A collision detecting structure includes a pressure generating tube extending in a vehicle width direction, a rear wall portion disposed on a rear side of the pressure generating tube, a tube compressing portion disposed frontward of the pressure generating tube and including an projecting wall portion that is in a plate-like shape and extends in a vehicle front-rear direction; and a tube retaining member disposed opposite to the projecting wall portion and retaining the pressure generating tube between the projecting wall portion and the tube retaining portion.

Patent Document 1 describes a structure for detecting a head-on collision of a vehicle, in which a foamed material member is disposed frontward of a bumper beam and a tube is disposed between the bumper beam and the foamed material member, more specifically disposed to extend in a vehicle width direction in a recessed portion formed on a rear portion of the foamed material member. Patent Document 2 describes a structure comprising a plate-like member of a couple of face portions joined together through a bent portion and a pressure tube which is intended to detect an impact and disposed in a space between the couple of face portions. The pressure tube can be pressed between the couple of face portions and is deformable.


In the present invention, a stage device is configured to: provide a marker on a specimen, a specimen holder or a rotary table that allows measurement of position and direction; perform a rotation and translation movement of a stage according to a predetermined operation pattern; measure the position and direction of the marker there; identify the rotation center position of the rotary table from the results of this measurement; further create a correction value table relative to a rotation angle by calculating rotation-angle correction value for correcting the rotation error, and translation correction value for correcting a positional variation of the rotation center position; obtain from the correction value table the correction values associated with either an inputted rotation-angle command value or an actual rotation angle; and control the stage device by correcting either the rotation-angle and translation-position command values inputted or a rotation-angle and translation-position detected.

A scanning electron microscopy (SEM), a typical charged particle beam device, irradiates the surface of the specimen to be examined with electron beam (primary electron beam) by scanning it two-dimensionally, and makes the intensity of quadratic electrons generated secondarily from the specimen as an input for brightness modulation to an image that is scanned and generated in synchronization with the scanning of the primary electron beam, to obtain an SEM image of the surface of the specimen. At this time, the surface of the specimen for examination is selected by moving the stage that is mounted with the specimen. Normally, the operator operates the operation input unit such as a trackball while observing an SEM image for moving the stage until the portion of the surface of the specimen is obtained as the SEM image. An SEM is used for examination of flaws and defects in a semiconductor pattern, or the like, and recently the SEM is required to have higher magnification for examination as a semiconductor process becomes more microscopic. Therefore, a stage used in the SEM is also required to move in a more microscopic way with higher accuracy.
Incidentally, when examining a specimen having a similar fine pattern (cell) continuously such as a semiconductor wafer, an examination position is determined by scanning the specimen at a constant speed in a predetermined direction and counting, visually or by image processing, the number of cells that passes through the SEM screen. This is called a cell count and in order to do this, a rotational movement (rotation) is required to align the direction of a translational movement of the stage with the scanning direction of the specimen. In addition, when the shape of the specimen is three-dimensional, it is desired for the specimen to be examined in three dimensions by changing the viewing direction, and this also requires rotational movement.
As the stage operation is performed while observing the SEM image, it is desirable for the specimen to be rotatable about a virtual point that is set in the SEM image so that the field of view does not move when rotating the specimen. This operational feature is called rotation eucentric feature. On a conventional stage, a positional variation of the rotation center in the SEM image has been large due to eccentricity and/or whirling of the rotation axis, or due to a looseness and/or a backlash in an actuator and/or a transmission mechanism, then it has been difficult to keep the rotation center in the SEM image, especially during examination with high magnification. Therefore, when rotating the specimen, it has been necessary to follow steps such as to perform rotation after lowering the magnification for examination, then to increase the magnification again while adjusting the position in translation movement, thus making the operation complicated. In addition, it has been difficult to perform the examination continuously while rotating the specimen. A technique for correcting such a positional variation of the rotation center is, for example, disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4515179B.
In addition, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-260379A, a technique is disclosed for a scanning electron microscope, for correcting the electron beam scanning area using reference marks provided outside of a stage. Additionally, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-018944A, a configuration is disclosed for forming marks on a specimen stage in a charged particle beam device. Further, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-146990A, a configuration is disclosed for providing markings on a specimen fixing table in a charged particle beam device, to detect a positional error by an external imaging device.

