Disclosed herein is a prismatic battery having an electrode assembly mounted in a prismatic battery case, wherein an electrolyte injection hole formed in a base plate mounted to an open upper end of the battery case is constructed such that an inside upper end of the electrolyte injection hole is formed in a downward taper (incline) structure, and a metal ball is forcibly inserted into the electrolyte injection hole such that the metal ball is plastically deformed to seal the electrolyte injection hole. The prismatic battery according to the present invention provides high coupling force between the metal ball and the electrolyte injection hole due to the plastic deformation and forced insertion of the metal ball and high sealability of the electrolyte injection hole. Also, the formation of a groove at the upper end of the forcibly inserted metal ball and the generation of cracks at the interface between the metal ball and the inside surface of the electrolyte injection hole are effectively prevented. Consequently, the present invention has the effect of accomplishing high electrolyte sealability.

As mobile devices have been increasingly developed, and the demand of such mobile devices has increased, the demand of secondary batteries has been also sharply increased as an energy source for the mobile devices. Based on their external and internal structures, the secondary batteries are generally classified into a cylindrical battery, a prismatic battery, and a pouch-shaped battery. As the mobile devices have been miniaturized, the prismatic battery and the pouch-shaped battery, which have a small width to length ratio, have attracted considerable attention recently.
The prismatic secondary battery is manufactured by placing an electrode assembly including cathodes, anodes, and separators in a prismatic battery case, mounting a base plate to the upper end of the battery case, for example, by welding, injecting electrolyte into the battery case through an electrolyte injection hole formed in the base plate, sealing the electrolyte injection hole with a metal ball, mounting a safety element and a protection circuit to the base plate, and sealing the battery case with a housing (an external case).
FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a base plate mounted to the upper end of a battery case of a conventional prismatic secondary battery with a vertical sectional view taken along line A-A.
Referring to FIG. 1, the base plate 100 is provided at the middle thereof with an electrode terminal 101, which is connected to an electrode tap (for example, an anode tap) of an electrode assembly. The base plate 100 is provided at one side thereof with an electrolyte injection hole 102 for allowing electrolyte to be injected therethrough. Between the electrode terminal 101 and the base plate 100 is disposed an insulating member 103 for electrically isolating the electrode terminal 101 from the base plate 200, which is connected to the other electrode tap (for example, a cathode tap) of the electrode assembly so as to serve as an electrode terminal.
The electrolyte injection hole 102, through which the electrolyte is injected, is formed generally into a vertical sectional shape of a rectangle, as shown in FIG. 2. The electrolyte injection hole 102 is sealed with a metal ball 104, for example, an aluminum ball, having a diameter slightly greater than that of the electrolyte injection hole 102. Specifically, the metal ball 104 is located on the electrolyte injection hole 102, and then the metal ball 104 is pressed from above such that the metal ball 104 is plastically deformed to seal the electrolyte injection hole 102. Subsequently, a thin metal plate is securely fixed to the base plate 100 by laser welding, whereby the electrolyte injection hole 102 is completely sealed.
When the metal ball is plastically deformed and is inserted into the electrolyte injection hole, which is formed in the vertical sectional shape of a rectangle, however, the lower circumferential part of the metal ball is pushed outward by the inside upper end of the electrolyte injection hole. As a result, a groove is formed on the metal ball. The formed groove badly affects the sealing of the electrolyte injection hole by laser welding. Furthermore, inside cracks are continuously generated along the interface between the metal ball and the inside surface of the electrolyte injection hole due to formation of the groove, and therefore, the sealability of the electrolyte injection hole is lowered.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-0023253 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-358948 disclose a method of forming the inside upper end of the electrolyte injection hole in a taper structure and inserting a sealing member having a shape corresponding to the electrolyte injection hole, instead of the metal ball, into the electrolyte injection hole so as to seal the electrolyte injection hole. This sealing structure has an effect of preventing the generation of the above-mentioned groove. However, as compared with the case that the sealing member (for example, the metal ball) is plastically deformed to seal the electrolyte injection hole, this sealing structure has problems in that the coupling force between the electrolyte injection hole and the sealing member is small, and therefore, the sealability of the electrolyte injection hole is low. For this reason, additional operations must be further carried out so as to complement the small coupling force, which is troublesome.
Consequently, the necessity of a technology to fundamentally solve the above-mentioned problems is highly increased.

Prismatic battery having electrolyte injection-hole capable of excellent sealing-disposition


Embodiments of the invention provide a pulsed-output constant voltage LED driver comprising a PDM stage configured to provide power to an LED load by supplying energy at either a first or second predetermined voltage during each of a plurality of segments of a predetermined time period, wherein the number of segments during which the first voltage is supplied is correlated with the power provided to the LED, and wherein the positions within the time period of the segments during which the first voltage is applied are random. Embodiments of the invention provide a method of supplying power to an LED load using a pulsed-output constant voltage LED driver, the method comprising: varying a number of pulses provided by the pulsed-output constant voltage LED driver over a fixed period of time such that the number of pulses determines the power level provided to the LED load, wherein varying the number of pulses allows for modulation in a light output of the LED load, and wherein the temporal position of the pulses in the fixed period of time is random.

A conventional method that is used for dimming light-emitting diodes (LEDs) powered by a constant voltage LED driver involves varying the amplitude of the LED driver output voltage. A shortcoming of this method is that changing the output voltage of the LED driver when dimming changes the level of current flowing through the LED, and thus changes its correlated color temperature (CCT) level. Furthermore, this method of varying the amplitude of the driver output voltage does not provide for a consistent dimming range as it will be determined entirely by the characteristics of the constant-voltage LED load.
Additionally, at or near the low end of the dimming range, the load, which can include a plurality of LEDs, can end up with some of its LEDs brighter than the others. This occurs because the LED driver output voltage has fallen below the working forward voltage of the load. This forward voltage is divided between the plurality of LEDs that make up the load. As a result the forward voltage applied across each LED can result in a visually detectable lumen variation between the LEDs in the load, up to the point of some LEDs failing to be illuminated at all.
Embodiments of the invention described herein provide methods and apparatuses for dimming LEDs powered by a pulsed-output constant voltage LED driver that addresses the problems described above. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.
Numerous methods for programming the un-dimmed output voltage of power supplies and LED drivers have been developed and described in patents and literature. However, most inventions use either a removeable cartridge for altering a parameter in the control loop of the power supply in question or use a serial programming method, whether wireless or connected, to program the output voltage. Further, these methods control a fixed, constant DC output voltage level.
For these methods it typically requires additional system components in the form of a programming station or device and must be re-programmed using said programming system. Other embodiments become limited to only programming the output voltage since they are modifying the control loop. Altering parameters in the control loop can also contribute to control loop instability.
Embodiments of the invention described herein provide methods and apparatus for programming the voltage amplitude of the output pulses of a pulsed-output constant voltage LED driver, as well as other parameters that address the shortcomings described above.

Methods and apparatuses for controlling a pulsed-output constant voltage LED driver


A blood cell analyzer comprising: a detector for detecting predetermined component of leukocytes contained in a specimen; and a controller, including a memory under the control of a processor, the memory storing: correlation information relating to the correlation between leukocyte distribution data and either stab neutrophil or segmented leukocyte classification data; and instructions enabling the processor to carry out operations, comprising: (a) obtaining leukocyte distribution data of a subject based on the detection results of the detector; (b) obtaining the stab neutrophil or segmented leukocyte classification data based on the correlation information and the leukocyte distribution data of the subject; and (c) outputting the obtained stab neutrophil or segmented leukocyte classification data. A blood cell analyzing method and a computer program product is also disclosed.

Normal peripheral blood usually contains five types of leukocytes, that is, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils, and basophils, in predetermined ratios. Whether the ratios of these components present in the blood are normal can be determined by counting and classifying the leukocytes in the blood.
When disease is present, various phenomena arise such as the classification ratios of the leukocytes change and abnormal cells appear. For example, when an inflammatory response occurs in vivo due to bacterial infection or the like, there is an increase in the ratio of immature leukocytes and there are also increases of stab neutrophils with unlobed nuclei and segmented cells with few segmented nuclei. Effective information for determining whether disease is present can therefore be obtained by classifying and counting leukocytes.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-91024 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,842,233 disclose methods for classifying and counting normal leukocytes and classifying and counting immature leukocytes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,987 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,963 disclose particle analyzers for extracting the complexity of the particle signals of a leukocyte and determining the number of lobes of a nucleus. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-274041 discloses a method for measuring CRP concentration in blood without centrifuging the collected blood. United States Patent Publication No. 2007/0133855 discloses a pattern-matching apparatus capable of searching similarities in leukocyte particle patterns.
The methods disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-91024 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,842,233, however, require a device for classifying and counting normal leukocytes and a separate device for classifying and counting immature leukocytes. The analyzers disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,050,987 and 5,047,963 require complex signal processing, both blood analyzers have complicated structures that are difficult to make more compact and light weight, and are difficult to make less expensive. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-274041 also requires a device for counting normal leukocytes, and measuring CRP by a special immunological measuring method that requires reagents and devices. Of course, CRP measurement and leukocyte measurement can be performed by commercial apparatuses, but the aspect of requiring immunological reagents for the CRP measurement remains unchanged.

