A magnetic device includes a sheet-type coil including a planar conductive coil and an insulating substance; and a sheet-type first magnetic member disposed on at least one of upper and lower surfaces of the sheet-type coil, where a magnetic permeability of the insulating substance is smaller than a magnetic permeability of the first magnetic member. The magnetic device preferably includes a second magnetic member provided at a predetermined area of the sheet-type coil, the second magnetic member being made of a resin containing a magnetic powder and having a permeability larger than the insulating substance and smaller than the first magnetic member. The predetermined area is at least one position selected from a center portion and a peripheral portion of the sheet-type coil where a conductor constituting the planar conductive coil is not present. Further, a power supply module of the present invention includes this magnetic device according to the present invention.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultra-thin magnetic device used for an inductor, a choke coil, a transformer and the like in electric equipment, and to a method for manufacturing the magnetic device and a power supply module equipped with the magnetic device.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, with the general trend toward smaller and thinner electric equipment, there is a strong demand for smaller and thinner components, devices, power supplies and the like used in such electric equipment. Particularly, in the field of mobile equipment, the demand for making them thinner becomes stronger than that for making them smaller. Meanwhile, LSIs such as a CPU are now increasing in speed and density, and in some cases a large current is fed to a power supply circuit provided for such LSIs. Thus, a magnetic device used as an inductor or the like in the power supply circuit for such LSIs is required for: being constituted with a coil made of a conductor having low resistance, which realizes a low heating value; and suppressing a decrease in the inductance value due to direct current (DC) superimposition (i.e., having a favorable DC superimposition property). In addition, since operation frequencies tend to be higher, a small loss at high frequencies also is required. Furthermore, since it is required strongly to reduce the cost of components, elements constituting the components in a simple shape have to be assembled in a simple process. To sum up, it is required to supply an inexpensive magnetic device that is as small and thin as possible, which is operable with a large current and at high frequencies. Among components used in the power supply circuit, a magnetic device used as an inductor or the like is the thickest. Therefore, also in order to make the power supply itself thinner, the magnetic device is demanded strongly to be made thinner.
Generally, the miniaturization of magnetic devices decreases a cross-sectional area of the magnetic path, thus decreasing an inductance value of the device. As means for improving the property of such a miniaturized magnetic device (i.e., for increasing an inductance value), JP 53(1978)-136538 U and JP 61(1986)-136213 A, for example, suggest a magnetic device having a closed magnetic path structure formed by winding coils around a drum-shaped core with flanges made of ferrite or the like and by filling inside of the flanges with a mixture of a magnetic powder and a resin. This configuration can eliminate a bobbin, which is used with coils usually, and therefore a cross-sectional area of the magnetic path can be increased. In addition, by virtue of the closed magnetic path structure, the inductance value can be increased. In this way, properties of the magnetic device can be improved. However, the magnetic device with such a configuration has the following problems: that is, since this configuration aims to miniaturize the magnetic device, a device with a sufficient small thickness cannot be realized. In addition, low-permeability resin layers adhered to the outer surface of the magnetic device increase a leakage flux, resulting in insufficient properties. Furthermore, a special technology is necessary for shaping the resin layers adhered to the outer surface of the magnetic device. Although an inductor manufactured with such a technology and having a size of, for example, about 2xc3x971xc3x971 mm is now on the market, the coil constituting this inductor has large DC resistance.
In order to achieve a coil of low DC resistance and a large inductance value, the coil has to be manufactured with a thick wire and the number of turns also has to be increased. At the same time, in order to make a device thin, the thickness of the coil has to be made approximately 1 mm or less, but a cross-sectional area of the magnetic path has to be increased to some extent. To this end, it is preferable that the coil is wound not in solenoid form but in planar spiral form. In order to secure the space for accommodating the coil satisfying these conditions, the size of the device has to be increased to 2 to 10 mm square. However, such a thin configuration having a large area/thickness ratio increases a leakage flux, which makes the realization of a large inductance value difficult.
To cope with this problem, JP 58(1983)-133906 U, JP 59(1984)-67909 U, JP 1(1989)-157508 A, JP 1(1989)-310518 A and JP 3(1991)-284808 A, for example, suggest a configuration where a conductive coil wound in planar spiral form are sandwiched between ferromagnetic layers arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the conductive coil with an insulating layer intervening therebetween. With this configuration, since high-permeability magnetic elements are disposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the conductive coil, a leakage flux therefrom can be made relatively small in the even thin configuration, which can realize a large inductance value. However, in the case of this configuration, the conductive coil is exposed at the side of the magnetic device, and therefore the device has a problem concerning the reliability. In addition, this configuration is uncertain as to a method for providing the adhesiveness between the respective parts.
As a magnetic device to cope with this problem, JP 59(1984)-23708 U and JP 6(1994)-342725 A suggest a configuration where a conductive coil wound in planar spiral form is embedded in a paste containing a mixture of a ferrite powder and a resin and ferrite boards are attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the paste. Also, JP 9(1997)-270334 A suggests a configuration where a conductive coil wound in planar spiral form is embedded in a resin containing a magnetic powder (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cmagnetics containing resinxe2x80x9d) and thin metallic magnetic elements are attached to the upper and lower surface of the resin. With these configurations, since the conductive coils are embedded in the resin, the problem of the conductive coil being exposed at the side of the device does not occur. In addition, the ferrite boards and the thin metallic magnetic elements, which are disposed above and below the coil, can be bonded to the conductive coil embedded in a resin by curing the resin.
However, the magnetic device disclosed in JP 6(1994)-342725 A has a configuration where the conductive coil itself is embedded completely in the magnetics containing resin, which means that the magnetics containing resin is present between adjacent turns of the conductive coil and around the conductive coil. Therefore, magnetic paths functioning as a short path, which traverse within the conductor constituting the conductive coil or traverse across adjacent turns, are likely to occur, compared with the magnetic paths as what should be, which extend along the outer region of the conductive coil. Such an increase in the magnetic flux traversing in the conductor constituting the conductive coil and traversing across the conductors causes problems in that a magnetic loss is increased at high frequencies and at the same time the inductance value is decreased.
Furthermore, the magnetic devices disclosed in the above-mentioned publications have to be manufactured on a one-by-one basis, or with a vacuum process such as vacuum evaporation and sputtering, and therefore have problems of poor mass productivity and a high manufacturing cost.
A magnetic device according to the present invention includes a sheet-type coil including a planar conductive coil and an insulating substance; and a first magnetic member in sheet form disposed on at least one of upper and lower surfaces of the sheet-type coil. In this device, a magnetic permeability of the insulating substance is smaller than a magnetic permeability of the first magnetic member.
A method for manufacturing a magnetic device according to the present invention includes the steps of preparing a sheet-type coil including a planar conductive coil and an insulating substance; and then disposing a first magnetic member in sheet-form having a magnetic permeability larger than that of the insulating substance on at least one of upper and lower surfaces of the sheet-type coil.
A power supply module according to the present invention includes a wiring board and the magnetic device according to the present invention, which are connected electrically with each other.

Magnetic device, method for manufacturing the same, and power supply module equipped with the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A product display package for retaining product is provided with a display card having a reinforced hanger hole that is resistant to tear. The display card includes a main body including a front surface, a rear surface and an upper edge. The display card has a closed loop hanger hole formed in the main body that is adapted to receive a hanger to hang the display card for display. A container having a housing defining a compartment to house product is supported by the display card. The display card has a tape reinforcement layer adhered to the main body in a region adjacent to the hanger hole to enhance the strength of the display card between the hanger hole and the upper edge of the main body of the display card.

