An adhesive for anchoring materials in or to concrete or masonry exhibits a shorter cure time than previous adhesives and comprises an epoxy compound and a curing agent of at least one aliphatic amine and at least one tertiary amine, optionally with a reactive dilent, which possesses sufficent strength to pass ICBO Heat Creep Test at 110 degrees F. and the ICBO Damp Hole Test at 75 degrees F.

Many applications require that one article, structure or item be bonded or adhered to another article, structure or item. For example, anchor bolts are employed in various fields of engineering as strengthening or reinforcing members in rock formations, or concrete or masonry structural bodies. The bolts, which are typically metallic, are inserted into holes in the rock formations, or concrete or masonry structural bodies, and are fixed or anchored therein by means of an anchor composition. Typically, the anchor composition cures or hardens (polymerizes) to form a strong bond between the rock formation, or the concrete or masonry structural body and the bolt.
It has been known to use curable synthetic resins as the primary adhesive for the safe fastening of anchoring rods, bolts and similar devices in solid rock, masonry, concrete and the like. Typically, but not exclusively, certain of the starting components of the adhesive composition are kept separate from one another and then combined at or near the point of fastening. In such so called two part systems, the components which are kept separate until the time of use are combined at the site and then introduced to the anchor bolt, the bore or hole prepared to receive the bolt, or both. Thus, the formation of the cured adhesive body that binds the fastener to the base structure is initiated at about the time the fastener is placed in its final position.
In concrete and masonry, anchor bolts are used for reinforcement. Anchor bolts are also used for attaching objects to concrete or masonry. Objects that have been attached to concrete or masonry using anchor bolts include, but are not limited to, electrical conduits, panels, piping and wall sections. Adhesive anchors are preferred over mechanical anchors for anchoring in soft concrete or masonry because adhesive anchors place less stress on the concrete or masonry. As used herein, the term "masonry" shall include, but is not limited to, stone, brick, ceramic tile, cement tile, hollow concrete block and solid concrete block.
A useful anchor composition should provide a strong bond between the concrete or masonry and the material to be anchored to the concrete or masonry, be easy to dispense at the location of use and is preferably not noxious or offensive to the user. It is also preferred that the adhesive is capable of achieving a substantial portion of its ultimate strength in a relatively short period of time. This last feature can be critically important to the commercial success of the adhesive since it can allow construction project to proceed at an efficient and profitable pace. Moreover, applicant has noted that it is desirable in many applications that the adhesive is capable of achieving good bonding properties even if it is used or applied during inclement weather or under other conditions which produce substantial moisture at the bond site.
Epoxy resins are often used as adhesives. Epoxy resins are typically one part of two-part adhesive compositions. The epoxy resin and a curing or hardening agent are typically mixed immediately prior to use, and cure within a certain amount of time. Many curing agents are nucleophilic compounds, such as amines or thiols, with at least two nucleophilic groups. Previously used amine-based curing agents often suffer from the disadvantage of producing adhesives with a relatively long cure time, particularly at relatively low temperatures. While thiol (mercaptan)-based curing agents can sometimes be formulated to react more rapidly, and at lower temperatures, than amine-based curing agents, such compounds generally produce vapors that may be noxious and/or offensive to the user's olfactory senses.

Adhesive of expoxy compound, aliphatic amine and tertiary amine


A process for producing glass laminates including at least one sheet of glass having a thickness not exceeding 1.0 mm with reduced optical distortion and shape consistency. A pre-laminate stack of two glass sheets and a polymer interlayer are stacked between two buffer plates that are formed nominally to the desired shape of the laminate mold. The pre-laminate stack is held between the buffer plates while a vacuum is applied to the edges of the pre-laminate stack and the stack is heated to a temperature somewhat above the softening temperature of the interlayer to de-air and tack the interlayer to the two glass sheets forming the desired shaped laminate with reduced optical distortion.

Glass laminates can be used as windows and glazing in architectural and vehicle or transportation applications, including automobiles, rolling stock, locomotive and airplanes. Glass laminates can also be used as glass panels in balustrades and stairs, and as decorative panels or covering for walls, columns, elevator cabs, appliances, electronic devices and other applications. Common types of glass laminates that are used in architectural and vehicle applications include clear and tinted laminated glass structures. As used herein, a glazing or a laminated glass structure (a glass laminate) is a transparent, semi-transparent, translucent or opaque part of a window, panel, appliance, electronic device, wall or other structure having at least one glass sheet laminated to a polymeric layer, film or sheet. However, glass laminates may also be used as a cover glass on signs, electronic displays, electronic devices and appliances, as well as a host of other applications.
Automotive glazing, laminated architectural glass and other glass laminates typically consist of two plies of 2 mm thick soda lime glass (heat treated or annealed) with a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) or other polymer interlayer. These glass laminates have certain advantages, including, low cost, and a sufficient impact resistance and stiffness for automotive and other applications. However, because of their limited impact resistance, these laminates usually have a poor behavior and a higher probability of breakage when getting struck by roadside stones, vandals and other impact events.
As the global fossil fuel reserves become depleted and prices get increasingly higher the world is looking for ways to reduce its consumption to conserve energy as well as to help mitigate possible global warming. For example, the automobile industries are looking for ways to increase mileage by reducing products' weights and improving engine efficiency. One way to reduce the weight is by using thinner glass windows while preserving or even improving the performance of the window glass or glazing. Corning Incorporated has taken the lead and developed various thin yet very strong glasses such as Corning Gorilla® glass to meet different future requirements. However, as glass sheets in laminates become thinner, the glass sheets become more pliable and more easily subject to deformation under stress, which often leads to optical distortion or shape variation when laminating such thin glass to form laminated glass products.
Typical glass lamination processes for the architectural and car window industries employ either vacuum bag or vacuum ring processes. In a typical vacuum bag process, the layers of the laminate are assembled in a stack, and the stack is wrapped in different films for lamination. There are release films to prevent stack/layers from sticking to the vacuum bag, breather films to facilitate vacuuming, and finally the vacuum bag to encase the sample in a vacuum environment for de-airing. On the other hand, in a typical vacuum ring process, a vacuum ring is used to seal the periphery of the stacked layers with a rubber ring seal, which has a built in vacuum line for vacuuming. Both processes impose stress on the materials being laminated and subsequently create optical distortion and shape variations, especially when laminating thin glass sheets having a thickness not exceeding 2.0 mm or not exceeding 1.0 mm.
There is a need for an apparatus and process for laminating thin glass laminate structures with improved optical distortion and shape consistency.
No admission is made that any reference cited herein constitutes prior art. Applicant expressly reserves the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinence of any cited documents.

Process for laminating thin glass laminates


A semiconductor device having a multi-level interconnection structure including a plurality of interconnection layers stacked one on another on a semiconductor substrate is provided, and a production method for the semiconductor device. In the production method, forming each of the interconnection layers of the multi-level interconnection structure includes: forming a real interconnection and a dummy interconnection, forming an insulative film covering the real interconnection and the dummy interconnection, and planarizing a surface of the insulative film. The production method may include computing an in-plane distribution of an overall thickness of the multi-level interconnection structure to be expected when no dummy interconnection is formed; and defining a dummy present zone and a dummy absent zone. The dummy interconnection is formed in the defined dummy present zone outside the defined dummy absent zone in each of the interconnection layers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device including a multi-level interconnection structure provided on a semiconductor substrate, and a production method for the semiconductor device.
2. Description of Related Art
A multi-level interconnection structure provided on a semiconductor substrate includes a plurality of interconnection layers stacked one on another. A method of forming each of the interconnection layers include the steps of: forming an interconnection; burying the interconnection layer with an insulative film; and planarizing a surface of the insulative film by a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process.
The CMP planarization step is performed by polishing the surface of the insulative film with a polishing pad being pressed against the surface of the insulative film. A polishing pad pressing pressure is lower in a higher density region in which the interconnection is provided at a higher layout density, and higher in a lower density region in which the interconnection is provided at a lower layout density. Therefore, a so-called global step is formed between the higher density region (dense region) and the lower density region (sparse region). The global step generally reduces the accuracy of a photolithography process to be performed for forming an upper-level interconnection on the surface of the insulative film. In an exposure step, particularly, it is difficult to provide a properly focused state over the entire surface of the insulative film and hence to form a minute interconnection pattern at a higher level of accuracy.
In the prior art disclosed in US2002/157076A1, the entire semiconductor wafer is divided into rectangular regions, and the pattern density is calculated for each of the divided regions. More specifically, the area ratio of an electrically conductive pattern (metal interconnection pattern) to each of the regions is calculated as the pattern density. If the pattern density is not greater than a threshold, the region is defined as the sparse region. In the sparse region, a dummy pattern is provided in addition to the electrically conductive pattern (metal interconnection pattern). With the additional provision of the dummy pattern, the electrically conductive pattern and the dummy pattern are arranged at a uniform layout density as a whole in the sparse region. This reduces the variation in polishing pad pressing pressure, thereby reducing the global step.
In the prior art, the global steps on the respective interconnection layers are reduced. However, it is impossible to completely planarize the surfaces of the respective interconnection layers. With the plurality of interconnection layers stacked one on another, therefore, a larger global step is likely to occur on a surface of an upper interconnection layer.
More specifically, even if the dummy pattern is provided in a sparse region of a first interconnection layer, there is a possibility that the overall layout density of the electrically conductive pattern and the dummy pattern in the sparse region is still lower than the layout density of the electrically conductive pattern in a dense region of the first interconnection layer. In this case, the planarized surface of the insulative film is located at a higher level in the dense region than in the sparse region in which the dummy pattern is provided. On the other hand, it is assumed that a sparse region of a second interconnection layer on the first interconnection layer is located on the dense region of the first interconnection layer. In this case, a dummy pattern is provided in the sparse region of the second interconnection layer. As a result, there is a possibility that the overall layout density of the electrically conductive pattern and the dummy pattern in the sparse region of the second interconnection layer is higher than the layout density of the electrically conductive pattern of the second interconnection layer on the sparse region of the first interconnection layer. In this case, the insulative film of the second interconnection layer is thicker in the sparse region of the second interconnection layer (on the dense region of the first interconnection layer), and is thinner in a region of the second interconnection layer on the sparse region of the first interconnection layer. Since the thicker insulative film regions of the first interconnection layer and the second interconnection layer are superposed one on the other, the global step on the surface of the second interconnection layer is increased. In the prior art of US2002/157076A1 in which the thicknesses of the respective interconnection layers are made uniform, the global step is increased by stacking the interconnection layers one on another, thereby reducing the accuracy of the photolithography process to be performed on the upper interconnection layer.

