A rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly in which a separator is arranged between a positive electrode and a negative electrode, an electrolyte disposed in the electrode assembly, a can accommodating the electrode assembly and the electrolyte, an upper insulation plate disposed on an upper portion of the electrode assembly to contact the upper portion of the electrode assembly, a cap assembly coupled to the upper portion of the can, and a gasket arranged to form a seal between the cap assembly and the upper portion of the can and contacting an upper surface of the upper insulation plate. A rotation restricting portion to restrict rotation of the upper insulation plate with respect to the gasket is formed at least at a lower surface of the gasket and the rotation restricting portion includes a plurality of uneven portions which face the upper insulation plate.

1. Field of the Invention
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a rechargeable battery, and more particularly, to a rechargeable battery having a wound type electrode assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rechargeable batteries are capable of being charged and discharged. In accordance with the type of a material forming electrolyte, the rechargeable batteries include lithium (Li) based batteries such as lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries and lithium polymer (Li polymer) batteries, alkali based batteries such as nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries, nickel hydride (NiH) batteries, and nickel zinc (NiZn) batteries, and acid based batteries such as lead-acid batteries. The rechargeable battery is used for a variety of products from portable electronic information apparatus such as mobile phones, laptop computers, and electronic dictionaries, to electric equipments such as electric bicycles, electric scooters, and electric drills.

Rechargeable battery including a rotation restricting portion


A lens for an LED having a lens body providing total internal reflection of light emitted by the LED from a first emission point disposed proximate a first junction of the lens body and centerplane. The lens includes an arcuate light-diffusing edge for diffusing light emitted by the LED and reflected by the angular base and sidewall assembly, the light being diffused by the lens at substantially uniform luminance across a sector of at least 150 degrees centered and measured about the first junction. The light diffused by the lens provides for substantially uniform mixing of at least two different colors of light emitted by a multi-color LED apparatus disposed at the first emission point.

A light emitting diode, or "LED," is well-known in the field of electronics. LEDs are found in all kinds of devices. Among other things, they form the numbers on digital clocks, transmit information from remote controls, light up watches and indicate when an appliance is activated. Alternatively, they can form images on a television screen or illuminate a traffic light. Basically, LEDs function like tiny light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. Unlike ordinary incandescent bulbs, they do not have a filament but are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material.
While all LEDs release light, most do not do it very effectively. In an ordinary diode, the semiconductor material itself ends up absorbing a lot of the light energy. LEDs are specially constructed to release a large number of photons outward. Additionally, they are commonly housed in a plastic bulb or lens that concentrates and directs the light in a particular direction. The main advantage of an LED is energy efficiency. LEDs generate very little heat, relatively to a conventional light bulb. A much higher percentage of the electrical power supplied is directly converted to light. Yet the advantages of this energy efficiency are lost if the light generated is not properly focused and directed in the directions desired.
Many of the lens devices fitted for use with an LED are not capable of directing light in a uniform manner across a range of viewing angles. It is often necessary, especially with electronics and devices using electronics, such as circuit boards, to have light emitting devices be viewable from a range of angles. Most light focusing devices and lenses used with LEDs do not create a source of light that is viewable at constant intensity across the entire range of possible viewing angles. The light emitted is not omnidirectional but has varying intensity or luminance from different viewing angles, such as the top versus the side. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus that provides for uniform luminance emitted by an LED when viewed from any viewing angle.
Furthermore, many devices employ multi-color LEDs, or clusters of monochromatic LEDs having varying colors, to be able to generate any color within the visible light spectrum. The shape of the LED lens generally does not provide for uniform mixing of the various colors of light emitted by the LED. Nor is the color uniform when viewed from different viewing angles about the LED lens. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus that provides for uniform color mixing and chromaticity for light emitted by an LED when viewed from any viewing angle around the LED.

Uniform luminance and color mixing lens for LED device


A polyester film made from two kinds of polyester resins and having a specific DSC (and a specific glass transition point) is provided, (i) which is superior in mechanical property, capable of thermocompression bonding with a metal sheet, despite a high degree of crystallization of the film, reduces quality change of plastic film laminated on the metal sheet even if faced with variation of conditions of thermocompression bonding with the metal sheet, and which is capable of thermocompression bonding even at a relatively low temperature, (ii) which is superior in formability, (iii) which is superior in flavoring property and impact resistance, and which obliterates occurrence of whitening or delamination of the film, or microcracks on the film, even if the film in the metal laminated sheet obtained by thermocompression bonding of the film on the metal sheet or on the surface of a metal can obtained by subjecting the metal laminated sheet to various form processings is crystallized, and (iv) which satisfies productivity at an industrial scale.

Metal cans, one mode of packaging container for food and drink, are superior in mechanical strength and permit long term preservation of contents. In addition, they allow easy packing of contents at a high temperature and sealing of the contents, as well as a sterilization treatment by retorting and the like. Therefore, they offer high reliability as to the safety and hygienic conservation in a packaging container. In view of many advantages they offer, various contents are packed in cans and used in great numbers in recent years, because they can preserve contents in a heating state and make separating collection of cans after use relatively easy.
The inside and outside of metal cans for food and drink are generally coated with a paint containing a thermosetting resin as a main component, with the aim of preserving flavor of contents, preventing corrosion of metal cans, improving appearance and protecting printed surfaces of the outside of cans. Because such metal cans are produced using great amounts of solvents, environmental problems due to desolvation during production and hygienic problems due to the solvents remaining in the coated film are inevitable. In addition, the flavor may be degraded due to the oligomer remaining from a reaction failure during heat setting.
In an attempt to solve these problems, a method including laminating a plastic film on a metal has been proposed. A laminate of a plastic film on a metal sheet is proposed for the application to so-called a three-piece can (hereinafter to be abbreviated as 3P can) and a two-piece can (hereinafter to be abbreviated as 2P can). Spreading of 2P cans is desirable for the production of seamless cans.
2P cans are generally produced by punching out a metal laminate consisting of a metal sheet and a plastic film with a can forming machine and draw-wipe forming. In this can forming step, the film is required to follow spread of the metal sheet while standing the shear of draw-wipe forming.
To meet the request, a film superior in can forming performance, which is made from a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polyester resin having a specific intrinsic viscosity and a polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) polyester resin having a specific intrinsic viscosity has been proposed. However, this dramatic film does not necessarily follow spreading of a metal sheet, nor does it show a sufficient adhesion to a metal sheet, when subjected to a wipe step (draw-wipe forming) after drawing. In addition, the film is subject to delamination or development of microcracks during forming, thus showing insufficient formability.
The amount of oligomer eluted from a laminated metal sheet and a metal can obtained using this film is considerably less as compared to that from a metal sheet or a metal can obtained by applying a paint containing a thermosetting resin as a main component. For a further decrease, a metal container can formed from a metal sheet laminated with a film may be heat treated to increase the degree of crystallization of the film, but rapid crystallization results in the production of spherulite, delamination of the film and the like, which require demanding an improvement. A merely high degree of crystallization makes thermocompression bonding of the metal sheet and the form-processing difficult.
A plastic film having suitable crystallinity (suitable degree of crystallization), which is made from two kinds of polyester has been proposed to solve the above-mentioned various problems. This film simultaneously satisfies followability to the spreading of a metal during can forming and retention of the flavor of the can contents, which is attributable to the fact that the film is made from two kinds of polyesters and the film has suitable crystallinity. The film first has suitable crystallinity, but a treatment of the film at a high temperature causes transesterification leading to copolymerization with different polyester, thus degrading the crystallinity. To keep the degree of crystallization of the film in a suitable range during processing into products, for example, the time for melting the polyester may be shortened and the heat applied to the film during drawing and a heat treatment step after melting may be reduced.
For the productivity at an industrial scale, these conventional methods are faced with a limitation. This is because the amount of a resin to be discharged needs to be increased for improving productivity, a higher capacity of an extruder is necessary for producing a plastic film free of radical variation in quality such as inconsistent thickness, and the residence time of the resin needs to be prolonged to stabilize the discharge, and the like. The above-mentioned conventional methods are insufficient to achieve the productivity to afford a plastic film having the necessary properties and a metal can and the like obtained therefrom.
Given the above situation, there is a demand on a plastic film for a metal laminate, which has the properties necessary for a metal can and a lid of a can, which maintains the property after form processing into a final product, and which is superior in productivity at an industrial scale.
The present invention aims at achieving the following objects.    (i) Provision of a film for a metal laminate, which is superior in mechanical property, capable of thermocompression bonding with a metal sheet, despite a high degree of crystallization of the film, reduces quality change of plastic film laminated on the metal sheet even if faced with variation of conditions of thermocompression bonding with the metal sheet, and which is capable of thermocompression bonding even at a relatively low temperature.    (ii) Provision of a film for a metal laminate, which is superior in formability (can forming performance and the like).    (iii) Provision of a film for a metal laminate, which is superior in flavor property and impact resistance, and which obliterates occurrence of whitening or delamination of the film, or microcracks on the film, even if a film on the surface of a metal laminated sheet obtained by thermocompression bonding of the film on the metal sheet or on the surface of a metal can obtained by subjecting the metal laminated sheet to various form processings is crystallized.    (iv) Provision of a film for a metal laminate, which satisfies productivity at an industrial scale.

