An apparatus includes a processing circuit structured to receive a first signal indicative of an upstream air-fuel equivalence ratio from a first sensor positioned upstream of an intake of a catalyst, receive a second signal indicative of a downstream air-fuel equivalence ratio from a second sensor positioned downstream of the intake of the catalyst, determine an actual oxygen storage capacity of the catalyst based at least in part on the received first signal and the received second signal, compare the actual oxygen storage capacity to a maximum storage capacity, and provide a fault signal in response to the actual oxygen storage capacity exceeding the maximum storage capacity. The apparatus also includes a notification circuit structured to provide a notification indicating that the second sensor is faulty in response to receiving the fault signal.

Emission regulations for internal combustion engines have become more stringent over recent years. Environmental concerns have motivated the implementation of stricter emission requirements for internal combustion engines throughout much of the world. Governmental agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States, carefully monitor the emissions quality of engines and set acceptable emission standards, to which all engines must comply by law. For example, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) requires engine systems to diagnose any sensors used in emissions control systems for errors that may affect emission levels.
Three-way catalysts are a key component of emissions control systems in Stoichiometric Spark-Ignited engines, such as those fueled by gasoline, ethanol, and natural gas. CARB requires engine systems to monitor the three-way catalyst(s) for any malfunctions that might lead to system emissions exceeding a pre-defined threshold.

Systems and methods for catalyst sensor diagnostics


The invention provides a liquid crystal compound that has a large negative dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈) and also has at least one of characteristics such as the stability to heat, light or the like, a high clearing point, a suitable refractive index anisotropy (Δn), a large negative dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈) and an excellent compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds. An excellent effect in which especially the value of the dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈) is increased negatively is achieved by use of the compound having two moieties of                1) a tetrahydropyran ring and

A display device utilizing a liquid crystal compound (in this patent application, a liquid crystal compound is used as a generic term for a compound that exhibits a liquid crystal phase and a compound that exhibits no liquid crystal phases but useful as a component of a liquid crystal composition) has been widely used for the display of a watch, a calculator, a word processor or the like. The display device utilizes the refractive index anisotropy, the dielectric anisotropy and so forth of the liquid crystal compound.
A liquid crystal phase includes a nematic liquid crystal phase, a smectic liquid crystal phase and a cholestric liquid crystal phase, and the nematic liquid crystal phase is most widely applied. A display mode includes a DS (dynamic scattering) mode, a DAP (deformation of aligned phases) mode, a GH (guest-host) mode, a TN (twisted nematic) mode, a STN (super twisted nematic) mode, a TFT (thin film transistor) mode, a VA (vertical alignment) mode, an IPS (in-plane switching) mode and a PSA (polymer sustained alignment) mode.
A liquid crystal compound used for these display modes is required to exhibit a liquid crystal phase in a wide temperature range, centering at room temperature, to be sufficiently stable under conditions that the display device is used, and also to have sufficient characteristics for driving the display device. However, no single liquid crystal compound that satisfies these conditions has been found until now.
The actual situation is that a liquid crystal composition is prepared by mixing from several to several tens of liquid crystal compounds in order to satisfy the required characteristics. It is required that the liquid crystal composition is stable to moisture, light, heat and air, which are normally present under conditions that the display device is used, and is stable to an electric field or electromagnetic radiation, and is also stable chemically to a compound that will be mixed. It is required that the liquid crystal composition has suitable values of a variety of physical properties such as refractive index anisotropy (Δn) and dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈), depending on the display mode or the shape of the display device. Furthermore, it is important that each component in the liquid crystal composition has an excellent solubility in each other.
In recent years, modes such as IPS, VA, OCB and PSA among the display modes have been receiving attention as a display mode capable of overcoming a narrow viewing angle of a liquid crystal display device, which is the greatest subject to be solved. In liquid crystal display devices having these modes, especially a liquid crystal display device having the VA mode or the IPS mode has been studied earnestly, since it has an excellent responsivity in addition to a wide viewing angle, and is capable of providing a high-contrast display. The liquid crystal composition used in the liquid crystal display devices having these display modes is characterized by the negative dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈). It is known that a liquid crystal composition having a large negative dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈) can decrease the driving voltage of a liquid crystal display device containing the liquid crystal composition. See the none-patent document No. 1. Accordingly, liquid crystal compounds as the components of the liquid crystal composition are also required to have a larger negative dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈).
A variety of liquid crystal compounds in which lateral hydrogen on the benzene ring had been replaced by fluorine have conventionally been studied as a component of a liquid crystal composition having negative dielectric anisotropy (the patent documents No. 1 and No. 2). For example, the compound (a) has been reported. However, the compound (a) did not always have a large value although it has negative dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈) and there were cases where the value was not sufficiently large for decreasing the driving voltage of a liquid crystal display device having a VA mode, an IPS mode or the like.
In the formula, R and R′ are alkyl.
Accordingly, in a compound having a 2,3-difluorophenylene moiety, an increase in the absolute value of negative dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈) has been attempted. For example, a compound having the 2,3-difluorophenylene moiety in which a tetrahydropyran-2,5-diyl moiety is introduced has been reported (Patent document No. 3). The compound (b) has a large negative dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈) in comparison with the compound (a).

A compound having two 2,3-difluorophenylene moieties has been reported (Patent document No. 4). The compound (c) has a large negative dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈) in comparison with the compound (a) or (b). However, a large amount of the compound can not be added to a liquid crystal composition since the compatibility at low temperature is small, and thus the dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈) of the liquid crystal composition is not necessarily large negatively.

A liquid crystal compound in which the dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈) is much larger and negative, its liquid crystal composition and its liquid crystal display device have been expected in order to reduce the driving voltage of a liquid crystal display device having a VA mode, an IPS mode or the like.

Four-ring liquid crystal compound having tetrahydropyran and 2,2′,3,3′-tetrafluorobiphenyl, liquid crystal composition and liquid crystal display device

Abstract: and thus the effect is utilized.


A mover for a linear motor includes an armature having a plurality of teeth arranged along a line and wound with coils. The mover further includes a main-pole magnet array arranged at a side of the armature at which the teeth exist. The main-pole magnet array includes a plurality of main-pole magnets with different polarities alternately arranged along an arranging direction of the teeth. The mover further includes at least one auxiliary-pole magnet arranged adjacent to one end or both ends of the main-pole magnet array.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a mover for a linear motor and a linear motor provided with the mover.
2. Description of the Related Art
As one example of electric motors, there is conventionally known a linear motor in which a mover is moved along a stator. There are proposed linear motors in which permanent magnets are arranged at the side of a mover.
As an example, there is proposed a linear motor that includes: a mover having an armature with teeth wound with coils and a plurality of permanent magnets arranged in the armature; and a stator having salient poles formed on the surface thereof at a specified interval, the stator arranged in an opposing relationship with the mover (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-219199).
In the conventional linear motors in which permanent magnets are arranged at the side of a mover, however, cogging or thrust force ripple is generated when the mover is moved along a stator. The cogging or the thrust force ripple becomes a major culprit of thrust force variation and hinders smooth drive of a linear motor.

Mover for a linear motor and linear motor


A printer has a main pin tractor unit fixedly provided interiorly of a printer housing and an auxiliary pin tractor unit detachably mounted on the printer. The auxiliary pin tractor unit is mounted in a position immediately above the main pin tractor unit so that when the axuiliary pin tractor unit is detached from the printer, the main pin tractor unit is exposed to allow a continuous print sheet to be readily loaded on the main pin tractor unit. To selectively drive the main and the auxiliary pin tractor units with a single motor, a changeover mechanism is provided.

The present invention relates to a printer having an auxiliary pin tractor unit in addition to a main pin tractor unit in which the auxiliary pin tractor unit is detachably mounted on the upper portion of the main pin tractor unit provided interiorly of a printer housing. The invention further relates to a printer having a changeover means for the selectively driving the two pin tractors with a single drive source.
A conventional printer includes a single pin tractor for supplying a continuous sheet and a sheet feed roller for supplying cut sheets. The printer further includes a transmission means for selectively transmitting rotations of a motor to the sheet feed roller and the pin tractor so that the latter two are driven with a single motor. Alternatively, a switching means is provided which, while constantly rotating the sheet feed roller, performs on/off switchings of the rotations of the pin tractor, wherein the rotations of the pin tractor are halted when the cut sheets are being supplied.
In such conventional printers, the cut sheets and the continuous sheet are available. However, it may be desirable to use another type of continuous sheet, different from the continuous sheet loaded on the pin tractor, depending upon the purpose of the printing. In such a case, the continuous sheet would need to be replaced with another one.
To this end, sheet replacement work has to be carried out in a manner such that: a sheet urging member urging the loaded continuous sheet is raised, the loaded continuous sheet is removed from the pin tractor to replace it with another continuous sheet by engaging perforations formed along the side marginal portions of the contiguous sheet with the pins of the pin tractor, and then the sheet urging member is laid down. When alternately using different kinds of continuous sheets, the sheet replacement work must be done very often.
Selective use of the two kinds of the continuous sheets may be possible if two pin tractors are installed in the printer. If this were done, the intricate sheet replacement work could be dispensed with. However, when it is desired to use still another kind of the continuous sheet which is different from those loaded in the two pin tractors, sheet replacement work must be done anyway. In addition, in order to perform the sheet replacement work, a working space needs to be provided near the place where the pin tractors are installed. Due to the structural limitations of the printer, however, a sufficient space cannot be reserved. Furthermore, if the two pin tractors are driven with a single motor. Either one of the two pin tractors must be selectively driven and both of the pin tractors must be halted at a time. A mechanism for changing over the driving between the sheet feed roller and a single pin tractor as used in the conventional printers is not available for the purpose of implementing the three-mode drive control.
The above and other problems remain unsolved and thus printers having two pin tractors have not yet been produced.

