According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an imaging condition setting unit and an imaging unit. The imaging condition setting unit is configured to set slice positions same as past slice positions to a same object and to set a table position of a bed with the object set to position a position representing a slice position designated out of the slice positions or a position representing a slice range designated out of the slice positions on a center of a magnetic field. The imaging unit is configured to acquire magnetic resonance data from the slice positions set for the object at the table position of the bed to generate image data corresponding to the slice positions based on the acquired magnetic resonance data.

MRI is an imaging method which excites nuclear spins of an object set m a static magnetic field with a magnetic field RF (radio frequency) signal having the Larmor frequency and reconstructs an image based on NMR (NMR: nuclear magnetic resonance) signals generated due to the excitation.
In an MRI examination, image data is often acquired from an area that is the same as that used for acquisition of image data in the past. Specifically acquisition conditions of image data are set with reference to imaging conditions of image data acquired in the past. More specifically, the same imaging conditions, including a slice thickness, the number of slices and a slice angle, as past conditions can be set for imaging assuming that a position of an object is constant in an apparatus coordinate system.
[Prior Technical Literature]    [Patent literature 1] JPA 2007-167634
In an MRI apparatus, uniformity in the magnetic field decreases at a position further from the center of the static magnetic field. Therefore, there is a problem that an image data quality at a slice position far from the magnetic field center may be deteriorated. Especially, if a part of the highest interest is far from the magnetic field center in a case of acquiring image data repeatedly from a same imaging area, image data having a deteriorated image quality is acquired repeatedly because the same imaging area is repeatedly set constantly.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, a magnetic resonance imaging method and a medical system which can acquire image data of a part of high interest repeatedly with an improved image quality.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, magnetic resonance imaging method and medical system


An optical system is adapted to conjugate an object plane with an image spherical dome whose radius is less than its focal length and whose exit dioptric is a spherical dome on which the image spherical dome is substantially superimposed. The optical system can be used in an exposure device for modifying by physical-chemical treatment the power profile of an artificial optical lens made from a photopolymerizable material. The device comprises a source of radiation and between the source of radiation and the artificial optical lens to be irradiated a mask adapted to modulate the energy flux spatially. The exposure device comprises a curved field lens system formed by the optical system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an optical system adapted to conjugate an object plane with an image spherical surface, in other words an optical system adapted to project or form a spherical image of an object plane.
It also concerns an exposure device having a lens system comprising such an optical system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To modify by physical-chemical treatment the power profile of an artificial optical lens made from, for example, a photopolymerizable material it has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,143 to expose the artificial optical to a source of radiation through a mask adapted to modulate the energy flux spatially.
The surface to be irradiated being curved, it is normally necessary to allow for its curvature in the mask to be used.
This proves to be difficult to achieve in practice and does not lend itself satisfactorily to industrial implementation.
The present invention is directed to obviating this problem.

Optical system for forming an image of a plane on a spherical surface

Essilor International Cie Generale D'Optique


A valve positioner has a pneumatic transducer responsive to a signal pressure for displacing a spool valve away from a neutral position to effect actuation of an actuator output shaft and further includes a gain adjustment apparatus. The pneumatic transducer includes a balance beam being operably connected at one end to the spool valve and at the other end to a hinge spring. A clamp mechanism is attached to the hinge spring and is slidably adjustable along the length of the hinge spring to vary the spring characteristics. The hinge spring tapers in thickness such that the spring increases in thickness in a direction from a first end of the spring towards the balance beam. A window or cut-out is also provided in the hinge spring to further assist in varying the spring characteristics as the clamp mechanism is moved along the hinge spring, and provide a wide range of gain adjustment over the single spring.

The present invention relates to the field of valve positioners and more particularly to a gain adjustment mechanism for a valve positioner.
Valve positioners employing a feedback system operating on so-called "force-balance" principles have been in existence for years. Such valve positioners may be used to control the flow rate through a system valve according to a control signal sent to the positioner and a feedback response received from the valve actuator. The present invention specifically relates to valve positioners of the type having a pilot valve such as a spool valve and a feedback mechanism including a balance beam hingedly secured at one end to the valve positioner and operable at the other end to shift the position of the spool valve.
Such valve positioners, for example, may be designed for use with a control system including a flow sensor for sending flow rate information to a controller which compares the actual flow rate in the system to the desired flow rate through the system valve. Based on the signal received from the flow sensor, the controller generates a control signal which is converted to a relatively small signal pressure sent to the valve positioner. The valve positioner then causes the flow rate through the valve to change by a specific value which is a function of the signal pressure. The valve positioner further includes a feedback system which constantly operates to return the spool valve to a null position in which the valve positioner acts to maintain a constant flow rate through the system valve until the signal pressure again causes the valve positioner to move the system valve in an open or close direction.
As mentioned above, the present invention is generally directed to valve positioners employing a feedback system operating on force-balance principles. Specifically, the positioner employs a balance beam pivoted at one end and captured between a diaphragm and a compression feedback spring so that its other end operates the spool of a pilot valve, for example. The diaphragm receives the signal pressure to move the balance beam and thus shift the spool valve to supply pressure to the valve actuator thereby changing the flow rate through the system valve. The compression feedback spring operates in response to the movement of the valve actuator shaft to force the balance beam in the opposite direction to balance the signal pressure force. This shifts the spool of the spool valve in the same direction so as to stop the flow of supply air to the actuator and maintain the system valve flow rate.
Often, the balance beam in these valve positioners is secured at one end to the positioner housing by a hinge spring. The stiffness of the hinge spring determines the responsiveness of the balance beam to the signal pressure and therefore affects spool valve shift and flow area for a given change in signal pressure to the diaphragm, In other words, along with the orifice size of the spool valve, the stiffness of the hinge spring determines the sensitivity or "gain" of the valve positioner. When matching a particular valve positioner to a valve actuator, the gain of the positioner is an important consideration. For example, small volume actuators require lower gains to prevent overshoot and oscillation by the actuator and large volume actuators require relatively higher gains to increase the sensitivity and operating speed of the actuator.
Two illustrative examples of valve positioners utilizing balance beams secured to the positioner by a hinge spring are found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,588,988 to Robins and U.S. Pat. No. 2,679,829 to Gorrie et al. The patents to Robins and Gorrie et al. each disclose a valve positioner operating on force-balance principles and including a balance beam hingedly connected at one end to the positioner housing by a leaf or hinge spring. The balance beam is connected to a pilot valve at the other end and is operated through a control pressure sent to a bellows located intermediate the hinge spring and the pilot valve.
Both Robins and Gorrie et al. fail to provide a manner of adjusting the gain of the positioner. Although it is possible and it has been known to change the hinge spring to a thinner or thicker hinge spring in order to vary positioner sensitivity or "gain", this practice is difficult and time consuming. In this regard, to enable a wide range of gain adjustability, a large number of hinge springs of differing thickness would have to be stocked and then fastened in place, one by one, until the desired gain is achieved.
In this regard, certain fluid systems such as those employing relatively large valve actuators require valve positioners having a higher "gain" or sensitivity. That is, for a given signal pressure the balance beam must move the pilot valve of the positioner a relatively large amount. This translates into utilizing a relatively thin or flexible hinge spring which will allow the balance beam to move a greater amount per unit of signal pressure than would a thicker, more rigid hinge spring. Conversely, a relatively thick or rigid hinge spring would be necessary in valve positioners employed in a fluid system requiring low sensitivity or "gain" such as a system employing relatively low volume valve actuators. A thicker, more rigid hinge spring allows the balance beam to move less per unit of signal pressure and therefore causes the pilot valve to be less sensitive to changes in signal pressure.
As previously mentioned, in order to cause a change in the sensitivity or "gain" of past valve positioners it has been necessary to change the hinge spring to a hinge spring having a different stiffness, e.g., to a spring having a different thickness. Any given hinge spring, as used in the past, has produced a single given sensitivity or "gain" in the positioner. Therefore, to allow a range of sensitivities or "gains" a number of hinge springs of differing stiffnesses were required and the variability of sensitivities or "gains" within that range directly corresponded to the number of different hinge springs on hand.
Accordingly, it has been one objective of the present invention to provide a valve positioner having an inexpensive adjustable gain mechanism which allows the valve positioner to be matched to a particular valve actuator without having to stock and interchange parts of the positioner.
Another object of the invention has been to provide infinite adjustment of positioner gain over a wide range of gains while utilizing a single given hinge spring.


Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for extending data models and processes in a cloud platform. An embodiment operates by selecting an entity metadata in the cloud platform. The embodiment defines an extension metadata for the entity metadata. The embodiment defines an extended entity metadata based on the entity metadata and the extension metadata. The embodiment then creates an extended entity instance in the cloud platform based on the extended entity metadata.

Software applications are increasingly being built, deployed, and managed in the cloud. This is because the cloud enables ubiquitous, on-demand access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., computer networks, servers, and storage), which can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort.
A developer may build a cloud-based application from base data models and processes. After completion and deployment of a cloud-based application, subscribers to the cloud-based application may want to extend these base data models and processes to meet their specific needs. For example, they may want to extend a product data model to include additional attributes such as product dimensions. But the developer may be unable to extend these base data models and processes without directly modifying them in the cloud platform.
Software application providers who provide their software applications on a cloud platform, however, do not allow a developer to modify these base data models and processes. This is because these base data models and processes are publicly shared by all the customers of these software applications. This means that changes to the base data models and processes are immediately made available to the consumers of these software applications in the cloud platform. Thus, there is no way to extend the base data models and processes in the cloud platform without directly modifying them. Moreover, there is no way to store data models and processes in the cloud platform at different service providers.
In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical or similar elements. Additionally, generally, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears.


A tightening tool such as a torque wrench is provided in which electric power can be fed to an electronic circuit with eliminating the need for a battery and achieving daily maintenance-free. In the tightening tool, when a tightening torque has reached a set torque value and a torque limiter is actuated, an electronic circuit unit that has obtained a detection signal outputted from a torque limiter actuation detection unit outputs a tightening completion signal. The tightening tool has a power generation unit for feeding electric power to the electronic circuit unit at least during the actuation of the torque limiter. The power generation unit performs photovoltaic power generation, electromagnetic induction power generation, power generation by conversion from mechanical energy into electrical energy, or temperature difference power generation.

Conventionally, there are provided tightening tools such as torque wrenches equipped with an electronic circuit, by which in tightening a member to be tightened such as a bolt, when a tightening torque has reached a set torque value, data of a tightening torque value and the like is wirelessly transmitted to indicate the end of tightening of the member to be tightened (Patent Literature 1).
Such tightening tools are provided with a power supply battery (battery) in an exchangeable manner to supply electric power to an electronic circuit including a wireless transmitter.
When the battery is employed as a power source of the tightening tool, if the use of the tightening tool is started with a low remaining battery level, the use might be continued without being noticed of battery exhaustion during the use. In this case, no tightening data is transmitted.
The battery exhaustion or the low remaining battery level requires an exchange operation of batteries, or a connection operation of a charging cable for recharging. Such operations are performed as part of daily maintenance, for example, in machine assembly plants and the like.
On the other hand, the tightening tools of a battery exchange type need a battery contact and hence easily have a contact failure, and specifically the torque wrenches tend to have a defective battery contact or the like due to a large impact applied thereon during use. The tightening tools having a rechargeable battery as a power supply cannot avoid a break of a charging jack and a break of the charging cable.
Thus, daily maintenance management is important for the tightening tools with the battery as the power supply part.
On the other hand, there are provided many products of tools such as torque wrenches equipped with an electronic circuit. A dry cell is generally used as a power supply for such an electronic circuit, but the products using a solar cell are proposed (Patent Literature 2).
In attaching the solar cell to the tool (hereinafter called tool with the solar cell), for example, a torque wrench, it should be considered that the solar cell does not interfere with operation of the tool such as a torque wrench, and a light receiving surface can receive as much light as possible, and the like.
The tool with the solar cell is often put on a workbench or the like during standby in a tightening operation, for example. An operator puts the tool on the workbench with confirmation that the light receiving surface of the solar cell faces toward room light, so that electric power generated by the solar cell that has received light of, for example, a ceiling light can be accumulated in a storage battery for that duration.
However, when the operator puts the tool with the solar cell in a hurry without being sure whether or not the light receiving surface of the solar cell faces upward, the tool may be put such that the light receiving surface of the solar cell faces to the workbench and no light arrives at the light receiving surface of the solar cell.


A thermocouple system is disclosed. The thermocouple system includes a thermocouple having a positive lead and a negative lead. A positive wire is connected at a first end to the positive lead at a first junction and at a second end to a second junction. A negative wire is connected at a first end to the negative lead at a third junction and at second end to a fourth junction. The second and fourth junctions constitute a reference junction. At least one of a thermal conductivity and a gauge of at least one of the positive wire and the negative wire are selected to govern the respective flows of heat from the first junction toward the reference junction and the flow of heat from the third junction toward the reference junction to be of such quantities that the difference in the heat flows is less than a predetermined amount.

Thermocouples used for high temperature measurements are generally made of noble metals such as platinum and alloys of platinum. Most common are: (1) Type R thermocouples having a positive lead material of platinum and 13% rhodium and a negative lead of platinum, and (2) Type S thermocouples having a positive lead material of platinum and 10% rhodium and a negative lead of platinum.
A disadvantage of noble metal thermocouples is their high cost, the cost being proportional to the length of the platinum and platinum/rhodium thermocouple wires.
Inn an industrial environment, the instrumentation at which the reference junction is located is typically distant from the thermocouple. In particular, where the temperature of molten metals is being measured, the instrumentation used to measure the emf output of the thermocouple is typically at a great distance, e.g. 100 feet, from the measurement junction of the thermocouple. To extend the noble metal thermocouple 100 feet or more to the measurement junction would be prohibitively expensive. Further, where for instance, the thermocouple is used for only one or a few measurements, such as is typically the case in the temperature measurement of molten metals, the use of a noble metal thermocouple which would extend for 100 feet or more becomes even more prohibitive.
Temperature measurement systems which use a noble metal thermocouple for measuring the temperature of molten metals generally minimize the length of the noble metal thermocouple wires by attaching, in a connecting device frequently referred to as a sensor or probe, connecting wire made of less expensive metals/metal alloys, to connect the thermocouple to the distant measuring instrument. Such connecting wire is commonly referred to as extension wire.
Extension wire may be used to connect a thermocouple to a distant measuring instrument, while retaining acceptable measurement accuracy for most applications by: (1) selecting the thermoelectric properties of the extension wire to be substantially the same as those of the noble metal thermocouple to which it is attached over the temperature range at which the extension wire operates, and (2) maintaining the junction of the positive thermocouple wire and the positive extension wire to be at the same temperature as the junction of the negative thermocouple wire and the negative extension wire. Under these conditions, the voltage measured at the reference junction is ideally a function of only the temperature difference between the measurement junction and the reference junction irrespective of the temperature of junctions formed at the connection of the thermocouple wires and the extension wires. Conventionally, the extension wire for connecting to the positive thermocouple lead of a noble metal thermocouple is made of pure copper, and the extension wire connecting to the negative lead is made of a copper-nickel alloy. The selection of a particular type of material for matching the thermoelectric properties of one type of extension wire with that of a noble metal thermocouple for minimizing errors due to the mismatch of the thermoelectric properties between the thermocouple and the extension wires is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,926,681 and 4,002,500. The measurement error due to a difference in the temperatures at the junctions of a thermocouple and the extension wires due to mismatching of the thermoelectric properties of the extension wire to the thermocouple element is discussed in the "Manual on the Use of Thermocouples in Temperature Measurement", ASTM Pub. 470B, 1981, pages 27-35.
As discussed above, a temperature difference arising between the positive and negative junctions of the thermocouple and the extension wire (hereafter referred to as intermediate junctions) results in an error of the measurement of the thermocouple emf. Not discussed in the prior art is that this temperature difference between the intermediate junctions may arise from a difference in the heat flowing from the positive intermediate junction to the cooler corresponding reference junction and the heat flowing from the negative intermediate junction to the cooler corresponding reference junction. The difference in heat flows results in an apparent cooling of one of the junctions under conditions where both junctions are receiving an equal heat input. This temperature difference will increase in proportion to the time that the thermocouple, more specifically the intermediate junctions, are exposed to a circumstance of progressive heat gain as a result of exposure to the high temperature environment.
Increasing the accuracy of noble metal temperature measurements, and in particular, increasing the accuracy of the temperature measurement of molten metals would be an economic advantage to industry. Consequently, reducing the differential heat flow from the junctions of the thermocouple and the extension wires through the thermocouple extension wires would be desirable.


A wireless communication user terminal obtains uplink access configuration information on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) addressed to a plurality of user terminals by processing the PDCCH based on a first system information received from a base station on a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) and based on synchronization information. The terminal sends a signature waveform based on the uplink access configuration information, prior to receiving system information in addition to the first system information, whereby the signature waveform enables the base station to transition from a relatively low power operating mode to a relatively high power operating mode.

The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification Group (TSG) Radio Access Network (RAN) 1 wireless communication standards development organization is discussing a proposal for wireless communication networks having base stations that save energy, otherwise known as "green" base stations. According to the proposal, if there is no active user equipment (UE) in a cell area served by an enhanced NodeB (eNB), the base station transitions to an energy saving state. In this state, the eNB transmits only a synchronization signal, a Common Reference Symbol (CRS) and a Master Information Block (MIB). In LTE Release-8, the MIB is sent on the Physical Broadcast CHannel (PBCH), the MIB comprises a system frame number (SFN), downlink system bandwidth, a number of signaled downlink transmit antennas (or the number of CRS ports), and Physical Hybrid ARQ Channel (PHICH) configuration information. Also in LTE Release-8, the synchronization signal is sent on the last 2 symbols of the first slot of subframe 0 and 5 and the PBCH is sent on subframe 0 (each subframe comprises two slots, wherein each slot corresponds to a 0.5 milli-second). Thus when configured, the eNB transmits downlink information in only subframe 0 and subframe 5 wherein nothing (i.e., blank or Do Not Transmit or Discontinous transmit (DTX)) is transmitted in the other downlink subframes. Alternatively, the other downlink subframes may be configured as MBMS Single Frequency (MBSFN) subframes with CRS transmission only near the beginning of these subframes. When there is an active user terminal in the cell, the eNB transitions from the energy saving state to a fully active state wherein the eNB starts transmitting the signals such as System Information Block (SIB) information, CRS in other subframes, etc. This proposal however does not address how an eNB or base station in the energy saving state detects when a UE is attempting to register with or connect to the eNB.
It is known generally for a 3GPP LTE Release 8 UE to send a Random Access Channel (RACH) waveform to an eNB based on information obtained in a System Information Block (SIB) sent in a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) to connect to the base station. In this case, the UE processes a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) based on Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) information to obtain a downlink (DL) grant identifying a System Information Block (SIB) including RACH configuration information. Alternatively, the LTE Rel-8 UE obtains the RACH configuration information from a UE specific Downlink Control Information (DCI) Format 1A grant of a PDCCH order and in this case the UE is already connected to the base station and hence the eNB can transmit on a unicast PDCCH addressed the specific UE.
The various aspects, features and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon careful consideration of the following Detailed Description thereof with the accompanying drawings described below. The drawings may have been simplified for clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale.


