An electric power steering apparatus including a reduction mechanism 5 for transmitting an output of a steering assist motor 1 to a steering mechanism through a worm 3 and a worm wheel 4, in which the worm wheel 4 is formed by a thermosetting synthetic resin filled with a sheet 6 of aramid fibers having a low attacking property to a counter member and an effect of improving the abrasion resistance of the synthetic resin. Even when the reduction mechanism is used in an engine room or the temperature of the reduction mechanism is raised by frictional heat with heightening power, the reduction mechanism is durable, and further the gears have excellent abrasion resistance and toughness and improved durability.

The present invention relates to an electric power steering apparatus using a motor as the source of steering assist force.
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view showing the structures of a conventional electric power steering apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 1, for example, an electric power steering apparatus for automobiles comprises a first steering shaft 101 connected to a steering wheel 100 for steering; a second steering shaft 103 whose upper end portion is connected coaxilally with the lower end portion of the first steering shaft 101 through a torsion bar 102 and whose lower end portion is connected to a steering mechanism joined to wheels; a torque sensor 104 for detecting a torque applied to the first steering shaft 101 by rotation of the steering wheel 100, based on twist of the torsion bar 102; a steering assist motor driven according to the result of detection given by at least the torque sensor 104; and a reduction mechanism which is joined to an output shaft of the motor and includes a worm 105 and a worm wheel 106 for decelerating rotation of the output shaft and transmitting the resultant rotation to the second steering shaft 103. Such an electric power steering apparatus for automobiles is constructed to reduce the driver""s labor for steering by assisting the operation of the steering mechanism according to the rotation of the steering wheel 100 with the rotation of the motor.
The worm 105 constituting the reduction mechanism is positioned to cross the axis of the second steering shaft 103 and supported in a housing 107 through a pair of roller bearings. The second steering shaft 103 to which the worm wheel 106 is attached is supported in the housing 107 through a pair of roller bearings 108.
The worm wheel 106 includes a circular tooth member which is made of a synthetic resin and has teeth meshing with the worm 105, and a metal fitting member to be fitted into the circular tooth member. The worm wheel 106 is made of a synthetic resin, so that noise caused by meshing with the worm 105 is reduced and the workability in making the teeth is improved.
An electric power steering apparatus using a motor as the source of steering assist force as mentioned above is employed mainly by midget cars and relatively small cars with an engine displacement of around 1300 cc, for example. On the other hand, relatively large cars with an engine displacement of around 2000 cc or more, for example, often employ a hydraulic steering apparatus using a hydraulic pump connected to the engine as the source of steering assist force.
By the way, since an engine as a travel driving source is also used as a hydraulic pump driving source of the hydraulic steering apparatus, even if steering assistance is not intended, the hydraulic pump is driven by the engine, and thus hydraulic steering apparatus does not meet a demand for low fuel consumption. Moreover, there is an increasing demand for applying en electric power steering apparatus to cars with an engine displacement of around 1300 cc to 2000 cc. According to this demand, it has been considered to apply the electric power steering apparatus to relatively large and heavy vehicles or tracks in the near future, and thus steering assistance with higher power compared to a conventional steering assist force will be required. Accordingly, in the case where at least a part of the worm and worm wheel constituting the reduction mechanism is formed by a synthetic resin, the high-heat-resistant, high-strength worm and worm wheel are necessary.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electric power steering apparatus capable of solving the above problem.
An electric power steering apparatus according to the first invention is an electric power steering apparatus for assisting steering by transmitting an output of a steering assist motor to a steering mechanism through a driving gear and a driven gear meshing with the driving gear, and characterized in that at least one of the driving gear and driven gear is formed by a thermosetting synthetic resin filled with aramid fibers.
According to the first invention, since one or both of the driving gear and driven gear are formed by a thermosetting synthetic resin with an excellent heat resistance, even when the reduction mechanism is used in an engine room or the temperature of the reduction mechanism is raised by frictional heat with heightening power, the gear is durable. Moreover, the thermosetting synthetic resin is filled with aramid fibers having a low attacking property to a counter member and an effect of improving the abrasion resistance of the synthetic resin, one or both of the driving gear and driven gear filled with the aramid fibers has an excellent abrasion resistance and toughness and further enables a reduction in the abrasion of the gear as the meshing counterpart, thereby improving the durability of both the gears. Furthermore, since the aramid fibers have a small thermal expansion coefficient and good heat stability, the gears can have excellent dimensional stability. In particular, since a para-linked aramid fiber has a negative thermal expansion coefficient, it is convenient to limit the thermal expansion of the thermosetting synthetic resin. However, since the para-linked aramid fiber is extremely tough, it is difficult to form the teeth of the gear by cutting. Therefore, it is preferred to mix the para-linked aramid fibers with meta-linked aramid fibers that have slightly lower toughness but have good workability and to fill the mixed fibers.
An electric power steering apparatus according to the second invention is characterized in that the aramid fibers are formed into a sheet. Here, the sheet is, for example, felt obtained by needling a pile of the aramid fibers to couple the respective fibers, woven material or knitted material made by using threads of the aramid fibers. The needling is a process of putting a needle having a hook into the fiber pile and drawing the needle out of the fiber pile in the direction of the thickness of the fiber pile so that the fibers caught by the hook in this action are oriented in the thickness direction. The fibers oriented in the thickness direction perform the function of coupling the fibers oriented in the plane direction.
According to the second invention, since the positional arrangement of the aramid fibers and the distance between the aramid fibers can be freely set, it is possible to further increase the abrasion resistance and toughness of the gear filled with the sheet.
An electric power steering apparatus according to the third invention is characterized in that the sheet is wound repeatedly into a cylindrical shape and further folded like bellows in an axial direction of the cylindrical shape.
According to the third invention, since the sheet of the aramid fibers are wound repeatedly into the cylindrical shape and folded in the axial direction of the cylindrical shape, the aramid fibers form circular fiber layers and are three-dimensionally positioned. Therefore, even when the teeth are formed by cutting, it is possible to further increase the abrasion resistance and toughness of the tooth portion.
When this structure is applied particularly to the worm wheel by selecting the above-mentioned felt as the sheet, the contact faces of the folds of the sheet are stacked in the axial direction, so that the shear force exerted from the worm is spread and received evenly by the respective contact faces. It is therefore possible to further improve the strength and durability.
On the other hand, when a structure where the sheet is simply wound repeatedly is adopted, the contact faces of the wound sheet are stacked in a radial direction, so that the direction of the shear force exerted from the worm and the direction of the contact faces agree with each other. Therefore, a separation phenomenon tends to occur at the contact faces, and thus it is not preferred to adopt such a structure.
An electric power steering apparatus according to the fourth invention is characterized in that the sheets are stacked in layers.
According to the fourth invention, since sheets of the aramid fibers are layered to form a plurality of fiber layers, it is possible to equalize the density of the aramid fibers, thereby further increasing the abrasion resistance and toughness of the tooth portion even when the teeth are formed by cutting.
An electric power steering apparatus according to the fifth invention is characterized in that the aramid fibers are filled in a ratio of 20 to 60% by volume.
According to the fifth invention, since the aramid fibers filled in a ratio of 20 to 60% by volume reinforce the thermosetting synthetic resin, one or both of the driving gear and driven gear have excellent abrasion resistance and toughness and improved durability.
Further, when the filling amount of the aramid fibers is less than 20% by volume, the brittleness as a characteristic of the thermosetting synthetic resin is increased, and consequently the thermosetting synthetic resin can not be satisfactorily reinforced. Thus, it is not preferred to fill the aramid fibers in an amount less than 20% by volume. On the other hand, when the filling amount of the aramid fibers exceeds 60% by volume, it is impossible to sufficiently fill the thermosetting synthetic resin into the respective fibers, resulting in insufficient reinforcement of the thermosetting synthetic resin by the aramid fibers. Therefore, it is not preferred to fill the aramid fibers in an amount more than 60% by volume.
The above and further objects and features of the invention will more fully be apparent from the following detailed description with accompanying drawings.