The present invention generally relates to display cards for displaying products for sale and, more particularly, to a hanging display card package having a combined display card and container for retaining product for display to consumers.
A common practice for packaging and displaying small retail items, such as cylindrical alkaline batteries, is to package the items in thermoformed blister packages and place the packages on shelves or hang the packages on hooks on various display racks. Conventional battery packages are generally composed of a display card which provides a generally stiff supportive backing, usually composed of cardboard, and a thermoformed polymeric blister that is bonded or otherwise attached to the display card. The display card provides support for displaying the merchandise for sale and usually contains print with suitable indicia, such as advertising, trademarks, and instructions.
With battery display packages, batteries of the same size are commonly made available to consumers for purchase in a package containing a predetermined number of batteries. The batteries are displayed and sold in blister-type packages which usually contain two, four, or eight batteries commonly packaged in each display package. In accordance with one battery packaging approach, the thermoformed blister generally comprises a piece of transparent polymeric material, e.g., plastic, heat-sealed to the front side of the display card. According to another approach, a clam-type thermoformed polymeric blister, generally having a shape to fit over and cover the batteries, is supported on the cardboard display card. The clam-type polymeric blister typically has two pieces, each having a peripheral flange disposed between the two layers of the cardboard of the display card. The blister isolates the product from the surrounding environment and prevents inadvertent damage to the product that can result from repeated handling prior to sale. Additionally, the blister allows for the orderly display of products for sale to purchasers.
Hanging display packages generally include a closed loop hanger hole formed in the display card near the upper edge. The hanger hole enables the package to be hung on a hanger, such as a hook, on a display stand for display to consumers in a retail store. The hanger hole is formed by cutting (e.g., stamping) away a piece of card material from the cardboard display card in a shape sufficient to receive the hanger. It is generally preferred that the hanger hole be located as close to the upper edge as possible, so as not to interfere with the surface area available on the display card for displaying print indicia and retaining product. However, a sufficient amount of the card material must be present between the hanger hole and the upper edge of the display card to provide adequate strength to support the package on the hanger and prevent tearing of the display card. A tear in the display card may render the display package unhangable on the display stand and torn display cards are generally unattractive to consumers, thus rendering the package less desirable. The potential for torn display cards increases with heavier packages, shortened distance between the hanger hole and upper edge, and misuse by retail customers or store clerks.
Accordingly, there is a need, heretofore unfulfilled, for a hanging product display package for displaying product for sale to consumers having a display card that provides a hanger hole of sufficient strength to hold the product on a display stand without tearing the display card. In particular, it is desirable to provide for such a hanging product display package that retains batteries for display and sale to consumers in retail stores.
The present invention provides for a display card and product display package having a reinforced hanger hole that is resistant to tearing. To achieve this and other advantages, and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention as embodied and described herein, one aspect of the present invention provides for a display card for retaining product. The display card includes a main body including a front surface, a rear surface, and an edge. The display card has a closed loop hanger hole formed in the main body that is adapted to receive a hanger to hang the display card for display. The display card also has a tape reinforcement layer adhered to the main body in a region adjacent to the hanger hole to enhance the strength of the display card between the hanger hole and the edge of the main body.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a display package for retaining product is provided. The display package comprises a container having a housing defining a compartment adapted to house product. The display package also has a display card having a main body and supporting the container. The display card has a front surface, a rear surface, and an edge. The display package further has a closed loop hanger hole formed in the display card for allowing the display package to be hung from a hanger for display. A tape reinforcement layer is adhered to the display card in a region adjacent to the hanger hole to provide reinforced strength between the hanger hole and the edge of the display card.
Accordingly, the tape reinforcement layer advantageously enhances the strength of the region adjacent to the hanger hole. The enhanced strength region adjacent to the hanger hole prevents tearing of the display card, particularly during abusive handling of the display package. Accordingly, a more attractive product display package is maintained, which is particularly useful for displaying small items, such as batteries, for display to consumers in retail stores.
These and other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims and appended drawings.

Display card having reinforced hanger hole


There is provided a curable substantially uniform mixture of an epoxysilicone, a polyarylonium salt and a compatibilizer in the form a mixture of a long chain alkyl substituted phenol and an alkane diol. The curable mixture is convertable to a non-toxic, tack free adherent release coating for pressure sensitive adhesives.

The present invention relates to UV curable organopolysiloxane compositions which are convertible to nontoxic, adherent, release coatings when applied onto a paper or a plastic substrate and cured thereon. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of a compatibilizer, such as a mixture of a C.sub.(8-20) alkylphenol and an alkanediol, such as butanediol, for facilitating the incorporation of a photoinitiator, such as a polyaryloniumhexafluorometalloid salt, for example, a diaryliodoniumhexafluoroantimonate salt into an epoxysilicone fluid to provide a UV curable silicone composition convertible to a non-toxic release coating.
Prior to the present invention, as shown by Eckberg et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,717, UV curable epoxysilicone coating compositions were provided by using bisaryliodonium salts such as bis(dodecylphenyl) iodonium salts, in combination with an epoxy functional silicone. As taught by Eckberg et al, the efficiency of the bisaryliodonium photo initiator, was highly dependent upon whether the photoinitiator could be readily dispersed or dissolved into the epoxy functional silicone fluid. Even though the bis(alkylatedphenyl)iodonium salts taught by Eckberg et al have been found to rapidly dissolve in the epoxy silicone fluid, experience has shown that the resulting UV curable epoxysilicone composition often cannot satisfy the rigid toxicity standards required for making adherent silicone release coatings used in food applications.
As taught in the copending application of Crivello et al, Ser. No.171063, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,201 filed Mar. 21, 1988, for Non-Toxic Arylonium Salts, UV Curable Coating Compositions and Food Packaging Use, the use of certain arylonium salts is described having at least one nuclear bound-OR group attached to the aryl nucleus by a carbon-oxygen linkage, where R is an alkyl radical having at least eight carbon atoms. These arylonium salts exhibit substantially less toxicity than prior art arylonium salts free of such nuclear bound 0R groups. Experience has shown however, that although such arylonium salts, for example, diaryliodoniumhexafluoroantimonate salts exhibit reduced toxicity and accordingly satisfy food packaging standards, they have been found to be substantially incompatible with epoxysilicones having less than about 12 mole percent of condensed epoxy organosiloxy units, based on the total moles of diorganosiloxy units in such epoxysilicone. It has been further found that unless the non-toxic arylonium salt is miscible with the epoxysilicone, a heterogenous curable coating mixture can be formed having a tendency to readily smear or streak after being subjected to curing conditions on the surface of a suitable substrate, such as plastic or paper. Improved diaryliodonium salt compatability can be achieved by raising the epoxy mole percent in the expoysilicone. However, as the condensed epoxy content rises in the epoxysilicone, the release characteristics of the cured coating are adversely affected.
It would be desirable therefore to provide nontoxic UV curable silicone coating compositions utilizing epoxysilicone fluid having less than about 12 mole percent of condensed epoxyorganosiloxy units, based on the total moles of condensed diorganosiloxy in such epoxy silicone fluid, and capable of providing non-toxic, non-smearing release coatings on paper or plastic substrates. It also would be desirable to provide substantially uniform UV curable epoxysilicone compositions which do not contain incompatable photoinitiators having a tendency to settle out of the curable mixture upon standing.

UV curable non-toxic epoxysilicone release coating compositions


An umbrella frame has a hollow shaft, an upper runner disposed on the hollow shaft, a lower runner receiving the hollow shaft, a winding device inserted through the hollow shaft, a pulley disposed on the hollow shaft, and a thread connected to the pulley and the winding device. A plurality of ribs are connected to the upper runner. A plurality of stretchers are connected to the lower runner and the ribs. A handle engages with the winding device.

The present invention relates to an umbrella frame. More particularly, the present invention relates to an umbrella frame which has a winding device to be operated safely.
A conventional umbrella frame has an upper runner and a lower runner as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,907, U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,445, U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,557, U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,987, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,600. The conventional umbrella frame further has a conventional winding device to control a stretch of the umbrella frame. However, the umbrella frame will be folded suddenly while the winding device is loosened.
An object of the present invention is to provide an umbrella frame which has a winding device to be operated safely.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an umbrella frame which has a winding device to adjust a stretch operation of the umbrella frame.
Accordingly, an umbrella frame comprises a hollow shaft, an upper runner disposed on the hollow shaft, a lower runner receiving the hollow shaft, a winding device inserted through the hollow shaft, a pulley disposed on the hollow shaft, and a thread connected to the pulley and the winding device. A plurality of ribs are connected to the upper runner. A plurality of stretchers are connected to the lower runner and the ribs. The hollow shaft has two through holes, and two pairs of oblong grooves communicating with the through holes. A handle has a round hole, a channel, a circular hole communicating with the channel, a first pawl, and a second pawl. A coiled spring and an annular cushion are inserted in the channel of the handle. A blocking rod is inserted through the circular hole of the handle, the coiled spring, and the annular cushion. The winding device has a winding shaft, a pair of annular blocks, a pair of sleeves, a pair of elastic washers, and an annular cover. The winding shaft has a groove and a first end and a second end each passing through the respective annular block, the respective sleeve, and the respective elastic washer. The first end of the winding shaft is inserted in the annular cover. The second end of the winding shaft is inserted in the round hole of the handle. Each of the annular blocks has a collar having two protrusions for insertion into the oblong grooves of the hollow shaft, and a plurality of blocking bars each having a bevel and a click end. The thread has a blocking end for insertion in the groove of the winding shaft.


High refractive index, optically clear and soft hydrophobic acrylamide copolymers and ophthalmic lenses made therefrom are provided. The copolymers are comprised of a hydrophobic acrylamide monomer of N-Benzyl-N-isopropylacrylamide and at least one monomer of an alkyl acrylate and/or alkyl methacrylate. The copolymers and ophthalmic lenses of the present invention are hydrophobic and soft, with a low glass transition temperature (Tg) and a high refractive index.