Printer having main and auxiliary pin tractor units


Computerized decision-making systems and methods are described for determining whether to provide one or more rewards, such as a coupon or instant discount, to a customer requesting to make a merchandise return at a store, and, if so, to determine the terms of the reward, such as value, expiration date/time and other terms that may be associated with a coupon. The reward determinations may be implemented in conjunction with a system for authorizing the requested merchandise return transaction. Information about the requested return may be used together with data about the customer's past purchase, return transactions, and other customer-related data. In some embodiments, the determinations are based, at least in part, on store-related information and policies. The reward may be printed with a receipt issued to the customer at the point of return and/or may be provided to the customer using a wide variety of other communications technologies.

Many retail merchants have found that customers appreciate shopping at a store with a liberal merchandise return acceptance policy. However, implementing a liberal return acceptance policy may significantly decrease the store's profitability when existing sales are rescinded and returned merchandise may need to be re-sold at a discount, if it is sold again at all. Merchants would therefore like to provide the desired liberal return acceptance policy while reducing loss of sales.
Furthermore, many merchants have found that customers who make returns often do not soon shop again at the store. For example, one study of consumer behavior at a number of retail stores found that less than 15% of customers who returned merchandise made another purchase at the store within the next thirty days, and that over 50% of customers who returned merchandise did not make any other purchase at the store within the next eighteen months. These figures can be explained in part by customers who are unhappy with the merchandise purchased at the store and who may be disgruntled with the store as a whole. The figures may also be explained in part by shoppers who are returning gifts purchased by others or who may be otherwise in the store for the first time. Merchants would like to encourage both of these types of customers, as well as others, to shop in their stores and to become long-term customers, especially if it can be determined that they are not engaging in merchandise return activity that is fraudulent or abusive of store return policies. Currently, there is little, if any, incentive offered to a customer at the merchant's point of return to reconsider making a return, to immediately use any returned funds to re-purchase at the merchant's store, or to otherwise make another purchase within a defined span of time.

Systems and methods for determining whether to offer a reward at a point of return


A balloon including: a pressure-receiving portion formed of an elastic material and forming an enclosed space; and a tubular portion formed integrally therewith. The balloon is configured to detect the air pressure in the pressure-receiving portion due to communication with a pressure detector through an opening end of the tubular portion. A transverse cross-section of the pressure-receiving portion orthogonal to the axial direction of the tubular portion has a flattened outer circumferential shape with an oblateness f=(A−B)/A, where A represents the length of a major axis of the outer circumferential shape and B represents the length of a minor axis thereof, being set to a range of 0.1≦f≦0.7 at a position at which the length A is at a maximum. The air pressure can be changed significantly and stably, and the precision of the pressure measurement can be increased.

In recent years, maintenance and restoration of the ingestion and deglutition functions of elderly people have been pursued, and it is becoming increasingly necessary to elucidate those functions. The movement of the tongue is deeply involved in ingestion and deglutition, and sufficient tongue pressure is needed to form a food bolus and transfer it into the pharynx. Therefore, the measurement and analysis of tongue pressure have important implications. Moreover, measurements of a pressure related to the oral cavity are required for various other purposes.
As an apparatus for measuring a pressure related to the oral cavity, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus for measuring the tongue pressure that uses a balloon as a pressure-receiving portion. This apparatus is arranged so that the balloon is inserted into the oral cavity and pressed by the tongue, and the air pressure is detected and converted into an electrical signal at a converting portion communicating with the balloon.
However, handling of the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, such as the attachment and detachment of the balloon portion to and from the transducer, is not necessarily easy, so the apparatus has a problem with practicality. Moreover, since the apparatus employs a structure in which only the balloon is inserted into the oral cavity, in the case where a subject bites the balloon when applying a pressure thereon, a portion in the vicinity of an outlet of the balloon leading to the transducer is pressed down, resulting in a risk that the air pressure will not be transmitted properly to the transducer.
To address these issues, Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose apparatuses for measuring a pressure related to the oral cavity, the apparatuses being arranged so that a balloon formed of an elastic material is attached to a probe tube and used as a probe, and the probe tube is connected to a pressure detector during use. The interior of the balloon communicates with the pressure detector via the probe tube, and the air pressure inside the balloon can be detected. The use of the probe tube improves the measurement stability as compared with the case where only a balloon is inserted into the oral cavity, facilitates the attachment and detachment of the probe, and increases the ease of handling. Furthermore, a configuration in which the probe tube is connected to a pressurizer as well as the pressure detector and the interior of the balloon is pressurized to a predetermined pressure by a pressurizing portion to increase the precision of the pressure measurement also is disclosed.    Patent Document 1: U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,161    Patent Document 2: JP 2005-296281A    Patent Document 3: JP 2001-275994A

Balloon for measuring pressure related to oral cavity and method for producing the same


A portable strap dispenser includes a main body. The main body has a first frame and a second frame which are symmetrically disposed. A fixing sleeve is provided at the joint of the first frame and the second frame. The portable strap dispenser further includes a strap disc. The strap disc is provided with a pivot penetrating through the strap disc. Two ends of the pivot are pivoted to the first frame and the second frame, respectively. The first frame is pivotally provided with a brake device. During transportation, the portable strap dispenser can be disassembled to reduce its size so as to increase cargo capacity and lower transportation cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a strap dispenser, and more particularly to a portable strap dispenser which can be assembled and disassembled.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional strap dispenser comprises a frame. The frame is provided with a shaft. The shaft is inserted through a strap disc to be positioned. The strap disc has an inner disc and an outer disc. A packing strap is provided between the inner disc and the outer disc after the shaft is positioned. The strap disc is provided with a brake rod. One end of the brake rod is pivotally connected to the frame. Another end of the brake rod is bent transversely towards the outer circumferential edge of the inner disc. The brake rod is provided with a brake block at the bent position corresponding to the outer circumferential edge of the inner disc. The distal end of the brake rod is provided with a strap clip seat. When in use, the packing strap between the inner disc and the outer disc is pulled out. When not in use, the brake block holds against the inner disc to stop turning of the inner disc, such that the packing strap won't be further pulled out. The structure is simple and convenient for operation.
However, the strap dispenser is large in size to occupy much space during transportation. This decreases cargo capacity and increases transportation cost. Accordingly, the inventor of the present invention has devoted himself based on his many years of practical experiences to solve these problems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Embodiments of the disclosed technology provide a liquid crystal display comprising: a first substrate including a base substrate and films formed on the base substrate; a second substrate, the periphery of the first substrate and the periphery of the second substrate being bonded together with use of a sealant; and a liquid crystal layer, filled in a closed space which is located between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the closed space includes an active region and a dummy region, and a total thickness of the film formed in correspondence to the active region is smaller than a total thickness of the film formed in correspondence to the dummy region. Embodiments of the disclosed technology also provide an electronic apparatus and a method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display.

Embodiments of the disclosed technology relate to an electronic apparatus, a liquid crystal display and a method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display.
The world has come into a time of "information revolution", and display technologies and display devices play a greatly important role in the course of development of the information technology. Display panels on portable devices such as televisions, computers, mobile phones, BPs, PDAs, etc. and on various instruments and meters provide the daily life and work of people with a vast amount of information.
A manufacturing procedure of a liquid crystal display comprises: an array substrate manufacturing process, a color filter substrate manufacturing process, and a liquid crystal cell manufacturing process (a liquid crystal dropping and substrate bonding process). The liquid crystal cell manufacturing process comprises steps of: coating a sealant on the periphery of an array substrate; dropping liquid crystal material in an active region which is located at the center of a color filter substrate; bonding the color filter substrate and the array substrate together and sealing the liquid crystal material with the sealant, after the prepared color filter substrate and array substrate are precisely aligned with a pixel-to-pixel basis; and then cutting the bonded substrates into a finally required size of the display panel.
When liquid crystal is dropped on the color filter substrate, the liquid crystal diffuse toward the periphery of the color filter substrate and will contact the sealant upon bonding of the array substrate and the color filter substrate. Because solidification of the sealant needs a period of time, the liquid crystal will be contaminated if it contact with the sealant which is in an incompletely solidified state. If the liquid crystal degenerates due to contamination by the sealant, it may not deflect normally under pixel electric fields, leading to a poor phenomenon of whitening which occurs on the periphery of the crystal liquid display.
As regards a prior art liquid crystal display, there is a problem that liquid crystal at an inner edge of the panel may be contaminated.

Electronic apparatus, liquid crystal display and manufacturing method thereof

Beijing BOE Display Technology Co., Ltd.


