capacitance that is set up with the substrate. Currently, windings of a material with low resistance (typically, gold) and dedicated high-resistance substrates are used. This solution may not be employed in integrated circuits of a "smart power" type, with consequent increase in costs and loss of efficiency of the system as a whole.
There is hence felt the need for an integrated transformer that will overcome the drawbacks of the known art and in particular will make it possible to improve the isolation voltage class, will enable decoupling (galvanic isolation) between a low-voltage operating region and high-voltage operating region of the integrated circuit, will enable power transfer between the low-voltage operating region and the high-voltage operating region, and will, in general, enable a reduction of the costs and an improvement in performance.

Electronic device with integrated galvanic isolation, and manufacturing method of the same


An apparatus for suspending a food product, such as meats and the like while cooking comprised of two planar interlocking grids that allow for easy assembly and storage and allow for use in high heat and microwave environments.

Roasting, in which an article of food, usually meat or poultry, is placed in an oven is an early and still popular cooking technique.
It is common for oven roasting racks to be made from wire to provide the advantages of simple and cheap manufacture and distribution. However, a wire roast rack is often cumbersome in configuration and occupies appreciable storage space. This is a particularly troublesome problem when the racks are stored in cluttered kitchen cabinets.
When roasting a food product on a wire roast rack, it is often difficult to manipulate and remove the food product from the rack. This is due to the fact that most roasted foods are highly proteinaceous and are therefore prone to stick to a hot roasting rack. For this reason, there is a need for the removal of the food product from a rack which will not cause damage to the cooked food. Further, the heat of the oven in such methods of roasting penetrates the body cavity of the meat or other food product being roasted and thus causes the object being roasted to drip excess oils and grease onto the rack and into the pan below. Many wire racks do not provide for adequate means to allow the food product to drip off excess oils and grease, thus making cleaning of the rack difficult and affecting the taste of food product.
In addition, any roast racks made of wire tend to rust after repeated use and cleaning and its metallic properties prevent it from being used in a microwave.
Recently, microwave cooking has become a popular alternative to oven cooking. Current kitchen cookware must be able to not only withstand high temperatures but also have the capacity to operate in the microwave environment. Microwave ovens have become popular kitchen appliances and it is apparent that use of microwave ovens will continue to increase. The wire roast racks are not suitable for use in microwave ovens because wire, metal and other such materials are not microwave compatible.
Cookware does exist that has been designed specifically for use in microwave environments. Such cookware usually takes the form of a tray or pan made of microwave compatible material. However, such cookware is unsuitable for the efficient roasting of meats and the like as such cookware does not uniformly cook the meat and does not provide the means necessary to allow oils and grease to drip off the food product.
Barder, British Patent No. 1,519,776, discloses a rack in the form of two wire grids having three planes. The reference device however is not microwave compatible and buffers the disadvantages known to wire racks. Its configuration also makes it difficult to store in kitchen cabinets.
It has been discovered that polyetherimides and, in particular, polyetherimide bearing the grade designation Ultem.RTM.1000 and Ultem.RTM.1010 are virtually unaffected by microwave radiation.


A method of making a honeycomb structure comprises the step of providing a honeycomb body including a first end face and a second end face, wherein the honeycomb body includes a ceramic and/or a ceramic-forming material. The method further includes the step of providing a first non-metallic extension and a second non-metallic extension along a longitudinal axis of the honeycomb body. The first non-metallic extension is positioned with respect to the first end face and the second non-metallic extension is positioned with respect to the second end face. The method further includes the step of exposing the honeycomb body and the non-metallic extensions to microwaves to dry the honeycomb body.

Typical methods of making a ceramic honeycomb structure include the steps of extruding batch material into a green honeycomb body and then drying the green body to be subsequently fired into the ceramic honeycomb structure. Ceramic honeycomb structures can be used in a wide range of applications such as catalytic processing and/or particulate filtration of exhaust gases.


A retention packaging assembly (100, 200, 300) includes an end retention frame (200) that retains one lateral side of an object (150) and another retention frame (300) that retains another lateral side of the object. Each of the retention frames includes a retention panel, an end panel (104, 106) foldably coupled to the retention panel, a set of wing panels configured to be folded into a folded configuration, and a sheet (208, 308) fixedly coupled to each of the wing panels. Each end retention frame retains a lateral side of the object between the sheet and the retention panel when the wing panels are in the folded configuration. In some cases, the end retention frames are laterally spaced away from each other such that they do not contact each other when they retain the lateral sides of the object.

The present disclosure is in the technical field of protective packaging. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to retention packaging.
Protective packaging structures may be used to help protect a product during transport, for example, from physical shock, dust, and other contaminants. For example, a product may be enclosed in a box with additional packing materials (e.g., crumpled paper, air-filled plastic cushions, molded foam) to restrain the product movement inside the box and to cushion the product.
One type of packaging system is known as "retention packaging." In typical retention packaging, a product is retained between a sheet and a rigid backing frame, which is sometimes the frame to which the sheet is attached. Another type of packaging system is known as suspension packaging. In typical suspension packaging, the packaged product is suspended between two sheets each attached to opposing frames sized to fit within a corresponding box. Examples of retention and suspension packaging are described in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,852,743; 4,923,065; 5,071,009; 5,287,968; 5,388,701; 5,678,695; 5,893,462; 6,010,006; 6,148,590; 6,148,591; 6,289,655; 6,302,274; and 6,311,844, and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/782,208, each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.


A carrier for a femtocell is selected from a set of carriers available to femtocells. The femto node determines a preference order for the set and measures received signal strength (RSS) for each carrier. The femto node determines a least interference carrier from the set based on the RSS for each carrier, then defines a selected carrier for the femtocell by comparing the RSS of the least interference carrier to the RSS of other carriers in the set. The selected carrier may have a RSS larger than or equal to the RSS of the least interference carrier offset by a predefined margin. The comparisons may be performed in the preference order. The set available to femto nodes may be a subset of all carriers available to a combination of femtocells and macrocells and one or more of the carriers available to femtocells also may be a carrier available to macrocells.

1. Field
This application relates generally to wireless communication and more specifically, but not exclusively, to improving communication performance.
2. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication (e.g., voice, data, multimedia services, etc.) to multiple users. As the demand for high-rate and multimedia data services rapidly grows, there lies a challenge to implement efficient and robust communication systems with enhanced performance.
To supplement the base stations of a conventional mobile phone network (e.g., a macro cellular network), small-coverage base stations may be deployed, for example, in a user's home. Such small-coverage base stations are generally known as access point base stations, home NodeBs, or femto cells and may be used to provide more robust indoor wireless coverage to mobile units. Typically, such small-coverage base stations are connected to the Internet and the mobile operator's network via a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) router or a cable modem.
In a typical macro cellular deployment the RF coverage is planned and managed by cellular network operators to optimize coverage between macro base stations. Femto base stations, on the other hand, may be installed by the subscriber personally and deployed in an ad-hoc manner. Consequently, femto cells may cause interference both on the uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) of the macro cells. For example, a femto base station installed near a window of a residence may cause significant downlink interference to any access terminals outside the house that are not served by the femto cell. Also, on the uplink, home access terminals that are served by a femto cell may cause interference at a macro cell base station (e.g., macro NodeB).
Femto cells also may interfere with one another and macrocells as a result of unplanned deployment. For example, in a multi-resident apartment, a femto base station installed near a wall separating two residences may cause significant interference to a femto base station in a neighboring residence. Here, the strongest femto base station seen by a home access terminal (e.g., strongest in terms of RF signal strength received at the access terminal) may not necessarily be the serving base station for the access terminal due to a restricted association policy enforced by that femto base station.
Thus, interference issues may arise in a communication system where radio frequency (RF) coverage of femto base stations is not optimized by the mobile operator and where deployment of such base stations is ad-hoc. Consequently, there is a need for improved interference management for wireless networks.
In accordance with common practice the various features illustrated in the drawings may not be drawn to scale. Accordingly, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. In addition, some of the drawings may be simplified for clarity. Thus, the drawings may not depict all of the components of a given apparatus (e.g., device) or method. In addition, like reference numerals may be used to denote like features throughout the specification and figures.

Autonomous carrier selection for femtocells


Methods of treating, preventing and/or managing an immunodeficiency disease or disorder are disclosed. Specific methods encompass the administration of an immunomodulatory compound alone or in combination with a second active agent. Methods of boosting humoral immunity are also disclosed.

2.1 Immunodeficiency Diseases
Immunodeficiency diseases are generally classified into one of two categories; primary and secondary. Secondary immunodeficiency diseases occur as a result of an underlying disease. Typically, once the underlying disease is treated, the immunodeficiency is reversed. Primary immunodeficiency diseases occur in the absence of, or independently from, underlying diseases. Immunoglobulin deficiency syndromes, which occur due to defective B-cells or antibodies, account for about 50% of all primary immunodeficiencies.
X-linked agammaglobulinemia is an inherited disease. The defect is more frequently observed in males than in females. Mature B-cells are capable of making antibodies and developing "memory," a feature in which the B-cell will rapidly recognize and respond to an infectious agent the next time it is encountered. All classes of antibodies are known to be decreased in agammaglobulinemia.
IgA deficiency is a disorder of the immune system characterized by increased susceptibility to infection. Patients with the disease fail to produce normal amounts of IgA. IgA provides the first line of defense for the inner surfaces of the body against infections of the lung, the intestine, the mouth, the urogenital tract and other areas lined by mucosal membranes. It is believed that IgA deficiency may result from the failure of B lymphocyte to mature into plasma cells that produce IgA antibodies. IgA deficiency is the most common disorder of the antibody system. Symptomatic patients suffer from recurrent and serious infections, including infections of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and sinuses, as well as allergic disorders, epilepsy, and cancer. There are currently no known therapies that address the underlying cause of IgA deficiency.
Transient hypo-gammaglobulinemia of infancy is a temporary disease of unknown cause. It is believed to be due to a defect in the development of T-helper cells, which recognize foreign antigens and activate T- and B-cells in an immune response. As the patient ages, the number and condition of T-helper cells may improve. Hypo-gammaglobulinemia is characterized by low levels of antibodies in the blood. During the disease period, patients have decreased levels of IgG and IgA antibodies that do not react well with infectious agents.
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a group of immunodeficiency syndromes in which B cell immunity is abnormal. Most patients have normal or near-normal numbers of circulating B cells, but the cells fail to differentiate into effective plasma B cells. As a result, patients have low or undetectable amounts of serum antibodies. The condition may result from insufficient stimulation of B cells rather than from a failure intrinsic to B cells. There are several thousand CVID patients in the U.S. and Europe, and CVID occurs equally in both genders. Most patients experience acute, recurring bacterial infections including pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinusitis. Current treatment involves regular administration of intravenous antibodies, which are prepared from pooled blood samples from thousands of individual donors.
Ig heavy chain deletions is a genetic disease in which part of the antibody molecule is not produced. It results in the loss of several antibody classes and subclasses, including most IgG antibodies and all IgA and IgE antibodies. It is believed that the disease occurs because part of the gene for the heavy chain has been lost.
Selective IgG subclass deficiencies are a group of genetic diseases in which some of the subclasses of IgG are not made. There are four subclasses in the IgG class of antibodies. As the B-cell matures, it can switch from one subclass to another. In these diseases, there is a defect in the maturation of the B-cells that results in a lack of switching.
IgG deficiency with hyper-IgM is a disease that results when the B-cell fails to switch from making IgM to IgG. This produces an increase in the amount of IgM antibodies present and a decrease in the amount of IgG antibodies. This disease is the result of a generic mutation.
Although various conventional therapies are currently being contemplated for immunodeficiency diseases, an ongoing need still exists for safe, effective and convenient therapies of these diseases.
2.2 IMiDS™
A number of studies have been conducted with the aim of providing compounds that can safely and effectively be used to treat diseases associated with abnormal production of TNF-α. See, e.g., Marriott, J. B., et al., Expert Opin. Biol. Ther. 1(4):1-8 (2001); G. W. Muller, et al., Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 39(17): 3238-3240 (1996); and G. W. Muller, et al., Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 8: 2669-2674 (1998). Some studies have focused on a group of compounds selected for their capacity to potently inhibit TNF-α production by LPS stimulated PBMC. L. G. Corral, et al., Ann. Rheum. Dis. 58:(Suppl 1) 1107-1113 (1999). These compounds, which are referred to as IMiDS™ (Celgene Corporation) or Immunomodulatory Drugs, show not only potent inhibition of TNF-α but also marked inhibition of LPS induced monocyte IL 13 and IL 12 production. LPS induced IL6 is also inhibited by immunomodulatory compounds, albeit partially. These compounds are potent stimulators of LPS induced IL10. Id. Particular examples of IMiD™s include, but are not limited to, the substituted 2-(2,6-dioxopiperidin-3-yl) phthalimides and substituted 2-(2,6-dioxopiperidin-3-yl)-1-oxoisoindoles described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,281,230 and 6,316,471, both to G. W. Muller, et al.

Methods and compositions using immunomodulatory compounds for the treatment of immunodeficiency disorders


A resin fuel pipe has component layers made of thermoplastic resins and high heat resistance sufficient to withstand a hot environment in, for example, an engine compartment. The resin fuel pipe includes a pipe body 10 made of a thermoplastic resin, a first heat-resistant, protective resin layer 12 made of a foam thermoplastic elastomer and coating the pipe body 10 and a second heat-resistant, protective resin layer 14 made of a fire-retardant thermoplastic elastomer and coating the first heat-resistant, protective resin layer 12.

Metal fuel pipes have been used on automobiles. Metal fuel pipes as fuel lines are plated or coated with a multilayer resin coating to improve the corrosion resistance and chemical resistance of the metal fuel pipes.
Recently, resin fuel pipes have been used as well as metal fuel pipes as fuel lines. Resin fuel pipes have many advantages over metal fuel pipes. Resin fuel pipes are not rusted, can be easily processed, are lightweight and increase the degree of freedom of design. Usually, resin fuel pipes are made of thermoplastic resins. Resin fuel pipes made of a polyamide resin (PA resin) are used most prevalently.
Resin fuel pipes made of a thermoplastic resin are inferior to metal fuel pipes in heat resistance. Therefore, it is usual to avoid using resin fuel pipes in a hot environment around the engine and to use resin fuel pipes as fuel lines connected to the fuel tank. Metal fuel pipes are used in the engine compartment.
Recently, need for using resin fuel pipes in the engine compartment has progressively increased and heat-resistant resin fuel pipes having improved heat resistance have been developed. Some heat-resistant resin fuel pipes have a part provided with a protector made of EPDM capable of protecting the resin fuel pipe from heat and some other heat-resistant resin fuel pipes are coated with a thermoplastic elastomer (hereinafter, abbreviated to "TPE"), such as a fire-retardant thermoplastic resin.
Although the protector made of EPDM is indubitably highly heat-resistant because EPDM is a thermosetting resin, it is difficult to put the protector made of EPDM on the resin fuel pipe because EPDM is rubber and hence has difficulty in smoothly sliding on the resin fuel pipe. Therefore, to put the protector on the resin fuel pipe, the protector must be formed so that an air layer is formed between the protector and the resin fuel pipe and the surface of the resin fuel pipe needs to be lubricated with a lubricant, such as silicone oil. Thus the use of the protector requires troublesome processes.
The resin fuel pipe coated with the fire-retardant resin, namely, a TPE, can be easily formed by coextrusion molding because the resin fuel pipe and the coating are made of thermoplastic resins, respectively. However, the fire-retardant TPE has a limited heat-resistant ability and the resin fuel pipe coated with a TPE is not suitable for use in a hot environment, such as an environment in an engine compartment in which the resin fuel pipe is exposed directly to heat.


An increase in the disastereoselectivity resulting from the reaction of a phosphinic acid ester of the formula ##STR1## with the halo ester of the formula ##STR2## is achieved by carrying out the reaction in the presence of 4-methylmorpholine, diazabicyclooctane, quinuclidine, 1-methylpyrolidine, or cinchonidine. After removal of the R.sub.3 protecting group and fractional crystallization, the resulting desired diastereomeric pair can be resolved, and the desired isomer can be coupled to 4-substituted L-proline to give compounds possessing angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition activity. In particular, the process is useful in producing the antihypertensive agent fosinopril sodium in increased yields.

Fosinopril sodium, [1[S*(R*)], 2.alpha.,4.beta.]-4-cyclohexyl-1-[[[2-methyl-1-(1-oxopropoxy)propoxy](4-ph enylbutyl)phosphinyl]acetyl]-L-proline, monosodium salt, having the structural formula ##STR3## is currently being evaluated as an antihypertensive agent.
Petrillo, Jr. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,337,201 and 4,384,123 discloses various phosphinylalkanoyl substituted prolines having angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition activity including fosinopril.
Petrillo, Jr. et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,356 discloses a process for preparing fosinopril in which a phosphinic acid ester of the formula ##STR4## wherein R.sub.3 is benzyl or substituted benzyl, n is zero or one, and R.sub.1 is lower alkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, cycloalkyl or cycloalkylalkyl is reacted with a halo ester of the formula ##STR5## wherein Hal is Cl or Br, X is hydrogen, lower alkyl, or phenyl, and Y is hydrogen, lower alkyl, phenyl, or alkoxy to form the phosphinic acid diester of the formula ##STR6## It is disclosed that this reaction is carried out in the presence of an organic base such as triethylamine, which is preferred, pyridine, tripropylamine, diazabicycloundecene or any other common organic bases and an organic solvent such as toluene, which is preferred, acetonitrile, dichloromethane, ethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, or dioxane and optimally in the presence of a catalyst such as tetrabutylammonium sulfate and sodium iodide.
The resulting phosphinic acid diester is then hydrogenated to form a pair of racemic mixtures which are separated by fractional crystallization to give a single racemic mixture. This racemic mixture is treated with a resolving agent such as L-cinchonidine or other optically active amine to separate out the desired intermediate. ##STR7## This intermediate wherein R.sub.1 is phenylbutyl, n is zero, R.sub.2 is hydrogen, Y is ethyl, and X is isopropyl is then coupled to 4-trans-cyclohexyl-L-proline, hydrochloride salt in the presence of a coupling agent to give fosinopril.

Diastereoselective preparation of phosphinate esters


An anterior cervical plate has a lower surface adapted to engage the cervical spine and a top surface. At least one location along the plate there are two transversely aligned bone screw holes. A locking element is pivotally mounted between these two bone screw holes for movement between an open position which uncovers the two bone screw holes and a locking position wherein the locking element at least partially covers each of the two bone screw holes. A positive positioning structure positively positions the locking element in the locking position.

It is known to provide an anterior cervical plate for attachment to the anterior of two or more cervical vertebrae for the purpose of immobilizing, stabilizing and/or aligning those vertebrae. The plates can be used for a variety of conditions including for example providing added strength and rigidity after fusion of adjacent vertebrae, securing vertebrae together where an intervening vertebrae has been removed and replaced, correcting spinal deformities, and correcting instability caused by trauma, tumors, advanced degenerative discs, infection or congenital or acquired deformities.
Cervical plates of the present type are generally elongated so as to span the distance between two, three, four or more vertebrae, as required in a given situation. The plates are generally curved transversely so as to fit the curvature of the vertebrae to which they are attached. Additionally, plates of this type are generally concave longitudinally thereof to match the curvature of the cervical spine. Cervical plates of this type are provided with holes for bone screws. Holes are drilled into the adjacent vertebrae by instruments which are known in the art, after which the cervical plate is attached by bone screws which pass through the holes in the cervical plate for securing the plate to the adjacent vertebrae.
Many cervical plates of the present type are known, each having various arrangements for securing the bone screws. Such arrangements are shown in prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,364,399; 5,549,612; 6,193,721; 6,224,602; 6,235,034; 6,383,186; and 6,454,771. Notwithstanding the development of the prior art to date, a need exists for improvements in arrangements for securing the bone screws in place after the bone screws have secured the cervical plate onto the adjacent vertebrae.


A gas sensor, including a cylindrical outer tube; and a seal member disposed therein, the seal member including: a lead wire insert hole and an atmosphere communication hole. The seal member has a groove extending outwards in a radial direction at a rear end-facing surface from the atmosphere communication hole while circumventing the lead wire insert hole, the groove having a cutout toward the front end of the seal member. The gas sensor further includes: a protection portion which covers the atmosphere communication hole; and an arm couples the protection portion and the outer tube, and extends in the radial direction, the arm being at least partially disposed in the groove of the seal member. and the arm is disposed so as to define a gap with the bottom surface of the groove.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas sensor, which holds a sensor element for measuring a gas to be measured in a metal shell or an outer tube, and has a ventilation structure for ensuring ventilation between the inside and outside of the outer tube.
2. Description of the Related Art
A gas sensor having a sensor element for detecting the concentration of a specific gas component (e.g., oxygen) in an exhaust gas discharged from an engine using a solid electrolyte body containing a ceramic such as zirconia is well-known in the art. For example, a sensor element of an oxygen sensor for detecting the concentration of oxygen includes a detection electrode exposed to the exhaust gas and a reference electrode exposed to a reference gas (commonly, the atmosphere). The electrodes are formed on an outer or inner surface of the sensor element, and are paired with a counter electrode on opposing sides of a solid electrolyte body. The sensor element detects the concentration of oxygen in the exhaust gas in accordance with the difference in partial pressure of oxygen between two atmospheres spaced apart from the solid electrolyte body, namely, between the exhaust gas and the reference gas.
This oxygen sensor includes a metal shell for holding the sensor element, and an outer tube for covering the periphery of the sensor element, and a seal member (grommet) may be assembled thereto to block the outer tube. In addition, the seal member has a lead wire insert hole for inserting a lead wire (a sensor output lead wire and a heater lead wire), and an atmosphere communication hole (or, a cylindrical hole) for introducing the reference gas toward the reference electrode of the sensor element by ensuring ventilation between the inside and the outside of the outer tube. Also, a filter member for introducing the atmosphere into the outer tube (air ventilation) and preventing the entry of water droplets (waterproofing properties) is provided in the atmosphere communication hole of the seal member.
In addition, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 or 2, a gas sensor having a protection member for covering the atmosphere communication hole of the seal member from a rear side (an outer side) of the outer tube to protect the filter member is known. Providing the protection member as mentioned above prevents the filter member from being directly exposed to the outside and also prevents the filter member from being damaged due to an impact from the outside, caused by contact with plants or trees or a collision with a flying stone. This protection member has a ventilation portion with a smaller opening than the atmosphere communication hole, and the ventilation portion cover the filter member. Also, the protection member has a covering portion, which is outside the line of sight and communicates with the atmosphere communication hole from a gap with the seal member. The protection member is connected to the outer tube by means of an arm.    Patent Document 1 JP-A-2008-292459    Patent Document 2 JP-A-2008-292460
3. Problems to be Solved by the Invention
However, in the gas sensor disclosed in Patent Document 1 or 2, the arm is disposed in a groove provided in the seal member. The groove is by nature provided to prevent deterioration of the ventilation ability of the atmosphere communication hole by assisting drainage when the seal member is wet from the outside. The arm disposed in the groove prevents the protection member from rotating in a circumferential direction of the gas sensor, and also prevents the lead wire from being damaged due to contact with the protection member.
However, if the arm contacts the bottom of the groove for securing placement of the arm in the groove to prevent circumferential rotation of the protection member, the following problems may occur. That is, the seal member thermally expands due to heat received from the exhaust gas or the like and expands to the rear end of the gas sensor. Meanwhile, movement of the arm coupled to the outer tube is restricted by the outer tube, and thus the seal member is hooked by the arm. As a result, the groove of the seal member expands at a different ratio from other regions, and thus a crack may be generated in the groove of the seal member.


A personal electronic device includes a multi-function jack that has at least one contact configured for both power and data connections. In an exemplary embodiment, the jack is based on an industry standard audio or barrel jack for compatibility with standard audio or barrel plugs. The shared power and data contact eliminates the need for personal electronic devices, such as mobile telephones, to have separate connectors and/or custom connectors for different types of peripheral devices.

The increasing popularity of personal electronic devices, such as mobile telephones, Portable Digital Assistants (PDA), MP3 players, etc., is due in part to their small size and portability. Despite the significant reductions in electronic device size over the past decade, consumers still demand increasingly smaller electronic devices. To address this demand, manufacturers spend considerable resources each year exploring new ways to reduce the size of their electronic devices.
Connectors contribute significantly to the overall size of a personal electronic device. Therefore, size reduction efforts often focus on reducing the size and/or number of connectors. For example, a "system" connector may be used to reduce personal electronic device size. System connectors consolidate the functionality of a variety of connectors into a single, multi-pin connector.
However, there are disadvantages to system connectors. For example, system connectors are typically proprietary to each manufacturer and/or model. As a result, system connectors often cost more to manufacture and maintain, and complicate the interconnection of electronic device peripherals. Often, the only peripherals compatible with a given type of system connector are those peripherals provided by the electronic device manufacturer.
Because of the limitations of system connectors, personal electronic devices typically include additional industry standard jacks for common peripherals, such as audio and charging peripherals. Common audio and charging peripherals use industry standard audio and barrel plugs that are compatible, respectively, with industry standard audio and barrel jacks. As a result, personal electronic device users may use a variety of common peripherals, such as headsets, hands-free adapters, battery chargers, etc., with their electronic devices. However, each jack requires significant space in the personal electronic device. For example, including one audio jack (for audio peripherals) and one barrel jack (for charging peripherals) might increase a mobile telephone's size by more than 7%. Thus, providing personal electronic devices with industry standard audio and charging jacks ensures compatibility with a broad range of peripherals but undesirably increases personal electronic device size.


A method of making a headrest includes folding a first sheet of foam into a foam sleeve. The foam sleeve is slid over an internal core part of the headrest. The foam sleeve and the core part in turn are covered with an outermost cover. The cover is formed from (i) a first layer of material corresponding to a front face of the cover, (ii) a second sheet of foam having a periphery substantially the same shape as the first layer of material, affixed to a backside of the first layer, (iii) a second layer of the material corresponding to a rear face of the cover, and (iv) a third sheet of foam having a periphery substantially the same shape as the second layer of material, affixed to a backside of the second layer. The front and rear faces are joined together to form the cover.

The present invention is generally directed to a method of making a headrest, and more particularly, to an improved method of making a headrest, permitting simplified material specification customization, and a headrest construction resulting from this method.
A headrest is a well-known safety feature, generally in the automotive industry, which is attached or integrated into the top of a seat back to limit the rearward movement of an occupant's head relative to the occupant's torso. Generally, a headrest comprises an internal core part having two forks or posts projecting outwardly therefrom for attachment to the seat back, a molded foam covering the core part for cushioning, and an outermost cover covering the molded foam. The molded foam is typically manufactured from a liquid foam-forming formulation which is poured into a mold of desired configuration and allowed to cure to adopt the three-dimensional shape of the mold. After the foam has cured, the shaped, molded foam is removed from the mold and then covered with the covering for use.
One drawback of the molded foam is that modifications to the foam shape are challenging and time consuming after molding is complete. Another drawback of the molded foam is that modifications to the material specifications, which factor into achieving the appropriate cushioning, are also difficult and time consuming after molding is complete. It is costly to create new molds to vary the headrest configurations. Yet another drawback of the molded foam is that it is effectively a closed cell foam, having an outer skin layer around the exterior surface thereof as a result of the molding process, thereby restricting air circulation therethrough. Accordingly, tailoring of the shape and material specifications of the molded foam according to the intended application is challenging.
Therefore, improvements to forming headrests that are more readily modifiable and less costly continue to be sought.

Method of making a headrest and headrest construction


Embodiments provide a data receiver, wherein the data receiver is configured to receive a broadband signal, wherein the broadband signal includes at least two partial data packets that are distributed in time and/or frequency, wherein the data receiver is configured to perform detection of the at least two partial data packets in the broadband signal and to provide at least one detection parameter for the detected partial data packets, wherein the data receiver is configured to perform decoding of the detected partial data packet by using the at least one detection parameter, wherein the data receiver is configured to perform or process detection and decoding separately from one another.

From DE 10 2011 082 098 B4, a telegram splitting based radio transmission system is known, wherein a data packet (or telegram) to be transmitted is divided into a plurality of partial data packets, wherein the plurality of partial data packets are each shorter than the data packets, and wherein the plurality of partial data packets are transmitted distributed in time and frequency according to a time frequency hopping pattern.
When emitting a plurality of data packets divided into a plurality of partial data packets simultaneously or in a time-overlapping manner by a plurality of data transmitters, the computing power needed in the data receiver for detecting and decoding the partial data packets increases significantly.

Packet detector/decoder for a radio transmission system

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.


A piezoelectric actuator comprising an elastic plate 2 with a projection 3 provided on one of both surfaces of the plate. A first pair of strip-like piezoelectric elements 120a, 120b are fixed to the other of both the surfaces of the plate such that each of the first pair of piezoelectric elements is disposed along a first straight line passing through the position of the projection on a respective one of its opposite sides. A second pair of strip-like piezoelectric elements 122a, 122b are fixed to the same surface of the plate as the first pair of piezoelectric elements 120a, 120b such that each of the second pair of piezoelectric elements is disposed along a second straight line passing through the position of the projection perpendicular to the first straight line on a respective one of opposite sides of the position of the projection. Voltages are arranged to be applied to the respective piezoelectric elements of the first and second pairs as required so as to deform the plate, thereby causing the projection to deviate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to piezoelectric actuators that convert electric signal to a mechanical output, and carriers and shake correction apparatus in cameras that use the actuator.
2. Background Art
Conventional piezoelectric actuators comprise an elastic column, a projection provided at the center of a front surface of the column, a first pair of piezoelectric elements each bonded to the front surface of the column on a respective one of opposite sides of the projection and a second pair of piezoelectric elements each bonded to a back surface of the column so as to correspond in position to the first pair of piezoelectric elements. When prescribed different voltages are applied across the respective piezoelectric elements, these piezoelectric element extend or contract, thereby deforming the column, which causes the projection to deviate in vertical and horizontal planes, thereby moving an object of interest in corresponding desired directions, for example, as disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 7-274556.
The arrangement of the first and second pairs of piezoelectric elements on the elastic column allows the projection to deviate only in horizontal directions in a plane which intersects with the projection when no voltages are applied to the first and second pairs of piezoelectric elements.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a piezoelectric actuator enabling the projection to deviate in any directions in a plane which intersects with the projection.

Piezoelectric actuator, and carrier and shake correction apparatus each using the actuator


Cost-effective methods and apparatus are disclosed for measuring both absolute position and fluctuations using a moving dielectric medium between fixed electrodes. A position sensor according to the invention includes a pair of spaced-apart electrodes, an elongated dielectric that moves between the electrodes, and electrical circuitry interconnected to the electrodes to determine the position of the dielectric relative to the electrodes. To realize a linear position sensor, the electrodes are electrically conductive rods or wires, and the dielectric is also an electrically non-conductive rod or wire. The dielectric may be flexible or stiff, in which case the dielectric and the electrodes are preferably substantially parallel to one another. Alternatively, the spaced-apart electrodes may be concentric tubes, with the dielectric being an electrically non-conductive tube slideably disposed between the electrodes. In different embodiments, the dielectric is a liquid-receiving tube. The tube may be straight, forming part of a level sensor or curved, forming part of a rotation sensor or manometer.

Measuring position is important for many human and servo control systems. Various methods exist to measure position. Many are rotary and some are directly linear. Linear designs are often costly or not entirely durable for high-frequency fluctuations in a small area. Inexpensive sensors such as potentiometers suffer from wear of the contact against the resistive medium. This is particularly problematic in situations where the transducer is continuously vibrating such as a simulator platform. Other systems, such as LVTs (linear velocity transformers), rely on a moving sensor and are not suited to measuring absolute position. Sill other systems are very accurate, such as the various precision systems used in CNC servo control, but are quite costly.

Low-cost linear and liquid position transducers


An electronic reading apparatus comprises an input unit receiving input operations, a detect unit detecting and capturing images reflected by the input unit and a processing unit configured to receive the images to generate interruption signals; determine whether the number of the interruption signals reaches a pre-determined value in a pre-determined time; calculate a movement direction and a distance of the object on the input unit if the number of the interruption signals reaches the pre-determined value in the pre-determined time; determine a cursor displacement on the display unit and display a movement track of the cursor on a display unit. An input method for previewing files is also provided.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to electronic reading apparatuses and, particularly, to an electronic reading apparatus and an input method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an electronic reading apparatus provides buttons for readers to input operations. However this repetitive process may cause readers to feel tired and bored if they are pressing the buttons repeatedly, moreover, the buttons occupy space that may be put for better use.

Electronic reading apparatus and input method thereof

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


A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes: first and second semiconductor regions each having a protruded shape provided on a substrate, the first semiconductor region including a first source, a first drain, and a first channel provided between the first source and the first drain and extending in a first direction from the first source to the first drain, the first channel having a first width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the second semiconductor region including a second source, a second drain, and a second channel provided between the second source and the second drain and extending in a third direction from the second source to the second drain, the second channel having a second width in a fourth direction perpendicular to the third direction that is wider than the first width of the first channel.

A programmable logic switch controls turning on and off of a logic switch (such as a transistor) in accordance with data stored in a memory. The programmable logic switch is generally used in field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) that require reconfiguration of logical operation circuits and wiring boards. The programmable logic switch used in an FPGA includes a nonvolatile memory such as an SRAM. Therefore, the data stored in the memory is erased when the power is turned off. This results in a problem in that when the power is turned on again, the data needs to be read again from a separate memory region. Another problem is that since a typical SRAM includes six transistors, an FPGA including many SRAMs occupies a large chip area.
Using a nonvolatile flash memory as the memory of a programmable logic switch is a known method. If a flash memory transistor, for example, is used, the data is saved by the charge held in the flash memory transistor. Accordingly, when the power is turned on again, it is not necessary to read the data again from a separate memory region.
However, the gate stack structure of a nonvolatile memory transistor differs from that of a switching transistor. Accordingly, they should be formed separately. This leads to problems of increased number of processes and increased costs caused by the increased processes.
Furthermore, if a transistor having a wider channel region that requires a high breakdown voltage and a transistor with a high-performance nanowire structure are formed on a common semiconductor layer, they also have to be separately formed. This also leads to problems of increased number of processes and increased costs caused by the increased processes.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


The disclosure relates to a method for selecting progressive ophthalmic lenses for a given frame and wearer, the progressive ophthalmic lenses having one area for distance vision and one area for near vision, said given frame having two recesses suitable for receiving a progressive ophthalmic lens, respectively, said two recesses defining a recess midplane. The method includes the following steps: a) fitting said wearer with said given frame; b) determining the position of a first point of intersection between a first direction of the gaze of said wearer in a distance vision posture and said recess midplane; c) determining the position of a second point of intersection between the gaze of said wearer in a near vision posture and said recess midplane; d) assessing the distance between said intersection points; and, e) selecting progressive ophthalmic lenses in which the progression length corresponds to said distance assessed between said intersection points.

1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to a method for selecting progressive ophthalmic lenses for a given frame fitted to a determined wearer.
2. Related Art
Progressive ophthalmic lenses are associated with a medical prescription and they are housed in a frame that the wearer chooses as a function of his tastes.
Lenses of this type exhibit a far vision zone, situated in the upper part of the lens and a near vision zone situated in the lower part. These vision zones exhibit different optical characteristics. Hence, and this is a particular feature of this type of ophthalmic lens, it exhibits a progression corridor which extends from one zone to the other, and whose optical characteristics vary in a continuous manner. Thus, from the far vision zone to the near vision zone, the optical characteristics of the far vision zone evolve progressively to the optical characteristics of the near vision zone. This allows the wearer to pass from one zone to the other without inconvenience and with a certain comfort.
However, this progression corridor and especially its length may vary from one frame to another. It is indeed understood that the progression length varies as a function of the position of the ophthalmic lenses with respect to the eye, and consequently with respect to the chosen frame.
Hence, it has been contemplated to take into account the size and the shape of the frame for the purposes of optimizing the progressive ophthalmic lens is brought to an optimal level of comfort for the wearer. It will be possible especially to refer to the document FR 2 898 193, which describes a procedure for determining a progressive ophthalmic lens suited to the wearer and to the chosen frame.
The procedure calls upon representative parameters obtained on the basis of mean values which are themselves calculated on the basis of a given population sample. Despite these precautions, it turns out that certain people experience difficulties in enduring their progressive ophthalmic lenses.
Hence, a problem which arises and which the present invention is intended to solve is to provide a method for selecting progressive ophthalmic lenses as a function of the characteristics of the wearer and of the frame that he chooses, so as to yet further increase his comfort of vision.

Method for selecting progressive ophthalmic lenses


A light scattering type smoke sensor includes a sensor body, light-emitter for emitting light toward an open smoke-sensing space and outputting a light-received signal according to the amount of scattering light received, and a fire judging unit for judging whether fire occurs or not on the basis of the amount of received light determined on the basis of the outputted light-received signal.

A conventional light scattering type smoke sensor basically includes a smoke chamber through which smoke enters into the sensor from outside. An inside space of the smoke chamber functions as a smoke-sensing space, in which light emitted by a light-emitting element is scattered by smoke, and scattered light is received by a light-receiving element so that occurrence of fire can be detected.
The smoke-sensing space is provided inside the smoke chamber of the sensor in order to realize an accurate sensing of minute scattering light generated by reflection of light by the smoke without being affected by outside light, and also to prevent entrance of foreign substances into the smoke-sensing space. Presence of foreign substances such as a small insect in the smoke-sensing space may cause scattering of light and lead to false alarm. Therefore, the arrangement of the smoke-sensing space inside the smoke chamber is an essential part of the conventional light scattering type smoke sensor (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6-109631 Publication
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H7-12724 Publication

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A process for producing an organic carbonate which comprises reacting an organic hydroxy compound, carbon monoxide and oxygen in the presence of a catalyst comprising(a) palladium or a palladium compound, (b) a cuprous or cupric compound such as cupric acetate, (c) a quinone or an aromatic diol formed by reduction of the quinone or a mixture thereof such as hydroquinone, and (d) a halogenated onium compound such as (C.sub.4 H.sub.9)NBr is disclosed.. According to the invention, an organic carbonate such as diphenyl carbonate can be produced efficiently and economically.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing an organic carbonate. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a process for producing an organic carbonate efficiently from an organic hydroxy compound in the presence of a specified catalyst.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Heretofore, in order to produce organic carbonates, various processes have been proposed. For example, as the process for producing aromatic organic carbonates, a process using alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, basic quaternary ammonium, quaternary phosphonium or tertiary sulfonium compounds, hydroxides of alkali metals or alkaline earth metals, salts of strong bases and weak organic acids, bases such as primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines, primary amines salts or palladium (Japanese Patent Publication No. 38143/1981) as the catalyst; a process using a catalyst comprising Pd, and the base as mentioned above, an oxidizing agent (compounds of group IIIA, IVA, VA, VIA, IB, IIB, VIB, VIIB metals)(Japanese Patent Publication No. 38144/1981), a process using a catalyst comprising Pd and a base, oxidizing agent (Co, Mn) and a drying agent (Japanese Patent Publication No. 38145/1981); a process using a base and a VIII group metal in an oxidized state of +1 (Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt) as a catalyst (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 68747/1978); a process using a base and VIII metal as the catalyst in an anhydrous condition (Specification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,721); a process using a catalyst comprising a base and VIII metal, and an oxidizing agent having a higher oxidization potential than VIII metal (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 135743/1979); a process using a catalyst comprising Pd and a base,oxidizing agent, phase-transfer agent and a drying agent (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 102539/1980); a process using a catalyst comprising a base and a VIII group metal, and an oxidizing agent (Specification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,485); a process using a catalyst comprising Pd, Mn, R.sub.4 N.sup.+ X.sup.- (R indicates an alkyl group and X indicates a halogen) and quinone (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 104564/1990); a process using a catalyst comprising Pd, Co, R.sub.4 N.sup.+ X.sup.- (R and X are as defined above) and quinone (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 142754/1990); a process using a catalyst comprising Pd, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal or an onium iodide compound and zeolites (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 165551/1990) are mentioned. However, the above-mentioned processes for producing aromatic organic carbonates have a problem in that the yield was insufficient.
As the process for producing aliphatic organic carbonates, a process using Pd, Cu or Fe as the catalyst (U.S. Pat. No. 3,114,762); a process for producing divalent Cu ion (Japanese Patent Publication No. 11129/1970) are mentioned. These processes, however, have problems in that the rate of the catalytic reaction is low, and that a large amount of the catalyst is required. Further, according to these processes, the yield is insufficient.
On the other hand, as the carbonylation method using Pd component and quinone component, a process for producing oxalic diester using Pd (NO.sub.3).sub.2 and quinones as the catalyst (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 94338/1980); a process for producing oxalic diester using Pd, quinone and a redox agent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,174), a process for producing cinnamic acid ester using Pd, quinone and a redox agent (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.126152/1987); a process for producing dialkyl carbonate using Pt group, Cu and quinone (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 212305/1987) are mentioned. However, these carbonylation methods have many problems in that the kinds of the products to be produced are limited and that the yield of the desired product is not sufficient.

Process for producing an organic carbonate