The present invention is directed to high refractive index, optically clear and soft copolymers, and ophthalmic lenses formed therefrom. More particularly, the invention relates to a copolymer having as a first constituent a hydrophobic acrylamide monomer.
The physiology of the human eye includes an anterior chamber located between the cornea, or outer surface of the clear part of the eye, and the iris, the pigmented portion of the eye that is responsive to light, and a posterior chamber, filled with vitreous humor. A crystalline lens, which includes a lens matrix contained within a capsular bag, is located behind the iris and separates the iris from the posterior chamber. The crystalline lens is attached to the ciliary muscle by cord-like structures called zonules. Lining the rear of the posterior chamber is the retina, the light sensing organ of the eye, that is an extension of the optic nerve. In young, healthy eyes, contraction and relaxation of the ciliary muscle shapes the natural crystalline lens to the appropriate optical configuration for focusing light rays entering the eye on the retina.
As the natural crystalline lens ages, however, the structure of the lens matrix of the crystalline lens changes, becoming hazy and relatively inflexible. Eventually, the hazing of the lens matrix may progress to the point where the lens is considered cataractous, which may seriously occlude the amount of light passing through the crystalline lens and ultimately onto the retina. Fortunately, modern surgical techniques have been developed which allow removal of the cataractous lens matrix so that light may once again pass unimpeded onto the retina.
Presently, a cataractous crystalline lens matrix is removed from an eye using a procedure whereby the cataractous natural lens matrix is extracted from the capsular bag of the lens through an anterior capsulotomy. Typically, the cataractous lens matrix is removed from the capsular bag through the anterior capsulotomy using phaco-emulsification and aspiration. Alternatively, the cataractous lens matrix may be removed using several other well known techniques whereby the cataractous material is broken up and aspirated from the capsular bag. After extraction of the cataractous lens matrix, an intraocular lens may be implanted within the remaining capsular bag. However, while the procedure to remove the emulsified natural lens can be accomplished with about a three millimeter incision in the cornea, about a six millimeter incision is required to accommodate the full diameter of the intraocular lens to be implanted.
In order to reduce the size of the incision required for implantation of an intraocular lens, and thus limit the trauma to the eye, intraocular lenses made of relatively soft material that can be rolled, folded or otherwise deformed for insertion into the eye were developed, replacing conventional intraocular lenses made of relatively hard material, such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Soft intraocular lenses have typically been made from hydrogel, silicone, or acrylic material. Intraocular lenses made from hydrogel and silicone typically have a relatively low refractive index, requiring a thicker lens. Further, while silicone lens material has a low glass transition temperature (lower than xe2x88x92100xc2x0 C.), it unfolds quickly in the eye, risking damage to eye tissue. Acrylic material has been found to have a relatively high refractive index and unfold in a slower amount of time. However, most acrylic lens materials have relatively high glass transition temperatures at about room temperature. Therefore, further improvements in the properties of acrylic lens materials would be desirable.
It would be desirable to provide an acrylic material with a higher refractive index than conventional silicone and hydrogel materials to permit the lens to be much thinner and thus have more controllable folding release. Also, it would be desirable to provide an acrylic material with a lower glass transition temperature than conventional acrylic materials such that it can be folded at lower temperatures.
What has been needed and heretofore unavailable, is an acrylic material having improved properties, including a high refractive index and low glass transition temperature, for use in intraocular lenses. The present invention satisfies these needs and others.
The present invention provides a soft hydrophobic acrylamide copolymer useful in the fabrication of ophthalmic lenses, including intraocular lenses and other implantable ocular devices, such as intraocular contact lenses. The hydrophobic acrylamide copolymer has a water content of less than about 1 percent by weight.
In one embodiment, the soft hydrophobic acrylamide copolymer comprises a first constituent that is a hydrophobic acrylamide monomer. The hydrophobic acrylamide monomer may be N-benzyl-N-isopropylacrylamide (BPA) which may be present in an amount of about 5 to about 50 percent by weight of the copolymer, and more particularly, about 12 to about 25 percent by weight of the copolymer.
In another embodiment, the copolymer also includes a second constituent that forms copolymers having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of less than about 22xc2x0 C. This constituent may consist of alkyl acrylate or methacrylate monomers or mixtures thereof. In one embodiment, the second constituent is n-butyl acrylate. In another embodiment, it is a mixture of n-butyl acrylate and n-butyl methacrylate. In yet another embodiment, the second constituent is a mixture of n-butyl acrylate and ethyl methacrylate.
In still another embodiment, the copolymer includes a crosslinking agent, such as ethylene glycol diacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 1,3-butanediol diacrylate, 1,3-butanediol dimethacrylate, 1,4-butanediol diacrylate, 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate, 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate, 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol)dimethacrylate. In one embodiment, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate is used as the crosslinking agent.
In yet another embodiment, an ultraviolet (UV) light absorbing constituent, such as acrylate or methacrylate functionalized benzotriazoles and benzophenones, is also included in the copolymer. An initiating constituent, such as peroxide, peroxydicarbonate, azo free radical initiators, and UV initiators may also be included.
The copolymers of the present invention have a high refractive index, at least about 1.47 (at 20xc2x0 C.) in one embodiment. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the copolymers is also low, being at most about 5xc2x0 C. in one embodiment.
In one embodiment, an ophthalmic lens is formed from the soft hydrophobic acrylamide copolymer. In particular, the ophthalmic lens may be an intraocular lens. The ophthalmic lens may also be an intraocular contact lens or other implantable ocular device.
The copolymers of the present invention are particularly suited for use in ophthalmic lenses due to their high refractive index and optical clarity. The copolymers are also soft materials with low glass transition temperatures, permitting lenses formed therefrom to be deformed for insertion at lower temperatures. The copolymers also have high strength and flexibility. They are also photostable and Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) laser stable.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, various embodiments, principles and features of the invention.


Shock-attenuating seamless surface systems for use under and around playground equipment can be either installed on a base or installed in a recess in the base such that an integrated installation is obtained.. All systems have a surface layer with a bottom and outer edges; ribs extending from the bottom of the surface layer for defining an array of air-filled cells affixed to the bottom of the surface layer; and a first layer of sealer and an aggregate spread over the surface layer, the outer edges, and the base immediate to the surface system.. More complex systems may include one or more of the following: a plurality of median ribs extending a shorter distance from the bottom of the surface layer than the defining ribs in order to enhance and make consistent attenuating characteristics upon impact to the surface layer, to allow internal venting, and to facilitate conformity to the base; a void area left in place of at least one median rib in order to facilitate cutting through the surface layer; a second layer of sealer spread under the array of air-filled cells and above the base in order to prevent the escape of air therefrom upon impact thereto and hold the cells in a substantially vertical orientation with respect to the base; a sloping outer edge surrounding all sides to help prevent tripping and to facilitate access by handicapped persons; and a beveled outer edge surrounding all sides for facilitating attachment to either an identical surface or the base.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to static structures, particularly traffic-carrying surfaces, and also relates to exercising devices, particularly gymnastic equipment, such as a children's play mat.
2. Description of the Related Art
School playgrounds, day care centers, playlands adjacent to fast food restaurants, and the like maintain exercising equipment for children's recreational activities. The activities in these designated play zones include climbing, jumping and swinging, and oftentimes result in falls to the ground. In fact, 70% of playground injuries are the result of impacts to the underlying surface.
In the past, natural grass was grown as a surface for use underneath playground equipment. Unfortunately, natural grass requires constant maintenance and varies in its shock attenuating ability. Furthermore, erosion, puddling and sanitation are major negative factors militating against the use of natural grass.
In the search for an answer to the problems posed by natural grass, two generic categories of surfacing used under all types of play equipment were defined: loose-fill and nonloose-fill. Loose fill surface systems consist of nonbonded particles, usually of a common type (e.g. sand, wood chips, etc.). Nonloose-fill surface systems consist of processed particles bonded together in some fashion (e.g. foam blocks, rubber-aggregate blocks together, etc.).
Loose-fill materials are generally placed under playground equipment to a depth averaging twelve inches and are usually contained by a wooden or concrete border. Although loose-fill materials provide excellent attenuating characteristics, it is difficult to maintain them at the proper depth and to keep them free of contamination. Changes in depth and infiltration by debris and water adversely affect the attenuating properties of such loose-fill materials. Furthermore, loose-fill surface systems tend to absorb dirt, debris, and toxins from the air, and water. Since small children oftentimes ingest loose-fill materials during play, constant replacement of such loose-fill materials is necessitated. Water, when absorbed into the loose-fill material, causes accelerated deterioration during normal use and freezing below 32.degree. Fahrenheit.
With a desire for a more permanent and consistent, nonloose surface, nonloose-fill surface systems were developed to be installed over hard surfaces, such as concrete and asphalt. Nonloose-fill surfaces, which are generally referred to as synthetics, can be divided into two main categories: systems with seams and systems without seams. Examples of systems with seams or so-called nonseamless systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,457 to Donovan, U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,945 to Roby, U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,076 to Burke, U.S. Pat. No. 2,999,431 to Mitchell, and U.S. Pat. No. 957,387 to Stedman.
Both nonseamless and seamless surfacing systems have an attenuating element and a surface layer. This surface layer can be either installed in the field or integrated at the time of manufacture. However, the seamless systems have a texture coat of sealer and aggregate applied over the surface layer to form a monolithic arrangement.
Seamless surfacing systems are becoming the more desirable of the synthetic systems because insects and rodents cannot enter and nest in them, nor can dirt and debris collect in the seams. An additional benefit of seamless surfacing systems is that water is not allowed to enter into the system. Water, when introduced into the system, can cause structural deterioration, can cause delamination of the surface system from its subbase, and can cause the seamless surface system to freeze much more quickly and intensely in play conditions below 0.0 degrees Celsius.
Finally, the recognized methodology for testing the shock attenuating properties of playground and athletic surfacing systems is the American Society for Testing and Materials (hereinafter ASTM) F-355 test which uses three different missiles at impact velocities appropriate for the intended end-use: Procedure A uses a cylindrical missile, weighing twenty pounds and having a circular, flat, metallic, impacting face of twenty square inches; Procedure B, uses a metallic hemisphere weighing fifteen pounds and having an impacting surface with a radius of 3.25 inches; and third, Procedure C, uses a metallic headform weighing eleven pounds (five kilograms).
The report section within the ASTM F-355 test methodology lists various ways to collect and analyze data. The two most important measurements of the shock attenuating characteristics of a surfacing system are: (A) the G-max which is the maximum acceleration experienced over the duration impact, and (B) the Severity Index which is an integration of the G-max over the duration of the impact. The G-max represents the maximum stress point experienced by the impacting body over the duration of the impact; the Severity Index represents the total stress experienced by the impacting body over the duration of the impact. A G-max of 200 and a Severity Index of 1,000 are internationally recognized as the threshold for skull concussion with respect to human beings.
In Apr., 1981, The Consumer Products Safety Commission (hereinafter CPSC) published Guidelines For Public Playground Equipment, Volumes I and II. In Volume II, page 22, Sections 12.1-12.5, the CPSC recommends use of a surface system under public playground equipment that will not exceed a 200 G-max when tested as per the ASTM F-355 test; Procedure at the maximum estimated fall height of a piece of playground equipment. Since their publication, the CPSC's surface system guidelines have been used by a significant number of both public and private playground operators that are concerned about playground safety.
The ASTM is presently finishing a Standard Specification for surface systems used under playground equipment and is based on the CPSC's Guidelines for surface systems. The ASTM's Standard Specification for surface systems, when published, will clearly define a laboratory test procedure and a field test procedure within a specified temperature range for all loose-fill and nonloose-fill surface systems.
The ASTM's Standard Specification will provide the consumer with a convenient tool with which he or she can measure and specify the performance and quality of all types of playground surface systems.
Future editions of the ASTM's Standard Specification for surface systems used under playground equipment will undoubtedly require, in addition to a maximum G-max value of 200, a maximum Severity Index value of 1000. The Severity Index relates principally to human head injuries which are the most damaging and difficult to treat.
As the level of consumer awareness rises and technological advances in manufacturing continue to increase, performance guidelines will transform into future product standard specifications. The British Government currently mandates a G-max value of less than 200 and a Severity Index value of less than 1000, utilizing the ASTM F-355 test, Procedure B, for surface systems used under playground equipment in the United Kingdom.

