A brake-fluid reflux type anti-skid brake control system for an automotive vehicle, comprises a main brake-fluid line fluidly disposed between a master cylinder and a wheel cylinder for supplying a brake fluid from the master cylinder to the wheel cylinder during usual braking, a brake-fluid reflux line arranged in parallel with the main line for returning the brake fluid from the wheel cylinder to the master cylinder side during operation of the system, directional control valves arranged for controlling the respective fluid flow in the main brake-fluid line and in the reflux line, depending upon a skidding condition of a vehicle wheel, and a plunger type control valve arranged between the outlet port of the master cylinder and an upstream junction of the main line and the reflux line. The control valve is responsive to a fluid pressure representing whether the anti-skid brake control system is in an operative state or in an inoperative state, in a manner so as to provide a constricted brake-fluid flow therethrough to the wheel cylinder in the operative state of the system and to provide a full brake-fluid flow therethrough to the wheel cylinder in the inoperative state of the system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive anti-skid brake control system generally abbreviated as an "ABS", and specifically to a brake-fluid reflux type anti-skid brake control system which can provide a wheel-cylinder pressure moderately intensifying characteristic at an ABS pressure intensifying mode at which the wheel-cylinder pressure is intensified during operation of the ABS. Such a wheel-cylinder pressure moderately intensifying characteristic will be hereinafter referred to as an "ABS moderate pressure intensifying characteristic".
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, there have been proposed and developed various anti-skid brake control systems for preventing brakes from locking road wheels during quick braking or during braking on a low frictional road surface so as to prevent skidding. In large luxury cars and high grade vehicles, the ABS is often assembled to provide maximum effective braking, and consequently to decrease a braking distance and to enhance a directional stability of the vehicle, irrespective of the road condition. The ABS permits normal application of the brakes by alternately holding, reducing, holding, and intensifying the wheel-cylinder pressure, such that braking can be held to just below the point at which a skid would start to develop.
As is generally known, the ABS comes into operation if an electronic control unit detects that the vehicle wheel is locked during quick braking or during braking on a low frictional road surface. At the beginning of the anti-skid brake control, the ABS operates at a wheel-cylinder pressure reducing mode which will be referred to as an "ABS pressure reducing mode". In the ABS pressure reducing mode, the brake fluid in the wheel cylinder is temporarily stored in a brake fluid reservoir through a directional control valve arranged in a brake fluid reflux line. Thereafter, a fluid-pressure pump is driven in order to reflux the brake fluid in the reservoir to a hydraulic pressure supply line connected to the outlet port of the master cylinder, with the result that the wheel-cylinder pressure is gradually reduced. Since the above fluid pressure pump is driven only during operation of the ABS, the fluid pump is generally referred to as an "ABS pump". As set forth above, the wheel-cylinder pressure is reduced in accordance with the ABS pressure reducing mode. Thereafter, when the control unit detects the road wheel has been unlocked during operation of the ABS, a brake fluid introduced from the master cylinder side and a brake fluid discharged from the ABS pump and refluxed just downstream of the outlet port of the master cylinder are both fed through a directional control valve serving as a pressure intensifying valve to the wheel cylinder. Thus, the wheel-cylinder pressure is intensified again. In this manner, the wheel-cylinder pressure is suitably adjusted by the ABS, so as to effectively prevent an undesirable wheel-lock during quick braking or during braking on a low frictional road surface, while providing a reasonably high braking force.
In the prior art ABS not including an ABS moderate pressure intensifying characteristic, after the wheel-cylinder pressure control mode is changed from the ABS pressure reducing mode to the ABS pressure intensifying mode, there is a tendency for the brake fluids output from the master cylinder and the ABS pump to be rapidly fed into the wheel cylinder. Thus, there is a possibility that the wheel is locked again, due to an excessive pressure-rise. In order to solve such a problem, a more recent anti-skid brake control system employs a brake-fluid flow control valve which is arranged in the brake-fluid supply line between the master cylinder and the wheel cylinder for assuring ABS a moderate pressure intensifying characteristics at an ABS pressure intensifying mode. Such ABS with a moderate pressure intensifying characteristics has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Second Publication No. 61-16657 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,782) and Japanese Patent First Publication No. 56-82650 (corresponding to German Patent Application No. P 29 45 444.2). Such a more recent ABS employing the above brake fluid flow control valve with the ABS moderate pressure intensifying characteristic is shown in FIG. 8.
Referring now to FIG. 8, the conventional anti-skid brake control system includes a hydraulic brake circuit (corresponding to the right-half of FIG. 8) of a front wheel side for independently controlling front-right and front-left brakes and a hydraulic brake circuit (corresponding to the left-half of FIG. 8) of a rear wheel side for commonly controlling rear-right and rear-left brakes. Since the basic construction of the front-wheel-side hydraulic brake circuit is similar to that of the rear-wheel-side hydraulic brake circuit, only the rear-wheel-side brake circuit will be hereinafter described in detail for the purpose of simplification of description. In FIG. 8, the same reference numerals used in the front-wheel-side brake circuit will be applied to the corresponding elements used in the rear-wheel-side brake circuit. The conventional anti-skid brake control system includes a main brake-fluid supply line A arranged for supplying brake fluid from a master cylinder 1 to a wheel cylinder 2 during usual braking, and a brake-fluid reflux line B arranged in parallel to the supply line A for returning the brake fluid from the wheel cylinder 2 just downstream of the outlet port of the master cylinder 1. The conventional ABS includes a first electromagnetic directional control valve 3 arranged in the supply line A and mainly serving as a pressure intensifying valve, and a second electromagnetic directional control valve 4 arranged in the reflux line B and mainly serving as a pressure reducing valve. The ABS also includes a brake-fluid reservoir 5 and an ABS pump 6 in the reflux line B. With the above arrangement, the brake fluid in the wheel cylinder 2 is temporarily stored in the reservoir 5 by means of the ABS pump 6 having a driven connection with an electric motor M at the ABS pressure reducing mode and thereafter the brake fluid stored in the reservoir 5 returns just downstream of the outlet port of the master cylinder through rotation of the ABS pump at the ABS pressure intensifying mode. As clearly shown in FIG. 8, the first directional control valve 3 has a fixed orifice 7 so as to assure the ABS moderate pressure intensifying characteristics in the ABS pressure intensifying mode. The ABS operates to provide a maximum effective braking by alternately holding, reducing, holding, and intensifying the wheel-cylinder pressure if an electronic control unit (not shown) detects that the road wheel is locked during quick braking or during braking on a low frictional road surface. As seen in FIG. 8, since the normally open directional control valve 3 is opened and the normally closed directional control valve 4 is closed during usual braking, the orifice 7 provides a suitably restricted fluid flow through an orifice constriction even during usual braking. As a result, a braking response is deteriorated during usual braking due to the above orifice constriction. It is difficult to design a predetermined restricted fluid flow rate of a fixed orifice assuring a desired ABS moderate pressure intensifying characteristics, without deteriorating the braking responsiveness during usual braking.


An anchor for laminated glass includes an expansion dowel that has expansion appendices situated circumferentially, and is preferably made of a flexible material and having a conical cross-section with thickness increasing in the direction of insertion. Above the line of the expansion appendices is a circumferential groove, situated at the height of the edge of transition of the cylindrical hole into the conical hole, forming an empty space.

The invention relates to an anchor for laminated glass and a method for its setting in laminated glass in an undercut hole. The anchor is intended for fixing in laminated glass, composed of at least two layers (for instance, a support layer and an external layer), and for glazing units composed of the aforementioned set constituting a support element, a glazing cavity and an external front plate. It will be evident and understandable for a person skilled in the art that the aforementioned anchor and method for its setting may be applied also in case of other materials.
Methods for setting of anchors in laminated glass are known in the art. One of these methods consists in setting of a countersunk cap even before the lamination process. Then, a set of two glass panels with the cap set between them is laminated in a furnace under negative pressure. The connected panels have a cap set, and the cap cannot be removed. The process has some disadvantages, because during lamination at higher temperatures, the cap settles asymmetrically and askew in relation to the surface of the panels. Moreover, stresses occur resulting from the presence of the countersunk cap during the lamination process.
Other known methods for setting of the anchor in laminated glass consist in setting of a countersunk anchor in the mass of the material, not in the space between the panels. In one of these methods, the anchor is set in a conical hole with an undercut in the glass panel's depth. It is an analogous method with that used in the case of anchors for stone. The hole is not made all the way through. Then, the anchor with a protruding threaded mandrel is installed in the hole using a special machine. In another variant of this method, the anchor is set in a prepared hole, but the gap formed between the anchor and the hole requires filling with a sealant. The sealant is fed via a special hole in the anchor's sleeve.
Methods for fixing of glass using a rotule fitting are also known, and they require making a through-hole, penetrating all layers of glass. In such case, the glass panels are fixed in a visible way. The fixations of rotule fittings may be set even with the surface of the exterior wall finish or as protruding. Another method consists in cementing of steel elements using silicones for glass.
From Polish patent description No. PL166087, a coupling is known, having a spacing element in the form of a two-way bent, oval metal ring. Its bent ends abut the conical surface of the coating of the spacing cone. The front panel is characterised in that the ring is pushed onto the spacing cone, and in the undercut, its external edge abuts the wall of the drilled hole.
From another Polish patent description No. PL202352, a system with a fixing element anchored in a plate composite casing is known. The fixing element anchored in an undercut hole has an expansion cone, onto which an expansion ring is pushed. In order to enable alignment of the shift between the layers of the composite casing, the hole in the external layer has a larger diameter than that in the next layer of the composite casing. Moreover, the washer of the fixing element has an injection hole that enables filling the space between the threaded mandrel of the fixing element and the wall of the hole in the external layer of the composite casing with a sealant. A disadvantage of this solution consists in the fact that it requires using a sealant, and the anchor protrudes beyond the surface of the material.
From German paten application No. DE102009044770, an anchor set in laminated glass in a conical hole with an undercut is known. Such setting of the anchor requires making a hole in the depth of one glass panel and a through-hole in the other panel. The anchor is set using an expansion element for a countersunk cap with two sealing layers which may shift in relation to one another. A disadvantage of this solution consists in the fact that it requires using washers.
Next, in European patent No. EP1660737, a fixing device is disclosed for creation of anchorage in panels made of monolithic glass. It requires using a cover made of a flexible material and a hardenable mix on the mandrel.

Anchor for laminated glass and method for setting of the anchor in laminated glass


An electronic apparatus includes: a power supply circuit that supplies power supply voltage to a load; an overcurrent detection circuit that performs output of detection information indicating the direction of current at a power supply path for the load in the power supply circuit when overcurrent occurs in the power supply path; and a determination circuit that performs output of notification information indicating whether or not a location at which a failure occurs exists within the power supply circuit or outside the power supply circuit, based on the detection information.

Among power supply circuits each of which supplies power to a load, there is a power supply circuit including a function to detect overcurrent caused by an electric short-circuit or the like on a power supply path. For example, a parallel multiple chopper device has been proposed in which current is detected on the output side of a plurality of switching elements, and all of the switching elements are turned off when output current of any one of the switching elements exceeds a certain threshold value.
In addition, as an example of a technology related to a power supply circuit, a power supply system has been proposed in which, except a case in which a drooping characteristic appears in output voltage, it is determined that a failure occurs in a power supply unit when the output voltage falls below a rated voltage. Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-271069 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-88254 are the related arts.
An electric short-circuit on a power supply path may occur even inside the power supply circuit or on the load side, so that it is difficult to determine whether or not the cause location is inside the power supply circuit even when the power supply circuit detects occurrence of overcurrent. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes a long time to identify and replace a device in which a failure has occurred, and recover the operation.
An object of an embodiment is to provide an electronic apparatus, a power supply device, and a power supply monitoring method in which a recovery work from the occurrence of the overcurrent is streamlined.

Electronic apparatus, power supply device, and power supply monitoring method


A transgenic animal in which GSK-3β protein is over-expressed is useful as a model for neurodegenerative disease.

Alzheimer's disease, (AD), is the most common neurodegenerative disease in developed countries, and is characterized by progressive memory loss and impairments in language and behavior that ultimately lead to death (Alzheimer, 1911; Yankner, 1996). The cognitive decline in AD is accompanied by neuronal atrophy and loss mainly in cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala (Gomez-Isla et al., 1997). In addition to a specific pattern of neuronal cell death, AD is characterized by two neuropathological hallmarks, senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs).
Senile plaques are extracellular deposits of amyloid fibrils made of the 39-43 amino acid β-amyloid peptide (AB) often surrounded by dystrophic neurites (Glenner and Wong, 1984; Masters et al., 1985; Selkoe, 1994).
NFTs are intraneuronally generated aggregates of paired helical filaments (PHFs) which are assembled from hyperphosphorylated forms of the microtubule-associated protein tau (Greenberg et al., 1992; Grundke-Iqbal et al., 1986; Lee et al., 1991; Morishima-Kawashima et al., 1995). NFTs can be found in all brain regions undergoing degeneration in AD and their spatio-temporal pattern of appearance correlates well with that of cell death and symptomatology (Arriagada et al., 1992; Braak and Braak, 1991; Gomez-Isla et al., 1997).
Molecular insights into AD pathogenesis have arisen from genetic studies in families affected by inherited forms of AD (FAD). These account for only a small percentage of AD cases but have allowed the identification of mutations in three different genes that are responsible for triggering the disease. These genes are the presenilins-1 and -2 (PS-1 and PS-2) and the amyloid precursor protein (APP) (Hardy, 1996). Mutations in APP result in increased production of Aβ (Price and Sisodia, 1998) while PS-1 and PS-2 mutations favor processing of APP into the long and most amyloidogenic form of Aβ (Aβ42) (Citron et al., 1997; Duff et al., 1996; Price and Sisodia, 1998; Scheuner et al., 1996). This genetic evidence together with in vitro and in vivo studies of Aβ induced neurotoxicity point to Aβ formation and/or aggregation as a key event in triggering AD.
Little is known about downstream intracellular effectors that account for neuronal dysfunction, although activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) has been proposed.
GSK-3β is a proline directed serine/threonine kinase that was originally identified due to its role in glycogen metabolism regulation and that is most abundant in the CNS (Woodgett, 1990). Apart from being implicated in insulin and IGF-1 mediated signal transduction, GSK-3β is also involved in the wnt/wingless signaling pathway as the key enzyme regulating β-catenin stability and, as a consequence, its translocation to the nucleus and its transcriptional activity (Anderton, 1999; Earth et al., 1997).
GSK-3β is one of the best candidate enzymes for generating the hyperphosphorylated tau that is characteristic of PHFs (Lovestone and Reynolds, 1997). GSK-3β can be purified from microtubules (Ishiguro et al., 1988) and has been shown to phosphorylate tau in most sites hyperphosphorylated in PHFs both in transfected cells (Lovestone et al., 1994) and in vivo (Hong et al., 1997; Munoz-Montano et al., 1997). Furthermore, GSK-3β accumulates in the cytoplasm of pretangle neurons and its distribution in brains staged for AD neurofibrillary changes is coincident with the sequence of development of these changes (Pei et al., 1999; Shiurba et al., 1996).
Exposure of cortical and hippocampal primary neuronal cultures to Aβ has been shown to induce activation of GSK-3β (Takashima et al., 1996), tau hyperphosphorylation (Busciglio et al., 1995; Ferreira et al., 1997; Takashima et al., 1998), and cell death (Busciglio et al., 1995; Estus et al., 1997; Forloni et al., 1993; Loo et al., 1993; Pike et al., 1991; Takashima et al., 1993). Blockade of GSK-3β expression or activity, either by antisense oligonucleotides or by lithium, prevents Aβ induced neurodegeneration of cortical and hippocampal primary cultures (Alvarez et al., 1999; Takashima et al., 1993).
PS-1 has been shown to directly bind GSK-3β and tau in coimmunoprecipitation experiments from human brain samples (Takashima et al., 1998). Thus, the ability of PS-1 to bring GSK-3β and tau into close proximity suggests that PS-1 may regulate phosphorylation of tau by GSK-3β. Mutant forms of PS-1 in transfection experiments result in increased PS-1/GSK-3β association and increased phosphorylation of tau (Takashima et al., 1998). Furthermore, PS-1 has also been shown to form a complex with the GSK-3β substrate β-catenin in transfected cells (Murayama et al., 1998; Yu et f al., 1998) and in vivo Yu et al., 1998; Zhang et al., 1998) and this interaction increases β-catenin stability (Zhang et al., 1998). Pathogenic PS-1 mutations reduce the ability of PS-1 to stabilize β-catenin, which in turn results in decreased β-catenin levels in AD patients with PS-1 mutations (Zhang et al., 1998).

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Clentificas


A method is described for the manufacture of structured flexible metallic patterns in which a metallic layer on a flexible substrate is structured using laser ablation. The flexible patterns manufactured in this fashion may be used as interposers (strap) for RFID tags or RFID antennas.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention refers to the manufacture of metallic patterns or structures upon a flexible substrates using the method of laser ablation and the use of the resulting metallic patterned substrates for RFID straps and RFID antennas.
2. Description of Prior Art
The name RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification and is used in specially developed systems for automatic identification of items, such as goods or persons or both, using radio transmission. An RFID system comprises a transponder and a reading device. The transponder comprises an integrated circuit microchip (chip) and an antenna. In its simplest form, the transponder is made by forming the antenna on a substrate and electrically connecting the chip to the antenna. The transponder is also known as an RFID inlay.
An RFID tag or RFID label, is a label or a tag having an embedded RFID inlay. Common commercial systems often comprise labelling (e.g., paper label materials), an inlay, a liner (carrier substrate for the inlay) and other application-specific packaging components such as printed surfaces for the labelling. See FIG. 1.
The continued and future successful commercialization of RFID systems depends upon low cost mass production processes. The prior art methods for manufacturing RFID antennas and RFID straps have reached their limits in regards to high volume production.
The case of RFID antennas provides an example of the aforementioned limitation. Antennas are usually manufactured from such materials as copper (Cu), aluminium (Al), silver (Ag), carbon in the form of graphite (C), or a conducting polymer, such as polythiophene. Accordingly, various standard technologies have been developed to process these materials into RFID antennas, for example, photo-lithographic or etching techniques, printing techniques (screen printing, engrave printing, flexo-printing), inkjet printing, galvanic techniques, sputter technologies.
There is an increasing demand for antennas to accommodate higher frequencies (for example 2.45 GHz as opposed to frequencies in the MHz range), to be more selective, to have longer transmission ranges and to have smaller dimensions. For example, in a passive RFID system, increasing the number of windings in a loop antenna of a small RFID inlay allows the tag to capture more energy to power the chip and transmit its information to an RFID reader. These antennas must be more precise and thus have less tolerance for variations in winding or loop widths. For examples of such antennas, see www.fractalantenna.com.
The above mentioned conventional technologies, however, have reached their tolerance limits and cannot manufacture such exacting antennas in a continuous process, such as in a reel-to-reel device, and therefore, these conventional technologies are not suitable for low-cost production, i.e., mass production, of these precise antennas.
Likewise current practice has reached a limit in regards to the speed in the manufacture of inlays. As discussed above, the inlay, i.e., transponder, comprises an antenna and a microchip which are electrically connected. A number of different techniques have been developed to connect the chip to the antenna, such as the flip-chip process. In this process, a robotic arm picks-up and places the chip onto the antenna. The electrical connection is achieved using isotropic or anisotropic adhesives. This process is normally performed under clean room conditions to limit contamination of the electrical connections. The placement of the chips upon the antennas must be very precise and accurate, because the dimensions of the chip's bumps, i.e., the electrical connection points of the chip, are smaller than 50 μm. Accordingly, because of the required precision and clean room conditions required, the flip-chip process represents a critical and limiting path to the high volume and high speed production of transponders.
Because of the limitations of the flip-chip process, the use of an "interposer", also called a "strap," was developed to speed up the production of inlays. A strap is a carrier for the chip. In this technique, the chip is conductively connected to a flexible substrate coated with an electrically conductive material such as a metal, i.e., the strap, and in turn, the chip-strap assembly is conductively connected to the RFID antenna. The flexible substrate may comprise an insulating polymer such as polyester, polycarbonate, polyimide, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), among others. One side of the substrate is selectively covered with metal structures. The microchip is thus electrically connected to the metal structures of the strap using conventional techniques of direct chip attachment. Such techniques are already known in the art and not discussed here.
The strap-chip assembly is then bonded to the antenna using conventional assembly techniques, thereby forming the transponder. Unlike the "direct chip attachment" to the antenna method, the strap methods require a much lower level of precision during assembly because the electrical contacts between the strap and antenna have dimensions which are in the mm range (compared with the smaller dimensions of chip's bumps). As a result it is possible to realise an assembly process in which the strap is connected with the antenna using mass production techniques, such as the use of a reel to reel device.
The bonding of the electrical contacts (pads) of the strap to the microchip, however, requires the utmost dimensional precision. Previously the conductive structures of the straps have been produced using techniques such as those discussed above, namely, screen print, ink jet, photo-lithographic techniques, and etching. These techniques have the disadvantage of offering only limited precision in terms of structural resolution. In a reel-to-reel screen print process using a special rotation screen print technique and speeds of approximately 100 meter per minute, the bonding geometries have a precision of approximately greater than 100 μm. Although photolithographic processes are able to work in dimensions of less than 100 μm, they are too slow for the reel-to-reel process because of the step and repeat procedures demanded during exposure, which increases costs. A further aspect requires illustration at this juncture. In order to achieve high assembly rates for microchips on straps when implementing a reel-to-reel technique, a key factor is the precision of the structures placed on the straps layout (arrangement of the conductive structures on the substrate) and the precision of the repeated replication of the individual layouts (i.e. distance of one interposer to the next interposer). Only by achieving high precision is it possible to reliably realise maximum accuracies and throughputs in the assembly process. Therefore, optimal image identification and replication and minimal readjustment at point of placement are crucial and decisive factors in the overall production rate of the assembly process.

Method to manufacture high-precision RFID straps and RFID antennas using a laser


Disclosed is an exhaust extension apparatus and method for converting a motorcycle exhaust system into a dual or quadruple exhaust system. The device is suited for motorcycles, off-road vehicles, or a vehicle with a reciprocating engine with multiple cylinders. Each exhaust extension unit comprises two metallic pipes shaped and welded together to form an exhaust extension unit having one exhaust intake and two equal-flow exhaust exits. Two exhaust extension units may be paired and connected to the exhaust pipes on each side of a motorcycle rider's seat, thereby providing a quadruple set of exhaust pipes and further, an increase in the performance of the engine.

(1) Field of the Invention
Motorcycles have a wide of variety of exhaust systems, including headers, exhaust pipes, and mufflers. Multi-cylinder motorcycles typically have exhaust ports on both sides of the motorcycle, wherein the exhaust gas is directed through ports leading to headers. The headers are normally routed to one side of the motorcycle into a single exhaust pipe, or dual exhaust pipes on the larger motorcycles.
An exhaust system contributes to an increase in the efficiency of a reciprocating engine by means of the length of the exhaust pipe(s) connected to the engine. A good resolution of the task of increasing efficiency is to provide for an expansion volume in the exhaust gas line into which the exhaust pipes lead, if the said volume can be made large enough. Exhaust system arrangements have been designed in a variety of ways, quite often, based on increasing the cross-sectional surface area of the exhaust pipes so as to equal or exceed the cross-sectional area of the exhaust ports.
(2) Description of the Related Art, including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,719 (Campbell 1989) the inventor has designed an exhaust system for a multiple cylinder motorcycle engine which provides that pipes leading from the exhaust ports of the engine flow into a collection chamber. The collection chamber further has two discharge pipes which terminate with a silencing device at the end of each.
U.S. design Pat. No. D454,320 (Martin, 2002) depicts two curvilinear headers which symmetrically collect exhaust gasses leading from the exhaust ports of a motorcycle engine, further extending and routed to form a closely joined curvilinear pair of exhaust pipes on one side of the motorcycle.
U.S. patent application publication US2002/0083703 (Werth, 2002) presents a manifold arrangement for multi-cylinder motorcycle engines. Essentially the system collects exhaust gasses from all cylinders and funnels into two equal-flow exhaust pipes and ultimately into a joint pipe. The joint pipe subsequently divides into two branches which recombine into a single collector pipe in which a wave impedance device is installed.
U.S. Pat. No. D467,847 (Campbell, 2002) illustrates the design for a motorcycle exhaust system comprising a single exhaust header collecting exhaust gasses leading from all the exhaust ports of the motorcycle, with the single exhaust header subsequently diverging into two flared exhaust pipes and/or mufflers.
U.S. Pat. No. D483,710 (James 2003) shows a design for a motorcycle exhaust system comprising two exhaust headers which collect exhaust gasses leading from the exhaust ports of the motorcycle, and subsequently are bent and converged into two adjacent curvilinear exhaust pipes.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,350,351 (Ueshima, A, 2008) is an exhaust system for a motorcycle wherein the system is designed to provide that the exhaust pipes are arranged suitably so that components are positioned as close as possible to the center of gravity of the motorcycle. Generally, exhaust from the right side exhaust ports of the motorcycle are routed into exhaust pipes on the right side, and similarly for the left side of the motorcycle.

Device and method for converting a motorcycle exhaust system into a multiple exhaust system


A control unit that relatively moves a headstock and tailstock and a tool to thereby machine a peripheral surface of a workpiece in a radial direction executes control such that a relative feed speed of the tool in the radial direction in a transitional state where an amount of warpage of the workpiece in the radial direction at a machining position increases is faster than a relative feed speed of the tool in the radial direction in a steady state where an amount of warpage of the workpiece in the radial direction at the machining position is constant. By so doing, it is possible to reduce a machining time at the time of the start of machining.

Conventionally, there is a grinding machine described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-214466 (Patent Document 1) as a machine tool that radially cuts into the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical workpiece. The grinding machine feeds a wheel head forward at a constant feed speed at the time of machining.


An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle information processing device which is able to specify a traveling road of a host vehicle with high reliability without including detailed map data in an in-vehicle storage unit. A driving support device according to the present invention is a vehicle information processing device which specifies a traveling road of a host vehicle, and includes means for obtaining host vehicle information including current position information of the host vehicle using a GPS; means for obtaining road information from an information transmission device which is installed in a road; means for temporarily selecting a traveling road of the host vehicle using the host vehicle information, and the road information on the surrounding roads; and means for specifying a traveling road of the host vehicle using a reliability of a temporary selection result of the means for temporarily selecting traveling road.

As a vehicle information processing device in the related art, a technology has been known in which a position of a host vehicle is obtained by combining an assumed position of the host vehicle which is estimated using an in-vehicle sensor which detects the traveling distance and change in direction, and the absolute position of the host vehicle which is obtained using GPS, map data is referenced, and a road which is close to the position of the host vehicle is specified as a traveling road of the host vehicle (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1).


In one example, the method disclosed herein includes forming at least one fin for a FinFET device in a semiconducting substrate, performing at least one process operation to form a region in the at least one fin that contains a metal diffusion inhibiting material, depositing a layer of metal on the region in the at least one fin and forming a metal silicide region on the at least one fin.

1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the present disclosure relates to the manufacture of sophisticated semiconductor devices, and, more specifically, to various methods of forming conductive contacts to the source/drain regions of FinFET devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
The fabrication of advanced integrated circuits, such as CPU's, storage devices, ASIC's (application specific integrated circuits) and the like, requires the formation of a large number of circuit elements in a given chip area according to a specified circuit layout, wherein so-called metal oxide field effect transistors (MOSFETs or FETs) represent one important type of circuit element that substantially determines performance of the integrated circuits. A FET is a planar device that typically includes a source region, a drain region, a channel region that is positioned between the source region and the drain region, and a gate electrode positioned above the channel region. Current flow through the FET is controlled by controlling the voltage applied to the gate electrode. If there is no voltage applied to the gate electrode, then there is no current flow through the device (ignoring undesirable leakage currents, which are relatively small). However, when an appropriate voltage is applied to the gate electrode, the channel region becomes conductive, and electrical current is permitted to flow between the source region and the drain region through the conductive channel region.
To improve the operating speed of FETs, and to increase the density of FETs on an integrated circuit device, device designers have greatly reduced the physical size of FETs over the years. More specifically, the channel length of FETs has been significantly decreased, which has resulted in improving the switching speed of FETs. However, decreasing the channel length of a FET also decreases the distance between the source region and the drain region. In some cases, this decrease in the separation between the source and the drain makes it difficult to efficiently inhibit the electrical potential of the source region and the channel from being adversely affected by the electrical potential of the drain. This is sometimes referred to as a so-called short channel effect, wherein the characteristic of the FET as an active switch is degraded.
In contrast to a FET, which has a planar structure, a so-called FinFET device has a three-dimensional (3D) structure. More specifically, in a FinFET, a generally vertically positioned fin-shaped active area is formed and a gate electrode encloses both sides and an upper surface of the fin-shaped active area to form a tri-gate structure so as to use a channel having a three-dimensional structure instead of a planar structure. In some cases, an insulating cap layer, e.g., silicon nitride, is positioned at the top of the fin and the FinFET device only has a dual-gate structure. Unlike a planar FET, in a FinFET device, a channel is formed perpendicular to a surface of the semiconducting substrate so as to reduce the physical size of the semiconductor device. Also, in a FinFET, the junction capacitance at the drain region of the device is greatly reduced, which tends to reduce at least some short channel effects.
One problem encountered in manufacturing FinFET devices will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1A-1F. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an illustrative FinFET semiconductor device 10 that is formed above a semiconducting substrate 12. The device 10 includes a plurality of fins 14, a gate electrode 13, sidewall spacers 17 and a gate cap layer 15. FIG. 1A depicts the locations where various cross-sectional views of the device 10 will be taken in the drawings discussed below. More specifically, view "X-X" is a cross-sectional view taken through the gate electrode 13 in a direction that is parallel to the long axis of the gate electrode 13, i.e., in the gate width direction, view "Y-Y" is a cross-sectional view taken through the fins 14 in a direction that is transverse to the long axis of the fins 14 and view "Z-Z" is a cross-sectional view taken along the long axis of one of the fins 14. It should be understood that FIG. 1A is only provided to show the location of the various cross-sectional views depicted in the drawings below, and many aspects discussed below are not depicted in FIG. 1A so as to not overly complicate the device 10 depicted in FIG. 1A. Moreover, the reference numbers employed below for various structures may not match the reference numbers depicted in FIG. 1A.
FIGS. 1B-1C depict the illustrative situation where an N-type FinFET device will be formed adjacent to a P-type FinFET device, such as in an SRAM structure, and where the two devices will ultimately share a common gate structure. The N-type FinFET device is separated from the P-type FinFET device by an illustrative shallow trench isolation region 14 that is formed in the substrate 12. Illustrative isolation regions 16 are also depicted. In the depicted example, the common gate structure for both devices will be formed using a so-called "replacement gate" or "gate last" technique. As it relates to forming conductive contacts to the source/drain regions of a FinFET device, there are basically two different techniques that device manufacturers employ. One technique, described below with reference to FIG. 1B, generally involves performing a so-called "fin merge" process and forming a substantially planar metal silicide region on top of the "merged fins." Another technique generally involves forming a metal silicide region that "wraps around" the fins, as described below with reference to FIG. 1C. In both cases, a conductive contact material is then formed so as to conductively contact the metal silicide regions. However, merged fins are typically not desirable in designs where the space between the fins of different voltage node is tight, e.g., SRAM designs and high density logic designs, since merged fins limits the density of such designs.
At the point of fabrication depicted in FIG. 1B, a plurality of fins 18N have been formed for the N-type FinFET device and a single fin 18P has been formed for the P-type FinFET device. The fins were formed by performing an etching process, such as a dry or wet etching process, through a patterned mask layer (not shown) to form a plurality of trenches 13 in the substrate 12 to thereby define the fins 18N, 18P. Also depicted in FIG. 1B is a sacrificial gate structure that is comprised of a sacrificial gate insulation layer 20, a sacrificial gate electrode 22 and a gate cap layer 24. A sidewall spacer 25 is also depicted in FIG. 1B. Such structures and layers may be formed using a variety of different materials and by performing a variety of known techniques. For example, the sacrificial gate insulation layer 20 may be comprised of silicon dioxide, the sacrificial gate electrode layer 22 may be comprised of polysilicon or amorphous silicon and the gate cap layer 24 may be comprised of silicon nitride. The layers of material depicted in FIG. 1B may be formed by any of a variety of different known techniques, e.g., a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, a thermal growth process, etc. The sacrificial gate structure may be formed by patterning the layers of material using traditional photolithography and etching processes. The gate cap layer 24 is typically relatively thick, e.g., about 40-80 nm, due to the etching processes it must withstand as the device is being fabricated, as discussed more fully below. The sidewall spacer 25 may have a base thickness of about 10 nm and it may be comprised of materials such as silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride carbon, etc.
FIG. 1B depicts the device 10 after semiconducting materials 19N, 19P have been formed on the fins 18N, 18P, respectively, by performing known epitaxial deposition processes. The diamond-shaped nature of the semiconductor materials 19N, 19P is due to the crystalline structure of the substrate material. Dashed lines depict the outline of the original fins 18N, 18P. Thereafter, an epitaxial deposition process is performed so as to form a relatively large region of semiconducting material 26 that effectively merges the individual fins together and forms the source/drain regions for the device 10. Thereafter, a metal silicide region 28, e.g. nickel silicide, etc., is formed on the substantially planar upper surface of the semiconductor material 26 using known techniques, i.e., refractory metal deposition, heating to cause reaction between the refractory metal layer and contacted silicon regions, followed by removal of unreacted refractory metal. Metal silicide regions are typically formed in the source/drain regions of a transistor to reduce the resistance when a conductive contact is formed to establish electrical connection to the source/drain regions. The metal silicide regions 28 depicted herein may be made using a variety of different refractory metals, e.g., nickel, platinum, cobalt, etc., or combinations thereof, and they may be formed using techniques that are well known to those skilled in the art. A conductive contact (not shown in FIG. 1B) is formed so as to conductively contact the metal silicide region 28.
FIG. 1C generally depicts the structure resulting from performing the above-mentioned wrap-around techniques to form a metal silicide region and a conductive contact to the source/drain regions of the device 10. In this example, after the diamond-shaped semiconductor material 19N, 19P are formed, the metal silicide material 28 is formed on the exposed portions of the diamond-shaped fins 19N, 19P. Using this wrap-around technique, the previously described fin merge process is not performed. Thus, the metal silicide material 28, and the conductive contact material (not shown in FIG. 1C) wraps around the exposed portions of the diamond-shaped fins 19N, 190P. FIG. 1C, view "Y-Y" includes a dashed line depicting the upper surface 20S of the sacrificial gate insulation layer 20.
One problem that results from the above process sequence is, at least with a nickel silicide material, the nickel tends to diffuse under the spacers toward the gate. Such diffusion is sometimes referred to in the industry as "silicide pipes." When present, such silicide pipes can be detrimental to device performance as it creates an unwanted conductive path for current to flow. The problem is not as bad when dealing with FinFET devices in which the fins have been merged, as shown in FIG. 1B, because the metal silicide material 28 is spaced relatively far away from the channel region, as reflected by the double arrowed line 30 in FIG. 1B (view Z-Z). However, when the metal silicide regions 28 are formed on the fins of a FinFET device using the wrap-around approach, as shown in FIG. 1C, the metal silicide regions 28 are much closer to the channel region of the device, in the region indicated by the dashed line 32. Thus, the chance of the formation of such silicide pipes is greater when the wrap-around silicide formation process is used as compared to the merged fin/silicide formation process described above. The industry has attempted to combat this problem by using nickel/platinum-based metal silicides, wherein the platinum is present in concentrations of about 1-10%. However, even when used with platinum, the nickel material still has a tendency to diffuse under the spacer, particularly when there is insufficient healing of implant damage or a strain is present due to the silicon nitride spacer contacting silicon.
The present disclosure is directed to methods of forming conductive contacts to the source/drain regions of FinFET devices that may solve or reduce one or more of the problems identified above.

Methods of forming contacts to source/drain regions of FinFET devices


A drop ejector array device includes a first plurality and a second plurality of drop ejectors that are alternatingly disposed along an array direction on the substrate surface. A voltage input terminal and a current return terminal are disposed on the substrate surface. A first power bus line connects the first plurality to the voltage input terminal. A second power bus line connects the second plurality to the voltage input terminal. The second power bus line is electrically connected to the first power bus line by a primary power bus connector line. A first current return bus line connects the first plurality to the current return terminal. A second current return bus line connects the second plurality to the current return terminal. The second current return bus line is electrically connected to the first current return bus line by a primary current return bus connector line.

Inkjet printing is typically done by either drop-on-demand or continuous inkjet printing. In drop-on-demand inkjet printing ink drops are ejected onto a recording medium using a drop ejector including a pressurization actuator (thermal or piezoelectric, for example). Selective activation of the actuator causes the formation and ejection of a flying ink drop that crosses the space between the printhead and the recording medium and strikes the recording medium. The formation of printed images is achieved by controlling the individual formation of ink drops, as is required to create the desired image.
Motion of the recording medium relative to the printhead during drop ejection can consist of keeping the printhead stationary and advancing the recording medium past the printhead while the drops are ejected, or alternatively keeping the recording medium stationary and moving the printhead. The former architecture is appropriate if the drop ejector array on the printhead can address the entire region of interest across the width of the recording medium. Such printheads are sometimes called pagewidth printheads. A second type of printer architecture is the carriage printer, where the printhead drop ejector array is somewhat smaller than the extent of the region of interest for printing on the recording medium and the printhead is mounted on a carriage. In a carriage printer, the recording medium is advanced a given distance along a medium advance direction and then stopped. While the recording medium is stopped, the printhead carriage is moved in a carriage scan direction that is substantially perpendicular to the medium advance direction as the drops are ejected from the nozzles. After the carriage-mounted printhead has printed a swath of the image while traversing the print medium, the recording medium is advanced; the carriage direction of motion is reversed; and the image is formed swath by swath.
A drop ejector in a drop-on-demand inkjet printhead includes a pressure chamber having an ink inlet for providing ink to the pressure chamber, and a nozzle for jetting drops out of the chamber. Two side-by-side drop ejectors are shown in prior art FIG. 1 (adapted from U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,278) as an example of a conventional thermal inkjet drop-on-demand drop ejector configuration. Partition walls 20 are formed on a base plate 10 and define pressure chambers 22. A nozzle plate 30 is formed on the partition walls 20 and includes nozzles 32 (also called orifices herein), each nozzle 32 being disposed over a corresponding pressure chamber 22. Ink enters pressure chambers 22 by first going through an opening in base plate 10, or around an edge of base plate 10, and then through ink inlets 24, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1. A heating element 35, which functions as the actuator, is formed on the surface of the base plate 10 within each pressure chamber 22. Heating element 35 is configured to selectively pressurize the pressure chamber 22 by rapid boiling of a portion of the ink in order to eject drops of ink through the nozzle 32 when an energizing pulse of appropriate amplitude and duration is provided.
Drop ejector array devices for inkjet printers, whether for pagewidth printers or for carriage printers, typically have hundreds of drop ejectors that are connected to a power bus that extends along the length of the drop ejector array. The power bus is connected at one or both ends to a voltage source. The drop ejectors are also connected (either directly or indirectly through driver transistors) to a common current return bus, which is typically connected at one or both ends to ground. Firing all drop ejectors in the array at the same time would require excessive instantaneous current. Firing only one drop ejector at a time would result in slow printing speeds. Typically, groupings of drop ejectors are enabled sequentially to print one grouping at a time. Each grouping requires only a short firing time and then has a rest period while the other groupings are sequentially fired before it is time to fire the grouping again. During the rest period, ink refills the pressure chambers of the ejectors that have been fired and resumes a sufficiently stable state for uniform drop ejection performance.
The power bus and the current return bus are made of an electrically conductive material such as aluminum. However, they are typically on the order of one to two microns thick. As a result, their resistance can be several ohms, which is not an insignificant fraction of the resistance of the heating element 35. The resistance in the bus lines is sometimes called parasitic resistance. When one or more actuators are fired, the current through the bus lines results in parasitic voltage drops. The amount of parasitic resistance between a given actuator and its connections to power and ground depend upon the position of the actuator in the array. The parasitic voltage drop for actuators of drop ejectors that are near an end of bus lines that are connected to power and ground is less than the parasitic voltage drop for actuators of drop ejectors that are farther from power and ground connections. In addition, the amount of current flowing through the bus lines (and therefore the magnitude of the parasitic voltage drop) depends upon how many drop ejectors are fired simultaneously. Print data can sometimes require one drop ejector in a grouping to be fired, or multiple drop ejectors in the grouping, or even the entire grouping at one time. The parasitic voltage drop due to bus line resistance thus depends upon the number of actuators that are fired as well as the location of the actuator or actuators along the drop ejector array.
Reliable drop ejection in a thermal inkjet printhead requires that the ink in each drop ejector to be fired is brought to rapid boiling in order to nucleate a vapor bubble that grows and expels the drop, regardless of the location of the drop ejectors or the number fired simultaneously. If the voltage provided to the power bus line is too small, only the drop ejectors that have smallest parasitic voltage drop will fire reliably. A threshold voltage can be defined as the voltage at which a drop ejector with the smallest parasitic voltage drop will reliably eject drops when fired without other drop ejectors firing. Typically the voltage (called an overvoltage) that is provided to the power bus for printing is somewhat greater than the threshold voltage. Excessive overvoltage can have adverse effects including increased power dissipation, drop nonuniformity, and damage to the heating elements. Drop ejectors at locations that are closer to the power and ground connections are more susceptible to excessive overvoltage, especially when fired one at a time, due to the lower parasitic voltage drop.
A variety of device designs have been disclosed in the prior art for compensating for variations in parasitic voltage drops in order to reduce the amount of overvoltage that is required to ensure that all drop ejectors can fire, even when multiple drop ejectors are fired at the same time. U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,098 discloses providing two common bus lines that are connected together with lines that pass between adjacent heating elements. The first common bus line and the second common bus line extend along opposite ends of the heating elements. Connection of the heating elements to the driver transistors is made by lines that cross over or under the second common bus line. U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,341 is similar to '098 but also includes a series ballast resistor disposed between the first power bus and the voltage input that the first power bus is connected to. The device design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,347 to compensate for the variation in parasitic resistances in the power bus lines uses configuring of the driver transistors to have differing on-resistances. For example, the on-resistance of the FET drivers is individually configured by the length of a continuously non-contacted segment of the drain region fingers. Alternatively, the on-resistance can be configured by varying the area of the FET driver transistors.
Other ways to compensate for variations in parasitic voltage drops disclosed in the prior art have included methods of operating the device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,174 discloses adjusting the duration of the pulse applied to the heating elements. For small parasitic voltage drops a shorter pulse duration is used, and for larger parasitic voltage drops a longer pulse duration is used. In this way the total energy provided to the heating elements is made more uniform. U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,203 discloses a similar approach using pulse count variation for compensating for parasitic voltage drops in a thermal printhead (not inkjet). U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,752 discloses associating a compensation circuit with each drop ejector where each compensation circuit includes a plurality of switches connected in parallel with each other. Internal resistance of the compensation circuits is adjusted by turning on more or fewer switches and thereby compensates for variations in parasitic resistance of the power lines depending, for example, on the number of drop ejectors to be fired at one time. U.S. Pat. No. 8,757,778 discloses using electronic circuitry to compensate for variations in parasitic voltage drops by monitoring ground potential and other supply-related voltages, and providing signals to affect the biasing of one or more transistors that couple the heating elements to supply voltage or ground.
Some of the ways of compensating for variations in parasitic voltage drops disclosed in the prior art are best suited for printheads where the drop ejectors to be fired at one time are proximate to one another on the printhead. For example, both '098 and '341 contemplate firing groups of adjacent drop ejectors at the same time. Compensation is provided such that, for firing groupings of four adjacent drop ejectors for example, the parasitic voltage drop for groupings near the middle of the array is made to be more similar to the parasitic voltage drop for groupings near the ends of the array. However, firing groupings of adjacent drop ejectors at the same time can result in undesirable fluidic cross-talk that affects drop ejection performance, and can require a longer rest time before the grouping of drop ejectors can be fired again. Other ways of compensating for variations in parasitic voltage drops can require additional area for implementation, thereby increasing the size and the cost of the drop ejector array device. For example, '347 requires varying the size of the driver transistors, and '752 requires the addition of many additional switches to the drop ejector array device. In addition, on-resistance of FET drivers, as disclosed in '347, can be difficult to control with sufficient accuracy. Similarly, ways of compensating for variations in parasitic voltage drops that rely on biasing of transistors, as disclosed in '778, can also be difficult to control with sufficient accuracy. Ways of compensating for variations in parasitic voltage drops based on varying the pulse count or pulse duration, as disclosed in '203 and '174, can result in a longer time to fire all of the drop ejectors, thereby limiting print speed. Ways of compensating for variations in parasitic voltage drops based on turning on more or fewer switches, as disclosed in '752, can result not only in a larger and higher cost drop ejector array device as noted above, but also can require increased data processing time
Despite the previous advances in compensating for variations in parasitic voltage drops, what is still needed are drop ejector array device configurations and methods of operation that are effective in compensating for variations in parasitic voltage drops when the drop ejectors fired simultaneously are more widely spaced apart rather than being adjacent to one another. Furthermore, it is desired that such drop ejector array devices be compact, compatible with high speed printing with good drop ejection uniformity and long actuator lifetime, and not require additional input/output terminals on the drop ejector array device.

Voltage drop compensation for inkjet printhead

SHANGHAI REALFAST DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD


Provided are a method, a device and a system for manipulating presentation content of screen transmission. The method includes: receiving play start information for presentation content at a screen transmission source end transmitted by a corresponding screen transmission hardware, and starting a preset play manipulation mode at a screen transmission presentation end (S11); detecting a preset touch operation signal in the play manipulation mode, and obtaining a preset play control instruction corresponding to the touch operation signal (S12); and controlling, according to the play control instruction, the presentation content at the screen transmission presentation end to enter a corresponding play state (S13). Based on this, it is possible to implement manipulation of the presentation content on a large touch screen, facilitate users' operations, and advantageously improve the user experience.

Screen transmission refers to displaying presentation content displayed on one device screen (a screen transmission source end) onto another device screen (a screen transmission presentation end), such as displaying a picture, a PowerPoint (PPT) or other document content displayed on a computer onto a conference screen, or displaying content displayed on a mobile phone onto a TV screen. The screen transmission mode includes wired screen transmission and wireless screen transmission, where the wireless screen transmission refers to a wireless transmission of presentation content displayed on one device display screen onto another device screen.
In a traditional implementation of screen transmission, when using a projection or HDMI/VGA cable to project a screen of the computer, the mobile phone or the like onto a large display screen for PPT presentation, the user cannot directly control play operations such as flipping over and exit of the PPT on the large display screen, but to remotely control the computer to play the operations by means of a remote pointer or specifically assign a person to play the corresponding operations at the computer end, which is inconvenient for the user to perform operations for presentation content at the large display screen end.

Method, device and system for manipulating presentation content of screen transmission


An apparatus having a loop device fastened to a communication unit that permits a user to securely hold the unit using one or more fingers inserted through a loop device for efficient and stable operation of a keyboard, touch screen, trackball or the like using the user's thumb.

Handheld communication units, such a cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, music storage devices and gaming consoles, each having one or more keypads, touch screens or trackballs and the like, have and continue to become increasingly popular and widespread. As technology advances, the size and weight of such units reduces. Indeed, it is not uncommon at the time of this writing to see cellular telephones weighing but a few ounces and having height and width dimensions on the order of a few inches and thicknesses on the order of a fraction of an inch. While using such slender and lightweight communication units, it is not uncommon for the unit to slip from a user's hand and drop to the ground, being damaged in the process. Moreover, because the of the compactness of modern units, it is not uncommon for user's to experience Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) resulting from operating keyboards and the like, particularly by young people "texting" tens if not hundreds of messages daily. Further, as the devices become smaller and more compact, is becomes more difficult to hold the device while typing or keying or otherwise operating the device with the user's thumb.
The present invention seeks to address the difficulties associated with inadvertent dropping of a communications unit while, at the same time, providing a prophylactic measure against RSI, as well as other injuries, including, but not limited to, Text Messaging Injury (TMI), Nintenditis, and Blackberry Thumb. These injuries are likely to grow in significance as more and more people simultaneously operate and hold handheld devices using a single hand. Additional benefits arise in productivity as well—e.g., it is not only more comfortable to type messages or operate a compact console using a single hand, but is more efficient also. Indeed, the current invention even permits efficient operation of a communications unit or similar device while seated or laying horizontally—e.g., in a bed—with the communication unit being held by the user over his or her head.

Finger holder for handheld communication units


A dual release buckle can be released either as a side-release buckle or as a remotely-released cable actuated buckle and can be incorporated into a garment, for example, a soldier's vest.

This invention relates to a dual release buckle that can be released either as a typical side-release buckle, or as a remotely-released cable/lanyard actuated buckle. The buckle can be incorporated into a garment, for example, a soldier's vest. In such an application, portions of the vest are releasably held together by fasteners such as buckles. The buckles are normally fastened and released one at a time by manually engaging them. In an emergency situation, it is desirable to be able to release all the buckles of a vest at one time, with one pull on, for example, a pull tab located on the front of the vest.

BAE Systems Specialty Defense Systems of Pennsylvania, Inc.


A vending machine includes a tray, at least one partition plate, and a mounting member pivotably attached to the at least one partition plate. The tray includes a base panel, a side panel extending from the base panel, and at least one tab extending from the base panel. A gap is defined in the side panel. The at least one partition plate is pivotably attached to the at least one tab. The mounting member is rotatable between a latched position, where the mounting member is engaged with the gap, and the at least one partition plate is secured in an upright position that is substantially perpendicular to the base panel, and a released position, where the mounting member is disengaged from the gap, and the at least one partition plate is rotatable away from the upright position to enlarge a space beside the at least one partition plate.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a vending machine, more particularly to a vending machine with pivotable partition plates.
2. Description of Related Art
Vending machines typically include a tray and a plurality of partition plates attached in the tray. A product transmitting passage is located between each two adjacent partition plates for transmitting products out from the vending machine. Sometimes, the product transmitting passage is not wide enough to accommodate the products. Some of the partition plates need to be detached from the tray to provide a wider space for placing the products. However, it is inconvenient to mount and dismount the partition plates in the tray.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

Vending machine with pivotable partition plates

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


A thrust bearing assembly is provided, including a thrust ring defining a thrust face and an opposing thrust ring defining an opposing thrust face. At least one polycrystalline diamond element is coupled with the thrust face and defines an engagement surface. The opposing thrust ring includes a diamond reactive material. In operation, the engagement surface is in contact with the opposing thrust face. Also provided are methods of making, assembling, and using the same, as well as to systems and apparatus including the same.

Thrust bearings are used in tools, machines, and components to, at least predominately, bear axial load. Thermally stable polycrystalline diamond (TSP), either supported or unsupported by tungsten carbide, and polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC or PCD) have been considered as contraindicated for use in the machining of diamond reactive materials, including ferrous metals, and other metals, metal alloys, composites, hard facings, coatings, or platings that contain more than trace amounts of diamond catalyst or solvent elements including cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, chromium, manganese, copper, titanium, or tantalum. Further, this prior contraindication of the use of polycrystalline diamond extends to so called "superalloys", including iron-based, cobalt-based and nickel-based superalloys containing more than trace amounts of diamond catalyst or solvent elements. The surface speeds typically used in machining of such materials typically ranges from about 0.2 m/s to about 5 m/s. Although these surface speeds are not particularly high, the load and attendant temperature generated, such as at a cutting tip, often exceeds the graphitization temperature of diamond (i.e., about 700° C. or 973.15 K), which can, in the presence of diamond catalyst or solvent elements, lead to rapid wear and failure of components. Without being bound by theory, the specific failure mechanism is believed to result from the chemical interaction of the carbon bearing diamond with the carbon attracting material that is being machined. An exemplary reference concerning the contraindication of polycrystalline diamond for diamond catalyst or solvent containing metal or alloy machining is U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,623, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The contraindication of polycrystalline diamond for machining diamond catalyst or diamond solvent containing materials has long caused the avoidance of the use of polycrystalline diamond in all contacting applications with such materials.
Over time, as polycrystalline diamond bearings were developed, bearing makers either matched the polycrystalline diamond bearing surfaces with non-ferrous, so called superhard materials or, much more commonly, with tightly facing complementary polycrystalline diamond surfaces. FIG. 1 depicts a partial cutaway view of thrust bearing 100, having a polycrystalline diamond to polycrystalline diamond interface. As used herein, "superhard" materials are defined as materials at least as hard as tungsten carbide (e.g., cemented tungsten carbide or tungsten carbide tiles) or harder, including, but not limited to, tungsten carbide, infiltrated tungsten carbide matrix, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, cubic boron nitride, and polycrystalline diamond. As would be understood by one skilled in the art, hardness may be determined using the Brinell scale, such as in accordance with ASTM E10-14. Exemplary references concerning polycrystalline diamond thrust bearings are U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,138 to Nagel; U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,014 to Geczy; U.S. Pat. No. 9,702,401 to Gonzalez; and U.S. Defensive Publication T102,90 to Offenbacher, the entireties of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
High performance polycrystalline diamond thrust bearings designed particularly for harsh environments, such as downhole drilling and pumping, or wind turbine energy units, typically utilize sliding, mated, overlapping polycrystalline diamond elements. This requires a large number of polycrystalline diamond elements, each in exacting flat engagement with an opposing set of polycrystalline diamond elements. The polycrystalline diamond elements must be mounted at exactly prescribed heights or exposures to insure mated sliding engagement. The goal in the prior art is full face contact of the polycrystalline diamond elements on both faces as bearing areas. Failures in alignment and/or exposure are likely to produce point loading, uneven load sharing or "edge clashing" as the polycrystalline diamond elements rotate against each other producing fractured elements and, ultimately, bearing failure. Polycrystalline diamond is more brittle and prone to impact damage than diamond reactive material (defined herein below).
Table 1, below, sets for a summary of coefficients of friction for various materials, including polished polycrystalline diamond, in both a dry, static state and a lubricated, static state, where the "first material" is the material that is moved relative to the "second material" to determine the CoF of the first material.
TABLE 1*FirstSecondDryLubricatedMaterialMaterialStaticStaticHard SteelHard Steel0.780.05-0.11TungstenTungsten0.2-0.250.12CarbideCarbideDiamondMetal0.1-0.150.1DiamondDiamond0.10.05-0.1Polished PDCPolished PDCEstimatedEstimated0.08-10.05-0.08Polished PDCHard SteelEstimatedEstimated0.08-0.120.08-0.1*References include Machinery's Handbook; Sexton T N, Cooley C H. Polycrystalline diamond thrust bearings for down-hole oil and gas drilling tools. Wear 2009; 267: 1041-5.
Additional significant references that inform the background of the technology of this application are from the International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 46 and 47 titled "Polishing of polycrystalline diamond by the technique of dynamic friction, part 1: Prediction of the interface temperature rise" and "Part 2, Material removal mechanism" 2005 and 2006. These references report on the dynamic friction polishing of PDC faces utilizing dry sliding contact under load with a carbon attractive steel disk. Key findings in these references indicate that polishing rate is more sensitive to sliding rate than load and that the rate of thermo-chemical reaction between the steel disk and the diamond surface reduces significantly as the surface finish of the diamond surface improves. The authors reference Iwai, Manabu & Uematsu, T & Suzuki, K & Yasunaga, N. (2001). "High efficiency polishing of PCD with rotating metal disc." Proc. of ISAAT2001.231-238. which concludes that the thermo-chemical reaction between the steel disk and the PDC face does not occur at sliding speeds below 10.5 m/s at a pressure of 27 MPa. These references are incorporated herein by reference, as if set out in full. It should be emphasized that the above numerical values are based on dry running in air. Clearly, if running in a liquid cooled, lubricated environment, higher speeds and loads can be attained without commencing the thermo-chemical reaction. Also, of note is the lower thermo-chemical response of a polycrystalline diamond face that has been polished. Copper and titanium were not typically listed in the early General Electric documentation on diamond synthesis but have been added later. Relevant references include "Diamond Synthesis from Graphite in the Presence of Water and SiO2"; Dobrzhinetskaya and Green, II International Geology Review Vol. 49, 2007 and "Non-metallic catalysts for diamond synthesis under high pressure and high temperature", Sun et al, Science in China August 1999.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Polycrystalline diamond thrust bearing and element thereof


Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described that improve privacy in wireless communications, such as communications by a user equipment (UE), which may in some cases be a vehicle UE. For example, various vehicle-to-everything (V2X) transmissions may be unencrypted, and a vehicle may be expected to periodically change one or more identifiers it uses for various communication services. Privacy may be enhanced, for example, via encryption key roll-over, as well as roll-over of one or more other identifiers associated with a UE that may potentially be used by an observer to track the UE. The UE may transmit a message that includes an updated lower layer identifier (e.g., a layer-2 (L2) identifier) to another UE in a V2X unicast communications link, which may trigger a change in identifiers of a set of identifiers and an updated security context. All or a portion of the message may be encrypted.

The following relates generally to wireless communications, and more specifically to roll-over of identifiers and keys for unicast vehicle to vehicle communication links.
Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems, and fifth generation (5G) systems which may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems. These systems may employ technologies such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), or discrete Fourier transform-spread-OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of base stations or network access nodes, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, which may be otherwise known as user equipment (UE).
In some wireless communications systems, such as distributed wireless networks, wireless devices (e.g., UEs) may directly communicate with each other (e.g., via sidelink communications) and may support various radio frequency and/or baseband capabilities. In some cases, direct communications between wireless devices may include direct communications between vehicles and systems that use such communications may sometimes be referred to as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems. V2X communication links may be configured to convey important information between vehicles regarding inclement weather, nearby accidents, road conditions, and/or the activities of nearby vehicles, for example. V2X communication systems may also be used by autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles (e.g., self-driving vehicles or vehicles that provide driver assistance) and may provide extra information beyond the reach of the vehicle's existing system. Such V2X communications links may provide certain safety-related information (e.g., location, direction of travel, velocity, etc.) in unencrypted messages so that other vehicles may receive such information.

Roll-over of identifiers and keys for unicast vehicle to vehicle communication links


An exit device for a door having a first stile, a second stile, and a midrail coupled to the first and second stiles and defining a cutout. The exit device comprises a latching mechanism positioned in the cutout. A pushbar positioned in the cutout encloses the latching mechanism and has a front surface. The front surface is positionable in an extended position and a depressed position. The front surface defines a plurality of apertures which communicate with the latching mechanism. A lid slideably engages the front surface and has a closed position and an open position. The lid covers the plurality of apertures in the closed position.

The present invention relates generally to exit devices, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for securing a door with the exit device.
A variety of exit devices are commonly used with conventional doors. Typically, doors include an inactive stile and an active stile. Generally, the inactive stile is connected to a doorframe with hinges so that the door can move between open and closed positions. In certain applications, the active stile houses vertically concealed rods and latches, which extend into and retract out of the doorframe to lock and unlock the door. A midrail generally extends between the active and inactive stiles. Exit devices are commonly installed in a recess in the midrail and therefore have a relatively low profile, which provides a more aesthetically pleasing door. This is particularly desirable in applications in which the exit devices are installed on the front or in the entryway of public buildings. The relatively low profile of the exit devices also reduces the presence of the exit device in the door opening, maximizing the opening available for travel through the doorframe which is particularly desirable in cases such as handicap access. Additionally, the relatively low profile of the exit devices reduces the exposure of the exit device to contact and thus potential for damage.
A large number and variety of people, including the handicapped, children, and the elderly operate conventional exit devices. Additionally, exit devices are commonly designed to be easy to operate to provide rapid building egress during emergencies, such as, for example, during a fire or a natural disaster. For these and other reasons, many conventional exit devices include a pushbar, which is located between two end caps. To open and/or unlock the door, a person simply depresses the pushbar.
Typically, exit devices and doors are purchased separately and the exit device is installed in the door immediately before or even after the door has been installed in the doorframe. Generally, the exit device is installed in the midrail adjacent to the active stile and a filler is used to enclose the remaining portion of the midrail that is generally adjacent to the inactive stile. Accordingly, if the filler or the recess in the midrail is incorrectly sized, the exit device may not fit properly in the midrail and may not operate correctly because of interference between moving parts in the exit device. Conventional exit devices have attempted to minimize the potential for interference by minimizing the travel distance of the moving parts in the exit device and the midrail or filler. In particular, conventional exit devices are often designed to minimize the projection of the internal latching mechanism in the dogged or extended position, which in turn reduces the mechanical advantage that can be achieved by depressing the pushbar.
Exit devices are generally installed on the left or right-hand sides of doors depending upon the swing of the door and the entryway. It is therefore desirable for exit devices to be able to be usable in either a right-hand or a left-hand application. In addition to the above mentioned design considerations, exit devices that are easy to manufacture, easy to assemble, durable, and inexpensive are highly desirable for obvious reasons.
According to the present invention, an exit device for a door having a midrail extending between a first stile, a second stile, and defining a cutout comprises a latching mechanism positioned in the cutout and a pushbar enclosing the latching mechanism. The pushbar has a front surface and is positioned in the cutout. The pushbar has a depressed position and an extended position. The front surface defines a plurality of apertures, which communicate with the latching mechanism. The exit device further comprises a lid, which slideably engages the front surface, substantially covering the plurality of apertures.
In some embodiments, the exit device includes a plurality of sides extending from the front surface into the cutout. The sides and the front surface define a first end and a second end. End caps are removeably coupled to the first and second ends for movement with the pushbar between the extended position and the depressed position. The exit device includes a base plate. A cover is coupled to the base plate and has an outer surface, which is sloped upwardly from the midrail toward the end cap. A portion of the cover is substantially flush with the front surface when the pushbar is in the depressed position.
The latching mechanism includes a control rod, which is substantially parallel to the front surface and a bell crank coupled to the control rod and the pushbar. The latching mechanism has a left-hand orientation and a right-hand orientation and includes a base and a lift arm coupled to the base in a first position when the latching mechanism is in the left-hand orientation and in a second position when the latching mechanism is in the right-hand orientation. The exit device includes an actuator for moving the latching mechanism between a locked position and an unlocked position. Alternatively or in addition, the exit device can include a base and a dogging mechanism having a hook, which is coupled to the base for rotation between a latched position and an unlatched position.
A securing mechanism for securing the exit device in the midrail includes a shaft having a first end and a second end and defining a longitudinal axis. A bracket is coupled to the exit device and defines a first aperture and a second aperture. The first end of the shaft extends through the first aperture and the second end of the shaft extends through the second aperture. A first anchor is slideably coupled to the shaft and is moveable along the longitudinal axis between a first locked position and a first unlocked position. The first anchor frictionally engages the door in the first locked position. A second anchor is slideably coupled to the shaft and is moveable along the longitudinal axis between a second locked position and a second unlocked position. The second anchor frictionally engages the door in the second locked position.
The present invention also includes a method of securing the exit device in a door. The method comprises inserting the exit device into the cutout, accessing the securing mechanism through the plurality of apertures, rotating the shaft in a first direction about the longitudinal axis, moving the first anchor along the shaft toward the first end, moving the second anchor along the shaft toward the second end, and applying a compressive force to the midrail with the first and second anchors to hold the exit device and the securing mechanism in the door. In some applications, the pushbar includes a cover which slideably engages the front surface and the method further comprises removing the lid from the front surface.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description, claims, and drawings.


A novel antioxidant has the advantages of both the hindered phenols and the phosphite antioxidant is prepared from phosphorus trichloride and 2,5-di-tert-butylhydroquinone, such as tetrakis-(2,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-2,5-di-tert-butyl-hydroquinonediyl diphosphite.

The present invention is related to synthesis of a novel series of phenolic phosphite compounds, and their use as an antioxidant for a polymer.
The oxidation reaction is present in every stage of the life cycle of the polymer such as synthesis, processing and final application. There are several different approaches to reduce the speed of or prevent the oxidation reaction and addition of antioxidants seems to be the most convenient way to retard the oxidation reaction. Hindered phenols, used as processing and long-term stabilizers, are the most favored type of primary antioxidants for thermoplastics, while organic phosphites are used as efficient processing stabilizers for polyolefin protection on a wide commercial scale. Traditionally, the combination of radical scavenger (hindered phenols) with hydroperoxide decomposer (organophosphites) has been widely used by the polymer industry to provide a powerful synergism for the protection of polymers.
Low molecular weight hindered phenol can be easily removed from the polymer by migration and volatilization, while these can be reduced for the large enough molar mass.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,474,917 and 4,526,918 disclose a large molar mass phenolic phosphite antioxidant prepared by forming a sodium salt of 1,3,5-trimethyl-2,4,6-tris(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)benzene, and reacting a phosphorus trihalide, preferably PCl3, with the heated sodium salt. The price of 1,3,5-trimethyl-2,4,6-tris(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxbenzyl)benzene and the use of NaH for forming the sodium salt render this prior art antioxidant less competitive in the market.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a novel series of phenolic phosphite compounds.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a polymer composition comprising a phenolic phosphite compound as an antioxidant.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a method for synthesizing a novel series of phenolic phosphite compounds.
In order to accomplish the aforesaid objectives a novel series of phenolic phosphite compounds having the following formula (I), (II) or (III):
wherein Q is
Preferably, the phenolic phosphite compounds of the present invention have a structure of the formula (I).
Preferably, the phenolic phosphite compounds of the present invention have a structure of the formula (II).
Preferably, the phenolic phosphite compounds of the present invention have a structure of the formula (III).
The present invention also provides a polymer composition comprising a polymer and 0.01-5% of a phenolic phosphite compound having a formula (I), (II) or (III) as an antioxidant, based on the weight of the polymer.
The phenolic phosphite compounds of the present invention have advantages of both the hindered phenol and the phosphite antioxidants, and a relatively easier synthesis procedures, and thus a lower production cost.

Phenolic phosphite antioxidants and polymer compositions containing said antioxidant

Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology