A gas sampling device including a chamber assembly formed of a chamber base having a chamber top mounted thereto is disclosed. A gas sensor is mounted to the chamber base in fluid communication with a gas flow passage therethrough. A motor is mounted to the lower surface of the chamber base and has a shaft extending through the chamber base. A fan is mounted onto the motor shaft within the chamber housing. An inlet flow passage extends through the chamber top above the center of the fan and an outlet flow passage extends through the chamber top above the gas flow passage. The fan and the chamber top are provided with a particular configuration to provide for efficient and smooth flows of gas through the housing and to the sensor. 5

1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to the detection of gases and, more particularly, to gas sampling devices which draw a sample gas to a sensor within the device.
2. Background Art
Devices for sampling a gas and determining the concentration of a particular gas in the sample gas are well-known. Such gas sampling devices generally include a gas sensor, which develops an electrical signal in response to the presence of a particular gas, and circuitry for converting that signal into an output reading. Gas sampling devices often include a pump which draws the sample gas through a probe and causes the gas to pass over the sensor.
Hand-held, battery operated gas sampling devices are also well-known. These devices are used to test for the presence of a particular gas in remote areas or other locations where it is impractical to use larger, bench devices. Hand-held gas sampling devices are commonly used by inspectors to check the operation of furnaces, gas hot water heaters, and devices in which excess concentrations of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, oxygen or the like is an indication of a problem.
It is known to use a reciprocating pump to draw gas into a sampling device. However, reciprocating pumps have a number of drawbacks. Specifically, the gas flowing from a reciprocating pump exhibits pressure pulsations resulting from the reciprocation of a diaphragm internal to the pump. Such pressure pulsations interfere with the operation of many gas sensors, such as electrochemical gas sensors which are extremely pressure sensitive. Moreover, a reciprocating pump requires an expensive and powerful motor and is sensitive to dirt and liquid.
A squirrel cage type of centrifugal fan has also been used to draw a sample gas into a gas sampling device. However, such a fan develops only a low pressure potential and cannot draw a sample gas against a large pressure. In addition, the structure permits residual gas to remain after a test, which could adversely affect the reading obtained from a subsequent test. Moreover, the squirrel cage fan draws far too much gas volume and uses too much energy from the power source for the device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas sampling device which positively draws gas to the gas sensor, but which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. It is an objective to provide a gas sampling device which requires an inexpensive motor, which maintains little residual gas, which draws gas at a steady pressure, which is insensitive to dirt and water, which is relatively maintenance free and which produces a larger pressure differential than the squirrel cage fan, yet draws only a small amount of sample gas and is energy efficient in operation.

Gas sampling device with improved mixed flow fan


A tractor realizes the remarkable reduction of time and efforts necessary for an assembling operation of a hood. Here, a hood is split into a fixed-side forming body which is fixed to the body frame and an open-and-close side forming body which can open/close an upper surface of the fixed-side forming body, and the fixed-side forming body is split into a left half forming member and a right half forming member. On the other hand, a connecting support body is formed on the front portion of the body frame in an upwardly raised state and, front-end abutting portions of left-and-right-side half forming members are connected and fixed to the connecting support body using a connecting body in a state that the front-end abutting portions are sandwiched between the connecting support body and the connecting body in the longitudinal direction.

Conventionally, as one mode of a tractor, there has been known a tractor, wherein a hood which covers a prime mover part is split into a fixed-side forming body which is fixed to a body frame and an open-and-close side forming body which can open/close an upper surface of the fixed-side forming body and, the fixed-side forming body is split into a front grill forming member and a pair of left and right side panel forming members, the front grill forming member and the side panel forming members are connected and fixed to a support frame which is vertically mounted on the body frame. (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Hei11(1999)-105740, for example)


A support is provided, comprising a first bar with a first abutment element, a second bar with a second abutment element, and a guiding device by which the first bar is displaceably guided on the second bar. An actuating device which acts on the first bar and which comprises an actuating element is arranged on the second bar. A displacement of the first bar in a first direction of displacement can be initiated by actuation of the actuating element. The first direction of displacement is a direction of increase in distance between the first abutment element and the second abutment element. The actuating device comprises a blocking device which blocks a displacement of the first bar in relation to the second bar in a second direction of displacement, which is opposite the first direction of displacement, at least when no active releasing action occurs at the blocking device.

The invention relates to a support, comprising a first bar, a first abutment element which is held on the first bar by means of a first thread with a first thread direction, a second bar, a second abutment element which is held on the second bar by means of a second thread with a second thread direction, the first thread direction being opposite to the second thread direction, and a guiding device by which the first bar is displaceably guided on the second bar.
The company PIHER INDUSTRIAS PIQUERAS, S.A., Pol. Cantabria 1, C/Pescadores 6, 26009 Logrono, Spain, www.piher.com, sells a support under the designation "Multi Prop".
A prop is shown on pages 5 to 9 of the catalog "PIHER, www.piher.com, Catalog 2014".
A support device for objects such as ceiling panels, roof battens, machine components or the like, consisting of at least two telescoping tubes or a rod telescoping in at least one tube, wherein a first tube or the rod is displaceable in relation to the second tube, and wherein means are provided for locking the tubes or the tube and the rod to each other, is known from EP 0 888 485 B1. The first tube or the rod is movable in relation to the second tube over a first and a second distance, a gas pressure spring or coil spring arranged in the second tube and connected thereto being provided for the movement over the first distance, and a ratchet, rack, clamping holder or the like with a hand-operated advancing means being provided for the movement over the second distance.
A telescopic apparatus comprising an internal tube telescopically inserted in an external tube is known from US 2012/0034023 A1. A frame to which a lever is pivotally connected is arranged on the external tube. The lever comprises an element for insertion in depressions of the internal tube for locking the internal tube relative to the external tube.
A telescopic support comprising an external tube and a supporting part displaceable in the external tube is known from DE 296 01 103 U1. A releasable locking device is provided for preventing insertion of the extended supporting part.
A further support is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,916.
With such a support, a supporting effect can be achieved at an object comprising a first wall and an opposite second wall. For example, the first abutment element is placed against the first wall, and the second abutment element is placed against the second wall. By rotating the combination of first bar and second bar, a corresponding force can be introduced owing to the threads having opposite directions. A supporting function is achieved at the object.


A Ba-Gua game tower includes a main disk and at least one secondary disk attached to the bottom of the main disk. The main disk has a disk body with a top face divided into eight divinatory sections respectively designated with a Chinese character. The secondary disk has a secondary disk body with a top face divided into portions respectively designated with a numeral from 1-6 such that there are multiple sets of numerals on the top face of the secondary disk body. A first ball is able to roll on the top face of the disk body and a second ball is able to roll on the top face of the secondary disk body to respectively indicate where a player should look up in a reference book.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fortune telling game tower, and more particularly to a Ba-Gua (Eight-trigram) fortune telling game tower for self-divination and home entertainment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Yi-Jing (The Book of Changes) and Ba-Gua (Eight-trigram) are both ancient Chinese heritage. Yi-Jing, Ba-Gua is related to two (Yi) divinations evolving to four (Xiang) divinations, four (Xiang) divinations to eight (Fang) divinations, eight (Fang) divinations to sixteen (Xing) divinations, sixteen (Xing) divinations to twenty-four (Jie) divinations, twenty-four (Jie) divinations to thirty-two (Qi) divinations, thirty-two (Qi) divinations to forty (Wei) divinations, forty (Wei) divinations to forty-eight (Zhu) divinations, forty-eight (Zhu) divinations to fifty-six (Chi) divinations and fifty-six (Chi) divinations to sixty-four (Cheng) divinations. The mysterious principles of Yi-Jing and Ba-Gua tell the Yin-Yang (Moon & Sun) of the Chinese mythology and the eternal recycle of all forms. Yi-Jing and Ba-Gua is the most commonly used method in augury. However, the knowledge involved is so profound and so vast that no one is able to grasp the essence of it within a short period of time. There is no shortcut to learning to master and interpret symbols of Yi-Jing and Ba-Gua. An expert is needed when interpretation of divinatory symbols is required, which is quite troublesome and annoyed.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an improved Ba-Gua fortune telling game tower to mitigate the aforementioned problems.


The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a solar cell including: preparing a semiconductor silicon substrate which has an electrode, which is formed by baking an electrode precursor containing Ag powder on at least one main surface, has a PN junction, and is less than 100° C.; and performing an annealing treatment to the semiconductor silicon substrate at 100° C. or more and 450° C. or less. Consequently, there is provided the method for manufacturing a solar cell which suppresses a degradation phenomenon that an output of the solar cell is lowered when the solar cell is left as it stands at a room temperature in the atmosphere.