A device enabling one or more active principles or substances to be released in a gradual and programmed manner, wherein the device can be obtained by:. a) preparing a powder comprising a resin or polymer matrix in which at least one suitable plasticizer is fully absorbed by heating the plasticizer and hot spraying it onto the matrix while it is being maintained in temperature, thereby saturating the resin with plasticizer; PA0 b) cooling the powder obtained in a) to a temperature below 30.degree. C; PA0 c) cold mixing the powder obtained in b) with at least 5% of at least one carrier of active principle; then PA0 d) adding the active principle(s); and PA0 e) suitably forming the powder obtained in d) by any appropriate means, which device releases the active principle uniformly and completely.. The device further includes a covering made of a polymer which is impermeable to the active principle(s) and which covers a portion of the surface of the device.. A method of preparing the device and applications thereof to preparing medicines suitable for administration per os, to preparing medicines suitable for administration by skin contact, and to preparing antiparasite collars.

Numerous systems are known for controlled and programmed release of active principals.
They are all solid or semi-solid systems, e.g. of the tablet or suppository type having a composition which is defined so as to lead to the systems breaking up slowly, with breaking up itself being obtained either by a purely mechanical effect, or else by partial dissolution of one or more components forming the system in a liquid medium, e.g. constituted by body fluids.
It is also known to disperse the active principal throughout a solid substrate and to obtain programmed release thereof by diffusion through such a substrate.
In this case also, numerous systems are described:
there are "semipermeable" systems in which the active agent dissolved, suspended, or emulsified in an inert vehicle diffuses through a permeable membrane; and
there are also compound systems in which the active agent diffuses from a more or less porous solid substrate constituted by a matrix based on polymers or copolymers.
Regardless of the system chosen, release speeds are maintained only for a very short length of time, and the system is therefore not suitable for prolonged use.
Solid systems are also known that are suitable for application by contact, in particular on the skin.
Particular mention may be made of devices suitable for gradually releasing a contact insecticide for protecting animals against parasites, and in particular against ectoparasites. Most of these devices are constituted by an insecticide included in a matrix of plastic material. The slow release of an ectoparasiticide substance (whether in vapor form or by deposition on the hairs of the animal) provides effective protection against parasites for several months.
Such anti-parasite devices constitute the subject matter of very many patents, and in particular the Applicants' French patents numbers FR 2 447 679, FR 2 269 859, and FR 2 307 456, and also the following patents: FR 2 436 563 in the name of Shell International Research; FR 2 370 572 and FR 2 392 606 in the name of A. H. Robins Company Inc.; FR 1 598 644 and FR 2 213 014 in the name of Robert Aries; and FR 2 374 853, FR 2 386 253, and FR 2 386 254, in the name of Bayer AG, and such devices are essentially constituted by three basic components:
an insecticide (or mixture of insecticides);
a matrix (generally based on a thermoplastic resin); and
additives (such as plasticizers, pigments, stabilizing agents, or inert fills, etc. . . . . ).
Nevertheless, all prior art devices suffer from two major drawbacks:
they never release all of the active principal that they contain, and this may be important, or even essential, particularly with active principals that are expensive; and
the active principal is never released at a constant rate, with a very large quantity of substance being released at the beginning of utilization, after which the release rate falls off very rapidly to become zero.
These drawbacks of the prior art are related, in particular, to the active principal being applied hot and then being absorbed or adsorbed by the resin, which means that a large amount of the active principal is retained by the resin (of the order of 30% to 70%, depending on circumstances). This major retention of the active principal in prior art devices is due, in particular, to the following facts:
when the active principal is a liquid, it behaves like a plasticizer for the resin (two-way interchange between the plasticizer and the active principal), and in this case the active substance is absorbed by the resin; and
when the active principal is a solid, the plasticizer acts as a solvent therefor, such that the active principal is adsorbed by the plasticizer included in the resin.
Consequently, an object of the present invention is to provide a device which satisfies practical requirements better than previously known devices for the same purpose, and in particular to provide a device that releases all of the active principal contained in said device over varying, but predictable, durations, and above all making substantially constant daily release possible over the entire lifetime of the device.

Controlled release device, and method of preparation


Systems and methods for credit card relationship derivation from historic data are provided. A single credit card relationship between a membership organization and a member can be very long-lived and identified by many different account numbers over time. For example, a new card with a new number can be issued if the card is lost, stolen, the member changes the card type (Standard, Gold or Platinum) or the card number is thought to be compromised. Sometimes, data security compromises committed by third-parties can result in a simultaneous mass re-issue of many cards. Various embodiments of the present invention create a common key and ordinal numbers that identifies the account throughout its life by resolving ambiguities and inconsistencies in historical data.

A single credit card relationship between a credit card issuer and a member can be very long-lived. As a result, the relationship can include many different account numbers over time. For example, a new card with a new number can be issued if the card is lost, stolen, the member changes the card type (Standard, Gold or Platinum), or the card number is thought to be compromised. Sometimes, data security compromises committed by third-parties can result in a simultaneous mass re-issue of many cards.
Unfortunately, historic credit card data can contain inconsistent and erroneous relationships between credit card accounts and their predecessors and successors. The problem is compounded by the fact that historic relationships are only available as monthly snapshots, and there is no clear way to tell exactly when a card was issued, because the issue dates are only accurate within about 10 days, and not necessarily in the correct order. This creates the need for ways to identify and track the account throughout its life.

Credit card relationship derivation (AcctID) from historic data

United Services Automobile Association (USAA)


An origin detection method for a component placement head includes setting an axial origin for each elevation nut section, of the component placement head, by detecting a rotational angle of a drive section corresponding to the elevation nut section. The elevation nut sections are then individually moved down from the axial origin so that light emitted from a light-projecting section is received by a light-receiving section without being interrupted. Then, it is confirmed that the axial origin of each elevation nut section is an origin of elevation by detecting interruption of light, emitted from the light-projecting section, by the elevation nut section at a position corresponding to the elevation nut section having been lowered from the axial origin by a prescribed light interruption dimension.