Blood cell analyzer, blood cell analyzing method, and computer program product


A method includes forming a passivation layer over a metal pad, which is overlying a semiconductor substrate. A first opening is formed in the passivation layer, with a portion of the metal pad exposed through the first opening. A seed layer is formed over the passivation layer and to electrically coupled to the metal pad. The seed layer further includes a portion over the passivation layer. A first mask is formed over the seed layer, wherein the first mask has a second opening directly over at least a portion of the metal pad. A PPI is formed over the seed layer and in the second opening. A second mask is formed over the first mask, with a third opening formed in the second mask. A portion of a metal bump is formed in the third opening. After the step of forming the portion of the metal bump, the first and the second masks are removed.

In the formation of wafer-level chip scale package structures, integrated circuit devices such as transistors are first formed at the surface of a semiconductor substrate in a wafer. Interconnect structures are then formed over the integrated circuit devices. A metal pad is formed over, and is electrically coupled to, the interconnect structures. A passivation layer and a first polyimide layer are formed on the metal pad, with the metal pad exposed through the openings in the passivation layer and the first polyimide.
A seed layer is then formed on the first polyimide, followed by the formation of post-passivation interconnect (PPI) lines and pads. The PPI lines and pads may be formed by forming and patterning a first photo resist on the seed layer, plating the PPI lines and pads in the openings in the first photo resist, and then removing the first photo resist. The portions of the seed layer that were previously covered by the first photo resist are removed. Next, a second polyimide layer is formed over the post-passivation interconnect lines and pads, and an under bump metallurgy (UBM) is formed extending into an opening in the second polyimide layer, wherein the UBM is electrically connected to the PPI interconnect lines and pads. The formation of the UBM also involves forming a UBM seed layer, forming and patterning a second photo resist, forming the UBM on the UBM seed layer, removing the second photo resist, and removing the portions of the UBM seed layer that were previously covered by the second photo resist.
In the above-discussed process steps, two photo resists are formed and removed, and two seed layers are formed and partially removed. The manufacturing cost is thus high.

Forming wafer-level chip scale package structures with reduced number of seed layers

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


The epsilon polymorph of vanadyl phosphate, ε-VOPO4, made from the solvothermally synthesized H2VOPO4, is a high density cathode material for lithium-ion batteries optimized to reversibly intercalate two Li-ions to reach the full theoretical capacity at least 50 cycles with a coulombic efficiency of 98%. This material adopts a stable 3D tunnel structure and can extract two Li-ions per vanadium ion, giving a theoretical capacity of 305 mAh/g, with an upper charge/discharge plateau at around 4.0 V, and one lower at around 2.5 V.