Stage device and control method for stage device


A light source apparatus for an endoscope, which has a lamp, a power source, a light adjustment control module that controls power to be supplied to the lamp within a range not more than an upper limit power based on a brightness instruction signal, and a continuous lighting sensing module that measures a continuous lighting time period from time when the lamp shifts from being extinguished to being lighted, compares the continuous lighting time period with a predetermined upper limit time period, and initializes the continuous lighting time period while the lamp is extinguished, wherein the upper limit power is set to a first upper limit power when the continuous lighting time period has not reached the upper limit time period, and changed to a second upper limit power lower than the first upper limit power in a stepwise manner when the upper limit time period has not been reached.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light source apparatus for an endoscope which can control an amount of outgoing light from a light source portion in a lighted state and a control method for the light source apparatus for the endoscope.
2. Description of the Related Art
A light source apparatus which supplies light to be applied from a distal end portion of an endoscope (scope) to a subject is provided with a light source portion (hereinafter referred to as a lamp) which generates light. Such a lamp decreases in the amount of emitted light or light emission luminance becomes more unstable as a used time period becomes longer, which creates a need for replacement. Under the circumstances, a technique is proposed for prolonging a life of a lamp as much as possible.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-131324 describes a discharge lamp lighting apparatus of a projection type image apparatus which has a plurality of power modes available and shifts to a power mode with lower power consumption according to a continuous lighting time period of the lamp, which is different in field from an endoscope. The continuous lighting time period here refers to a total used time period from when a new lamp starts to be used. A power value in each power mode is a value of power actually supplied to a lamp.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-124109 describes an illuminance sensorless illumination control system that gauges a cumulative lighting time period with a timer and, when the cumulative lighting time period reaches a predetermined time period, controls a light adjustment output value to a light adjustment output value determined in consideration of a maintenance factor, which is also different in field from an endoscope. The cumulative lighting time period here refers to a total used time period from when a new light source starts to be used. Note that the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-124109 is not intended to prolong a lamp life and is configured to perform control that increases a light adjustment output value in order to compensate for decrease in illuminance due to use-induced degradation (see, e.g., paragraph [0041] and FIGS. 2 to 4 of the publication).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-31283 describes a technique for obtaining a cumulative energization time period of a light source and reducing, in a stepwise manner, a driving current for the light source with increase in the cumulative energization time period, which is targeted for a liquid crystal display apparatus or the like and is different in field from an endoscope. The cumulative energization time period here refers to a total used time period from when a new light source starts to be used. The current reduced with the cumulative energization time period is a driving current which is actually supplied to the light source. The publication also describes a technique for increasing or reducing the driving current for the light source according to whether surroundings of the light source are bright or dark. More specifically, the technique switches between a D mode corresponding to daytime and an N mode corresponding to nighttime.
The technique described in each publication described above is a technique for controlling power supplied to a light source according to a total used time period from when a new light source starts to be used.

Light source apparatus for endoscope and control method for light source apparatus for endoscope


A secondary battery including an electrode assembly, a can accommodating the electrode assembly, a cap plate coupled to the can, an electrolyte injection unit including an injection hole penetrating the cap plate and an injection ring protruding from the injection hole, and a stopper to seal the electrolyte injection unit.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to a secondary battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
A secondary battery may be manufactured in various shapes, e.g., cylindrical and polygonal. The secondary battery may include an electrode assembly formed by winding a band-shaped positive electrode plate, a band-shaped negative electrode plate, and a separator interposed between the positive and negative electrode plates into a jelly-roll structure. Alternatively, a secondary battery may be formed by laminating a plurality of positive electrode plates, negative electrode plates, and separators. The electrode assembly may be accommodated in a case and then a cap assembly having external terminals may be coupled to the case to complete the secondary battery.
The cap assembly may have an electrolyte injection hole to provide a passage for injecting electrolyte into the case. The cap assembly may also have a stopper fitted into the electrolyte injection hole to prevent the electrolyte in the case from leaking out.


A maximum permissible acceleration is calculated so as to take into account vehicle stability, driver's comfort, road surface information and traffic information, driver's specific taste in acceleration and deceleration, and the like. An acceleration limiting process is carried out, in which a feedback gain in vehicle speed feedback control is corrected as may be necessary based on a relationship between the maximum permissible acceleration and actual acceleration information so as to keep the actual acceleration within the maximum permissible acceleration. The present invention thereby makes it possible to control a vehicle speed within a desired acceleration range even under conditions, in which there is a large vehicle speed deviation as in a resume mode, causing an excessively large acceleration or deceleration to tend to occur. Auto cruise control offering an outstanding safety and comfort can thus be implemented.