Shock-attenuating seamless surface system for use under and around playground equipment


A connection structure of an electric component, a motor and a connection method of an electric component are provided. The connection structure of the electric component includes: an electric component main body having a connection terminal; a connector for wiring which is connected with the connection terminal; a base member; and a cover member. The base member is provided with an accommodation recessed part which accommodates inside a connected portion between the connection terminal and the connector. The accommodation recessed part has an opening part opened to an upper side. The cover member is attached to the base member so as to cover the opening part. An inside of the accommodation recessed part is filled with a sealing material which seals the connected portion between the connection terminal and the connector, and the sealing material fixes the connected portion, the base member and the cover member to each other.

As a structure for connecting a motor with a connector, the applicant of the present application has proposed, for example, the structure described in Patent Literature 1 described below. In this structure, connection terminals are provided in a motor main body, and when a connector of a wire harness is attached to the connection terminals, a motor and the wire harness are electrically connected with each other.
In an application under severe vibration and dust conditions like an on-vehicle motor, a structure capable of further surely maintaining electrical connection is required.

Connection structure of electric component, motor and connection method of electric component


An ink-based digital printing system for variable data lithographic printing includes an imaging member and a dampening fluid/carrier patterning system. An inkjet-type device of the patterning system jets material onto an imaging member. The as-jetted material includes dampening fluid and carrier component such as a wax jetted in a single phase. Upon contact with a surface of an imaging member, the jetted material cools and phase separation occurs, the dampening fluid leaching to a surface of the solid component on the imaging member surface, dampening the solid component, which forms an image according to image data input to the patterning system.

Related art ink-based digital printing systems, or variable data lithography systems configured for digital lithographic printing, include an imaging system for laser patterning a layer of dampening fluid applied to an imaging member. The imaging system includes a high power laser for emitting light energy. The imaging system is costly; this and technical challenges such as the need for stitching together laser beams increases overall system costs. The imaging member must include a costly reimageable surface layer, such as a plate or blanket that is capable of absorbing light energy. While high print speeds and reduced system and operating costs are generally desirable, print speeds achieved using related art ink-based digital printing systems are limited by the laser imaging process.

Systems and methods for ink-based digital printing


A computer systems which combines the capabilities of both notepad and notebook computers. The main housing includes an liquid crystal display display with a digitizer input to be used as the display in all modes and the input device when used with a stylus in notepad mode. Also located in the main housing are a floppy disk drive, a hard disk drive, an optional modem unit, batteries, and the electronics of the computer. The main housing contains a recessed portion for receiving a detachable keyboard. The keyboard includes a pivoting, mating extension which is received in the recess so that the keyboard is retained in the recess during storage conditions and in some cases of use, where the housing acts as a partial keyboard support to allow angling of the keyboard. The keyboard contains pivoting legs so that the keyboard can be used remotely from the main housing and yet be angled. The main housing contains a pivoting portion which can operate as a stand when the computer is being operated with the keyboard, so that the display is properly angled for viewing by the user. The pivoting portion can also be pivoted to a position generally parallel with the main housing, but having a portion extending past the housing to act as a handle.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to portable computer systems, and more particularly to a computer system which can function as a notepad computer and includes provisions for receiving and storing a keyboard to operate as a notebook computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable computer systems are becoming more powerful, smaller and lighter with each few months. Notebook computers have been available for some time. They are generally about 81/2.times.11 inches in width and length and 11/2 to 2 inches thick. They include an liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, a keyboard, a floppy disk and or hard disk and various other ports and items standard on desktop computers. Typically they weigh from 5 to 9 pounds, including batteries. Data input and application interaction is generally accomplished by using the keyboard. One problem has been the need to learn to type to efficiently operate the system and the need of a stable location for the computer when you must type. However, keyboard input is often very precise, so that complicated commands can be entered without numerous errors.
One newer arrival in the class of portable computer systems is the slate or notepad computer. In this type of computer a stylus is used to write directly on the LCD screen used in the unit. A digitizer captures the movements of the stylus and software in the computer converts the movement to commands, either by monitoring location when the system is being used in a touch screen-like mode, or by converting the movements into specific characters, which then form the command or data. Thus there is no reason to learn to type. By using the computer as a notepad, no resting space is required for operation of the unit. However, very specialized software is required, the processing may be slow, characters may be misinterpreted and various other problems may occur. One advantage of a notepad is that the unit may be very small.
One problem is that computers are built to be either notepads, and not use a keyboard, or as notebooks, which require use of the keyboard. Thus there is no crossover and a user is forced to select or spend significantly more money to obtain both units.


A method of patterning a brittle material, and particularly a semiconductor material, is provided comprising ion implantation induced selective area exfoliation. The method includes steps of masking the material, implanting unmasked regions of the material, with light ions of Hydrogen or Helium, and rapid thermal annealing at the temperature causing exfoliation of the material from the implanted regions. As a result, the material is patterned to a depth determined by the depth of ion implantation. The method allows patterning through crystalline or non-crystalline materials, or several layers of different materials at the same time. When the mask has straight sharp edges aligned parallel to natural cleavage planes of the semiconductor material, the exfoliation results in formation of high quality sidewall-facets of exfoliated material and of the remaining patterned material at the boundaries of exfoliated regions.