In recent years, the electronic equipment market has earnestly demanded downsizing and functional improvement of various electronic equipment with built-in component-mounted boards formed by placing and mounting a plurality of electronic components onto a circuit board. Therefore, it is required to perform high-density mounting (or placement) and high-accuracy mounting (or placement) of electronic components in forming a component-mounted board. It is further demanded to reduce a production cost of component-mounted boards. For example, it is additionally demanded to improve productivity per unit area of component-mounted boards, i.e., productivity per unit area in mounting electronic components.
Such a component-mounted board is manufactured by placing a plurality of electronic components onto a circuit board, and thereafter heating the circuit board on which the electronic components are placed in a reflow manner for mounting of the electronic components placed on the circuit board. Such a manufacturing process is called a component mounting process (or component-mounted board production process), which is categorized roughly into a component placement process and a reflow process. The component placement process is performed by an electronic component placement apparatus provided with a component placement head that sucks and holds a plurality of electronic components and places them onto a circuit board.
FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of a head section 500 that is one example of a component placement head employed in such a conventional electronic component placement apparatus (refer to, for example, Japanese unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-40900), and structure of the head section 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 4.
As shown in FIG. 4, the head section 500 is provided with a suction nozzle 502 that is one example of a component holding member for releasably holding an electronic component 501 such as a chip component, a shaft section 510 that is one example of a shaft section detachably equipped with this suction nozzle 502, an elevation unit 520 for moving up and down the suction nozzle 502 equipped for the shaft section 510 via this shaft section 510, and a rotating unit 530 for rotating the suction nozzle 502 around its axis of rotation (its axial center of rotation) via the shaft section 510.
Moreover, in order to improve efficiency of an operation of placing electronic components 501 onto a circuit board by providing the head section 500 with a plurality of suction nozzles 502 capable of individually sucking and holding electronic components 501, the head section 500 is provided with, for example, eight sets of shaft sections 510 and elevation units 520, and the shaft sections 510 and the elevation units 520 are supported by a head frame 540 of the head section 500 so that the shaft sections 510 are arranged in a line (i.e., the suction nozzles 502 are arranged in a line). Moreover, the rotating unit 530 is able to rotate four suction nozzles 502 equipped for four mutually adjacent shaft sections 510. In the head section 500 capable of being equipped with eight suction nozzles 502, two rotating units 530 are provided while being supported by the head frame 540, by which the suction nozzles 502 equipped for the shaft sections 510 are made rotatable.
With regard to the head section 500 having the above-mentioned construction, a detailed structure of the shaft section 510 will be described first. As shown in FIG. 4, each shaft section 510 is provided with a spline shaft 511 that has a nozzle attaching portion 511a, which is one example of a holding member attaching portion capable of being detachably equipped with the suction nozzle 502, at its end portion (lower end in this figure). Moreover, the spline shaft 511 is able to rotate around its axis of rotation P by the rotating unit 530 corresponding to this shaft section 510, and elevatable along axis of rotation P by a corresponding elevation unit 520. In the shaft sections 510, spline shafts 511 are elevatable and rotatable as described above while being supported as the shaft sections 510 by the head frame 540. This support structure will be described by using a partially enlarged schematic view of the shaft section 510 shown in FIG. 5.
As shown in FIG. 5, the shaft section 510 is further provided with a first spline nut 512 (arranged on an upper side in this figure) and a second spline nut 513 (arranged on a lower side in the figure), which are arranged apart from each other along axis of rotation P of the spline shaft 511, and which are two spline nuts that elevatably support the spline shaft 511.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, the first spline nut 512 and the second spline nut 513 are supported via a bearing section 514 and a bearing section 515, respectively, to a shaft frame 541 rotatably around axis of rotation P together with the spline shaft 511 on an inner periphery of the shaft frame 541, that has a roughly cylindrical shape, in the head frame 540. Moreover, a roughly cylindrical outer cylinder collar 516 has its inner peripheral surface bonded to an outer periphery of the first spline nut 512, and an outer periphery of the outer cylindrical collar 516 is further rotatably supported on an inner periphery of the shaft frame 541 via another bearing section 517, rotatably supporting the first spline nut 512. Moreover, an outer cylindrical collar 518 is similarly bonded to the second spline nut 513 and rotatably supported via another bearing section 519.
With the shaft section 510 having the above-mentioned structure, the spline shaft 511 is elevatable along axis of rotation P on the inner periphery of the first spline nut 512 and the second spline nut 513 in the shaft section 510, and both the first spline nut 512 and the second spline nut 513 are made rotatable around axis of rotation P on the inner periphery of the shaft frame 541.
Detailed structure of the rotating unit 530 will be described next. As shown in FIG. 4, the rotating unit 530 is provided with a shaft gear 531 arranged so that the spline shaft 511 penetrates a cylindrical inner portion thereof. Moreover, the shaft gear 531 rotates the first spline nut 512 by rotation around axis of rotation P thereof, thereby allowing the spline shaft 511 to be rotated. Further, the rotating unit 530 is provided with a cogged belt 532 engaged with the shaft gear 531, a driving gear 533 engaged with the cogged belt 532, and a rotating drive motor 534 at an end of its driving shaft 534a to which the driving gear 533 is fixed and which is able to rotate the driving shaft 534a in either a forward or reverse direction.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, the shaft gear 531 has its lower end connected to an upper end portion 516a, in this figure, of an outer cylindrical collar 516 bonded to the first spline nut 512 via a ring-shaped coupling 535. Moreover, the shaft gear 531 is supported on an inner peripheral surface of the shaft frame 541 so as to be rotatable around axis of rotation P via two bearing sections 536 at an upper end and a lower end of its outer peripheral surface, and so as not to come into contact with the spline shaft 511. Moreover, a plurality of teeth are continuously provided on an outer peripheral surface of the shaft gear 531, an inner peripheral surface of the cogged belt 532 and an outer peripheral surface of the driving gear 533, in order to strengthen mutual engagement.
In this case, relations of planes among the shaft gear 531, the cogged belt 532 and the driving gear 533 will be described here with reference to a schematic explanatory view shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, one driving gear 533 and four mutually adjacent shaft gears 531 are engaged with one another inside one cogged belt 532. That is, by rotatively driving the driving gear 533 in either the forward or reverse direction by the rotating drive motor 534, the cogged belt 532 is driven to run in a rotational drive direction, thereby allowing the four shaft gears 531 to be concurrently rotated in the rotational drive direction. Moreover, between the shaft gears 531 and between the shaft gear 531 located at the left-hand end in this figure and the driving gear 533, four tension rollers 537 are provided so as to consistently inwardly urge the cogged belt 532, thereby consistently applying a constant tension to the cogged belt 532 and maintaining a satisfactory engagement relationship among the gears.
With the rotating unit 530 having the above-mentioned structure, the spline shafts 511 corresponding to the four shaft gears 531 can be rotated around axis of rotation P concurrently in the same rotational direction via the coupling 535 and the first spline nut 512.
The elevation unit 520 will be described next. As shown in FIG. 4, the elevation unit 520 is provided with a ball screw shaft 521 supported, by an elevation frame 542 of the head frame 540, rotatably around axis of rotation Q (an axial center of rotation) thereof arranged roughly parallel to axis of rotation P of the spline shaft 511. The elevation unit 520 is further provided with an elevation drive motor 522, which is fixed to an upper end portion, in this figure, of the ball screw shaft 521 and rotates the ball screw shaft 521 in either a forward or reverse direction around axis of rotation Q, and an elevation nut section 523, which is meshed with the ball screw shaft 521 and is moved up and down along axis of rotation Q by rotation of the ball screw shaft 521. Moreover, the elevation unit 520 is further provided with a roughly L-figured elevation bar 524, which has one end fixed to the elevation nut section 523 and is moved up and down in accordance with ascent and descent of the elevation nut section 523, and another end of the elevation bar 524 is arranged so as to be placed between two bearing sections 525 attached to an upper portion of the spline shaft 511.
With the above-mentioned structure possessed by the elevation unit 520, when the elevation nut section 523 is moved up or down by rotation of the ball screw shaft 521, the elevation bar 524 is moved up or down to push up or push down the spline shaft 511 via the bearing sections 525 by its end portion, thereby allowing the spline shaft 511 to be moved up and down. It is to be noted that ascent and descent of the elevation bar 524 is guided by an LM guide 526 provided on the elevation frame 542.
Moreover, as a component placement head as described above, there has conventionally been a head section provided with a plurality of suction nozzles that serve as one example of component holding members arranged in a line. In the head section described above, efficiency of placing components onto a circuit board has been improved by making the suction nozzles concurrently suck and hold a plurality of components. Moreover, during such a component placement operation by the head section, an elevating operation of the suction nozzles is to be performed. However, due to a necessity for performing individual elevating operations of the suction nozzles, the head section is provided with elevation units corresponding one to one to the suction nozzles.
Moreover, the head section described above is generally able to individually perform the elevating operation of the suction nozzles by generally performing an elevating operation of the shaft sections capable of being detachably equipped with a suction nozzle at its end by respective elevation units (these shaft sections are also provided for the head section while being arranged in a line). Moreover, the elevation units generally employ a mechanism employing a ball screw shaft section and a nut section meshed therewith, and rotatively drive the ball screw shaft section by rotatively driving the drive motor attached to the ball screw shaft section, thereby moving up and down the nut section and enabling the elevating operation of the shaft section in a state in which it can be moved up and down in synchronization with ascent and descent of the nut section while being engaged with the nut section.
Next, FIG. 14 shows a schematic explanatory view of elevation units 410 of the head section 400 described above, and a method for detecting an origin that becomes a reference point of ascent and descent of each of the elevation units 410 (refer to, for example, Japanese unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-236655) will be described with reference to FIG. 14.
As shown in FIG. 14, the head section 400 is provided with eight elevation units 410, i.e., eight suction nozzles (not shown). Moreover, each of the elevation units 410 is provided with a ball screw shaft section 411, a nut section 412, a drive motor 413 and an upper end position restricting frame 414 for restricting an upper end position of elevation of the nut section 412.
Moreover, the head section 400 is provided with a control section 409 capable of individually controlling these elevation units 410. Each of the elevation units 410 is further provided with an encoder (not shown) capable of detecting a rotational angle of the drive motor 413 and outputting this detection result to the control section 409.
When detecting an origin in the head section 400 described above, by detecting the rotational angle by the encoder while rotatively driving the drive motor 413 in each of the elevation units 410 and assuming a position of the nut section 412 on an elevating operational axis when the origin of rotation in the rotational direction is detected as the origin (hereinafter referred to as a detection origin), each of plural detection origins is set by the control section 409.
It is to be noted that these operations may be executed either individually or concurrently in the elevation units 410. Subsequently, an elevating operation of each of the suction nozzles for a component placement operation is executed in the head section 400 regarding a detection origin thus set as an origin on an actual elevating operational axis (hereinafter referred to as an axial origin).