A finisher for stacking and stapling, or binding, sheets of paper from printers and the like. The finisher accommodates two sizes of paper, one frequently being twice the size of the other. Staples are positioned in the smaller size papper along an edge and in the larger size in the middle of the sheets. Two fixed position gates are controlled to stop the paper sheets at one of two positions for alignment and stapling. Once stapled, the sheet sets are gripped, turned over, and deposited on elevator-type stacking trays. For the shorter sheet sets, the trays move independntly. For the larger sheet sets, the trays move togehter.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to finisher accessories for printers and duplicators and, more specifically, to apparatus for stapling together sets of sheets from hard copy producing apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Finishers are used in conjunction with copiers, printers, duplicators, and similar hard copy apparatus which produce hard copy outputs, such as sheets of paper, for the purpose of performing an extra function or operation on the sheets. One such operation is securing the sheets together in a known arrangement, such as in booklet form with binding at the center, or bound together at the edges of the sheets. With either binding system, the binding method can be by staples, stitching through the paper, or other suitable means.
Traditional finishers are usually constructed to operate with a particular type of hard copy producing apparatus, such as printers. Normally, these prior art finishers are capable of handling only limited sizes of paper and binding the sheets together at only one general position. The complexity of these finishers is such that it is not feasible to modify the apparatus to handle different paper sizes and different binding locations. The size of the finishing units is an important factor in limiting the amount of extra equipment which can be included in the finisher to make it more versatile. Many printers and other hard copy output apparatus produce sheets of different lengths and with different binding requirements. Traditional finishers cannot be used efficiently with printers having such capabilities and even interchanging finishers with the same printer is time consuming and not an ideal solution to the problem of finishing papers from versatile printers.
Several U.S. patents have disclosed finishing apparatus which is used to perform operations on sheets of paper. These patents are of some relevance here because of their general similarities. However, none of these patents disclose or suggest finisher apparatus constructed the same as the finisher disclosed herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,640, issued on May 6, 1986, discloses a finishing system which staples sheets of the same size together. U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,473, issued on Feb. 8, 1983, discloses apparatus for stitching together sheets of paper of varying sizes. Differences in size are accommodated by moving the stitching machines or stations within the apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,132, issued on Aug. 6, 1985, discloses apparatus for stitching together sheets of paper after the sheets are folded, with the structure of the apparatus being very unlike the structure of the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,963, issued on Jan. 10, 1984, discloses a finisher for stapling together sheets from a copier or duplicator. The sheets are only stapled along an edge of the sheets. U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,156, issued on Dec. 2, 1986 to the same assignee as the present invention, discloses finishing apparatus for stapling together sheets of paper with additional sheets to make booklet covers. None of these patents disclose or teach apparatus similar to the present invention.
Since the same printer is now often capable of providing various size sheets at the command of the operator, such as either 81/2.times.11" or 11.times.17", a versatile finisher accessory which can readily accommodate various sizes is advantageous. Even when operated with different printers having different paper size outputs, the convenience of having one finisher capable of handling the outputs of various printers in a compact package is important. Therefore, it is desirable, and it is an object of this invention, to provide a compact finisher accessory for printers and other hard copy producing apparatus which can handle the different paper sizes and stapling locations usually associated with these Printers while maintaining high productivity. The finisher is particularly useful when the printer output is face down in page-order sequence, first page first.

Finisher accessory for hard copy printers


A functional electrical stimulation step and stand system comprising two footplates (left and right) connected to a primary drive motor that cause the footplates to move in a reciprocal motion. The footplates are further connected to corresponding servos, which allow for control of the movement of the footplate with respect to an axis. system comprises an electrical stimulation control unit. The stimulation step and stand system further comprises a control unit that has electrical stimulation leads connected to electrodes that deliver an electrical impulse to a patient's muscles. In a further embodiment, the control unit has one or more wireless stimulators.

The recovery of walking is one of the main goals of patients after a neurological impairment (including stroke, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and spinal cord injury (SCI)) as limitations in mobility can adversely affect most activities of daily living. Following a neurological injury, there is often impaired control of balance, paralysis, or weakness of lower extremity muscles including commonly those that activate the ankle. This often has a substantial adverse impact on walking. Specifically, individuals may suffer difficulties supporting their body weight during the stance phase, or shifting weight during the transition to swing, or lifting their foot for toe clearance during the swing phase due to the weakness associated with the injury. Gait training can be done    i. with therapist-assisted over ground ambulation (with or without assistive device)    ii. in a Body Weight Supported Treadmill Training (BWSTT) environment, where assistance for the movement of legs and the pelvis is provided manually by a therapist or    iii. by a robotic device (Lokomat, Auto-Ambulator or Gait Trainer), or in water (weight supported environment, with or without a treadmill).Over ground gait training (with or without a Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) orthosis) can only be used for individuals with already able to support body weight in an upright position.
BWSTT, robotic device gait training and aquatherapy gait training (training in water) can potentially be used to enhance loco-motor abilities in neurologically impaired individuals, as lack of trunk balance and ability to bear weight in an upright position are replaced by the supporting abilities of the device or environment used (harness, exoskeleton or water). But they are not typically used in clinical practice to aid in locomotor training in individuals with motor complete impairments as this training would need specialized, center based, expensive environment (i.e. therapeutic pool, robotic exoskeleton) or is very labor intensive (sometimes requiring 2-3 therapists' sustained effort over long periods of time).
BWSTT with manual or robotic assistance of the legs and the pelvis has been used as a promising rehabilitation method designed to improve motor function and ambulation in people with SCI (Behrman and Harkema 2000; Dietz et al. 1995; Wernig and Muller 1992; Wirz et al. 2005; Dobkin et al. 2006; Field-Fote et al. 2005). However, while BWSTT has been shown to provide improvements in locomotor ability, motor function, and balance for some patients, the current technology used to assist with the training is typically very expensive, requires trained therapists for utilization and can only be used in a rehabilitation center. Several robotic BWSTT systems have been developed for automating locomotor training, including the Lokomat (Colombo et al. 2000) and Gait Trainer (GT) (Hesse and Uhlenbrock 2000).
The Lokomat is a motorized exoskeleton that drives hip and knee motion with fixed trajectory using four DC motors (Colombo et al. 2000). One limitation is that it is difficult to back drive the Lokomat because it uses high advantage, ball screw actuator. The GT rigidly drives the patient's feet through a stepping motion using a crank-and-rocker mechanism attached to foot platforms (Hesse and Uhlenbrock 2000). These robotic systems have their basic design goal to assist patients in producing correctly shaped and timed locomotor movements. This approach is effective in reducing therapist labor in locomotor training and increasing the total duration of training, but shows relatively limited functional gains for some patients (Wirz et al. 2005; Field-Fote et al. 2005). For instance, only 0.11 m/s gait speed improvement is obtained following prolonged training using the Lokomat (Wirz et al. 2005).
FES has been previously used to enhance the quality of gait training whether as an assistive device (FES orthosis for foot drop) or to enhance muscle strength and improve cardiovascular resistance (FES ergometer), thus decreasing gait induced fatigue. FES has also been used extensively in the rehabilitation of individuals with SCI to:
i. improve muscle mass and strength (Frotzler A, Coupaud S, Perret C, Kakebeeke T H, Hunt K J, Eser P. Effect of detraining on bone and muscle tissue in subjects with chronic spinal cord injury after a period of electrically-stimulated cycling: a small cohort study. Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland; Thomas Mohr, Jesper L Andersen, Fin Biering-Sùrensen, Henrik Galbo, Jens Bangsbo, Aase Wagner and Michael Kjaer. Long term adaptation to electrically induced cycle training in severe spinal cord injured individuals. Spinal Cord (1997) 35, 1±16)ii. control spasticity (Maria Knikou, PhD, and Bernard A. Conway, PhD. Reflex Effects Of Induced Muscle Contraction In Normal And Spinal Cord Injured Subjects. Muscle Nerve 26: 374-382, 2002; Daly J., et al. Therapeutic neural effects of electrical stimulation. IEEE Trans Rehabil Eng 4:218-230, 1996; Robinson C. J., et al. Spasticity in Spinal-Cord Injured Patients 0.1. Short-Term Effects of Surface Electrical-Stimulation. Arch Phys Med Rehab 69:598-604, 1988)iii. improve cardiovascular endurance and respiratory function (Puran D Faghri, Roger M Glaser, Stephen F Figoni. Functional Electrical Stimulation Leg Cycle Ergometer Exercise: Training Effects on Carriorespiratory Responses of Spinal Cord Injured Subjects at Rest and During Submaximal Exercise. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 73:1085-1093)iv improve bone mass (Belanger M, Stein R B, Wheeler G D, Gordon T, Leduc B. Electrical stimulation: can it increase muscle strength and reverse osteopenia in spinal cord injured individuals? Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2000; 81(8):1090-1098; McDonald J W, Becker D, Sadowsky C L, Jane J A, Sr., Conturo T E, Schultz L M. Late recovery following spinal cord injury. Case report and review of the literature. J Neurosurg 2002; 97(2 Suppl):252-265) andv. improve body composition (L. Griffin, M. J. Decker, J. Y. Hwang, B. Wang, K. Kitchen, Z. Ding, J. L. Ivy. Functional electrical stimulation cycling improves body composition, metabolic and neural factors in persons with spinal cord injury. J Electromyography and Kinesiol 2008: 1-8).
FES has been postulated to even alter neuronal control, altering central nervous system plasticity and improving functional tasks performance (Richard K. Shields and Shauna Dudley-Javoroski. Musculoskeletal Plasticity After Acute Spinal Cord Injury: Effects of Long-Term Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Training J Neurophysiol 95: 2380-2390, 2006).
Combining gait training with FES activation of selected muscles involved in stepping has been already achieved and there are several commercially available FES driven orthosis for utilization in individuals with SCI, mainly to correct foot drop (Bioness L300, Walk Aid). In addition, in clinical practice, therapists are frequently utilizing hand held triggered neuromuscular electrically stimulated (NMES) devices to aid in foot/toe clearing during the swing phase of the gait when working with individuals with neurologic lower limb weakness.