Polyester film, use thereof and metal laminated sheet made of said film, and metal can and metal lid made of the sheet


The ternary alloy CdSexTe1-x(2 1 1) and the quaternary alloy Cd1-zZnzSexTe1-x have been grown on Si(2 1 1) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The growth of CdSeTe is facilitated using a compound CdTe effusion source and a Se effusion source while the growth of CdZnSeTe is facilitated using a compound CdTe effusion source, a compound ZnTe effusion source, and an elemental Se source. The alloy compositions (x) and (z) of CdSexTe1-x ternary compound and Cd1-zZnzSexTe1-x are controlled through the Se/CdTe and ZnTe/CdTe flux ratios. The rate of Se incorporation is higher than the rate of Te incorporation as growth temperature increases. As-grown CdSeTe with 4% Se and CdZnSeTe with 4% Zn+Se, which is substantially lattice matched to long-wavelength infrared HgCdTe materials, exhibits excellent surface morphology, low surface defect density (less than 500 cm2), and a narrow X-ray rocking curve (a full-width at half maximum of 103 arcsec).

For over a decade, the HgCdTe research community has spent considerable effort to prepare CdTe/Si composite substrates for HgCdTe material growth and subsequent infrared (IR) device applications. These research efforts have led to a relatively mature process for CdTe/Si fabrication by MBE. CdTe/Si composite substrates have been used to fabricate large-format short wavelength infrared (SWIR, 1-3 μm) and medium wavelength infrared (MWIR, 3-5 μm) HgCdTe focal plane arrays, despite the lattice mismatch between CdTe and HgCdTe.
However, to advance this technology to long wavelength (LWIR, 8-12 μm) HgCdTe devices, lattice matching to HgCdTe is needed in order to reduce the dislocation density within the material. This is specifically necessary for LWIR material since an elevated dislocation density has a greater impact on device performance in the LWIR limit than in either MWIR or SWIR regions due to the inherently smaller band gap of long wavelength detecting HgCdTe material. To mitigate the lattice mismatch issue, initial efforts have focused on incorporating 4.3% Zn into the CdTe/Si layer to provide Cd0.957Zn0.043Te/Se composite substrates which are exactly lattice matched to LWIR HgCdTe. However, it is difficult to growth CdZnTe layers of suitable crystal quality and low defect levels on Si. Furthermore, the crystalline structure of Cd1-zZnzTe degrades for increasing values of z, perhaps due to a miscibility gap.
The II-VI compounds, using nomenclature common in the literature, include group II atoms (such as cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), and mercury (Hg)) in compounds formed with group VI atoms (such as sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and tellurium (Te)). These compounds are often semiconducting. Binary compounds include CdTe, CdSe, CdS, ZnTe, and the like. CdTe, for example, is sometimes referred to as cadmium telluride, with analogous nomenclature for other compounds. This nomenclature is not intended to indicate any particular electronic state of the group II or group VI (chalcogenide) atoms within the compound, or to suggest any other compound property. CdTe is sometimes also referred to as an alloy of cadmium and tellurium. The term alloy, in this context, does not suggest any particular property of the compound, and is only used to indicate that the compound includes the given atomic species.
Ternary II-VI compounds include compounds having two group II atomic species and one group VI atomic species, such as HgCdTe (mercury cadmium telluride, or MCT), and compounds having one group II atomic species and two group VI atomic species, such as CdSeTe. Generally, a term such as HgCdTe is used to represent a class of compounds having the general formula Hg1-yCdyTe, where 0<y<1, sometimes written (Hg,Cd)Te. Quaternary II-VI compounds include CdZnSeTe, HgCdSeTe, and other such compounds.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,306,386 and 5,399,206, both to de Lyon, disclose growth of a ternary or quaternary II-VI semiconductor layer on a silicon (Si) substrate having an arsenic monolayer coating. U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,614, also to be Lyon, discloses epitaxial growth of CdZnTe(1 1 1) on a silicon substrate having a (1 1 1) orientation tilted 2-8 degrees away from the surface normal.
However, the prior art fails to disclose the MBE growth of high quality CdSeTe and CdZnSeTe films on a silicon based substrate, having low surface defect density and potential lattice matching to HgCdTe. In this context, a silicon based substrate is a substrate including a silicon layer, such as a silicon wafer, a passivated Si layer, or a Si layer supporting one or more further layers, such as ZnTe, CdTe and/or CdSeTe and or CdZnSeTe. There exists a need for high-quality CdSeTe or CdZnSeTe composite materials that are lattice matched to Hg1-yCdyTe in the alloy composition a range 0≦y≦1.

Molecular beam epitaxy growth of ternary and quaternary metal chalcogenide films

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A method, a Media Gateway (MG), and a system for managing a filter rule are disclosed. The method includes: The MG receives a processing message from a Media Gateway Controller (MGC); and the MG maintains the packet filter rule context according to the processing message, where the packet filter rule context includes at least one filter rule for filtering a packet received or sent by the MG. The processing message may be a message for creating, modifying or deleting the packet filter rule context. With the present disclosure, the MGC can manage the packet filter rule on the MG effectively.

The Next Generation Network (NGN) adopts a distributed network structure. It bears voice, video and multimedia services effectively, and is implemented such that the service application, service control, and service transmission are separated from each other. An NGN in the prior art includes an MG and a Media Gateway Controller (MGC). The MGC is configured to manage call states and control bearer resources of the MG; and the MG is configured to create, modify, release and manage media streams under control of the MGC.
Generally, the MG works in Back-to-Back (B2B) mode when it serves as a border gateway. That is, a termination is created in either of two Internet Protocol (IP) networks, and is allocated an address of the IP network of the termination. This address acts as a source address for sending media streams and a destination address for receiving the media streams in the respective IP networks of terminations. Generally, each media stream has a definite peer for each termination, and the filter rule is intended only for the address of this peer. Therefore, there is only one filter rule usually.
The MG in the H.248.64 protocol works in routing mode, and uses a termination to represent an interface. That is, a termination corresponds to an interface rather than an address in an IP network. The corresponding filter rule is set on the termination that represents the interface. However, a single filter rule is not enough as a firewall packet filter rule on the interface. There may be tens of thousands of firewall packet filter rules on an interface.
In the prior art, the MGC is unable to control the filter rules on the interfaces of the MG effectively, namely, the MGC is generally unable to perform control operations such as an audit for the filter rules in the properties of the terminations of the MG.

Method, media gateway and system for managing a filter rule


There is disclosed a simply constructed apparatus for and a ready method of blockading a mouthpiece of a transfusion synthetic resin container used for medical drip infusion. Based on the apparatus and the method thereof, insertion of an instillation needle can be facilitated, and there is no leakage of fluid. Besides, low costs of manufacture suffice, and high efficiency can be attained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a simple apparatus for and a method of blockading a mouthpiece of a transfusion synthetic resin container designed for medical drip infusion, in which insertion of an insillation needle can be facilitated and there is no possibility of leakage of fluid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional means for blockading the mouthpiece of the synthetic resin container is typically arranged in three ways. Firstly, after a tight-sealing stopper has been welded to the mouthpiece of the synthetic resin container, a leakage prevention rubber stopper is covered thereon. Secondly, the synthetic resin stopper and the leakage prevention rubber stopper are previously fitted to the mouthpiece of the synthetic resin container. Thirdly, the synthetic resin stopper and the leakage prevention rubber stopper are formed before-hand into one united body, and this united body is welded to the mouthpiece of the container. These constructions are all complicated and have difficulty of operation. Besides, such constructions are relatively costly and are inefficient for preventing the leakage.

Method and apparatus for blockading an opening through a cylindrical mouthpiece of a synthetic resin container


The present invention provides a widely general-purpose A/D converting device. The A/D converting device comprises multiple signal conversion units each of which include: an A/D converter for converting an input analog signal into a digital signal with a predetermined number of bits; a D/A converter for converting the output from the A/D converter into an analog signal; a subtracter for subtracting the output signal from the D/A converter, from the input analog signal; and an amplifier for amplifying the output signal from the subtracter. The A/D converting device has a configuration wherein the signal conversion units are arrayed in multiple rows and columns. This allows the user to realize an A/D converting device having various types and levels of performance by making various combinations of the signal conversion units without change of the layout of the signal conversion units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal conversion technique, and particularly to an analog/digital converting device for converting analog signals into the corresponding digital signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of a circuit for converting input analog signals into digital signals, a pipeline A/D converter is known (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-275342, for example). The pipeline A/D converter is formed of multiple signal conversion units one to another, each of which have a function for low-bit analog/digital conversion. With such a configuration, the pipeline A/D converter performs A/D conversion in steps by actions of each signal conversion unit. Also, a cyclic A/D converter has been proposed wherein the output from a signal conversion unit including a subtracting/amplifying output unit is input to the same signal conversion unit as a feedback signal so as to perform A/D conversion multiple times with the same single conversion unit.
In general, each analog circuit block included in a system LSI is designed according to predetermined specifications. Accordingly, development of an analog circuit block according to different specifications requires redesign thereof. Design/development for an analog circuit block requires a great number of steps such as layout and wiring, logic verification, trial manufacturing, and evaluation. In some cases, these steps require several months, leading to a bottleneck problem in development of a system LSI. Development of an analog/digital converter has the same problem, as well. In particular, in rapidly advancing fields such as image processing, communication, and so forth, demand for a high-speed and high-precision A/D converter is increasing, leading to a demand for a technique for reducing development time of such an A/D converter.


An oil passage is provided in an axially central portion of a spool which is received within a valve housing and rotatively driven by a pulse motor, and oil passages passed diametrically through the spool and connected to the oil passage, so that a hydraulic pressure from an input port connected to a hydraulic pressure source is selectively supplied to the oil passages for selectively engaging and disengaging frictionally engaging elements of an automatic transmission. An axially acting load provided by the hydraulic pressure is received by a thrust bearing mounted at an end of the spool. The supply of oil from the axial portion of the spool enables no side force to be applied, thereby reducing the frictional force and to enhance the sealability between the valve housing and the spool.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a rotary valve for an automatic transmission, comprising a spool rotatably received within a valve housing and adapted to be rotatively driven by an actuator, so that a hydraulic pressure from a hydraulic pressure source is selectively supplied to each of a plurality of frictionally engaging elements through the spool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are such conventionally known rotary valves for automatic transmissions as described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 312577/88.
Such a prior art conventional rotary valve for the automatic transmission suffers from a problem that line pressure supplied from the hydraulic pressure source through an input port formed in the valve housing is applied to an outer side surface of the spool from a radial direction and, for this reason, an opposite outer side surface of the spool is urged against an inner peripheral surface of a valve bore of the valve housing and, as a result, smooth rotation of the spool is prevented.
To avoid such a disadvantage, it can be conceived that a circumferential groove, to which the line pressure is transmitted, is formed in an outer peripheral surface to balance side force. However, the provision of such a circumferential groove results not only in an increased fabrication cost for the spool, but also in a problem of sealing between an oil passage opened into the peripheral surface of the spool and the Circumferential groove. Therefore, it is necessary to prolong the axial size of the spool to insure a sealing length, and to reduce the clearance between the spool and the valve housing to prevent leakage of oil. Such a construction, as described above, causes new problems that the entire length of the spool is increased, resulting in an increase in size of the entire rotary valve, and frictional force between the spool and the valve housing is increased. Hence, the size of a driving pulse motor must be increased.
In the prior art rotary valve, in order to cope with the situation where the spool becomes non-rotatable for any reason, such as, a malfunction of the pulse motor, for rotatively driving the spool, and a clogging with dust particles, measure is taken, such as, means for providing small vibration to the spool for preventing any sticking of spool, and a provision of an emergency valve. This causes a complication of the structure and an increase in cost. In addition, the spool of the rotary valve includes a plurality of axially arranged oil passages and, therefore, if the distance between adjacent oil passages is diminished, to reduce the axial size, it is necessary to conduct precise axial positioning of the spool.
Further, in the prior art rotary valve, when hydraulic pressure is being supplied to an intended frictionally engaging element, the hydraulic pressure for the other frictionally engaging elements is released through the rotary valve. The releasing of the hydraulic pressure is carried out through a common path during either downshifting or upshifting. In order to moderate shifting shock during downshifting and upshifting, it is desirable that during upshifting, the releasing of the hydraulic pressure from the frictionally engaging element, which has been in engagement theretofore, is retarded to permit the two engaging elements to be brought into a co-engagement. It is desirable that during downshifting, the releasing of the hydraulic pressure from the frictionally engaging element, which has been in engagement theretofore, is expedited to temporarily produce a neutral condition, thereby increasing the number of revolutions of engine to a proper extent. In the prior art rotary valve, however, the path through which the hydraulic pressure is released is common during both upshifting and downshifting and, therefore, it is difficult to provide different dropping characteristics of the hydraulic pressure during upshifting and downshifting.


A chemically sensitive transducer for selectively determining a chemical property of a fluid and providing a measurement signal to an amplifying circuit. The transducer has a measuring electrode coupled to the amplifying circuit and provides a measurement signal to the amplifying circuit. A membrance covers the measuring electrode, this membrane being sensitive to a specified chemical property. A carrier plate, with first and second sides, has the measuring electrode arranged on its first side and the amplifying circuit on its second side. The carrier plate has a conductor extending between the first and second sides which electrically couples the measuring electrode and the amplifying circuit.

The present invention relates to a chemically sensitive transducer for the selective detection of the chemical properties of a fluid, and more specifically, to a transducer with a measuring electrode overlaid with a membrane that is sensitive to the chemical properties. This electrode is coupled to the gate of a field-effect transistor. The transducer has an encapsulation which isolates the entire transducer except for the membrane from the fluid.
The term "chemically sensitive" refers to an ion or gas sensitive property, a sensitivity to enzyme substrates, to antibodies/antigens or to hydride-forming DNA/RNA groups. Depending on their sensitivity, transducers can be utilized in medicine, for example in blood analysis, in clinical chemistry, for therapy control, hormone determination, infection and tumor diagnoses, as well as in fermentation control, food and environment analyses and process control.
A chemically sensitive transducer is known from EP-B-0 065 350, in which the gate of a field-effect transistor is connected via a laterally abutting conductor to an allocated measuring electrode disposed on the same side of the substrate. The field-effect transistor is provided in a semiconductor substrate. The measuring electrode is provided with a membrane, (i.e., a coating) which is sensitive to the chemical property to be determined and which is applied by electroplating, sputtering or vapor deposition. The field-effect transistor is encapsulated against the fluid that is to be examined by a protective layer composed of an epoxin resin or rubber.
Immersing a transducer of this design in the fluid to be examined yields, due to the ion exchange reactions between the electro-active substance of the membrane and the fluid at the gate electrode of the field-effect transistor, a potential which influences the channel conductivity of the field-effect transistor. Potentiometric or ammetric measurement permits obtaining a corresponding output signal proportional to the concentration of the parameter to be measured.
Other chemically sensitive transducers are known from EP-A-0 302 228, EP-B 0 078 590 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,276.
Although the voltage produced by the ion exchange reaction lies in the mV range, the non-reactive load capacity of the membrane, however, lies in the pA to fA range. When working with such low charge quantities, it is important that all interfering influences, in particular those of an electric or thermal nature, be prevented, a point for which the above-cited publications provide no measures. Another problem with the known transducers is that they can only be utilized for the determination of those chemical properties to which the membranes, which can be applied onto the measuring electrode with the aforementioned processes, are sensitive.
An object of the present invention is to provide a chemically sensitive transducer featuring higher sensitivity in comparison to known chemically sensitive transducers and which, at the same time, is insensitive to electric influences and temperature fluctuations. The transducer should also be able to be designed to be sensitive to properties that can be detected only with membrane substances of little stability.
These and other objects are provided by the present invention which provides a chemically sensitive transducer for selectively determining a chemical property of a fluid and providing a measurement signal to an amplifying circuit. The transducer has a measuring electrode coupled to the amplifying circuit and provides a measurement signal to the amplifying circuit. A membrane covers the measuring electrode, this membrane being sensitive to a specified chemical property. A carrier plate, with first and second sides, has the measuring electrode arranged on its first side and the amplifying circuit on its second side. The carrier plate has a conductor extending between the first and second sides which electrically couples the measuring electrode and the amplifying circuit.
The arrangement of the measuring electrode and the amplifying circuit on the opposite sides of a carrier plate with contact being made through the carrier plate yields, with small overall transducer dimensions and unrestricted possible design with regard to the size and number of measuring electrode surfaces, the shortest distances between the measuring electrode and the corresponding amplifying circuit with an accordingly high signal/noise ratio. In this manner, the transducer of the present invention increases its sensitivity in comparison to conventional transducers. Furthermore, a largely free choice in the design of the measuring problems is allowed by the present invention. In particular, all types of membranes, such as those used with conventional ion-selective electrodes, can be utilized.
Furthermore, the amplifying circuit can also be designed with very different techniques. For example, the transducer can be realized cost-effectively even in small quantities with the hybrid technique or thin film technique.
In an embodiment of the invention, the carrier plate consists of an insulating material, which may be, for example SiO.sub.2, a ceramic material such Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, glass, an epoxy resin or a plastic material. In this manner, the carrier plate not only ensures required stability, where there is little thickness, but also shields the amplifying circuit reliably from environmental influences. A ceramic material is suited, for example, for application of the measuring electrode material, the conducting layer and other conductor channels with the thick film technique.
In an embodiment of the invention, a conducting layer is arranged between the amplifying circuit and the carrier plate, which can be used at the same potential as the measuring electrode. This results in active shielding of the high impedance input signal from electric interference fields, thereby further improving the signal/noise ratio, and reducing the limit of sensitivity of the transducer and raising its speed of response as well as improving cross-talk behavior in a transducer with several channels. Further input capacitances are substantially eliminated.
In an embodiment of the invention, the electric connection (the conductor) between the measuring electrode and the field-effect transistor in the amplifying circuit is provided by a borehole extending completely through the carrier plate. This borehole preferably has a diameter of less than 0.1 mm and is coated at least on its sidewalls with a conducting material. This embodiment of the present invention has the advantage that, because of the small cross-section of the borehole, stationary or weakly moving fluids can not reach the amplifying circuit due to their surface tension even if the opening of the borehole were uncovered.
In an embodiment of the invention, the measuring electrodes, the conductor running through the carrier plate and if required, the conducting layer, are made of a material which is chemically inert to the fluid to be examined, so that it does not react with the fluid. In particular, practically any adjuvants (solvents, reducing and oxidating agents, radicals for couplings and polymerizings) may be employed for applying the membrane. Such materials are, by way of illustration, gold, platinum, silver, palladium (or their alloys) or a conductive polymer, such as polypyrrol.
In an embodiment of the invention, a mask plate disposed on the carrier plate restricts the area of the measuring electrode. This has the advantage that a trough-like receptacle with a defined base area is formed for applying the membrane onto the measuring electrode so that there is a corresponding expansion in the membrane and its thickness can be determined by simple dosing of the fluid. In this manner, it also becomes possible for the user himself to lay on the membrane with sufficient precision, which is necessary when sensitive materials and materials of little biological stability such as enzymes and antibodies are to be employed as membranes. Furthermore, it becomes possible to reuse transducers by removing spent membranes and replacing them with new ones. Membranes that can be put on by the user can be applied by means of electrochemical reactions or in a dissolved state. Furthermore, the mask plate may also be removable and therefore is replaceable. The mask plate may be arranged on the transducer only for the purpose of applying the membrane or the membrane surface may be varied by disposing mask plates of different design.
In an embodiment of the invention, the mask plate covers the borehole. This is useful for additional protection of the amplifying circuit provided in the encapsulment.
In an embodiment of the invention, an insulating layer covers the borehole, this insulating layer being provided between the mask plate and the carrier plate. The insulating layer further seals the conductor running through the carrier plate. The insulating layer may be made of SiO.sub.2, polyamide, epoxy resin, aluminum oxide or a silicon resin.
In an embodiment of the invention, the mask plate and the covering encapsulating the amplifying circuit are also made of the same material as the carrier plate. In this way, mechanical tension, like that which can lead to leakage due to temperature fluctuations at different thermal expansion coefficients, can be avoided. Furthermore, a ceramic makes a good electric insulator and is chemically inert, i.e. it does not react with the fluid to be examined and is physiologically indifferent.
The high pressure filling of the transducer encapsulation with an inert gas, as provided in an embodiment of the invention, is an additional measure that protects the amplifying circuit against penetration of water vapor and prevents oxidation of the electronic components, for example in autoclaving processes as can be conducted with temperature stable sensors.
In an embodiment of the invention, the transducer is provided with at least one pair of differential sensors having an active measuring electrode and an inactive measuring electrode. This circumvents the necessity of having an external reference electrode, which, however, can be employed at any time with the transducer of the present invention. The sensor channels in each case comprise a pair of sensors, the potential of which is determined in relation to a reference dissolving contact and are subtracted from one each other. One electrode surface is covered with the desired membrane and the other with the same, but "carrier-free" mixture. The term "carrier-free" means that the membrane, or the layer, does not have the sensitive component. Due to the formation of a differential, the instability of the potential of the reference dissolving contact and the unspecified matrix effect of the membranes like that produced, for example, by the diffusion of lipophile blood fats, is eliminated.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