FIG. 1 shows an overview of a general high photoelectric conversion efficiency solar cell using a single-crystal N-type silicon substrate seen from a light receiving surface side. Further, FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a cross-sectional configuration of this solar cell. This solar cell 100 has many electrodes each of which is called a finger electrode 121 and has a width of hundred or tens of micrometers as collecting electrodes on the light receiving surface on an N-type substrate 110. An interval between the finger electrodes adjacent to each other is generally approximately 1 to 3 mm. Furthermore, it also has two to four bus bar electrodes 122 as collecting electrodes to couple the solar cells. As methods for forming these electrodes (the finger electrodes 121 and the bus bar electrodes 122), there are an evaporation method, a sputtering method, and the like, but a method for printing a metal paste provided by mixing metal microparticles of Ag or the like into an organic binder with the use of a screen printing plate or the like and performing a heat treatment at hundreds of degrees to bond the paste to a substrate is widely used in terms of costs. A part of the solar cell 100 other than the electrodes is covered with an antireflection film 141 such as a silicon nitride film. A P-type diffusion layer 112 whose conductivity type is opposite to that of the substrate is formed on a front surface (the light receiving surface) of the substrate. Finger electrodes 131 are also formed on a back surface side, and a part other than the electrodes is covered with a film (a backside passivation film) 151 such as a silicon nitride film. An N-type diffusion layer 113 whose conductivity type is the same as that of the substrate is formed in the outermost layer on the back surface of the N-type substrate 110.
Moreover, as a solar cell structure with high photoelectric conversion efficiency, there is a backside contact solar cell. FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a cross-sectional structure when an N-type substrate is used as this solar cell. In a solar cell 300, a light receiving surface of an N-type substrate 310 is covered with an antireflection film 341. N electrodes (N-type finger electrodes) 335 and a P electrode (a P-type finger electrode) 334 are alternately formed on a back surface of the solar cell 300. On the N-type substrate 310, N-type diffusion layers 313 are formed only immediately below the N electrodes 335, P-type diffusion layers 312 are formed in a large region other than these electrodes, and parts other than the electrodes are covered with a film (a backside passivation film) 351 such as a silicon nitride film. In such a solar cell 300, since no electrode is formed on the light receiving surface, incident light enters the substrate without being blocked, and hence the photoelectric conversion efficiency is increased as compared with the structure shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

Methods for manufacturing high photoelectric conversion efficiency solar cell


A tensioning device for a chain driven jaw system in a package filling machine is disclosed. The chain driven jaw system has a fixed cam and a chain as a follower. The tensioning device comprises a chain tensioning element shaped and angled so to receive the chain on an outer surface thereof configured to be directed away from a center of the chain driven jaw system, wherein the chain tensioning element comprises a pivot connection, and wherein the chain tensioning element is configured to be integrated with the fixed cam at the pivot connection such that the chain tensioning element abuts the fixed cam at the pivot connection and can move to tension the chain. A chain driven jaw system and a related method is also disclosed.

It is known that a chain in a chain driven system for a filling machine needs to be tensioned to keep rollers of jaws and counter-jaws in contact with cams for the jaws. One such arrangement is disclosed in EP0887269 disclosing, in relation to e.g. FIG. 2, that along portions P3, Q3, chains 15, 27 cooperate with respective pairs of tensioners 56 for tensioning the chains to ensure rollers 52, 53 of jaws 12 and counter-jaws 13 are maintained in contact with respective cams 50, 51. Each tensioner 56 comprises a movable shoe 57 hinged about a horizontal axis to a support fixed to wall 6 or 7. On the face facing away from wall 6 or 7, shoe 57 comprises two side by side rolling tracks 60, 61, which, by virtue of a spring 59, cooperate with respectively rollers 52 and 53 of jaws 12 or counter-jaws 13.
An issue with such arrangement as e.g. disclosed in EP0887269 is that the rollers that are driven by chains are exposed to a high degree of friction and hammering on the chains by the arrangement of the tensioners. Further, a workload for a servo motor driving the chains increases due to e.g. the increased friction, and the arrangement would also create extra wear on the fixed cam due to the impact force of the chains.
Hence, an improved tensioning device, jaw system, filling machine and method would be advantageous and in particular allowing for avoiding more of the above-mentioned problems and compromises, including providing for reducing the wear in a chain driven jaw system and reducing the workload on the associated motor drive.

Tensioning device for a chain driven jaw system


Example methods and systems describe transaction cards with one or more light sources to provide a status of a transaction to a cardholder. For example, a transaction card may determine whether a transaction is a duplicate of a prior transaction, and, if the transaction card determines that the transaction is a duplicate of a prior transaction, the transaction card may provide an alert to the cardholder that indicates that the cardholder has been charged twice for a single transaction.

When financial institutions wish to convey transaction information to a cardholder, the cardholder, oftentimes, engages with the financial institution through an app on their mobile device, a website, or telephonically. This engagement typically involves login procedures or entering account information. The entire process may be time-consuming.
Aspects of some examples described herein may address one or more of these and other problems.


An aluminum alloy composite material for brazing has a core member made of an aluminum alloy, Al-Si filler member and a cladding member made of an aluminum alloy. Mg contained in the aluminum alloy of the core member is restricted to within 0.2% or less by weight. The aluminum alloy of the cladding member essentially consists of 0.3% to 2.5% by weight of Mg. During brazing, the core member serves to restrain the diffusion of Si from the filler member clad on one surface of the core member and the diffusion of Mg from the cladding member clad on the opposite surface of the core member.

The present invention relates to an aluminum alloy composite material for brazing, which is improved in strength, corrosion resistance and brazability, and which provides remarkable advantages when used for a tube member of a radiator assembled by the Nocolok brazing method.
Aluminum alloy composite materials for brazing are used for a tube member of a brazed radiator, etc., and conventionally, brazing sheets comprising Al-Mn alloy A3003 as a core member and an Al-Si filler member clad on the core member are used for this purpose.
The brazing sheet with the A3003 core member, however, has a post-brazing strength of not greater than 2 kgf/mm.sup.2 or thereabouts and is not sufficiently resistant to corrosion.
If Mg is added to the alloy of the core member, the strength of the composite material can be improved, but this modification results in an increased erosion of the core member due to the filler member and also in a reduction in brazability and corrosion resistance. In the case of the Nocolok brazing method, which is widely used, a Mg content in the core member in excess in 0.2% entails a substantial drop in brazability, and accordingly, addition of Mg to the core alloy must be restricted.
Thus, with conventional techniques, it is difficult to obtain an aluminum alloy composite material for brazing which has high strength and high corrosion resistance and yet is excellent in brazability. As for heat exchangers such as an automobile radiator, thin materials are needed to reduce the weight and cost, and accordingly, there is a demand for an aluminum alloy composite material which has high strength and high corrosion resistance and is excellent in brazability, but no such material has been developed yet.

Aluminum alloy composite material for brazing


During a drilling operation, the vibrational energy produced by a drill bit cutting through the earth excites a drill string and the energy near the top of the drill string is mounted by a transducer. A reflection coefficient series is derived from the transducer output such that each reflection coefficient corresponds to a drill string impedance discontinuity. One of the reflection coefficients is identified with a predetermined point of the drill string and energy travel time in the drill string is determined from the position of the one reflection coefficient in the series to the position in the series of a further coefficient.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of determining the travel time of an elastic signal from a predetermined point of a drill string to a transducer spaced on the drill string from the predetermined point.
2. Description of the Related Art
During the drilling of a well, it is useful to know the time taken by an elastic wave to travel from one part of the drill string to another, for instance from the bit to a transducer placed near the top of the drill string. Although an estimation of the travel time may be made on the basis of the length of the drill string and the speed of propagation of the energy in the material of which the drill string is constructed, such an estimation does not correlate with actual travel times. This is because the drill string is made up of a plurality of sections with impedance discontinuities between the sections. The impedance discontinuities create energy reflections which interact with each other and with the direct upwardly propagating energy to alter the effective velocity of propagation of the energy within the drill string.
Knowledge of propagation time along the drill string is particularly useful for the technique known as "checkshot while drilling". According to this technique, the energy generated by the drill bit and propagating into the earth is used as a seismic source. Direct and reflected energy is detected by a transducer such as a geophone, for instance located on the surface of the earth some distance away from the drill string. A further transducer is mounted near the top of the drill string. The outputs from the transducers may then be processed to reveal information, for instance about the strata through which the drill bit is passing or ahead of the drill bit. However, in order to make use of the transducer output signals, it is required to know the time taken by the acoustic energy generated at the drill bit to travel up the drill string to arrive at the transducer on the drill string.
The applicants are presently aware of the following prior art, none of which is considered relevant to the present invention: EP-A-0409304; U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,391; U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,048; U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,489; and "The Use of Drill-Bit Energy as a Down Hole Seismic Source" by J. W. Rector III and B. P. Marion, Geophysics, Vol 56 No 5 (May 1991), pp 628-634.

Method of determining travel time in drill string


According to one embodiment a remote controlled drawing toy can be provided that allows a user to operate a drawing unit that couples drawing implements. For example, such a drawing unit can be used outdoors on sidewalks and driveways.

Children that like to draw are limited in the media that they can use. Furthermore, their artwork is typically performed inside while sitting down at a table or easel. This limits the child's ability to utilize their natural energy to create their art. Furthermore, it typically restricts them to a limited drawing surface and most times requires them to remain inside. Thus, a child forced to choose between their artwork and going outside to play or their artwork and playing a game indoors may likely choose the more active option and neglect their artistic skills.
Furthermore, for a child that likes to be outside, there are limited artistic activities that the child can do without specialized facilities and expensive drawing media.
In addition, an active child generally prefers to be actively employed in a game or learning activity rather than sitting at a desk or easel. Therefore, for such a child it can be difficult for him or her to develop his or her skills because previous art activities have required one to remain seated or in a substantially fixed location.
Consequently, it would be desirable if there were an activity that children could do that allowed them to be active while creating their art.

Radio controlled toy for free form drawing


Rocker moldings are molded of polymer material and include a front section and a rear section joined by bridge arrangements. A preferred embodiments includes two bridge elements connected to a rear edge of the front section and to a front edge of the rear section. The bridge elements span a gap between the front and rear edges and allow for longitudinal expansion of the rocker panel moldings to accommodate thermal expansion in the underlying rocker panels and to provide for slight longitudinal adjustment in the rocker panel moldings while fitting the moldings to rocker panels.

The present invention is directed to rocker panel moldings. More particularly, the present invention is directed to rocker panel moldings that are adjustable during mounting.
Rocker panels are automobile body structures that cover side members of a vehicle""s frame that are located beneath the vehicle""s doors and extend along opposite sides of the vehicle between lower portions of the vehicle""s fenders. Rocker panels are frequently covered with rocker panel moldings generally made of rubber or rubber-like resinous materials and are attached to rocker panels by clips. In accordance with a first prior art approach, rocker panel moldings are configured either as straight, unitary moldings as seen in FIG. 1, or as unitary moldings with lateral portions that extend upwardly at vehicle wheel wells as is seen in FIG. 2. In accordance with a second prior art approach shown in FIG. 3, prior art rocker panel moldings are separated into two independent parts with a gap there between. A tab projecting longitudinally from one part creates an overlap to visually close the gap.
The present invention is directed to rocker panel moldings for attachment to rocker panels on automotive vehicles, wherein the rocker panel moldings are configured as units each having a front section and a rear section, each section having an exterior surface adapted to face outwardly with respect to an automotive vehicle and an interior surface adapted to face inwardly toward the automotive vehicle. The front and rear sections further have upper edge portions and lower edge portions with the front section having a rear edge and the rear section having a front edge. The rear edge and the front edge are separated by a gap that is bridged by at least one flexible bridge element. The bridge element has a front end and a rear end, the front end being in cooperative relationship with the rear edge of the front section and the rear end being in cooperative relationship with the front edge of the rear section.
In a further aspect of the invention, the bridge element is unitary with the front and rear sections of the rocker panel molding, and in still another aspect of the invention there are two bridge elements spanning the gap between the front and rear sections, one bridge element being positioned proximate the upper edge portion of the rocker panel molding and the other bridge element being positioned proximate the lower edge portion of the rocker panel.
In still a further aspect of the invention, a tab extends from the end edge of one section into the gap between the sections and toward the end edge of the other section to slide behind, or into, the end edge of the other section in order to visually close the gap upon moving the end edges toward one another.


A vehicle occupant blast isolation system uses small explosive charges and small rocket motors to isolate vehicle occupants from blast loads. The system initiates the explosive charges to remove all mechanical linkages between the occupants and the initial shock so that no shock effects are transferred. The system counteracts the effects of the impulse by igniting the rocket motors to provide a restoring force to counter the effects of the impulse load. This combination of mechanical isolation and impulse negation addresses both the high-frequency initial shock and low-frequency impulse effects from explosive devices.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to measures for isolating vehicle occupants from blast effects due to mines, roadside bombs, rockets improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and other explosive devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mines, roadside bombs, rockets, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and other explosive devices pose a major threat to vehicle occupants. Blast loads transmitted through vehicle structures and rigid body motion of the vehicle structure due to blast impulse combine to create a high likelihood of serious injury for vehicle occupants. Tremendous resources have been expended to detect and disable IEDs and related explosive devices. This is a very difficult problem and success has been limited.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a vehicle 10 includes a body structure 12 and a seat 14 for an occupant 16. Detonation of an explosive device produces a blast wave 18. A high-frequency shock component 20 of the blast wave travels through the body structure 12 and seat 14 directly to the occupant 16. A low-frequency impulse component 22 of the blast wave is coupled to the body structure 12 that can 111f and flip the vehicle. The shock component 20 represents the initial rise in pressure P of the blast wave and last for a few microseconds. The impulse component 22 represents the integral of the pressure wave P over several milliseconds.
The current state-of-the-art to counter blast effects focuses on energy absorption. A structure 24 that supports seat 14 is configured to form a "crumple zone" similar to the front end of most automobiles. The crumple zone reduces the initial high-frequency shock that is coupled directly to the occupant. The crumple zone cannot be 100% effective against the initial shock because energy and momentum must be conserved. Considerable energy is still transmitted through the mechanical linkage of the crumple zone to the occupant. Furthermore, the crumple zone does nothing to counter the low-frequency impulse effect that may lift and flip the vehicle.


A terminal mounting construction includes a housing and a terminal. The housing accommodates a substrate and including a locking portion. The terminal connects the substrate to an electric wire. The terminal includes a conductive portion, a substrate connecting terminal portion, a wire connecting portion and a locked portion. The conductive portion is connected to a pattern on the substrate. The substrate connecting terminal portion holds the substrate together with the conductive portion. The wire connecting portion is connected to the electric wire from an opposite direction to an inserting direction in which the substrate is inserted between the conductive portion and the substrate connecting terminal portion. The locked portion is locked in the locking portion. The housing includes an accommodating portion accommodating the substrate connecting terminal portion so as to receive an end face of the substrate connecting terminal portion which faces to follow the opposite direction.

The present invention relates to a terminal mounting construction for connecting a substrate accommodated in a housing to electric wires and an electronic device that includes the terminal mounting construction.
As Patent Documents 1 and 2 below disclose, patterns and electronic components on a substrate are connected to exterior components by terminals. In terminals disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a substrate is held in a thickness direction by a pair of holding pieces provided at one end thereof, and the terminal is connected to a pattern on the substrate by one of the pair of holding pieces. In the terminals of this type, the other end is connected through press fitting or connected by a connector to a wiring, and as this occurs, there are fears that a load is generated in a connecting portion between the substrate and the terminal by an impact generated when the terminal is so connected to the wiring.
Because of this, in a bus bar disclosed in Patent Document 3 below, in order to prevent the transmission of an impact generated when connected to a wiring to an LED mounting portion where an LED is mounted, an impact absorbing portion is provided between an electric wire connecting portion and the LED mounting portion by bending out a portion extending therebetween at right angles or into a crank shape. In the bus bar, press-fit cutting blades are provided in one main surface of a wiring connecting portion which extends parallel to an LED mounting surface, whereby a wiring is electrically connected to the bus bar by the press-fit cutting blades.
In Patent Document 3, the bus bar is formed integrally with the housing, and the wiring is connected to the press-fit cutting blades which extend from the one main surface of the wiring connecting portion. Thus, there have been fears that an increase in height of the wiring accommodation space is called for.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-2-119073
[Patent Document 2] JP-A-2-7374
[Patent Document 3] JP-A-2010-212322