Motorized functional electrical stimulation step and stand trainer


An apparatus, system and method are presented for controlling the flow of customers using self-service terminals. It is possible for self-service terminals to receive and process customer orders faster than the orders can be prepared for delivery to the customer thus causes long wait times for the customer if the condition is allowed to exist for an extended period of time. Controlling the flow of customers through the order entry process prevents the situation.

Quick service restaurants are migrating from assisted service order entry to self-service order entry where the customer uses a self-service terminal or device to enter their order. Self-service terminals provide an efficient low cost alternative to employee assisted order entry. Since self-service terminals do not require a dedicated employee for each terminal, a restaurant that uses self-service terminals will typically have more terminals available for order entry than a restaurant using only assisted order entry. Having more self-service terminals causes the queue for each terminal to have fewer people and allows more orders to be entered per unit of time. Once an order (and payment) has been taking, the order is sent to the kitchen to be prepared and then to order fulfillment. The customer waits at a counter for the order to be fulfilled and presented for pickup.
Problems arise when the rate of order entry exceeds the capacity of the kitchen to prepare the ordered food in an acceptable period of time. When this situation occurs, customers move quickly through the order entry queue only to spend time waiting for their order at the counter. When the time spent by the customer waiting for the order is long, it creates a negative impression of the purchase experience. In addition, because the kitchen is attempting to operate beyond its capacity, preparation and order fulfillment mistakes increase, which causes even longer wait times, increased product waste and increased customer dissatisfaction, which damages the restaurant's brand image.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus, system and method for using self-service order entry without the above limitations.

Apparatus, system and method for controlling the flow of customers


The method of the present invention introduces a fabrication method for forming a storage capacitor on a supporting silicon substrate of a semiconductor device, by the steps of: forming a bottom capacitor electrode comprising conductively doped polysilicon; forming an insulating layer over the bottom electrode via a first rapid thermal processing step (RTP) using rapid thermal silicon nitride (RTN); forming a capacitor dielectric material comprising tantalum oxide (Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5) over the insulating layer; forming a semiconductive layer comprising polysilicon over the capacitor dielectric material; converting the semiconductive layer into a reaction prevention barrier by subjecting the semiconductive layer to a second rapid thermal processing step (RTP) using rapid thermal silicon nitride (RTN); and forming a top capacitor conductive electrode comprising titanium nitride (TiN) over the reaction prevention barrier.

As semiconductor devices become more and more dense, it has become necessary to maximize the amount of die space used in order to successfully manufacture these devices while retaining relatively small package sizes. This is particularly true with dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) as memory density has increased while the space allowed for each storage capacitor has decreased.
FIG. 1, demonstrates a conventional approach taken to form a storage capacitor for DRAMs in less space. In this example, a bottom storage capacitor electrode 12 made from conductively doped polysilicon connects to diffusion layer 11. Electrode 12 was subjected to a rapid thermal processing step (in this case rapid thermal nitride (RTN)) which converts a top portion of polysilicon 12 into silicon nitride layer 13 (or RTN layer 13). Capacitor cell dielectric 14, tantalum oxide (Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5), was formed over RTN layer 13. Finally, a titanium nitride (TiN) layer 15 was formed over cell dielectric layer 13 to form a top storage capacitor electrode.
A main problem with this approach is the fact that top electrode 15 will react chemically with cell dielectric 14 and thereby degrade the dielectric constant of the cell dielectric. This reaction will lead to a leaky capacitor as stored charge will propagate through leaky dielectric 15 and thus degrade the capacitor's ability to retain charge.
To solve the above problem, the present invention teaches a method to sufficiently eliminate the chemically degradation between a conductor and an insulator by forming a barrier therebetween.

Barrier process for Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 capacitor


The invention concerns treatment methods using anti-CD22 monoclonal antibodies with unique physiologic properties. In particular, the invention concerns methods for the treatment of B-cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases by administering an effective amount of a blocking anti-CD22 monoclonal antibody specifically binding to the first two Ig-like domains, or to an epitope within the first two Ig-like domains of native human CD22 (hCD22).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns the therapeutic use of certain anti-CD22 monoclonal antibodies with unique physiologic properties. More specifically, the invention concerns methods of treating B-cell malignancies, such as lymphomas and leukemias, and autoimmune diseases with blocking anti-CD22 antibodies having unique pro-apoptotic properties.
2. Description of the Related Art
CD22 is a membrane glycophosphoprotein found on nearly all B lymphocytes and most B-cell lymphomas. Cross-linking CD22 triggers CD22 tyrosine phosphorylation, and assembles a complex of effector proteins that activate the stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) pathway. CD22 cross-linking provides a potent costimulatory signal in primary B-cells and pro-apoptotic signal in neoplastic B-cells. Structurally, CD22 is a member of the "sialoadhesin" subclass of the immunoglobulin (Ig) gene superfamily, having seven extracellular Ig domains with a single amino-terminal V-set Ig domain and six C-2 set Ig domains. Wilson et al, J. Exp. Med. 173:137-146 (1991); Engel et al., J. Exp. Med. 181: 1581-1586 (1995): and Torres et al., J. Immunol. 149:2641-2649 (1992). It has been shown that CD22 is a critical lymphocye-specific signal transduction molecule which negatively and positively regulates B lymphocyte antigen receptor (BCR) signaling by recruiting signaling effector molecules to physiologically pertinent sites. Tedder et al., Annu. Rev. Immunol. 15:481-504 (1997); Sato et al., Immunology 10:287-297 (1998).
Anti-CD22 antibodies have been described, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,484,892; 6,183,744; 6,187,287; 6,254,868, and in Tuscano et al., Blood 94(4):1382-92 (1999). The use of monoclonal antibodies, including anti-CD22 antibodies, in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is reviewed, for example, by Renner et al., Leukemia 11(Suppl. 2):S55-9 (1997). A. humanized anti-CD22 antibody, LymphoCide™ (empatuzumab, Immunomedics, Inc.) is in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of indolent and aggressive forms of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. An yttrium-90-labeled version of this antibody is currently in Phase I clinical trials for the same indication.
Despite recent advances in cancer therapy, B-cell malignancies, such as the B-cell subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, are major contributors of cancer-related deaths. Accordingly, there is a great need for further, improved therapeutic regimens for the treatment of B-cell malignancies. Autoimmune diseases as a whole cause significant morbidity and disability. Based on incidence data collected from 1965 to 1995, it has been estimated that approximately 1,186,015 persons will develop a new autoimmune disease over the next 5 years, Jacobsen et al. (Clin. Immunol. Immunopathol. 84:223 (1997)) evaluated over 130 published studies and estimated that in 1996, 8.5 million people in the United States (3.2% of the population) had at least one of the 24 autoimmune diseases examined in these studies. Considering the major impact of autoimmune diseases on public health, effective and safe treatments are needed to address the burden of these disorders. Thus, there is a need in the art for improved reagents and methods for treating autoimmune disease.

Reagents and treatment methods for autoimmune diseases


The present invention provides systems, methods and apparatus for depositing titanium films at rates up to 200 .ANG./minute on semiconductor substrates from a titanium tetrachloride source. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a ceramic heater assembly with an integrated RF plane for bottom powered RF capability allows PECVD deposition at a temperature of at least 400.degree. C. for more efficient plasma treatment. A thermal choke isolates the heater from its support shaft, reducing the thermal gradient across the heater to reduce the risk of breakage and improving temperature uniformity of the heater. A deposition system incorporates a flow restrictor ring and other features that allow a 15 liters/minute flow rate through the chamber with minimal backside deposition and minimized deposition on the bottom of the chamber, thereby reducing the frequency of chamber cleanings, and reducing clean time and seasoning. Deposition and clean processes are also further embodiments of the present invention.