The present invention relates to a control device that performs cruise control for an automotive vehicle so as to allow a set target vehicle speed to coincide with an actual vehicle speed and a control method for the same.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 10-53046 discloses a technique that is concerned with a resume operation. Specifically, after an auto cruise control is temporarily interrupted by a driver's operating a brake or the like to reduce a vehicle speed of a host vehicle, the driver operates a resume switch to restore the vehicle speed to a target vehicle speed or a stored vehicle speed immediately before the auto cruise control has been interrupted. The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 10-53046 does not use the stored vehicle speed as a target vehicle speed for vehicle speed feedback control in the resume mode. Rather, it sets an actual vehicle speed developing when the resume operation is started as the target vehicle speed for the vehicle speed feedback control, thereby bringing the target vehicle speed gradually to the stored vehicle speed.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 11-34695 refers to acceleration feedback control during acceleration of a vehicle. It is intended for improving the response of a throttle.
According to Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 10-53046, if a vehicle speed feedback gain is set appropriately so as to allow the actual vehicle speed to properly follow the target vehicle speed, it is possible to minimize a vehicle speed deviation at all times. This is effective in preventing acceleration from becoming excessively large. If the feedback gain is made inappropriate as caused by a road gradient, a wind velocity, or other disturbance, however, the actual vehicle speed becomes unable to follow the target vehicle speed, thus making large the vehicle speed deviation. In such a case, a vehicle speed feedback control device acts to make small the vehicle speed deviation. This presents a problem, in which a vehicle acceleration becomes excessively large as a result of an engine torque changing by a large margin.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 11-34695 refers to the acceleration feedback control during the acceleration of a vehicle. It is intended for improving throttle response, not concerned with driver's comfort or vehicle stability.
Accordingly, there is a challenge that must be addressed, in which excessive acceleration and deceleration should be prevented under all possible conditions.

Vehicle cruise control device and method


A method of controlling leakage through degraded heat exchanger tubes in the tubesheet region of a nuclear steam generator is disclosed herein. The method comprises radially expanding a section of the heat exchanger tube disposed within the bore of the tubesheet into leak resistant engagement so that the resultant leakage flow is equal to or less than an acceptable leakage flow rate. The expanded, leak resistant section is located above the degraded section of the heat exchanger tube and below the upper side of the tubesheet. The length L of the leak resistant section and the pressure P necessary to create it are determined by ascertaining a plurality of combinations of length Lx and pressure Px that would result in a sufficiently tight engagement between the heat exchanger tube and the tubesheet bore to achieve the desired leakage flow rate, and by choosing a combination of Lx, Px that results in the smallest length L without exceeding a pressure of 50 ksi (344.7 MPa).