Energy conversion and storage have become more and more important in transportation, commercial, industrial, residential, and consumer applications. In particular, large-scale implementation of renewable energy, increasing ubiquity of portable electronics, and the next generation of electric vehicles require inexpensive and efficient energy storage systems.
A lithium secondary battery includes a cathode, an anode, and a separator. The separator may be a solid electrolyte, or an additional element with a liquid electrolyte. During discharging of the lithium secondary battery, oxidation reaction occurs in the anode due to deintercalation of lithium ions, while reduction reaction occurs in the cathode due to intercalation of lithium ions. The vice versa processes take place during the battery charging. The electrolyte has selective conductivity only ions, and thus transfers lithium ions between the cathode and the anode. Lithium ions intercalated into an electrode of a battery lead to charge neutrality with electrons entered into the electrode, and thus serve as media storing electric energy in the electrode. Accordingly, the quantity of electric energy storable by the battery is dependent upon the quantity of lithium ions intercalated into the electrode. Although basic performance of the lithium secondary battery, such as operating voltage and energy density, is dependent upon the materials of the cathode and anode, the electrolyte also needs to have high-ion conductivity, electrochemical stability and thermal stability to ensure high performance of the lithium secondary battery.
A typical lithium ion battery electrolyte consists of a lithium salt and a solvent. Because of the high operating voltage, the solvent is typically anhydrous, with organic solvents now common, e.g., glyme. Phosphazenes and phosphoranimines have been proposed as an alternate non-flammable electrolyte. Other nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, silicon, compounds are also known as electrolyte additives or electrolytes. The electrolyte needs to be electrochemically stable in a voltage range where reduction and oxidation proceed in the anode and cathode, respectively.
As the use of lithium secondary batteries is expanding to electric vehicles and power storage fields, electrode active materials for use at high voltages emerged and became available. Use of a relatively low-potential anode active material and a relatively high-potential cathode active material has led to a narrower potential window of the electrolyte, so that the electrolyte is more likely to decompose on a surface of the cathode/anode. Lithium secondary batteries for electric vehicles and power storage are likely to be exposed to external high-temperature environment conditions, and the temperatures of these lithium secondary batteries may rise during instantaneous charging and discharging. Accordingly, lifetime and stored energy quantity of the lithium secondary battery may be reduced in such high-temperature environment conditions.
Typical lithium secondary battery technologies are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,819,054, expressly incorporated herein by reference it its entirety.
The non-aqueous solvent, which is in the electrolyte of a lithium secondary battery according to the above-described embodiments, may serve as a migration medium of ions involved in electrochemical reactions of the battery. Any suitable non-aqueous solvent that is commonly used in the art may be used. For example, the non-aqueous solvent may be an organic carbonate compound, an ester compound, an ether compound, a ketone compound, an alcohol compound, an aprotic bipolar solvent, or a combination thereof. The carbonate compound may be an open chain carbonate compound, a cyclic carbonate compound, a fluoro carbonate derivative thereof, or a combination thereof.
The electrolyte useful for the battery is one which does not chemically react with the anode or with the cathode during storage, and permits the migration of ions to intercalate the cathode-active material and vice-versa (during the discharge and charging cycles, respectively). The electrolyte may be present in a pure state (in the form of a solid, fused solid or liquid) or it may be conveniently dissolved in a suitable solvent. As a general rule, the electrolyte material should consist of a compound of the same species as that which is selected for the anode-active material. Thus, useful electrolytes may be conveniently represented by the general formula LY wherein L is a cationic moiety selected from the same materials useful as the anode-active material and Y is an anionic moiety or moieties such as halides, sulfates, nitrates, beta-aluminas, phosphofluorides, perchlorates and rubidium halide. The electrolyte may be present in a pure state in the form of a solid, fused solid (i.e. molten salt) or liquid or it may be conveniently dissolved in a suitable solvent which does not generally hydrolyze or degrade under conditions within the battery. Such electrolytes include ketones, esters, ethers, organic carbonates (such as propylene carbonate), organic lactones, organic nitriles, nitrohydrocarbons, organic sulfoxides, etc. and mixtures thereof. Where the solvent is utilized, the electrolyte salt may be present in a concentration determined by the desired solution conductivity, solubility and chemical reactivity. The electrolyte may include additives to reduce flammability, such as phosphazenes, e.g., cyclic phosphazenes.
Non-limiting examples of the chain carbonate compound are diethyl carbonate ("DEC"), dimethyl carbonate, ("DMC"), dipropyl carbonate ("DPC"), methylpropyl carbonate ("MPC"), ethylpropylcarbonate ("EPC"), methylethyl carbonate ("MEC"), and a combination thereof. Non-limiting examples of the cyclic carbonate compound are ethylene carbonate ("EC"), propylenecarbonate ("PC"), butylene carbonate ("BC"), fluoroethylene carbonate ("FEC"), vinylethylene carbonate ("VEC"), and a combination thereof. Non-limiting examples of the fluorocarbonate compound are fluoroethylene carbonate ("FEC"), 4,5-difluoroethylene carbonate, 4,4-difluoroethylene carbonate, 4,4,5-trifluoroethylene carbonate, 4,4,5,5-tetrafluoroethylene carbonate, 4-fluoro-5-methylethylene carbonate, 4-fluoro-4-methylethylene carbonate, 4,5-difluoro-4-methylethylene carbonate, 4,4,5-trifluoro-5-methylethylene carbonate, trifluoromethylethylene carbonate, and a combination thereof. The carbonate compound may include a combination of cyclic carbonate and chain carbonate, in consideration of dielectric constant and viscosity of the electrolyte. For example, an amount of a cyclic carbonate compound may be at least 10% by volume based on a total volume of the non-aqueous organic solvent. The carbonate compound may be a mixture of such chain carbonate and/or cyclic carbonate compounds as described above with a fluorocarbonate compound. The fluorocarbonate compound may increase solubility of a lithium salt to improve ionic conductivity of the electrolyte, and may facilitate formation of the thin film on the anode. In some embodiments, the fluorocarbonate compound may be fluoroethylene carbonate ("FEC"). An amount of the fluorocarbonate compound may be from about 1 to about 30 percent by volume ("volume %") based on a total volume of the non-aqueous organic solvent. When the amount of the fluorocarbonate compound is within this range, the electrolyte may have an appropriate viscosity to provide desired effects thereof.
Non-limiting examples of the ester compound are methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propyl acetate, dimethyl acetate, methyl propionate ("MP"), ethyl propionate, γ-butyrolactone, decanolide, valerolactone, mevalonolactone, caprolactone, and methyl formate. Non-limiting examples of the ether compound are dibutyl ether, tetraglyme, diglyme, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, 1,2-diethoxyethane, ethoxymethoxyethane, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, and tetrahydrofuran. An example of the ketone compound is cyclohexanone. Non-limiting examples of the alcohol compound are ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol.
Examples of the aprotic solvent are nitriles (such as R—CN, wherein R is a C2-C20 linear, branched, or cyclic hydrocarbon-based moiety that may include a double-bond, an aromatic ring or an ether bond), amides (such as formamide and dimethylformamide), dioxolanes (such as 1,2-dioxolane and 1,3-dioxolane), methylsulfoxide, sulfolanes (such as sulfolane and methylsulfolane), 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, nitromethane, trimethyl phosphate, triethyl phosphate, trioctyl phosphate, and triester phosphate.
The non-aqueous organic solvent may be used alone or in a combination of at least two solvents. In the latter case, a mixing ratio of the at least two non-aqueous organic solvents may be appropriately adjusted depending on a desired performance of the battery.
The non-aqueous organic solvent may further include an aromatic hydrocarbon organic solvent in the carbonate solvent. The carbonate solvent and the aromatic hydrocarbon organic solvent may be mixed, for example, in a volume ratio of about 1:1 to about 30:1. Examples of the aromatic hydrocarbon organic solvent are benzene, fluorobenzene, 1,2-difluorobenzene, 1,3-difluorobenzene, 1,4-difluorobenzene, 1,2,3-trifluorobenzene, 1,2,4-trifluorobenzene, chlorobenzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, 1,3-dichlorobenzene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, iodobenzene, 1,2-diiodobenzene, 1,3-diiodobenzene, 1,4-diiodobenzene, 1,2,3-triiodobenzene, 1,2,4-triiodobenzene, 2-fluorotoluene, 3-fluorotoluene, 4-fluorotoluene, 2,3-difluorotoluene, 2,4-difluorotoluene, 2,5-difluorotoluene, 2,6-difluorotoluene, 3,4-difluorotoluene, 3,5-difluorotoluene, 2,3,4-trifluorotoluene, 2,3,5-trifluorotoluene, 2,3,6-trifluorotoluene, 3,4,5-trifluorotoluene, 2,4,5-trifluorotoluene, 2,4,6-trifluorotoluene, 2-chlorotoluene, 3-chlorotoluene, 4-chlorotoluene, 2,3-dichlorotoluene, 2,4-dichlorotoluene, 2,5-dichlorotoluene, 2,6-dichlorotoluene, 2,3,4-trichlorotoluene, 2,3,5-trichlorotoluene, 2,3,6-trichlorotoluene, 3,4,5-trichlorotoluene, 2,4,5-trichlorotoluene, 2,4,6-trichlorotoluene, 2-iodotoluene, 3-iodotoluene, 4-iodotoluene, 2,3-diiodotoluene, 2,4-diiodotoluene, 2,5-diiodotoluene, 2,6-diiodotoluene, 3,4-diiodotoluene, 3,5-diiodotoluene, 2,3,4-triiodotoluene, 2,3,5-triiodotoluene, 2,3,6-triiodotoluene, 3,4,5-triiodotoluene, 2,4,5-triiodotoluene, 2,4,6-triiodotoluene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, and combinations thereof.
Suitable electrolyte salts include, for example, LiPF6, LiBF4, LiClO4, LiTFSI. Suitable solvents may be any solvent which is stable within the electrochemical window of the cell and is inert to other components of the cell. Examples of suitable solvents include carbonate solvents such as ethylene carbonate, diethyl carbonate, and propylene carbonate, organic ethers such as dioxolane, dimethyl ether and tetrahydrofuran and organic nitriles such as acetonitrile. Additionally, the electrolyte may be a nonaqueous polymer electrolyte such as a gel polymer electrolyte, a solid ceramic electrolyte. In one embodiment, the electrolyte may include additives such as fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) in order to, for example, improve cycling.
The lithium salt may be any suitable lithium salt that is commonly used for lithium batteries. Examples of the lithium salt for the non-aqueous electrolyte are LiPF6, LiBF4, LiSbF6, LiAsF6, LiSbF6, LiCF3SO3, Li(CF3SO2)3C, Li(CF3SO2)2N, LiC4F9SO3, LiClO4, LiAlO4, LiAlCl4, LiAlF4, LiBPh4, LiBioCl10, CH3SO3Li, C4F3SO3Li, (CF3SO2)2NLi, LiN(CxF2x+1SO2)(CxF2y+1SO2) (wherein x and y are natural numbers), CF3CO2Li, LiCl, LiBr, LiI, LIB OB (lithium bisoxalato borate), lower aliphatic carboxylic acid lithium, lithium terphenylborate, lithium imide, and a combination thereof. These lithium salts may be used as a supporting electrolytic salt.
A concentration of the lithium salt may be within a range known to one of ordinary skill in the art. The concentration of the lithium salt is not specifically limited, and in some embodiments, may be in a range of about 0.1 molar ("M") to about 2.0 M in the electrolyte to improve practical performance of a lithium battery. When the concentration of the lithium salt is within this range, the electrolyte may have appropriate conductivity and appropriate viscosity for improved performance, and may improve mobility of lithium ions.
In some embodiments, the electrolyte for a lithium battery may further include an additive to facilitate the formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase ("SEI") or a thin film on a surface of an electrode to provide improved cycle characteristics.
Non-limiting examples of the additive are tris(trimethylsilyl)phosphate ("TMSPa"), lithium difluoro oxalate borate ("LiFOB"), vinylene carbonate ("VC"), propane sulfone ("PS"), succinonitrile ("SN"), LiBF.sub.4, a silane compound having a functional group able to form a siloxane bond (for example, acryl, amino, epoxy, methoxy, ethoxy, or vinyl), and a silazane compound such as hexamethyldisilazane. These additives may be used alone or in a combination of at least two thereof.
An amount of the additive may be from about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % based on a total weight of the non-aqueous organic solvent. For example, the amount of the additive may be from 0.05 wt % to about 10 wt %, in some embodiments, from about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt %, and in some other embodiments, from about 0.5 wt % to about 4 wt %, based on the total weight of the non-aqueous organic solvent. However, the amount of the additive is not particularly limited unless the additive significantly hinders improvement in capacity retention rate of a lithium battery including the electrolyte. The lithium battery may be manufactured using a method known in the art.
According to the above-embodiments of the present disclosure, the lithium secondary battery may have a thin film formed on the surface of the cathode due to oxidation of at least a part of the additive in the electrolyte during initial charging of the lithium secondary battery. Thus, the lithium secondary battery may have improved capacity retention characteristics, lifetime characteristics and high-rate characteristics even when charged at a high operating voltage of about 4.0 V to about 5.5 V, for example, a voltage about 4.3 V to about 5.5 V. An additive in the electrolyte may enhance formation of a thin film on a surface of the cathode, the thin film having a thickness of, for example, about 0.05 nanometers ("nm") to about 100 nm. For example, the thin film may have a thickness of about 0.1 nm to about 80 nm, and in some embodiments, about 0.5 nm to about 50 nm. The thin film on the cathode surface may effectively prevent oxidation of the electrolyte on the cathode surface so that the conduction of lithium ions is not impeded.
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a lithium secondary battery 100 according to an embodiment. Although the lithium secondary battery 100 illustrated in FIG. 10 is cylindrical, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and lithium secondary batteries according to embodiments may be of a rectangular type or a pouch type. Lithium secondary batteries may be classified as lithium ion batteries, lithium ion polymer batteries, or lithium polymer batteries, according to the type of separator and/or electrolyte included therein. In addition, lithium batteries may be classified as cylindrical type, rectangular type, coin type, or pouch type, according to the shape thereof. Lithium batteries may also be classified as either bulk type or thin film type, according to the size thereof. Lithium secondary batteries according to embodiments may have any appropriate shape. The structure of a lithium secondary battery and a method of manufacturing the same are known in the art, so a detailed description thereof will not be recited here. Referring to FIG. 10, the lithium secondary battery 100, which is cylindrical, includes an anode 112, a cathode 114, a separator 113 disposed between the anode 112 and the cathode 114, and an electrolyte (not shown) impregnated into the anode 112, the cathode 114 and the separator 113, a battery case 120, and a sealing member 140 sealing the battery case 120. The lithium secondary battery 100 is manufactured by sequentially stacking the anode 112, the cathode 114, and the separator 113 upon one another to form a stack, rolling the stack in a spiral form, and accommodating the rolled up stack in the battery case 120. The cathode 114 includes a cathode current collector, and a cathode active material layer disposed on the cathode current collector. The cathode current collector may have a thickness of about 3 μm to about 500 μm. The cathode current collector is not particularly limited, and may be formed of any material so long as it has a suitable conductivity without causing chemical changes in the fabricated battery. Examples of the cathode current collector include copper, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, sintered carbon, copper or stainless steel that is surface-treated with carbon, nickel, titanium or silver, and aluminum-cadmium alloys. In addition, the cathode current collector may be processed to have fine irregularities on surfaces thereof so as to enhance adhesive strength of the cathode current collector to the cathode active material, and may be used in any of various forms including films, sheets, foils, nets, porous structures, foams, and non-woven fabrics.
Known cathode active material layers include a cathode active material, a binder, and a conducting agent.
Known cathode active materials include lithium-containing metal oxides, e.g., at least one of a composite oxide of lithium with a metal selected from Co, Mn, Ni, and a combination thereof.
During initial cycling, a solid electrolyte interphase layer (SEI layer) forms in an electrolyte battery, representing insoluble breakdown products of the electrolyte in combination with other battery components, such as electrode material. The SEI layer serves to protect the electrolyte from further free radical reactions during overvoltage periods, e.g., during charging.
The compounds listed above as cathode active materials may have a surface coating layer (hereinafter, "coating layer"). Alternatively, a mixture of a compound without a coating layer and a compound having a coating layer, the compounds being selected from the compounds listed above, may be used. The coating layer may include at least one compound of a coating element selected from oxide, hydroxide, oxyhydroxide, oxycarbonate, and hydroxycarbonate of the coating element. The compounds for the coating layer may be amorphous or crystalline. The coating element for the coating layer may be magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), cobalt (Co), potassium (K), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), silicon (Si), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), tin (Sn), germanium (Ge), gallium (Ga), boron (B), arsenic (As), zirconium (Zr), or mixtures thereof. The coating layer may be formed using any method that does not adversely affect the physical properties of the cathode active material when a compound of the coating element is used. For example, the coating layer may be formed using a spray coating method, a dipping method, or any other method known to one of ordinary skill in the art.
The binder strongly binds positive cathode active material particles together and to a current collector. Examples of the binder are, but not limited to, polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, diacetyl cellulose, polyvinyl chloride, carboxylated polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl fluoride, a polymer including ethylene oxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyurethane, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene, polypropylene, styrene-butadiene rubber ("SBR"), acrylated SBR, epoxy resin, and nylon.
Known electrodes include a conducting agent used to provide conductivity to electrodes. Any electron conducting material that does not induce chemical change in batteries may be used. Examples of the conducting agent include natural graphite, artificial graphite, carbon black, acetylene black, ketjen black, carbon fibers, and metallic materials, including copper, nickel, aluminum, and silver, in powder or fiber form. The conducting agent may include a single conductive material, such as a polyphenylene derivative, or a combination of at least two conductive materials.
The amounts of the cathode active material, the binder, and the conducting agent may be equivalent to those commonly used in lithium batteries. For example, a weight ratio of the cathode active material to a mixture of the conducting agent and the binder may be from about 98:2 to about 92:8, and in some embodiments from about 95:5 to about 90:10. A mixing ratio of the conducting agent to the binder may be, but not limited, from about 1:1.5 to about 1:3. The known cathode active materials may have, for example, an operating voltage range of about 4.0 V to ≥5.5 V.
An exemplary lithium secondary battery 100, shown in FIG. 10, is cylindrical, and includes an anode 112, a cathode 114, a separator 113 disposed between the anode 112 and the cathode 114, and an electrolyte (not shown) impregnated into the anode 112, the cathode 114 and the separator 113, a battery case 120, and a sealing member 140 sealing the battery case 120. The lithium secondary battery 100 is manufactured by sequentially stacking the anode 112, the cathode 114, and the separator 113 upon one another to form a stack, rolling the stack in a spiral form, and accommodating the rolled up stack in the battery case 120.
The cathode 114 includes a cathode current collector, and a cathode active material layer disposed on the cathode current collector. The cathode current collector may have a thickness of about 3 μm to about 500 μm. The cathode current collector is not particularly limited, and may be formed of any material so long as it has a suitable conductivity without causing chemical changes in the fabricated battery. Examples of the cathode current collector include copper, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, sintered carbon, copper or stainless steel that is surface-treated with carbon, nickel, titanium or silver, and aluminum-cadmium alloys. In addition, the cathode current collector may be processed to have fine irregularities on surfaces thereof so as to enhance adhesive strength of the cathode current collector to the cathode active material, and may be used in any of various forms including films, sheets, foils, nets, porous structures, foams, and non-woven fabrics. The cathode active material layer includes a cathode active material, a binder, and a conducting agent.
The anode active layer includes an anode active material, a binder, and optionally a conducting agent. The anode active material is not particularly limited, and may be selected from any anode active materials used in the art. Non-limiting examples of the anode active material are lithium metal, a lithium metal alloy, a transition metal oxide, a doped or undoped lithium material, and a material that allows reversible intercalation and deintercalation of lithium ions, which may be used as a mixture or in combination of at least two thereof. The lithium metal alloy may be an alloy of lithium with a metal selected from sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), francium (Fr), beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), silicon (Si), antimony (Sb), lead (Pb), indium (In), zinc (Zn), barium (Ba), radium (Ra), germanium (Ge), aluminum (Al), and tin (Sn). Non-limiting examples of the transition metal oxide are tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, titanium oxide, lithium titanium oxide, vanadium oxide, and lithium vanadium oxide. Examples of the material that allows doping or undoping of lithium therein are Si, Sn, Al, Ge, Pb, Bi, Sb, and a Si—Y alloy (where Y is an alkali metal, a alkali earth metal, a Group 11 element, a Group 12 element, a Group 13 element, a Group 14 element, a Group 15 element, a Group 16 element, a transition metal, a rare earth element, and a combination thereof, except for Sn. For example, Y may be magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), radium (Ra), scandium (Sc), yttrium (Y), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), seaborgium (Sg), technetium (Tc), rhenium (Re), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), ruthenium (Ru), osmium (Os), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Jr), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), boron (B), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), tin (Sn), indium (In), titanium (Ti), germanium (Ge), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), sulfur (S), selenium (Se), tellurium (Te), or combinations thereof.
The material that allows reversible intercalation and deintercalation of lithium ions may be any carbonaceous anode active material that is commonly used in a lithium battery. Examples of such carbonaceous materials are crystalline carbon, amorphous carbon, or mixtures thereof. Non-limiting examples of the crystalline carbon are natural graphite, artificial graphite, expanded graphite, graphene, fullerene soot, carbon nanotubes, and carbon fiber. Non-limiting examples of the amorphous carbon are soft carbon (carbon sintered at low temperatures), hard carbon, meso-phase pitch carbides, and sintered corks. The carbonaceous anode active material may be in, for example, spherical, planar, fibrous, tubular, or powder form.
The binder strongly binds anode active material particles together and to the anode current collector. Non-limiting examples of the binder are polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, diacetyl cellulose, polyvinyl chloride, carboxylated polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl fluoride, a polymer including ethylene oxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyurethane, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene, polypropylene, styrene-butadiene rubber ("SBR"), acrylated SBR, epoxy resin, and nylon.
The conducting agent is used to provide conductivity to the anode. Any electron conducting material that does not induce chemical change in batteries may be used. Examples of the conducting agent are carbonaceous materials, such as natural graphite, artificial graphite, carbon black, acetylene black, ketjen black, carbon fibers, and the like; metal-based materials, such as copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), and the like, in powder or fiber form; and conductive materials, including conductive polymers, such as a polyphenylene derivative, and mixtures thereof.
The amounts of the anode active material, the binder, and the conducting agent may be equivalent to those commonly used in lithium batteries. For example, a weight ratio of the anode active material to a mixture of the conducting agent and the binder may be from about 98:2 to about 92:8. A mixing ratio of the conducting agent to the binder may be, but not limited to, from about 1:1.5 to about 1:3. The anode 112 and the cathode 114 may be each manufactured by mixing an active material, a conducting agent, and a binder in a solvent to prepare an active material composition, and coating the active material composition on a current collector. Any method of manufacturing such electrodes which is known to one of ordinary skill in the art may be used. Thus, a detailed description thereof will not be provided herein. Non-limiting examples of the solvent are N-methylpyrrolidone ("NMP"), acetone, and water.
A separator may be disposed between the cathode and the anode, according to the type of the lithium secondary battery. The separator helps maintain electrical isolation between the cathode and the anode. The separator may be any separator that is commonly used for lithium batteries. In particular, the separator may have low resistance to migration of ions in an electrolyte and have high electrolyte-retaining ability. Examples of the separator are glass fiber, polyester, Teflon, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride ("PVDF"), polytetrafluoroethylene ("PTFE"), and a combination thereof, each of which may be a nonwoven fabric or a woven fabric. The separator may be a single layer or a multi-layer. Examples of the separator are a polyethylene/polypropylene double-layer separator, polyethylene/polypropylene/polyethylene triple-layer separator, and a polypropylene/polyethylene/polypropylene triple-layer separator. The separator may have a pore diameter of about 0.01 to about 10 μm and a thickness of about 3 to about 100 μm. The electrolyte may be injected between the cathode 114 and the anode 112 with the separator 113 therebetween.
A separator may include fibers, particles, web, porous sheets, or other forms of material configured to reduce the risk of physical contact and/or short circuit between the electrodes. The separator may be a unitary element, or may include a plurality of discrete spacer elements such as particles or fibers. In some examples, the electrolyte layer may include a separator infused with an electrolyte solution. In some examples such as a polymer electrolyte, the separator may be omitted.
See: U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,318,353; 7,901,810; 7,790,319; 7,771,628; 7,759,008; 7,041,239; 6,872,492; 4,355,162; 4,376,709; 4,376,709; 4,459,406; 5,849,434; 6,844,047; 6,872,492; 6,872,492; 6,888,663; 6,958,860; 7,041,239; 7,338,734; 7,383,083; 7,759,008; 7,759,008; 7,771,628; 7,790,319; 7,901,810; 7,939,201; 7,955,733; 7,960,058; 7,964,308; 7,972,728; 7,988,746; 7,998,617; 8,003,250; 8,057,936; 8,067,117; 8,088,512; 8,148,009; 8,148,013; 8,158,090; 8,168,326; 8,206,468; 8,206,469; 8,218,351; 8,241,789; 8,277,975; 8,282,691; 8,318,353; 8,323,831; 8,323,832; 8,361,661; 8,420,258; 8,435,678; 8,445,135; 8,449,980; 8,481,208; 8,492,031; 8,580,430; 8,586,238; 8,617,430; 8,617,745; 8,652,683; 8,658,310; 8,709,647; 8,722,227; 8,722,227; 8,722,242; 8,734,539; 8,785,043; 8,821,763; 8,852,807; 8,932,762; 8,936,871; 8,951,676; 8,951,680; 8,993,171; 8,999,571; 9,065,093; 9,077,032; 9,293,790; 9,299,966; 9,305,716; 9,349,544; 9,362,562; 20020192553; 20020192553; 20020192553; 20040005265; 20040016632; 20040016632; 20040048157; 20040066556; 20040197654; 20040197654; 20040262571; 20040262571; 20050238961; 20050238961; 20050238961; 20060110580; 20060194112; 20060194112; 20060292444; 20070031732; 20070072034; 20070072034; 20070141468; 20070141468; 20070166617; 20070190418; 20070248520; 20070292747; 20070298317; 20080261113; 20080261113; 20090214944; 20090220838; 20090220838; 20090246636; 20090311597; 20100075225; 20100078591; 20100233545; 20100266899; 20100266899; 20100303701; 20110052473; 20110052986; 20110052986; 20110052986; 20110052995; 20110159381; 20110195306; 20110200848; 20110200848; 20110229765; 20110229765; 20110274948; 20120140378; 20120164499; 20120164499; 20120214071; 20120219856; 20120219859; 20120237828; 20120270109; 20120315538; 20130034780; 20130052492; 20130059211; 20130078523; 20130078524; 20130084474; 20130084474; 20130084474; 20130115521; 20130252112; 20130252114; 20130302697; 20130344367; 20130344367; 20140099557; 20140220450; 20140242445; 20140302403; 20140370388; 20150111105; 20150132650; 20150236342; 20150236349; 20150263382; 20150303474; 20150303474; 20150311565; 20150364753; 20160028114; 20160096334; 20160111720; and 20160164152, each of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
See also:    Berrah, Fadila, et al. "The vanadium monophosphates AVOPO4: Synthesis of a second form β-KVOPO4 and structural relationships in the series." Solid state sciences 3.4 (2001): 477-482.    Zima, Vítěrslav, et al. "Ion-exchange properties of alkali-metal redox-intercalated vanadyl phosphate." Journal of Solid State Chemistry 163.1 (2002): 281-285.    Lii, Kwang-Hwa, and Wei-Chuan Liu. "RbVOPO4 and CsVOPO4, Two Vanadyl (IV) Orthophosphates with an Intersecting Tunnel Structure and Discrete VO5 Pyramids." Journal of Solid State Chemistry 103.1 (1993): 38-44.    Yakubovich, O. V., O. V. Karimova, and O. K. Mel'nikov. "The mixed anionic framework in the structure of Na2{MnF [PO4]}." Acta Crystallographica Section C: Crystal Structure Communications 53.4 (1997): 395-397.    Schindler, M., F. C. Hawthorne, and W. H. Baur. "Crystal chemical aspects of vanadium: polyhedral geometries, characteristic bond valences, and polymerization of (VO n) polyhedra." Chemistry of Materials 12.5 (2000): 1248-1259.    Panin, Rodion V., et al. "Crystal Structure, Polymorphism, and Properties of the New Vanadyl Phosphate Na4VO (PO4)2." Chemistry of materials 16.6 (2004): 1048-1055.    Belkhiri, Sabrina, Djillali Mezaoui, and Thierry Roisnel. "The Structure Determination of a New Mixed Mono-Arsenate K2V2O2 (AsO4)2." 3ème Conference Internationale sur le Soudage, le CND et l'Industrie des Materiaux et Alliages (IC-WNDT-MI′12). Centre de Recherche Scientifique et Technique en Soudage et Controle (CSC), 2012.    Glasser, Leslie, and C. Richard A. Catlow. "Modelling phase changes in the potassium titanyl phosphate system." Journal of Materials Chemistry 7.12 (1997): 2537-2542.    Fedotov, Stanislav S., et al. "AVPO4F (A=Li, K): A 4 V Cathode Material for High-Power Rechargeable Batteries." Chemistry of Materials 28.2 (2016): 411-415.    Belkhiri, Sabrina, Djillali Mezaoui, and Thierry Roisnel. "K2V2O2 (AsO4)2." Acta Crystallographica Section E: Structure Reports Online 68.7 (2012): i54-i54.    Yakubovich, O. V., V. V. Kireev, and O. K. Mel'nikov. "Refinement of crystal structure of a Ge-analogue of natisite Na2 {TiGeO4} and prediction of new phases with anionic {MTO5} radicals." Crystallography Reports 45.4 (2000): 578-584.    Boudin, S., et al. "Review on vanadium phosphates with mono and divalent metallic cations: syntheses, structural relationships and classification, properties." International Journal of Inorganic Materials 2.6 (2000): 561-579.