The present invention relates to semiconductor processing. More specifically, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for forming films at temperatures greater than about 400.degree. C. in a corrosive environment with a plasma. In some specific embodiments, the invention is useful for forming titanium-containing films such as titanium, titanium nitride, and titanium disilicide at temperatures of up to about 625.degree. C. or greater. Such films may be used as patterned conductive layers, plugs between conductive layers, diffusion barrier layers, adhesion layers, and as a precursor layer to silicide formation. In addition, other embodiments of the present invention may be used, for example, to deposit other types of metal films, to alloy substrate materials, and to anneal substrate materials.
One of the primary steps in fabricating modem semiconductor devices is forming various layers, including dielectric layers and metal layers, on a semiconductor substrate. As is well known, these layers can be deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD). In a conventional thermal CVD process, reactive gases are supplied to the substrate surface where heat-induced chemical reactions (homogeneous or heterogeneous) take place to produce a desired film. In a conventional plasma CVD process, a controlled plasma is formed to decompose and/or energize reactive species to produce the desired film. In general, reaction rates in thermal and plasma processes may be controlled by controlling one or more of the following: temperature, pressure, plasma density, reactant gas flow rate, power frequency, power levels, chamber physical geometry, and others. In an exemplary PVD system, a target (a plate of the material that is to be deposited) is connected to a negative voltage supply (direct current (DC) or radio frequency (RF)) while a substrate holder facing the target is either grounded, floating, biased, heated, cooled, or some combination thereof. A gas, such as argon, is introduced into the PVD system, typically maintained at a pressure between a few millitorr (mtorr) and about 100 mtorr, to provide a medium in which a glow discharge can be initiated and maintained. When the glow discharge is started, positive ions strike the target, and target atoms are removed by momentum transfer. These target atoms subsequently condense into a thin film on the substrate, which is on the substrate holder.
Semiconductor device geometries have dramatically decreased in size since such devices were first introduced several decades ago. Since then, integrated circuits have generally followed the two-year/half-size rule (often called "Moore's Law") which means that the number of devices which will fit on a chip doubles every two years. Today's wafer fabrication plants are routinely producing 0.5 .mu.m and even 0.35 .mu.m feature size devices, and tomorrow's plants soon will be producing devices having even smaller feature sizes. As device feature sizes become smaller and integration density increases, issues not previously considered crucial by the industry are becoming of greater concern. For example, devices with increasingly high integration density have features with high aspect ratios (for example, about 6:1 or greater for 0.35 .mu.m feature size devices). (Aspect ratio is defined as the height-to-spacing ratio of two adjacent steps.) High aspect ratio features, such as gaps, need to be adequately filled with a deposited layer in many applications.
Increasingly stringent requirements for fabricating these high integration devices are needed and conventional substrate processing systems are becoming inadequate to meet these requirements. Additionally, as device designs evolve, more advanced capabilities are required in substrate processing systems used to deposit films made of materials needed to implement these devices. For example, the use of titanium is increasingly being incorporated into integrated circuit fabrication processes. Titanium has many desirable characteristics for use in a semiconductor device. Titanium can act as a diffusion barrier between, for example, a gold bonding pad and a semiconductor, to prevent migration of one atomic species into the next. Also, titanium can be used to improve the adhesion between two layers, such as between silicon and aluminum. Further, use of titanium, which forms titanium disilicide (silicide) when alloyed with silicon, can enable, for example, formation of ohmic contacts. A common type of deposition system used for depositing such a titanium film is a titanium sputtering deposition system which is often inadequate for forming devices with higher processing and manufacturing requirements. Specifically, sputtering may result in damaged devices which suffer from performance problems. Also, titanium sputtering systems may be unable to deposit uniform conformal layers in high aspect ratio gaps because of shadowing effects that occur with sputtering.
In contrast to sputtering systems, a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system may be more suitable for forming a titanium film on substrates with high aspect ratio gaps. As is well known, a plasma, which is a mixture of ions and gas molecules, may be formed by applying energy, such as radio frequency (RF) energy, to a process gas in the deposition chamber under the appropriate conditions, for example, chamber pressure, temperature, RF power, and others. The plasma reaches a threshold density to form a self-sustaining condition, known as forming a glow discharge (often referred to as "striking" or "igniting" the plasma). This RF energy raises the energy state of molecules in the process gas and forms ionic species from the molecules. Both the energized molecules and ionic species are typically more reactive than the process gas, and hence more likely to form the desired film. Advantageously, the plasma also enhances the mobility of reactive species across the surface of the substrate as the titanium film forms, and results in films exhibiting good gap filling capability.
However, conventional PECVD systems which use aluminum heaters may experience some limitations when used for certain processes, such as forming a titanium film from a vapor of, for example, titanium tetrachloride (TiCl.sub.4). Aluminum corrosion, temperature limitations, unwanted deposition, and manufacturing efficiency are some of the problems with such conventional PECVD systems that may be used to deposit a film such as titanium. In the exemplary process, titanium tetrachloride, which is a liquid at room temperature, and a carrier gas, such as helium, bubbled through this liquid generates vapor that can be carried to a deposition chamber. Such a titanium PECVD process may require a substrate temperature of about 600.degree. C. to achieve a deposition rate of about 100 .ANG./min, which may be insufficient to achieve good wafer throughput. However, when the titanium tetrachloride disassociates to form the titanium film, chlorine is released into the chamber. In particular, the plasma, which enhances the titanium film deposition, forms chlorine atoms and ions that undesirably tend to corrode aluminum heaters and other parts of the chamber, such as the faceplate under these conditions. The aluminum corrosion may also lead to processing degradation issues relating to metal contamination in the devices. Additionally, use of a PECVD system having an aluminum heater is limited to operation at temperatures less than about 480.degree. C., which may therefore limit the film deposition rates that can be achieved. Aluminum is an inappropriate material for heaters operating at high temperature, because at temperatures greater than about 480.degree. C. aluminum heaters experience softening, possibly resulting in warpage of and/or damage to the heater. Additional problems arise when aluminum heaters are used above about 480.degree. C. in the presence of a plasma. In such an environment, the aluminum may backsputter, contaminating the substrate and chamber components. Furthermore, aluminum heaters (and other parts of the chamber such as the faceplate), which tend to be incompatible even at lower temperatures with some of the chemical species associated with some deposition processes (such as the chlorine compounds produced in a titanium deposition process), experience greatly increased attack at higher temperatures. Chemical species, such as chlorine, used in dry clean processes also attack the aluminum heaters. At temperatures higher than about 480.degree. C., these chemical species may more aggressively attack and corrode aluminum heaters than at lower temperatures, thereby reducing the operational lifetime of the heater and undesirably requiring more frequent heater replacement. Heater replacement is expensive not only because of the cost of the heater, but also because the productive use of the deposition chamber is lost for the time the heater is being replaced. During such dry clean processes, a dummy wafer is often loaded onto the aluminum heater to try to minimize the attack on the heater. However, loading and unloading of the dummy wafer consumes time and decreases wafer throughput. Also, some dummy wafers, which get attacked by the dry clean chemistries, are expensive and may need periodic replacement, which adds to the overall maintenance costs.
In addition to aluminum corrosion, heater softening, and temperature limitations, other concerns with metal depositions in a PECVD processing system include unwanted metal deposition and related manufacturing efficiency problems. While the greatest film deposition generally occurs in places where the temperature is the highest, some deposition will occur at lower temperatures, even in the absence of a plasma. Unwanted metal depositions can cause multiple problems, such as uneven deposition, arcing, degraded operation of chamber components, and/or device defects. Besides occurring on chamber wall and bottom surfaces, unwanted metal deposition may occur on non-conductive components, such as ceramic spacers and liners within the deposition chamber or chamber exhaust path, which then become conductive. This undesired conductive metal deposition can disrupt the shape of the glow discharge, resulting in uneven deposition across the substrate. It can also cause arcing, which may damage the substrate and parts of the chamber such as the faceplate. Further, titanium may build up on parts of the heater, in gas or vacuum apertures to undesirably restrict the flow therethrough, or on mechanical parts having close tolerances to interfere with their operation. Unwanted deposits that have bonded poorly to the underlying chamber component or that have built up on the heater may result in flakes and other particles that fall onto the substrate and cause defects on the substrate, thus reducing substrate yield. For these and other reasons, the chamber must periodically be cleaned with dry clean processes, which do not require opening of the chamber, and a preventive maintenance clean, which requires at least partially disassembling the chamber and wiping it down. The chamber may be cleaned in various ways. A "dry" cleaning process may use reactive gas or plasma species to etch unwanted deposits from the chamber components, or may physically bombard particles with plasma species to knock them loose, to be removed by the exhaust system. A "wet" cleaning process may be done in addition or as an alternative to a dry clean. A wet clean typically involves at least partial disassembly of the chamber, which is then wiped down with solvents.
Subsequently, the chamber must be reassembled and may be "seasoned", i.e., a number of deposition cycles must be performed until consistent layers are obtained. Both procedures take the deposition system out of productive operation, which is inefficient and uneconomic, but wet cleans usually decrease throughput more than dry cleans. Therefore, it is desirable to have an efficient dry clean process to minimize the frequency of wet cleans so that more wafers may be produced between cleans. It is also desirable to minimize the areas in the chamber upon which unwanted depositions may form. In some deposition processes, particularly metal depositions such as tungsten or titanium, the time required for cleaning the chamber becomes a major factor affecting the deposition system's wafer output.
Although ceramic heaters have been proposed as an alternative to using aluminum heaters for deposition systems operating at or above about 400.degree. C., fabricating ceramic heaters and using them in deposition processes introduce several challenges. Such ceramic heaters advantageously may be used in the presence of plasma and corrosive plasma species, such as chlorine-containing species found in a titanium PECVD process and associated cleaning processes. Ceramic heaters typically have an electric heating element within a ceramic heater body, made of materials such as alumina (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3) or aluminum nitride (AlN), which protects the heating element from the corrosive environment of the deposition chamber while transmitting heat from the heating element to the substrate. Typically harder and more brittle than metals, ceramic materials may be difficult to machine, thereby requiring a simple mechanical design. Being somewhat brittle, ceramic may crack from thermal shock if repeatedly subjected to a sufficient thermal gradient. Cracking may also arise from the differential thermal expansion at the transition from the ceramic heater assembly to a material with a different thermal expansion coefficient. Even joining ceramic parts fabricated from the same material is a challenge because many assembly methods and devices used to assemble metal parts, such as welding, bolting, brazing and screwing, may be unreasonably difficult or unreliable when attempted with ceramic parts.
In light of the above, improved methods, systems and apparatus are needed for efficient plasma-enhanced deposition of films in a high temperature (at least about 400.degree. C.), corrosive environment. Optimally, these improved methods and apparatus will require less chamber cleaning and result in higher substrate output. In particular, these systems and methods should be designed to be compatible with processing requirements for forming devices with high aspect ratio features.