Origin detection method for component placement head

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The invention provides for the use of mixtures of waxes which comprise

The present invention relates to the use of metallocene waxes, their oxidates and blends thereof with further waxes, and also the corresponding micronisates, for coating materials.
In the preparation of coating materials, waxes are generally added in a concentration of 0.01-10%. The waxes in question are PE waxes, PTFE waxes, PP waxes, amide waxes, FT paraffins, montan waxes, natural waxes, macrocrystalline and microcrystalline paraffins, polyethylene copolymers, sorbitan esters and metallocene waxes, and also blends thereof, as disclosed in EP-A-0 890 619. The blends may be present in different combinations, both as powder mixtures and as melt mixtures.
These waxes are added in the form of flakes, granules, powders, dispersions, emulsions or micronisates, the preferred use form being regardable as a finely micronized powder with particle sizes up to 4 xcexcm in DV50 value. (DV50 value: 50% of the wax particles are smaller than or equal to 4 xcexcm). These waxes are used in order to achieve the following effects in the coating materials:
better scratch resistance
better abrasion resistance
better dispersing of pigments
better pigment stability
improvement in sedimentation tendency
improvement in redispersion of pigments
active orienting substance for effect pigments
effective flatting
satisfactory feel
improvement in lubricity
improvement in metal marking
achieving effective incorporation of effect pigments
influencing of rheological properties
better blocking resistance
better sandability
degassing additive in powder coatings
additive for increasing throughput in powder coatings.
These wax additives can be used in all coating systems (e.g., low solids, medium solids, high solids, solvent-based coating materials, aqueous or water-dilutable coating materials, powder coating materials, physically drying coating systems, chemically curing coating materials, and radiation-curing coating materials, such as UV coating materials, for example).
Since pure polyethylene waxes and metallocene waxes cannot be used in all coating systems, especially not in aqueous systems, use is also made of wax oxidates.
Since the individual types of wax display different effects in the coating materials, it is preferred to use wax mixtures of PE waxes, PTFE waxes, PP waxes, amide waxes, FT paraffins, montan waxes, natural waxes, macrocrystalline and microcrystalline paraffins, polyethylene copolymers, sorbitan esters and metallocene waxes in order to combine the abovementioned effects with one another and to obtain corresponding improvements in coating materials.
It was an object of the invention to find wax mixtures, for use in coating materials, which exhibit a particularly large number of the effects set out above. Surprisingly, the mixtures with metallocene waxes showed the most marked improvements. With these mixtures, a particular improvement is obtained in the grindability for the production of wax micronisates; in other words, the yields are increased.
A further advantage of using waxes produced by the metallocene process is their ready grindability, for which reason fewer auxiliaries are consumed in this case than in the case of wax mixtures comprising waxes produced, for example, with the Ziegler-Natta process.
The invention provides for the use of mixtures of waxes which comprise
a) a homopolymer or copolymer of C2-C18 xcex1-olefins, prepared by means of metallocene catalysis, and also degradation waxes produced from relatively high-chain-length polyolefins produced by means of metallocene catalysis, and, as auxiliaries, one or more other waxes selected from the group consisting of
b) PE waxes,
c) PTFE waxes,
d) PP waxes,
e) amide waxes,
f) FT paraffins,
g) montan waxes,
h) natural waxes,
i) macrocrystalline and microcrystalline paraffins,
j) polar polyolefin waxes, or
k) sorbitan esters,
l) polyamides,
m) polyolefins,
n) PTFE,
o) wetting agents,
p) silicates
for improving the properties of coating materials.
The invention further provides coating materials comprising the wax mixtures described.
The homopolymer or copolymer of C2-C18 xcex1-olefins prepared by means of metallocene catalysis (a) preferably have the following properties:
Suitable polyolefin waxes include homopolymers of ethylene or propylene or copolymers of ethylene or propylene with one another or with one or more 1-olefins. 1-Olefins used include linear or branched olefins having 4-18 carbon atoms, preferably 4-6 carbon atoms. These olefins may have an aromatic substitution which is in conjugation with the olefinic double bond. Examples of such compounds are 1-butene, 1-hexene, 1-octene or 1-octadecene, and also styrene. Preference is given to copolymers of ethylene with propene or 1-butene. Ethylene copolymers of this kind have ethylene contents of 70-99.9% by weight, preferably 80-99% by weight.
Especially suitable polyolefin waxes are those having a dropping point of between 90 and 160xc2x0 C., preferably between 100 and 155xc2x0 C., a melt viscosity at 140xc2x0 C. of between 10 and 10 000 mPas, preferably between 50 and 5 000 mPas, and a density at 20xc2x0 C. of between 0.89 and 0.96 g/cm3, preferably between 0.91 and 0.94 g/cm3.
Also suitable are metallocene waxes modified by oxidation, such as may be obtained, for example, by treating the wax melt with air in accordance with EP-A-0 896 591. The disclosure content of this document in respect of the oxidative treatment of wax melts is hereby incorporated into the present specification by reference.
Metallocene catalysts for preparing the polyolefin waxes are chiral or nonchiral transition metal compounds of the formula M1Lx. The transition metal compound M1Lx contains at least one central metal atom M1 to which at least one xcfx80 ligand, e.g., a cyclopentadienyl ligand, is attached. Furthermore, substituents, such as halogen, alkyl, alkoxy or aryl groups, for example, may be attached to the central metal atom M1. M1 is preferably an element from main group III, IV, V or VI of the periodic table of the elements, such as Ti, Zr or Hf. Cyclopentadienyl ligand comprehends unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl radicals and substituted cyclopentadienyl radicals such as methylcyclopentadienyl, indenyl, 2-methylindenyl, 2-methyl-4-phenylindenyl, tetrahydroindenyl or octahydrofluorenyl radicals. The xcfx80 ligands may be bridged or non-bridged, with both single and multiple bridgesxe2x80x94including bridges via ring systemsxe2x80x94being possible. The metallocene designation also embraces compounds having more than one metallocene fragment, known as polynuclear metallocenes. These may have arbitrary substitution patterns and bridging variants. The individual metallocene fragments of such polynuclear metallocenes may be both identical to one another and different from one another. Examples of such polynuclear metallocenes are described, for example, in EP-A-0 632 063. Examples of general structural formulae of metallocenes and also of their activation with a cocatalyst are given, inter alia, in EP-A-0 571 882. The disclosure contents of these subjects in the two documents is hereby incorporated by reference.
Additive b) comprises, in preferred embodiments, polyethylene homopolymer and copolymer waxes which have not been prepared by means of metallocene catalysis and which have a number-average molecular weight of from 700 to 10 000 g/mol with a dropping point of between 80 and 140xc2x0 C.
Additive c) comprises in preferred embodiments polytetrafluoroethylene having a molecular weight of between 30 000 and 2 000 000 g/mol, in particular between 100 000 and 1 000 000 g/mol.
Additive d) comprises, in preferred embodiments, polypropylene homopolymer and copolymer waxes which have not been prepared by means of metallocene catalysis and which have a number-average molecular weight of from 700 to 10 000 g/mol with a dropping point of between 80 and 160xc2x0 C.
Additive e) comprises, in preferred embodiments, amide waxes preparable by reacting ammonia or ethylenediamine with saturated and/or unsaturated fatty acids. The fatty acids comprise, for example, stearic acid, tallow fatty acid, palmitic acid or erucic acid.
Additive f) comprises, in preferred embodiments, FT paraffins having a number-average molecular weight of from 400 to 800 g/mol with a dropping point from 80 to 125xc2x0 C.
Additive g) preferably comprises montan waxes, including acid waxes and ester waxes having a carboxylic acid carbon chain length of from C22 to C36.
The ester waxes preferably comprise reaction products of the montanic acids with monohydric or polyhydric alcohols having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, such as ethanediol, butane-1,3-diol or propane-1,2,3-triol, for example.
Additive h) in one preferred embodiment comprises carnauba wax or candelilla wax.
Additive i) comprises paraffins and microcrystalline waxes which are obtained in the course of petroleum refining. The dropping points of such paraffins are preferably between 45 and 65xc2x0 C., those of microcrystalline waxes of this kind preferably between 73 and 100xc2x0 C.
Additive j) comprises, in preferred embodiments, polar polyolefin waxes preparable by oxidizing ethylene or propylene homopolymer and copolymer waxes or grafting them with maleic anhydride. Particularly preferred starting material for this purpose comprises polyolefin waxes having a dropping point of between 90 and 165xc2x0 C., in particular between 100 and 160xc2x0 C., a melt viscosity at 140xc2x0 C. (polyethylene waxes) or at 170xc2x0 C. (polypropylene waxes) of between 10 and 10000 mPas, in particular between 50 and 5000 mPas, and a density at 20xc2x0 C. of between 0.85 and 0.96 g/cm3.
Additive k) comprises, in preferred embodiments, reaction products of sorbitol with saturated and/or unsaturated fatty acids and/or montanic acids. The fatty acids comprise, for example, stearic acid, tallow fatty acid, palmitic acid or erucic acid.
Additive l) preferably comprises ground polyamides, examples being polyamide-6, polyamide-6,6 or polyamide-12. The particle size of the polyamides is preferably in a range of 5-200 xcexcm, in particular 10-100 xcexcm.
Additive m) comprises polyolefins, i.e., for example, polypropylene, polyethylene or copolymers of propylene and ethylene of high or low density with molar weights of preferably from 10 000 to 1 000 000 D, in particular from 15 000 to 500 000 D, as numerical averages of the molecular weight, whose particle size as a result of grinding is in the range of preferably 5-200 xcexcm, in particular 10-100 xcexcm.
Additive n) comprises thermoplastic PTFE having a molar weight of preferably 500 000-10 000 000 D, in particular 500 000-2 000 000 D, as numerical average, whose particle size as a result of grinding is in the range of preferably 5-200 xcexcm, in particular 10-100 xcexcm.
Additive o) comprises amphiphilic compounds which generally lower the surface tension of liquids. The wetting agents comprise, for example, alkyl ethoxylates, fatty alcohol ethoxylates, alkylbenzenesulfonates or betaines.
Additive p) comprises silicates which are not used as filler or pigment in the formulas. It is preferred to use silicas or talc.
The proportion of ingredient a) to ingredients b) to p) may be varied in the range from 1 to 99% by weight a) to 1 to 99% by weight b) to p). Where a mixture of two or more of ingredients b) to p) is used, the indicated amount applies to the sum of the amounts of these ingredients.
In one preferred embodiment, the waxes are used in micronized form for the purpose according to the invention. Particular preference is given to the use of polyolefin wax and optionally admixed auxiliaries and additives as an ultrafine powder with a particle size distribution d90 less than 40 xcexcm.
Parameters improved include the flatting of the coating materials, the dispersibility and stability (sedimentation tendency or bodying tendency) in coating materials and dispersions, an improvement in the slip, hardness and abrasion resistance, an increase in the throughput and improvement in pigment dispersion in powder coating materials, and better antiblocking and handling sensation (soft feel). The wax mixtures generally comprise powder mixtures and/or melt mixtures.

Abstract: b) PE waxes,

Abstract: c) PTFE waxes,

Abstract: d) PP waxes,

Abstract: e) amide waxes,

Abstract: f) FT paraffins,

Abstract: g) montan waxes,

Abstract: h) natural waxes,

Abstract: j) polar polyolefin waxes, or

Abstract: k) sorbitan esters


A directional ordnance for a missile. The missile contains circuitry to determine the direction of a target relative to the missile and to selectively detonate directing charges to force the blast from the warhead towards the target. The circuitry for determining the direction of the target includes two transmit antennas, each transmitting a different pseudo noise sequence, and two receive antennas; each coupled to a receiver which can determine the level of each pseudo noise sequence at each receive antenna. The relative strengths of the different pseudo noise sequences tell the direction of the target relative to the transmit and receive antennas.

This application relates generally to guided missiles and more particularly to improving the effectiveness of missiles fired at airborne targets.
Guided missiles fired at airborne targets are well known. Certain types of such missiles contain a radar fuzing system. The fuzing system detects the presence of a target and measures the range between the missile and the target. At an appropriate range, the fuzing system detonates a warhead. The explosion of the warhead propels a cloud of shrapnel in all directions relative to the missile. If enough of the shrapnel strikes the target at a vulnerable area, the target is destroyed.
The fuzing system of one existing missile comprises two transmit antennas and two receive antennas. Each transmit antenna radiates a radar signal modulated with a pseudo noise (hereafter PN) sequence into a roughly 180.degree. sector relative to the missile. Each receive antenna receives radar reflections from a 180.degree. sector. Both transmit antennas are fed the same signal. Likewise, both received signals are combined. Thus, the four antennas provide 360.degree. coverage to both transmit and receive signals.
The received signal is mixed with several copies of the PN sequence, each delayed by a different time. Mathematically, this mixing correlates the received signal with the transmitted signal. The time delay associated with the delayed copy of the PN signal which produces the highest correlation indicates the back and forth propagation time to the target and, hence, indicates the range to the target. The measured range indicates when the fuzing system should detonate the warhead.
To avoid detonating the warhead when no target is present, the warhead is not detonated unless the highest correlation signal exceeds a threshold. The threshold is determined by correlating the PN signal with the background noise signal present when a reflected radar signal is not being received. This threshold signal gives a measure of the background noise level. Accordingly, the warhead is not detonated unless the highest correlation signal is above the noise.
While this arrangement for detonating a warhead is adequate for some applications, it is desirable to improve the effectiveness of the missile for other applications.
One way to improve the effectiveness of a missile is to direct the energy from the detonation of the warhead towards the target. Directional warheads are known that contain directing charges. In some systems, called mass focus systems, the directing charge deforms the shell of the missile. When the main explosive charge of the warhead explodes, the shrapnel tends to be focused towards the deformed region. In other systems, called velocity focus systems, a directing charge is detonated and creates a shock wave in a particular direction. The explosion of the main explosive charge while the shock wave is present causes shrapnel in the direction of the shock wave to have a greater velocity.
Regardless of which type of directional warhead is used, it is necessary for the fuze detonating the warhead to determine the direction of the target relative to the missile. Additionally, it would be desirable to create a directional warhead system with as little change as possible to an existing fuzing system.


A portable water sprinkling amusement device incorporates a water storage reservoir for transporting its own supply of water, at least one nozzle assembly defining at least one discharge orifice, an avenue of release establishing fluid communication between the water storage reservoir and the at least one nozzle assembly, and a fluid transfer system operative to develop forces for causing a stream of liquid to flow through the avenue of release and out of the discharge orifice upon actuation of an on/off mechanism.

Water play toys have long been a source of great amusement and recreation value. In summer months in particular, toys which combine action and the use of water have provided diversion and a source of cooling at the same time. It has frequently been a favorite pastime of children to play using lawn sprinklers and the like by turning the sprinklers on and running through them. Even simply turning on a garden hose and squirting play companions has been popular attesting to the fascination that children have for water and water play.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,979 issued to the inventor herein, Alan Amron, on Mar. 29, 1994, there is disclosed a water sprinkler having a housing that is formed into the shape of a dolphin and that includes a plurality of rotating sprinkler heads for providing a spray of water when the device is connected to a typical garden hose. A water-turbine powered mechanism within the housing generates bubbles which are released through an opening at the top of the housing so that children can jump and play within a spray of water having bubbles interspersed therein.
A reaction type of water sprinkling toy is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,172. Water communicated by a hose to a housing is conducted through a plurality of internal tubes to spray nozzles opening downwardly from the housing. The force of water emitted by the nozzles causes the housing to lift and hover over the surface on which it is placed at rest. As the term implies, the toy of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,172 is one which is caused to rise in reaction to the forces encountered as water passes through the outlet nozzles. Other water reaction toys are also known, including that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,079,727 and known as the Water Wiggle. The action/reaction principle is also graphically illustrated by a hose having a constricted outlet which writhes like a snake when a source of water pressure is connected to the hose.
Other toys that generate a spray of water for play purposes are disclosed by Janszen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,679 and by Stanley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,785.
All prior art water sprinkling amusement devices have one characteristic in common—they are intended for attachment to a supply of municipally pressurized water and, more specifically, by for attachment to the end of a garden hose. A continuing need therefore exists for water sprinkling amusement devices which are portable so that they can be used anywhere—even where a source of municipally pressurized water is not available.

Portable water discharging amusement device and related methods


External electrical connectors and methods of forming such external electrical connectors are discussed. A method includes forming an external electrical connector structure on a substrate. The forming the external electrical connector structure includes plating a pillar on the substrate at a first agitation level affected at the substrate in a first solution. The method further includes plating solder on the external electrical connector structure at a second agitation level affected at the substrate in a second solution. The second agitation level affected at the substrate is greater than the first agitation level affected at the substrate. The plating the solder further forms a shell on a sidewall of the external electrical connector structure.

The semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth due to continuous improvements in the integration density of a variety of electronic components (e.g., transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc.). For the most part, this improvement in integration density has come from repeated reductions in minimum feature size (e.g., shrinking the semiconductor process node towards the sub-20 nm node), which allows more components to be integrated into a given area.
This improved integration density has led, in some instances, to smaller integrated circuit dies. The decrease in size of integrated circuit dies can cause a need for smaller external electrical connectors arranged in a higher density. However, the smaller external electrical connectors and the higher density of them can result in problems that may have previously not been encountered.

Conductive external connector structure and method of forming

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.


A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a blower assembly having a blower housing configured to operate with various sized impellers. The blower housing includes a cutoff that is selectively radially adjustable to locate a leading edge of the cutoff in a position relative to one of the various sized impellers to maintain a proper clearance between the leading edge of the cutoff and one of the various sized impellers in order to efficiently separate blower discharge airflow from incoming airflow collected in the blower housing and prevent recirculation of the blower discharge airflow through the blower housing.

Heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) systems may generally be used in residential and/or commercial structures to provide heating and/or cooling in order to create comfortable conditions inside climate conditioned areas associated with such structures. To provide an airflow of conditioned air into such conditioned areas, most HVAC systems employ a fan to move the conditioned air through the HVAC system and into the climate conditioned areas. Further, to maximize performance of the HVAC system, it is crucial to maximize the performance and/or efficiency of the fan.


A plurality of image sensors are arranged so that each of odd rows is constituted by image sensors lined up in the X direction, and each of even rows is constituted by image sensors, more than that of the odd row by 1, lined up in the X direction at the same pitch as the odd row with a 1/2 phase shift with respect to the odd row. Light receiving areas of image sensors on both ends of the even row include both ends in the X direction of an imaging target area image respectively, and a length in the Y direction of an area covering the light receiving areas of the image sensors on the first row to the light receiving areas of the image sensors on the last row is longer than a length in the Y direction of the imaging target area image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, and more particularly to an imaging apparatus which images a large screen using a plurality of two-dimensional image sensors which are discretely arranged.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently in the pathology field, a virtual slide apparatus is attracting attention, which images a sample placed on a preparation, and digitizes the image, so as to make a pathological diagnosis on the display possible. By digitizing the image for pathological diagnosis by a virtual slide apparatus, the optical microscopic image of the sample on the preparation can be handled as digital data. The expected merits of this are a quick remote diagnosis, a description of diagnosis to a patient using digital images, the sharing of rare cases, and making education and practical training efficient.
In order to digitize the operation in the optical microscope using the virtual slide apparatus, the entire sample on the preparation must be digitized. By digitizing the entire sample, the digital data created by the virtual slide apparatus can be observed by viewer software, which runs on a PC and WS. Image sensors are used to digitize an optical image. In the case of corresponding 0.5 μm on the sample to one pixel of the image sensor, 900,000,000 pixels (30,000 pixels×30,000 pixels) are required to digitize the entire sample if the size of the sample on the preparation is 15 mm×15 mm. The size of an effective light receiving area demanded for the image sensor is 90 mm×90 mm if the magnification of an objective lens is 6 times, or is 120 mm×120 mm if the magnification is 8 times. A single unit two-dimensional multi-pixel large size image sensor that can implement this requirement has high cost. Therefore in a virtual slide apparatus, an area of the sample is normally divided into a plurality of areas, and imaged using a two-dimensional image sensor having several hundred thousand to several million pixels, or a one-dimensional image sensor having several thousand pixels.
The tiling method using one two-dimensional image sensor captures images of a test sample for a plurality of times while moving the two-dimensional image sensor relative to the test sample, and acquires the entire image of the test sample by pasting the plurality of captured images together without openings. A problem of the tiling method using a single two-dimensional image sensor is that it takes more time in capturing images as a number of divided areas increases in the sample.
As a technology to solve this problem, the following technology has been proposed (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-003016). Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-003016 discloses a technology which includes an image sensor group comprised of a plurality of two-dimensional image sensors disposed within the field of view of an objective lens, and images an entire screen by capturing the images a plurality of number of times while relatively changing the positions of the image sensor group and the position of the sample. Thereby the imaging time is decreased. Furthermore, the moving mechanism is simplified and the moving time is decreased by limiting the direction of the relative change between the position of the image sensor group and the position of the sample to a uniaxial direction.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-003016, the restrictions in the arrangement using a plurality of two-dimensional image sensors is not referred to. Actually because of such restrictions as the silicon wafer size, the package size, the interference between packages, the sensor holding substrate and the sensor holding mechanism, the two-dimensional image sensors must be arranged with a dead zone there between. Particularly in the case of a two-dimensional image sensor up to several million pixels, a ratio of the dead zone, other than a light receiving area, with respect to the light receiving area, is high, and the influence of the restrictions is major. In the case of restricting the relative change of the positions of the image sensor group and the position of the sample to the uniaxial direction, and in the case of considering the above mentioned dead zone and the imaging target area being square (or a form close to square), the number of times of moving tends to increase and imaging takes time.
The moving mechanism can be simplified if the moving mechanism is disposed not at the two-dimensional image sensor group side, but at the preparation side, because the moving distance can be decreased since the optical magnification causes no influence. In the case of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-003016, the two-dimensional image sensors are disposed outside the imaging target area image, hence the effective field of view of the imaging optical system must be increased if the moving mechanism is disposed at the preparation side, which leads to an increase in the size of the imaging optical system and an increase in cost.


A vehicle impact attenuator that can be installed at low cost in a narrow installation space, immediately stop a colliding vehicle, and effectively mitigate the impact on the vehicle. The vehicle impact attenuator includes a shock absorber that deforms upon a collision by a vehicle to reduce the impact on the vehicle. A support is provided for the shock absorber and a holding portion holds the support (20A) in a vertical position in an installation area. The support has cuts made in it that upon application of a load equal to or exceeding a set value, fracture and function as a release mechanism to thereby release the support from being held in a vertical position in the installation area. The support is deformable by a load less than the set value.

Vehicle impact attenuators are installed in places where vehicle collisions tend to occur, such as the ends of median strips, road forks, and the ends of branch points for tollgates, in order to immediately stop a colliding vehicle and mitigate the impact applied to the vehicle, thereby preventing secondary accidents and reducing damage to the vehicle and its occupants.
Guard fences, such as steel guardrails or guard cables, can be described as vehicle impact attenuators. However, with these devices, colliding vehicles still receive a large impact, and the damage to the occupants and vehicles cannot be effectively inhibited. Further, these devices are likely to greatly damage the colliding vehicles and the scattered fragments are liable to cause secondary accidents.
Other vehicle impact attenuators include water-filled container-type impact attenuators. However, this type of devices also pose a problem in that a vehicle receives a large impact when it collides with them while traveling at a high speed. Further, containers knocked over by a vehicle may scatter on the road, or a colliding vehicle may not be decelerated even after knocking down the containers and may jump over the base of the containers into the opposite lane, causing secondary accidents.
In view of such problems, the present inventors conducted extensive research and proposed vehicle impact attenuators that comprise a shock absorber and a support fixed on the ground so as to support the shock absorber, wherein the support is released from the ground and made slidably movable when a load exceeding a set value is applied by a vehicle collision (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-159107, hereinafter "Publication 1", and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-64629, hereinafter "Publication 2"). The proposed devices make it possible to effectively absorb the impact, immediately stop the vehicle, and prevent the vehicle from receiving an impact load exceeding a set value.
However, since vehicle impact attenuators are generally installed in narrow places with limited space, such as the ends of median strips, the devices must be miniaturized or improved in impact load absorbing capacity per installation space, so as to allow a smooth traffic flow and make the devices installable in more places. Moreover, the installation cost of vehicle impact attenuators must be reduced in order to make the devices installable in many places.


Provided is a vehicle braking force controller that can realize both improvement of passengers' riding comfort and feeling, and quick responsiveness, and that is excellent in stability against noise. The vehicle braking force controller provides a braking force command value in response to a stroke amount of a brake pedal operated by a driver, to a braking device which provides braking force to wheels. A stroke amount detection unit which detects a stroke amount inputted to the brake pedal is provided. A path-corresponding braking force command value changing unit is provided which changes the relationship between the stroke amount and the braking force command value determined based on the stroke amount, in response to an increase-decrease path that the stroke amount inputted from the brake pedal is following.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle braking force controllers. For example, the present invention relates to a vehicle braking force controller that uses an electric brake not having mechanical connection between a brake member and a brake pedal, and/or regenerative braking not using braking force based on friction.
Description of Related Art
1. In the case of conventional-type hydraulic brake
A master cylinder is pressed in response to the stroke amount of a brake pedal, i.e. the pedal pressing amount, to increase the hydraulic pressure in the piping, whereby a brake member generates pressing force. When the brake pedal is released, hysteresis is generated mainly due to fluid resistance in pipelines and friction force of the master cylinder. Also in the case where the brake pedal is further pressed after a certain stroke amount has been made and then the brake pedal is retuned, unless the brake pedal is returned by a greater amount, the resultant pressing force does not coincide with the pressing force realized before the brake pedal has been further pressed.
In moderate braking operation as performed during speed adjustment and cruising traveling in towns, minute fluctuation in the stroke amount is offset due to the presence of the hysteresis. Accordingly, unnecessary fluctuation in the vehicle behavior is suppressed, and as a result, passengers' riding comfort is realized. When the brake pedal is released, braking force will remain by the amount corresponding to the hysteresis, and thus, return from the nose dive caused by the braking becomes moderate, and thus, fluctuation in the vehicle attitude becomes moderate. This also contributes to passengers' riding comfort.
2. In the case of a brake device not having mechanical connection between the brake member and the brake pedal
2-1. A technology has been proposed in which after an operation amount of the brake pedal is obtained, hysteresis is realized through signal processing that uses a change rate map (Patent Document 1). This technology uses a map in which the change rate is greater on the releasing-side than on the pressing-side.
2-2. A technology has been proposed in which: based on a pressing force applied on the brake pedal, the state of operation, i.e., whether the operation is a pressing operation, a releasing operation, or a retaining operation, is determined; and hysteresis is provided between a command value for the pressing force in the pressing operation and a command value for the pressing force in the releasing operation (Patent Document 2).
2-3. Technologies have been proposed in which, a member or a mechanism that generates hysteresis is interposed in a reaction force generation mechanism for a brake pedal (Patent Documents 3, 4, and 5). These technologies have been proposed in order to make the feeling of pressing the brake pedal close to that realized with a conventional brake that uses hydraulic pressure.