Patterning of the materials used in the semiconductor industry is one of the major steps in fabrication of microelectronic devices, integrated circuits and optoelectronic devices including semiconductor lasers. Conventionally known methods of patterning comprise selectively masking a semiconductor material with a photoresist or any other masking material, followed by etching. Known etching methods include selective wet chemical etching, or dry etching, e.g. plasma and reactive ion etching. (E.g., see Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, 7th Edition, Ed. by Douglas and Glenn Considine, NY, 1989, pp. 1851-1852.) Anisotropic etching processes are known for defining microscopic structures of sub-micron dimensions.
Nevertheless, there are limitations associated with known etching processes, for example, in etching multilayer structures of different materials, because etchants are material specific and often only one layer of a particular material can be etched with a specific etchant. Thus etching through several layers of different materials may require numerous steps and be time consuming and costly. Control of etch rates, sidewall and perimeter profiles may present challenges requiring careful control of etch parameters, which is also necessary to reduce unwanted etch damage, and etch residues and edge distortions and provide reproducible and consistent etch processes. Etching of deep structures may be time consuming, or require multiple steps. Endpoint control is required to prevent underetching and overetching, undercutting and other distortions. Etchants may include hazardous or reactive materials requiring special handling expense for safe handling, and high purity materials to prevent contamination of sensitive semiconductor structures. Furthermore, there are some materials which cannot be readily etched using conventional techniques, e.g. some dielectrics such as lithium fluoride, lithium niobate.
Therefore a need exists for development of alternative methods for patterning brittle materials, and particularly semiconductor materials, which would for example avoid multiple step etching for patterning through multi-layer structures, and allow rapid deep patterning, and be applicable to an extended list of materials.

Method of patterning semiconductor materials and other brittle materials


A wood golf club head includes a golf club head cavity, a steel ball within the golf club head cavity, and a permanent magnet plate attached to the back side of the club head cavity whereby upon hitting the golf ball, the steel ball moves and hits an inner sweet point corresponding to a sweet point of the front surface face of golf club head, so that the struck ball will fly in a straight direction and in a longer distance compared with an expected golf ball distance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf club head having a weight distributing system and more particularly, to a wood type golf club head having an integrally formed steel ball within the club head cavity so as to have improved performance characteristics resulting from strategic changes in weight dispensation of the steel ball.
2. Description of Related Art
Several types of golf club heads having a movable weight therein such as golf club drivers are known in the art.
Golf is a game which requires exacting techniques to achieve a proper swing. One aspect of a proper swing relates to the swing plane which is the plane in which club should substantially move during a swing. The basic determinative factors with regard to the position of a golfer's swing plane is his or her physical stature and his or her address posture. The more a golfer bends over the ball from the waist at address, and the closer he sets his hands to his body, the more upright becomes the plane in which he naturally tends to swing. Conversely, short golfers tend to swing in a flatter plane, i.e. a less upright plane, than tall golfers because their lack of height in relation to the standard length of club shafts forces them to stand farther from the ball. The swing plane also shifts between different clubs because of differences in their relative lengths.
Another important aspect of a proper golf swing is the desirability that the head of the club strike the ball at that point of the golf swing where the club head velocity is the greatest and that such speed be maintained into the follow-through. Maximum force of impact between the club face and the ball is obtained without the club head torquing when the ball is hit in the "sweet spot" of the club head face. The sweet spot is typically located at the center of the club face and has been thought of as the location on the club face directly forward of the center of gravity of the club head. For example, a golfer may locate the sweet spot of a putter by holding it lightly between the thumb and forefinger at the top end of the grip and then gently tap the face of the putter head with an object such as a ball at different locations on the club face until the club head recoils straight back and forth like a pendulum without twisting or torquing off-line.
Accordingly, this approach does locate the sweet spot of the club while essentially at rest. However, as the club is fully swung, often in various swing planes due to swing inconsistencies of golfers of average ability, the sweet spot actually shifts due to redistribution of the mass of the club head with respect to the swing plane where it extends through the club head, and to differences in different speeds of different portions of the club head. Because the sweet spot of a club in motion is determined relative to mass and velocity of the club, it may be referred to as the center of inertia of the golf club. Such shifting of the center of inertia hampers a golfer's ability to make ball contact at the sweet spot. The further a ball is hit from the center of inertia the more it will tend to be misdirected or imparted with a side spin.
It thus is seen that a need remains for a golf club that can substantially maintain its center of inertia or sweet spot in the same location upon the club head regardless of the orientation of the plane in which the club is swung or its velocity. It is to the provision of such therefore that the present invention is primarily directed.
Also, a driver in general has a long shaft that requires a swing to take an arcuate path to meet a ball placed a distance in front of the golfer. Motion over this path introduces a torque during the swing which tends to twist the head position away from a square contact with the ball. Thus, a golfer must develop a swing that controls the club by tempo, speed and grip to address the ball squarely. Accordingly it requires a high degree of skill to address a ball properly with a wood or driver.
Metal wood golf club heads formed by a light weight durable metal shell having a hollow interior currently enjoy a high level of popularity compared with conventional wood type club head designs. Metal wood heads have been known for a number of years, as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 1,568,888 and Australian Pat. No. 211,781.
Furthermore, such golf club heads having a weight therewithin disclose U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,951,413, 5,141,230, 5,193,805, and 5,195,747. However, these patents do not disclose the use of a steel ball within a club head cavity for hitting the golf ball behind a front surface so as to improve performances such as a long distance hit, straight ahead accuracy of the golf ball, less effort of a golfer and the like.

Golf club head having a weight distributing system


A numerically controlled machine tool has at least one movement axis and is connected to a numerical controller which includes a parts program. Movements of each movement axis are limited by maximum permissible axis dynamics. The parts program has a sequence of instructions for machining a workpiece which specify different maximum desired speeds for the machining of the workpiece which change abruptly over time. The numerical controller approximates the different maximum desired speeds which change abruptly over time with a desired speed profile that is continuous over time and has a profile of the maximum desired speeds which is also continuous over time. The numerical controller uses the continuous desired speed profile to calculate the desired values of an actual movement profile of the movements for each movement axis.