High temperature, high flow rate chemical vapor deposition apparatus and related methods


An electronics housing assembly includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion removably connected to the first housing portion to define an interior space that contains electronics components. A first group of the electronics components is connected to the first housing portion and a second group of the electronics components is connected to the second housing portion. A connector alignment and retention panel is connected to the first housing portion. The connector alignment and retention panel includes a connector support platform with a first connector mounting location. A first electrical connector that is part of the first group of the electronics components is operatively engaged with the first connector mounting location of the panel such that the first electrical connector is mounted on the panel and located in a select position relative to the first housing portion. A first corresponding electrical connector that is part of the second group of said electronics components is operatively secured to the second housing portion and is operatively engaged with the first electrical connector mounted on the panel.

Historically, in power conversion products and other complex electrical systems, multiple internal pluggable connections are required during assembly as the different printed circuit board (PCB) subassemblies are brought together and enclosed within a housing having first or upper and second or lower portions that are interconnected. Typically, these internal pluggable connections are accomplished using "flying lead" type connector structures in which a mating connector is located at the end of plurality of wires that are loosely connected to a first (or lower) housing portion or a second (or upper) housing portion. During assembly, enough slack is present in the flying lead connectors to allow the plug connection to be completed before the first and second housing portions (or other housing portions) are connected together to complete construction of the housing in which the PCB subassemblies and other electrical component are contained.
These internal pluggable connections are difficult to implement in a compact product design in which space is limited because the flying leads, themselves, take up excessive space and the plug connections are difficult to complete or "make" when there is not enough room for an assembler to work. Also, each internal plug connection must be made separately. Furthermore, the required added length of the wires/cables of the flying lead connectors increase the amount of electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated which can cause interference with nearby electronic components, and the unrestrained, lengthy wires/cables can exhibit wear or "fretting" over time due to repeated movements from vibrations and the like. The foregoing issues and others can lead to failures resulting from incomplete connections and/or connections that are completely missed during the assembly process. Even if such failures are caught during quality control testing, costly and time-consuming reassembly must be carried out to correct the problem(s). Also, unrestrained flying lead connectors can lead to reliability problems due to EMI and also due to wire/cable fretting over time due to vibrations and other incidental movement of the connectors during use of the system.

Connector alignment and retention panel for modular based system


A communication device includes an RF receiver that receives a combined signal including a first signal transmitted from a first node and a second signal transmitted from a second node, a channel estimator that estimates first channel information of the first signal and second channel information of the second signal, respectively, a multiuser detector that detects original signal values of the combined signal using the estimated first and second channel information and an RF transmitter that transmits a signal generated based on the values detected by the multiuser detector to the first node and the second node during a predetermined period.

Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide mobile devices with various contents, such as voice, text, image, and moving pictures. For example, multiple channel access techniques allow multiple users to share system resources, such as bandwidth and transmission power. Examples of multiple channel access techniques include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems. Such multiple channel access techniques can simultaneously support communication between multiple mobile devices.

Signaling in wireless communication systems

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology


Submicron particles of water-insoluble compounds, particularly drugs, are prepared by simultaneously stabilizing microparticulate suspensions of same with surface modifier molecules by rapid expansion into an aqueous medium from a compressed solution of the compound and surface modifiers in a liquefied gas and optionally homogenizing the aqueous suspension thus formed with a high pressure homogenizer.

A major problem in formulating biologically active compounds is their poor solubility or insolubility in water. For instance, over one third of the drugs listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia are either water-insoluble or poorly water-soluble. Oral formulations of water-insoluble drugs or compounds with biological uses frequently show poor and erratic bioavailability. In addition, drug insolubility is one of the most recalcitrant problems facing medicinal chemists and pharmaceutical scientists developing new drugs. Water-insolubility problems delay or completely block the development of many new drugs and other biologically useful compounds, or prevent the much-needed reformulation of certain currently marketed drugs. Although the water-insoluble compounds may be formulated by solubilization in organic solvents or aqueous-surfactant solutions, in many cases such solubilization may not be a preferred method of delivery of the water-insoluble agent for their intended biological use. For instance, many currently available injectable formulations of water-insoluble drugs carry important adverse warnings on their labels that originate from detergents and other agents used for their solubilization.
An alternative approach for the formulation of water-insoluble biologically active compounds is surface-stabilized particulate preparations. Small particle size formulation of drugs are often needed in order to maximize surface area, bioavailability and, dissolution requirements. Pace et al. ("Novel Injectable Formulations of Insoluble Drugs" in Pharmaceutical Technology, March 1999) have reviewed the usefulness of the microparticulate preparations of water-insoluble or poorly soluble injectable drugs.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,091,187 and 5,091,188 to Haynes describe the use of phospholipids as surface stabilizers to produce aqueous suspension of submicron sized particles of the water-insoluble drugs. These suspensions are believed to be the first applications of the surface modified microparticulate aqueous suspension containing particles made up of a core of pure drug substances and stabilized with natural or synthetic bipolar lipids including phospholipids and cholesterol. Subsequently, similar delivery systems exploiting these principles have been described (G. G. Liversidge et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,684; K. J. Illig et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,564 and H. William Bosch et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,118) emphasizing the usefulness of the drug delivery approach utilizing particulate aqueous suspensions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,707 Haynes teaches uses of phospholipid-coated microcrystals in the delivery of water-soluble biomolecules such as polypeptides and proteins. The proteins are rendered insoluble by complexation and the resulting material forms the solid core of the phospholipid-coated particle.
These patents and others utilized processes based on the particle size reduction by mechanical means such as attrition, cavitation, high-shear, impaction, etc achieved by media milling, high pressure homogenization, ultrasonication, and microfluidization of aqueous suspensions. However, these particle size reduction methods suffer from certain disadvantage, such as long process duration (high-pressure homogenization or microfluidization) and contamination (media milling, and ultrasonication). In addition, these methods may not be suitable for aqueous suspensions of compounds with limited stability in aqueous medium at the pH, high temperature and high pressure conditions prevailing in these processes.
Among the alternatives that address to these problems is a procedure which uses liquefied gasses for the production of microparticulate preparations. In one such method liquefied-gas solutions are sprayed to form aerosols from which fine solid particles precipitate. The phenomenon of solids precipitated from supercritical fluids was observed and documented as early as 1879 by Hannay, J. B. and Hogarth, J. "On the Solubility of Solids in Gases," Proc. Roy. Soc. London 1879 A29, 324,
The first comprehensive study of rapid expansion from a liquefied-gas solution in the supercritical region was reported by Krukonis (1984) who formed micro-particles of an array of organic, inorganic, and biological materials. Most particle sizes reported for organic materials, such as lovastatin, polyhydroxyacids, and mevinolin, were in the 5-100 micron range. Nanoparticles of beta-carotene (300 nm) were formed by expansion of ethane into a viscous gelatin solution in order to inhibit post expansion particle aggregation. Mohamed, R. S., et al. (1988), "Solids Formation After the Expansion of Supercritical Mixtures," in Supercritical Fluid Science and Technology, Johnston, K. P. and Penninger, J. M. L., eds., describes the solution of the solids naphthalene and lovastatin in supercritical carbon dioxide and sudden reduction of pressure to achieve fine particles of the solute. The sudden reduction in pressure reduces the solvent power of the supercritical fluid, causing precipitation of the solute as fine particles.
Tom, J. W. and Debenedetti, P. B. (1991), "Particle Formation with Supercritical Fluids--a Review," J. Aerosol. Sci. 22:555-584, discusses rapid expansion of supercritical solutions techniques and their applications to inorganic, organic, pharmaceutical and polymeric materials. This technique is useful to comminute shock-sensitive solids, to produce intimate mixtures of amorphous materials, to form polymeric microspheres and deposit thin films.
Most studies of rapid expansion from supercritical solution on organic materials utilize supercritical carbon dioxide. However, ethane was preferred to carbon dioxide for beta-carotene because of certain chemical interactions. Carbon dioxide is generally preferred, alone or in combination with a cosolvent. Minute additions of a cosolvent can significantly influence the solvent properties. When cosolvents are used in rapid expansion from a supercritical solution, care is required to prevent de-solution of the particles due to solvent condensing in the nozzle. Normally, this is achieved by heating the supercritical fluid, prior to expansion, to a point where no condensate (mist) is visible at the nozzle tip.
A similar problem occurs when carbon dioxide is used. During adiabatic expansion (cooling), carbon dioxide will be in two phases unless sufficient heat is provided at the nozzle to maintain a gaseous state. Most investigators recognize this phenomenon and increase the pre-expansion temperature to prevent condensation and freezing in the nozzle. A significant heat input is required (40-50 kcal/kg) to maintain carbon dioxide in the gaseous state. If this energy is supplied by increasing the pre-expansion temperature the density drops and consequently reduces the supercritical fluid's solvating power. This can lead to premature precipitation and clogging of the nozzle.
The solvent properties of liquefied-gas are strongly affected by their fluid density in the vicinity of the fluid's critical point. In rapid expansion from liquefied-gas solutions, a non-volatile solute is dissolved in a liquefied-gas that remains either in the supercritical or sub-critical phase. Nucleation and crystallization are triggered by reducing the solution density through rapid expansion of the liquefied-gas to atmospheric conditions. To achieve this the liquefied-gas is typically sprayed through 10-50 micron (internal diameter) nozzles with aspect ratios (L/D) of 5-100. High levels of supersaturation result in rapid nucleation rates and limited crystal growth. The combination of a rapidly propagating mechanical perturbation and high supersaturation is a distinguishing feature of rapid expansion from a liquefied-gas solution. These conditions lead to the formation of very small particles with a narrow particle size distribution.
There are a number of advantages in utilizing compressed carbon dioxide in the liquid and supercritical fluid states, as a solvent or anti-solvent for the formation of materials with submicron particle features. Diffusion coefficients of organic solvents in supercritical fluid carbon dioxide are typically 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than in conventional liquid solvents. Furthermore, carbon dioxide is a small linear molecule that diffuses more rapidly in liquids than do other antisolvents. In the antisolvent precipitation process, the accelerated mass transfer in both directions can facilitate very rapid phase separation and hence the production of materials with sub-micron features. It is easy to recycle the supercritical fluid solvent at the end of the process by simply reducing pressure. Since supercritical fluids do not have a surface tension, they can be removed without collapse of structure due to capillary forces. Solvent removal from the product is unusually rapid. No carbon dioxide residue is left in the product, and carbon dioxide has a number of other desirable characteristics, for example it is non-toxic, nonflammable, and inexpensive. Furthermore, solvent waste is greatly reduced since a typical ratio of antisolvent to solvent is 30:1.
Exploiting these concepts Henriksen et al. in WO 97/14407, disclosed a process using compressed fluids to produce sub-micron sized particles of water insoluble compounds with biological uses, particularly water insoluble drugs by precipitating a compound by rapid expansion from a supercritical solution in which the compound is dissolved, or precipitating a compound by spraying a solution, in which the compound is soluble, into compressed gas, liquid or supercritical fluid which is miscible with the solution but is antisolvent for the compound. In this manner precipitation with a compressed fluid antisolvent (compressed fluid antisolvent) is achieved.
An essential element of this process is the use of phospholipids and other surface modifiers to alter the surface of the drug particles to prevent particle aggregation and thereby improve both their storage stability and pharmacokinetic properties. This process combines or integrates phospholipids or other suitable surface modifiers such as surfactants, as the aqueous solution or dispersion in which the supercritical solution is sprayed. The surfactant is chosen to be active at the compound-water interface, but is not chosen to be active at the carbon dioxide-organic solvent or carbon dioxide-compound interface when carbon dioxide is used as the supercritical solution. The use of surface modifying agents in the aqueous medium allowed making submicron particles by the compressed fluid antisolvent process without particle aggregation or flocculation.