An apparatus and method, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a quarter panel comprised of a sheet molding compound and a fascia bracket. The fascia bracket includes a first flange integrated into the quarter panel, a second flange comprising a vehicle body mount interface, and a gripping feature configured to grip a portion of a fascia to be attached to the quarter panel.

For vehicles that include a removable quarter panel, a separate fascia is needed to cover a sensor module such as a Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) module, for example. The fascia is also used to conceal fasteners that attach the quarter panel to a vehicle body. The quarter panel is typically made from sheet metal and includes a reinforcement bracket that is welded to the quarter panel, and which is used to attach the quarter panel to the vehicle body with a plurality of fasteners. A separate fascia bracket is fastened to the quarter panel to secure the fascia to the quarter panel. In order to replace or repair the quarter panel, it is time consuming to remove the various brackets and fasteners in order to gain access to the quarter panel.


A screwdriver includes a main body and a switch. The main body is coupled to a handle and includes a pair of parallel, spaced apart slots, and a pawl positioned in each slot. Each pawl is biased outwardly by a spring. The switch is pivotable relative to the main body, and the switch includes a groove extending along an arcuate portion of an inner surface. Pivoting the switch in a first direction moves the switch toward a first position in which the groove is positioned in-line with the first pawl. When the switch is in the first position, the first pawl extends outwardly from the slot and engages the internal tooth surface such that application of a torque in a first direction drives a shank in the first direction and application of a torque in the second direction causes the shank to ratchet relative to the main body.

The present invention relates to hand tools and, in particular, to a screwdriver.
Conventional screwdrivers include a handle and a shank portion. The shank portion may include a bore for receiving a removable bit, and the bit may be retained in the bore magnetically. The screwdriver may also include a ratchet mechanism to permit the handle to rotate relative to the shank when a user applies a torque to the handle in one direction.


A television display cover for covering the screen of a plasma or LCD screen when the television is not in use. The cover can be converted from existing frames, framed art, or mirrors already contained in a users' home or wall or panel for attachment of the display cover. Support brackets are secured to a wall or recessed surface. The support brackets are secured to the display cover via some attachment means. The cover can then be pivoted to an open or closed position to either expose the television display or cover it up.

Plasma televisions have been popularized as an alternative to tube televisions. The flat panel displays appeal to consumers for their visual distinction as well as non-conventional display options. The plasma technology allows for televisions to be dimensioned in shapes not traditionally available. Unlike conventional televisions, plasma screen televisions can be mounted onto any one of several structures, including walls. The framework is much more lightweight and the total thickness of the plasma televisions are much more slender than the conventional television sets. The configuration affords the owner the option of hanging the plasma television from a wall within a selected room or in a bookcase. The drawback of hanging the plasma television from a wall is that the television then becomes the focal point of any room within which it is contained. This creates a problem in discretely trying to camouflage or hide large plasma or LCD screens from display when they are turned off or not being viewed.
While some plasma screen covering devices currently exist in the marketplace, these devices are tremendously expensive. When the price of a covering is added to the cost of the plasma television itself, this can raise the overall cost an exorbitant amount. Additionally, these coverings require the user to select a new covering rather than allowing the covering to be used with their existing framed art or mirror. This dictates the form that the art may be in that it is generally only printed on pliable canvas thereby limiting a person purchasing new art to the form of thinly applied ink or paint on a canvas. Additionally, the frame cannot be hidden and it is always in view. This limits the option to present a theater type presentation in a traditional Gilded ornate frame. Further, the art may not be easily changed out for seasonal preferences. Additionally, the prior covers cannot be utilized within cabinets or book cases, only on walls. Finally, the prior covers require that they be in the exact size of the television screen itself. These limitations have been overcome by the new device described below.


A method and a device for detecting collisions for a vehicle. In this context, an at least three-stage method is described. A first collision check, a second collision check, and a third collision check are performed. Surface areas are considered step-by-step along a section of a trajectory of the vehicle. In the individual steps, the surface areas in the individual steps being approximated to the actual swath of the vehicle.

Maneuvering vehicles in close scenarios plays an important role especially when parking vehicles. The difficulty first lies in generating a collision-free trajectory that includes as few as possible changes in direction and minimal curvature changes over the course of the trajectory. To this end, geometric methods are mostly used.
In the near future, high-density parking will be used for automated vehicles, i.e., the vehicles will be parked more closely together and possibly in a way that will require displacement operations to move a further vehicle out of a parking space. Resulting therefrom are highly non-convex state spaces within which a trajectory must be found for maneuvering the vehicle. Moreover, in such scenarios, the exact contour of the vehicle must be included in the planning, and it is not possible to refer merely to rectangular bounding boxes or circles on the contour to actually be able to find a trajectory of adequate quality that includes few changes of direction.
Rapidly exploring random trees, referred to in the following as "RRT," provide one possible approach for overcoming this path planning difficulty. An RRT randomly generates two configurations in the state space and connects them exactly using what is commonly known as a "steering function." If the connected path is collision-free, is added to a tree (graph). As a result, there is no need to discretize the state space, and it is probabilistically converged to achieve the optimum approach, if one exists. Such an RRT spends approximately 90% of the computing time thereof executing collision checks. A most efficient and fastest possible collision detection is, therefore, especially important.

Method and device for detecting collisions for a vehicle


A scroll compressor is provided. That is, in a shaft penetration scroll compressor in which an eccentric portion of the rotational shaft is overlapped with an orbiting wrap of the orbiting scroll in a radial direction, an oil hole that supplies oil inhaled through an oil passage of the rotational shaft to a thrust bearing surface of the orbiting scroll may be formed at the fixed scroll, and thus, the orbiting scroll may be supported by pressure of oil supplied to the thrust bearing surface through the oil hole to prevent tilting of the orbiting scroll due to eccentricity of a gas force, thereby enhancing reliability and performance of the compressor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a scroll compressor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Scroll compressor may include a fixed scroll having a fixed wrap and a orbiting scroll having a orbiting wrap. The scroll compressor provides a method of inhaling and compressing refrigerant through a continuous volume change of the compression chamber formed between the fixed wrap and the orbiting wrap while the orbiting scroll performs a orbiting movement on the fixed scroll.
Furthermore, the scroll compressor continuously performs inhalation, compression and discharge, and thus has excellent characteristics in the aspect of vibration and noise generated during its operational process compared to other types of compressors.
In a scroll compressor, the behavior characteristic is determined by its type of the fixed wrap and orbiting wrap. The fixed wrap and orbiting wrap may have an arbitrary shape, but typically have an involute curved shape that can be easily processed. The involute curve denotes a curve corresponding to a trajectory drawn by a cross section of thread when unloosing thread wound around a base circle having an arbitrary radius. When using such an involute curve, the capacity change rate is constant because a thickness of the wrap is constant and thus the number of turns should be increased to obtain a sufficient level of compression ratio, but it may also increase the size of the compressor.
On the other hand, the orbiting scroll is typically formed with a disk shaped end plate and the orbiting wrap at the side of the end plate. Furthermore, a boss portion is formed at a rear surface on which the orbiting wrap is not formed and connected to a rotation shaft for orbiting the orbiting scroll. Such a shape may form a orbiting wrap over a substantially overall area of the end plate, thereby decreasing a diameter of the end plate portion for obtaining the same compression ratio. However, on the contrary, the operating point to which a repulsive force of refrigerant is applied and the operating point to which a reaction force for cancelling out the repulsive force is applied are separated from each other in an axial direction, thereby causing a problem of increasing vibration or noise while the orbiting scroll is tilted during the operational process.
As a method for solving such problems, there has been disclosed a so-called shaft penetration scroll compressor which is a type that a position at which the rotation shaft and the orbiting scroll are combined with each other is formed on the same surface as the orbiting wrap. In such a type of compressor, the operating point of a repulsive force and the operating point of the reaction force are applied at the same position, thereby solving a problem that the orbiting scroll is inclined. However, when the rotation shaft is extended to a orbiting wrap portion in such a manner, an end portion of the rotation shaft is located at a central portion of the orbiting wrap, and accordingly, an intentional compression ratio can be obtained only when increasing the diameter of the end plate. As a result, it may increase the size of the compressor.
However, in case of a shaft penetration scroll compressor as described above, a suction port is eccentrically formed with respect to the center of the rotation shaft as illustrated in the drawing, and thus a gas force is eccentrically exerted and due to this there has been a problem of causing tilting due to the eccentricity of the gas force.


In general, this disclosure includes systems, methods, and techniques for inducing electrical current through one or more battery banks. For example, a circuit may include a switching element. The circuit may be configured to draw, using the switching element, a current from a first battery bank when the switching element is turned on, the first battery bank emitting an excess current after the switching element is turned off, where the current increases a temperature of the first battery bank. Additionally, the circuit may be configured to deliver at least some of the excess current to a second battery bank when the switching element is turned off, where the excess current charges the second battery bank, and where the excess current increases a temperature of the second battery bank.

Switching elements may regulate the flow of current in a circuit. For instance, a switching element may conduct electricity while the switching element is 'on,' and the switching element may prevent current from passing while the switching element is 'off.' A circuit may include switching elements and other electrical circuit components for determining a current magnitude and a direction of current flow within the circuit. In some cases, a circuit including switching elements may induce and control an electrical current through at least part of a battery.

Circuit for inducing multi-directional current in a battery


An image sensor that has a plurality of pixels within a pixel array coupled to a control circuit and to one or more subtraction circuits. The control circuit causes an output transistor coupled to a pixel to provide a first reference output signal, a common reset output signal, and a first sense-node reset output signal, between which a subtraction circuit may form a weighted difference to create a noise signal. The control circuit causes the output transistor to provide a second sense-node reset output signal, a light response output signal and a second reference output signal, between which a subtraction circuit may form a weighted difference to create a normalized light response signal. The light response output signal corresponds to the image that is to be captured by the sensor. The noise signal is subtracted from the normalized light response signal to generate a de-noised signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject matter disclosed generally relates to solid state image sensors.
2. Background Information
Photographic equipment such as digital cameras and digital camcorders may contain electronic image sensors that capture light for processing into still or video images. Electronic image sensors typically contain millions of light capturing elements such as photodiodes.
Solid state image sensors can be either of the charge coupled device (CCD) type or the complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) type. In either type of image sensor, photo sensors are supported by a substrate and arranged in a two-dimensional array. Image sensors typically contain millions of pixels to provide a high-resolution image.


A nacelle assembly for a wind turbine is connected to a wind turbine tower through a yaw system and includes a front region coupled to a rotor having a rotor hub and at least one rotor blade. The nacelle assembly includes a nacelle having a cover structure to house wind turbine components and an add-on wind flow deflector system that is coupled to an outside of the cover structure. The wind flow deflector system guides wind flowing to the nacelle for reducing a drag of the nacelle when a wind direction is misaligned with respect to the longitudinal wind direction in a yaw system failure event.

Modern wind turbines are commonly used to supply electricity into the electrical grid. Wind turbines of this kind generally comprise a tower and a rotor arranged on the tower. The rotor, which typically comprises a hub and a plurality of blades, is set into rotation under the influence of the wind on the blades. Said rotation generates a torque that is normally transmitted through a rotor shaft to an electrical generator, either directly ("directly driven") or through the use of a gearbox. This way, the electrical generator produces electricity which can be supplied to the electrical grid.
Most wind turbines comprise a yaw system used for orienting the rotor of the wind turbine in the prevailing wind direction. Normally, when the rotor is aligned with the wind direction, the yaw system maintains the position by means of brakes (e.g. hydraulic brake calipers and/or electro-brakes of the yaw motors). When the rotor is misaligned from the wind direction, the yaw system rotates the nacelle to reach an appropriate alignment with the wind. The nacelle can thus be rotated around the tower's longitudinal axis in or out of the wind direction. The rotatable connection between the wind turbine tower and the nacelle is called a yaw bearing.
The nacelle may house a generator and/or a converter and several electrical components controlling the operation of the generator. For example, in direct drive wind turbines the electrical generator may be positioned within the nacelle or forming part of the nacelle. In examples of wind turbines having a gearbox, the nacelle may house an electrical generator and the drive train including a gearbox.
The length of wind turbine blades and the height of wind turbines are continuously increasing with the aim of capturing as much kinetic energy as possible from the wind and, thereby, generating more electrical energy. This may consequently require increasing the size of wind turbine components within the nacelle, e.g. an electrical generator, a converter, a transformer or a gearbox. Larger nacelles to house these larger wind turbine components may thus be required. Nacelles are normally transported by truck, railway or boat from the manufacturing facility to the erection site to be lifted on top of a wind turbine tower. Depending on the shape and the size of the nacelle, transporting the nacelle from the manufacturing factory to the wind turbine farm may be difficult.
Larger nacelles may also increase the area of the nacelle facing the wind. In some events, e.g. in high wind speeds or in storm events, power cannot be supplied to the yaw system and, consequently, the nacelle cannot be aligned with respect to the predominant wind direction. During these events, wind direction may vary causing a misalignment of the nacelle with respect to the predominant wind direction. When the nacelle is misaligned, a lateral side of the nacelle may be subjected to wind flow. The lateral side may thus offer a drag or an aerodynamic resistance with respect to the wind flow. Wind flow acting on the lateral side of the nacelle may cause high bending loads on the wind turbine tower, in particular in high wind turbine towers. Towers and tower connections with the foundations may have to be designed to withstand a misaligned nacelle subjected to high wind speeds. Otherwise, the maximum wind speed able to be withstood by the wind turbine may have to be reduced.
Substantially oval nacelles may be used to reduce the aerodynamic resistance or the drag coefficient of the nacelle. This oval shape may reduce loads on the wind turbine. However, due to this specific shape, these types of nacelles are generally difficult to be manufactured and transported and a rounded or oval shape does not allow for an efficient use of the space inside the nacelle housing different components.
The present disclosure provides examples of systems and methods that at least partially resolve some of the aforementioned disadvantages.

General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.


A method of operating an access control device to reduce power consumption based on delivery scheduling according to an embodiment includes operating, by the access control device, Wi-Fi circuitry of the access control device in a low power state, waking, by the access control device, the Wi-Fi circuitry from the low power state based on a package delivery window, communicating, via the Wi-Fi circuitry of the access control device, with an access device during the package delivery window in response to waking the Wi-Fi circuitry, and operating, by the access control device, an access control mechanism in response to communicating with the access device.

Certain wireless communication technologies are particularly burdensome on battery-powered devices due to their "power hungry" nature, and many battery-powered electronic locks maintain their wireless communication circuitry in a "ready to receive" or "always on" mode at all times. For example, some electronic locks maintain their Wi-Fi circuitry in such a mode in order to allow authorized users to wirelessly access the electronic lock at all times (e.g., for delivery persons to gain access to delivery packages securely in a home). However, maintaining the Wi-Fi circuitry in a "ready to receive" or "always on" mode is typically a significant drain on battery life.

Technologies for reducing power consumption in access control devices based on delivery scheduling


A clamp assembly connects a diffuser adapter or lower ring to a diffuser tail pipe of a jet pump diffuser in a boiling water nuclear reactor. The clamp assembly includes at least two clamp segments shaped generally corresponding to an exterior circumference of the diffuser, a swivel link affixed at each end of each of the clamp segments, and at least two connecting bands pivotably secured to the swivel links between the ends of the clamp segments. The clamp segments each includes a locking assembly engageable with the diffuser adapter or lower ring and the diffuser tail pipe. The clamp assembly structurally replaces/repairs the weld joining the diffuser adapter or lower ring and the diffuser tail pipe.

The invention relates to repairing or replacing a bimetallic weld in a jet pump diffuser assembly and, more particularly, to a jet pump diffuser clamping assembly that structurally replaces/repairs the weld.
In a boiling water nuclear reactor, hollow tubular jet pumps positioned within the shroud annulus provide the required reactor core flow. The lower portion of the jet pump is a long conical tubular section. The function of the diffuser is to slow the high velocity flow stream and thus convert the dynamic head of the flow stream into static pressure.
The jet pump diffuser assemblies in boiling water reactors can be one of two differing design configurations. The first configuration incorporates an adapter component, which is comprised of an upper austenitic stainless steel ring and a lower inconel alloy 600 ring. These two rings were shop-welded, as this was a bimetallic weld (a weld of dissimilar metals) and more difficult to perform than a weld joining similar metals. This adapter component then facilitated the assembly of the diffuser in the reactor, as the lower section of the adapter was welded to the inconel alloy 600 shroud support plate. The diffuser tail pipe being constructed of austenitic stainless steel was then joined to the upper section of the adapter, which was constructed of austenitic stainless steel. As such, at the time of field construction of the reactor these two welds of similar metals were performed.
The second design configuration consists of a lower ring constructed of inconel alloy 600, shop-welded to the diffuser tail pipe. Since the diffuser tail pipe is fabricated from austenitic stainless steel, this was a bimetallic weld. This design approach results in the welding of the lower ring to the shroud support plate as the only weld required to be performed at the time of field construction of the reactor.
Regardless of diffuser assembly design configuration under consideration, a bimetallic weld is present in the diffuser assembly. In the event that the structural integrity of the bimetallic weld of the diffuser assembly should become degraded, a means of reinforcing or structurally replacing this weld is desired.

Method and apparatus for repairing a jet pump diffuser adapter to tailpipe weld


A system and method for data exchange between a first device and a second device includes encoding data as a series of barcode frames on the first device and then successively displaying each barcode frame of the series of barcode frames on the first device. The second device captures the barcode frames being displayed by the first device to obtain the series of barcode frames and then decodes the captured series of barcode frames to complete the data exchange.

Systems for the wirelessly exchanging data between two devices are known. One approach is Bluetooth, a wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances. Establishing a Bluetooth connection typically requires device discovery and pairing, which may be complex and time consuming. Therefore, Bluetooth may not be suitable for many data exchanges.
Near Field Communication technology may also be used to wirelessly exchange data between two devices over short distances. However, Near Field Communication may add incremental costs because of additional hardware.
Additionally, in these known systems, the data transmitted through the wireless signals between the connected devices might be intercepted by a third party device thereby compromising security.
Two-dimensional barcodes may be used to embed small amounts of digital data, such as website links or product identifiers, in everyday artifacts such as paper, clothes, or the like. Examples of the two-dimensional barcodes include Quick Response ("QR") codes, MaxiCodes, Data Matrix codes and Aztec codes. Two-dimensional barcodes may also be generated on mobile devices, for instance, by an airline application to allow a boarding pass to be displayed on the mobile device and scanned/understood at the airline boarding gate.


A process for removing free liquids from oil base mud contaminated drill cuttings waste. A process is described wherein a high gravity centripetal separator and low temperature thermal process are cooperatively used to enhance the mechanical and thermal separation methods, resulting in improved efficiency of the hydrocarbon and water removal process. A process is also described wherein the oil base mud contaminated drill cuttings waste is heated to strip volatile constituents and excess water from the oil base mud contaminated drill cuttings to further enhance the mechanical and thermal separation methods resulting in improved efficiency of the hydrocarbon and water removal process. A less expensive process is also described where the oil base mud contaminated drill cuttings waste is heated to strip volatile constituents and excess water from the oil base mud contaminated drill cuttings to further enhance the recoverable liquids phase during mechanical separation. A conventional stripping process for oil base mud is also utilized.

During the drilling of a well, gas or oil for example, drilling mud is typically pumped down the drill string through a drill bit. The drilling mud simultaneously cools the bit and carries drill cuttings up the well bore. Drilling mud is typically comprised of a fluid (or fluids), and mixture of additives which can be either fluids or solids, forming a useable drilling fluid. Oil based or brine based drilling fluids are often used to drill oil and gas wells because they have special characteristics that make them a better cooling/carrying fluid than other drilling muds. Additionally, such drilling muds may offer better wellbore stability and/or lubricity for the drill string in modern, horizontal wellbores.
Typically, the drill cuttings which are carried up the wellbore are subjected to solids separating devices when the cuttings exit the wellbore, such as that of shale shakers or decanter centrifuges. These mechanical separators allow a substantial portion of the drilling mud to be returned to the storage tanks for reuse, while the drill cuttings portion is sent to separate storage tanks. The drill cuttings still contain residual amounts of the drilling mud that couldn't be separated through mechanical means, and this residual drilling mud is considered to be contamination.
The drill cuttings are commonly known as drilling waste, because they serve no purpose after they have been removed from the wellbore. Thus, the contaminated drill cuttings are typically stabilized with a bulking agent, such as fly-ash, sawdust, or liquid absorbing pellets, to prevent residual free liquids from leaching from the solids during transport. The cuttings are then typically transported to a secure landfill where they are stored for an indeterminate period of time, typically generations.
With the evolution of new technologies such as thermal extraction, solvent washes, mechanical separators, and the increasing cost of drilling fluids, the ability to, and benefits of, reclaiming materials from the drill cuttings waste, such as various components of the drilling fluids, is increasing.
Accordingly, there is a constant search for new technologies and improvements to existing technologies to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of reclaiming processes.

Multi-stage drilling waste material recovery process


A transmittance-variable layer and a transmittance-variable device including the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a transmittance-variable device includes a polarization layer and a transmittance-variable layer disposed on the polarization layer, wherein the transmittance-variable layer includes a first base layer disposed on the polarization layer and a spacer fixed on a surface of the first base layer opposite to the polarization layer, and a second base layer facing the first base layer and spaced apart from the first base layer by the first spacer, wherein the first spacer maintains a gap between the first and second base layers, and a first light modulating material disposed in the gap.

A transmittance-variable device may be equipped with spacers as a cell gap holding member for holding a cell gap between two substrates on which alignment films are coated. At this time, a technique of fixing the spacers to one of two substrates on which alignment films are coated is applied, where during forming a cell, spacer alignment defects occur due to an external force applied from the outside of the transmittance-variable device.
As a result, an indentation phenomenon occurs in the alignment film of the substrate on which the spacer is not fixed, orientation defects are caused and light leakage is induced. Furthermore, when heat treatment is performed in a preconditioning process after manufacturing the cell, the deformation of the two substrates induces scratches on the alignment film formed on the substrate to which the spacer is not fixed. Such light leakage and scratches can be visually recognized if their size is large, which may induce a problem such as yield reduction.

Transmittance-variable device and use thereof


An interface module has an outward interface with at least two ports for directly connecting to separate sections of a tool bus. The outward interface may have two uplink ports and one downlink port for layered tool bus applications. Each port has two electrical contacts for creating an electrical path between electronic assemblies with combined power & data transmission (CPDT) using a transmission line. A power port is connectable to an external power source via a common electrical path. A standardized inward interface of the interface module provides data and communication contact groups for data and power communication with assembly electronics. The interface module is implemented using advanced electronics packaging technology for easy installation on a printed circuit board. The interface module facilitates a streamlined downhole electronic testing configuration for testing electronics as they are developed prior to completion of development of dependent components.

Electronics are increasingly desired for testing, control, measurement, actuation, and communication in downhole (i.e., in a wellbore) applications, such as measurement while drilling/logging while drilling (MWD/LWD) and directional drilling (or geosteering), wireline logging, coil tubing, slickline services, and the like. Downhole environments are harsh. Accordingly, electronics in a downhole environment may require being properly protected against high pressures, conductive fluids, corrosive chemicals, severe vibrations, and mechanical shocks that are in excess of their designed specifications.
A downhole tool is a self-enclosed unit which can perform specific functions, such as formation measurements, coring, fluid sampling, toolstring monitoring and so forth in a downhole environment. Downhole electronics comprise thousands of parts and components which are typically installed on various print circuit boards (PCBs). A tool typically comprises multiple electronics assemblies, such as printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) in order to achieve complex functionality. Given the harsh downhole operating environments, the electronic assemblies are typically installed in protective cavities to ensure reliable operation. For example, a tool may be constructed from high-strength metal or metal alloys and have a tubular or cylindrical body for easy deployment. The protective cavities within which the electronic assemblies are installed are dispersedly cut out from the metal to avoid creation of weak points in the tool body. Further, wireways, i.e., special long thin cavities are also created so that cables and harnesses can be used to interconnect the electronic assemblies for the data and power communication.
In some implementations, a bottom-hole assembly (BHA) includes a plurality of these protective packages (i.e., segments) connected end-to-end at segment joints. The BHA may include one or more tools in each of the segments. The tools are usually connected to a tool bus through which power and data can be communicated so that the tools operate collaboratively to complete complex downhole jobs. In most cases, the tool bus is further coupled to the surface via a telemetry tool for real-time communication, control, and power transmission. In practice, a segment is typically a drill collar, a drill sub, a pressure mandrel, and so forth.
Internally, the PCBAs of a tool are interconnected together via one or multiple harnesses. For easy service later on, harnesses are usually detachable. In practice, a PCBA is typically equipped with connectors at its one or both ends, and correspondingly a harness of stranded wires with mating connectors are interconnected by the stranded wires. When a tool is assembled, the mating connectors of a harness are securely joined to the corresponding connectors on the PCBAs with jackscrews. Therefore, different PCBAs of a tool can transmit data and power, or achieve specific purpose such as synchronization or control, etc, using the electrical connections provided by the wire harnesses.
Typically, micro D connectors conforming to the MIL-DTL-83513 standard such as ITT Cannon MDM series, AirBorn M series and the like are most widely used in downhole applications. A standard micro D connector has a selectable number of contacts from 9 up to 100 or more and also has different varieties in terms of configurations, temperature rating, materials and finishes. Although standard micro D connectors are readily available, mating harnesses are usually customized because the wire length, number of interconnections and mating connectors of the harnesses are dependent on the specific tool design. For example, different numbers of connections may be needed between different PCBAs of a tool. Typically, the mating harnesses have several tens to a hundred or more connections between the PCBAs of a tool. Despite the small profile of each stranded wire, based on the large numbers of connections, a wire harness may be large, taking up valuable space within a segment.
Historically, electronics development of a downhole tool is costly, lengthy and challenging. Given that downhole environments are usually much harsher than most electronics are designed for, tremendous efforts must be made to screen out the "tough" electronics with extra quality beyond what electronics suppliers can ensure. Typically, a multi-stage progressive development method is taken by the industry, of which each stage has a different test emphasis to simplify the instrumentation needs. Generally, downhole electronics are progressively tested at the component level, module level, assembly (e.g., PCBA) level, tool level, and toolstring level and culminate in a field trial. As the result, tool development is lengthy and expensive. Statistically, it takes about 3-5 years to develop a MWD/LWD tool, and 1-3 years for a wireline tool. A total capital expense of tens of million dollars is very common for a MWD/LWD tool, although it is a bit less for a wireline tool at the order of serval million dollars.
Today, oil/gas markets are more volatile than ever and the traditional development process hardly meets rapidly-changing industry needs.

Downhole tool using a unified electronic interface


An equipment comprising a receptacle for receiving an optical article; a first set of electrical connectors configured to be in direct contact with a second set of electrical connectors disposed on the optical article, when the optical article is received by the receptacle; an activation device operably coupled with the first set of electrical connectors; wherein the activation device is configured to generate an activation signal which is transmitted to the second set of electrical connectors by the first set of electrical connectors, wherein an electrical device is configured to provide a power component to the optical article via the first set of electrical connectors and the second set of electrical connectors which are in direct contact. A system comprising the equipment is also provided. Also provided is a checkout device.

The invention relates generally to an optical article for playback in a player. More particularly the invention relates to an activation system and method for rendering an optical article playable in a player.
Shoplifting is a major problem for retail venues and especially for shopping malls, where it is relatively difficult to keep an eye on each customer while they shop or move around in the store. Relatively small objects, such as CDs and DVDs are common targets as they can be easily hidden and carried out of the shops without being noticed. Shops, as well as the entertainment industry, incur monetary losses because of such instances.
Even though closed-circuit surveillance cameras may be located at such places, theft still occurs. Consumer products sometimes are equipped with theft-deterrent packaging. For example, clothing, CDs, audiotapes, DVDs and other high-value items are occasionally packaged along with tags that set off an alarm if the item is removed from the store without being purchased. These tags are engineered to detect and alert for shoplifting. For example, tags that are commonly used to secure against shoplifting are the Sensormatic® electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags based on acousto-magnetic technology. RFID tags are also employed to trace the items on store shelves and warehouses. Other theft-deterrent technologies currently used for optical discs include hub caps for DVD cases that lock down the disc and prevent it from being removed from the packaging until it is purchased, and "keepers" that attach to the outside of the DVD case packaging to prevent the opening of the package until it is purchased. In some cases, retailers have resorted to storing merchandise in locked glass display cases. In other stores, the DVD cases on the shelves are empty, and the buyer receives the actual disc only when purchased. Many of these approaches are unappealing because they add an additional inconvenience to the buyer or retailer, or they are not as effective at preventing theft as desired. Optical storage media, in particular, pose an additional problem in that their packaging and the sensor or anti-theft tags may be easily removed.
Point-of-sale (POS) activation reduces retail shrinkage because the optical article, for example a DVD, may not be useful i.e., may not be playable, if removed from the store prior to activation. Previously, optical articles have been activated using RF induction (wireless power transfer); that is, electrical power was transferred from the POS equipment to the tag via RF induction from a transformer coil in the POS equipment to a coil on the tag. From there, heat or voltage is transferred from the tag to a heat-responsive layer or electrically-responsive layer(s) on the DVD. The wireless mode of activation may suffer from specific issues, for example, excess heat dissipation resulting in the increase in cost of the activation process due to power transfer inefficiencies. The power transfer efficiency depends on a number of factors including distance and alignment between the transformer coils in the POS equipment and on the tag, the quality factor which depends on electrical resistance and geometry of the coils, and the frequency of the RF radiation. It may be prohibitively expensive to achieve a sufficiently high quality factor for the tag. Furthermore, to be able to wirelessly transfer energy to multiple heaters (or electrodes) that are connected to the tag, multiple coils or an integrated circuit is necessary on the tag, adding to the overall cost.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an improved solution to the long-standing problem. The method described herein fills this need by providing an activation system and employing an activation method that will permit use of the DVD only by an authorized user. Using this method, the DVDs are more reliably activated using a direct contact from the POS equipment to an electrical device.

Activation system and method for activating an optical article


A method is provided for removing a dense ceramic thermal barrier coating (TBC) from an article surface over which the TBC is disposed, the article surface including an edge at which at least a portion of an interface between the article surface and the TBC is exposed. The interface includes at least one material selected from Al, Ti, Cr, Zr and their oxides. The method comprises subjecting at least the exposed interface to a reducing gas at a temperature of at least 1600.degree. F. to separate the TBC from the article surface. The reducing gas is subjected for a time sufficient for the gas to penetrate the interface at least by converting to a gaseous compound at least one material of the group at the interface, and for the TBC to be removed by separation from the article surface.

This invention relates to removal of a coating from an article surface, and, more particularly, to removal of a dense ceramic coating from an article surface which includes at least one of Al, Ti, Cr, Zr, and their oxides.
Gas turbine engine components, typically turbine section blades, vanes, nozzles and shrouds, are designed to operate at relatively high temperatures. During operation, such components experience strenuous environmental conditions, generally because the components are exposed at the high temperatures to a gaseous atmosphere of rapidly flowing air and products of turbine engine fuel combustion. Therefore, it has been a practice in the turbine engine art to enhance component operating life by applying various types of surface protective environmental resistant coatings or coating combinations to exposed surfaces of such components. Typical widely reported coatings on alloys that include Ti and/or Cr include metallic coatings frequently including Al, ceramic coatings some forms of which are called thermal barrier coatings, and their combinations.
During operation of such gas turbine engine articles, reaction to the thermal cycling of the engine or the impact of atmosphere borne particles or their combination has been observed to cause damage to the component. Repair of the damage frequently requires replacement of the surface protective coatings, that can have metal oxides at an interface between coatings or between coatings and the substrate. One commonly used type of environmental resistant coating is a metallic coating including the element Al, the coating including an inner portion diffused into a substrate or surface of the article. A description of forms of such coatings and a method for removal from a surface portion is included in U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,227--Reverman, (patented Mar. 17, 1998).
A form of the above mentioned high temperature ceramic protective coating frequently is called a thermal barrier coating (TBC) or TBC system. Examples have been reported in such U.S. Pat. No. as 4,055,705--Stecura et al. (patented Oct. 25, 1977); U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,003--Weatherly et al. (patented Jun. 13, 1978); U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,285--Siemers et al. (patented May 4, 1982); U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,808--Martus et al. (patented Jun. 8, 1993); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,745--Gupta et al. (patented Aug. 17, 1993). TBC frequently is applied over a metallic environmental coating to provide a TBC system. Removal of ceramic TBC presents a different kind of problem than removal of a metallic coating, particularly when the TBC is dense and substantially non-porous to chemicals intended to penetrate the surface of the coating. For example, it is a practice to deposit a substantially fully dense TBC using the commercially available chemical vapor deposition process. Application of an acidic solution to a TBC coating surface, to react chemically with and remove the ceramic, is time consuming and, more importantly, can enlarge the size of and change cooling air flow through air cooling openings, as discussed in the above identified Reverman patent.
Removal of TBC from an article surface has included exposure of the outer surface of the TBC to a halide intended to penetrate the outer surface and then attack the interface between the TBC and the substrate. Examples of such reported methods are included in U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,589--McCormas (patented Dec. 26, 1989) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,054--Reeves, et al. (patented Mar. 25, 1997). However, treatment of a dense TBC, particularly a substantially fully dense TBC, using known methods can be very time consuming and, therefore, costly.

Method for removing a dense ceramic thermal barrier coating from a surface


The present invention relates to stable compositions comprising linaclotide, as well as to various methods and processes for the preparation and use of the compositions.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,304,036 and 7,371,727 disclose peptides that act as agonists of the guanylate cyclase C (GC-C) receptor for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. One particular peptide disclosed is linaclotide, which consists of the following amino acid sequence: Cys Cys Glu Tyr Cys Cys Asn Pro Ala Cys Thr Gly Cys Tyr (SEQ ID NO: 1). The '036 and '727 patents also disclose methods for preparing linaclotide and related peptides. The contents of these patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
There remains a need for improved formulations of linaclotide, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, having improved stability and performance properties.
The present invention seeks to provide such improved formulations of linaclotide, as well as processes for making the formulations and methods of treating gastrointestinal disorders by administering the formulations.


The present invention relates to the field of food dehydration and production of snacks. In particular, the invention relates to a method for drying vegetables using microwaves in order to produce an improved dried product. The invention also relates to said dried vegetables and to the use thereof in the agro-food industry.

Fresh produce, in particular fruits and vegetables, normally have a moisture level in a range of 75% to 95% by weight (wet basis). One way of extending the shelf life of fresh food is by drying the same. A large number of methods for drying vegetables can be found in the state of the art. Depending of the moisture of the final product, dehydrated vegetables can be considered snack products. Royal Decree 126/1989, by which the Technical Health Regulation for the production and marketing of potato chips and snack products is approved, establishes that in order to belong to the category of snack products, the moisture content of the products must not exceed the maximum value of 5% (wet basis). In the case of potato chip snacks, the maximum moisture limit is established at 3%.
Dried vegetables that are obtained by conventional methods, for example by means of dryers that blow air at moderate temperatures (between 40° C. and 60° C.), have a moisture content greater than 5%, and thus do not belong to the category of snack products, and moreover they have chewy textures. If they are dried at higher temperatures, they can reach a moisture content of approximately 3-5%, but they acquire a shrinkage and compact structure.
Different methods for producing dried fruit snacks are known. Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,803 discloses a method for producing dry fruit chips in which the starting fruit chips are treated with a sugar solution (infused) to adjust the water-soluble sugar concentration thereof to a range of 6-25% and in which they are freeze-dried to reduce the moisture thereof to a predetermined level (between 15 and 60%). They are then dried by microwave vacuum drying to a second predetermined moisture level (between 10 and 40%). Lastly, they are vacuum dried until the moisture content is below 5%. As recognised by the inventors of U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,803, the dry fruit chips obtained by this method have a moderate hardness and a pleasant texture for the direct consumption thereof as a snack. However, to obtain said characteristics, it is necessary to add sugars during the infusion stage, which results in a snack with a less healthy nutritional profile due to the added sugars. U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,803 emphasises that each and every one of the aforementioned steps are essential to produce the dry fruit chip. In fact, it shows that if the drying is only done by microwave vacuum drying, without prior freeze-drying, the product obtained will lose flavour, have less volume and be burned. Likewise, if the sugar concentration in the prior infusion stage is less than 6% by weight, even if the three drying steps (freeze-drying, microwave vacuum drying, and vacuum drying) are correctly carried out, the resulting dehydrated fruit will not have the proper hardness to be consumed as a snack.
One characteristic that makes snacks especially attractive is the crunchiness thereof. However, this characteristic is not always obtainable by the processes described in the state of the art. As such, there is a need to develop a method for drying vegetables to moisture levels that allow them to be categorised as snacks and which, furthermore, produces a crunchy product. Surprisingly, the authors of the present invention have developed a simple and quick method for drying vegetables which results in a healthy snack and which, furthermore, has improved characteristics with regard to texture, such as the crunchiness thereof, and in the method thereof it is not necessary to add additional ingredients to the starting vegetable, such as for example sugars, or to fry the product.


A method and an apparatus for detecting antigen-antibody reaction are disclosed in which a predetermined antigen or antibody is made to attach to the surface of an oscillator and the oscillator is immersed in the specimen blood so as to cause antigen-antibody reaction on the surface thereof. The oscillator is then made to oscillate and the amount of antibody or antigen attaching to the surface of the oscillator is determined in accordance with the data concerning the oscillation of the oscillator.

The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for detecting antigen-antibody reaction, suitable for use in immunological test.
It is well known, that when foreign or potentially dangerous substances, particularly disease producing microorganisms (i.e. antingens), are in or introduced into the body, an "immune response" or reaction naturally occurs. This response involves the production of proteins known as "antibodies", which react with the antigens to render them harmless. Such production is achieved by specialized white blood cells (i.e. lymphocytes). Antibody production is one aspect of the immune response and is stimulated by antigens such as invading bacteria, foreign red blood cells, inhaled pollen grains or dust, and foreign tissue grafts. Notably, antibody-antigen reactions are highly specific.
Thus, it is important to be able to determine in some qualitative as well as quantitative manner, a person's immunity to certain "antigens". The way that a person's immune system is tested is by immunological testing.
Hitherto, there have been proposed a variety of immunological test methods, which are summarized below.

Method and apparatus for measuring the product of an antigen-antibody reaction


A marine vessel includes a hull and a jet propulsion device arranged to take in water through an intake port and eject the water through an ejection port rearward with respect to the hull. The ejection port is arranged posterior to the intake port. The marine vessel also includes a reversing member arranged to be movable between a forward drive position and a reverse drive position. The reversing member is arranged to, when placed at the reverse drive position, reverse the direction of the water ejected from the jet propulsion device forward with respect to the hull (in a direction capable of generating a propulsive force in the reverse drive direction). The marine vessel further includes an operation unit arranged to be operated by a marine vessel maneuvering operator to locate the reversing member at the forward drive position or the reverse drive position, and an internal combustion engine arranged to drive the jet propulsion device. The marine vessel also includes a control unit arranged and programmed to operate in a reverse drive mode in which when the reversing member is located at the reverse drive position by the operation unit, and such that the control unit controls the internal combustion engine to operate within a predetermined speed range.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a marine vessel including a jet propulsion device arranged to be driven by an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of Related Art
Jet propulsion devices are arranged to be driven by an engine to take in water around the hull through an intake port and eject the water through an ejection port. The reactive force of the ejected water provides a propulsive force to the hull. The ejection port is arranged to eject water rearward with respect to the hull. Such jet propulsion devices further include a reverse bucket. The reverse bucket is arranged to reverse the direction of water (water flow) ejected through the ejection port forward with respect to the hull. When the hull drives forward, the reverse bucket is held at a forward drive position so as not to cover the ejection port. When the hull drives backward, the reverse bucket is arranged at a reverse drive position so as to cover the ejection port. The reverse bucket is arranged to be moved between the forward and reverse drive positions in response to the operation of a lever arranged at an operator's seat.
One related art pertaining to a marine vessel including such a jet propulsion device is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0266286 A1. According to the description of this Publication, when the reverse lever is operated to make the hull drive backward, the throttle opening degree of the engine is controlled so as not to be increased even if the opening degree of the acceleration lever may be increased. This allows the reverse drive speed of the marine vessel to be limited and thereby the reverse drive maneuvering operation to be facilitated.

Marine vessel with controlled reverse drive mode


An embodiment of the present invention makes it possible provide a reinforcement structure which (i) makes it possible to reinforce an optical fiber in a simple manner and (ii) decreases the likelihood of degradation of a heat-shrinkable tube. A reinforcement structure (1) includes a tension-resistance member (13), a heat-shrinkable tube (16) which bundles a plurality of optical fibers (11, 12) and the tension-resistance member (13), and a radiator (15) which is in thermal contact with the tension-resistance member (13). The tension-resistance member (13) has a flat surface which faces respective circumferential surfaces of the plurality of optical fibers (11, 12).

Fiber lasers and other such fiber-optic systems that include a plurality optical fibers whose end faces have been fusion-spliced are used widely. Such fiber-optic systems often include a reinforcement structure for reinforcing the fusion splice point.
A typical example of a reinforcement structure for reinforcing a fusion splice point of an optical fiber is a configuration in which an optical fiber and a tension-resistance member are bundled together by a heat-shrinkable tube. By merely bundling an optical fiber and a tension-resistance member with use of a heat-shrinkable tube, it is possible to reinforce a fusion splice point of the optical fiber in a simple manner. Such a reinforcement structure is disclosed in, for example, Patent Literatures 1 and 2.


ESD protection device for integrated circuit includes: A MOS transistor is connected between a supply potential and a ground potential for PD and ND ESD modes. A first-level protection device, such as a field oxide device, has an input terminal coupled to the input pad and an output terminal coupled to the ground potential. The output terminal of the first-level protection device is shared with the MOS transistor for saving layout area. The first-level protection device provides passing the ESD current from the input pad into the MOS transistor when the ground potential is floating.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to integrated circuit devices, and more particularly relates to a device for protecting an integrated circuit from damage which can be caused by electro-static discharge into an input terminal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A chronic problem associated with semiconductor integrated circuits is the destruction which can be caused by electrostatic discharge (ESD) into any one of the external connector pins. A common solution to the problem is when electrostatic discharge intrudes in the die, the electrostatic discharge could flow into a ground terminal to protect interior circuit from damage.
One of conventional layouts to create such a shunt path is shown in FIG. 1. A pull-up transistor 105 has an input node coupled to the pad 101 of the integrated circuit chip and the other two input nodes coupled to the supply potential VDD of the chip. A pull-down transistor 106 has an input node coupled to the pad 101 and the other two input nodes coupled to the ground potential VSS of the chip. A resistor 107 has a terminal coupled to the pull-up transistor 105, the pad 101, and the pull-down transistor 106, and the other terminal coupled to the input stage of the integrated circuit chip. A second-stage transistor 103 has an input node coupled to the input stage and the other two input nodes coupled to the ground potential VSS of the chip.
Another of conventional layouts to create such a shunt path, especially for high voltage devices, is shown in FIG. 2. A field oxide device (FOD) 102 has an input node coupled to the pad 101 of the integrated circuit chip and the other input node coupled to the ground potential VSS of the chip. A resistor 104 has a terminal coupled to the pad 101 and the field oxide device 102, and the other terminal coupled to the input stage of the integrated circuit chip. A second-stage transistor 103 has an input node coupled to the input stage and the other two input nodes coupled to the ground potential VSS of the chip. On consideration of electro-static discharge (ESD) protection performance, a FOD type ESD device needs smaller layout area than a MOS type ESD device does.
However, there are several disadvantages for the FOD type protection device. First, the FOD usually has a long channel length for avoiding the leakage current in a normal operation mode, which results in a low turn-on speed and further ESD failure in an ESD machine model. Second, when the protection mechanism of the POD is triggered by an n+/p junction breakdown, enormous heat occurs at the cylindrical junction of the POD and thus reduces the ESD level. Third, the POD implemented by a LOCOS process has better performance than one by a STI (Shallow Trench Isolation) process. Unfortunately, STI is extensively used in sub-micron (less than 0.25 um) or deep sub-micron technology, so that the performance of the POD is poor. In addition, when the FOD is used in the ESD protection device, there is no corresponding pull-up ESD protection device in the MOS type protection device. Thus, ESD tests of ND mode (xe2x80x9cnegativexe2x80x9d electrostatic is discharged from an input terminal to VDD) and PD mode (xe2x80x9cpositivexe2x80x9d electrostatic is discharged from the input terminal to VDD) wouldn""t be efficiently executed with the POD type protection device.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a protection device for integrated circuits. The performance of ESD tests of ND and PD modes of a POD type ESD protection device are improved with a component building up an effective and short electrical path.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ESD protection device with less layout area in cooperated with ESD tests of strengthened ND and PD modes.
It is further object of the present invention to provide a FOD type protection device with improved effective junction area by adding structures of polysilicon square on the FOD device. The structures of polysilicon square further avoid junction overheat and poor turn-on characteristics.
In the present invention, an ESD (Electro-Static Discharge) protection device is for an integrated circuit having an input pad. The ESD protection device comprises a pull-up means, such as a MOS transistor, connected between a supply potential and a ground potential of the integrated circuit for PD and ND ESD modes. A first-level protection means, such as a field oxide device, has an input terminal coupled to the input pad and an output terminal coupled to the ground potential. The output terminal of the first-level protection is shared with the pull-up means for saving layout area. The first-level protection means provides passing an ESD current from the input pad into the pull-up means with the ground potential is floating.

Electro-static discharge protection device for integrated circuit inputs


Systems and methods for providing an interactive multimedia experience are described. For example, a method for providing interactive content includes receiving content data, receiving an indication of a region within a frame of the content data, receiving a scripting event associated with the region, wherein the scripting event specifies an action to be taken responsive to a trigger, receiving a metadata tag or a reference to the metadata tag, the metadata tag associated with the region, and formatting at least a portion of the content data, the indication of the region, the scripting event, and the metadata tag or the reference to the metadata tag in accordance with a file format for transmission.

Multimedia distribution and consumption has a long history in the art. Numerous file formats, multimedia players, and even dedicated multimedia content providers exist. Common examples include file formats such as MPEG-4 (MP4), QuickTime (MOV), Audio-Video Interleave (AVI), Windows Media Video (WMV), and Shockwave/Flash (SWF) among many others. Common multimedia players include Windows Media Player, QuickTime, RealPlayer, WinAmp, and many others. Dedicated content providers include YouTube, Vimeo, Hulu, and many others.
Unfortunately, traditional multimedia is not constructed to support interactions beyond simple playback controls. There exists no way in which to allow a video producer, for example, to identify the items (such as the clothing worn by an actor) available for sale within the video, nor is there a way for the products to be purchased as the video plays. Similarly, there is no possibility with existing technologies to provide additional actions and annotations to video during playback.
Certainly, some technologies such as Adobe's Extensible Media Platform (XMP) allow detailed metadata to be bundled with multimedia files, but XMP does not allow temporal compression, scripted events, nor streaming delivery of metadata. Similarly, some systems such as YouTube allow some limited capabilities for annotating some interactive areas of videos with text or for redirection to a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and some social commenting on a video stream, but no file and player system includes a full capability suite for interaction, annotation, scripting, temporal compression, and streaming.

Interactive distributed multimedia system


A method and apparatus for feeding back and receiving acknowledgment (ACK) information of semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) data packets are disclosed. The method for feeding back ACK information of SPS data packets includes receiving an uplink downlink assignment index (UL DAI) from a base station (BS), wherein the UL DAI indicates a number (N) of downlink data packets, mapping acknowledgements/negative acknowledgements (ACKs/NAKs) of k SPS data packets of the downlink data packets to positions from the (N−k+1)th ACK/NAK to the Nth ACK/NAK, and feeding back N ACKs/NAKs to the BS.

Two modes are supported in the prior 3GPP E-UTRA system: frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). In TDD mode, the length of each radio frame is 10 ms and is composed by two 5 ms length half-frames. Each half-frame is composed by eight 0.5 ms timeslots and three special fields, namely, downlink pilot timeslot (DwPTS), guard period (GP) and uplink pilot timeslot (UpPTS). Two timeslots form a sub-frame, and the DwPTS, GP, and UpPTS form a special sub-frame. The length of a sub-frame is 1 ms.
Currently, two modes are available to feed back an acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement (ACK/NAK) of multiple downlink sub-frames in an uplink sub-frame in the 3GPP E-UTRA system: multiplexing and bundling. In multiplexing mode, if the ACK/NAK is fed back in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), the feedback is related to the uplink-downlink configuration. If the ACK/NAK is fed back in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), the number of bits fed back depends on whether an uplink grant (UL Grant) signaling exists. If the UL Grant signaling exists, the number of bits that the user equipment (UE) is required to feed back is specified through an uplink data assignment indicator (UL DAI) field in the signaling. If a base station (BS) schedules x of the total N downlink sub-frames, the UE feeds back x ACKs/NAKs. If no UL Grant signaling exists, the UE feeds back N bits and a NAK to those non-scheduled downlink sub-frames.
In bundling mode, only 1-bit ACK/NAK information is fed back, in the PUCCH or in the PUSCH, to indicate the details of all the scheduled downlink sub-frames. So long as the feedback to a scheduled downlink sub-frame is a NAK, the final feedback is a NAK. The final feedback is an ACK only when feedbacks to all the scheduled downlink sub-frames are ACKs.
Two data scheduling modes are defined in the current Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol: dynamic scheduling and semi-persistent scheduling (SPS). In dynamic scheduling mode, each new data packet has a control signaling—physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to indicate resources and transmission mode. The UE receives downlink data and transmits uplink data according to the PDCCH delivered by the BS. In SPS mode, the BS sends a PDCCH control signaling only when the SPS transmission is activated. The UE activates the SPS transmission according to the position and time indicated by the PDCCH. The UE transmits and receives new data packets in a certain period until another PDCCH in a special format terminates the SPS transmission.
Because the PDCCH is used for notification in both dynamic scheduling and semi-persistent scheduling modes, the UE differentiates whether the scheduling mode is dynamic scheduling or semi-persistent scheduling by different scrambled IDs in a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) of the PDCCH. In dynamic scheduling mode, the CRC of the PDCCH is scrambled with a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI); in semi-persistent scheduling mode, the CRC of the PDCCH is scrambled with an SPS-C-RNTI. When the UE detects the PDCCH scrambled with the SPS-C-RNTI, the UE activates the semi-persistent transmission, and receives or transmits data according to the indication in the PDCCH. Within the subsequent period of time, the UE receives and transmits data only according to the position indicated by the PDCCH when the semi-persistent transmission is activated for the first time, making it unnecessary to notify the UE of the position of SPS data packet resources through the PDCCH each time. When the position of SPS resources needs to be changed, a new PDCCH may be used to replace the previous semi-persistent scheduling configuration until the semi-persistent transmission is cancelled by a PDCCH scrambled with an SPS-C-RNTI in a special format when the period of SPS data expires.
However, in uplink ACK/NAK multiplexing mode in the prior art, the first position of K ACKs/NAKs fed back by the UE is the ACK/NAK of the SPS sub-frame, and the position of the UL ACK/NAK of other sub-frames is arranged in the sequence of a downlink data assignment indicator (DL DAI). If the UE does not detect any data in the sub-frames, the UE feeds back a NAK. When the UE loses the SPS activation signaling, the UE feeds back a NAK at the first position. Based on the NAK, the BS thinks that the control signaling is received properly but data is wrong, thus receiving incorrect ACK information. As a result, the BS does not retransmit a PDCCH, and the UE still does not know the position of the semi-persistent transmission, which causes unnecessary retransmission.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for feeding back and receiving acknowledgement information of semi-persistent scheduling data packets


An adjustable gate bracket apparatus and system. The apparatus typically includes a front bracket portion and a rear bracket portion. The front bracket portion includes a generally first rectangular planar body pivotally connected to a second rectangular planar body integrally connected to a curved planar body. The rear bracket portion typically includes two rectangular planar bodies pivotally connected to each other at respective corners. The ends of uprights and rails are connected between the front and rear bracket portions and secured together with rivets, bolts or other suitable. An adjustable gate bracket is secured at each corner of the gate panel. The gate panel is then adjusted to a desired angular orientation on a hill or other contour. Once the desired configuration is attained, the front and rear portions are fixed so that they do not pivot and the gate retains its angular orientation.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of fences and gates and more particularly to an adjustable gate bracket apparatus and system.
II. Description of the Related Art
Present fences typically utilize a series of panels connected together to create a continuous fence. The same panels are also typically used to create a gate for the fence. In order to create the gate, two parallel vertical uprights are connected perpendicular to two parallel horizontal rails using gate brackets, also known as gate kits or gate L's. Several pickets are connected to the gate panel parallel to the uprights. FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art gate 100. As described above, the gate 100 includes uprights 105, rails 110 and pickets 115. The gate 100 further includes the brackets 120 as described above. FIG. 2 illustrates an up close perspective view of the prior art gate bracket 120. The gate 100 as described above are square or rectangular because the gate kits provide ninety degree brackets 120. The gate bracket 120 typically includes two perpendicular members 121, 122 and often a support web 123. Several rivets or bolts connect through to a mirror bracket to provide connection of the uprights 15 and rails 110. When the fence is built on a contour such as a hill, the fence panels can typically be adjusted to match the contour of the hill. However, since the gates are fixed in a square or rectangle, the gate does not match the contour of the hill, leaving unsightly gaps and an unruly gate to open and close.

Adjustable gate bracket apparatus and system


A cleaning device is mounted on either of the sides of an ink-jet printer. The cleaning device uses the power source of a paper delivering motor to transmit power to the cleaning units so that the cleaning units rotate to perform cleaning and scrubbing operations for an ink-jet print head. When the printer performs printing operations, the paper delivering motor is used to deliver paper without causing an interference with the ink-jet print head during the printing operation. When the ink-jet print head needs to be cleaned, an ink carriage moves to be opposed to the cleaning device under the ink carriage, then, the paper delivering motor supplies power to drive an external transmission device set. The external transmission device set drives the cleaning device on the revolving seat to rotate so as to clean the ink-jet print head of the ink carriage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cleaning device for printers and, more particularly, to a cleaning device suited for an ink-jet print head of an ink-jet printer.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional ink-jet printers are prone to have ink become built up on the surface of the ink-jet print head during printing operations. Thus, the build up causes the surface of the ink-jet print head to become tainted, resulting in improper printing whereby documents may be scrapped, thereby causing waste in time, money and effort. Thus, it is necessary to frequently perform cleaning operations so as to remove the residual ink from the ink-jet print head to avoid the clogging of the ink-jet print head and impaired printing operations. In this connection, a cleaning device set is required for the ink-jet print head to perform the cleaning operations. The cleaning device has a wiper for removing ink, foreign matter etc from the ink-jet print head. However, an additional power source for driving the cleaning device is required for the conventional printers when the cleaning device performs the cleaning operations for the ink-jet print head. In general, a motor is added so that the power of the motor is used to drive the wiper of the device for cleaning the ink-jet print head. As such, the size and the weight of the ink-jet printer increase. It is therefore very difficult to reduce the size of the conventional ink-jet printers. Also, the addition of the motor increases the manufacturing costs of the ink-jet printers. In this light, the conventional ink-jet printers cannot overcome those disadvantages of additional power source, complex mechanism and larger occupied space, and thus, need to be improved.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved cleaning device for ink-jet printers to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.

Industrial Technology Research Institute