The Research Foundation for The State University of New York


A tool for grasping an electrical power conductor has a plurality of pointed pins mounted on a movable platform to pierce cable sheathing and insulation and contact a conductor of a cable held clamped in place by the tool. The pins are arranged so that at least one pin will contact the conductor to determine whether the conductor is energized.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the maintenance of electrical power distribution cables, and more particularly to a tool for gripping a cable such as a high voltage underground residential or commercial power cable and piercing the cable insulation for determining whether or not a conductor within the cable is energized.
2. Description of Related Art
There are commercially available spiked penetrator clamps that are used to verify that a cable is in a de-energized condition. A screw-threaded spike of the clamp has a conically pointed tip for piercing cable insulation to contact an internal conductor of the cable. Such a clamp can be mounted on the end of an elongated non-conducting stick to reach overhead or underground cables. The elongated non-conducting stick has a hook for fitting within an eye on an outer end of the clamp spike for rotation of the clamp spike. One supplier of such clamps and sticks is A. B. Chance Company of Centralia, Mo.
Known spiked penetrator clamps are not entirely satisfactory because such clamps permit misalignment with respect to a cable, in which case the tip of the advancing spike may pass by the conductor, not making any electrical contact with the conductor and giving a false indication that the cable is deenergized, with potentially hazardous results to workers or property.