Processes to generate submicron particles of water-insoluble compounds


The making of cigarette packs is started by transferring arrays of cigarettes into successive pockets of a transporting unit while the pockets are at a standstill, and by inserting blanks into discrete pouches which are adjacent the front sides of the pockets. The pouches and the pockets are then accelerated, and the blanks are partially folded to overlie the arrays of cigarettes in the adjacent pockets prior to joint transfer of arrays and blanks into the receptacles of a continuously driven endless chain conveyor. The arms are then decelerated whereby the chain conveyor extracts the trailing portions of the blanks from their pouches and the blanks are converted stepwise into inner envelopes. The making of second envelopes around the inner envelopes can begin prior to or after completion of inner envelopes.

The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for making block-shaped products, particularly packs which contain plain or filter cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in machines for draping foldable blanks of paper, cardboard, plastic foil, metallic foil (e.g., aluminum or tin foil) and/or other suitable material around block-shaped arrays of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry, such as plain or filter cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and cheroots.
A drawback of presently known packing machines for plain or filter cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry is that the machines must employ a large number of folding members because each of two or more blanks which are converted into envelopes around arrays of rod-shaped articles must be individually folded until its conversion into an envelope is completed. Thus, if a cigarette pack is to have an inner envelope of metallic foil and an outer envelope of paper or cardboard, the conversion of a first blank into the inner envelope must always be completed before the making of the second or outer envelope can begin. This not only necessitates the provision of a large number of folding members and other parts (such as the means for moving certain folding members with reference to the blanks) but also prolongs the interval which is required to complete the making of a pack.

Apparatus for making cigarette packs and the like


A keyboard number lock may be automatically transitioned in response to the detection of the selection of a text entry box. In particular, when a text entry box is selected, the keyboard may automatically be transitioned to the number lock state to provide numerical entries when particular keys are operated.

This invention relates generally to implementing a number lock in connection with a numerical keypad on processor-based systems.
Processor-based systems may include a keyboard including a numeric keypad that operates in one of two modes. In the numerical mode, operating the keys provides numerical inputs. In the non-numerical mode or pointing mode, operating the buttons provides cursor control signals. Generally, the mode is selected through a separate key usually called the "NUM LOCK" key. The user operates the NUM LOCK key to select between the two modes.
Many users find this operation confusing because they are not sure which mode they are in at any time. Thus, some users become confused when they get numerical or pointing outputs that they did not expect.
Because of this confusion, it is believed that the use of the numeric keypads on conventional keyboards is greatly diminished. Considerable economies of operation could be achieved by entering numbers using a convenient numeric keypad similar to that available on 10-key calculators.
Thus, there is a need for better ways to control the selection between numerical and non-numerical modes of operation of keypad sections.


Provided is a method capable of making various modifications to widgets, graphic objects, or images, which are displayed on a display device, according to motions of a plurality of input units such as finger or stylus pen, with the use of a three-dimensional multi-sensor configured to detect the motions of the input units in a space, without touching the display device.

The present disclosure relates to a user interface controlling method.
More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method capable of making various modifications to widgets, graphic objects, or images, which are displayed on a display device, according to motions of a plurality of input units such as finger or stylus pen, with the use of a three-dimensional (3D) multi-sensor configured to detect the motions of the input units in a space, without touching the display device.
Today, various input/output devices have been mounted on electronic systems such as TVs, mobile phones, MP3 players, PMPs, notebook computers, and PDAs.
Such input/output devices are provided to enable a user to control those systems conveniently.
Since portable devices among electronic systems, such as mobile phones, MP3 players, PMPs, notebook computers, or PDAs are small in size, there is a limitation in mounting input/output devices.
Recently, as one of efforts to improve a user interface, touchscreens, touchpads, or navigation pads have been mounted on portable devices. The adoption of the touchscreen replaces the input of mouse and keyboard in a general PC, and enables a user to input data and instructions in various manners even in a small space.
In spite of such various user interfaces, there are still many limitations in input and output of devices, and users feel inconvenient as much.
In the case of a mobile phone, various additional functions in addition to a call function tend to be added. For example, MP3 player, camera function, and Internet access function have been added.
Although it is apparent that those functions are configured to be controlled by users, there is an inconvenience in controlling those functions appropriately according to use states of devices.

Method for providing a user interface using three-dimensional gestures and an apparatus using the same


Methods of screening for cancers or treating cancers or autoimmune disorders are disclosed. In an aspect of the present invention, the screening methods are based on the detection of complement C3 or C3 related protein, or a nucleic acid molecule encoding the same, found to be associated with the presence of cancer. Additional screening methods are based on the use of complement regulators Factor I or DAF, or complement receptors 1 or 3. Preferred embodiments to the methods include detection based on immunological properties, physical properties, enzymatic properties and combinations thereof, or detection of a nucleic acid molecule encoding antigen based on nucleic acid amplification.

Although the present invention disclosed in this application has applicability to a number of different cancers and disorders, only the background of selected representative cancers and autoimmune diseases is described for illustrative purposes.
A. Renal Cell Cancer
The annual incidence of renal cell cancer in the U.S. is approximately 30,000 cases, and this disease accounts for about 2.5% of cancer deaths in men and 1.8% in women. Diagnosis of the disease is so difficult that it has been called "the internist's tumor." This is due to the subtle clinical symptoms of this nearly silent killer.
About 10% of patients presenting with renal cancer have the symptoms of pain, hematuria and a flank mass of tissue, which are evidence of far advanced disease. In most cases, the cancer is found during a diagnostic study to discover a cause for a vague set of symptoms in an unwell patient. Current diagnostic methods include intravenous pyelography, ultrasound, MRI, CT, radionuclide scanning and aspiration and biopsy of a cyst. All methods are limited in their ability to distinguish cancerous from normal tissue, but tend to be very good at identifying cysts. Due to the association of other urinary tract cancers with renal cancer, it is recommended practice to routinely perform a cystoscopy to search for cancers of the urinary tract when a diagnosis of renal cancer has been made (Cancer Manual, 9th ed., 1996, American Cancer Society, Massachusetts Division, Framingham, Mass., pp. 434-445).
B. Cervical Cancer
The annual incidence of cervical cancer in the U.S. is estimated at 15,700 cases for 1996. Although this disease is highly treatable, approximately 4,900 patients die annually.
Risk of cervical cancer among women is difficult to determine. Therefore, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends that most women undergo an annual cytological diagnostic test for cervical cancer, the Pap test. The diagnostic performance of the Pap test is good (false negative rate 5%-30%, false positive rate <5%), but the test suffers from a significant percentage of equivocal results, which are referred to as atypia. It is then recommended that smears which are atypical or show evidence of inflammation be repeated after any current infection has been successfully treated. The frequency of atypical results not only increases test costs, but also increases the risk to the average patient, since the major difficulty with the use of the Pap test as a screening tool is patient compliance. Further diagnostic procedures, and there are many, are all invasive to varying degrees.
C. Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimated that in 1996 a total of 52,900 new cases would be detected and that there would be 11,700 deaths resulting from this disease. The incidence of bladder cancer increases with age. It is more common in men than in women by a ratio of approximately three to one and has been shown to be highly associated with smoking as well as exposure to certain dyes. The most common type of bladder cancer is transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), representing greater than 90% of all cases.
The most common presenting symptoms are hematuria, which is observed in approximately 80% of the cases, and dysuria. Although hematuria is more often related to nonmalignant conditions, it is recommended that in the presence of such symptoms an evaluation for bladder cancer be completed. Once infection of the urinary tract has been eliminated as a possibility, a full evaluation is likely to include urine cytology, intravenous pyelography and cystoscopy. The possibility of a positive diagnosis by cytology (i.e., the identification of tumor cells in voided urine) increases with the grade of the tumor. In some cases cytological evaluation may be necessary to detect tumor in situ or tumors which are located in the upper end of the bladder. Careful cystoscopic examination, with multiple biopsies taken in areas in and around a suspected tumor, is considered to be the gold standard for diagnosis of bladder cancer. Intravenous pyelography may aid in accurately determining the stage of the tumor.
Following the initial procedures for evaluation, transurethral biopsy and resection are usually performed. These enable removal of the apparent lesion and provide information regarding the clinical stage and extent of invasion of the tumor. Such information aids in the selection of appropriate therapeutic approaches and of subsequent monitoring procedures. As recurrence of superficial tumors is common, occurring in 75% of the cases, usually within 12 months after treatment, monitoring is crucial for the long-term survival of the patient. Therefore, patients with superficial TCC are typically monitored every three months for the first two years and, if there has been no recurrence, every six months during the following year. Because cystoscopy is invasive and unpleasant and because the reliability of urine cytology is variable in detecting recurrence, there is a significant need for a reliable, non-invasive diagnostic method.
D. Colorectal Cancer
The annual rate of incidence of colorectal cancer has fallen significantly since 1970. However, the estimate of new cases in the U.S. for 1996 was still 133,500, with a corresponding projection of 54,900 deaths. Colorectal cancer is third in incidence for both men and women in the U.S.
The key to falling incidence has been the advent of early detection, which has been made possible by the use in the U.S. of screening protocols. Screening includes testing for the presence of occult blood in stool specimens (by use of a product such as Hemoccult.RTM.), digital rectal examination, and sigmoidoscopy. The latter two procedures must be performed in the clinician's office and are not capable of detecting disease in the lateral or ascending colon. Therefore, not only is the presence of cancer often missed, but the clinician is left to guess whether to utilize additional procedures in order to visualize the entire colon. Such procedures, which include direct visualization by colonoscopy or X-ray visualization after giving a barium enema, are invasive, expensive, and time consuming.
The procedure for screening recommended by the American Cancer Society is colonoscopy, in that it allows the removal of polyps and biopsy of suspicious lesions at the time of the procedure. The decision to proceed with colonoscopy is based on the positive result of an occult blood test, a procedure with a sensitivity of approximately 37% and a specificity of approximately 97%.
The American Cancer Society recommends, for general screening, an annual digital rectal exam for all individuals beginning at age 40. At age 50, the Society further recommends initiation of an annual series of three double tests for occult blood by the guaiac method. Finally, the Society recommends that two initial sigmoidoscopies be performed one year apart, and that, if both are negative, further visualization by sigmoidoscopy be repeated every three to five years.
Patients diagnosed with colon cancer are often monitored with one or more blood tests for circulating tumor associated antigens, such as CEA or CA72-4 4. However, these markers are not capable of detecting early stage disease (A or B1 by the Dukes staging system), which can be readily treated, and are, therefore, not suitable for screening of the general population.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a non-invasive diagnostic method with reliability in detecting occurrence or recurrence of certain cancers. The present invention fulfills this need and further provides other related advantages.
E. Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune diseases are complex and have diverse mechanisms and pathologies. For clarity, diseases that are known to be mediated by production of specific antibodies to self-antigens, with the result being the destruction of host tissue, are described.
Antibodies to basement membranes of lung and kidney glomeruli are produced by individuals with Goodpasture's syndrome, to skin basement membrane in individuals with pemphigoid syndrome, and to collagen in rheumatoid arthritis. The pathologic progression of the disease involves the deposition of specific antibodies to normal constituents in the skin, kidneys, lungs or joints, followed by destruction of the basement membranes by complement activation and by cellular inflammatory processes. These processes result in tissue destruction that accelerates with age, and which current treatments can ameliorate but not control or cure.
Many of the molecules that stimulate the accumulation of immune cells at a site of inflammation are products of the activated complement system. For example, component C3 is proteolytically activated to C3b, which attaches to the membrane target to be destroyed. The portion of C3 that is removed, a 9 kd peptide from the alpha chain of C3 designated C3a, is a key attractor of monocytes and macrophages to sites of tissue destruction.
Accordingly, therefore, there is a need in the art for agents which can inhibit the formation of such active components to control the processes which ultimately lead to the destruction of tissues in autoimmune diseases. The present invention fulfills this need and further provides other related advantages.

Methods of screening for colorectal cancers in which a complement Factor I or related protein is associated


A projectile for a large caliber gun including a fall-back preventer ring disposed within a fall-back preventer recess defined by the projectile. The fall-back preventer ring engaging the barrel of the large caliber gun during a loading cycle and releasing from the barrel when the projectile is fired. The fall-back preventer ring is a multifaceted split ring device sized for both axial and radial movement within the fall back preventer recess. The present invention thus maintains the projectile safely within the barrel during loading and in the presence of other external forces.

The loading of a large caliber gun has always involved an element of danger. Most large caliber guns are loaded from the breech end of the gun barrel by one or more crewmembers. The ammunition generally includes one or more projectiles followed by one or more propellant charges. As the projectile and propellants are relatively heavy and typically explosive there is always a danger to the crew should they fall out of a gun during the loading cycle.
Typical large caliber guns have an interior barrel diameter that is greatest at the breech opening and then extends up the barrel to form a chamber. At the end of the chamber the diameter decreases at the forcing cone. The end of the forcing cone is the origin of the bore where interior barrel diameter remains constant for the remaining barrel length. Loading a large caliber gun first involves opening a breech block at the breech or aft end of the gun. The projectile is inserted into the chamber and rammed into place. The nose of the projectile is typically rammed past the forcing cone. Ramming of the ammunition into the barrel can be done manually or by mechanical means. Next, the propellant is placed in the breech behind the projectile, rammed into place and the breech is closed.
The loading process is a very dangerous stage in the firing cycle due to existence of unprotected bags of propellant and the live projectile. There is a danger that the projectile may fall out during the ramming cycle, as the barrel muzzle is typically elevated. There is also an inherent danger from the opposing forces that a hit or even a near-miss my shock the projectile out of the barrel while the breech is open. There is need therefore to prevent the ammunition from falling out of the barrel and into a crew area or crew compartment.
This issue has never been directly addressed in the prior art. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,894 leaf springs are employed to retain ammunition in the ammunition receiver, before it is transferred into the chamber of the gun. The ammunition is held by the free end of the leaf spring, but the leaf spring does not support the ammunition once the ammunition enters the cartridge chamber.
U.S. Statutory Invention Reg. No. H794 is directed toward a projectile rotating band for the aft end of a projectile. Among its functions, the band serves to retain the projectile in the forcing cone while it is being loaded, due to enhanced elasticity and friction coefficient of the band relative to the gun barrel. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,071 describes a two-piece de-spin obturator positioned at the aft end of a projectile. The obturator comprises a ring body with a wedge shaped cross-section. The friction created by the fit between the projectile and the outer surface of the obturator prevents the projectile from falling backwards into the breech as the gun is elevated to a more vertical position for firing. However, such devices, being located at the aft end of the projectile, do not engage the gun barrel as early as desirable. Moreover, these devices rely on a friction bond with the barrel rather than mechanical locking which is more reliable.
There is a need then for a projectile that will not fall-back during normal operation, or in the event of misfire, system power failure, rammer failure, high shock or hot gun environments. There is accordingly a need for a more reliable and robust device that will ensure stability of the projectile in such conditions.