Terminal mounting construction and electronic device


A volumetric pump comprising a product metering chamber, a metering piston mounted inside the chamber so as to slide between top dead center and bottom dead center, a sleeve at least partially delimiting an intake chamber and an exhaust chamber for the product, and a product dispenser that is mounted so as to be able to move with respect to the sleeve and is able to place the metering chamber alternately into communication with the intake chamber and the exhaust chamber is provided. The pump also comprises a pressure sensor that is able to measure the pressure of the product inside the metering chamber, and a control unit that is connected to the pressure sensor and is able to verify the presence of pressure peaks exhibiting a value greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure threshold.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of positive-displacement piston pumps, and more particularly to a method for controlling the flow rate of such a pump.
An advantageous application relates to the supply of rubber to an extruder intended to form a profiled element for manufacturing a vehicle tire.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, a positive-displacement pump or volumetric pump comprises a product metering piston mounted in a cylinder of the pump body forming the metering chamber so as to slide between top dead center and bottom dead center, and means for actuating the piston, for example a cam in contact with one end of the latter.
One type of positive-displacement pump comprises a cylinder mounted so as to slide with respect to a sleeve of the pump body in order to place the metering chamber alternately into communication with an intake chamber and an exhaust chamber of the sleeve, by way of two orifices that are provided in the thickness of said sleeve and are each specific to the intake or exhaust of the product. The cylinder of the pump comprises inlet and outlet flaps that can close off the intake and exhaust orifices, respectively. For more details relating to a pump of this type, reference may be made for example to the patent application FR-A1-2 668 206.
Another type of positive-displacement pump comprises a dispensing plug mounted so as to rotate inside the sleeve of the pump body in order to place the metering chamber alternately into communication with the intake chamber and the exhaust chamber, by way of a single orifice provided in the thickness of the sleeve.
To this end, first and second groups of grooves are formed on the outer surface of the plug and are arranged so as to pass in front of the orifice in the sleeve during the rotation of the plug so as to place the metering chamber successively into communication with the intake chamber and then with the exhaust chamber.
Thus, the pumped product flows from the intake chamber to the metering chamber, and then from this metering chamber to the exhaust chamber, passing through the same orifice. For more details relating to a pump of this type, reference may be made for example to the patent application EP-A1-0 604 888.
With such continuously metering positive-displacement pumps, the piston is moved from top dead center to bottom dead center only under the effect of the pressure of the product flowing towards the metering chamber. Therefore, a lack of product pressure in the intake chamber can result in the metering chamber not being filled. The flow rate of the pump can thus be irregular.
In order to control the regularity of the flow rate of the pump, the patent application FR-A1-2 911 374 describes a method in which an electrical contact between the actuating cam of the metering piston and said piston has to be detected within a predetermined time limit starting from a reference position of the cam.
If the pressure of the product is too low during the intake phase, the piston does not reach bottom dead center and the electrical contact is detected outside the predetermined time limit. By contrast, if the pressure of the product is sufficiently high during this intake phase, the piston reaches bottom dead center and the electrical contact is detected within the predetermined time limit. In this case, the exhaust flow rate of the pump is considered to be regular.
However, for high speeds of the piston and of the dispensing means, the electrical contact between the cam and the piston can be obtained outside this predetermined time limit, for example given the inertia of the piston and the viscoelasticity of the product to be metered, even though the metering chamber is correctly filled. Moreover, such a control method is not applicable when the product to be metered is electrically conductive.

Positive-displacement piston pump and associated delivery control method

COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN


A multiparticulate, pharmaceutical dosage form containing at least one antibiotic which is sparingly wettable with aqueous media or sparingly soluble in aqueous media and a combination of carrageenan and tricalcium phosphate and optionally sucrose ester. Also, an administration system having this dosage form arranged in a drinking straw with at least one barrier device for single administration, optionally together with a conveying liquid.

Antibiotics against most pathogenic bacteria have been developed, but problems may often occur during the use thereof.
Many antibiotics, for instance, exhibit a low solubility in an aqueous medium, i.e. at their strongest dose they are only poorly or not at all soluble at 37° C. in aqueous media with a pH of 1 to 7.5, in particular in corresponding standard buffer solutions of ≦250 ml. It is here particularly unfavourable if this low solubility occurs at pH values which correspond to the physiological pH values in the environment of the small intestine. The antibiotic should in fact be available as fast as possible in the small intestine, since it is there that absorption of the antibiotic mainly takes place. Many antibiotics are therefore preferably administered as a solution or suspension in order to achieve the highest possible bioavailability.
Furthermore, numerous antibiotics often also have a particularly bitter flavor which means that, despite being flavored, such solutions or suspensions are taken only unwillingly by patients, in particular by children.
As a consequence, during treatment with antibiotics, which usually lasts for several days, it becomes ever more difficult to motivate the patient to complete the course of treatment. The unwillingness of patients to take the medicine thus often results in premature termination of treatment, which may have particularly harmful effects with antibiotics, such as development of resistance.
Another disadvantage of these administration forms is that the antibiotics are conventionally marketed as powders for suspension in order to facilitate production, transport and storage in comparison to finished solutions or suspensions. The dry substance is converted into a suspension just before it is first administered. However, the prepared suspension must often be kept in the refrigerator and, as explained above, taken over a period of several days.
This means further unpleasantness for the patient since the prepared suspension may undergo a progressive deterioration in flavor over the course of storage or the suspended fractions may agglomerate when left to stand for an extended period, so entailing redispersion and thus impairing dose accuracy. Moreover, cooling of the suspension, which is often necessary, also impairs unproblematic taking of the antibiotic.
In order to avoid these disadvantages, effervescent tablets may also be used to prepare a suspension, one tablet conventionally corresponding to an individual dose. Such freshly prepared solutions or suspensions nevertheless have a bitter flavor for the patient.
Taking dry antibiotics in the form of granules, pellets or microtablets, packaged in sachets, which must conventionally be swallowed with the assistance of a liquid is also problematic. Children in particular have problems with taking such dosage forms. With dosage forms which have not been flavor-neutralised, it may happen that just some of the antibiotic is released in the mouth within a short time and causes an unpleasant flavor.
When taking dry preparations in this manner, it is also not ensured that the entire necessary dose is swallowed or so quickly swallowed that any only temporary flavor-masking effect is sufficiently effective.
In order to avoid such problems, dosage forms have been developed in which the antibiotic is arranged in a drinking straw preferably in multiparticulate form, from which it is taken by the patient with the assistance of a conveying liquid. With this type of taking, it is particularly advantageous for the multiparticulate dosage form to assume the form of rounded, spherical pellets with a particle size of no more than 800 μm, because such particles are effortlessly conveyed by the patient's sucking up the conveying liquid and may thus be taken in their entirety.
Care must, however, be taken to ensure, preferably taking account of swallowing behaviour of children, that the volume and mass of the particles is kept as small as possible, which entails an elevated active ingredient loading of the multiparticulate dosage forms. As is known, an elevated active ingredient loading is in particular achieved with extruded pellets, which moreover enable the desired smooth, preferably spherical shape. One disadvantage of this type of dosage form, however, is that, due to the auxiliary substances necessarily used in the conventional manufacturing method, the dosage forms usually have a very compact structure and therefore do not disintegrate in water or an aqueous medium or at most do so very slowly or only in part. As is known, this may result in delayed release of the active ingredient, in particular in the case of an antibiotic which is sparingly wettable with aqueous media and/or sparingly soluble in aqueous media. This applies particularly if said sparing wettability or sparing solubility occurs at the physiological pH values in the environment of the upper small intestine, as described above. As a consequence, release of the antibiotic may then not occur to a considerable extent until in the lower part of the intestine.
However, with many antibiotics, this prevents adequate bioavailability, as these are mainly absorbed in the upper portion of the small intestine. This low dissolution rate of the dosage form and thus the delayed release of the active ingredient is in particular observed when using known spheronising agents, such as microcrystalline cellulose, low-substituted hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, which, while indeed giving rise to pellets in the desired, namely spherical, shape and with a smooth surface and to a narrower particle size distribution, bring about delayed, diffusion-controlled release of the active ingredient, especially if the antibiotic is sparingly soluble in aqueous media and/or sparingly wettable.
This is also observed to a still greater extent with the extruded pellets produced with the assistance of the stated spheronising agents after dissolution of a coating which is present and may preferably be resistant to saliva and/or gastric juice and preferably performs a flavor-neutralisation function. Even after pH-dependent dissolution of the coating, despite preswelling or the addition of disintegrants, the pellets disintegrate very slowly or not at all, so delaying release of the antibiotic and limiting bioavailability.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Fast release dosage forms for antibiotics


Integrated circuits including at least two electrically conductive interconnect lines and methods of manufacturing generally include a surface of the integrated circuit. At least two electrically conductive interconnect lines are separated by a space of less than 90 nm and are formed on the surface. Each of the at least two interconnect lines includes a metal cap, a copper conductor having an average grain size greater than a line width of the interconnect. A liner layer is provided, wherein the liner layer and the metal cap encapsulate the copper conductor. A dielectric layer overlaying the at least two electrically conductive interconnect lines and extending along sidewalls thereof is provided, wherein the dielectric layer is configured to provide an airgap between the at least two interconnect lines at the spacing.