Method of making Li-intercalateable electrodes for a lithium-ion battery by applying a first film onto a first face of an electrically conductive grid, which film comprises a plurality of Li-intercalateable particles dispersed throughout a mixture of a polymeric binder and a plasticizer for the binder. Thereafter, a film-forming slurry having the same composition as the first film, plus a solvent therefor, is applied to a second face of the grid opposing the first face so as to provide a second film and such that the solvent in the slurry dissolves at least a portion of the first film and promotes solvent bonding of the films with the grid embedded therein. A polymeric backing film defining a separator is used as a manufacturing process aid, thereby eliminating the step of using a carrier film onto which the electrodes are fabricated and stripping off the carrier and discarding the same.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to lithium ion batteries, and more particularly to a method of making electrodes (i.e., anodes and cathodes) therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lithium ion batteries of the so-called xe2x80x9crocking chairxe2x80x9d type are known in the art and comprise a lithium-intercalateable anode, a lithium-intercalateable cathode and a lithium-ion-conductive electrolyte sandwiched therebetween, as seen generally by reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,279 to Tarascon. One particular variant of such battery is the so-called xe2x80x9clithium polymerxe2x80x9d battery wherein (1) the electrodes (i.e. anode and cathode) contain lithium-intercalateable particles bound together in a porous polymer matrix, impregnated with electrolyte, and (2) a porous polymeric membrane/separator, impregnated with electrolyte, lies interjacent the electrodes.
It is known to fabricate lithium-polymer cells by sandwiching a thin dry film of the separator/membrane material between a thin dry film of anode material and a thin dry film of cathode material and forming a laminate thereof by bonding the several films together under heat and pressure. Current collecting grids may be pressed into the anode and cathode materials at the same time or in a separate operation. However, this approach involves many steps, which increase fabrication cost and complexity. Moreover, achieving consistent and enduring lamination has been an ongoing problem in the manufacture of lithium polymer batteries. Delamination of one or more layers may result in an inoperative battery.
Other approaches have been taken in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,318 to Gozdz et al. disclose a process for making a lithium polymer cell by a process wherein (1) a first electrode film is cast wet and dried on a first current collector defined by aluminum collector foil, (2) a separator/membrane film is cast wet and dried atop the first electrode film, (3) a second electrode film is cast wet and dried atop the separator/membrane, and (4) a second current collector applied to the second electrode film. However, the approach is not effective for mass production inasmuch as the process produces incomplete and/or unenduring contact between layers and components thereof. This is more particularly true for the above-mentioned lamination approach. The foregoing results in lower production efficiency, increased scrap rate (due to higher than acceptable resistances), and, accordingly, higher costs.
In copending application Ser. No. 09/862,388, filed May 21, 2001, assigned to the common assignee of the present invention, a process is disclosed for fabricating composite electrodes that involves the use of a carrier layer upon which an electrode is formed. Copending application Ser. No. 09/862,388 further discloses, in one embodiment, that the carrier layer is stripped off to separate the electrode therefrom. It would be desirable to avoid having to strip off the carrier layer.
There is therefore a need to provide an improved process for fabricating composite electrodes, including multilayer structures for use in lithium ion batteries or cells that minimizes or eliminates one or more of the problems as set forth above.
Manufacturing complexity, cost, and scrap rate can be reduced, production rates increased, and better contact between the grid and the electrode material achieved by a process according to the present invention.
The invention involves using a separator as a backing film in the coating process. Since the separator is used in cells and batteries, it can be retained, unlike the carrier disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 09/862,388, which is removed and discarded. This improvement allows attachment of the separator at an earlier stage in the overall process, and further, eliminates steps. In a preferred embodiment, the separator is a polymeric backing film. The separator performs its conventional function as well as a new function, namely, that of a carrier or backing film.

System and method for multilayer fabrication of lithium polymer batteries and cells


A sleeving system consists of a sleeve forming mechanism for constructing a sleeve from a web of material and a series of pairs of prongs mounted to a pivoting turret mechanism. The prongs are moved to a collapsed position, where a partially opened sleeve is positioned over the collapsed prongs and clamped to one of the prongs. The prongs are pivoted to an inserting station, and are moved apart to open the sleeve at the inserting station. A compressed stack of articles, such as paper towels, is provided to the inserting station, and is inserted by an inserting mechanism into the space between the prongs, and therefore into the opened sleeve. The prongs are then pivoted to a removal station, where a removing mechanism functions to remove the stack from between the prongs and to simultaneously draw the sleeve off of the prongs. The stack undergoes decompression as it emerges from between the prongs, to expand into engagement with the sleeve. The removing mechanism deposits the sleeved stack of articles onto a discharge conveyor. Several sets of prongs are mounted to the turret mechanism, which provides continuous indexing movement of the prongs between the sleeving, inserting and removal stations of the system.