Semiconductor device and production method therefor


A work station chair (10) is enabled to shift in response to a person leaning forward in the chair (10) when in a working mode and leaning back in a rest position. The chair includes a seat (18), a backrest (24) and supportive structure. The seat (18) is resiliently supported on the supportive structure (22) and moveably along an arc track (30) which is mounted on the supportive structure and has a radius generated from the ankle of the person sitting on the chair. The backrest (20) is resiliently supported on the seat (18) and moveable along an arc track (64) which is mounted to the seat (18) and has a radius generated from H-point that is a natural pivot point of the torso and thigh lines of the person. The chair (10) provides a combined tilting movement of the person's body about the ankle point and the H-point when the person shifts his or her gravity to reduce adverse static postural loads and forces which are responsible for the fatigue and biomechanical dysfunction. It is also easy to adjust simultaneously the chair and the backrest (20) for different weight loads of persons, which can be done by the person while sitting on the chair (10) and reaching for an adjustment knob (48) in front of the chair.

The demands of the seated work position mandate the user to accommodate a range of postural adjustments from the slightly rearward reclined rest position through to the forward hunched task posture. Passive automatic adaptation or adjustment of the seat support system is required if the natural balance and equilibrium of the body's support is to be maintained. Failure to maintain the body's equilibrium and structural balance will result in the creation of adverse, static postural loads and forces responsible for fatigue and biomechanical dysfunction so common in today's seated society.
There have been many attempts to better design a seating arrangement for persons working at a desk or computer terminal. Such ergonomic chairs are described, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,249 which issued on Mar. 17, 1987 to Cerber; U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,487 which issued on Apr. 19, 1988 to Shalinsky et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,893 which issued on Sep. 17, 1991 to Cowan et al. and Applicant's Canadian patent application Ser. No. 2,116,079 which was filed on Feb. 21, 1994 and laid-open on Aug. 23, 1994 in the inventors' names of Cowan et al. It has been found that when a person leans forward to work or back in a rest position, there is a movement combination of the person's body pivoting about the ankles of the person with the person's upper body pivoting about a center called the "H-point" which is a natural pivoting point of the torso and thigh lines. The H-point is defined in SAE standard J826. Although most chairs described in the above prior art provide reasonable adjustment in the fore and aft directions and allow for tilting of the seat, they do not provide, except in Canadian patent application Ser. No. 2,116,079, the combined movement of seats and backrests pivoting about the respective ankle point and the H-point and, therefore, result in a compromise in terms of vertical adjustment. An upward movement of any part of the chair will jeopardize the body's equilibrium and structural balance.
Cowan et al. describes, in Canadian patent application Ser. No. 2,116,079, a work station chair having a seat passively pivotable about the ankle of the person sitting on the chair and a backrest passively pivotable about the H-point. A cable system is provided for positive adjustment of resiliency of the pivoting movement of the seat and backrest for different weight loads of persons sitting on the chair. However, the H-point is physically required in the chair, which is a pair of pivoting pins attached to two arm support posts respectively. Such a configuration limits the application of the H-point backrest because the position of the H-point is always above the seat and cannot be attached to the supportive structure under the seat. Therefore, an improvement is desirable. A positive adjustment mechanism simpler in structure and easier for use is also desired to replace the cable system which has to be adjusted in an inconvenient rear position.


A system, computer program product, and method are provided for orchestrating a multi objective optimization of an application. A set of two or more key performance indicators (KPIs) and one or more parameters associated with the application are received. A machine learning (ML) based surrogate function learning model in combination with an acquisition function is leveraged to conduct one or more adaptive trials. Each trial consists of a specific configuration of the one or more parameters. A pareto surface of the KPIs of the application is computed based on the observations of KPI values from each adaptive trial. The pareto surface is explored and an optimal operating point is selected for the application. The application is then executed at the selected operating point.

The present embodiment(s) relate to executing an application at an optimal operating point with respect to specific key performance indicators. More specifically, the embodiments are directed at leveraging machine learning (ML) to compute a pareto surface, and exploration of the pareto surface for identification of the optimal operating point.
Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable resources, e.g. networks, servers, storage, application, and services, that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provided interaction. An application, or more specifically a cloud application, is a software program where cloud-based and local components work together. This model relies on remote servers for processing logic that may be accessed through a web browser with a continual internet connection. Cloud application servers may be located in a remote data center. Cloud-based application tasks may encompass email, file storage and sharing, order entry, inventory management, word processing, customer relationship management, data collection, or financial accounting features.
Micro-services, also known as a micro-service architecture, is an architectural style that structures an application as a collection of services represented in one or more modular components that are highly maintainable and testable, loosely coupled, and independently deployable. Each module supports a specific task or business goal and uses a simple, well-defined interface, such as an application programming interface (API), to communicate with other sets of micro-services. Micro-services are small scalable components. Each module supports a specific task and uses a define interface, such as an application programming interface (API) to communicate with other services. Any separate micro-service module can be changed without affecting other parts of a program comprised of multiple micro-service modules. Accordingly, the micro-service architecture supports and enables scalability.
A monolithic architecture refers to a unified model for the design of a software application. Monolithic software is designed to be self-contained with components of the program interconnected and interdependent. In the monolithic architecture, each component and its associated components must be present in order for the code to be compiled or executed. If any program component needs to be updated to address anticipated and unanticipated changes within other elements, the entire application has to be re-written. Accordingly, the monolithic architecture is directed at a large, tightly coupled application.
It is understood in the art that micro-service architectures enhance business agility with faster software development and deployment compared to monolithic software architecture. More specifically, the micro-service architecture enables the rapid, frequent and reliable delivery of large, complex applications. With micro-services, individual services can be individually deployed or individually scaled. Done correctly, micro-services require less infra-structure than monolithic applications because they enable precise scaling of only required components, instead of an entire application in the case of monolithic applications. It is understood in that are that there are challenges directed at micro-services, and more specifically micro-service architecture. Such challenges are directed at managing micro-services as the quantity of micro-services increases, monitoring micro-services, testing, dependencies, etc.

Multi objective optimization of applications

International Business Machines Corporation


Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for prefetching data tracks and parity data to use for destaging updated tracks. A write request is received including at least one updated track to the group of tracks. The at least one updated track is stored in a first cache device. A prefetch request is sent to the at least one sequential access storage device to prefetch tracks in the group of tracks to a second cache device. A read request is generated to read the prefetch tracks following the sending of the prefetch request. The read prefetch tracks returned to the read request from the second cache device are stored in the first cache device. New parity data is calculated from the at least one updated track and the read prefetch tracks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer program product, system, and method for prefetching data tracks and parity data to use for destaging updated tracks.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a Redundant Array of Independent Disk (RAID) storage system, data from a file is stored in tracks distributed across different disk drives. A stride comprises the tracks and parity data calculated from the tracks that are striped across the disk drives. A RAID controller stripes the tracks across the disks configured as RAID devices and, while writing the tracks to the disks, calculates a parity, or checksum, value that is written to one or more of the disks. The parity data may be striped or interleaved through the user data on the multiple disks. With parity, if one or more disks fail, the data on the failed disk(s) may be recovered using an algorithm that combines the parity data and the data on the surviving disks to rebuild the data on the failed disk(s).
When a storage controller receives a write to one on or more tracks in a RAID stride, the updated track is stored in a cache until a decision is made to destage the updated track to the one or more storage devices across which the stride is striped. If less than all the tracks in the stride including the updated track are maintained in cache, then the RAID controller needs to read the old tracks, other than the updated track, and old parity data in order to rewrite the entire stride including the updated track to the disks and calculate the new parity to write as the data tracks are being written. Thus, when the storage controller is ready to destage it needs to perform additional reads and cannot perform the destage operation until the required old tracks and old parity are read. The RAID controller must read the old data tracks and the old parity data, then compare the old tracks with the updated track, update the parity data, and then write the entire stride and data back to the disk drives.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Prefetching data tracks and parity data to use for destaging updated tracks


Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are disclosed for motion vector clipping when affine motion mode is enabled for a video block. A video coding device may determine that an affine mode for a video block is enabled. The video coding device may determine a plurality of control point affine motion vectors associated with the video block. The video coding device may store the plurality of clipped control point affine motion vectors for motion vector prediction of a neighboring control point affine motion vector. The video coding device may derive a sub-block motion vector associated with a sub-block of the video block, clip the derived sub-block motion vector, and store it for spatial motion vector prediction or temporal motion vector prediction. For example, the video coding device may clip the derived sub-block motion vector based on a motion field range that may be based on a bit depth value.