The present invention provides an active peptide purified from scorpions, and derivatives, analogs and active fragment which are produced by using genetic engineering technology. The analgesic active peptide VGG is extracted, separated and purified from scorpion, and its amino acid sequence is shown as below:

As previous medical reports in Chinese medicine, scorpion is known as "Quanchong" or "Quanxie". The earliest record can be traced back to the Kaibao's Herbal Classic and listed in volume 40, the worm section of Compendium of Materia Medica, which has been over 2000 years medical history. The scorpion has been proved to have effects for extinguishing endogenous wind and suppressing pain, relieving internal fever and dissipating stagnation, activating meridian and alleviating pain. It is clinically used to treat migraine, peripheral facial paralysis, rheumatism pain and cancer pain, etc., which are proved to be effective. The active ingredient of the scorpion is the toxin secreted by the caudal gland. The toxin contains a lot of active components with high pharmaceutical values, and it is a natural active peptide pool that contains various multi-functional peptides.
However, only few of analgesic active ingredients have been separated, purified and structure analyzed from the scorpion or scorpion venom, such as the analgesic-antitumor peptide and analgesic-antimicrobial active peptide, etc.

Analgesic active peptide VGG, preparation and use thereof

Abstract: VKDGYIADDRNCPYFCGRNAYCDGECKKNRAESGYCQWASKYGNACWCY KLPDDARIMKPGRCNGG.The present invention further provides a use of the peptides in preparation of an analgesic drug, where the peptide is mixed with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier to prepare into forms for injection, oral administration, transdermal absorption, and transmucosal absorption.


A spin-on adapter for a remote oil filter to provide additional cooling capability to the engine oil system includes a unitary piece main body having edges, a base attached the main body, a step between the main body and the base, a first orifice and a second orifice extending throughout the main body, the step, and the base, and plurality of cooling fins protruding from the edges of the main body. The plurality of fins are integrated to the unitary piece main body and the adapter is adapted to be secured to a vehicle engine.

The present invention generally relates to a spin-on oil filter adapter with increased cooling capability for internal combustion engines. More particularly, the present invention relates to a spin-on oil filter adapter having integrated cooling fins.
Internal combustion engines circulate oil through the engine to reduce friction between moving parts while the engine is in operation. During the circulation process, the oil accumulates debris and heats up from the heat dissipated from the engine. Oil filters are currently used to filter the lubricated oil. Oil filters are generally placed on the engine block. In order to add engine oil cooling capability to an engine an oil cooler is generally installed and this requires an spin-on adapter to be installed on the block to facilitate the hoses to and from the cooler. This requires the oil filter to be mounted at a distance from the engine.
As can be seen, there is a need for a device that provides additional cooling capability to the engines oil system.


A micro fluidic device is provided, the micro fluidic device including: at least one first introduction pipe into which first fluid is introduced; at least one second introduction pipe into which second fluid is introduced, the second introduction pipe being disposed adjacent to the first introduction pipe; a common channel connected to the first introduction pipe and the second introduction pipe, wherein in the common channel the first fluid and the second fluid are mixed; and a first group of rectification parts, the rectification parts of the first group being provided individually for the first introduction pipe or the second introduction pipe and generating a helical flow in the first fluid and the second fluid, wherein the helical flow in the first fluid and the helical flow in the second fluid have a same circumferential direction.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a micro fluidic device and a fluid control method.
2. Related Art
There have hitherto been known micro fluidic devices for allowing plural fluids to pass as a laminar flow through a micro channel having a diameter of, for example, not more than 0.5 mm, mixing those fluids by means of molecular diffusion and subjecting the mixture to a compound reaction.

Micro fluidic device and fluid control method


A fuse connection unit includes a metal core substrate that includes a metal core plate and insulation layers formed on front and back faces of the metal core plate, and a fuse block mounted on the metal core substrate. The metal core substrate has a fuse connection terminal part which is projected from an end edge of each of the insulation layers. The fuse block has a fuse connection terminal. The fuse connection terminal part and the fuse connection terminal are configured to be connected to a fuse.

The present invention relates to a fuse connection unit to which a fuse can be disconnectably connected.
There is an electric part having a metal core substrate. For example, there is a circuit substrate separately having a substrate for a large current made of a metal core substrate and a substrate for a small current made of a glass epoxy substrate (see, for example, JP-A-2007-281138). In this technique, a large current part constituted by a fuse or a relay is mounted on the substrate for a large current, a small current part constituted by a resistor or a capacitor is mounted on the substrate for a small current, and thereby a countermeasure against heat is to be taken.
In addition, there is one in which a fuse block having a fuse connection terminal to which a fuse is to be disconnectably connected, is mounted on a metal core substrate (see, for example, JP-A-2006-42583 and JP-A-2009-152443). In this technique, the fuse connection terminal is to be connected to a metal plate of the metal core substrate.
Further, there is one in which a heating element formed of an FET is mounted on a metal core substrate (see, for example, JP-A-2006-253428).
Meanwhile, regarding the fuse connection unit to which a fuse is disconnectably connected, in a case where the fuse connection unit has a configuration that a fuse block is mounted on the metal core substrate as described in JP-A-2006-42583 and JP-A-2009-152443, a lead length of the fuse connection terminal provided on the fuse block to the metal core substrate becomes increasing. As a result, a heat at the fuse connection terminal is not able to be preferably transmitted to a metal core substrate. The height of the fuse block is required to be increased so that the entire height of the fuse connection unit becomes increasing.


The present disclosure relates to hollow fiber tangential flow filters, including hollow fiber tangential flow depth filters, for various applications, including bioprocessing and pharmaceutical applications, systems employing such filters, and methods of filtration using the same.

Filtration is typically performed to separate, clarify, modify and/or concentrate a fluid solution, mixture or suspension. In the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, filtration is vital for the successful production, processing, and testing of new drugs, diagnostics and other biological products. For example, in the process of manufacturing biologicals, using animal or microbial cell culture, filtration is done for clarification, selective removal and concentration of certain constituents from the culture media or to modify the media prior to further processing. Filtration may also be used to enhance productivity by maintaining a culture in perfusion at high cell concentration.
Tangential flow filtration (also referred to as cross-flow filtration or TFF) systems are widely used in the separation of particulates suspended in a liquid phase, and have important bioprocessing applications. In contrast to dead-end filtration systems in which a single fluid feed is passed through a filter, tangential flow systems are characterized by fluid feeds that flow across a surface of the filter, resulting in the separation of the feed into two components: a permeate component which has passed through the filter and a retentate component which has not. Compared to dead-end systems, TFF systems are less prone to fouling. Fouling of TFF systems may be reduced further by alternating the direction of the fluid feed across the filtration element as is done in the XCell™ alternating tangential flow (ATF) technology commercialized by Repligen Corporation (Waltham, Mass.), by backwashing the permeate through the filter, and/or by periodic washing.
Modern TFF systems frequently utilize filters comprising one or more tubular filtration elements, such as hollow-fibers or tubular membranes. Where tubular filtration elements are used, they are typically packed together within a larger fluid vessel, and are placed in fluid communication with a feed at one end and at the other end with a vessel or fluid path for the retentate; the permeate flows through pores in the walls of the fibers into the spaces between the fibers and within the larger fluid vessel. Tubular filtration elements provide large and uniform surface areas relative to the feed volumes they can accommodate, and TFF systems utilizing these elements may be scaled easily from development to commercial scale. Despite their advantages, TFF systems filters may foul when filter flux limits are exceeded, and TFF systems have finite process capacities. Efforts to increase process capacities for TFF systems are complicated by the relationship between filter flux and fouling.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Tangential flow depth filtration systems and methods of filtration using same


A filled gluten-free or low-gluten pasta product, such as ravioli, tortellini, agnolotti or the like, wherein said pasta incorporates a low-gluten or gluten free flour and xanthan gum and is produced by cold extrusion.

Gluten is a protein that is found in grains such as wheat, rye, barley and oats. Traditionally, those genetically predisposed to coeliac disease, which involves an intolerance to dietary gluten wherein digested gluten can cause damage to the bowel, are prescribed gluten-free diets.
However, gluten-free or gluten-reduced foods are increasingly popular in commercially prepared foods for those who do not suffer from that condition, as there is a belief that gluten can cause other digestive issues. This has led to an increased demand for the supply of a variety of food products that are less likely to cause such problems due to reduced gluten levels.
In order to meet this demand for gluten-reduced or gluten-free food products, there are significant challenges for the food manufacturer. Gluten is an effective water-binder and develops a strong and resilient protein matrix in a foodstuff when water is added and the gluten is subjected to mixing.
This is particularly important in the developing the texture and shape of the gluten-containing foodstuff. For example, in the making of bread, the mixing of the dough causes the gluten in the bread to develop, which provides the matrix that supports the formation of the open texture of bread.
Accordingly, replacement of the physical role of gluten in a foodstuff is a difficult task. This is especially so for the manufacturer of pasta products, wherein the gluten plays an important role in providing the resilient texture of the pasta, especially in terms of structure and stretch. This is especially difficult for 'fresh' chilled pasta products, and even more difficult for a fresh filled pasta, wherein there is a meat or vegetable filling that must be contained within the pasta. This is because filled pasta cannot be made in a dry form, as the higher water-activity of the filling will tend to degrade the product overall.
The manufacturing process requires the pasta to stretch around the filling, which requires that the pasta itself is not susceptible to tearing or breaking. If this occurs, the product will be unacceptable for sale.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a commercially manufacturable gluten-free or reduced-gluten pasta that ameliorates at least some of the problems associated with the prior art.