The invention relates to a method for operating a numerically controlled machine tool which has at least one movement axis and is connected to a numerical controller.
The invention further relates to a machine tool with a numerical controller.
The main task of a machine tool is the production of workpieces by relative movements between the tool and the workpiece. For this purpose, a numerical controller (NC controller) connected to the machine tool has to generate desired values for axis movements, which create a contour on the workpiece corresponding to a production drawing or CAD design. To make the contour information for the workpiece to be produced accessible to the numerical controller, the contour information has to be transferred into a control program that is uniform for different control systems and different machine types. A control program of this type for manufacturing workpieces is usually called a parts program or NC program. The parts program is structured in blocks, wherein it comprises blocks representing a movement to a target point including corresponding boundary conditions. The corresponding source text for the blocks, also called G code, is binding for all controller manufacturers, but can be supplemented or extended by manufacturer-specific cycles or functions.
EP 0 530 790 A2 describes a parts program with which individual sets or blocks are expanded such that they specify the relative movement between a tool and a workpiece in the starting-point and end-point regions for automatic control of the linear and rotary axes. For example, the feedrate within a block can be controlled on the basis of preset rules without dividing a machining path into a plurality of blocks for controlling the feedrate. In a further embodiment, the rules comprise automatic deceleration of the feedrate at the start and end of workpiece machining and automatic acceleration of the feedrate if the tool is moved without contact with the workpiece. Thus, the infeed rate is modified in dependence on the tool position relative to the workpiece. The preset rules can be changed by an operator.
In modern production using machine tools, paths for tool movements are generated, generally from digital models, throughout the entire process from computer-aided design (CAD) through production planning (CAM or computer aided manufacturing) right up to control manufacturer-dependent processing of the production data (PP or post processing in the machine tool). The CAD-CAM-PP process has in particular always been used in the field of mold-making because of the frequent use of free forms. The free forms are created as a digital model of the workpiece in the CAD system. In the CAM system, the underlying CAD model is used to generate the tool paths required for the machining in a general language (for example as G code) as output. This output is translated into the respective language of the numerical controller.
To produce a workpiece from a blank, a tool traverses the paths in the machine tool. For historical reasons, in an NC program, these path specifications are initially small linear movements, i.e. in the NC program, the G1 blocks describing the movements of the tool of the machine tool relative to the workpiece. Since these linear pieces only approximate the original digital model and force the machine tool at each transition from one linear piece to another (small corner) to decelerate and re-accelerate the movement, different controller manufacturers have developed algorithms that convert these path parts, within tolerances, into polynomials, splines or similar continuously and usually also continuously differentiable curves in order to produce an as uniform as possible movement of the machine tool.
For example, in the article "Real-time NURBS interpolator: application to short linear Segments", published in Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2009), Volume 41, pages 1169 to 1185, Jun-Bin Wang and Hong-Tzong Yau describe a real-time, non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) interpolator that approximates a plurality of short linear segments in real-time by NURBS curves. The geometric properties of the approximated curves and the dynamics of the servomotor controller are used as the basis for the derivation of a modified equation for the maximum infeed rate.
The article "Adaptive interpolation scheme for NURBS curves with the integration of machining dynamics" by Xianbing Liu, Fahad Amad, Kazuo Yamazahki and Masahiko Mor, published in International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture (2005), Volume 45, pages 433 to 444 also describes the use of non-rational B-spline (NURBS) curves that simultaneously take account of the requirements for constant infeed speed and profile chord accuracy and also integrate the machine dynamics in the integrated process in real time. Herein, the machine dynamics are taken into account from three points of view: the shape of the corners or corners that are tricky with respect to the infeed rate, parts with high frequencies or with frequencies that come close to those of the natural frequencies of the machine and strong jerks.
The article "Feedrate Interpolation with axis jerk constraints on 5-axis NURBS and GI tool path" by Beudaert, Lavemhe, Tounier, published in the International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture (2012), Volume 57, pages 73 to 82, describes an algorithm for determining an optimum infeed rate profile from the specifications of an NC program. Herein, the kinematic characteristics of the machine are used as efficiently as possible. In addition, account is taken of both tangential jerks and axis jerks.
A consideration of the decisive technological parameters in mold making, such as, for example, feedrate value and spindle speed reveals that in finish-machining for example—with milling this is, for example, the smoothing process—these are generally kept constant for the tool that completes the final workpiece. This means that only one feed value and one spindle speed are specified for the tool for the entire finish-machining process.
Keeping the technology parameters constant causes the tooth engagement to remain uniform and the forces on the tool cutting edge to remain similar. Both produce a very harmonious and uniform surface structure at least in wide surface areas. However, there are also surface areas in which this approach, namely keeping the decisive technology parameters constant, does not work optimally. Examples of such surface areas are, for example, areas in which the milling cutter radius is similar to the contour radius. At these surface areas, there is a high tool wrap through the contour. This can result in undesirable vibrations during the workpiece machining.
With newer, more technology-oriented CAM algorithms, the primary emphasis is on further technology parameters, such as, for example, infeed per cut, infeed width, chip volume, wrap angle etc. which supplant or reduce the importance of the conventional parameters, path feed and spindle speed. With these CAM algorithms, the calculation of the tool paths takes account of inter alia the tool data, machining geometry, material used and the performance data of the CNC machine. The advantages of these new technology-oriented CAM algorithms are shorter machining time and better workpiece surfaces. The disadvantages of technology-oriented CAM algorithms are more specific machining tools since the work tends to be performed at the load limit of the tools and significantly more complex NC parts programs resulting from adherence to the load limits of the tools.
For example, more extensively technology-oriented CAM algorithms have resulted in the NC parts program being expanded in that the feedrate is now changed multiple times in order to keep the time-chip volume constant and not to overload the milling tool. This gives rise to the problem or the requirement that these frequently-changing feed specifications should not be implemented abruptly or immediately on the machine but should change as uniformly and continuously as possible between the feed functions and processed by the controller and implemented by the machine in a logical manner. Even in the case of other CAM algorithms, increasing use is being made of the option of varying the feedrate if the machining conditions so require.
For production and economic reasons, turbine blades, for example, are produced on specially developed machine tools or on machine tools that have been optimized in this regard. Hence, generally only one or very few, very similar production processes are "set" or planned on the machine tool. This enables such a specialized and optimized machine tool to produce high-precision turbine blades. When setting or optimizing the machine tool, care is taken to ensure that the operating point, i.e. the tip of the milling cutter, is located ideally in the pivot point of the two rotary axes. This has the advantage that a necessary movement caused by the rotary axes has to be compensated by minute compensatory movements of the linear axes. This means that the machine axes can be set and optimized virtually independently of one another. The result of the possibility of setting the machine axes independently of one another is now, for example for the aforementioned critical areas of turbine-blade machining, that the rotary axes, which have to travel less quickly on the profile upper side and lower side (less critical areas) and more quickly on the profile nose and the profile trailing edge (critical areas) due to the necessary reorientation, can be optimized or limited to the respective critical area. The limitation is achieved by reducing the respective rotary axis dynamics. This influences the milling such that the requirements for accuracy and requirements of cost-effectiveness are achieved exclusively by changed specifications for the axis dynamics. The machine tool machines the turbine blades at the profile nose and profile trailing edge slowly and precisely due to the strong reorientations and quickly at the upper and lower edges of the profile due to the weak reorientations.
The invention is based on the object of disclosing a method for operating the numerically controlled machine tool mentioned in the introduction, which makes it possible, regardless of the type of machine tool and/or the axis dynamics of the machine tool, to transform different feed values specified in the parts program into as uniform as possible relative movements between a tool and a workpiece in the machine tool.
The invention is also based on the object of disclosing a machine tool embodied to carry out the operating method.

Method for operating a numerically controlled machine tool, and machine tool therefor


An electro-optic resonant cavity is used to achieve phase modulation with lower driving voltages. Laser damage thresholds are inherently higher than with previously used integrated optics due to the utilization of bulk optics. Phase modulation is achieved at higher speeds with lower driving voltages than previously obtained with non-resonant electro-optic phase modulators. The instant scheme uses a data locking dither approach as opposed to the conventional sinusoidal locking schemes. In accordance with a disclosed embodiment, a resonant cavity modulator has been designed to operate at a data rate in excess of 100 Mbps. By carefully choosing the cavity finesse and its dimension, it is possible to control the pulse switching time to within 4 ns and to limit the required switching voltage to within 10 V. Experimentally, the resonant cavity can be maintained on resonance with respect to the input laser signal by monitoring the fluctuation of output intensity as the cavity is switched. This cavity locking scheme can be applied by using only the random data sequence, and without the need of additional dithering of the cavity. Compared to waveguide modulators, the resonant cavity has a comparable modulating voltage requirement. Because of its bulk geometry, resonant cavity modulator has the potential of accommodating higher throughput power. Furthermore, mode matching into a bulk device is easier and typically can be achieved with higher efficiency. On the other hand, unlike waveguide modulators which are essentially traveling wave devices, the resonant cavity modulator requires that the cavity be maintained in resonance with respect to the incoming laser signal. An additional control loop is incorporated into the modulator to maintain the cavity on resonance.

Coherent optical communication technology can provide improved receiver sensitivity compared to direct detection systems in many applications. By amplifying the weak incident signal with a strong local oscillator (LO) output, the system can overcome thermal noise limitations and achieve near quantum-limited sensitivity. In addition, coherent reception offers a better background noise rejection capability since the spectral filtering is performed at the intermediate frequency where the bandwidth can be much more selective. The bandwidth selective nature of the coherent receiver can also lead to a more efficient use of the optical spectrum and the potential of multiple-access communications over a single lasing bandwidth.
In order to realize the full benefits of the coherent system, it is desirable that the transmitted optical signal be phase encoded. Phase encoding provides optimal energy efficiency, and is particularly desirable for deep-space missions where the signal power is at a premium. At the receiving end, the optical signal is coherently detected by spatially mixing the incoming signal with a local oscillator laser output and then detecting it using a balanced detector receiver. Phase modulation of semiconductor lasers can be accomplished by modulating the injection current density and hence the instantaneous frequency of the laser. For CW lasers such as diode pumped solid state lasers an external modulator will be required. Bulk electro-optical (EO) phase modulation often requires high modulation voltage that is not practical to achieve in a flight system. Several approaches can be used to lower the driving voltage requirement. The techniques include travelling wave modulators with long interaction lengths and waveguide modulators with narrow channels (C. M. Gee, G. D. Thurmond and H. W. Yen, "Travelling-Wave Electro-Optic Modulator", Appl. Opt., Vol. 22, No. 13, pp. 2034-2037, July, 1983; I. P. Kaminow, J. R. Carruthers, E. H. Turner, and L. W. Stulz, "Thin-Film LiNbO.sub.3 Electro-Optic Light Modulator", Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 22, No. 10, pp. 540-542, May, 1973). Resonant modulators in which the optical and RF modulation signals are both resonated to improve the modulation efficiency have also been proposed and implemented (T. F. Gallagher, N. H. Tran and J. P. Watjen, "Principles of Resonant Cavity Optical Modulator", Appl. Opt., Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 510-514, Feb. 1986; W. J. Stewart, I. Bennion and M. J. Goodwin, "Electro-Optic Resonant Waveguide Modulation", Tenth European Conference On Optical Communication, Sept. 1984). In order to match the group velocity of optical and RF signals, however, these devices tend to have a narrow modulation bandwidth and cannot be extended to broadband operation needed for data modulation. An alternative is to use only a resonant optical cavity which enhances the interaction length without complex electrode configuration to match the optical and electronic group velocity (W. J. Stewart, I. Bennion and M. J. Goodwin, "Resonant Modulation", Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A313, p. 401, 1984). Since no electrical resonator is used, the method can in principle be operated at near demodulation frequency. The upper limit of modulation bandwidth is limited by the finesse and hence the cavity lifetime. A resonant ring cavity using this principle has been under investigation for coherent communication (T. J. Kane and R. W. Wallace, "Coherent Communication Link Using Diode-Pumped Lasers", Final Report for Contract NAS5-30487 for NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, August 1989). The present invention relates to an electro-optic resonant phase modulator which as been designed to operate at 100 Mbps. Previously, resonant cavities have also been explored for amplitude modulation (F. R. Nash and P. W. Smith, "Broadband Optical Coupling Modulation", IEEE J. Quantum Electron, Vol. QE-4, pp. 26-34, 1968; D. M. Henderson an V. A. Vilnrotter, "Optical Coupling Modulation In Travelling-Wave Cavities", Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 30, No. 7, pp. 335-337, April 1977). The concept of resonant cavity has also been extended to temperature sensors and high-speed signal processing (R.R.A. Syms, "Resonant Cavity Sensor for Integrated Optics", IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, Vol QE-21, No. 4, April, 1985) and a passive resonant ring cavity laser gyroscope has been investigated as an alternative to the standard Sagnac interferometer laser gyroscope (K. A. Pugh, "Design, Construction, and Analysis of An Ultra-Low Expansion Quartz Resonant Cavity Passive Ring Resonator Laser Gyroscope", Master of Science Thesis, Air Force Institute of Technology Air University, March 1982).