Video coding systems may be used to compress digital video signals, e.g., to reduce the storage and/or transmission bandwidth needed for such signals. Video coding systems may include block-based, wavelet-based, and/or object-based systems. A block-based hybrid video coding system may be deployed. In a block-based video coding system, motion vectors associated with a sub-block of a video block may have values that may be out of a certain range. Using such values may result in unintended consequences.

Adaptive control point selection for affine motion model based video coding


A method and apparatus implementing the method are provided for controlling optical power output level of a laser diode modulated during a burst mode interval by digital data transitions within a shared logical bus optical communications network and over a predetermined thermal gradient. The method comprises the steps of: optically monitoring a component of the optical output power of the laser diode during each burst mode interval and converting the component into a control signal, establishing a reference signal and comparing the control signal with the established reference signal and for providing a logical condition from said comparison, generating a strobe signal from information related in time to the burst mode interval, storing the logical condition upon receipt of the strobe signal, integrating the stored logical condition over a time period to provide an integrated control signal, and regulating current flow through the laser diode in accordance with the integrated control signal.

Communications systems employing optical fiber cables are proliferating, due to the many advantages associated with the optical fiber medium. While optical fiber long distance trunks between central office switching points are well established, optical fiber paths have not yet been extended on a widespread basis to service subscriber locations. Central office locations provide a controlled environment for the optical transmission and reception apparatus associated with the cable. For instance, power supply levels are sufficient at the central office to provide needed heating and/or cooling to maintain temperature control of light emitting elements used in the optical communications path. While laser diodes are known to be useful for light beam communications over optical fibers, such laser diodes are not well suited for use at subscriber locations unless they are located in a house or building having a controlled temperature.
It is known that optical output power of a laser diode varies with temperature. The prior art has addressed this characteristic in several ways. One approach has been to control the environment in which the laser diode is operative. Heating and cooling devices have been employed to achieve a regulated temperature environment for the laser diode. One practical cooling mechanism for cooling a laser diode has been to employ junction devices implementing the Peltier effect at a junction of dissimilar materials. Joule heating has also been employed to provide heating to the laser diode.
One drawback of Peltier effect junctions and heating devices is that they are not efficient and typically require considerable operating power to achieve relatively modest heating and cooling effects. While laser diodes which are located at central office or head end interface units of an optical fiber communications network may be maintained within very close thermal tolerances, laser diodes of subscriber interface units remotely located from the office interface unit are typically subjected to much harsher thermal gradients, especially if located outdoors. Outdoor subscriber interface units are typically small weather-resistant enclosures which are located within about 200 feet of a subscriber's premises. Such units are typically exposed to the ambient environment. In some climates, the ambient environment may present a thermal gradient from -40 degrees Centigrade to +70 degrees Centigrade. Also, the power at each subscriber interface unit is very limited, and power is not available to provide Joule heating or Peltier cell cooling for the laser diode transmitter.
Optical fiber communications networks have typically been configured in a variety of architectures, including point-to-point, star, ring and bus. One advantage of a logical bus architecture is that it works particularly well within the conventional outside plant environment between the central office and subscriber premises.
With the logical bus architecture, time division multiplex techniques have been adopted to provide each subscriber interface unit with necessary access to the office interface unit at the central office or head end of the bus. Time division multiplex allots time slots to each of the subscriber interface units, and only one subscriber interface unit will send or receive data during its time slot in any given time frame. When laser diodes are operated only during a narrow time slot of an overall duty cycle, conventional power control techniques will not work since the laser diode is dark most of the time. Also, with subscriber interface units distributed along a logical bus, differing optical path losses require that a mechanism be provided to enable dynamic adjustment of the optical power level of each laser diode of the subscriber interface unit, so that those units most distant from the office interface unit put out the greatest optical power.
Thus, a hitherto unsolved need has arisen for a power control circuit for regulating optical power output of a laser diode operating in a time division multiplex mode and over a wide range thermal gradient.

Thermal control for laser diode used in outside plant communications terminal


A bus system for configuring communication interfaces in a vehicle has at least two different bus lines which are each electrically coupled to one and the same first voltage-limiting element to limit the voltage level of a voltage pulse occurring with a predefined reference potential as a positive voltage pulse between one of the two bus lines and a first point. In addition, the two bus lines are each electrically coupled to one and the same second voltage-limiting element to limit the voltage level of a voltage pulse occurring with a predefined reference potential as a negative voltage pulse between one of the two bus lines and a second point, to a second voltage limit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bus system for configuring communication interfaces in a vehicle having at least two different bus lines, the two bus lines each being electrically coupled to one and the same first voltage-limiting means to limit the voltage level of a voltage pulse occurring with a predefined reference potential as a positive voltage pulse between one of the two bus lines and a first point. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a bus system. In addition, the present invention relates to a vehicle having such a bus system.
2. Description of the Related Art
When communication interfaces are configured in vehicles, bus systems, respectively fieldbus systems, such as CAN or LIN bus systems are used, for example. In terms of electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), stringent demands are placed on such bus systems and the connections thereof. Moreover, the lines present in such a bus system must also allow the occurrence of voltages that reside far below the vehicle ground and can typically be down to −27 V.
From the related art, it is known to use CAN bus systems that have the electrostatic discharge protection structure shown in FIG. 1 for configuring communication interfaces in the vehicle.
Two-conductor CAN bus system 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a first bus line, respectively CAN_H line 20 and a second bus line, respectively CAN_L line 30. Via a coupling diode 40, which is directly connected at the anode thereof to corresponding bus line 20, 30, the two bus lines 20, 30 are each routed to one and the same electrostatic discharge protection 50 for positive voltage pulses. Coupling diodes 40 are each configured as coupling diodes having a non-isolated drain.
Electrostatic discharge protection 50 for positive voltage pulses includes a first voltage-limiting means for limiting the voltage level of a voltage pulse occurring as a positive voltage pulse between one of the two bus lines 20, 30 and a ground 60. The first voltage-limiting means includes a suppressor diode (positive clamp) 70, which is directly connected at the cathode thereof to the cathodes of the two coupling diodes 40 and, at the anode thereof, directly to ground 60. Suppressor diode 70 becomes conductive when a voltage pulse occurring as a positive voltage pulse between one of the two bus lines 20, 30 and ground 60 has a voltage level that exceeds that of the breakdown voltage of suppressor diode 70. The current generated by such a positive voltage pulse is then safely conducted by suppressor diode 70 to ground 60. This prevents any build up of voltage that occurs as positive destructive voltage.
Bus lines 20, 30 are each routed to another electrostatic discharge protection 51, 52 for negative voltage pulses. A dual configuration of electrostatic discharge protection 51, 52 for negative voltage pulses is realized, i.e., an electrostatic discharge protection 51, 52 is additionally provided for each of bus lines 20, 30.
Each electrostatic discharge protection 51, 52 for negative voltage pulses includes a second voltage-limiting means for limiting the voltage level of a voltage pulse occurring as a negative voltage pulse between one of corresponding bus lines 20, 30 and a corresponding ground 61, 62. In this case, the second voltage-limiting means each includes a suppressor diode (negative clamp) 71, 72, which is directly connected at the anodes thereof to corresponding bus line 20, 30.
Each of the two suppressor diodes 71, 72 is directly connected at the cathode thereof to a corresponding reverse polarity diode 41, 42. Each of reverse polarity diodes 41, 42 is then directly connected at the anode thereof to a corresponding ground 61, 62. Each of the two suppressor diodes 71, 72 becomes conductive when a voltage pulse occurring as a negative voltage pulse between corresponding bus line 20, 30 and corresponding ground 61, 62 has a voltage level that exceeds that of the breakdown voltage of corresponding suppressor diode 71, 72. The current generated by such a negative voltage pulse is then safely conducted by corresponding suppressor diode 71, 72 to corresponding ground 61, 62. This prevents any build up of voltage that occurs as negative destructive voltage.
Electrostatic discharge protection 51, 52 for negative voltage pulses cannot be provided in the way that electrostatic discharge protection 50 can for positive voltage pulses. The reason is that the cathodes of such coupling diodes 40, which are configured with a non-isolated drain, cannot be directly hanged on bus lines 20, 30 because they do not allow the occurrence of negative voltage pulses that reside far below the vehicle ground and can be down to −27 V. For this reason, a dual configuration of electrostatic discharge protection 51, 52 for negative voltage pulses is required by way of electrically coupled reverse polarity diodes 41, 42, as described earlier.
Disadvantageous in this context is that considerable surface area is consumed since the ESD protective structure for negative voltage pulses is provided twice. A relatively large ESD protective structure must be used since currents of up to 32 A can flow in the case of the 8 kV plasma gun model. Moreover, the double design of the electrostatic discharge protection structure for negative voltage pulses leads to rectification effects when EMC, respectively DPI (direct power injection) measurements are performed. A frequently occurring consequence is that components designed in this manner do not pass the certification needed for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) requirements.

Bus system for configuring communication interfaces in the vehicle and method for manufacturing such a bus system


A method and system for scheduling printing times for print jobs at least one printing device. The method and system include determining, at a processing device operably connected to a printing device, at least one non-peak time period; receiving, at a printer queue stored on a computer readable medium operably connected to a printing device, a first plurality of print jobs; storing, at the printer queue, a first subset of the plurality of print jobs until the non-peak time period; and printing, at the printing device, each of the stored print jobs during the non-peak time period.

The present disclosure relates to scheduling print jobs. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to scheduling non-essential print jobs to be processed at a time when the cost of electricity is not at its peak.
Many office devices such as printers, copiers and multifunction devices (e.g., a single device capable of scanning, printing, faxing and/or copying) utilize a printer driver and printer queue for processing any incoming print jobs. For example, when a user wishes to print a document, the user accesses the printer driver via their computer, typically via a graphical interface such as selecting print via a drop down menu in an application. Once the user confirms they would like to print a specific document or job, the job is sent to the printer queue. Here, the print job waits until the printer is able to process and print the queued print job. Generally, a printer queue functions using a first in first out (FIFO) scheduling scheme. Individual print jobs are processed and printed in the order they are received and enter the print queue. Some print systems allow a user to assign a priority to a print job, e.g., a high priority document to be printed immediately. A print job with an assigned priority may be moved to the front of the printer queue, bypassing any print jobs with a lower (or no assigned) priority already in the printer queue.
In a typical office environment, only a portion of print jobs are for immediate use. The remaining print jobs are documents that are being printed in advance of the documents being needed, such as an employee printing a large set of documents for review the next day. These documents are often given no priority, and are processed by the printer driver through the printer queue according to the standard FIFO scheduling scheme.


Systems and methods disclosed herein may be useful for aircraft heat shield assemblies. In this regard, a heat shield assembly is provided comprising a heat shield having an aperture, the aperture comprising an end portion and an insertion portion, the insertion portion having a width larger than the end portion, a spacer comprising an upper portion, an undermount flange and a gap between the upper portion and the undermount flange, wherein a surface of the gap is engaged with the heat shield, and wherein the undermount flange has a width less than the insertion portion of the aperture and greater than the width of the end portion.

Aircraft wheels typically comprise a heat shield that shields the aircraft wheel from heat generated by the aircraft brakes during braking. The heat shield may oscillate independently from the aircraft wheel, thus creating potential for contact between the heat shield and the aircraft wheel. Such contact may be detrimental to the aircraft wheel, especially where there is repeated contact over time. Accordingly, a spacer may be used to prevent contact between the heat shield and the aircraft wheel. A spacer and heat shield together may be referred to as a heat shield assembly. However, conventional spacers have been difficult to install and prone to damage due to improper installation. Thus, new systems and methods for heat shield assemblies are desirable.

Systems and methods for heat shield assemblies


Embodiments of the present invention provide a flake having a high level of whole grains, such as oat groats, nuts and/or other particulate. An embodiment of the present invention provides a flake having a low degree of degradation giving the flake a granola appearance and texture, a relatively large thickness of the flake, which further contributes to the appearance and the crunchy texture, and/or uses a low degree of cook to the binding constituent that provides the high viscosity for binding and a resultant crunchy texture.

Breakfast cereals utilize many different types of grains as well as other ingredients and utilize many different forms including shredded, puffed, flaked, toasted and granular particles. These forms may be found in hot cereals, dry cereals, granola cereals and others.
One primary goal in developing a new cereal product is to produce a product that is desirable to consumers. Desirability of a product may be based on factors such as taste, texture, color, and particle shape/size. Another factor of importance is the ability to maintain particle integrity when the particle is re-hydrated, for example when milk is added to the cereal.

Flake cereal or chip and method for making same


A replacement kit includes a first coupler that includes a first inner axial end, a first outer axial end, and a first coupler attachment portion including a first forked oblong structure that defines a first minor axis with a first minor axis length, and a first major axis with a first major axis length that is greater than the first minor axis length, and including a first prong, a second prong disposed axially away from the first prong, and defining a first predetermined axial distance, and a first cam surface disposed between the first prong and the second prong.

Machines such as bulldozers, wheel loaders, excavators, and the like employ track driven undercarriages to propel them. An idler wheel or the like (e.g. a roller, a sprocket, etc.) may be used to guide the movement of the track. Hence, the idler wheel typically has a rotating attachment to the frame of the undercarriage. It is necessary to attach and detach the idler wheel or the like from the frame, requiring that the rotating attachment assembly to be assembled and disassembled, preferably quickly in order to perform maintenance. Various devices have been employed to provide a quick and efficient way to attach and detach the rotating attachment assembly to the frame of the undercarriage but they may not provide an attachment that is robust. On the other hand, other devices are robust but do not provide a quick and easy attachment method.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,187,140 B2 discloses a rotating attachment assembly that uses a plurality of bolts to attach the idler block of the rotating attachment assembly to the frame of the undercarriage. While this method is robust, it takes longer than desired to disassemble the rotating attachment assembly.
Thus, an apparatus and method is desired to provide an attachment of the rotating attachment assembly to the frame of a track driven undercarriage that is both more robust and more time efficient.

Rotating installation for an idler block


A subscriber unit (122) in a wireless messaging system records (404) a message sequence number corresponding to a message received, and an indication of whether the subscriber unit acknowledged the message. Upon registration with a two-way portion (104) of the wireless messaging system, the subscriber unit reports (532, 526), to the two-way portion, information of a type selected from (a) missing message sequence numbers, and (b) message sequence numbers corresponding to messages received and not acknowledged, the type selected (524) being that which generates a smaller amount of inbound traffic.

Two-way wireless messaging systems are becoming increasingly popular. Such systems can provide "guaranteed" message delivery, as well as subscriber unit initiated messages and responses.
To provide reliable inbound messaging from portable subscriber units to the fixed portion of the system, a sufficient number of properly located base receivers are required. Naturally, the cost of the base receivers is easier to justify in areas of high subscriber density than in areas of low subscriber density. For this reason, two-way messaging service providers sometimes elect to provide a mix of two-way and one-way coverage areas in their systems. A service provider may offer, for example, two-way coverage in the metropolitan portions of his system and one-way coverage in the rural portions.
A system having a mix of one-way and two-way portions presents a problem with regard to guaranteed message delivery. Such mixed systems typically simulcast messages throughout the one-way portion, while using either simulcast or directed message delivery in the two-way portion. When a subscriber unit leaves the two-way portion, the controller of the messaging system stops receiving acknowledgments from the subscriber unit in response to messages received by the subscriber unit. The controller can save the non-acknowledged messages for retransmission to the subscriber unit when the subscriber unit again registers with the two-way portion, but the controller must first learn which, if any, of the non-acknowledged messages were actually missed by the subscriber unit. Simply retransmitting all the non-acknowledged messages would be wasteful of airtime and potentially confusing to the subscriber.
Thus, what is needed is a method and apparatus for facilitating a retransmission of missed messages in a wireless messaging system having a two-way portion and a one-way portion. Preferably, the method and apparatus will provide for the retransmission of only the messages which were actually missed, and will operate in a manner that minimizes the inbound communication traffic required between the subscriber unit and the two-way portion of the system for determining the missed messages.

Method and apparatus for facilitating a retransmission of missed messages in a wireless messaging system


Light emitted from a lighting device including a white LED and RGB LEDs is sensed when the lighting device is driven based on a predetermined reference value, sensed data is converted into values corresponding to color coordinates, and a difference between the value and a reference value is calculated. It is determined whether or not the lighting device is corrected on the basis of the calculated difference, and the lighting device is selectively corrected depending on the determination result.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for correcting light. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for correcting a color or color temperature of light.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A variety of lighting means are used as lighting devices. One of them is a light emitting diode (LED) that is a semiconductor emitting light. LEDs are connected in series and parallel to form an LED light. There are various methods for forming white light. A first method forms white light using the same white LEDs having a desired color temperature and color rendering index (CRI). A second method forms white light using white LEDs respectively having different color temperatures and CRIs and obtains white light having a desired color temperature and CRI by adjusting the luminance of each of the LEDs. A third method mixes white, blue, and red LEDs in an appropriate manner to constitute white light and then produces white light having a desired color temperature and CRI by adjusting the luminance of each LED. A fourth method constitutes white light using only RGB LEDs. In this case, it is possible to produce white light by mixing a white LED with the RGB LEDs. The fourth method for forming a white light can produce full color light, which can make sensitive light by generating light depending on human sensitivity.
LEDs have properties depending on their characteristics, and thus an LED light composed of LEDs may have illuminance uniformity depending on the characteristics of the LEDs. Since LED characteristics vary with surrounding environments such as temperature, humidity, etc., characteristics of an LED light composed of LEDs may also be changed according to a surrounding environment variation, and an initially set color temperature and CRI of the LED light may be varied with time.
Accordingly, a technology for correcting a color temperature of an LED light by measuring a surrounding temperature and controlling luminances of white LEDs or non-white LEDs having different color temperatures for a color temperature variation of the LED light due to a variation in the surrounding temperature has been provided. However, the conventional technology is limited to white light.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Method and apparatus for correcting light

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


The bearing component comprises a contact surface inside a periphery, which surrounds a centre, and a coupling feature arranged inside the periphery for rotatably engaging a component of a piston rod perpendicular to the contact surface. The coupling feature includes at least one flexible feature extending from the periphery towards the centre, and the flexible feature is arranged to be deflected towards the periphery by a force exerted on the flexible feature in a direction towards the contact surface and deflected towards the centre by a force exerted on the flexible feature in the opposite direction. The flexible feature may have a sloping surface facilitating assembly and preventing disassembly in combination with a further component of the piston rod. The component of the piston rod may be a lead screw, and the piston rod may be used in a drug delivery device.

Drug delivery devices, in particular pen-type injection devices, comprise a bung, which serves to eject doses of a drug from a container like a drug cartridge and may be provided as part of a drug cartridge. The bung is driven by a piston rod, which may be provided with a mechanism for setting a dose and for advancing the piston rod to deliver the dose set. In some pen-type injection devices the piston rod comprises a lead screw, which rotates when it is advanced during dose dispense. As a rotation of the bung is preferably avoided, there will be a relative rotation of the piston rod with respect to the bung during dispense. In this case a direct contact between the piston rod and the bung may result in large frictional losses and in a rather strong driving force being required. This disadvantage may be avoided by a suitable bearing. Furthermore, it is desirable to have a contact between the bung and the piston rod over as large an area as possible, because a small contact area or a point contact is liable to cause a deformation of the bung during dispense, thus reducing dose accuracy. Therefore a bearing component is preferably arranged between the piston rod and the bung. The bearing component can be formed to engage a large surface area of the bung and to contact only a small surface area of the piston rod, in order to facilitate a relative rotation of a component of the piston rod, like a lead screw, with respect to the bearing component. The bearing component must be able to assemble to the lead screw at relatively low assembly forces and without risking component damage. The bearing component must not become detached from the lead screw following assembly or during the device life, as this can result in dose inaccuracies. The bearing features must be robust enough to withstand the rigors of automated assembly and bulk packing.
US 2007/0093761 A1 discloses a drive mechanism suitable for use in drug delivery devices comprising a piston rod and a generally cylindrical drive sleeve surrounding the piston rod. A thread of the piston rod is adapted to work within a helical groove extending along the internal surface of the drive sleeve. A further thread of the piston rod extends through a threaded opening of an insert. A longitudinal axial movement of the drive sleeve causes the piston rod to rotate according to the thread of the insert, thereby advancing the piston rod and thus driving a piston in the cartridge. A bearing is provided on the piston rod by a pressure foot, which abuts the cartridge piston.

Bearing component for a piston rod of a drug delivery device, piston rod comprising the bearing component, and drug delivery device


A method for forming the alignment films on the substrate and a pixel structure of a liquid crystal display are disclosed. The pixel structure comprises a plurality of pixel units arranged in arrays. Each of the pixel units comprises a first substrate, a second substrate, two first alignment films and two second alignment films. The first alignment film is different from the second alignment film. The second substrate is disposed opposite to the first substrate. The two first alignment films and the two second alignment films are individually disposed on the first substrate and the second substrate, while each of the first alignment films is disposed substantially opposite to one of the second alignment films. The method for forming the alignment films comprises the following steps: (1) forming a trench on the substrate to divide each of the pixel units into a first sub-pixel area and a second sub-pixel area, (2) forming the first alignment film on the first sub-pixel area of the substrate and then, (3) forming a second alignment film on the second sub-pixel area of the substrate at last.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides the pixel structure of a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a forming method thereof. In particular, the pixel structure has multiple distinct alignment films and the forming method thereof.
2. Descriptions of the Related Art
Currently in common liquid crystal displays (LCDs), the alignment orientations of the liquid crystal molecules are altered by applying voltages externally to acquire varied optical characteristics. For example, a twisted nematic (TN) type LCD basically comprises an upper and a lower conductive glass substrates, a nematic liquid crystal layer injected between the substrates, two polarizers disposed on the outer surfaces of the two substrates respectively, and alignment films coated on the conductive glass substrates with very fine trenches formed therein by rubbing. The fluidity of the liquid crystal molecules tends to align the molecules along the trench direction. The trenches in the alignment films of the upper and the lower conductive glass substrates differ from each other by 90°. Consequently, when filled into the trenches of the upper and the lower substrates, the liquid crystal molecules will be aligned along the trench directions, with the liquid crystal molecules in the middle subjected to the smaller binding force. Those molecules closer to the trenches of the substrates are subjected to a larger binding force. In general, the liquid crystal molecules will be aligned at a twisted angle of 90°.
When there is no voltage applied, the light entering the liquid crystal element propagates with the polarization that changes according to the twisted direction of the liquid crystal molecules. Because the upper and lower polarizers have the same directions as the upper and lower alignment films respectively, the light is transmitted through the liquid crystal elements to provide brightness. In contrast, when a voltage is applied, the liquid crystal molecules are aligned towards a direction in which the electric field is applied and are consequently aligned perpendicularly to the alignment films. In this case, the light will not be able to transmit through the second polarizer, thus yielding darkness. Such alternate bright and dark statuses may be used for display purposes.
As another example, in a vertical alignment (VA) LCD, protrusions are used to cause the liquid crystal molecules to present a pre-tilt angle in a stationary alignment status, so that when applied with a voltage, the liquid crystal molecules will tilt towards various orientations rapidly. The light from the back light source can be transmitted through rapidly after applying the voltage to shorten the display response time remarkably. Furthermore, because the protrusions lead to a change in the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules, the liquid crystal molecules may reinforce each other when the LCD is viewed from different angles, thus obtaining an enlarged viewing angle range.
In current thin-film transistor liquid crystal displays (LCD-TFTs), the glass substrates are coated with an alignment material to provide a certain alignment effect. However, since the rubbing alignment method may provide alignment in only one single direction, gray-scale inversion tends to occur at particular viewing angles. Moreover, in VA type LCDs, the color is washed out at large viewing angles, resulting in a significantly degraded chroma viewed by a viewer at large viewing angles.
In an attempt to solve the aforementioned problems, some patents have proposed to pattern the alignment films by a development and etching process or to modify the alignment films with plasma. However, all of these methods require additional photo-resist coatings, exposures, development and etching, which not only increases the complexity of the manufacturing process, but also leads to lengthened processing time and increasing costs. In summary, it is highly desirable in the art to overcome the problems associated with the alignment of different alignment films by a simple manufacturing process.

Method for forming multiple alignment films on a substrate and pixel structure of a liquid crystal display


Chitosan films that have been treated with a polyhydroxyalkyl compound and washed, and laminates made from the films are provided. This treatment lessens the film shrinkage. The films and laminates can be used to make a variety of finished articles that can be used to provide protection from hazardous chemical and biological agents.

There is a growing need for structures that provide personal protection against toxic chemical and biological agents. It is known to devise structures that are impermeable to toxic chemical vapors and liquids, but, when used as apparel, such structures are typically also hot, heavy and uncomfortable to wear.
The degree of comfort offered by apparel worn as a protective suit is significantly affected by the amount of water vapor that can permeate through the fabric from which the suit is made. The human body continuously perspires water as a method for controlling body temperature. When a protective fabric hinders the loss of water vapor from the body, the transpirational cooling process is hindered, which leads to personal discomfort. When a protective suit allows little or no loss of water vapor, extreme heat stress or heat stroke can result in a short period of time. Hence, it is desirable that, in addition to offering the highest levels of protection against toxic chemicals and liquids, a practical chemical and biological protective suit should have high water vapor transmission rates. It is also desirable that the appropriate protective structure be light in weight and offer the same high level of protection over a long period of time.
Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/593,958 relates to laminates prepared in part from continuous chitosan films. In various embodiments, the laminates are useful for fabrication as a protective article and are preferably substantially impermeable to hazardous chemical and biological agents, but sufficiently permeable to water vapor that, if worn as protective apparel, it is both protective and comfortable to wear.
The present invention provides selectively permeable laminates that contain a continuous chitosan film wherein the chitosan has been reacted with at least one polyhydroxyalkyl compound and that can be used in articles for personal protection, providing improved wearer comfort compared with impermeable articles. Such chitosan/polyhydroxyalkyl compound composite films exhibit lower shrinkage when dried, less swelling in water, and less sensitivity to dilute aqueous acid than do neat chitosan films.

Chitosan films treated with organic polyhydroxyalkyl compounds and laminates made therefrom


To provide a disk drive system provided with an inertial latching mechanism which has high reliability and can be arranged in a thin-model disk drive system. There is provided an inertial arm (7) engaging an actuator (22) when a head arm (25) is in or near a parking position and releasing engagement with the actuator (22) when the head arm (25) is in or near a position close to a disk (1) and energizing means for holding a position of the inertial arm (7) in a position where the engagement with the actuator (22) is released. Even if a rotational shock is externally applied when the actuator (22) remains in the parking position, moment of rotation is applied on each of the actuator (22) and inertial arm (7) in the same direction, the actuator (22) and inertial arm (7) mutually restrain their operations at an engaging part, and the oscillation of the actuator (22) to a data area can be avoided. When loading, a position of the inertial arm (7) is held by the energizing means in the position where the engagement with the actuator (22) is released so that the release of the engagement and mode of operation of the engagement between the actuator (22) and inertial arm (7) when loading/unloading can be surely achieved.

The present invention relates to a disk drive system provided with a latching mechanism for holding an actuator in a parking position against an external shock.
In a disk drive system, especially the disk drive system arranged in a portable personal computer such as of notebook size, higher reliability is now required with respect to a shock during non-operation.
When a slider mounted on an actuator is moved from a parking position to a data area on a surface of a disk by the shock during non-operation of the disk drive system, the slider is attached to or harms a surface of the data area, which causes a fatal fault.
An actuator locking mechanism is known as a mechanism for holding the actuator in the parking position during non-operation and preventing the actuator from being oscillated and moved to the surface of the data area by the shock.
Considered in a recent disk drive system is a loading/unloading mechanism of the slider for the purpose of preventing the slider from being attached to a surface of the shunting area and of obtaining higher reliability with respect to the above described shock. The loading/unloading mechanism is such that the actuator is held by a component called a ramp provided near an outer periphery of the disk during non-operation of the disk drive system to thereby shunt the slider so as not to make contact with the surface of the disk.
One of the actuator locking mechanisms uses an inertial latching mechanism. In the actuator locking mechanisms using the inertial latching mechanism, the above described ramp of the loading/unloading mechanism or a magnetic locking mechanism or the like is usually used together as an actuator holding mechanism.
The inertial latching mechanism operates when the shock is applied on the disk drive system and latches the actuator by utilizing a force of inertia produced by the shock. This inertial latching mechanism can latch the actuator against a strong shock which cannot be dealt with only by the above described magnetic locking mechanism. The above described actuator holding mechanism holds the actuator when a slight shock is applied against which the inertial latching mechanism does not operate and increases reliability of the actuator locking mechanism.
An example of such an actuator locking mechanism using the inertial latching mechanism is shown in FIGS. 17 and 18. This actuator locking mechanism uses the ramp of the loading/unloading mechanism as the actuator holding mechanism.
In the inertial latching mechanism shown in FIG. 17, when the shock is applied such that an actuator 22 is counterclockwise oscillated (toward a disk 1), a latch lever 101 is oscillated counterclockwise around an oscillatory axis by a force of inertia and an engaging projection 102 abuts against a tip 26c of a coil arm of the actuator 22 to latch the actuator 22.
The inertial latching mechanism shown in FIG. 18 uses two balls 202, which push a latch lever 201 with the force of inertia, and the latch lever 201 latches the actuator 22 around the oscillatory axis (National Publication International Patent Application No. 1997-503608 specification).
An another example of the actuator locking mechanism using the inertial latching mechanism is provided with the inertial latching mechanism shown in FIG. 17 and a magnetic or electromagnetic locking mechanism for magnetically or electromagnetically latching the actuator as the actuator holding mechanism (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-339645 specification).
A component such as the actuator oscillatably provided on the oscillatory axis is generally accelerated linearly and angularly by the external shock. A force by linear acceleration (a translational force) is applied on a mass center of gravity and a force by angular acceleration (a couple of force) is applied mainly on the oscillatory axis. In a circle around the oscillatory axis which passes the mass center of gravity, a tangential component on the mass center of gravity of the circle is regarded as an effective component and a normal component of the mass center of gravity as an ineffective component. Involved in the oscillation of the above described component is the effective components of the angular and linear acceleration.
When a large shock is applied such that the actuator 22 shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 is clockwise oscillated (apart from the disk 1), however, the actuator bumps against a crush stop (elastic body) 5 and is likely to be moved toward the disk 1 by rebound therefrom.
Namely, in the actuator locking mechanism and the inertial latching mechanism shown in FIG. 17, when the shock is applied such that the actuator 22 is clockwise oscillated (toward the crush stop 5), the inertial latching mechanism does not operate and cannot latch the actuator 22 reversely oscillated.
In the inertial latching mechanism shown in FIG. 18 which operates with the two balls even when the shock is applied in either direction, it is necessary to enlarge mass of the balls or to reduce moment of inertia of the latch lever in order to assure the operation. There is a limit in reducing the moment of inertia of the latch lever, and the enlargement of the mass of the balls makes it difficult to arrange the inertial latching mechanism in a thin-model disk drive system.
The present invention solves such conventional problems and has its object to provide a disk drive system provided with an inertial latching mechanism which has high reliability and can be arranged in a thin-model disk drive system.
In order to achieve the above object, a disk drive system according to aspect 1 of the present invention comprises: an actuator having a head arm mounted with a slider having a head element for recording data in a disk recording medium and reading the recorded data, unloading the head arm to a parking position and loading the head arm from the parking position such that the slider comes close to a surface of the disk recording medium; an inertial arm rotatably supported, engaging the actuator when the head arm is in or near the parking position and releasing the engagement with the actuator when the head arm is in or near a position close to the disk recording medium; and energizing means for holding a position of the inertial arm in a position where the engagement with the actuator is released. Even if a rotational shock is externally applied when the actuator remains in the parking position, moment of rotation is applied on each of the actuator and inertial arm in the same direction and the actuator and inertial arm mutually restrain their operations at an engaging part. Accordingly, oscillation of the actuator to a data area can be avoided. Further, when loading, the position of the inertial arm is held by the energizing means in the position where the engagement with the actuator is released, and the release of the engagement and mode of operation of the engagement between the actuator and inertial arm when loading/unloading can be surely achieved.
In the disk drive system according to aspect 2 of the present invention, the actuator and the inertial arm in aspect 1 have balanced mass with respect to respective centers of rotation.
In the disk drive system according to aspect 3 of the present invention, a ratio of inertia of the actuator and the inertial arm in aspect 1 is equal to a ratio of a distance from the center of rotation of the actuator to an engaging part and a distance from the center of rotation of the inertial arm to the engaging part.
A disk drive system according to aspect 4 of the present invention comprises: an actuator having a head arm mounted with a slider having a head element for recording data in a disk recording medium and reading the recorded data, unloading the head arm to a parking position and loading the head arm from the parking position such that the slider comes close to a surface of the disk recording medium; an inertial arm rotatably supported, engaging the actuator when the head arm is in or near the parking position, releasing the engagement with the actuator when the head arm is in or near the position close to the disk recording medium and having a wind receiver for receiving a force of air flow produced by rotation of the disk recording medium. Even if a rotational shock is externally applied when the actuator remains in the parking position, moment of rotation is applied on each of the actuator and inertial arm in the same direction and the actuator and inertial arm mutually restrain their operations at an engaging part. Accordingly, oscillation of the actuator to a data area can be avoided. Further, when loading, the wind receiver receives the force of air flow produced by the rotation of the disk recording medium so that the force is always applied on the inertial arm in a direction of releasing the engagement with the actuator. Therefore, the position of the inertia arm is held without the energizing means according to aspect 1, and the release of the engagement and mode of operation of the engagement between the actuator and inertial arm when loading/unloading can be surely achieved.
In the disk drive system according to aspect 5 of the present invention, the actuator and the inertial arm in aspect 4 have balanced mass with respect to respective centers of rotation.
In the disk drive system according to aspect 6 of the present invention, a ratio of inertia of the actuator and the inertial arm in aspect 4 is equal to a ratio of a distance from the center of rotation of the actuator to an engaging part and a distance from the center of rotation of the inertial arm to the engaging part.
A disk drive system according to aspect 7 of the present invention comprises: an actuator having a head arm mounted with a slider having a head element for recording data in a disk recording medium and reading the recorded data, unloading the head arm to a parking position and loading the head arm from the parking position such that the slider comes close to a surface of the disk recording medium; an inertial arm rotatably supported, engaging the actuator when the head arm is in or near the parking position and releasing engagement with the actuator when the head arm is in or near the position close to the disk recording medium; first holding means for holding a position of the inertial arm in a position where engagement with the actuator is released; and second holding means for holding the actuator or inertial arm in the parking position. Providing the second holding means for holding the actuator or inertial arm permits always holding the position of the actuator against a slight shock which occurs in the parking position. Namely, oscillation of the actuator to a data area can be avoided even when the slight shock is applied against which the inertial arm does not operate.
More specifically, even if a rotational shock is externally applied when the actuator remains in the parking position, moment of rotation is applied on each of the actuator and inertial arm in the same direction and the actuator and inertial arm mutually restrain their operations at an engaging part. Further, when loading, the position of the inertia arm is held by the first holding means with the engagement between the actuator and inertial arm remaining released. Moreover, when the actuator remains in the parking position, the position of the actuator is held by the second holding means.
In the disk drive system according to aspect 8 of the present invention, the actuator and the inertial arm in aspect 7 have balanced mass with respect to respective centers of rotation.
In the disk drive system according to aspect 9 of the present invention, a ratio of the inertia of the actuator and the inertial arm in aspect 7 is equal to a ratio of a distance from the center of rotation of the actuator to an engaging part and a distance from the center of rotation of the inertial arm to the engaging part.
A disk drive system according to aspect 10 of the present invention comprises: an actuator having a head arm mounted with a slider having a head element for recording data in a disk recording medium and reading the recorded data, unloading the head arm to a parking position and loading the head arm from the parking position such that the slider comes close to a surface of the disk recording medium; an inertial arm rotatably supported, engaging the actuator when the head arm is in or near the parking position and releasing engagement with the actuator when the head arm is in or near the position close to the disk recording medium; and first holding means for holding a position of the inertial arm in a position where the engagement with the actuator is released, and in the parking position, a line connecting the center of rotation and a mass center of gravity of the actuator makes an acute angle with a line connecting the center of rotation and a mass center of gravity of the inertial arm, which can substantially equalize a direction of moment of rotation by linear acceleration applied on each of the actuator and inertial arm. Accordingly, not only a rotational shock but also the operation of the actuator relative to the linear acceleration applied on the mass center of gravity can be restrained, and even if the rotational shock is applied when the actuator remains in the parking position, the moment of rotation is applied on each of the actuator and inertial arm in the same direction. Further, even if a linear shock is applied on the mass center of gravity, the moment of rotation applied on each of the actuator and inertial arm has substantially the same direction. Therefore, the actuator and inertial arm mutually restrain their operations at an engaging part against any shock and oscillation of the actuator to the data area can be avoided.
In the disk drive system according to aspect 11 of the present invention, a ratio of the inertia of the actuator and the inertial arm in aspect 10 is equal to a ratio of a distance from the center of rotation of the actuator to an engaging part and a distance from the center of rotation of the inertial arm to the engaging part.
A disk drive system according to aspect 12 of the present invention comprises: an actuator having a head arm mounted with a slider having a head element for recording data in a disk recording medium and reading the recorded data, unloading the head arm to a parking position and loading the head arm from the parking position such that the slider comes close to a surface of the disk recording medium; an inertial arm rotatably supported, engaging the actuator when the head arm is in or near the parking position and releasing engagement with the actuator when the head arm is in or near a position close to the disk recording medium; first holding means for holding a position of the inertial arm in the position where the engagement with the actuator is released; and second holding means for holding the actuator or inertial arm in the parking position, and in the parking position, a line connecting a center of rotation and a mass center of gravity of the actuator makes an acute angle with a line connecting a center of rotation and a mass center of gravity of the inertial arm, and oscillation of the actuator to the data area can be avoided with respect to both of a slight rotational shock against which the inertial arm does not operate and a linear shock.
More specifically, even if the rotational shock is applied when the actuator remains in the parking position, moment of rotation is applied on each of the actuator and inertial arm in the same direction. Even if the linear shock is applied on the mass center of gravity, the moment of rotation applied on each of the actuator and inertial arm has substantially the same direction. Therefore, the actuator and inertial arm mutually restrain their operations at an engaging part against any shock. Further, when loading, the position of the inertia arm is held by the first holding means with the engagement between the actuator and inertial arm remaining released. Moreover, even if the slight rotational shock is externally applied when the actuator remains in the parking position, the position of the actuator is held by the second holding means.
In the disk drive system according to aspect 13 of the present invention, a ratio of the inertia of the actuator and the inertial arm in aspect 12 is equal to a ratio of a distance from the center of rotation of the actuator to an engaging part and a distance from the center of rotation of the inertial arm to the engaging part.

Disk drive system with internal arm for preventing shock

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A machine for making ice-cream products includes a whipping and freezing unit with a horizontal axis, and an inspection door connected to one end of the whipping and freezing unit to allow access to the inside of the unit. The inspection door has a dispensing hole so that the whipping and freezing unit can be put in fluid communication with the outside environment and a dispensing door for selectively opening and closing the dispensing hole. The dispensing door includes a separator, having an opening, able to rotate relative to the inspection door so that the dispensing hole is selectively opposite the opening and allows controlled dispensing of ice-cream products from the whipping and freezing unit.

The present invention relates to a machine for making ice-cream products.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a machine for making artisan ice-creams and the like of the type with a horizontal whipping and freezing unit.
As is known, a machine of this type includes a substantially box-shaped frame housing a whipping and freezing chamber with a horizontal axis.
The whipping and freezing chamber is designed to mix, cool and blend together a plurality of ingredients until they form an ice-cream, crushed-ice drink or the like.
The ingredients are inserted in the whipping and freezing chamber through an opening at the top of the frame which is in fluid communication with the whipping and freezing chamber.
The ice-cream made is made available through an opening in the whipping and freezing chamber located on one side of the box-shaped frame.
To allow inspection of the whipping and freezing chamber, useful for sanitizing it, the prior art machines have an inspection door consisting of a disk whose size is identical to the cross-section of the whipping and freezing chamber and hinged to the side of the box-shaped frame.
Obviously, to prevent ice-cream from continuously coming out of the above-mentioned door, the prior art machines include a dispensing door which is much smaller than the inspection door and which can be opened as required, which keeps the ice-cream inside the whipping and freezing chamber.
The dispensing door consists of a dispensing hole made in the above-mentioned disk, through which on each occasion a required quantity of ice-cream is taken out.
The dispensing door is equipped with a closing device consisting of a plug shaped to match the hole in the disk.
The plug is connected to the end of an arm, the other end of which is hinged to the disk.
The end of the arm connected to the disk is engaged by a pusher element which pushes the arm towards the disk, therefore pressing the plug against the ice-cream dispensing hole.
When ice-cream has to be taken out of the whipping and freezing unit, the above-mentioned pusher element is disabled and the plug, due to the pressure applied by the ice-cream through the outfeed hole, disengages from the hole, allowing the ice-cream to come out.
To allow the ice-cream to come out easily, the arm is also rotated relative to its hinge point on the disk, moving the plug completely away from the dispensing hole.
To interrupt the outflow of ice-cream, the arm is rotated again, returning the plug to the position in which it is aligned with the dispensing hole, then the pusher element is reactivated to engage the plug in the dispensing hole in a sealed fashion.
However, there may be several problems linked to use of the prior art machines briefly described above.
It is not entirely easy to take out predetermined doses from the whipping and freezing chamber, since the operations necessary to open and close the dispensing door require a great deal of time to disable and reactivate the pusher element and to rotate the closing plug.
During the time needed for these operations, carried out by a user, the ice-cream in the whipping and freezing unit comes out of the dispensing hole in quantities that cannot be defined in advance, therefore making it very difficult to predetermine the quantity of ice-cream taken out.
Moreover, since the pusher element which holds the plug in the dispensing hole acts on the rotatable arm at the end opposite to the plug, a torque is created on the rotatable arm which, after prolonged use, tends to bend the arm with a consequent poor seal being formed by the plug in the dispensing hole.
In addition, in the machines described above obviously it is not possible to choke the dispensing of ice-cream.
Finally, considering the high thrust force which the pusher element must apply to guarantee correct plug engagement in the dispensing hole, considerable operator effort is required to reset the pusher element when closing the dispensing door or, alternatively, there must be actuator devices to aid operations by the operator.


Substituted metalloporphyrin compounds are described, along with pharmaceutical compositions containing the same, and methods of use thereof in protecting cells from oxidant-induced toxicity and pathological conditions such as inflammatory lung disease, neurodegenerative conditions, radiation injury, cancer, diabetes, cardiac conditions and sickle cell disease. Mn(III) porphyrins bearing oxygen atoms within side chains are particularly described.

Mn(III) cationic N-alkylpyridylporphyrin mimics of SOD activity have been developed (Spasojevic et al, J. Biol. Chem. 278:6831-6837 (2003), Batinic-Haberle, Methods Enzymol. 349:223-233 (2001), Spasojevic and Batinic-Haberle, Inorg. Chim. Acta. 317:230-242 (2001), Batinic-Haberle et al, J. Biol. Chem. 273:24521-24528 (1998), Batinic-Haberle et al, Inorg. Chem. 38:4011-4022 (1999), Kachadourian et al, Inorg. Chem. 38:391-396 (1999), Batinic-Haberle et al J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans., pgs. 2689-2696 (2002), Ferrer-Sueta et al, J. Biol. Chem. 278:27432-27438 (2003)) the N-ethylpyridyl derivative of which, MnTE-2-PyP5+ (Spasojevic et al, J. Biol. Chem. 278:6831-6837 (2003)), exhibits beneficial antioxidant properties in several animal models of oxidative stress injury (Tao et al, Circulation 108:2805-2811 (2003), Sheng et al, J. Neurotrauma, In press (2003), Sheng et al, Drug News and Perspectives 15:654-665 (2002), Sheng et al, Free Radic. Biol. Med. 33:947-961 (2002), Vujaskovic et al, Free Radic. Biol. Med. 33:857-863 (2002), Piganelli et al, Diabetes 51:347-355 (2002), Trostchansky et al, Free Radic. Biol. Med. 35:1293-1300 (2003), Mackensen et al, J. Neurosci. 21:4582-4592 (2001), Asian et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98:15215-15220 (2001), Sheng et al, Free Radic. Biol. Med. In preparation (2003)). Based on the structure-activity relationship, that revealed the key roles of metal-centered redox potential (Batinic-Haberle et al, Inorg. Chem. 38:4011-4022 (1999)) and electrostatics (Spasojevic et al, J. Biol. Chem. 278:6831-6837 (2003)) on the superoxide (O2.−) dismuting ability, a similar compound, N,N′-diethylimidazolyl derivative, MnTDE-2-ImP5+, was synthesized and was proven effective in vivo (Sheng et al, Drug News and Perspectives 15:654-665 (2002), Sheng et al, Free Radic. Biol. Med. 33:947-961 (2002), Sheng et al, Free Radic. Biol. Med. In preparation (2003), Bottino et al, Diabetes 51:2561-2567 (2002), Bowler et al, Free Radic. Biol. Med. 33:1141-1152 (2002)). Besides dismuting Mn(III) ortho N-alkylpyridylporphyrins are able to efficiently scavenge peroxynitrite (k>107 M−1 s−1) (Ferrer-Sueta et al, J. Biol. Chem. 278:27432-27438 (2003), Ferrer-Sueta et al, Chem. Res. Toxicol. 12:442-449 (1999)) and carbonate radical (k>108 M−1 s−1) (Ferrer-Sueta et al, J. Biol, Chem. 278:27432-27438 (2003)). In addition, these Mn porphyrins undergo reductive nitrosylation with NO. (Spasojevic et al, Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry 4:526-533 (2000)). Finally, they are readily reduced by cellular reductants such as ascorbic acid (Batinic-Haberle et al, J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans., pgs. 2689-2696 (2002), Ferrer-Sueta et al, Chem. Res. Toxicol. 12:442-449 (1999), Spasojevic et al, Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry 4:526-533 (2000), Bloodsworth et al, Free Radic. Biol. Med. 28:1017-1029 (2000)), glutathione (Spasojevic et al, Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry 4:526-533 (2000)), tetrahydrobiopterin (Spasojevic and Fridovich, Free Radic. Biol. Med. 33(Suppl. 2):S316 (2002)), and uric acid (Trostchansky et al, Free Radic. Biol. Med. 35:1293-1300 (2003), Ferrer-Sueta et al, Chem. Res. Toxicol. 12:442-449 (1999)). Thus, the catalytic elimination of O2.−, ONOO−, and CO3.− by Mn porphyrins is likely made possible in vivo through coupling with cellular reductants. Through modulation of the levels of reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) species, Mn porphyrins can favorably affect cellular redox status and redox sensitive signaling processes (Mikkelsen and Wardman, Oncogene 22:5734-5754 (2003), Chen et al, Free Radic. Biol. Med. 35:117-132 (2003)).
In vivo studies (Trostchansky et al, Free Radic. Biol. Med. 35:1293-1300 (2003), Sheng et al, Free Radic. Biol. Med. In preparation (2003)) indicated that the efficacy of Mn porphyrins can be improved by increasing their lipophilicity. Hence, a series of ortho N-alkylpyridylporphyrins were prepared, wherein the length of N-pyridyl alkyls was increased from methyl to n-octyl (Batinic-Haberle et al, J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans., pgs. 2689-2696 (2002)). While all Mn porphyrins of the series can scavenge O2.− (Batinic-Haberle et al, J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans., pgs. 2689-2696 (2002)) and ONOO− (Ferrer-Sueta at al, J. Biol. Chem. 278:27432-27438 (2003)) with nearly equal effectiveness, their in vivo performance differs greatly. An increase in the length of the alkyl chains increases lipophilicity up to 10-fold (Batinic-Haberle et al, J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans., pgs. 2689-2696 (2002)). Consequently, their bioavailibility can be expected to increase as well. However, as the alkyl chains lengthen, the surfactant character of the porphyrin increases, leading to the potential for increased toxicity. At higher concentrations this effect may predominate over any gain in activity resulting from increased bioavailibility. An attempt was made to overcome the toxicity by working at low concentrations where the sole impact of lipophilicity would be assessed.
The present invention results from studies involving modification of the ortho N-alkylpyridyl and di-ortho N,N′-dialkylimidazolyl chains by introducing ether oxygen. 2-Methoxyethyl analogues of MnTE-2-PyP5+ (FIG. 1, MnTMOE-2-PyP5+) and of MnTDE-2-ImP5+ (FIG. 1, MnTDMOE-2-ImP5+) were synthesized. When compared to ortho pyridylporphyrins, di-ortho imidazolyl compounds have both imidazolyl nitrogens substituted with ethyl(methyl) or methoxyethyl groups. The ortho N-alkylpyridylporphyrins exist as a mixture of positional (atropo-) isomers (Spasojevic et al, Inorg. Chem. 41:5874-5881 (2002)), whereas di-ortho imidazolyl compounds with eight identical imidazolyl substituents do not have positional isomers. As described in the Example that follows, the potency and toxicity of the new Mn porphyrins were assessed using the SOD-deficient E. coli model of oxidative stress (Batinic-Haberle et al, J. Biol. Chem. 273:24521-24528 (1998), Batinic-Haberle at al, Inorg. Chem. 38:4011-4022 (1999)) which has been proven useful in the past in evaluating prospective candidates for animal models of oxidative stress injuries.


A short range telephonic communications system that includes transceiving units for receiving a sound signal from a first user and for transmitting an RF signal representative of the sound signal and for receiving RF signals representing other users sound signals and presenting a sound signal reconstructed from the received RF signals to the first user's ears. Also, the transceiving units estimate relative position between one another and present the reconstructed sound signals to the users' ears in a manner related to the relative position estimate.

Various RF systems for short range (<1 mile) communications currently exist, but most are geared to systems for permitting communications between people who are further than 100 feet apart. There are various situations, however, in which people who are relatively close together, even within 6 feet apart, could benefit from assistance in communications.
In a first situation, one or both of the people suffer from hearing loss. Because hearing aids tend to amplify background noise as well as sounds that the wearer wishes to hear, the ability to hear a speaker is typically not as good as it is if the speaker talks into a microphone from which the signals are sent to an apparatus that reconstructs the sounds and projects them directly into the listener's ear. This type of system is known, but in form that appears to presume a simple two person environment, in which just one person suffers from hearing impairment. If a group of 4-10 hearing impaired persons congregated, the system might not adequately permit an easy course of communications.
In a second situation, a group of people are gathered in a noisy environment, such as a crowded restaurant, a cocktail party or a nightclub. Communications may become strained in such an environment. Even very mild hearing loss can result in missed understanding. Further, even a person with no hearing impairment may experience difficulty understanding what is being said and may have to fill in the blanks with guesswork, potentially leading to embarrassing gaffs.
In a third situation, the people who wish to communicate are separated by less than 100 yards, but by far enough so that they cannot communicate comfortably without assistance. Although, as noted before, systems exist for aiding the communicators in this situation, the use of these systems tends to become difficult if more than two communicators wish to use the same system. It may be difficult to distinguish one or more of the communicators. The difficulty in distinguishing speakers also is present in telephone conversations where more than one person is sharing a speaker phone.

Electronic communication system that mimics natural range and orientation dependence