The present invention relates to integrated circuits, and more specifically relates to interconnect structures including airgaps and subtractively etched metal lines.
Generally, semiconductor devices include a plurality of circuits that form an integrated circuit fabricated on a single substrate, such as a silicon crystal substrate. A complex network of signal paths will normally be routed to connect the circuit elements distributed on the surface of the substrate. Efficient routing of these signals across the device typically requires the formation of multi-level or multi-layered interconnection schemes such as, for example, dual damascene wiring structures based on copper. Copper based interconnects are desirable due to their efficacy in providing high speed signal transmission between large numbers of transistors on a complex semiconductor chip. Within the interconnection structure, metal vias run perpendicular to the substrate and metal lines run parallel to the substrate. Further enhancement of the speed of signals and reduction of interaction of signals in adjacent copper lines (known as "cross-talk") can be achieved in new IC product chips by surrounding the copper lines and vias in a low k or ultralow k dielectric, having a dielectric constant of about 1.5 to about 3.0. Still further speed enhancement can be achieved using an airgap structure because the dielectric constant of air is 1.0.

Interconnect structure including airgaps and substractively etched metal lines

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A method of preparing furfural compounds and a mixture for preparing the same are disclosed. First, a solution is prepared by mixing an organic ammonium salt and a hydroxyl organic solvent. Then, a carbohydrate is mixed with the solution to form a mixture. The mixture is heated to a reaction temperature for conversion of the carbohydrate to produce the furfural compounds.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates in general to preparation of furfural compounds and mixture for preparing the same, and more particularly to a preparation method to improve the yield and lower the cost for production of furfural compounds.
2. Description of the Related Art
HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural) is one of furfurals. Furfural is an industrial chemical, which can be derived from a variety of agricultural byproducts. Furfural is also an aromatic aldehyde with chemical formula of C5H4O2, and its cyclic structure is shown below. HMF can be prepared via the dehydration of fructose or glucose. Since the petroleum is gradually depleted nowadays, HMF has been noticed in the field of application of renewable energy. HMF is an organic compound with chemical formula of C6H6O3. The structure of HMF, as shown below, includes a hydroxyl functional group, an aldehyde functional group and a heterocyclic ring composed of four C atoms and an O atom.
HMF, as one of furfural, will inhibit the growth of microorganisms in solution, thus cannot be synthesized by bio-fermentation. HMF can only be chemically conversed from carbohydrate with C6 sugars. However, the side reaction is hard to be controlled, thus the reaction efficiency is low and the isolation and purification is hard. Many famous chemical companies and research instruments have tried to breakthrough the technical obstacle of low HMF yield. Zhao et al. (US patent Pub. No. 2008/0033187) have disclosed the preparation of HMF in ionic liquids. The ionic liquid is solely composed of ions and the melting temperature of the ionic liquid must lower than 100° C., as defined in [1] Hiroyuki Ohno, Electrochemical aspects of Ionic liquids, Jone Wiley Sons, Inc., 2005., [2] Peter Wasserscheid and Tom Welton, Ionic liquids in synthesis, Wily-VCH, 2003., [3] Joan F. Brennecke, Edward J. Maginn, AIChE Journal, Vol. 47, 2001, p. 2384-2389., and [4] Stark, A.; Seddon, K. Ionic Liquids. In Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology; JohnWiley and Sons: New York, 2007; Vol 26; pp 836-920. An ionic liquid, formed at the reaction temperature of about 100° C. by using the organic salt with melting temperature lower than 100° C., is used as solvent. The carbohydrate is converted to HMF by using the ionic liquid (as the solvent) and the chlorinated metal as catalyst. Zhang et al. (US patent Pub. No. 2009/0313889) have disclosed preparation of HMF by using ionic liquid as solvent and chromium complex of

Preparation of furfural compounds, and mixture for preparing the same

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A universally adjustable truck utility tray having heated cupholders, a low-intensity light, and a novel interlocking cup base that prevents tipping and spilling of beverages. The tray mounts on a vertically telescoping stand and also has horizontally adjustable and swiveling brackets to place the tray in a convenient reachable position adjacent a vehicle operator.

There is a need in automobiles, trucks, and other vehicles for a tray device that can hold articles that provides the driver easy access. Some of these articles include coins, maps, papers, food, keys, beverages (hot and cold), and other personal belongings. It is important that these items are easily accessible in order to avoid having to reach or stretch for the articles while driving.
There are many design patents for console trays that set between car seats astride the propeller shaft or on a console. Examples are: U.S. Pat. Nos. D 248,056 issued May 30, 1978; D 249,904 issued Oct. 10, 1978; D 259,835 issued July 14, 1981; and D 264,525 issued May 25, 1982. Each of these devices generally set on the console and have compartments for cups, coins, papers, etc. None are firmly affixed as illustrated.
Additionally, there are other designs where the trays attach to the dash or under the dash, sometime being retractable. Examples are: U.S. Pat. Nos. D 273,442 issued Apr. 17, 1984; D 293,163 issued Dec. 15, 1987; and D 295,450 issued Apr. 26, 1988, which discloses a clock, compass, thermometer, and ash tray combination.
Examples of utility patents for dashboard, ashtray, and floor mount beverage holders include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,190,241 issued June 22, 1965, showing a hinged tray that can swing up for use or down for storage; U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,712 issued Sept. 20, 1971, disclosing a beverage and coin holder that attaches to and retracts under the dashboard; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,669 disclosing a cupholder and tray having a bracket that mounts to the dashboard or to the floor. None of the above provide for nigh lighting, warming of the beverage container, or three-dimensional adjustability.


Method and apparatus for thermally protecting a product, when storing and/or shipping a product, to control temperatures products are exposed to. Embodiments increase the amount of time portions of the product experience a desired temperature range and/or reduce the amount of time portions of the product experience temperatures outside a desired temperature range and/or experience an undesirable temperature range. Embodiments incorporate thermally conductive materials, referred to as conductive equalizers, positioned around and/or near the product positioned inside a packaging container, where the conductive materials conduct heat from locations in the package interior to other locations in the package interior. The conductive equalizers conductively transfer heat from hotter portions of the interior of the container to cooler portions of the interior of the container and/or from portions of the interior desired to be cooled to the cold bank, resulting in a more uniform temperature distribution around the product.

Embodiments of the subject invention relate to a method and apparatus for controlling a thermal environment of a payload, such as a thermal sensitive product. Embodiments are designed to move heat within an enclosed environment, such as a packaging system for temperature sensitive products, in order to more efficiently use the cold bank (or hot bank) and reduce hot or cold spots inside the packaging system.
The most common packaging systems for transporting temperature sensitive products use an insulated container, such as a Styrofoam container, and a cold bank, such as one or more frozen gel, or ice, packs, to provide thermal protection for a load, product, or payload. Typically, an environment of the load is maintained in a specific temperature range, such as 2-8° C., 20-25° C., or below −20° C., in order to provide thermal protection of the load. The frozen ice packs are typically placed on the top of the load, on the bottom of the load, or on the top and the bottom of the load. FIGS. 1A and 1B show two configurations that utilize the cold hank at the top of the load. In the packaging systems, cold air is moved throughout the container via natural convection to maintain an adequate temperature range, such as 2-8° C. Further, some packaging systems utilize channels on the inside walls, or spacers, to promote natural convection for uniform temperature distribution.
One of the major problems encountered with packaging systems similar to the packaging systems shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, using an insulated container and one or more cold banks, is poor temperature distribution, resulting in uneven temperatures throughout the internal environment of the insulated container. Since cold air is heavier than warm air, the cold air tends to settle at the bottom of the interior of the container, or package, which can expose the portions of the product positioned at the bottom of the interior of the container to freezing conditions. In addition, as warm air rises to the top, the portion of the product at the top of the interior of the package can be exposed to warm temperatures, which can result in the product not maintaining a proper temperature environment. By placing the cold bank at the top of the interior of the container, natural convection will tend to circulate the air within the container and mix the air naturally, allowing for a more uniform temperature distribution. However, a common industry practice is to fill the excess space inside the package with a filling material, such as bubble wrap or paper, in order to prevent shifting of the product and/or packaging components during handling. By filling in the excess space within the interior of the container with filling material, convective flow is diminished, which can result in temperature stratification within the interior of the container and, therefore, products being exposed to too warm and/or too cold temperatures.
Natural convection can be further limited if the packaging system is rotated, which can result in the cold bank not remaining in the desired location. As an example, rotating a container with a cold bank at the top of the interior of the container can result in the cold bank being positioned on the side or at the bottom of the interior of the container. Some packaging systems are used for shipping, often resulting in the container being flipped and/or rotated approximately 20 times during transport (Dea, 2004), resulting in a small probability that the package remains upright during the entire transit. Dea et al. (2006) reported that traditional packaging systems can suffer a reduction in the amount of time in the product experiences the appropriate temperature range by as much as 60% when the container is placed on the container's side or the container is placed upside down during transit.
A more uniform temperature distribution within the interior of the container promotes better thermal protection for products within the container by eliminating significant temperature gradients. A more uniform temperature distribution also allows for optimal effectiveness of cold banks within the container. By optimizing the internal temperature distribution, the cold bank can efficiently use its ability to absorb heat to maintain the product at the proper temperature. Inadequate temperature distribution reduces the effectiveness of the cold bank as the heat from the external environment transfers more to the cold source.
In order to eliminate or reduce temperature gradients, phase change materials have been added to the walls of the packaging system. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,328,528, issued Feb. 12, 2008, and in U.S. Pat. No. 7,849,708, issued Dec. 14, 2010, both disclosed a container with walls filled with phase change liquid (such as water) in order to provide a more uniform temperature inside the main container. Lining the walls with phase change material can reduce the temperature stratification when the package is flipped during transit. Phase change packaging systems can offer more thermal protection as they provide an additional insulative barrier between the external environment and the internal environment. Common phase change materials are water or vegetable oil based, which have very low thermal conductivities. However, phase change materials with shipping systems increases the cost of the insulated shipping container system, adds additional weight to the insulated shipping container that increases the shipping cost, requires more preparation time as the phase change materials need to be conditioned to the proper temperature before being placed inside of the package system, and often require the containers to be reused due to the higher cost.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus for packaging temperature sensitive products in order to increase the amount of time the product experiences a desired temperature range and/or reduce the amount of time the product experiences temperatures outside of the desired temperature range.

Method and apparatus for thermally protecting and/or transporting temperature sensitive products


A medical device includes a spinal rod receiving channel disposed within the medical device and a rod retaining set screw, wherein the spinal rod receiving channel includes an upper arc having a first end and second end, a first middle arc connected to the first end of the upper arc, a second middle arc connected to the second end of the upper arc and disposed opposite the first middle arc, connecting slants connected to first and second middle arcs, and a lower arc connected to the connecting slants, and the rod retaining set screw configured to secure a spinal rod disposed in the spinal rod receiving channel into the medical device.

Spinal fixation systems may be used in surgery to fix, adjust, and/or align the spinal column. One type of spinal fixation system employs a spinal rod for supporting the spine and fixing, adjusting, and/or aligning the spinal column into the desired orientation. Attachment of the spinal rod to the spinal column has been achieved using a variety of vertebral anchors. Vertebral anchors include screws, hooks, pins, and bolts used to engage the vertebrae and connect the spinal rod to different vertebrae.
The length and diameter of the spinal rod depends on the size and number of vertebrae to be held in a desired position by the spinal fixation system. The size of the spinal rod also depends on the region of the spine where the spinal fixation system is used. For example, in the cervical region of the spine, where the vertebrae tend to be smaller, a relatively smaller spinal rod is used. Conversely, in the thoracic region, where heavier loads are experienced and the vertebrae tend to be larger, a spinal rod having a relatively larger diameter is used. The cervico-thoracic junction of the spine is typically instrumented using spinal rods of two different diameters to accommodate anatomical differences between the cervical and thoracic spine regions. To accommodate a spinal fixation system including spinal rods having different sizes and configurations, a rod connector may be used to join a first spinal rod and a second spinal rod together. The rod connector may be a side-by-side connector, where the ends of the two spinal rods are placed side-by-side and connected using a connector that spans the two ends, or an axial connector, which aligns the axes of the two spinal rods and connects the ends of the spinal rods together along the axial direction. The plurality of possible spinal rod diameters in combination with the plurality of connector arrangements results in a surgeon typically requiring a vast array of connectors on hand in preparation for a given spinal surgery.
The spinal rods in a spinal fixation system may necessarily be bent to conform to a desired curvature of the spinal column in one or more of the anatomic planes as part of a spinal fixation or corrective surgery. Attachment of spinal rods to vertebral anchors such as screws, hooks, pins, and bolts may be complicated by differing curvature of the untreated spine and the curvature of the spinal rod. Instrumentation to force the spinal rod into engagement with the vertebral anchors may be used. Challenges arise in utilizing instrumentation to force the spinal rod into engagement with the vertebral anchors because the instrumentation generally must be releasably affixed to a previously implanted vertebral anchor and the locking mechanism on the vertebral anchor must be engaged while maintaining the spinal rod in the correct position. Simple engagement of the instrumentation with the vertebral anchor is desirable.


A combined cycle power generation system in which a generator is driven by a steam turbine and a gas turbine includes a steam turbine rotor having a mono-block rotor shaft with blades mounted thereon in multi-stages from a high pressure side to a low pressure side and a casing covering the rotor. An inlet temperature of steam to first stage blades is not less than 530.degree. C. and the rotor shaft is made of a Ni--Cr--Mo--V low alloy steel of bainitic structure having a higher creep rupture strength at the high pressure side than at the low pressure side and a 538.degree. C. and 10.sup.5 h creep rupture strength not less than 12 kg/mm.sup.2 at a central portion, and having mounted thereon at the central portion, first stage blades at the high pressure side or FATT of not more than 20.degree. C. Final stage blades are mounted at the low pressure side having a room temperature V-notch impact value of not less than 4 kg/m, and blades of at least a final stage have a value of blade length in inches times revolution in rpm of not less than 125,000 and are made of martensite stainless steel including 8-13 wt. % Cr.

The present invention relates to long blades for a high and low pressure sides-integrated steam turbine, using a noble heat resistant alloy, a high and low pressure integral steam turbine using the long blades, and a combined cycle power generation system.
At present, 12Cr--Mo--V--N steel is used for steam turbine blades. In recent years, it has been desired to raise the thermal efficiency of a fossil fuel power plant in view of energy-saving, and make apparatuses used therefore compact in view of space-saving.
Elongation of the turbine blades is an effective means for improving the thermal efficiency and making the apparatuses compact. Therefore, the length of blades of the final stage tends to be increased year by year. Thereby, under conditions in which the steam turbine blades are used also become severe, a conventional 12Cr--Mo--V--N steel can not provide turbine blades having sufficient strength. Therefore, a stronger material is necessary. Accordingly the strength of material for long blades, tensile strength, which is a base of mechanical property, is required.
Further, toughness also is required to securing safety against rupture.
As a structural material having a higher tensile strength than the conventional 12Cr--Mo--V--N steel (martensite steel), a Ni-base alloy and Co-base alloy are well known. However, the are not sufficient in hot workability, machine-cutting property and vibration-attenuating properties, so that they are not desirable.
Material for gas turbine discs is disclosed in JP A 63-171856. Such material however, does not have a high tensile strength.
Further, an integral turbine, which has a high pressure side which and a low pressure side are integrated into one unit in view of space-saving in turbines of a small capacity less than 100,000 kW and a middle capacity of from 100,000 to 300,000 kW, has been put into practice. The length of final stage blades of this integral turbine is 33.5 inches at most because the strength of material for the rotor and blade is limited. The blade length, however, is desired to be further elongated in order to increase the turbine output.
JP A 3-130502 discloses blades for high and low pressure sides-integrated steam turbines, using 12% Cr steels. However, the steel is too low in tensile strength to provide long blades for recent low pressure steam turbines.

High and low pressure sides-integrating system turbine, long blades thereof and combined cycle power generation system


A silicon seed rod assembly used for producing polycrystalline silicon by means of a vapor deposition method includes two rod-shape silicon seed rods; and a silicon connection member bridging the silicon seed rods, wherein an opening-end peripheral edge of a through-hole on one side surface of the connection member is sharper than that on the other side surface thereof, and an opening-end peripheral surface on the one side surface thereof is formed into a flat contact surface disposed in a direction perpendicular to a perforation direction of the through-hole, and wherein a upper end portion of the silicon seed rod is inserted into the through-hole so that the contact surface comes into contact with the support surface of the silicon seed rod.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a silicon seed rod assembly used for producing polycrystalline silicon in a polycrystalline silicon reaction furnace, and a method of forming the same. Further, the present invention relates to a polycrystalline silicon producing apparatus employing the silicon seed rod assembly and a method of producing polycrystalline silicon.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-338409, filed Dec. 28, 2007, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the Siemens method is known as a method of producing high-purity polycrystalline silicon used as a semiconductor material. The Siemens method is a method of making raw gas composed of mixed gas of chlorosilane and hydrogen to contact with a heated silicon seed rod assembly and of making polycrystalline silicon deposited on a surface of the silicon seed rod assembly by means of a reaction of the raw gas. In an apparatus for adopting the Siemens method, a polycrystalline silicon reaction furnace is used in which a plurality of silicon seed rod assemblies is uprightly provided in a hermetic reaction furnace (see Japanese Patent No. 3819252 and Japanese Patent No. 3881647).
Each silicon seed rod assembly includes two rod-shaped silicon seed rods and a connection member connecting the upper end portions of the silicon seed rods to each other, thereby forming the silicon seed rod assembly in a Π-shape. Then, the lower end portion of the silicon seed rod is fixed to an electrode provided in a bottom of the polycrystalline silicon reaction furnace. The silicon seed rod assembly is heated by supplying current from the electrode at the lower end portion thereof. Then, the raw gas is thermally decomposed or is reduced with hydrogen by joule heat produced at this time, thereby making polycrystalline silicon deposited on the surface of the silicon seed rod assembly.
A section of the rod-shaped silicon seed rod is formed in a square shape, a circular shape, or a shape in which angular portions of a square shape are R-chamfered. In general, since it is necessary to make the upper end portion to be inserted through a through-hole having an annular-hole shape and to support the connection member, the upper end portion connected to the connection member is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to have a diameter slightly smaller than that of the through-hole.
That is, a step portion is formed between an upper end portion and a main body portion of the silicon seed rod since a width of the upper end portion is smaller than that of the main body portion. The step portion is provided with a flat support surface disposed in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the silicon seed rod. Then, the upper end portions of the two silicon seed rods are inserted through the through-holes formed in both end portions of the connection member, and the support surface supports an opening-end peripheral edge of the through-hole on the side of the lower surface of the connection member, thereby forming the silicon seed rod assembly.
Incidentally, upon forming the through-hole in the connection member, the through-hole is formed by perforating the connection member by means of a drill from the one side surface toward the other side surface thereof. However, a petal-shape defect portion may be formed in the opening-end peripheral edge on the side of the other side surface in a perforation direction due to brittleness of the connection member. In a case where the silicon seed rod assembly is formed so that the other side surface having the defect portion formed thereon comes into contact with the support surface, a contact area between the connection member and the silicon seed rod decreases.
In a case where a contact state between the silicon seed rod and the connection member is poor, a problem arises in that a meltdown of the contact portion may occur due to local overheating during an ohmic heating. In order to obtain a satisfactory contact state between the silicon seed rod and the connection member, a study has been carried out which improves perpendicularity upon connecting the silicon seed rod and the connection member to each other in order to obtain a satisfactory contact between the silicon seed rod and the connection member. However, a countermeasure for coping with a contact between the support surface of the silicon seed rod and the opening-end peripheral edge of the through-hole of the connection member has not been taken. For this reason, in order to prevent the meltdown caused by overheating, it is required to satisfactorily ensure the contact area therebetween.

Silicon seed rod assembly of polycrystalline silicon, method of forming the same, polycrystalline silicon producing apparatus, and method of producing polycrystalline silicon


A self-locking washer made of a flat elongated piece of material having a slot in one end of it. The washer is designed so that it can be placed underneath bolts or nuts which are already installed without completely removing the bolt or nut. A method of use of the self-locking washer is also disclosed.

This invention generally relates to washers and to a self-locking washer and its use.
Occasionally after mechanical equipment is assembled, it will be discovered that bolts are too long to tightly draw together the components they are connecting. A common solution to this problem would be to install washers in order to make up for the gap or to put in shorter bolts. Sometimes, however, the bolts are in difficult or totally inaccessible locations or for other reasons the bolts cannot be removed to add ordinary washers or to substitute shorter bolts. At other times the bolts may be in a hazardous or hostile environment, such as a radiation field or high temperature situation, such that the time required to correct the problem must be minimized. When any of these situations occur, one thing that can be done is to install split washers. However, ordinary split washers are themselves difficult to install. When the bolts are tightened they tend to spin out from the bolt head due to the compression of the washer and the rotation.
The invention described below overcomes these problems.

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


A coil device comprising a pair of coil members annularly assembled at two connecting end portions; each coil member comprising a magnetic core, a resin case substantially entirely surrounding the magnetic core, and a coil wound around the resin case; the resin case having connecting means and guide means in the connecting end portion of each coil member; and the connected coil members being adhered to each other in the connecting end portions.

Coil devices such as transformers, reactors, choke coils, etc. have conventionally been used in various applications such as home electric appliances, industrial appliances, vehicles, etc. A general coil device has a basic structure comprising a coil, an insulating resin bobbin around which the coil is wound, and a magnetic core arranged inside the bobbin.
The coil device has an annular structure as a whole, and the magnetic core constitutes a closed magnetic circuit. Among varied structures depending on the applications of the coil devices, some magnetic cores have annular structures constituted by assembling pluralities of divided members for easiness of winding wires around magnetic cores, etc.
For example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Application 3-117820 discloses a rectangularly annular coil device constituted by assembling coil members each comprising a coil wound around an insulation case containing a magnetic core. FIG. 16 is a front view showing this coil device, with a partial cross section for easy understanding of the internal structure. FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a coil member constituting the coil device.
The coil device comprises two assembled U-shaped magnetic cores 308 (308a, 308b). Each magnetic core 308 (308a, 308b) has a straight portion around which a coil is wound, and a bent portion extending in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the straight portion from both ends of the straight portion. The magnetic cores 308 (308a, 308b) are connected with their end surfaces 310 abutting each other to constitute the rectangularly annular magnetic core.
Each magnetic core 308 (308a, 308b) is received in each insulation case 301 (301a, 301b), and each coil 309a, 309b is wound around each case to constitute each coil member. The insulation case 301 (301a, 301b) has a partially opened hollow portion 311, in which the magnetic core 308 (308a, 308b) is received, with rear and side surfaces of the magnetic core 308 (308a, 308b) covered by the insulation case 301 (301a, 301b).
One insulation case 301b of the coil member has a projection 307 extending in the abutting direction, and the other insulation case 301a has a recess 306 for receiving the projection. The projection 307 comprises a thin-plate-shaped aim having a nail at its tip end, and the recess 306 acts as a fixing hole receiving the arm. Each insulation case 301 (301a, 301b) has a spring portion 315 pushing the magnetic core 308 (308a, 308b) toward the abutting surface 310.
With the nail at the tip end of the projection 307 engaging the fixing recess 306 to push the magnetic core 308 (308a, 308b) from rear toward the abutting surface 310, two coil members are integrally combined. Further, the coil members, the magnetic cores 308 (308a, 308b) and the insulation cases 301 (301a, 301b) are fixed by impregnation with varnish, to form the coil device.
Such structure can provide a coil device with easy coil winding and assembling. However, because the magnetic core is not entirely covered with the insulation case, high insulation is necessary between the coil and the magnetic core, when used for high-voltage, high-current reactors, etc.
Though the assembling of coil members is ensured by the engagement of the projections and recesses of the insulation cases, they are easily detached by an external force when not fixed by an adhesive such as varnish, etc., needing careful handling.


An apparatus for processing data signals such as audio signals of plural channels individually. The apparatus has a first number of setting elements to set parameters for processing the data signal of at least one channel; a second number of signal processing elements to process the data signal of at least one channel on the basis of the parameters set by the setting elements; a selection element to select, from the first number of channels, a smaller number of the channels than the second number; and an allocation element for allocating the selected channels correspondingly to any of the second number of the signal processing elements.

The present invention relates to a data signal processing apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus adapted for use in allocating a plurality of audio signal tracks, which are realized virtually by means of software, to audio signal processing channels less in number than the tracks realized by means of hardware.
There has been known an application program adapted for processing multi-channel audio signals in a multiplicity of stages and then mixing the processed signals, i.e., an application program which enables a personal computer or the like to function as an audio mixer (hereinafter such a program will be referred to as audio mixer application).
Such an audio mixer application is so prepared that a multiplicity of audio tracks termed virtual tracks can be set for achieving a complicated editing work. However, the number of processible audio channels (hereinafter referred to as real channels) is limited in hardware (sound card or the like) for actually changing the frequency characteristics of audio signals or fading the signals under control of the audio mixer application, so that it is necessary to execute a process of allocating virtual tracks correspondingly to real channels.
The known process to attain mutual correspondence between virtual tracks and real channels is classified into a container procedure and a channel selection procedure. Now an explanation will be given on such container procedure and channel selection procedure in an exemplary case where there are 48 virtual tracks and 24 real channels.
First, the container procedure will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. In the container procedure, containers less in number than the real channels are set in combination with a desired number of virtual tracks on an operation image of the audio mixer application. In a reproduction mode, audio signals of containers generated prior to reproduction, i.e., audio signals of the virtual tracks constituting the containers, are rendered (mixed by software), and such signals are supplied to the real channels respectively.
In the example of FIG. 1, audio signals of virtual tracks 1, 2, 3 constituting a container are rendered and supplied to a real channel 1; an audio signal of virtual track 4 is supplied as a container to a real channel 2; and audio signals of virtual tracks 5, 6, 7, 8 constituting a container are rendered and supplied to a real channel 3.
Next, the channel selection procedure will be explained with reference to FIG. 2. In the channel selection procedure, real channels corresponding to the virtual tracks are selected on the operation image of the audio mixer application. In the example of FIG. 2, a real channel 4 corresponds to a virtual track 1, a real channel 1 corresponds to a virtual track 2, and a real channel 2 corresponds to a virtual track 4.
In the container procedure, it is necessary, prior to reproduction, to render the audio signals of the virtual tracks constituting the containers, whereby a problem is raised in the point that satisfactory real-time response fails to be attained with respect to user's manipulation.
Meanwhile in the channel selection procedure, a user needs to set mutual correspondence between virtual tracks and real channels, hence causing a problem that such setting becomes intricate and the operability is impaired.


A technique for determining placement fitness for partitions under a hypervisor in a host computing system having non-uniform memory access (NUMA) nodes. In an embodiment, a partition resource specification is received from a partition score requester. The partition resource specification identifies a set of computing resources needed for a virtual machine partition to be created by a hypervisor in the host computing system. Resource availability within the NUMA nodes of the host computing system is assessed to determine possible partition placement options. A partition fitness score of a most suitable one of the partition placement options is calculated. The partition fitness score is reported to the partition score requester.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to virtually-partitioned computing systems. More particularly, the disclosure concerns partition placement in systems exhibiting Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) characteristics.
2. Description of the Prior Art
By way of background, many current computer systems utilize NUMA-like hardware designs. In these designs, microprocessor chips have access to memory that is relatively "close" to them (low latency and high bandwidth) and also memory that is relatively "far" away (higher latency, sometimes lower bandwidth). System topologies may involve many levels of memory attachment, and as interconnections between the processors themselves.
When a virtual partition is created to provision a virtual machine (VM), it is generally necessary to allocate a set of resources for the partition. In the case of some resources, such as processors, the resource mappings can be soft. For example, a "home processor" for a virtual processor of a shared processor partition is a physical processor where the virtual processor prefers to run, but it may run on other physical processors as well. Other resources, such as memory, tend to be more persistent. Because there is a relationship between the resource mappings and dynamic execution performance, resource placement can be very important.
The NUMA properties of many computer systems can create rather large performance differences between partitions with "good" placement versus "bad" placement. As an example consider the two partition placements shown in FIG. 1. In this case, a first partition that comprises CPU core 0 on processor chip A has been allocated memory from physical memory X that is locally attached to processor chip A. A second partition that comprises CPU core 1 on processor chip A has been allocated memory from physical memory Y. This memory is locally attached to processor chip B but is remote with respect to processor chip A. For many workloads, the need for remote memory accesses in the second partition will produce a performance penalty. Remote accesses to high speed I/O can also introduce problems, particularly when large amounts of data are involved.
By way of further background, it is becoming increasingly popular to use resource management tools to automatically create partitions and start them on systems. In cloud computing environments, these management tools typically manage multiple systems at the same time. This allows the management tool to select, from a set of systems, the specific system where the partition will be started. Typically, these management tools have a view of the resource usage of the systems at a very high level. For example, they may understand if the system has available processor and memory capacity. However, as far as known, the actual resource usage is not exposed in a granular enough way to determine if a partition will fit well upon a system or not. Thus, existing management tools are not able to judge whether a particular partition placement will be "good" or "bad" from the standpoint of resource access performance.
It is to improvements in the field of virtually partitioned computing systems that the present disclosure is directed. In particular, applicants disclose a technique that allows a resource management tool to evaluate the ability of a system with NUMA-like hardware designs to support particular partition requirements.

Determining placement fitness for partitions under a hypervisor

International Business Machines Corporation


A plurality of probes having image pickup elements differing from each other in image pickup system from each other are used to display an image image-picked-up on a monitor, and a connector of the used image pickup probe is connected to an exclusive adaptor, whereby a drive adapted for the image pickup element is applied to subject the image pickup element to preprocess processing suited for an output signal outputted from the image pickup element. The adaptor is mounted on a signal processing apparatus body, whereby substantially common process processing is subjected to a signal after the preprocess processing by the signal processing apparatus body, to generate a standard image signal. Thus, the standard image signal is displayed on a monitor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup system comprising a signal processing device in which an exclusive adaptor is mounted on a body of the signal processing device in accordance with probes such as those used in electronic scopes or the like, whereby the signal processing device is capable of processing a signal with respect to probes which have different image pickup systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an endoscope has widely been used in which elongated inserting section is inserted into a body, Whereby an affected or diseased part or the like illuminated from a forward end of the inserting section is observable by light which is taken or fetched thereinto through an objective lens provided on an observation window.
Further, an electronic endoscope system has also been put to practical use wherein an electronic endoscope is used in which an image pickup element such as a CCD or the like is arranged on a focal surface or plane of an objective lens, and a signal photoelectrically transferred by the image pickup element is processed by a signal processing device, whereby an image of a subject can be displayed on a monitor.
In a case of the electronic endoscope, if the numbers of picture elements of the image pickup devices differ from each other, it is necessary to also replace or change the signal processing of the signal processing device. As a prior art example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. SHO 63-260527 (260527/1988) discloses an electronic endoscope system in which a signal processing device section is unitized in correspondence to the number of picture elements of the electronic endoscope, and an exclusive unit is mounted on and is used in accordance with electronic endoscopes different in the number of picture elements from each other, whereby the electronic endoscope system can cope with electronic endoscopes differing from each other in the number of picture elements.
However, in the image pickup system of the electronic endoscope, there exist a concurrent type in which a color image is produced under white light illumination, and also a surface sequential type in which image pickup is performed under surface sequential illuminating light which performs sequential illumination by illuminating lights differing from each other in wavelength regions to produce a color image. The above-described prior art can deal with a case where just the number of picture elements differ from each other, but cannot deal with a case where the image pickup systems themselves are different from each other.
In a case where the image pickup systems are different from each other, replacement of the entire signal processing device is expensive. Accordingly, a system is desired which can deal also with a case where the image pickup systems are different from each other, at low cost.
Therefore, it is desirable to utilize a system which can selectively use electronic endoscopes having image pickup systems which differ from each other in regard to the status or circumstances of performance of inspection/diagnosis. Accordingly, more efficient endoscope inspection/diagnosis is made possible.
For example, when the type of endoscope is used in which the color image is produced under the white illumination, color shear generation is minimized even in a case where a subject large in motion is image-picked-up. Accordingly, the concurrent type is effective in a case where an internal organ in the vicinity of a heart is inspected/diagnosed.
On the other hand, in a case .Where an internal organ remote from the heart or within a narrow lacuna in which motion or movement is minimal is inspected/diagnosed, if the surface sequential type is utilized, there is produced an endoscope image which has resolution of the order of three (3) times greater than the case of the concurrent type (it is assumed that the image pickup elements the same in size as each other are used both in the concurrent type and in the surface sequential type). Accordingly, an abnormal portion can be discriminated in detail.
On the other hand, in a case where an internal organ adjacent to the heart is inspected/diagnosed, if only the electronic endoscope of surface sequential type is used, there is a possibility that an image is brought to an endoscope image in which there is a significant amount of color shear. In this case, even if the electronic endoscope different in the number of picture elements from the previous endoscope is used, as in the prior art, an improvement cannot be expected.
Moreover, in a case where a part within the narrow lacuna is inspected/diagnosed, if only the electronic endoscope which provides a color image under white light illumination is used, it becomes difficult to produce an image high in resolution. In this case, if the electronic endoscope large or high in the number of picture elements is used, the resolution is improved. However, since the size of an image pickup element also increases, it becomes difficult to insert the electronic endoscope into the narrow lacuna.
Accordingly, in order to produce more effective endoscope inspection/diagnose results, it is desirable to realize, at low cost, a system also selectively used among various electronic endoscopes which differ from each other in their image pickup systems, as described previously.
Furthermore, the above-described prior art cannot cope with a case of a system which can selectively use the electronic endoscope and an ultrasonic scope capable of producing an ultrasonic image which is different in kind or type from an image in which an optical image due to the electronic endoscope is photoelectrically transferred.
If the system is an image pickup system which can be used also in the ultrasonic scope in which acoustic image information different from optical image information due to the electronic endoscope can be reduced with respect to an inspection object such as an affected or diseased part or the like, more effective information in a case of inspection/diagnoses can be produced.
Further, if the system can change a system arrangement at low cost from the electronic endoscope system as occasion demands, to a system arrangement suitable for inspection/diagnoses, the system becomes extremely effective in performing inspection/diagnoses.

Image pickup system comprising signal processing device which uses exclusive adaptor in probes different in image pickup system from each other