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


A heat sink assembly 10 having a component clip 24 for mounting an electronic component 12. The heat sink body 16 includes a planar mounting surface 26 providing flexible positioning for the component 12. The heat sink body 16 is affixed to the circuit board 14 by a mounting rail 20 providing flexible positioning of the heat sink body 16 on the circuit board 14.

Many electronic components such as integrated circuits, transistors, rectifiers and the like can generate large amounts of heat. In many products it is common to attach the electronic component to a "finned" heat sink which conducts heat away from the electronic component package and transfers the heat to the ambient air. Smaller heat sinks may be directly attached to the electronic component. These small heat sinks are supported by the electronic package. Larger heat sinks are usually mechanically mounted to the printed circuit board and the electronic component is mounted to the heat sink with a screw or the like.
Conventional heat sink assemblies suffer from several defects. Typically the location of the electrical component on the sink is fixed by a screw hole and the location of the sink on the printed circuit board is fixed by a screw hole as well. As a consequence, tolerance stacking between these various elements makes it difficult to achieve rapid automated mounting and assembly of the electronic component and the heat sink assembly. Although screw attachment can generate high clamping forces in excess of 100 lbs force, they are easily stripped if they are over torqued. Also each heat sink is generally specially made for the particular application which increases the cost of the heat sink assembly.


A display device and an image processing method thereof are provided. An image processing method of a display device, according to the present disclosure, comprises the steps of: dividing a display unit of the display device into a plurality of regions; measuring brightness expression performance of the display device, including a value of a relation between the average brightness of the display unit and the brightness of one region among the plurality of regions; calculating an average brightness of an image inputted to the display device; mapping, to the measured brightness expression performance, the calculated average brightness of the inputted image; adjusting the brightness of a region, excluding an emphasized region, of the inputted image so as to generate an adjusted image; and outputting the adjusted image.

A dynamic range of a display device indicates a ratio of the brightest gradation in comparison with the darkest gradation that can be expressed by a display. A recent display device has a broader dynamic range and can express high brightness, thereby enabling an expression of a high dynamic range (HDR) image.
In order to display, on a display device, images produced to have a higher level of brightness than the brightness of the display device, a process for processing image quality is required. If the image is expressed on a HDR display device without any image quality processing process, an unnatural image is generated. Therefore, a tone mapping technology, i.e. a technology for modifying the produced image to be suitable for the HDR display, is required.

Method for processing image, and display device


In some embodiments, a microphone system includes a multi-bit delta-sigma modulator configured to be coupled to a microphone and configured to covert an output of the microphone into a first digital signal with a multi-bit resolution at a first output of the multi-bit delta-sigma modulator. The microphone system also includes a digital noise shaper coupled to the first output of the multi-bit delta-sigma modulator, and configured to convert a multi-bit digital input of the digital noise shaper into a one-bit digital signal.

The term microelectromechanical system (MEMS) is often used to refer to small integrated devices or systems that combine electrical and mechanical components. Microphones may be implemented as MEMS, e.g., small microphones comprising mechanical components such as membranes and electrical components for measuring sound pressure levels.
A MEMS microphone includes a pressure-sensitive membrane or diaphragm disposed in a silicon chip. The MEMS microphone (also referred to as MEMS sensor) may be packaged together with an amplifier. The MEMS microphone and the amplifier may be located on different chips or on the same chip. The MEMS microphone may also include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit making it a digital MEMS microphone, also referred to as a digital silicon microphone (SiMIC). Digital silicon microphones are widely used in various systems and applications such as mobile phones, laptops and other digital mobile devices.
Sensitivity requirements for digital SiMICs may vary drastically depending on the applications. High signal-to-noise ratios are expected of modern digital SiMICs. In addition to supporting audio band signal transmission, digital SiMICs may support other frequency band of operation, e.g., ultra-sound band. There is a need for high-performance digital SiMICs that can support different performance requirements and/or different frequency bands of operation.

Digital silicon microphone with configurable sensitivity, frequency response and noise transfer function


The present invention relates to demodulation of radio signals from a base station having collocated transmit antennas, and more particularly to signaling allocation information from a base station to a mobile terminal. The allocation information may include timeslot and code information of allocation to other mobile terminals. Some embodiments of the present invention facilitate a mobile terminal's ability to receive and demodulate a signal containing multiple interfering signals by communicating codes allocated to other mobile terminals.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to processing radio signals in a CDMA system, and more particularly to signaling allocation information including, for example, which codes in which timeslots have been assigned to mobile terminals.
2. Description of Related Art
A cellular radio system or network may include multiple base stations and a number of mobile terminals. A base station may also be referred to as a node B. A mobile terminal may also be referred to as a mobile, a mobile radio, mobile transceiver or user equipment (UE). A mobile terminal may be fixed, stationary, portable, moveable and/or moving within a cell or between cells. A single base station may serve multiple mobile terminals by transmitting separable transmissions to each mobile terminal. A mobile terminal may determine which signals were directed to it and separate those signals from signals directed to other mobile terminals.
Signals may be separated in one or more domains. For example, signals may be separated in the time domain by transmitting time division multiple access (TDMA) modulated signals. Additionally, signals may be separated in the frequency domain by transmitting frequency division multiple access (FDMA) modulated signals. Also, signals may be separated in the code domain by transmitting code division multiple access (CDMA) modulated signals. Signals may be separated in the spatial domain by transmitting signals from collocated antennas. A cellular radio system may also employ a combination of these and/or other separation techniques.
In a CDMA system, multiple users may be supported via spread spectrum techniques. In a direct sequence CDMA system, a data payload is encoded with a code that may be orthogonal or pseudo-orthogonal to other codes. A mobile terminal may receive a CDMA modulated signal and may perform various demodulation operations such as matched filtering with one or more codes assigned to that mobile terminal.
When a base station modulates and transmits a CDMA signal encoded with a particular code, a mobile terminal may use a matched filter and the particular code assigned to it to produce a high output out of the matched filter. A matched filter using the particular code will produce a low output for signals directed to other mobile terminals, which are assigned other codes. As a result, a mobile terminal decodes only those signals with high matched filter outputs and therefore directed to it. Similarly, a mobile terminal rejects those signals with a low matched filter output and presumably directed towards a different mobile terminal.
Direct sequence CDMA systems commonly use either a frequency division duplex (FDD) scheme or a time division duplex (TDD) scheme. In an FDD system, communication between a mobile terminal and a base station occurs on two non-overlapping frequency bands. In a TDD system, communication between a mobile terminal and a base station may occur within a single frequency range. In either case, a data payload is transmitted between a mobile terminal and a base station. Uplink data or uplink traffic is transmitted from a mobile terminal to a base station. Downlink data or downlink traffic is transmitted from a base station to a mobile terminal.
In an FDD system, frequency separation is employed. Uplink traffic is transmitted at one center frequency and downlink traffic is transmitted at a different center frequency. The uplink and downlink may operate concurrently. That is, a mobile terminal may transmit data to a base station on an uplink at the same time that the base station is transmitting data on a downlink to the mobile terminal. The frequency separation in FDD systems ensures that the uplink does not interfere with the downlink.
In contrast, a TDD system employs temporal separation. A TDD system may transmit uplink and downlink data within a single frequency range, but at different times. An air interface link between a group of mobile terminals and a base station in a TDD cell may be organized in the time domain as a sequence of frames. Each frame may be arranged as a set of timeslots. Some timeslots may be allocated to uplink traffic while other timeslots may be allocated to downlink traffic. Each timeslot may be further subdivided in the code domain using a set of codes. Data is separated into codes with different orthogonal or pseudo-orthogonal codes from the set of codes. In order to facilitate decoding, the data transmitted on the code is separated into a data payload encoded with different orthogonal or pseudo-orthogonal codes, a training sequence and a guard period; the resulting structure consisting of data payload, training sequence and guard period is referred to as a burst.
To implement spatial diversity, a TDD base station may use two or more antennas. During downlink timeslots, a first set of bursts transmitted during a timeslot through a first antenna may be directed towards first group of mobile terminals and a second set of bursts transmitted during the same timeslot through a second antenna may be directed towards second group of mobile terminals. The first and second groups of mobile terminals may contain the same and/or different mobile terminals.
A base station may allocate a group one or more codes from one or more timeslots of a frame for downlink traffic. This allocation may be made for a first mobile terminal. A mobile terminal may receive data at higher rates with each additional code of a timeslot assigned to it. Furthermore, a base station may make these allocations in concurrent timeslots, each timeslot to be transmitted simultaneously over a different antenna. The base station informs each mobile terminal that it will receive downlink data by informing the mobile terminal of its allocated timeslots and codes. A mobile terminal then monitors the timeslots and decodes signals with the codes allocated to that mobile terminal.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical frame structure for a TDD cellular radio network. A single TDD radio frame 100 may consist of 15 timeslots (Timeslots 1-16). Each timeslot consists of a set of bursts, the set may have up to 16 active coded signals using Codes 1-16. A base station transmits (on the downlink) zero, one or more bursts with one or more coded signals contained in each burst. Similarly, one or more mobile terminals each transmit zero, one or more bursts on the uplink, each burst containing one or more coded signals. The separate bursts on the uplink may be received as a single combined set of bursts by the base station.
A network may split a frame into downlink timeslots 101 and uplink timeslots 102. A network may make a symmetric division of downlink and uplink timeslots when mobile terminals transmit a similar volume of data as they receive. A network may configure an asymmetric service when a majority of the data flows in one direction. For example, interne traffic typically occupies a much larger volume of downlink data than up uplink data.
Frame 100 is configured to have 10 downlink timeslots (Timeslots 1-10) 101 and 5 uplink timeslots (Timeslots 11-15) 102. Also shown is allocation information for three mobile terminals (Terminals 1-3). The network has allocated four codes (Codes 3-6) of a single timeslot (Timeslot 3) to Terminal 1. These four codes are not shared with other mobile terminals. Also, the timeslot happens not to be shared with other mobile terminals and no codes are used in the timeslots just before or just after, therefore Terminal 1 should not suffer from intracell interference.
The network has allocated 6 codes to Terminals 2, namely Codes 2 & 3 in each of Timeslots 5-7. The network has also allocated 8 codes to Terminals 3, namely Codes 6 & 7 in each of Timeslots 5-8. Signals transmitted to Terminals 2 and 3 are multiplexed in each Timeslots 5, 6 and 7, therefore, the signals in these timeslots directed to one mobile terminal may interfere with signals directed to the other mobile terminal. Timeslot 8 is not code multiplexed with any other terminal except Terminal 3, therefore, Terminal 3 does not receive interference from other codes in Timeslot 8.
A typical TDD timeslot burst may contain multiple coded signals. Each burst may be considered as including three portions: a data payload, a training sequence and a guard period. Although the order and size of these portions within a burst may vary from system to system, a training sequence will typically be inserted as a midamble between two halves of the data payload. Alternatively, a training sequence may be placed at the head (preamble) or tail (postamble) of the data payload. Additionally, the guard period will typically be appended to the end and/or the beginning of the data payload and training sequence.
FIG. 2 illustrates segments of a TDD coded signal 200 from a single burst of one timeslot. The coded signal 200 includes a data payload (part 1) 201 followed by a midamble training sequence 202 followed by a remainder of the data payload (part 2) 203 followed by a guard period 204. This format of data payload 201, 203, training sequence 202 and guard period 204 may be used in cellular radio networks such as in a UTRA TDD mode system as specified by the third generation partnership project (3GPP).
In each timeslot, a set of bursts may be transmitted, where the burst contains one coded signal for each active code. Each coded signal may contain a unique training sequence or may contain a training sequence used by one or more of the other coded signals. A set of bursts may be distorted by a propagation environment in which a cellular radio system operates. The environment may provide multiple paths between a base station antenna and a mobile terminal antenna. A resulting radio channel may not be a perfect channel but rather a channel that combines delayed versions of a transmitted signal. For example, a signal transmitted from a base station and directed towards a mobile terminal may take multiple paths and these signal paths may be of different lengths. Hence, a burst or a signal may arrive at the mobile terminal as multiple facsimiles of the transmitted signal and each facsimile may arrive at different times due to the different length paths. A sequence of symbols within the signal may thus destructively interfere with each other.
For example, a transmitted signal traveling a short path arrives at a receiver first. The same transmitted signal traveling a longer path may appear at the receiver as a delayed version of the first received signal. Therefore, a first symbol traveling a longer path may arrive at a receiver at the same time a subsequent symbol traveling a shorter path arrives at the receiver. The mobile terminal may receive a signal comprised of a combination of one or more delayed versions of the transmitted signal. This phenomenon of overlapping symbols is known as intersymbol interference and may be caused by multipath propagation.
Intersymbol interference caused by multipath propagation also reduces orthogonality among signals having different codes. This loss of orthogonality among codes leads to a degradation in correlation properties and lower overall system performance. Furthermore, intersymbol interference may increase interference experienced by two signals having different codes transmitted in the same timeslot.
Referring to FIG. 1 for example, intersymbol interference may cause a loss of orthogonality among Codes 2, 3, 6 and 7 directed to Terminals 2 and 3 in each of Timeslots 5, 6 and 7. Additionally, intersymbol interference may cause a loss of orthogonality between Codes 6 and 7 of Terminal 3 in Timeslot 8. Unless a network employs mitigation techniques to reduce the impact of multipath, system performance may degrade.
A mobile terminal receiver may receive a signal containing traffic directed both to itself and to other mobile terminals. The mobile terminal receiver uses its assigned codes to extract data directed just to it. The encoded data directed to other mobile terminals in the same timeslot and from the same or a different antenna may interfere with the mobile terminal's reception and data extraction. A base station may increase its transmit power to compensate and overcome a perceived interference. Increasing transmit power, however, also increases interference in a network. Therefore, other means to process interfering signals may be useful.


A gearshift mechanism for a synchronized gear change transmission of a motor vehicle, having a gearshift sleeve which is displaceably supported on a synchronizer body and which can be brought into operative engagement with a gear wheel via at least one synchronizer ring. To support the synchronization process, first and second recesses are formed in the inner peripheral face of the gearshift sleeve, and locking blocks with a spring-loaded ball are provided on the synchronizer body, which engage in the recesses in certain shift positions.

The present invention relates to a gearshift mechanism for a synchronized gear change transmission having a gear shift sleeve displaceably supported on a synchronizer body, which can be brought into operative engagement with a gear wheel by means of at least one synchronizer ring, such that, to support the synchronization process, first and second recesses are formed in the inner peripheral face of the gearshift sleeve and locking blocks with a spring-loaded ball which engage in the recesses in certain shift positions are provided on the synchronizer body, such that the recesses have lateral slopes by means of which the axial contact forces applied against the synchronizer ring can be produced with different force peaks in cooperation with the ball as the gearshift sleeve is displaced, characterized in that, for a preliminary and subsequent synchronization, the first and second recesses formed in the inner peripheral face of the gearshift sleeve are radially and axially offset relative to one another and each cooperates with a spring-loaded ball.
DE 44 04 093 C2 describes generic gearshift synchronization, proposing two recesses formed in succession in the inner peripheral face of the gearshift sleeve and separated from one another by overpass edges to
prevent so-called gear grinding in gear synchronization. When the gearshift sleeve is displaced, these two recesses cooperate with a spring-loaded ball fixed in a locking block in the synchronizer body. With the second recess directly adjacent to the first recess, a second peak of force is produced via the spring-loaded ball, by which a corresponding subsequent synchronization can be achieved.
An object of the invention is to further improve preliminary and subsequent synchronization for a synchronized gearshift mechanism.
This object has been attained by providing that for a preliminary and subsequent synchronization, the first and second recesses formed in the inner peripheral face of the gearshift sleeve are radially and axially offset relative to one another and each cooperates with a spring-loaded ball.
Through radially and axially offset recesses formed in the inner peripheral face of the gearshift sleeve, greater freedom in the geometric configuration of the recesses and/or the spherical bodies cooperating with the recesses can now be advantageously achieved. As a result, the axial overthrust forces with force peaks of different magnitudes necessary for optimal preliminary and subsequent synchronization can be generated.
By a different geometric configuration of the first and the second recesses or the spring-loaded balls cooperating with the recesses, the optimal overthrust forces required for preliminary and subsequent synchronization can also be generated.
In addition to the different geometric configuration of the recesses and/or the balls, different spring characteristics may also be used to influence the overthrust force.

Shifting device for a synchronized gear change transmission

Abstract: For preliminary and subsequent synchronization, the first and second recesses formed in the inner peripheral face of the gearshift sleeve be radially and axially offset and each cooperate with a spring-loaded ball.

Dr. Ing h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft