A method for providing an activation signal activating a vehicle occupant protection device includes reading in passenger compartment data from a passenger compartment detection unit and seat belt data from a seat belt sensor. The passenger compartment data represent a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The seat belt data represent a seat belt fastening angle of a seat belt of the vehicle at a belt reversing point relative to a reference axis of the vehicle. The method also includes determining, based on the passenger compartment data, a piece of seat position information representing an occupancy state of a vehicle seat by an occupant and a relative position of the seat relative to the vehicle; ascertaining an occupant class, representing a physical characteristic of the occupant, using the seat position information seat belt data; and generating the activation signal using the seat position information and the occupant class.

In connection with an activation of occupant protection devices of vehicles, for example seat position switches can be used, for example to detect a foremost seat position on the passenger side or the like. When such a seat position is detected, this piece of information can be included, for example, to draw a conclusion that a certain type of person, for example a small person, is sitting on the front passenger seat. An adaptation of a restraint system of the vehicle can then take place.

Method and control unit for providing an activation signal for activating at least one occupant protection device for a vehicle, seat belt sensor for a seat belt of a vehicle, and safety system for a vehicle


A gas-fired oven is disclosed wherein heated air is delivered to an oven's interior from a gas burner located outside the oven in a way to enhance the convection heating properties and capacity of the oven. This is accomplished by means of a conduit which receives air heated by the external gas burner and internally discharges this heated air into the return air path of a blower used to recirculate hot air within the oven. The internal discharge end of the conduit is located adjacent to the blower's return air path so that the conduit does not obstruct the recirculating air. The external gas burner may be either an atmospheric burner or a power burner. Its gas burner head is axially aligned with the conduit's exterior inlet end and spaced a short distance from this inlet. The spacing between the burner head and the conduit inlet controls the dilution air which is required to regulate the temperature of the hot air according to the oven's function such as heating food.

The present invention relates to an oven for heating items such as foods with gas energy, and has particular utility in the cook-chill-rethermalization process. The oven preferably uses the relatively high heat release of natural gas which is burned outside the insulated oven walls, providing uniform high velocity forced air convection heating and high production capacities.
Prior approaches to rethermalization ovens have used heating elements, often electrical in nature, which are placed inside the oven cavity and arranged in geometries that attempt to evenly distribute the heat input to the oven cavity and the food therein. These ovens are characterized by long heating times, wide variations in food temperatures and relatively small capacities. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,683 (Royer) shows a rethermalization oven whose preferred embodiment employs an electrical heating coil situated in an interior heating chamber, although Royer also suggests the alternative use of a gas flame within the same chamber. U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,250 (Hurley) also provides an interior gas burner which is directly in front of and spaced but a short distance from the interior circulating blower. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,377 (Van Camp) shows a gas flame inside the insulated oven walls for providing hot air to a circulating blower through internal heat exchange tubes that partially block the flow of air from the blower.
In contrast to this prior art wherein combustion occurs inside the oven, the present invention introduces heated air (including combustion products) into the oven from an exterior gas burner via a conduit or "fire tube" in a manner such that the air flow from a recirculating blower within the oven is not blocked nor is its return air flow impeded. Thus, air flow velocities to and from both sides of the oven are nearly identical and provide uniform temperatures within the oven cavity for the food or other items being heated.


Accordingly, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to single poly flash EEPROM cells which avoid the drawbacks of conventional two poly stacked gate cells, and which are easily integrated with high performance logic technologies. An exemplary two transistor flash-EEPROM memory cell array comprises a plurality of these flash EEPROM cells, each having a select transistor with a bit line and a word line, where the select transistor is in series with a floating gate transistor. The floating gate transistor has a thin tunneling oxide formed on a textured monocrystalline substrate. The floating gate is also formed over a heavily doped region in the substrate which forms a coupling line capacitively coupled to the floating gate, and which performs a tunneling function.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to semiconductor memories, and more particularly, to the development of memory cells which can be easily integrated with high performance logic technologies.
2. State of the Art
Those skilled in the art appreciate the desirability of embedding memory technology such as dynamic random access memories (DRAMs), static random access memories (SRAMs), read-only memories (ROMs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), and flash EEPROMs into high performance logic technologies. However, at present, only technologies such as SRAM and ROM are straightforward to integrate into high performance logic technologies. Technologies, such as EEPROM and DRAM technologies are highly dedicated to their specific needs, and are very complex, rendering them unsuitable for straightforward, easy integration into high performance logic technologies.
Because of the numerous applications which exist for integrating flash EEPROM technology with high performance complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logic devices (e.g., microprocessors), the development of such a technology would be highly desirable. For example, the applications for such an integrated technology include software updates, storing identification codes, system reconfiguration in the field, look-up tables, manufacturing codes, non-volatile data storage, smart cards which use flash embedded memory, prototyping and various programmable logic devices and field programmable gate arrays.
Known process technologies do not lend themselves to easy integration of commodity flash EEPROM cells with logic devices, such as high performance CMOS devices. Given the wide applicability of flash EEPROM technology, it would be desirable to avoid the process incompatibility problems associated with integrating typical cell designs with conventional logic devices. For example, EEPROM technology is typically implemented using one of four basic cell types: (1) the one transistor stacked-gate flash EEPROM cell; (2) the one and one half transistor split-gate flash EEPROM cell; (3) the double-gate two transistor EEPROM cell; and (4) cells which use edges for control or select gates. There have also been proposals regarding flash memory cells which form self-aligned trenches at the edge of a partially formed stack-gate structure. However, each of these technologies suffers drawbacks which inhibits their straightforward, easy integration into high performance logic technologies.
In addition to process compatibility problems, scaling EEPROM technology into the 0.25 .mu.m regime and below, as is used on typical high performance logic processes, has not been realized. Those skilled in the art have suggested that scaling EEPROM devices is subject to physical limits which may inhibit a reduction in cell size (see, for example, "Nonvolatile Semiconductor Memory Technology", by William D. Brown and Joe E. Brewer, IEEE, Press 1998, page 130). Although the one-transistor stacked-gate double poly technology produces resultant cells which are relatively small, the process is quite complex.
FIG. 1A illustrates features of a 0.18 .mu.m state-of-the-art high performance logic process which uses approximately 20 photolithography steps, and some five levels of interconnect. It would be desirable to formulate a flash-EEPROM cell and technology suitable for embedded applications, which requires a minimum perturbation to the high performance logic technology, and which does not compromise logic function performance. The EEPROM cell should be compatible with deep submicron dimensions and technology. Features of conventional high performance logic technology include use of shallow-trench isolation (STI), use of chemical mechanical polish (CMP), values of transistor length L=0.18 to 0.25 .mu.m, salicides (usually Ti-based), gate oxides 45-55 .ANG., V.sub.d =1.8-2.5V, tungsten plugs with Ti/TiN liner, aluminum alloy interconnects with Ti/TiN barrier and TiN ARC, V.sub.T values down to about 1/4 V, silicon nitride spacers for lightly doped drains, and dual-poly gate electrodes (p+ for p-channel and n+ for n-channel). Self-aligned contacts (SAC) or borderless contacts are generally seen in DRAMs and SRAMs at this technology level.
As gate oxide thicknesses and effective source-to-drain diffusion separation lengths (Leff) have scaled downward, transistor performance has been greatly enhanced. For example, with hot electron channel injection (HECI), programming times have been reduced about two orders of magnitude in moving from 1 .mu.m to 0.25 .mu.m technology. See, for example, K. Yoshikawa, et al, "A flash EEPROM cell scaling including tunnel oxide limitations", ESSDERC 1990 Tech. Dig., 1990, pg. 169 via Stephen Keeney, et al, "Complete Transient Simulation of Flash EEPROM Devices", IEEE Tran. on Electron Dev., 39, No. 12, December 1992, pg. 2750.
A programming time of about 10.sup.-5 seconds is possible for commodity flash memories using technologies below 0.5 .mu.m. See, for example, R. Bez, et al, "The channel hot electron programming of a floating gate MOSFET: An analytical study", 12.sup.th Nonvolatile Semiconductor Memory Workshop, Monterey, Calif., August 1992 via Paolo Pavan, et al, "Flash Memory Cells-An Overview", Proc. IEEE, 85, No. 8, August 1997, page 1248. With this speed, the programming of one million bits would require about 10 seconds.
However, the downward scaling of MOSFETs used for high performance logic has been somewhat more aggressive than that of flash EEPROMS. For logic, both voltage levels and gate oxide thicknesses are less, as compared to flash technology. Thus, it would be desirable to further scale down flash EEPROM technology to render it more compatible with high performance logic technology.
In addition, it would be desirable to provide a compact flash EEPROM cell which only requires one level of poly, yet which is free of the over erase problem associated with, for example, multiple poly cells (e.g., two poly stacked-gate flash EEPROM cells). A maximum cell size of about 40 f.sup.2 would be desirable, wherein the parameter f is the minimum feature size. Using 0.25 .mu.m technology, for example, 2 Mbits of flash memory of this cell size would occupy only about 5% (core area only) of a 1 cm.sup.2 chip.
Although single-poly flash EEPROM cells are known, they are relatively large, and are not easily integrated into a high performance technology. For example, a single-poly flash EEPROM cell is disclosed in "An EEPROM for Microprocessor and Custom Logic", by Cuppens, R., IEEE J. of Solid state Circuits, Vol. SC-20, No. 2, April 1985, page 603. This cell, as shown in FIGS. 1B-1C, couples an n+ region in the substrate to a leg of the floating gate. By applying 13V to the n+, via a metal contact, electrons can be drawn from a thin oxide "injector" region "D". However, the cell area is very large (i.e., approximately 140 f.sup.2).
Another single poly EEPROM cell disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,239 has a selection transistor and a floating gate which is capacitively coupled to an n+ region. The cell has a thin oxide region for tunneling electrons. The cell is erased by taking the bit line to ground and the control gate high. Electrons flow to the floating gate, turning off a second transistor connected in series to the selection transistor. The cell is programmed by pulsing the bit line high while holding the control gate at ground. Electrons flow from the floating gate lowering the threshold voltage and turning on the second transistor. However, from the cell drawing in the patent, the area is roughly 100 f.sup.2, which is relatively large.
The known single poly cells use a selection transistor (forming a two transistor cell), and thereby free the device of the over erase problem typical of the two-poly single-transistor stacked gate cells. However, known single poly cells both program and erase through the thin tunneling oxide. In addition, these cells have both "injector" and floating gate regions between the source and drain of the selection transistors, which increases the cell area.

Method and apparatus for producing a single polysilicon flash EEPROM having a select transistor and a floating gate transistor


Disclosed is a terminal block for providing electrical connection to insulated wire pairs. An entrance port of the block includes a blade for separating the wires as they are inserted therein. The wires are then positioned above a respective one of a pair of insulation displacement contacts. Pressure applied to the top of the block, as by screwing, drives each wire into its associated contact thereby causing penetration of the insulation for electrical connection. Posts may also be molded into the block to provide strain relief for the wires.

This invention relates to contact terminals.
Many portions of electronic apparatus require, or could benefit from, a terminal which provides a quick electrical connection to a pair of insulated current-carrying wires. For example, telephone wires must be electrically connected to equipment located on the side of the home. Typically, this connection is done by a craftsperson who strips off the insulation at the ends of the wires and wraps the wires around binding posts electrically connected to the equipment.
As should be appreciated, this method is rather time consuming and involves some degree of skill on the part of a craftsperson.
It is desirable in this application, and wherever insulated wire pairs are used, to provide a means for quick electrical connection of the wires. It is also desirable to provide means for preventing undue bending of the wires after they are connected to avoid breakage of the wires or loosening of the connection.
It has been recognized in the art that insulation displacement contacts can be utilized to connect wires in a speedy fashion. Such contacts include openings for the wires comprising sharp edges which cut through the wires as they are inserted therein (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,538 issued to Hutter et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,192 issued to Denkmann et al). Some strain relief mechanism has also been proposed for use in connection with such contacts (see, eg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,873 issued to Bower, Jr. et al). However, the prior art schemes generally have required manual separation of the wires before insertion into the contacts thereby compromising the speed of connection.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a terminal which permits a quick connection of insulated pairs of wires.


A wire electrical discharge machining apparatus comprising a nozzle for a machining liquid for jetting the machining liquid from a jet hole, a surrounding member for intercepting the flow of the machining liquid jetted from the nozzle so as to prevent the machining liquid from flowing out to a portion other than the spark gap, and a holding device for holding the surrounding member so as to removably mount the surrounding member on the nozzle and so that the surrounding member does not slip off while mounted. The holding device facilitates both the operation of mounting and dismounting the surrounding member on and from the nozzle and replacement of the surrounding member. Since the surrounding member does not slip off while it is mounted, smooth preparation and working is enabled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire electrical discharge machining apparatus and, more particularly, to the improvement of the holding mechanism and the mounting and dismounting operation of a surrounding member which is provided at the tip of a nozzle for jetting a machining liquid so as to efficiently supply the machining liquid to a spark gap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of a conventional wire electrical discharge machining apparatus. A wire electrode 1 is supplied from a supply bobbin 2, and a brake roller 3 is connected to a solenoid brake 3a so as to impart a predetermined stretching force to the wire electrode 1. Idlers 4a, 4b and 4c are provided for changing the direction of travel of the wire electrode 1. A guide 5 is disposed in an upper nozzle 7 for a machining liquid so as to determine the upper position of the wire electrode 1, and a guide 6 is disposed in a lower nozzle 8 for a machining liquid so as to determine the lower position of the wire electrode 1. A pump 9 supplies a machining liquid 10 to the nozzles 7 and 8, and the machining liquid 10 is supplied to the machining portion from the respective jet holes 7a and 8a of the upper and lower nozzles 7 and 8. A machining power source 11 causes electrical discharge between the wire electrode 1 and workpiece 12 by applying a voltage. A roller 13 winds the wire electrode 1.
The operation of this apparatus will now be explained. The wire electrode 1 is supplied from the supply bobbin 2, provided with a stretching force by the brake roller 3 which is connected to the solenoid brake 3a, and is wound around the take-up roller 13 while the direction of travel of the wire electrode 1 is changed by the idlers 4a, 4b and 4c in the course of travel.
When the wire electrode 1 and the workpiece 12 are faced to each other through a small gap and a voltage is applied from the machining power source 11, the dielectric breakdown is caused, and the heat energy of discharge melts the metal of the workpiece 12 and removes it in tiny bits from the surface of the workpiece 12. This action is machining. The wire electrode 1 and the workpiece 12 are relatively moved with an appropriate gap therebetween while repeating discharge by a control device and a driving device (not shown), and as a result, an outline of a desired configuration is produced as if by a scroll saw.
At this time, the machining liquid 10 is jetted from the jet holes 7a and 8a of the upper and lower nozzles 7 and 8, respectively, to the spark gap by the pump 9 so as to wash away the molten machining refuse in the gap, recover the insulation, and cool the wire electrode 1 which is exposed to a high temperature by discharge. The gap between the surface of the workpiece 12 and the upper and lower nozzles 7 and 8 is ordinarily set at about 0.1 to several mm, and the width of the groove which has been machined into a predetermined configuration by electrical discharge machining is at most about 0.5 mm. Therefore, all the machining liquid 10 is not supplied to the spark gap, but it is branched into a machining liquid flow 10b which is supplied to the spark gap and a machining liquid flow 10a which flows on the surface of the workpiece 12, as shown in FIG. 10.
In order to increase the machining speed, the discharge energy is increased or the number of times of discharge is increased. In this case, however, the amount of machining refuse produced is increased and the temperature of the wire electrode 1 is raised, thereby disadvantageously making the machining unstable and inducing the disconnection of the wire electrode 1. It is therefore necessary to increase the flow velocity and the flow rate of the machining liquid 10 jetted from the upper and lower nozzles 7 and 8, thereby enhancing the capacity of eliminating the machining refuse and cooling the wire electrode 1. However, even if the supply voltage of the supply pump 9 is increased, most of the machining liquid 10 flows on the surface of the workpiece 12, as described above. That is, the amount of supply of the machining liquid 10 is scarcely increased in the spark gap to which the machining liquid 10 is to be supplied, and the speedup of the machining speed is therefore disadvantageously impossible.
Methods for solving this problem have been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 140134/1984, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 61717/1986 and 152326/1986 and are used. These are methods of providing a surrounding member 14 at the tip of the upper nozzle 7 and/or the lower nozzle 8 substantially coaxially with the wire electrode 1 so as to prevent the machining liquid 10 from being branched into the machining liquid flows 10a and 10b, as shown in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13. According to these methods, the machining liquid flow 10a which is about to flow on the surface of the workpiece 12 is intercepted by the surrounding member 14 and is supplied to the spark gap.
In a conventional wire electrical discharge machining apparatus having the above-described structure, since the surrounding member 14 slides on the surface of the workpiece 12, the surrounding member 14 is worn or is broken due to friction. The surrounding member 14 is therefore required to be easy to replace, and also to have a function of effectively intercepting the machine liquid flow 10a without leakage.
The conventional apparatus, however, cannot fully display these functions.
In the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 140134/1984 and shown in FIG. 11, the surrounding member 14 is constituted by an O-ring and is inserted into the groove at the tip end surface of the nozzle 7 or 8. Therefore, although the replacement of the surrounding member 14 is easy, when the surrounding member 14 is separated from the workpiece 12 at a preparatory stage (the machining liquid 10 is not jetted) or at the time of finishing the roughly machined outline (the pressure of the machine liquid 10 is low), the surrounding member 14 is inconveniently slipped off the nozzle 7 or 8 under the weight of its own gravity or due to a shock.
In the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61717/1986 and shown in FIG. 12, the surrounding member 14 is composed of a sponge-like member. Therefore, when the pressure of the machining liquid supply pump 9 reaches approximately more than 10 kg/cm.sup.2, deformation of the member by the machining liquid pressure and leakage from a hole are produced. Thus, this apparatus cannot be put to practical use.
In the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 152326/1986 and shown in FIG. 13, since the surrounding member 14 is engaged with the recessed portion of the outer peripheral wall of the tip of the upper nozzle 7, the replacement of the surrounding member is not easy and the nozzle 7 as a whole must be replaced.

Wire electrical discharge machining apparatus


An antenna (10) includes: a first radiant element (3) and a second radiant element (4), which are connected to an antenna feeding point (2); a first branch part (5a), one end of which is connected to the first radiant element (3) at a position not corresponding to an end portion of the first radiant element (3); a second branch part (5b), one end of which is connected to the second radiant element (4) at a position not corresponding to an end portion of the second radiant element (4); and a connection element (7), which connects part of the first radiant element (3) and part of the second radiant element (4). A different end of the first branch part (5a) and a different end of the second branch part (5b) face each other and form a capacitor part. The capacitor part is positioned outside the area surrounded by the connection element (7), the first radiant element (3), and the second radiant element (4). Part of the first radiant element (3), part of the second radiant element (4), the first branch part (5a), the second branch part (5b), and the capacitor part form a split ring resonator (8).

With regard to electronic devices having communication functions (wireless communication devices), it is constantly desired to downsize the entire devices. In addition, the spread of MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) communication systems, which enable increase in capacity by simultaneously using multiple antennas, is leading to an increase in the number of antennas installed in a wireless communication device. For these reasons, reduction in both size and cost of antennas installed in wireless communication devices is strongly desired.
In general, antennas such as dipole antennas and monopole antennas, which have low directivities and are capable of emitting radio waves in a wide range of directions, and inverted L antennas, which are a variation thereof, are used in small wireless communication devices. However, since an antenna of this kind needs to be as large as approximately ¼ to ½ of its wavelength in principle, the downsizing of such antennas has been difficult. In addition, a matching circuit is required for impedance matching between antennas and feeding lines, which causes a problem of an increase in manufacturing cost.
PTL 1 discloses a technique for downsizing an antenna by adding a passive element partially made of a magnetic material to a dipole antenna. The technique described in PTL 1 enables downsizing of an antenna and impedance matching without using any matching circuit, by controlling the distribution of the magnetic lines of force around the antenna by use of a magnetic material. NPL 1 discloses a technique for downsizing a monopole antenna by increasing the effective magnetic permeability by disposing a resonator structure called a split ring resonator near the monopole antenna.

Antenna, printed circuit board, and wireless communication device


Floor covering, consisting of floor panels (1) based on a fiber-like material bound by a binding agent, more particularly MDF or HDF, which, at least at their edges, are connected to each other by means of a connection, more particularly a tongue-and-groove connection (2-3) which connection consists of coupling parts which are made in one piece with the floor panels and is shaped in such a manner that the floor panels (1) are locked glue-free in the direction parallel to the plane of the floor covering and transverse to the connection, as well as in a direction perpendicular to this plane, characterized in that, at least at the location where the floor panels (1) cooperate with each other, a sliding agent (12-12A) is provided at least on one of the floor panels (1).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a floor panel for use in making floor coverings, as well as a method for making the floor panel.
2. Related Art
More particularly, the invention relates to a floor panel which, at least at its edges, includes tongue-and-groove connection parts, which are made in one piece with the floor panel and shaped in such a manner that when coupled together along mutual edges by the tongue and groove coupling parts the floor panels are locked glue-free in a direction parallel to the plane of the panels and transverse to the edge connection, as well as in a direction perpendicular to this plane. Such floor covering panels are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,486.
The floor panels can be joined together very fast by means of clicking and/or turning and are connected firmly without the necessity of using glue. It is also possible to disconnect these floor panels, after which they can be used again at another location.
When the floor covering is stepped on, it may occur that two adjacent panels undergo a minimal bending and, thus, carry out a movement in respect to each other. This movement is not unusual, as the floor panels are normally installed over an insulating and somewhat resilient underlay material.
This movement between the floor panels may result in a creaking noise, due to the friction which is created at the surfaces which are in contact with each other, because the coupling has locking surfaces associated with the tongue and groove parts between two panels which extend in a direction other than the horizontal direction (parallel to the principal plane of the panels).
It was noted that this phenomenon occurs with floor panels which are made of a material having a glued fibre-like wood based material, more particularly MDF or HDF.
In spite of the fact that by the use of tongue-and-groove connections made from MDF or HDF a rather smooth surface is obtained, as a result of which the aforementioned clicking and/or turning into each other takes place in a particularly easy manner, over the long term wear and tear may result from the mutual movement of the floor panels, as a result of which the trouble-free fitting of the floor panels can be influenced disadvantageously.
This invention in first instance has as an objective a floor covering panel in which the aforementioned and other disadvantages are avoided and, when being stepped upon, the creaking between the floor panels is avoided whereas over the long term the wear and tear of the tongue-and-groove connection also is limited.
According to the invention, this object is achieved in that a non-metallic sliding agent is applied on at least one of the panels at least at the location where the floor panels cooperate with each other, generally at the tongue-and-groove connection. The sliding agent is applied in the factory, for example, subsequent to the fabrication of the floor panels.
Due to the presence of this sliding agent, the floor panels, with the coupling parts of their tongue-and-groove connected, can slide over each other without thereby creating a perceptible sound. Due to the presence of the sliding agent, the friction, moreover, is reduced, as a result of which there is less wear and tear. If the sliding agent is provided at well-defined locations, this, as will be explained hereafter, also results in the floor panels being more easily joined, as the sliding agent reduces resistance during joining.
Preferably, a sliding agent is applied in the form of a layer which lies at least partially on top of the surface of one or both edges involved. By working with a layer on top of the surface, a good lubricating and sliding function is obtained.
According to a first possibility, the sliding agent is applied substantially over the entire surface of the edge of at least one of the floor panels.
According to a second embodiment, however, the sliding agent is applied in the form of one or more local strips extending in the longitudinal direction at the tongue-and-groove connection. Due to the provision of the sliding agent in the form of strips, it can easily be applied in a continuous process. Moreover, by applying such a strip locally, it is possible to avoid, due to the deformation of the sliding agent, that the latter is pushed beyond the tongue-and-groove connection, as a result of which a soiling at the upper side of the floor covering is avoided. Moreover, by local application in the form of a strip, the sliding agent can be applied efficiently at the location where it is desired, as a result of which the applied quantity can be kept limited.
The local application has also as an advantage that the strip may consist of a relatively thick layer of this sliding agent without creating any disadvantage.
More particularly, it is preferred that precisely one strip is applied.
Each respective strip in original, undeformed condition preferably has a maximum width of 4 mm.
The strip does not have to be continuous and may, for example, also consist of a succession of line portions, dots, and so on.
Preferably, the sliding agent is kept away from the upper edge of the floor panel, with the advantage that the sliding agent, when deformed, can not appear at the upper side of the floor covering. In first instance, this is of importance when a strip of some thickness is applied.
Specifically, it is preferred that between the upper edge and the strip of sliding agent that has been applied on a top area which is situated closest to the upper edge when seen along the contour of the surface, a receiving space is provided, as a result of which possible surplus sliding agent which is pressed aside can be taken up, so that the sliding agent cannot move up to the upper side. Such an intermediate receiving space may also be provided in the direction towards the lower edge.
As already becomes clear from the foregoing, preferably a deformable material is applied as a sliding agent.
More particularly, this sliding agent preferably is plastically deformable and, for example, meltable, but sets at room temperature, such that, during the manufacturing of the floor panels, it may be sprayed or be applied by means of a supply nozzle, in liquid form.
Suitable sliding agents are, amongst others, wax, in particular, paraffin.
It is noted that impregnating a tongue-and-groove of floor panels with paraffin is known but that this is performed to render the tongue-and-groove connection more resistive against the penetration of water. Hereby, the paraffin is applied over the entire surface of the tongue-and-groove and this in such a way that the paraffin completely penetrates into the surface. As a result thereof, this paraffin can not remedy the aforementioned problems arising with a tongue-and-groove connection engaged under a certain tension.
According to the invention, the sliding agent, more particularly, the paraffin, is applied in such a manner that a lubricating and/or sliding effect and, even better, a lubricating film is obtained. The necessary quantity of sliding agent depends on the material of the floor panels, the shape of the coupling and, eventually, when there is a tension between the floor parts, the value of this tension. This necessary quantity can be determined by tests.
In the case of a layer xe2x80x9clying on topxe2x80x9d, the thickness with which the sliding agent is provided, preferably is at least such that, at least with a glossy-looking sliding agent, a glossy surface remains visible after the application. More particularly, it is preferred that the layer of sliding agent in such case has an average thickness in the order of magnitude of 0.05 mm or more, although smaller thicknesses in principle are not excluded.
According to the invention, the tongue and/or groove can also be treated with a surface treatment product for sealing and/or hardening the surface, in which case the sliding agent is applied on top of this product, as a result of which the additional advantage is obtained that the sliding agent will not penetrate into the floor panels until after a certain period of time.
According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the surface of the edge of the floor panel is treated at least partially, but preferably entirely with a liquid mixture of at least one sealing agent and one sliding agent. By means of this treatment method which is performed in the factory, in one treatment a seal against humidity penetration, as well as a lubrication effect is obtained simultaneously. Such mixture has as a result that, after the application thereof on the milled tongue-and-groove profile, the sealing agent is absorbed in the material of the floor panel and fills the pores thereof, whereas the sliding agent remains at the surface. In this case, the sealing agent preferably is made of polyurethane, and the sliding agent of a wax, an oil or an oil-like substance.
The application of the mixture may take place in any manner, for example, by atomization, spraying, application by means of small rollers, etc.
More particularly the above-said sealing agent may be combined with the use of a strip of sliding agent applied on top, whereby then, at the location of this strip, a relatively thick layer of sliding agent is present, whereas a smaller quantity is present on the rest of the surface.
The tongue and the groove of the tongue-and-groove connection preferably have such a form that, in coupled position, they exert a certain tensioning force upon each other, in a preferred form of embodiment a tensioning force by means of which the mutually coupled floor panels are forced towards each other, in which case the strip of sliding agent is at least present on one or more portions of the contact surfaces of the tongue and/or the groove where this tensioning force is exerted or reacted. It is in fact at these portions where the largest friction occurs and the risk is greatest that an undesired noise will be created when the floor covering is stepped on.
According to a particular form of embodiment, the floor covering includes a tongue-and-groove connection comprising one or more portions which bend elastically when being joined together and taken apart, respectively, as certain portions of the coupling parts during joining and taking apart are forced over each other with a certain force. The aforementioned sliding agent at least is provided at the location of one or more of the portions which have to be forced over each other with a certain force. As a result thereof, the sliding agent also forms a lubricating agent, whereby fraying of the HDF or MDF is excluded, even if the floor panels are joined and taken apart repeatedly.
Moreover, in this case the sliding agent facilitates the mutual joining, by turning or clicking in, of the tongue and groove of a tongue-and-groove connection between two adjacent floor panels.
A portion of the floor panels defining the groove may be an elastically bendable lip, and the shape of the tongue and groove may be such that the tongue only fits into the groove by bending this lip and the sliding agent is applied on this lip or on the portion of the tongue opposite thereof.
The locking can be performed by a protrusion on the tongue and a recess in the wall of the groove. The sliding agent then preferably will be applied on this protrusion.
According to a particular embodiment, the risk for creating creaking sounds can also be avoided, or at least minimized, by using an elastic coating instead of a sliding agent. To this aim, an elastic coating is applied at least on one of the floor panels, at least at the location where the floor panels cooperate with each other, which coating, during a mutual shifting between the cooperating portions of the actual floor panels, enables local deformation in the material of the coating, as a result of which the risk of shifting at the contact surface between the coatings themselves, or between the coating and the surface of the other floor panel, is avoided or at least resisted and minimized.
This invention thus relates to a floor panel for a floor covering according to any of the preceding embodiments which is characterized in that it is provided by the factory on at least at one of its edges with a sliding agent or an elastic coating, as described above, as well as in the description below.

Floor panel for floor covering and method for making the floor panel


A syringe includes a barrel having a fluid chamber, a proximal end, a distal end and an elongated tip extending from the distal end and having a passageway therethrough in fluid communication with the chamber. A plunger is provided for drawing fluid into and out of the barrel. The plunger includes an elongated plunger rod having a proximal portion and a distal portion connected by a breakable connection. The breakable connection is strong enough to hold the proximal portion and distal portion together during normal use of the syringe and breakable upon application of additional force to the proximal portion.

Throughout the world the re-use of hypodermic syringe products which are intended for single-use only is instrumental in drug abuse and in the transfer of contagious diseases. Intravenous drug users who routinely share and re-use syringes are a high-risk group with respect to the AIDS virus. Also, the effects of multiple use are a major concern in some countries where the repeated use of syringe products during mass inoculation programs may be responsible for the spread of many diseases. Syringes are often recycled in developing countries without proper sterilization.
Many attempts have been made to remedy this problem. Some designs involve the inclusion of structure which will allow the destruction or defeating of the syringe function through a conscious act by the user, such as breaking a syringe or one of its components. In addition, there are single-use hypodermic syringes which become incapable of further use automatically upon delivery of the medication without any additional act on the part of the user. Such syringes are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,728.
With single-use syringes using needle assemblies having a hub attached to a needle cannula there is a need to prevent the removal of the needle assembly after the use of the single-use syringe so that the needle assembly cannot be used again with other syringes. In addition to preventing the removal of the needle assembly, there is also a need for structure which will allow the easy attachment of the needle assembly to the syringe so that the needle assembly may be attached at the time of use and an appropriately sized needle may be used.


The present invention creates a process for treating the surface of fresh meat, in which the meat is treated with a hydrocolloid based on collagen, in particular gelatine, animal glues, collagen, caseins, whey proteins and/or their hydrolysates as well as their mixtures with one another. In particular a weight loss of the meat during storage due to escaping drip is thereby prevented. In the process according to the invention the meat is preferably treated with 0.2 to 1.5 wt % of hydrocolloid, referred to the weight of the meat. It is possible with said process to treat all kinds of meat suitable for human consumption, in particular mammal meat, poultry and fish.

The present invention relates to a process for treating the surface of fresh meat, the use of hydrocolloids in the treatment of the surface of fresh meat, and fresh meat treated with solid hydrocolloid.
It has been known for a long time in human history to preserve freshly slaughtered meat for a prolonged period, and to guarantee a persistently stable meat quality for human consumption, by means of a brine or by preserving in salt, so-called "pickling". Other well known processes are, for example, smoking and drying.
Said methods of preservation modify the treated meat so such an extent, however, that the latter can no longer be described as fresh meat.
Consumers prefer fresh meat at the present day because storage methods such as, for example, cold storage or freezing followed by thawing have now also become universally available.
The quality of fresh meat for human consumption is influenced significantly during its storage after the slaughter and butchering of the animal by storage parameters such as temperature and humidity, in particular in the case of the aforementioned storage methods.
For maintaining the quality of large pieces of fresh meat during prolonged storage, it is known from Marggrander and Hofmann, Fleischwirtschaft 77, pages 19 to 20, 1997 to spray meat products with a gelatine solution in order to produce a gelatine film.
Said film impedes the access of oxygen to the meat surface, so that oxidation processes, which are the cause of rancidification, are reduced. At the same time said film prevents so-called freezer burn during prolonged cold and frozen storage and reduces weight loss due to drying out of the meat.
Similar subject-matter is known from Villegas et al., Fleischwirtschaft April 1999, pages 86 to 89, where a gelatine coating likewise as a good oxidation barrier is described, so that the meat products treated in this way exhibit a reduced oxidation and only a slight colour deterioration with prolonged storage.
Consumers prefer, particularly with meat packed in portions, an appetising, for the most part rosy, or in the case of poultry and fish, white appearance of the piece of meat, which should also show no residues of blood and still be of firm consistency.
A consumer-subjective quality deterioration nevertheless frequently occurs because during storage, in particular in the case of freezing and thawing processes or during cold storage, meat loses liquid (so-called drip) and water mixed with blood, and the meat surface makes a bad visual impression due to the liquid that has escaped. This results in the final analysis in the consumer being unwilling to purchase such meat, particularly when already portioned, and to the latter therefore often having to be processed as less high grade products, for example pet food.
The problem of drip cannot be mastered with the application of a gelatine film as described above without the external appearance being modified and hence the fresh meat character being forfeited.
A known measure for visually improving the presentation of portioned fresh meat in supermarkets consists in the use of cellular inlays in the packs, which are able to absorb the drip obtained. This results, however, in said cellulosic inlays, because of the blood-containing liquid that has escaped, often having a rather unappetising effect on the consumer.

Process for treating the surface of fresh meat


The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I)

RSV is the leading cause of acute upper and lower respiratory tract infections (LRI) in adults, young children and infants. Serological evidence indicates that in the western world approximately 95% of all children have been infected with RSV by the age of two and 100% of children have been exposed by the time they reach adulthood (see Black, C. P., 2003, Resp. Care 48:209-31 for a review of the biology and management of RSV). In most cases the RSV infections will only cause minor upper respiratory illness with symptoms resembling that of the common cold. However, severe infection with the virus may result in bronchiolitis or pneumonia which may result in hospitalization or death. In a given year, around 91,000 infants are hospitalized with RSV infections in the United States. Infants who have been born prematurely or have a pre-existing lung disease are a high risk of severe infection and complications. These infections are responsible for 40 to 50% of hospitalizations for paediatric bronchiolitis and 25% of hospitalizations for paediatric pneumonia. Since the immune response to RSV infection is not protective, RSV infections reoccur throughout adulthood. In adults and older children, RSV infection has been associated with upper respiratory infection, tracheobronchitis, and otitis media. However, RSV in the institutionalized elderly can be more serious and is characterized by severe pneumonia and mortality rates of up to 20 and 78%, respectively. Adults with a previous history of heart or lung conditions are at a high risk for RSV infection.
RSV is a member of the order Mononegavirales, which consists of the non-segmented negative strand RNA viruses in the Families Paramyxoviridae, Rhabdoviridae and Filoviridae. RSV of humans (often also termed RSV or HRSV) is a member of the Pneumovirus genus of the sub-family Pneumovirinae within the Family Paramyxoviridae. Based on genetic and antigenic variations in the structural proteins, RSV is classified into two subgroups, A and B (Mufson, M. et al., J. Gen. Virol. 66:2111-2124). Other members of the Pneumovirus genus include viruses such as bovine RSV (BRSV), ovine RSV (ORSV) and pneumonia virus of mice (PVM) amongst others.
In addition to the genome features described above, family characteristics include a lipid envelope containing one or more glycoprotein species considered to be associated with attachment and entry of the host cell. Entry is considered to require a process by which the viral envelope fuses with the membrane of the host cell. Fusion of infected cells with, for example, their neighbours, can also result in the formation of fused multinucleate cells known as syncytial in some cases. The fusion process is believed to be glycoprotein mediated and is a feature shared with diverse enveloped viruses in other taxonomic groups. In the case of the Paramyxoviridae viruses of all genera characteristically express a fusion glycoprotein (F) which mediates membrane fusion.
While a RSV licensed vaccine is not yet available, some success has been achieved in the area of prevention for infants at high risk of serious lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV, as well as a reduction of LRI. In particular, there are two immunoglobulin-based therapies approved to protect high-risk infants from serious LRI: RSV-IGIV (RSV-immunoglobulin intravenous, also known as RespiGam™) and palivizumab) (SYNAGIS®). RSV-IGIV (RespiGam, Massachusetts Public Health Biological Laboratories and MedImmune Inc, Gaithersburg, Md.) was licensed by the Food and Drug Administration in January 1996 for prevention of severe RSV lower respiratory tract disease in infants and children younger than 24 months with chronic lung disease (CLD) or a history of preterm birth (≦35 weeks' gestation). In June 1998, the Food and Drug Administration licensed Palivizumab (MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Md.) for administration as a monthly intramuscular injection for the prevention of serious respiratory disease caused by RSV in infants and children with a history of preterm birth (≦35 weeks' gestation) or CLD.
The only drug currently approved for the treatment of severe RSV is the antiviral medication, Virazole, also known as Ribavirin currently licensed for therapy of RSV pneumonia and bronchiolitis (Hall et al, 1983, N. Engl. J. Med., 308: 1443; Hall et al., 1985, JAMA, 254:3047. This agent has a broad spectrum antiviral with virustatic effects, and acts by inhibiting RSV replication. Unfortunately, the agent is toxic so that administration of the agent is confined to a hospital setting (Black, C. P., 2003, Resp. Care 48(3):209-31). Its administration is further complicated by the need to follow a strict procedural process when administering the agent in order to minimise the likelihood of certain adverse affects. The agent has a number of adverse effects including sudden deterioration of respiratory function (bronchiospasm). The efficacy of Virazole has remained controversial.
Accordingly, there remains an ongoing need for new compounds that are useful in the treatment of RSV infections.

Abstract: its salts, isomers or prodrugs thereof useful in the treatment of viral infections, in particular respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. The present invention also relates to processes for preparing the compounds and intermediates used in their preparation.


Semiconductor structures including electrical isolation and methods of forming a semiconductor structure including electrical isolation. A layer stack is formed on a semiconductor substrate comprised of a single-crystal semiconductor material. The layer stack includes a semiconductor layer comprised of a III-V compound semiconductor material. A polycrystalline layer is formed in the semiconductor substrate. The polycrystalline layer extends laterally beneath the layer stack.

The present invention relates to semiconductor device fabrication and integrated circuits and, more specifically, to semiconductor structures including electrical isolation and methods of forming a semiconductor structure including electrical isolation.
Device structures, such as high-voltage power electronic devices, are susceptible to high capacitance and body-to-body leakage when formed using a bulk semiconductor wafer. A measure that may be taken to reduce the susceptibility is to provide the bulk semiconductor wafer with triple well isolation that surrounds an active device region containing the device structure. Another measure that may be taken to reduce the susceptibility is to replace the bulk wafer with a silicon-on-insulator wafer in which a top silicon layer furnishes an active device region and a buried oxide (BOX) layer is arranged between the active device region and the substrate beneath the buried insulator layer.
High-voltage power electronic devices, such as high-electron-mobility transistors, may be fabricated using III-V compound semiconductors to exploit their material properties, such as a carrier mobility that is greater than the carrier mobility of silicon. III-V compound semiconductors are obtained by combining group III elements (aluminum, gallium, indium) with group V elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony). A high-electron-mobility transistor may include a heterojunction between III-V compound semiconductor materials having different band gaps, such as a heterojunction between binary gallium nitride and trinary aluminum-gallium nitride. During operation, a two-dimensional electron gas is formed near an interface at the heterojunction of the high-electron-mobility transistor. The two-dimensional electron gas defines the channel of the high-electron-mobility transistor.
Although such measures have proven suitable for their intended purpose, semiconductor structures with improved electrical isolation and methods of forming a semiconductor structure including improved electrical isolation are needed.

III-V compound semiconductor layer stacks with electrical isolation provided by a trap-rich layer


A hair-piece includes a support member (10) for hair shaped like the calotte of the head and including a basket-like configuration made of rods (12, 13) radiating from a crown area. The adjacent pairs of rods define an intermediate space (14) which each extend continuously and uninterruptedly from the crown area. The outer surfaces of the rods (12, 13) are covered with hair.

The invention relates to a hair-piece having a support member for hair, shaped like the calotte of the head and consisting of curved webs.
1. Field of the Invention
A support member of wigs consists of a close-fitting textile substrate adapted to the shape of the head, into which the artificial or the natural "false" hair is knotted. Such a support member sits on the head like a cap and entirely covers the real hair of the person wearing the wig, so that the wearer's own hair is no longer effective. In order to obtain a secure fixation of the wig on the head, it has to be tightly stretched over the head. This causes some inconvenience for the user without reliably avoiding a displacement of the wig. Moreover, the skin of the head is preventing from breathing. In order to overcome the disadvantages of wigs with a cap-like support member, hairpieces have been provided that supplement the user's own hair, which allow a combination of one's own hair and artificial or natural supplementary hair.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known hair-piece (DE 1 460 165) has a support member shaped like a head calotte and having curved webs provided with hair and extending across the head transversally. Both ends of each web are fastened to a closed frame of a cap-like contour. The webs and the frame form a grid having openings transversally extending across the head and being closed all around through which a person's own hair may be drawn in order to mix the user's own hair and supplementary hair. Lateral webs are provided for reducing the size of the openings. Pulling hair through the grid openings is troublesome and requires great care and a lot of time in order to hide the frame and the webs lying on the head like a cap under the wearer's own hair. At the hairline, the frame is tongue-shaped and predetermines a shape of the hairline that does not correspond to the natural course of the hairline and cannot be adapted by the user. Hair-pieces manufactured in mass production are practically unusable, since webs and frames of plastic material have to be adapted to the individual form of a head, prior to their drying and curing, in order to obtain a certain fitting of the hair-piece.
Curved webs, extending transversally across the head, are also provided in another known hair-piece (DE 14 60 168). Both ends of the webs, formed as arched members, are fastened to a lateral holding or clamping piece to be arranged behind the temple above and/or in front of the user's ear. This results in lunulate openings for the user's own hair that are very narrow in the vicinity of the ears. Pulling the wearer's own hair through the openings closed all around is not easy to be done. If the distances between the webs are widened in order to facilitate the pulling through of the hair, the thin own hair of the user would collapse too much, so that the hair-piece would be distinct from the user's own hair and no seemingly natural mixture of hair could be obtained. Dressing the hair at the front hairline is difficult, since the frontmost web spans the head above the forehead in a hoop-like manner and defines a limit line of the hair that does not correspond to a natural hairline and does not allow an adaptation to individual needs. The latter is a particularly serious problem if a person's own hair is not sufficient to cover that web. If they hold the hair-piece sufficiently tight, the two holding or clamping pieces can be painful to the user. When the hair-piece is made in mass production, a secure hold and a good fitting cannot be achieved for every head, since the distance between the crown and the ears, as well as the diameter of the head, which are decisive for a close fitting of the support member on the head and the clamping effect of the clamping pieces, are different with every individual. The known hair-piece does not allow a modification in order to adapt it to the individual shape of the head and the hairdo of the user.


An expiration date notification method uses an information terminal device that comprises a storage unit that stores an expiration date of a puncture repair liquid contained in a container; a notification condition setting unit that sets a notification period and a notification method for notifying of a replacement period of the puncture repair liquid based on the expiration date stored in the storage unit; a notifying unit that notifies of the replacement period of the puncture repair liquid; and a control unit that controls the notifying unit based on settings of the notification condition setting unit, the method comprising: after the expiration date is input into the storage unit of the information terminal device, the information terminal device notifying of the replacement period of the puncture repair liquid within a preset notification period including before and after the expiration date of the puncture repair liquid via a preset notification method.

In recent years, when a tire mounted on a vehicle has punctured, a puncture repair fluid is injected into the tire via a tire valve to temporarily repair the puncture, while, at the same time, inflating the tire with air (refer to, for example, Japan Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2010-120250, 2013-82137, and 2013-136176).
Devices for injecting such a puncture repair liquid can be broadly separated into hand squeeze types and pressurized delivery types. With the hand squeeze type, the puncture repair liquid is contained in a flexible container, and the puncture repair liquid is injected into a tire by squeezing the container by hand. Meanwhile, with the pressurized delivery type, the puncture repair liquid is contained in a pressure resistant container, and the puncture repair liquid is injected into a tire by utilizing compressed air supplied from a compressor for filling the tire air pressure. In both cases, the puncture repair liquid is installed in the vehicle for an extended period of time housed in the container.
The puncture repair liquid includes an active ingredient such as latex and functions to fill the puncture hole by being injected into the tire. While the puncture repair liquid can be used for an extended period of time, the puncture repair liquid does have an expiration date. When the expiration date is reached, the active ingredient may coagulate or other such problems may occur. In such cases, there is a concern that the repair work cannot be performed smoothly when the tire is punctured. However, since the puncture repair liquid installed in the vehicle has long expiration date, the user in effect does not keep track of the expiration date.

Expiration date notification method for puncture repair liquid


Various method and apparatus embodiments for training a delay for enabling a data strobe signal in a memory subsystem are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a memory controller configured to receive a data strobe signal. The memory controller includes a training circuit. The training circuit includes a first storage circuit coupled to receive the data strobe signal on a data input and an enable signal on a clock input, and a training unit configured to, based on an output signal received from the first flip-flop, adjust a phase of the enable signal until an assertion of the enable signal coincides with a preamble indication in the data strobe signal.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to computer systems, and more particularly, to training delay times for signal used to synchronize reads of memory in computer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to properly read data from a memory, determining a time when the data is valid is an important factor. To optimize computer system performance, minimizing this value may be desired. To determine the optimal time at which data received from a memory may be read, a training procedure may be performed.
For various types of double data rate (DDR) memories, such as DDR, DDR2, and DDR3, a data strobe signal may be returned with data from the memory during a read operation. The data strobe signal is a source synchronous clock signal that may be used to synchronize the data at a receiver in a memory controller, as well as indicating that the data is valid. Training of the data strobe signal to ensure correct timing may be performed at the beginning of system operation.
One method to perform training of a DDR data strobe begins with performing of reads at a low operational frequency known as a seed. The training procedure may then conduct a series of reads to determine an optimal time to enable the data strobe signal to observe the returned data at a first frequency known as a seed. The seed may be determined based on characterizations conducted in a lab during a design phase of the computer system. The training may be conducted at different frequencies until the optimal time to enable the data strobe signal is determined. The resulting trained optimal time at the original frequency may be used to calculate an approximate starting time for subsequent training at a next higher frequency. The resulting second trained value may be used to calculated an approximate starting time for training at a third higher frequency, and so on. The method of using trained times at lower frequencies to determine starting times for training at higher frequencies can be repeated multiple times until all frequencies that will be used in normal operation have been trained.

Method and apparatus for memory access delay training


A screw compressor, especially adapted for use as a supercharger for an internal combustion engine, comprises a housing having a barrel section (2) preferably made from aluminum and two end sections (3,4), in which housing a pair of screw rotors (7,8) are mounted. The end sections (3,4) are provided with projections (29) inserted into the end portions of the barrel section (2) by forced fit between surfaces (30,31) of the projections. The end portions of the barrel section and are also secured to the barrel section by screw joints.

The present invention relates to a screw compressor, especially for use as a super-charger for an internal combustion engine.
Such a screw compressor comprises a housing, having a barrel section and two end sections, enclosing a working space provided with inlet and outlet ports and formed by two intersecting bores, and a pair of intermeshing rotors mounted in the housing, each rotor being provided with helical lands and intervening grooves.
A screw compressor according to the invention is an improvement to earlier used super-chargers, e.g. turbo chargers which give a poor efficiency especially at low speed of the engine. A compressor according to the invention may suitably be driven by the crank shaft of the engine through a belt drive, which means that independent of the number of revolutions, the compressor can always deliver a volume of air enough to fill the engine and having a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure. Such feeding of pressurized air to the engine results in a higher power delivered.
In a screw compressor it is essential that the barrel section and the end sections of the housing in mounted position has acceptable rigidity for the intermeshing rotors to act properly. Earlier known compressor housings have been produced from east iron, which results in a rather heavy compressor partly due to the high density of iron, and partly due to relatively thick walls. Such housing further requires a considerable mount of work to cut the housing to exact dimensions (measure deviation 0.03 to 0.05 mm). Screw compressor housings have also been east from aluminium. In order to obtain the necessary stability the barrel section and one end section are cast as one unit. This means complicated bottom hole manufacture and thick walls. All those compressors are thus relatively heavy and bulky and are thus unsuitable for mounting on the side of the engine.
The aim of the present invention is to avoid the disadvantages mentioned above and to obtain a number of advantages in comparison with the earlier known screw rotor super-chargers.

Screw compressor for internal combustion engines


A system for handling special number calls placed from a phone coupled at a connection locus in a private network; includes: (a) a private switch controlling communications with the phone from outside the private network during a call session; (b) a control facility coupled with the private switch and with a special number call system for effecting communications between the private network and the special number call system; and (c) a contact parameter storage unit coupled with at least one of the private switch and the special number call system for identifying at least one contact parameter relating to the connection locus at least during the call session. The private switch, the control facility and the special number call system cooperate in using the contact parameter to effect call back from the special number call system to the phone at least during the call session.

The present invention is directed to telecommunications and especially to handling special number calls from phone sets serviced by a private service provider, such as a private branch exchange (PBX). Special Number services, such as the E9-1-1 voice network in the United States, are based upon an assumption that the origination locus of a special number call is known prior to the initiation of the call. This presumption has traditionally been correct because the specific address and location at an address is associated with every telephone number that supports fully capable special number calling.
For purposes of illustration, by way of example and not by way of limitation, the present invention will be discussed in the context of an emergency service network in the United States, commonly referred to as an E9-1-1 network. The teachings of the present invention are equally applicable, useful and novel in other special number calling systems, such as maintenance service networks, college campus security networks and other networks.
Known location information is used to route E9-1-1 calls to an appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). The same information is used by the PSAP to support the emergency response to the call, such as dispatching fire, police or emergency medical personnel and equipment and for call back to the call originator if necessary. Some telephone systems support changing location of telephone instruments within an area, such as within a building, or within a campus or within a local or wide area network. Such telephone systems give rise to significant operational challenges for a special number calling system, such as an E9-1-1 system. When a phone instrument is moved its phone number moves with it, so full support for E9-1-1 calls cannot be provided until up to date location information for the phone instrument is available to a serving E9-1-1 infrastructure to deliver when necessary to the PSAP or other service provider. In prior art communication systems, such updating of location-to-instrument information was effected by a phone user notifying a facilities manager or similar person of the move. The facilities manager entered a database of location-to-number information to update the database to accurately indicate the correct new location-to-instrument information for the recently moved telephone instrument. Often there was a significant time lag between the time the instrument moved and the time the E9-1-1 system was appropriately updated to reflect the change. The greater the degree of telephone instrument mobility that is provided by a system, the greater the strain that is placed on the special number calling networks that serve that system in keeping up with the changes. Voice over IP (Internet Protocol) systems pose significant difficulties for special number network support because of the great degree of mobility that is available for instruments in such a system. Recent developments of data communication systems also permit great mobility for phone instruments. For example, some digital phone instruments used with such data communication networks are capable of connecting with the data communication network and signaling to the network controller their identifying number and authorization for accessing the system. Such mobility may span a building, a campus or even several cities or states. Such communication system capabilities are examples of portability-supporting systems that are particularly difficult to fully support with special number network services, such as E9-1-1 support services.
In the case of a private communications service operator or provider, such as a private branch exchange (PBX), in most situations a unique telephone number associated with an individual instrument "behind" or served by the PBX is not transmitted to the telephone company Central Office serving the PBX and therefore the Central Office cannot differentiate among different instruments subtended to the PBX nor their location when calls are originated from these instruments. The Central Office only is aware of predetermined Pilot numbers that have been associated with the system wide shared circuits interconnecting the PBX and Central Office. This lack of unique telephone instrument awareness can be present even in situations where the Central Office provides the PBX with Direct Inward Dial (DID) service. Determining a particular location within the geographical area serviced by the PBX switch is only possible if the PBX switch somehow notifies the serving E9-1-1 system for relay to the PSAP regarding such location information. Present privately serviced networks do not efficiently or timely inform an E9-1-1 system or PSAP with location information with sufficiently fine granularity to pinpoint the location of a particular phone instrument.
With the coarse granularity presently available to an E9-1-1 PSAP, police or emergency service personnel may go to a location indicated for a particular phone number and find that they have arrived at a large office building or at a widespread college campus with no means available for locating the caller with greater accuracy. In situations involving a corporate PBX the emergency services personnel may respond to a building in an incorrect city or state. Valuable time may be spent in finding the particular locus of the caller to render the required assistance. Such delays can be life threatening in the case of emergency service calls.
There is a need for a system and method for providing appropriate call routing, location and call back information for special number calls, such as E9-1-1 calls from a privately served network, such as a PBX.
There is a need for providing such location and call back information while accommodating mobility of telephone instruments within the privately served network.

System and method for providing location and call back information for special number calls from phone sets serviced by a privately served network


A foundation system and a roof system are especially useful for flexible indoor/outdoor space structures. The foundation system has adjustment features for leveling of flexible structures. The roof system features independent roof segments. The foundation system includes one or more foundation members which have a frame, a base and an adjustable height member. Also disclosed are drive, connection, level sensing and control elements for the foundation system. The roof system includes a fixed bean with roller tracks, a set of overlapping roof segments, and a header beam also with roller tracks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to building systems, apparatus and methods. Particularly, the invention relates to flexible indoor/outdoor space structures, and foundations, roofs, framing, segments, walls, and windows therefor. Most particularly, the invention relates to (1) a foundation system for a flexible indoor/outdoor space structure, and (2) a roof system for a flexible indoor/outdoor space structure.
2. Background Information
Existing technology in this field is believed to have significant limitations and shortcomings. For this and other reasons, a need exists for the present invention.
All US patents and patent applications, and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Structure having a convertible roof and sidewall


A priority control apparatus according to the present invention includes: an OS execution unit which executes first tasks that run on a first OS and second tasks that run on a second OS; a task priority obtainment unit which obtains the priority of an execution task which is a first task being executed by the OS execution unit and the priority of a requested task which is a second task whose execution is being requested to the OS execution unit; and a priority changing unit which, in the case where the priority of the requested task is higher than the priority of the execution task, changes the priorities of the first tasks to be lower than the priority of the requested task and higher than the next lower priority to the requested task among the second tasks, while maintaining the relative order of the priorities among the first tasks.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to priority control apparatuses and priority control methods, and particularly to a priority control apparatus which controls priority of plural first tasks that run on a first OS and plural second tasks that run on a second OS.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in an operating system (OS) which executes plural tasks, a priority is set for each of the tasks, and the order in which the tasks are to be executed is determined according to the priorities.
Priority inversion is known to occur in such an OS. Priority inversion shall be described hereinafter.
When execution of a high priority task is requested during the execution of a low priority task, judgment is performed as to whether or not a resource to be used by the high priority task is being used (locked) by the currently-executed low priority task. When the resource to be used by the high priority task is not locked by the currently-executed task, the task to be executed is switched, in accordance with the priorities, to the high priority task.
On the other hand, when the resource to be used by the high priority task is locked by the currently-executed task, the currently-executed low priority task continues to be executed, and the high priority task is executed after the low priority task is finished.
Here, when execution of a medium priority task (a task having a priority that is lower than that of the high priority task and higher than that of the low priority task) is requested during the execution of the low priority task, and a resource to be used by the medium priority task is not locked by the low priority task, the OS interrupts the execution of the low priority task and executes the medium priority task, in accordance with the priorities. In other words, a priority inversion occurs in which the medium priority task is executed before the high priority task which should have been executed ahead. Thus there is the problem that real-timeliness is inhibited by such priority inversion.
A priority control apparatus described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-77025 (Patent Reference 1) is known as a priority control apparatus for handling such priority inversions.
In the priority control apparatus described in Patent Reference 1, the priority of the currently-executed low priority task is temporarily raised such that, even when the execution of the medium priority task is requested, the request is not accepted and the execution of the low priority task is continued. With this, after the execution of the low priority task is finished, the high priority task is executed. In other words, the priority control apparatus is able to resolve the above-described priority inversion.
Meanwhile, recent years have seen the use of a computer system which runs plural OSs for implementing functions having different purposes. An example would be the case of running Windows® on Linux®.

Priority control apparatus and priority control method


A level gauge is used on a tank containing a liquid. The gauge utilizes a displacer suspended on a support wire or tape which is wound on a storage wheel. The storage wheel is balanced by a counterweight. Any change in liquid level results in an imbalance which causes a servo motor to energize and rotate the wheel to bring the counterweight and displacer back into balance. The change in level is determined by counting the steps of motor operation. The changes in level are determined using the relationship between length and steps of motor operation. The level gauge is operable to continually correct calculation to compensate for changes in wire length per turn of the spool.

Numerous types of process instruments are available for measuring level, such as level in a tank. One such instrument is a displacement servo gauge. A servo gauge uses a counterweight or spring to balance the weight of a displacer. The displacer is suspended on a cable from a drum. The drum is coupled to the spring or counterweight. The spring or counterweight is selected so that an equilibrium condition exists when the displacer is at the top surface of the liquid. A change in the liquid level causes a corresponding change in the counterforce to move the gauge out of balance. Upon sensing such an imbalanced condition, a servo motor rotates the drum to raise or lower the displacer, as is necessary, until the gauge is again in balance. Rotational movement of the motor, which represents movement of the drum and thus the cable and displacer, is sensed to calculate the change in level.
Problems have been found associated with prior displacement servo gauges. Particularly, errors in level measurement can occur due to variations in drum diameter, as well as weight of the cable. Specifically, if the cable is wound in multilayers on the drum, then the exact length of cable relating to an increment of rotational movement of the servo motor shaft continually changes. This is due to the difference in circumferential length of the outer layers versus the inner layers when wound on the drum. Further, in the equilibrium state, the applied forces are balanced when the sum of the weight of the cable and the weight of the displacer is equal to the buoyancy force exerted by the liquid and the counterforce of the gauge. The weight of the displacer is a constant. In conventional gauges the counterforce weight is also constant. However, the weight of the tape varies with its extended length, which in turn varies with the liquid level. Thus, with conventional gauges, any change in weight of the tape requires a variation in the buoyancy by changing the penetration of the displacer and the liquid. This change results in an error in the reading of the level of the fluid, reflecting this change of penetration.
In certain applications, knowing the specific gravity of the liquid is important. In fact, the specific gravity has an effect on the operation of the gauge. Therefore, it is desirable to quickly and easily measure the specific gravity of a liquid, the level of which is being sensed.
Conventional servo gauges measure a variation of torque in the drive gear train between the servo motor and the drum. An alternative approach is described in Schmidt et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,314 which discloses the motor pivotally suspended from a shaft of the cable spool. Therefore, the motor itself acts as a counterweight. A switch is positioned within the range of pivotal movement of the motor and is actuated when a displacer impinges on the surface of the liquid. With such a construction, the position of the switch is important relative to the particular liquid being sensed. Specifically, changes in specific gravity of the liquid require changes in positioning of the switch due to a corresponding change in the buoyancy force. Moreover, such a construction, as well as the conventional construction, permits sensing of only a single type of liquid.
Frequent calibration of level gauges has proven to be both costly and difficult. Normally, a maintenance person must go out to the site of the instrument to manually measure the liquid and calibrate the gauge. Where the gauge is mounted at the top of the tank, this proves quite cumbersome.
The present invention is directed to solving one or more of the problems discussed above.


A thermostatic mixing valve is used in a tempered water blending system. A cold water bypass line in the system acts under the control of a modulating valve and electronic controller to divert cold water back to a temperature sensing element in the mixing valve. By flooding the temperature sensing element, the mixing valve detects a false temperature and adjusts its flow rate of hot and cold water accordingly. The electronic controller acts in reverse of normal fashion, providing negative feedback to the sensing element of the mixing valve.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tempered water mixing systems where cold and hot water supplies are thermostatically blended to provide a tempered discharge outflow of water at a selected temperature.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs) have been in use for many years to control the temperature of water supplied to a delivery point. Thermostatic control valves of this general type are well known, e.g., as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,739,793; 4,767,052; and 5,647,531. These valves are well known to those skilled in the art. TMVs are capable of delivering water at a preset temperature, as well as preventing water flow in the event of the failure of the cold water supply. They are used extensively in hospitals, nursing homes and similar facilities. A particular application would be, for example, for supplying water to plumbing fixtures such as showers, large medical bathing systems or as a master mixing valve supplying numerous plumbing fixtures simultaneously. These valve systems are often installed in bath and shower areas, to regulate the flow of bathing water and to ensure precise water temperature in varying supply water conditions. A typical example is a valve that maintains shower water temperature when another water appliance is being operated. A sudden drain on the cold water supply may drop the cold water pressure, while leaving the hot water pressure relatively constant, thus increasing outlet water temperature due to an imbalance between hot and cold inlet water flow. The TMV is used to accommodate such variances while maintaining a preset outlet temperature.
Mechanical TMV's operate using a temperature sensitive element such as, for example, a bimetallic element or a spring element. In use, hot and cold water is supplied to the valve via respective hot and cold inlets. The water mixes inside the valve and is then delivered to a desired location through an outlet. In use the temperature sensitive element is linked to the hot and cold inlets so as to control the flow of hot and cold water into and thru the valve.
If the resulting mixed water temperature is too hot, the temperature sensitive valve element will typically expand or move in response to the temperature increase. This causes the flow of water through the hot water inlet to be reduced and/or the flow of water through the cold water inlet to be increased. This in turn causes a corresponding reduction in the mixed water temperature.
Similarly, if the mixed water temperature falls to low, the temperature sensitive element will contract, or move in the opposite direction, causing the hot water inlet to be opened further and/or the cold water inlet to be closed further, thereby causing the mixed water temperature to increase. In this manner, the TMV can be used to provide water at a predetermined temperature.
One disadvantage of this typical class of mechanical TMV is that valves of this type tend to be quite expensive, for example, on the order of $8000-$10,000 per valve. Another disadvantage of the prior art temperature balancing valves and many electronically controlled mixing valves described in the prior art is the inability to stabilize outlet water temperature at extremes of flow rate. This is due to several technical issues such as the velocity of water in the plumbing lines, the thermal lag of the water temperature sensor and mechanical overshoot in the thermal governor cartridge assembly or motor/belt drive of electronically controlled thermostatic valves.
A need exists, therefore, for an electromechanical temperature regulation system for providing tempered mix water which is simple in design and yet reliable in operation and which can be produced more economically than presently available TMV systems.
A need exists for such a system for providing tempered water at a preset temperature without significant temperature fluctuation.
A need exists for such a system having a desired response time for the establishment of a steady flow of tempered water having the desired preset temperature from the time a user opens a flow control valve.

Electromechanical temperature regulation system for providing tempered mix water


Various embodiments are described relating to resource management techniques for wireless networks. For example, a resource deficiency may be determined for a requesting wireless node in a wireless network. A resource request may be sent from the requesting node to one or more other wireless nodes, and a resource reply including a resource status may be received from one or more of the other wireless nodes in response to the resource request. One of the other nodes from which to obtain a resource may be selected based on the resource status for the selected node, and a resource update message may be sent from the requesting wireless node to the selected wireless node to facilitate a reallocation of resources from the selected node to the requesting node, the resource update message indicating an amount of resources to be reallocated from the selected node to the requesting node.

As wireless technology has advanced, a variety of wireless networks have been installed, such as cellular, wireless LAN (local area network) or WLAN, and other wireless networks. Some wireless networks are based upon the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of Wireless LAN (WLAN) industry specifications, or other IEEE specifications, for example. Other wireless networks are based on cellular technologies, such as Global System For Mobile Communications (GSM), for example. Some networks are being developed based on other standards or technologies, such as WiMedia ultra-wideband (UWB) common radio platform to augment the convergence platform with TCP/IP services. A number of working groups are working to improve on these various technologies. These are merely a few examples of wireless networks, and a number of other wireless networks and technologies exist or are being developed.
Wireless networks often suffer from resource management problems. Network resources are frequently used inefficiently. For example, in some instances, some links may be congested, while other links may be idle. Some nodes in the network may be occupying a resource for long periods of time, while other nodes may be resource starved or may have been waiting long periods of time without being served. Some Access Points (APs) or Base Stations (BSs) may be extremely busy or congested, while other APs may be idle or have unused resources. Traffic congestion, unbalanced resource usage and unfairness are common problems for wireless networks.
Many networks employ a centralized resource management, where a centralized entity may collect information from each of the other network entities (e.g., APs or BSs), and then make resource allocation decisions for the different entities in the network(s). As networks grow or increase in number of entities within the network, a centralized resource management solution may have a number of disadvantages, such as creating a significant amount of signaling overhead and increasing complexity.

Resource management techniques for wireless networks


The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a semiconductor-on-insulator-type heterostructure that includes at least one insulating layer interposed between a receiver substrate of semiconductor material and an active layer derived from a donor substrate of semiconductor material. The method includes the steps of bonding and active layer transfer. Prior to bonding, an atomic species which is identical or isoelectric with the insulating layer material is implanted in the insulating layer. The implantation forms a trapping layer, which can retain gaseous species present in the various interfaces of the heterostructure, thereby limiting formation of defects on the surface of the active layer.

A "semiconductor-on-insulator" ("SeOI") type substrate is known. A SeOI type substrate generally comprises at least one insulating layer interposed between two layers of semiconductor material. A SeOI substrate or heterostructure has applications in many fields, especially in the fields of optics, electronics, and optoelectronics.
SeOI substrates are generally fabricated using the following steps:
forming or depositing an insulating layer on a first substrate termed the "donor" substrate, so that a "connection" interface exists between them;
implanting atomic species within the donor substrate using a method known commercially as SMART-CUT® to form a zone of weakness therein;
bonding a second substrate termed the "receiver" substrate onto the free surface of the insulator by molecular bonding; and
detaching the back portion of the donor substrate along the zone of weakness.
A heterostructure is thereby obtained comprising, in succession, a support, an insulating layer, and an upper active layer derived from the donor substrate.
In the microelectronics field, the surface quality of the active layer of semiconductor material is of great importance. The roughness and the absence of defects on the surface of the active layer are parameters that must be optimized, and determine the quality of future components which are produced from the heterostructure. However, various types of surface defects may appear following transfer of the active layer onto the receiving substrate, including, for example: non transferred zones (abbreviated "NTZ"); blisters; voids; and crystal orientated voids (abbreviated "COV").
The defects are caused by, for example, poor transfer; the presence of subjacent defects in various layers of the heterostructure; poor bonding quality at the bonding interface; or, merely by the imprecise methods employed in fabricating the heterostructure, such as the implantation of atomic species or heat treatment(s). The defects present at the bonding or connection interface become locations where gas can become trapped during the heterostructure fabrication, and which then expand and form COV-type blisters or voids.
For example, in the case of a heterostructure comprising, in succession, a silicon substrate support covered with a layer of thermal oxide, then with a layer of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) oxide obtained by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), and finally with a layer of germanium, gaseous elements may be introduced by several sources. The term "LPCVD TEOS" designates a silicon oxide (SiO2) obtained by low pressure chemical vapor deposition from a TEOS type precursor. Gaseous elements may originate from:
hydrogen or helium supplied during an atomic species implantation step, which is intended to form a zone of weakness, the quantity of the gaseous elements depending on the type of implanter used and the implantation conditions (dose and energy);
desorption of water molecules (H2O) present at the bonding interface between the thermal oxide and the TEOS oxide; or
the TEOS oxide, if densification thereof has not been sufficient, due to diffusion of carbon-containing compounds.
Further, it is noted that the thinner the active layer, the greater the number of defects. When the active layer is relatively thick, blister or void type defects are generally retained in the thickness of the active layer, so fewer defects appear on the surface.
An illustrative example of the problems with such defects is shown in FIG. 3. This figure is a graph plotting the concentration C in H+ ions/cm2 (hydrogen ions/square centimeter) in a composite substrate as a function of the depth in nanometer (nm), which results were obtained by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The composite substrate is the result of bonding of a support substrate (Si) which has undergone thermal oxidation and a Ge donor substrate on which a layer of SiO2 has been deposited. The bonding interface is thus made between two oxides, one belonging to the support substrate and the other belonging to the donor substrate. In FIG. 3, the bonding interface between the two layers of SiO2 is located at −200 nm. The support substrate is not shown in FIG. 3; only its connection interface with the SiO2 layer is shown and that interface is located at −400 nm.
Solid curve "a" shows the results obtained before a SMART-CUT® atomic species implantation to form the zone of weakness within the layer of germanium. The hydrogen ions are principally found at the bonding interface between the first layer of SiO2 and the germanium layer.
Bold curve "c" shows the results obtained following implantation to provide a zone of weakness and prior to bonding with the second layer of SiO2. It should be noted that the vertical line at −200 nm is an artifact. The values only begin close −200 nm as this corresponds to implantation carried out before bonding the second layer of SiO2. In the particular case of germanium, detachment does not occur at the maximum implantation level but a little later (at about 550 nm), which explains the shape of curve "b."
Curve "b" in dotted lines shows the results obtained after bonding the two SiO2 layers and after detachment and transfer of the active germanium layer. The hydrogen species distribution shows an accumulation at the SiO2/Ge and SiO2/support substrate connection interfaces. A very small peak at the SiO2 layer appears at −200 nm: it corresponds to the bonding interface of the two layers of SiO2.
A substantial increase in the quantity of gas in the insulating layer (SiO2) can be seen after the step of detachment and transfer of the active germanium layer. This increase is the source of defects visible after transfer on the upper face of the transferred germanium layer.
United States Publication No. US 2002/0190269 describes a method of fabricating a heterostructure comprising a layer of germanium on silicon, the method being intended to reduce formation of bubbles at the bonding interface. The heterostructure is obtained by implanting hydrogen into a germanium donor substrate to form a zone of weakness therein, then bonding to a silicon receiver substrate, and finally heat-treating to detach the back portion of the germanium substrate. In a particular implementation, the author suggests disposing a layer termed an "anti-bubble" layer of amorphous silicon on the germanium substrate prior to bonding, to render the bonding interface hydrophilic and thereby reduce the formation of bubbles of hydrogen when the germanium substrate is bonded to the silicon substrate. In a further variation, it is suggested that the roughness of the transferred layer of germanium be improved by depositing thereon a buffer layer of germanium formed by epitaxial growth. These two suggestions are aimed at improving the quality of the bonding interface between the two substrates, but they necessitate adding a supplemental layer, which complicates the method.
Therefore, an improved method which achieves better bonding surface quality is desired.

Semiconductor-on-insulator type heterostructure and method of fabrication

S.O.I.Tec Silicon on Insulator Technologies