This invention pertains to a packaging system, and more particularly to a system for enclosing a compressible stack of articles within a sleeve.
Various mechanisms are known for packaging a compressible stack of articles, such as a stack of paper towels or the like. One such device is enclosed in Lucas et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,886 issued May 1, 1973, and entitled Method and Apparatus For Banding Articles. This patent discloses advancing the stack of articles by means of a pair of conveyors defining facing upper and lower runs. The conveyor runs converge toward each other, so that the stack is compressed as it is being advanced by the conveyors. A sheet of material is applied to the top of the compressed stack, and is folded down along the sides of the stack and under the bottom of the stack, all while the stack remains under compression. An adhesive is applied between areas of the sheet which are folded onto each other, to form the sheet into a band which encircles the stack of articles. The stack is advanced while remaining under compression, allowing the adhesive to set, after which the banded stack is discharged from between the conveyor runs. The stack undergoes decompression, and is retained within the band by friction between the stack and the band.
An improved version of the above-summarized machine involves supplying upper and lower webs of material to the top and bottom, respectively, of the compressed stack. The top web is folded down to partially cover the sides of the stack, and the bottom web is folded up to partially overlap the edges of the top web. Adhesive is applied between the overlapping portions of the top and bottom webs, and rollers apply pressure thereto. The stack remains under compression until the adhesive sets, after which it is discharged from between the upper and lower conveyor runs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved mechanism for packaging a compressible stack of articles, such as paper towels or the like. It is a further object of the invention to provide an article packaging system which results in production of a clean and neat package for the stack. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a compact and efficient packaging system for producing a packaged stack of articles.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system for packaging a compressible stack of articles includes an article feeding mechanism for supplying the stack of articles in a compressed state, and a sleeve feeding mechanism for supplying a collapsible tubular sleeve in a collapsed condition, with the sleeve defining at least one open end. The invention further includes a sleeve opening mechanism for moving the sleeve from its collapsed condition to an open condition, and an inserting mechanism for inserting the compressed stack of articles into the open end of the sleeve when the sleeve is moved to its open condition by the sleeve opening mechanism. The invention further includes a removing mechanism for removing the sleeve and the stack of articles from the sleeve opening mechanism, which results in decompression of the stack and engagement of the stack with the sleeve, to retain the stack of articles within the sleeve by friction.
The sleeve opening mechanism consists of a pair of prongs, movable between a first collapsed position in which the prongs are close together, and a second opened position in which the prongs are moved apart. The sleeve feeding mechanism functions to place the sleeve onto the prongs when the prongs are in their first collapsed position. Movement of the prongs to their second opened position functions to open the sleeve, and the inserting mechanism is operable to insert the stack of articles into the open end of the sleeve between the prongs. The prongs are mounted to a pivoting turret mechanism which functions to move the prongs between a sleeving station, an inserting station, and a removal station. At the sleeving station, the prongs are in their first collapsed position and the sleeve feeding mechanism functions to place the sleeve onto the prongs. The sleeve opening mechanism functions to move the prongs from their first collapsed position to their second opened position during movement of the prongs between the sleeving station and the inserting station. At the inserting station, the stack of articles is inserted into the sleeve between the prongs. At the removal station, the removing mechanism functions to remove the sleeve and the stack of articles from the prongs.
The sleeve opening mechanism includes a guide track with which at least one of the prongs is interconnected. The guide track is arranged to provide movement of the prongs between their open and closed positions as the prongs are moved by pivoting movement of the turret mechanism.
The sleeve feeding mechanism functions to construct a sleeve from a parent roll of web material, by unwinding the web material from the parent roll, and folding and gluing the web material into a collapsed, folded tube. A cutting mechanism functions to cut the collapsed, folded tube into collapsed sleeves of predetermined length. The feeding mechanism includes a pair of rollers defining a nip for receiving the collapsed sleeve therebetween. Each roller includes one or more suction ports to which suction is applied. The suction ports function to draw the walls of the collapsed sleeve apart, to partially open the sleeve as the sleeve is propelled by the rollers toward and onto the sleeve opening mechanism.
The invention also contemplates a method of packaging a compressible stack of articles. The method involves the steps of providing a sleeve in a collapsed condition, with the sleeve defining at least one open end, and moving the sleeve to an open position for opening its open end. The method further includes compressing the stack of articles, inserting the compressed stack of articles into the open end of the sleeve, and decompressing the stack of articles, so that the articles engage the sleeve and are retained within the sleeve by friction. The details of the method are substantially in accordance with the foregoing summary.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.

Development Industries of Green Bay, Inc.


A calibration device arranged for calibrating an oscillating frequency of an oscillator includes: a phase locking device arranged to track a first reference clock generated by the oscillator until a feedback clock is phase-aligned with the first reference clock, and then arranged to track a second reference clock generated by the oscillator until a phase difference between the second reference clock and the feedback clock is a static phase difference, wherein the feedback clock is generated by dividing an output oscillating signal of the phase locking device by a divisor; an adjusting circuit arranged to adjust the divisor into an updated divisor to reduce the static phase difference between the second reference clock and the feedback clock; and a calibrating circuit arranged to calibrate the oscillating frequency of the oscillator according to the updated divisor, wherein the second reference clock is generated by varying a control signal of the oscillator.

The present invention is related to a calibration device for an oscillator and a method thereof, and more particularly to a calibration device for calibrating a characteristic curve of the oscillator and a method thereof.
In a wireless communication system, an oscillator is used to generate an oscillating clock signal having a required oscillating frequency. Normally, the oscillating frequency range of an oscillator can be evaluated by two aspects: the dynamic range (DR), and the static range (SR). The ideal dynamic range and the ideal static range of an oscillator are illustrated in FIG. 1, which is a diagram illustrating a plurality of characteristic curves of an ideal oscillator. The oscillator can be controlled to generate different oscillating frequencies depending on the AFC (automatic frequency control) codes (e.g. 0˜8191) and the CapID codes (e.g. 0˜127). More specifically, the middle AFC code is used to determine the static range of the oscillator, and each AFC code is used to control the oscillator to generate the required oscillating frequency. Ideally, for each CapID code, the relation between the AFC code and the oscillating frequency is linear, i.e., the plurality of straight lines as shown in FIG. 1. In practice, however, the relation between the AFC code and the oscillating frequency of the oscillator is not linear, such that the line representing the transfer function between the AFC code and the oscillating frequency will be a curve instead of a straight line as shown in FIG. 1. Consequently, the wireless communication system may not have enough margins to track the temperature variation and crystal aging, and may not have enough margins for initial crystal offset and static error during the manufacturing process (e.g. the soldering process). Moreover, using the conventional off-chip instrument to test the SR and DR of an oscillator is time consuming and involves extra costs. Therefore, providing an effective and low-cost way to test and calibrate the SR and DR of an oscillator is an urgent problem in this field.

Calibration device for oscillator and method thereof


A method for matching an impedance of a system comprising a cavity and one or more feeds to an impedance of one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation irradiating a plurality of frequencies into the cavity via the feeds, comprising: determining a plurality of s-parameter of the system for a frequency band; determining the system impedance based on the s-parameters; and modifying the system impedance according to the difference between the impedance of the system and the impedance of the source.

Matching the impedance of an RF feed, (antenna) including the resonant cavity, while the resonator optionally includes a load such as food, with the impedance of the RF source increases the efficiency of energy delivery into the resonator and the load. When impedances are perfectly matched no power reflection exists and all transmitted energy is absorbed by the load. As the impedance becomes unmatched, the reflections increase and consequently heating efficiency decreases.
Measuring the reflection from a resonant cavity (return loss) in a microwave oven and modifying the impedance of the feed or the cavity to reduce reflections, or modifying the feed frequency to match the impedance in a microwave oven are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,108 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,789 or J. D. Penfold, et al., Control of Thermal Runaway and Uniformity of Heating in 20 the Electromagnetic Warming of a Cryopreserved Kidney Phantom, in Cryobiology 30,493-508 (1993), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Dynamic impedance matching in RF resonator cavity


Provided is a communication device based on a flexible circuit board communicating wirelessly. The communication device includes: a control unit configured to collectively control the communication device based on the flexible circuit board; a power supply unit configured to supply power to a configuration included in the communication device based on the flexible circuit board based on a control of the control unit; a flexible circuit board; and a plurality of antennas disposed on the flexible circuit board.

RF is an abbreviation of Radio Frequency and is a communication method for exchanging information by radiating radio frequency. As a technology to replace the barcode that has been widely used in the past, short range wireless communication is attracting attention. Since short range wireless communications may process more information than barcodes and may transmit and receive information without touching or scanning directly, recently, its application range is expanding.
The short range wireless communication is used to attach a short range wireless communication tag to objects to be targets such as objects, and a reader reads the tag to transmit/receive information.
The tag includes a tag chip for storing information and processing signals and an antenna unit for transmitting and receiving signals. The antenna unit has an RF characteristic capable of transmitting and receiving a frequency corresponding to a signal transmitted and received by the reader.
A flexible circuit board refers to an electronic circuit composed of a flexible material that may be easily bent and folded.

Communication device based on flexible circuit board


A head support for a backrest of a motor vehicle seat, which can be folded out of an upright use position into a cargo position directed in driving direction. The head support is mounted to be foldable toward the front side of the backrest between an upright operative position is in the use position, and a folded down inoperative position when the backrest is in the cargo position, around a horizontal head support spindle of a holder arranged at the backrest and carries the head support the head support spindle extends transverse to the driving direction. The holder is lowered completely or partially into a lowered position in the backrest in the inoperative position of the head support and can be raised from the lowered position into the raised position of the operative position.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a head support for a backrest of a motor vehicle seat that can be folded out of an upright use position into a cargo position directed in the driving direction, wherein the head support is mounted to be foldable toward the front side of the backrest between an operative position, which is upright when the backrest is in the use position, and an inoperative position which is folded down when the backrest is in the cargo position. The head support is rotatable around a horizontal head support spindle of a holder arranged at the backrest and carries the head support, which head support spindle extends transverse to the driving direction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vertically adjustable head supports are frequently positioned too low by the user so that protection is not optimal.
In order that tall occupants of a motor vehicle seat are also optimally protected, head supports are also constructed, e.g., without vertical adjustment, in which the contact surface area of the head support must be enlarged toward the top for the head of the vehicle occupant. However, enlarging the head support toward the top leads to a collision with the vehicle roof when the backrest is folded forward and/or, in case of a back seat, leads to a collision with the front seat located in front of it, which prevents the back seat from being folded down completely into a horizontal position.


A method for managing an electronic phone book is used in a communication device which includes a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), a system for executing the method, a storage device, and a processor. The USIM includes elementary files. The system and the method identify information updated by users for saving the electronic phone book, a contact name, a contact phone number, and a contact email address according to link information of each elementary file. The system and the method update the contact information of USIM according to the information updated by the users. The contact information of USIM can be quickly updated by utilizing the method and the system.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is related to electronic phone books, and is especially relative to a method for managing an electronic phone book of a universal subscriber identity module used in a communication device.
2. Description of Related Art
A Universal subscriber identity module (USIM) can be used in a cell phone of the third generation mobile telecommunications (3G) specification. The USIM provides a variety of use, but the use of the electronic phone book is different from the use of the subscriber identity module (SIM) in a mobile phone of the global system for mobile communications (GSM) specification.
When users want to modify contact information using an interface provided by a cell phone, the cell phone loads the information of the electronic phone book from USIM, receives the information updated by the users, and compares the received information with the information of the electronic phone book one by one to update the information. This method wastes a lot of time and resources.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

Method for managing electronic phone book used in communication devices


A method allowing a professional service provider to access client data stored in an online account without storing confidential account information by the professional service provider. In particular, the service provider may register the relationship with the client in a third party information transfer framework where the client approves such registration and download the data from the online account using the confidential account information in a temporary manner. The client data may be stored in a repository available to the service provider based on the relationship registration. In an example, a professional tax preparation software may include functionality to check for newly downloaded client data within the third party information transfer framework, notifying a tax accountant (i.e., the service provider), and may provide a one click access to import the client data directly into the client tax return.

A taxpayer typically has a large amount of information (e.g., related to a large number of stock sales, investment accounts, interest payments, payroll information) that needs to be entered into a tax return. This information already exists in electronic form at a financial institution. The taxpayer can download it personally and automatically import the information into the tax return if the tax return is prepared by the taxpayer using a personal tax preparation software, such as TurboTax™ (a registered trademark of Intuit Inc., Mountain View, Calif.). However, an accountant who may be hired to prepare the tax return on behalf of the taxpayer does not have access to the same information electronically without asking for the taxpayer login information to the financial institution, which the taxpayer may be very reluctant or unwilling to do. The alternative means of getting such information into the professionally prepared tax return, such as manual data entry, are awkward and time-consuming. Similar difficulties exist for other type of professional service provider (e.g., an insurance broker, a human resources broker, etc.) who would have the need to access client's data in an online account of a financial entity, such as an insurance company or medical provider.


High voltage through type capacitor comprising includes a cylindrical dielectric having first and second electrodes formed on both end faces thereof, a through conductor connected to the first electrode, and a ground plate connected to the second electrode. In the high voltage through type capacitor, and insulating material selected from the group of self-adhesive silicone rubber and elastic silicone gel is used for insulating at least between the cylindrical dielectric and the through conductor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to high voltage through type capacitors and manufacturing method thereof and, more particularly, relates to high voltage through type capacitors suitable for noise filters for magnetrons provided in electric cooking ranges.
Description of Related Art
Conventionally, through type capacitors for preventing radio noise from leaking from magnetrons used for electric cooking ranges are well known, for instance in Japanese utility model publications S55-35803/1980 (IPC:H01
Next, the construction of a conventional through type capacitor is explained with reference to FIGS. 33, 34(a) and 34(b).
The through type capacitor has a cylindrical dielectric 1 of through type made of a ceramic on both end faces of which first and second thick film electrodes 2 and 3 are formed by burning Ag paste at a temperature of 700 to 800.degree. C. A conductor 4 is arranged so as to pass through the cylindrical dielectric 1 and is electrically connected to the first electrode 2 by a connection plate 5 via solder. An enlarged ground metal plate 6 is electrically conducted connected to the second electrode 3 by a step portion 6b thereof forming an aperture 6a. The through conductor 4 is covered with an insulating tube 7.
These elements 1, 4, 5 are covered by a cylindrical outer case 9 made of a resin such as polybutylene terephthalate and insulating resin such as epoxy resin is filled into the space defined by the outer case 9 in order to protect those elements 1, 4 and 5. Further, a cylindrical insulating cover 10 covers the lower portion of the conductor 4.
Epoxy resin used as an insulation filler shrinks in a direction indicated by arrows upon curing, as shown in FIGS. 34(a) and 34(b) and, thereby, a small gap is formed at the boundary surface la between the cylindrical dielectric 1 and the epoxy resin filled inside of the dielectric 1. More particularly, the linear thermal expansion coefficients of the ceramic forming the cylindrical dielectric 4 and the epoxy resin are 1.about.10.times.10.sup.-6 /.degree. C. and 1.about.10.times.10.sup.-5 /.degree. C. respectively, and when a thermal shock test for the through type capacitors is performed, gaps and cracks are caused at the boundary 1a between the ceramic and epoxy resin by relatively strong residual thermal stress due to the big difference between the thermal coefficients mentioned above. This invites a concentration of charge and drop of the dielectric strength property. Further, in a humidity resistance test for the through type capacitors, humidity penetrates into the through type capacitors. In order to prevent the humidity from penetrating there into, the insulating tube 7 is provided.
The through type capacitor having the construction mentioned above is exposed to an a higher temperature environment since it is arranged in a shield case of the magnetron. In the electric cooking range, the magnetron is cooled, via cooling fins, by wind generated by a cooling fan and the through capacitor is also cooled by the wind. However, the anode portion of the magnetron is heated up to a high temperature of about 300.degree. C. and the capacitor is always exposed to a high temperature of 100 to 120.degree. C. and often to a higher temperature of about 150.degree. C. Further, accidentally, the capacitor may be heated up to such a high temperature as 180.degree. to 200.degree. C.
Moreover, since goods being operable as both the cooking range and oven are developed and the cooling fans having a low cooling faculty are used for saving cost, the heat resistibility of the through type capacitor is highly demanded.
However, epoxy resin is softened at a temperature of about 150.degree. C. and the degradation thereof progresses rapidly progressed to invites which invites peeling at the boundary surface. Thus, the conventional through type capacitors have a limit to the strict demand of the heat resistance mentioned above.
In order to solve the problem mentioned above, a resin exhibiting a heat resistance of about 200.degree. C. has recently been developed. However, the resin has a very high hardness and, therefore, cracks and breakages are caused due to residual stress generated upon shrinkage thereof and thermal shock and, also, gaps and peeling at the boundary surface are caused. These result in an inferior dielectric strength and poor reliability.
On the contrary, it has been known that silicone rubber has a high heat temperature resistance of about 200.degree. C. together with an elasticity. However, it has no adhesion and, therefore, it is impossible to use the silicone rubber as an insulating filler for the through type capacitor since humidity may penetrate thereinto through small gaps formed between the silicone rubber filled as the insulating filler and the ceramic dielectric 1 resulting in poor insulation.
In order to solve the problem mentioned above, a method for applying a primer to respective elements to be covered by the filler is considered. However, it is impossible to obtain stable dielectric and humidity resistances since an extra step for applying the primer is needed and control of the primer layer is difficult.
Also, the dielectric resistance of an order of ten and several KV is required in the through type capacitor since a high voltage of 7 to 8 KV is applied thereto upon driving the magnetron.
As is apparent from the mentioned above, high dielectric resistance, heat resistance and resistance to thermal shock are required for the through type capacitor.
Further, the through type capacitor is required to have a high tracking resistance as one of the important properties to be owned thereby. This tracking resistance is used to evaluate the dielectric strength in such a case that water is condensed on the surface of the through type capacitor by a rapid and big change in the temperature. In this regard, the insulating case and cover 9 and 10 made of an organic high-polymer conventionally used have poor tracking resistance since the high-polymer is carbonized once a high voltage is leaked along the outer periphery of the capacitor and, thereby, the capacitor comes into a short circuited state.
As mentioned above, since silicone rubber is used as the insulating tube 7 and, therefore, it is high in cost and is laborious because of work for inserting the through conductor thereinto, the cost of the capacitor becomes high. Also, the insulating property of the capacitor using epoxy resin as the insulating filler is worsened rapidly at a temperature higher than 150.degree. C. which is an upper limit of use with respect to the epoxy resin.

High voltage through type capacitor and manufacturing method therefor


A power tool having one or more sound damping members which reduce sound and/or vibration from one or more parts of a power tool. The sound damping member can reduce sound and/or vibration from static or dynamic parts of a power tool. The sound damping member can reduce noise and/or vibration from one or more rotating or moving parts of a power tool and its housing or internal structure. Methods, means, controls, systems and practices for reducing or eliminating undesired sound from a power tool are disclosed.

Fastening tools, such as nailers, are used in the construction trades. However, many fastening tools which are available are insufficient in design, expensive to manufacture, heavy, not energy efficient, lack power, have dimensions which are inconveniently large and cause operators difficulties when in use. Further, many available fastening tools do not adequately guard the moving parts of a nailer driving mechanism from damage. operators difficulties when in use. Further, many available fastening tools do not adequately guard the moving parts of a nailer driving mechanism from damage.
Additionally, many power tools, such as fastening tools, emit excess sound and/or noise. Such excess sound and/or noise can be unpleasant to the user and others within a hearing distance thereof.
Further, many fastening tools which are available are inconveniently bulky and have systems for driving a fastener which have dimensions that require the fastening tool to be larger than desired. For example, drive systems having a motor which turns a rotor can require clutches, transmissions, control systems and kinetic parts which increase stack up and limit the ability of a power tool to be reduced in size while retaining sufficient power to achieve a desired performance.
There is a strong need for a fastening tool having an improved motor and drive mechanism. A strong need also exists for a fastening tool which has improved sound characteristics.


A power module includes an upper substrate comprising a plurality of circuit pattern areas made of a metal and a dielectric area disposed between each of the plurality of circuit pattern areas; a lower substrate including a plurality of circuit pattern areas made of a metal and a dielectric area disposed between each of the plurality of circuit pattern areas; and a semiconductor element having an upper terminal and a lower terminal, the upper terminal and the lower terminal being bonded to a lower surface of the upper substrate and an upper surface of the lower substrate, respectively.

A power conversion system (e.g. inverter) is one of the core components of hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles, and a major component for an environmentally friendly vehicle. Many technologies regarding the power conversion system have been developed and a technology for developing a power module is being developed. The power module is a core component of the power conversion system and has the highest cost of production among components of the power conversion system, and is a core technology in the field of environmentally friendly vehicles.
The power module may be an insulated-type power module or a non-insulated-type power module. A conventional non-insulated-type power module uses a single lead frame and thus there may be difficulty in forming a pattern. Therefore, the conventional non-insulated-type power module allows design of a 1-in-1 or 2-in-1 structure but requires a complicated configuration for the lead frame in the case of expansion to a 4-in-1 or 6-in-1 structure, which makes it difficult to expand the structure design of the power module.
Further, an insulated-type two-layered Thermal Interface Material (TIM) and an insulated-type one-layered Si3N4 ceramic substrate may be applied in order to configure the conventional non-insulated-type power module. Thus, the conventional non-insulated-type power module has a deteriorated heat-radiation property.
Further, the conventional non-insulated-type power module is configured in a multi-layered solder structure due to the application of a spacer thereto and thus has reduced reliability. The conventional non-insulated-type power module requires multiple processes to be applied thereto due to wire bonding and thus needs to ensure the reliability of the wire bonding.
Therefore, there has been a demand for a solution which can develop the power module into an expanded type, can improve a heat-radiation property, and can implement a simplified structure for reliability improvement and process improvement.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure and should not be taken as acknowledgement that this information forms the prior art that is already known to a person skilled in the art.

Power module and power conversion system including same


A web-based hosted solution through which business entities create and manage communications campaigns, such as interactive campaigns that afford target recipients an opportunity to be connected to a third party call center. A web interface is provided to enable a business entity customer to create a set of one or more rules that, when triggered during the campaign, cause the hosted solution to take certain control actions in real-time, based on campaign performance. Preferably, this “campaign performance” is measured indirectly, i.e. without requiring a direct connection to an on-premises call center ACD. Rather, preferably all information about the call center's performance during the campaign is derived from information (gathered by the hosted solution) about calls delivered, or attempted to be delivered, to the call center. In effect, the call center performance is inferred, and this performance is then exposed to the business entity customer through a web-based interface. In particular, the interface provides the business entity customer with a convenient and easy-to-use display that identifies any rule that has been (or may be getting ready to be) triggered, together with a then current status of the campaign. The system is programmed to take a given control action (e.g., campaign suspension, adjusting an outbound call rate, or the like) when a customer-configurable rule is triggered.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to methods of and systems for managing interactive communication campaigns over a computer network, such as the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known in the prior art to provide a web-based hosted solution through which business entities create and manage interactive or notification communications campaigns. An example of an interactive communications campaign is a telephone campaign to determine whether a target recipient desires to transfer a credit card balance to a new account, a campaign to remind a recipient that a credit card payment is due and to offer the recipient an opportunity to speak with a customer representative concerning any payment issues, or the like. The hosted solution typically is implemented as an application (or "managed") service provider. One or more business entities ("customers") that desire to use the service typically register and access the service through an on-line (e.g., web-based) portal. In one representative use scenario, the managed service provider entity provides outbound telemarketing services on behalf of participating customers. The campaign typically is provisioned by the customer. Thus, for example, using a web-based interface, a participating customer defines a script for the campaign, imports a set of contacts, and defines one or more parameters that govern how the campaign is to be run. At a designated time, the service provider initiates the campaign, e.g., by providing the contacts to a set of telephone servers that set-up and manage the telephone calls to the targets of the campaign. During a given outbound call, as noted above, a recipient may be afforded an option to connect to a third party contact center, e.g., to speak to the customer representative. In such implementations, the hosted solution typically is integrated directly with the call center's on-premises automatic call distributor (ACD). The direct connection is used by the hosted solution to obtain information about contact center performance that, in turn, may be used to adjust one or more service parameters.
While having a direct connection between the hosted solution and the call center ACD may appear to be desirable, it significantly increases the time needed to deploy the managed service, and it presents complex and sometimes costly integration and operational issues.

Method and system for managing interactive communications campaigns


A coding device includes: a pitch contour detection unit which detects a pitch contour of an input audio signal; a dynamic time warping unit which determines the number of pitch nodes based on the pitch contour and generates a first time warping parameter including information indicating the determined number of pitch nodes, a pitch change position, and a pitch change ratio; a first encoder which codes the first time warping parameter; a time warping unit which corrects pitch, using the information obtained from the first time warping parameter, to approximate the pitches of the number of pitch nodes to a predetermined reference value; a second encoder which codes the input audio signal at the corrected pitch; and a multiplexer which multiplexes the coded time warping parameter and the coded audio signal to generate a bitstream.

A coding device is designed to code an audio signal efficiently. In human speech, the fundamental frequency (pitch) of an audio signal changes sometimes. This causes the energy of the audio signal to propagate through wider frequency bands. It is not efficient to code a pitch-changing audio signal by an acoustic signal coding device, especially in a low bit-rate.
Therefore, conventionally, the time warping technology is used to compensate the effect of pitch change (See Patent Literature (PTL) 1and Non Patent Literature (NPL) 1, for example).
More specifically, the time warping technology is used to achieve pitch correction (pitch shifting). FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an example of the conventional scheme of pitch shifting. Specifically, FIG. 1A shows a spectrum of an audio signal before pitch shifting, and FIG. 1B shows a spectrum of the audio signal after pitch shifting.
As shown in the drawings, the pitches are shifted from 200 Hz in FIG. 1A to 100 Hz in FIG. 1B. In this manner, by shifting the pitches of the next frame to align with the pitches of a previous frame, the pitches are made consistent. In this case, the energy of the audio signal converges as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C.
FIG. 2A shows a sweep signal before pitch shifting in the conventional pitch shifting of audio signals. FIG. 2B shows a sweep signal after pitch shifting in the conventional pitch shifting of audio signals. As shown in the drawings, the pitches of the audio signal become constant by pitch shifting.
Furthermore, FIG. 2C shows the spectrum before and after pitch shifting in the conventional pitch shifting of audio signals. Here, the graph a in FIG. 2C shows the spectrum before pitch shifting and the graph b in FIG. 2C shows the spectrum after pitch shifting. As shown in FIG. 2C, the energy after pitch shifting is confined to a narrow bandwidth.
Here, pitch shifting is achieved using the re-sampling scheme, for example. In order to maintain a consistent pitch, a ratio of re-sampling (hereinafter referred to as a re-sampling rate) varies according to a pitch change ratio. By applying a pitch tracking algorithm to coding of a frame, a pitch contour of this frame can be obtained.
More specifically, the frame is segmented into small sections for pitch tracking. The adjacent sections may be overlapped. As the pitch tracking algorithm, for example, there are a pitch tracking algorithm based on auto-correlation (see NPL 2, for example), and a pitch detection scheme based on a frequency domain (see NPL 3, for example).
Each section has a corresponding pitch value. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a conventional calculation scheme of pitch contours of audio signals. FIG. 3 shows that the pitches change depending on time. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, one pitch value is calculated from one section of the audio signal. The pitch contour is the concatenation of the pitch values.
In pitch shifting, the re-sampling rate is in proportion to the pitch change ratio. Furthermore, information indicating the pitch change ratio is extracted from the pitch contour. Cent and half tone are often used to measure this pitch change ratio. FIG. 5 shows a measurement of the cent and half tone. The cent (c in FIG. 5) is calculated from a pitch ratio (pitch change ratio) of adjacent pitches as shown below.
                    cent        =                  1200          ×                      log            2                                                                                pitch                                            (                                  i                  +                  1                                )                                                    pitch                                            (                i                )                                                                        [                  Math                                                              1                ]
According to the pitch change ratio, re-sampling is applied to the audio signal. Pitches of other sections are shifted to a reference pitch in order to obtain a consistent pitch. For example, if a pitch of the next section is higher than a pitch of the previous section, the re-sampling rate is set to a lower rate in proportion to the cent difference between the two pitches. Furthermore, if the pitch of the next section is lower than the pitch of the previous section, the re-sampling rate is set to a higher rate.
Taking into consideration a recording player capable of adjusting the reproduction speed of audio for a higher tone by lowering the reproduction speed, the tone is shifted to a lower frequency. This is similar to the idea of re-sampling the signal that is in proportion to the pitch change ratio.
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a coding device and a decoding device applied with the time warping scheme. As shown in FIG. 6, the coding device performs transform coding after performing time warping on an input signal, using pitch ratio information. The pitch ratio information is needed in the decoding device which performs reverse time warping shown in FIG. 7.
Therefore, the pitch ratio has to be coded by the coding device. In prior arts, a fixed table corresponding to a small pitch ratio is used to code the pitch ratio information, and efforts are made to improve coding sound quality through time warping processing under a condition that there are limited numbers of bits available for coding the pitch ratio.

Coding device, decoding device, coding method, and decoding method for audio signals


A power cylinder of the type in which the piston may be locked to maintain the associated tool or clamp in a fixed position. A pair of guide rods extend in parallel spaced fashion through the bore of the cylinder from end to end of the cylinder and the piston includes a pair of spaced apertures passing the guide rods so that the piston may slide within the bore of the cylinder on the guide rods. The piston apertures are internally threaded and the guide rods include an externally threaded portion so that, following movement of the piston within the bore through a rapid advance portion of its stroke under the influence of pressure fluid, the internal threads in the piston apertures are brought into engagement with the externally threaded portions of the guide rods and the guide rods are thereafter rotated so as to threadably advance the piston to its final desired position in which the piston is lockingly held by the coacting threads. Rotation of the guide rods is achieved in one embodiment by a rack and pinion arrangement and is achieved in another embodiment by an air motor.

This invention relates to power cylinders operated by fluid pressure and more particularly to a fluid pressure power cylinder including means to securely lock the piston in a desired position of the piston.
Power cylinders, either pneumatically actuated or hydraulically actuated, find many applications in modern industry. For example, power cylinders are utilized to advance the slide of a tool head in a machine tool so as to bring the cutting tool to a position to operate on a workpiece. If the piston is not locked in its position of adjustment, the associated tool may bounce back and forth or chatter when it is moved against and into the work. As a further example, power cylinders are also conventionally used to operate work holding clamps. It is essential in these situations that the cylinder hold the workpiece securely and that it maintain a holding force on the work, sometimes for long periods of time and sometimes regardless of variations in the size of the work due to permissible work tolerances or other factors. For example, parts such as aircraft wings or the like are sometimes clamped in position and left for days while different machining and assembling operations are performed thereon. It is important in these cases that the power clamps used to hold the part maintain full pressure continuously and that pressure not be relieved or even reduced appreciably at any clamp during the entire period.
It is important therefore, in these and other applications, that the power cylinder include means to ensure that the piston, and thereby the associated tool or clamp, maintains its position of adjustment irrespective of forces exerted against the associated tool or clamp and irrespective of pressure losses in the cylinder.
Various devices have been proposed to allow the piston to be locked in its position of adjustment. One such device, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,576,151, includes a ring which is rotated following movement of the piston to its full stroke position to engage pins carried by the piston and thereby lock the piston in its position of adjustment irrespective of any subsequent loss of pressure in the system. Whereas this piston lock arrangement has been generally satisfactory, it does not provide the ability to lock the piston over any significant range of piston positions but rather provides locking only in the full stroke position of the piston.


An apparatus performs a space map matching on a position of a user terminal measured through a positioning process and display the measured positions of the user terminal on a map in which a plurality of spaces are constructed. The space map matching is performed to determine in which space the user terminal is located among the plurality of spaces.

Navigation systems are widely used for vehicles. A navigation system identifies a current position of a vehicle or a user in real time by calculating coordinate signals received from Global Positioning System (referred to as 'GPS', hereinafter) satellites and indicates the current position onto a map image by interlocking the current position with the database with map information and traffic information built previously. The navigation system for a vehicle employs a GPS receiver to calculate a current position of a vehicle. The navigation system obtains information on current speed, time and position of the vehicle by virtue of the GPS receiver and provides a user with guidance information based on such information.
However, when calculating the current position using GPS signals, there normally occurs an error of tens of meters because of characteristics of the GPS signals, which results in that the navigation system displays the current position on an erroneous point, such as a position out of road or a building, on a map.
In order to avoid such a problem, a conventional navigation system applies a map matching method to calculate a position of the vehicle. According to the map matching method, a current position of a vehicle and road data are compared each other under the assumption that the vehicle is driving on the road. Further, when the difference between the current position and coordinate data is within a predetermined range, it is determined that the vehicle is driving on the road and the current position is forcibly corrected into a point on the road data nearest the current position.
Korean Laid-Open Patent No. 10-2010-0067578 suggests an apparatus and method for map matching of a moving object. The Korean Laid-Open Patent No. 10-2010-0067578 discloses a map matching method to correct a position coordinate of a moving object such as a vehicle moving on a road, wherein a position of the moving object is corrected into a point on the road when coordinate data of the road does not exist on a map data and thus it is not easy to make a conventional map matching.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 2002-318121 discloses a navigation system, which is capable of determining a current position of a moving object when the moving object moves into an indoor facility. First, the navigation system determines a current position of the moving object by performing a map matching on an output data from a stand-alone sensor and an output data from a GPS apparatus using a map data while the moving object is moving. Thereafter, when it is detected that the current position of the moving object is located within an indoor facility, the navigation system performs a map matching on the output data from the stand-alone sensor using a map data to determine the current position of the moving object.
Generally, in case that positioning information of a user is received, a position of the user is displayed by making a map matching to road network data (node or link, for example) nearest to the position. However, in case that the user is placed at an indoor location, especially, at a specific space in a building, a positioning result is map-matched to the nearest network data, which results in that it is not possible to precisely reflect a real position of the user on the map.

Apparatus and method for performing map matching


A frame having a top frame piece, a bottom frame piece with a receptor, a first side frame piece attached to the top frame piece and to the bottom frame piece and a second side frame piece attached to the top frame piece and to the bottom frame piece. A foot is attached to the receptor, wherein the receptor has a structure such that the foot can be attached to the receptor only at n predetermined positions, where n is .gtoreq.2.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to both a frame and a curtain barrier assembly that can be used to support such curtain barriers as welding screens and curtain barriers.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In the past, curtain barrier assemblies have used complicated attachment schemes for the frame and the curtain barrier that require tools and/or threaded fasteners. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,035 discloses an assembly 10 of a pair of space dividers, that can be used as welding screens. A screen 10 is composed of a pair of frames 11 and 12 pivotally interconnected by hinge assemblies 13. A frame 11 may include a top corner frame member 14, a bottom corner frame member 15, an interconnecting top corner frame member 16 and an interconnecting bottom corner frame member 17. The corner frame members 14, 15, 16 and 17 are attached to each other by vertical and horizontal straight tube sections 29 that are telescopically received in the outer end portions 18 and 19 of the corner frame members. The tube sections 29 are retained in the corner frame members by rotating the thumb screws 25 through a threaded nut 20 so that they engage the telescoped ends of the straight tubes 29.
The bottom frame members 15 and 17 are designed to have either leg members 31 alone or conventional platform legs 34 support the frame 11. In the latter case, the upstanding leg portion 36 of each platform leg is telescopically received in leg member 31 of each corner frame member 15. Thumb screws 25 are then threadedly advanced through weld nuts 20 to engage the leg portions 36.
Once a frame 11 or 12 is assembled, a screen material 27 is attached by ties 28 to frames 11 and 12.
The above-mentioned use of thumb screws can provide complications during assembly. For example, it is often difficult to create enough torque on the thumb screws to adequately tighten the frame members and so some type of pliers may be needed to properly tighten the thumb screws. In addition, the thumb screws often prove incapable of preventing the platform legs from moving no matter the amount of torque applied to the thumb screws.