Tool for grasping and piercing insulated electrical cable for determining whether conductor of cable is energized


An apparatus for metering a urea or a urea-water solution for delivery to a catalytic converter assembly for removing nitrogen oxides from the exhaust gases of a Diesel engine, includes a housing block supporting function components communicating via a line, formed by recesses in the housing block, for transporting the reducing agent, and the walls of the line are formed by the housing block. This apparatus assures a simple line layout for reducing agent with a minimum number of sealing points that is accordingly appropriate for large-scale mass production.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is based on an apparatus for metering a reducing agent, in particular a urea or a urea-water solution, in the context of catalytic posttreatment of exhaust gases.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To achieve a reduction in NOx components in exhaust gases, reduction catalytic converters have been developed, especially for Diesel engines, and are typically classified as either so-called SCR catalytic converters (for Selective Catalytic Reduction) or reservoir-type catalytic converters. The so-called SCR catalytic converters are regenerated by delivering a reducing agent comprising urea and/or ammonia, while the so-called reservoir-type catalytic converters are regenerated in so-called rich exhaust gas phases with hydrocarbons from the entrained internal combustion engine fuel.
It is known for the various components of a metering system to be made to communicate via hoses. From German Patent Application 199 46 900.8, an apparatus is known which for removing nitrogen oxides from exhaust gases, for instance from a Diesel engine, meters in urea as a reducing agent. Means intended for this purpose are sometimes secured to a plastic or metal block or integrated with such a block. The metering system described is relatively large and complicated to produce, since it comprises a plurality of components located in line with one another.

Device for the dosing of a reducing agent


A computer-readable storage medium storing an image processing program that causes a computer to execute a process includes acquiring the same object identification information included in a plurality of image data items by referring to a storage unit that stores each of the image data items, object identification information that identifies an object included in the image data item, and a location information item that identifies a location of the object in the image data item in association with one another; acquiring the location of the object identified by the acquired object identification information in each of the image data items by referring to the storage unit; computing a difference between the acquired location information items; comparing the difference between the location information items with a predetermined location threshold value; and determining whether the image data items are to be in the same group.

For example, in order to search for a desired information item among collection of multimedia data items, such as images, an annotation technology in which meta data (e.g., an object name) is attached to the image of an object included in each of the multimedia data items has been developed.
For example, T. Malisiewicz and A. A. Efros, "Recognition by association via learning pre-exemplar distances," CVPR, 2008, discusses an annotation technology in which, using the result of recognition of the face images of a plurality of persons included in a still image, a tag indicating the name of a person is attached to each of the face images. The tag attached to each of the images of objects included in an image is determined on the basis of, for example, the similarity between the color or the shape of the object included in the image and the color or the shape prepared for each of the objects that the user wants to recognize.
In addition, Takayuki Baba and Tsuhan Chen (Cornell Univ.), "Object-Driven Image Group Annotation", Proceedings of 2010 IEEE 17th International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP2010), pp. 2641-2644, Sep. 26-29, 2010, discusses a technology in which the scene of a still image is recognized on the basis of, for example, information regarding a combination of objects included in the still image. In this technology, by using information regarding the objects included in a plurality of images pre-classified by the user and referring to information regarding a correspondence between object combination information prepared by a user and meta data indicating the type of a scene, the information regarding a combination of the objects that is the same as the object information is detected. Thereafter, the meta data indicating the type of the scene corresponding to the detected combination information is attached to each of the plurality of images.
Furthermore, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-181515 discusses a technology in which among moving image data items, such as movies, for a moving image data item separated into parts of predetermined time spans by a user, a region including a partial image indicating a person or an object specified by a user is identified. Thereafter, meta data predetermined for the partial image is attached to the region including the partial image.

Computer-readable storage medium storing image processing program, image processing method, and image processing device


The present invention provides fabrication methods using sacrificial materials comprising polymers. In some embodiments, the polymer may be treated to alter its solubility with respect to at least one solvent (e.g., aqueous solution) used in the fabrication process. The preparation of the sacrificial materials is rapid and simple, and dissolution of the sacrificial material can be carried out in mild environments. Sacrificial materials of the present invention may be useful for surface micromachining, bulk micromachining, and other microfabrication processes in which a sacrificial layer is employed for producing a selected and corresponding physical structure.

The sacrificial layers that are currently predominantly used for microfabrication processes such as micromachining are almost exclusively inorganic materials, the most commonly used being silica, i.e., silicon dioxide, SiO2. Aqueous hydrofluoric acid, HF, selectively etches SiO2 in the presence of silicon and silicon nitride, among other materials. This acid also etches phosphosilicate glass, PSG, faster than thermally grown SiO2, and can under-etch PSG over dimensions up to 2000 μm, with only minor damage to silicon or silicon nitride microstructures. HF also etches many other materials, including metal oxides and organic polymers. Although some non-silicon based materials, e.g., titanium and aluminum, can be used as sacrificial layers to be removed by an HF etch, the poor selectivity of this etch beyond oxides limits its usefulness with a wide range of relatively fragile microelectronic materials. Further, the toxicity of HF makes it inconvenient and/or hazardous for inexperienced users, and it poses difficult disposal requirements. HF-free etching solutions for aluminum are available, based on mixtures of acids and oxidants, e.g., concentrated phosphoric and nitric acids, hydrogen peroxide, and acetic acid, but are also incompatible with some fragile materials. Aside from oxide-based sacrificial materials, it has been shown that porous silicon can be employed as a sacrificial material in the fabrication of microsystems. Such can be removed by a final dissolution in an alkaline environment such as KOH.
Organic polymers—poly(imide), PMMA and photoresist—have also been used as sacrificial layers for micromachining. The removal of poly(imide) films by reactive ion etching (RIE) is compatible with most inorganic materials, but RIE has little selectivity in etching most organic materials. Sacrificial layers of photoresist can be removed by dissolution in acetone, or by thermal degradation, but these removal steps are incompatible with many other organic polymers. Photoresists that are used as sacrificial layers are also limited by their thermal sensitivity, that is, the photoresist film becomes insoluble in acetone after extended exposure to high temperatures. Sacrificial layers of photoresist are, therefore generally restricted to systems including only inorganic materials, and to processes having a minimal exposure to high temperatures. Polycarbonate, polystyrene, and polynorbornene have been reported as sacrificial materials for very specific applications, such as the preparation of sealed nanochannels. Poly(dimethylsiloxane), poly(methyl methacrylate) and epoxy-based polymers, removed by etching or thermal decomposition, have been used as sacrificial templates for the fabrication of metallic heat-exchangers.

Adjustable solubility in sacrificial layers for microfabrication

President and Fellows of Harvard College


A detection system includes: a detection portion that has an output function outputting a detection wave toward surroundings of a vehicle, and a detection function detecting an object around the vehicle based on a reflected wave; a determination section that determines that the object is definitely present around the vehicle when a number of times of detection of the object by the detection function exceeds a predetermined number of times; a control section that causes operation of the detection function without operation of the output function when the vehicle travels at a predetermined speed or higher; and an adjustment section that adjusts and increases the predetermined number of times designated for the determination section when the object is detected by the detection function operated by the control section during traveling of the vehicle at the predetermined speed or higher.

It has been progressing to develop a system that detects an obstacle around a vehicle by utilizing an ultrasonic wave or the like. For example, this type of system includes an ultrasonic sensor having a generation (output) function for generating an ultrasonic wave, and a reception (detection) function for receiving an ultrasonic wave, and disposed at multiple positions on a bumper of a vehicle. When the sensor receives an ultrasonic wave generated from the sensor, the sensor recognizes the received ultrasonic wave as a wave reflected on an object around the vehicle. In this case, the sensor calculates a distance to the object based on a time from generation to reception, and notifies a driver about the presence of the object when the calculated distance is a predetermined distance or shorter, for example.
A technology capable of reducing misdetection by an ultrasonic sensor may be important. For example, Patent Literature 1 identified below discloses an ultrasonic sensor that outputs an ultrasonic wave by oscillating an oscillator of the ultrasonic sensor at a frequency different from a resonant frequency of the oscillator, and determines that the ultrasonic sensor is in an abnormal condition when a frequency of a wave reception signal corresponds to the resonant frequency.
The inventors of the present invention have found following current circumstances. It has been pointed out that the foregoing system for detecting an obstacle around a vehicle causes misdetection by regarding a raindrop or the like falling on and adhering to the sensor as reception of a reflected wave in some cases. Raining or like events are possible and frequent phenomena, and therefore this type of misdetection considerably lowers reliability of the obstacle detection system. Accordingly, there has been a strong demand for a system capable of reducing this type of misdetection.


Case comprising a base, a lid and a tongue connecting the lid to the base. The lid is movable between a closed position in which a reservoir arranged in the base is substantially isolated from the outside and an open position in which the lid is folded down under the base.

The invention relates to a case, in particular for cosmetic products.
Numerous cases are already known of the type comprising:
a base having a recessed region forming a reservoir,
a lid,
a tongue having two opposite ends, one being connected to the base and the other being connected to the lid,
first retaining means having a first portion arranged on the base and a second portion arranged on the lid, which portions are to cooperate with one another to keep the lid, relative to the base, in a closed position in which the reservoir is substantially isolated from the outside.
The invention aims more especially to propose a simple and very inexpensive case which enables the cosmetic product to be preserved without deterioration but which is nevertheless particularly practical to use and which can satisfy a very wide-ranging clientele.
To that end, the invention proposes that the device also comprises second retaining means having a first portion arranged on the base and a second portion arranged on the lid, which portions are to cooperate with one another to keep the lid, relative to the base, in an open position permitting free access to the reservoir, the tongue being of a length such that, while remaining connected to the base and to the lid, it enables the lid to be moved between the closed position and the open position.
Thus, there is no need for relatively expensive means for the articulation of the lid relative to the base, such as a friction hinge or another analogous device, in order to keep the lid at a distance from the reservoir. In addition, there is no risk that the lid will be mislaid. Such a case can be used both for conventional personal use and as a display means for a demonstration sample which will be discarded when the quantity of cosmetic product has been exhausted.
Advantageously, the case has the following supplementary features:
the base has an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion incorporating the first portion of the first retaining means and the lower portion incorporating the first portion of the second retaining means,
the lid has an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion incorporating the second portion of the first retaining means and the upper portion incorporating the second portion of the second retaining means,
the reservoir is arranged in the upper portion of the base,
the open and closed positions of the lid are parallel with one another.
Thus, the lid can be folded down under the base, which is especially practical and requires little space. Furthermore, several identical cases can be superposed and thus readily stored or transported in the form of stacks of cases nested inside one another.
According to another advantageous feature, the invention proposes that:
the upper portion of the lid has a substantially cylindrical outer surface having a specific cross-section and defining the second portion of the second retaining means,
the base has, in the lower portion, a recess delimited by a substantially cylindrical inner surface which defines the first portion of the second retaining means and has a cross-section substantially identical to the cross-section of the second portion of the second retaining means, in order to receive that second portion tightly.
Such retaining means are particularly simple, inexpensive, sturdy and easy to use.
In order to increase the retaining depth without complicating the moulding of the case, the invention proposes that the lower portion of the base be indented in the vicinity of the connecting region between the base and the tongue, the tongue passing through the indentation so formed when the lid is in the open position.
In order further to improve the case and in particular the isolation of the reservoir in the closed position, the invention proposes that:
the upper portion of the base has a substantially cylindrical outer surface having a specific cross-section and defining the first portion of the first retaining means,
the lid has, in the lower portion, a recess delimited by a substantially cylindrical inner surface which defines the second portion of the first retaining means and has a cross-section substantially identical to the cross-section of the first portion of the first retaining means, in order to receive that first portion tightly, and
the first retaining means incorporate sealing means defined by a peripheral boss formed on the first portion of the first retaining means and a groove of complementary shape formed in the second portion of the first retaining means.
Thus, good sealing of the case can be obtained in the closed position at reasonable cost. The boss and the groove also reinforce the holding of the lid in the closed position.
The invention also proposes that the device comprises a cup placed inside the reservoir of the base.
That enables the case to be refilled with cosmetic product in a simple manner by changing the cup without changing the case.


A modular rack for displaying tools and merchandise has a base, two rod assemblies and multiple display panels. The base has two adjustable foot frames. The rod assemblies are attached to the adjustable foot frames and individually comprise at least two exterior rods and at least one interior connector. Each exterior rod has multiple mounting slots. The display panels attach to the exterior rods of the two rod assemblies and individually have multiple hooks corresponding to and engaging the multiple mounting slots in the rod assemblies. Adding exterior rods and corresponding connectors extends the modular rack in height. Connecting other display panels on an adjacent modular rack to the mounting slots in a common rod assembly extend the modular rack in width. Assembly of most elements in the modular rack is accomplished by inserting the hooks in the mounting slots. Therefore, assembly and disassembly of the modular rack are convenient.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a rack, and more particularly to a modular rack that can be assembled conveniently in various configurations.
2. Description of Related Art
With reference to FIG. 9, a conventional modular rack essentially comprises a base (50), two side rods (60) and multiple display panels (70).
The base (50) is a parallelepiped box having a front, a rear, a top, a bottom and two sides. The base (50) has a door (52) mounted on the front of the base (50).
The two side rods (60) are firmly attached to the rear at the two sides of the base (50) and are parallel to each other. The side rods (60) are attached to the base (50) with screws (not numbered).
The multiple display panels (70) are detachably secured between the two side rods (60) over the base (50). Each display panel (70) has a front panel and multiple side sheets (74). Each front panel has multiple hanging holes (72), and the side sheets (74) are vertically formed respectively at opposite ends of the front panel to attach respectively to the side rods (60). The display panels (70) are attached to the side rods (60) with screws.
The conventional modular rack has the following drawbacks:
1. Because the elements are connected with screws, assembling or disassembling the conventional modular rack is troublesome and time-consuming especially when the screws must be removed from the side rods one by one.
2. The conventional modular rack has a single size and cannot be extended in either width or in height to display more merchandise. Variations of the conventional rack module are rare.
The present invention has arisen to provide a modular rack for displaying tools and merchandise to obviate the drawbacks of the conventional rack module.

Modular rack for displaying tools and merchandise


A device for increasing torque of a crankshaft pulley includes: a pulley surrounding a crankshaft and connected to engine accessories; a planetary gear set having first, second, and third rotary elements, wherein the rotary element is always fixed to the pulley, the second rotary element is always fixed to the crankshaft, and the third rotary element is operated as a selective fixed element; a one-way clutch disposed between the first rotary element and the second rotary element to transmit rotational force only in a direction from the first rotary element to the second rotary element; and a first bearing disposed between the crankshaft and the first rotary element.

A crankshaft pulley is a pulley attached to an end of a crankshaft, which allows a belt to engage with it and serves to drive engine accessories such as a generator, a water pump, and a compressor.
A structure having a torque increasing device installed in a crankshaft pulley has been proposed. In this case, a planetary gear set may be installed inside the crankshaft pulley such that torque can be increased by the torque increasing device.
For example, when an engine starts, one of three rotary elements of the planetary gear set is restrained to increase torque being input the engine from an integrated starter generator (ISG) whereas when a motor generates electric power, rotational speeds of two rotary elements are made equal to allow the motor to generate electric power at a gear ratio of 1:1.
As a result, it is possible to cope with high engine startup torque and it is also possible to become free from limitation of the maximum rotational speed of the motor at the time of power generation so that breakage of the motor can be prevented.
However, such a torque increasing device requires a bearing between a casing and the planetary gear set to support the planetary gear set. Since the casing is fixed to an engine block, it acts as a rotational resistance body when the engine is operated and, as a result, there is a problem that power generation efficiency is lowered.
As the foregoing described as the background art is just to promote better understanding of the background of the present disclosure, it must not be taken as an admission that it corresponds to the prior art well known to those who have ordinary skill in the art.

Device for increasing torque of crankshaft pulley


A system and method for providing navigation through an underground space. The method includes receiving ephemeris data of a plurality of satellites in orbit at a location of the underground space, determining a schedule of the plurality of satellites in orbit, obtaining location of a plurality of pseudolites within the underground space, and determining satellite parameters to configure each of the plurality of pseudolites. Satellite parameters are determined based on the obtained location of each pseudolites and the determined satellite schedule. Also, the satellite parameters include at least a signal modulation parameter and a broadcast data parameter. The method also includes configuring each of the plurality of pseudolites with the respective satellite parameters, and controlling the plurality of pseudolites to broadcast satellite signals based on the determined satellite parameters. The broadcasted satellite signals simulate locations of the plurality of satellites in orbit.

Satellites-based positioning systems are based on signals transmitted from satellites, or Space Vehicles (SV) (collectively referred to hereinafter as satellites or a satellite) orbiting earth that propagate through the atmospheric layers and reach an end user receiver. The signals received at a user side are used to measure the individual delay to each SV. Additionally, the SVs provide their ephemerides and clock information through periodically broadcasting messages that include the SVs' ephemeris and almanac data. Combining both the ranges measured with the SVs' instantaneous position formulate a set of equations, where their solution results in the users' position.
Also, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) includes, as for today, four global operational constellations-Global Positioning Systems (GPS) (USA) with up to 32 satellites in orbit, Galileo (EU) with about 30 satellites, Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) (Russia) with 24 satellites and Beidou (China) with 30 Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites plus 5 Geostationary (GEO) satellites and about 16 more in the Beidou2 system. Overall, while the number of orbiting satellites exceeds 120, in practice some may be temporarily unavailable due to, for example, maintenance reasons.
Further, GNSS receivers conduct range measurements by synchronizing the signals code phase (i.e., base band version of the signal) and the carrier phase (i.e., a radio frequency carrier phase) per visible satellite out of a superset of GNSS constellations, or the group of satellites within the GNSS that are working together. Some GNSS receivers support most of the above-mentioned available constellations concurrently, such that range measurements are aggregated regardless of specific constellation. Here, the constellations are not geostationary, so managing the satellite's tracking and switching is performed constantly at the receiver side. At any time, only part of the superset of orbiting satellites is visible at any point on earth. With open sky conditions, approximately, ⅓ of the constellation is available for viewing at any time, which results in typical visibility of about 30 SVs.
Position, Navigation and Time solution (PNT) typically requires at least four satellites in view with their corresponding measurements at a GNSS receiver. In practice, more satellites are usually visible and are taken into the calculation to reduce errors and improve robustness. For example, some GNSS receivers use filters such as elevation mask to filter out low elevation satellites which usually induce larger errors. Other receivers scale as many satellites as possible with their associated received Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (SNR) to better optimize the PNT solution with the received noise. Multipath indicators and other information may also be used to optimize PNT solution. In general, receivers combine as much existing information to best perform a PNT solution given computation power or other limitations (e.g., battery, latency etc.). Finally, the PNT solution is vendor-specific, and considered to be a secret held by the equipment provider.
However, as the number of visible satellites falls, GNSS receivers may lose the ability to derive their PNT solution. Such cases may be found in areas where sky visibility is limited, for example, in underground parking lots, in tunnels, under indoor scenarios such as at malls and in indoor stadiums, and so on. The general rule for these cases is where the sky visibility by the receiver antenna is very limited, and the number of concurrently tracked satellites drops below the minimal requirements.
The related art suggests some solutions for incorporating beacon transmitters in GNSS indoor systems. In an example for such a solution, a GNSS beacon transmits a standard GNSS signal as if it is a satellite orbiting in space, except that the beacon is not being maneuvered (i.e., the beacon remains stationary), and the range is substantially shorter when compared to a GNSS standard satellite. As such, this solution is limited to indoor navigation applications.
Additionally, GNSS signal transmissions may be restricted due to regulatory limitations and spectrum frequency allocations that are reserved for military and civilian applications by regulators.
In view of the above discussion, there is a need for a solution that would allow accurate navigation when satellite's coverage is limited, while overcoming the deficiencies noted above.

System and method for navigation with limited satellite coverage area


The present invention relates to mounting an electric connector (20) onto a printed circuit board, particularly to a printed circuit board comprised of ceramic material, for instance either an LTCC substrate or an HTCC substrate. The problem addressed is one where the connector (20) tends to loosen from the substrate when the temperature varies. This is due to the difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion of the printed circuit board and the connector (20). The problem is solved with the aid of a so-called shim (10) that has a coefficient of thermal expansion between that of the printed circuit board and that of the connector. One side of the shim (10) is soldered onto the connector and the other side of the shim is soldered onto the printed circuit board. The connector (20) is therewith fastened to the printed circuit board. Shear stresses acting between the connector (20) and the printed circuit board are distributed through said board through the medium of two joints instead of one. The connector may alternatively be provided with a built-in shim.

Microwave components have traditionally been mounted on hard substrates. By hard substrate is meant here a board comprised of ceramic material. Electrical metal conductors have been provided on the substrate. In the case of microwave technology, the electrical conductors are designed to constitute electrical components in themselves. Naturally, the conductors also serve to connect components mounted on the substrate. An undesired function of the electrical conductors is that they also function as antennas in microwave applications. Consequently, the electrical components must be shielded/screened against interference, so as not to transmit signals or receive interference signals originating from outside sources. This is effected by encapsulating and hermetically sealing the substrate. Electrical conductors are drawn through the wall of the capsule for connecting the capsule to other devices and equipment.
Electrical conductors are made of metal, whereas the capsule is sometimes made of ceramic material, similar to the substrate. Metal is subjected to thermal expansion, whereas the ceramic capsule will not expand in response to higher temperatures, at least not to a significant extent in comparison with the metal. The differences between the coefficients of thermal expansion of the materials means that the transit or lead-through in the capsule wall is difficult to seal hermetically.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,594 teaches a solution to this problem, with the aid of a bi-metal expansion collar fitted in a hole in the capsule wall. The electrical conductor is then inserted through the collar. The collar forms a packing which seals between the electrical conductor and the hole-defining walls. The collar is made of two materials that have coefficients of thermal expansion which lie between that of the metal conductor and that of the capsule wall-the one close to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the capsule wall and the other close to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal. The two materials of the collar are separated axially. That end of the collar whose coefficient of thermal expansion lies close to that of the capsule is fastened to the capsule, and the opposite end of said collar is welded to the metal conductor.
In recent times, the technology concerning the manufacture of hard substrates has been developed so as to enable the boards to be provided with several layers of conductors in manufacture, in addition to surface layers. A substrate which will allow this is designated an LTCC substrate (Low Temperature Cofired Ceramic), while another functional substrate in this respect is the HTCC substrate (High Temperature Cofired Ceramic). Such substrates are referred to as hard multilayer substrates in the following text. Conductors in the various layers are connected through vias. A hard multilayer substrate produced in accordance with this development will function as a printed circuit board. Although hard substrates are suitable for use with microwave electronics, the use of hard multilayer substrates is not restricted solely to microwave electronics.
Encapsulation of layers of conductors within the hard multilayer substrate can be avoided, by screening the conductors against interference through the medium of earth planes on both sides. Although encapsulation is still required in respect of surface mounted components and conductors, it is not necessary to encapsulate the entire hard multilayer substrate, but solely the part or parts that carry microwave components or conductors on the surface plane. The encapsulated parts of the hard multilayer substrate are connected electrically via conductors in layers within the substrate.
In recent times, it has also been possible to manufacture hard multilayer substrates with surfaces measurements that correspond with A4 sizes. Hard multilayer substrates are brittle as distinct from printed circuit boards that include plastic instead of ceramic as insulating layers. It is therefore not possible to rivet electrical connectors to the hard multilayer substrate. Components and electrical connectors to be mounted on the substrate must therefore be surface mounted. One difficulty in respect of surface mounted components and electrical connectors is one of ensuring that the components and connectors will remain firmly seated when the temperature varies. This difficulty is due to the fact that the materials in the surface mounted components and connectors have thermal expansion coefficients that are different to that of the printed circuit board. Microwave electronics often operate with high powers and therewith high heat generation.

Device and method for mounting electronic components on printed circuit boards


In one example, an Edge Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (EQAM) communicates EQAM information to a Modular Cable Modem Termination System (M-CMTS) core using a routing protocol that is configured on a packet switched network coupling the EQAM to the M-CMTS core. The EQAM generates a routing message according to the routing protocol and inserts EQAM information, such as a description of a modulated channel extending from the EQAM, the service-group information, etc., into the routing message. The EQAM then floods the EQAM information over at least portions of a routing domain by transmitting the routing message to an adjacent intermediary device.

Cable operators have widely deployed high-speed data services on cable television systems. These data services allow subscriber-side devices, such as personal computers, to communicate over an ordinary cable TV network Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) cable through a cable modem. The cable modem communicates with a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS), which connects the cable TV network to a data network, such as the Internet.
Modular CMTSs (M-CMTSs) have been developed to improve scaling and for other reasons. These modular systems typically include an M-CMTS core device implementing a subset of DOCSIS protocols (such as Media Access Control (MAC) layer, etc.) and one or more remote PHYs such as an Edge Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (EQAM) implementing the remaining DOCSIS protocols (such as the PHYsical layer (PHY), etc.) These EQAMs generally include modulation devices for modulating downstream traffic to the cable modems or demodulation devices for demodulating upstream traffic from the cable modems. The M-CMTS core and the EQAMs may use a Downstream External Physical Interface (DEPI) and Upstream External Physical Interface (UEPI) to transport downstream user data and upstream user data respectively.
These M-CMTS cores and EQAMs generally communicate with each other over tunnels extending over the DEPI. To establish these tunnels, the M-CMTS core needs to be aware of EQAM parameters, such as the EQAM IP address, prior to DEPI control plan setup. One partial solution is to initially provision the M-CMTS core with the EQAM IP address and other necessary EQAM parameters; however, with this partial solution, the M-CMTS core can lose the ability to set up new tunnels if there is a dynamic change to the EQAM IP address or other EQAM parameters. The disclosure that follows solves this and other problems.

Dynamic EQAM discovery in M-CMTS architecture