This invention generally relates to a method for controlling leakage between the primary and secondary sides of a heat exchanger, and is specifically concerned with a method for controlling leakage through degraded sections of heat exchanger tubes in the tubesheet region of a nuclear steam generator.
Systems and methods for eliminating or reducing leakage in the heat exchanger tubes of a nuclear steam generator are known in the prior art. In these systems, a tubular sleeve is inserted in the open end of the heat exchanger tubes in the tubesheet region of the generator. These sleeves are long enough to completely extend across the section of these tubes which may be degraded by corrosion and cracking. When the ends of the sleeve are connected to the inner walls of the heat exchanger tube by either welding or by expanding the sleeve ends into engagement with the inner walls of the tube, the sleeve forms a "hydraulic bridge" across the corroded and cracked section of the tube. The installed sleeve conducts hot, radioactive water from the primary side of the generator through the interior of the heat exchanger tube while preventing this water from seeping through the cracks and corrosion present in the degraded section of the tube and contaminating the non-radioactive water in the secondary side of the tube.
While such sleeving systems and methods have proven to be highly effective in eliminating or at least reducing leakage between the hot, radioactive water in the primary side and the non-radioactive water in the secondary side of the generator, such sleeving techniques require substantial amounts of time and labor, and hence are expensive. However, before the magnitude of these expenses can be appreciated, some general background as to the structure, operation and maintenance of nuclear steam generators is necessary.
Nuclear steam generators are comprised of three principal parts, including a secondary side, a tubesheet, and a primary side which circulates water heated from a nuclear reactor. The tubesheet is disposed between the primary and secondary sides, and serves to hydraulically isolate them from one another. The secondary side of the generator is provided with a plurality of heat exchanger tubes, which may be U-shaped, as well as an inlet for admitting a flow of water. Both the inlet and outlet ends of the U-shaped tubes are mounted in bores in the tubesheet. Such mounting is accomplished by welding the bottom end of the heat exchanger tubes around the bottom edge of the bore in the tubesheet through which it extends.
Hot, radioactive water flowing from the nuclear reactor is admitted into the section of the primary side containing all of the inlet ends of the U-shaped tubes. This hot, radioactive water flows through these inlets, up through the tubesheet, and circulates around the U-shaped tubes which extend within the secondary side of the generator. This water from the nuclear reactor transfers its heat through the walls of the U-shaped tubes to the non-radioactive feed water flowing through the secondary side of the generator, thus boiling the feed water into non-radioactive steam that in turn powers the turbines of an electric generator. After the water from the reactor circulates through the U-shaped tubes, it flows back through the tubesheet, through the outlets of the U-shaped tubes, and into the outlet section of the primary side, where it is circulated back to the nuclear reactor for re-heating.
The walls of the heat exchanger tubes of such nuclear steam generators can suffer from a number of different forms of corrosion degradation, one of the most common of which is intergranular attack (IGA) including cracking. Empirical studies have shown that the heat exchanger tubes are more susceptible to IGA in the crevice regions of the steam generator, the largest being the tubesheet region of the generator for the unexpended-tube design. In this tubesheet design, the heat exchanger tubes are surrounded along their lengths by an annular crevice created by the space between the outer wall of the heat exchanger tube and the surface of the surrounding bore in the tubesheet through which the tube extends. The relatively poor hydraulic circulation in such annular crevices can subject the water that fills these crevices to what is known in the art as nucleate boiling wherein the water is continuously flashed into steam. After long periods of time, such nucleate boiling can reduce various chemical compounds out of the water. These compounds ultimately form a sludge in the crevice. The aggressive chemical agents within these sludges, coupled with the hot spots that form around the heat exchanger tubes in these regions due to the poor or nonexistent hydraulic circulation around them, can promote corrosion on the outer surface of these tubes in the tubesheet region. Such corrosion can ultimately cause the tube walls to crack, and thereby set the stage for a leak of radioactive water from the primary side into the nonradioactive water present secondary side of the generator, thereby radioactively contaminating the steam produced by the steam generator.
In order to prevent such leakage from occurring between the primary and secondary sides, a tubular sleeve may be inserted into the open end of a heat exchanger tube having a degraded section in the tubesheet region. The sleeve is dimensioned that it is long enough to completely extend across the degraded section of the tube. After the sleeve has been so positioned, the bottom and top ends of the sleeve are secured into leak obstructing engagement with the inner walls of the heat exchanger tube by either brazing, welding, or radially expanding the ends of the sleeve with either a hydraulic expander tool, or a roller-type expander tool. Once installed, the sleeve forms a hydraulic bridge across the degraded section of the heat exchanger tube that obstructs water from the primary side of the generator from leaking through the tube walls and into the annular crevice between the tubesheet bore in the outer surface of the heat exchanger tube and from thence into the secondary side of the generator.
Unfortunately, such sleeving techniques require large amounts of time and effort as a single nuclear steam generator may have over 4,000 heat exchanger tubes mounted within its tubesheet. The financial losses become even more apparent when one considers that the steam generator must be completely shut down before any sleeving operation may be implemented, and that each day of shutdown typically costs the utility owners over $500,000 per day in lost revenues. The installation of such sleeves also reduces the available inner diameter of the tube which not only increases the flow resistance within the tube, but also makes it very difficult to slide other types of maintenance devices through the tube, such as the radiant heater probes used by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation to heat treat its U-bends of such tubes. Finally, such sleeving operations can induce residual tensile stresses in the tube walls which can promote additional corrosion, thus partially defeating the purpose of the sleeving operation.
Clearly, there is a need for a method for stopping or at least controlling leakage through the walls of degraded heat exchanger tubes in the tubesheet region of a nuclear steam generator that is faster and easier to implement than prior art sleeving techniques. It would be desirable if such a method did not result in the reduction of the inner diameter of the tube, and did not impart any substantial tensile stresses in the walls of the tube.

Method for controlling leakage through degraded heat exchanger tubes in the tubesheet region of a nuclear generator


Light emitting devices include a light emitting diode (“LED”) and a recipient luminophoric medium that is configured to down-convert at least some of the light emitted by the LED. In some embodiments, the recipient luminophoric medium includes a first broad-spectrum luminescent material and a narrow-spectrum luminescent material. The broad-spectrum luminescent material may down-convert radiation emitted by the LED to radiation having a peak wavelength in the red color range. The narrow-spectrum luminescent material may also down-convert radiation emitted by the LED into the cyan, green or red color range.

The present invention relates to light emitting devices and, more particularly, to semiconductor light emitting devices that include recipient luminophoric mediums.
A wide variety of light emitting devices are known in the art including, for example, incandescent light bulbs, fluorescent lights and semiconductor light emitting devices such as light emitting diodes ("LEDs"). LEDs generally include a series of semiconductor layers that may be epitaxially grown on a substrate such as, for example, a sapphire, silicon, silicon carbide, gallium nitride or gallium arsenide substrate. One or more semiconductor p-n junctions are formed in these epitaxial layers. When a sufficient voltage is applied across the p-n junction, electrons in the n-type semiconductor layers and holes in the p-type semiconductor layers flow toward the p-n junction. As the electrons and holes flow toward each other, some of the electrons will "collide" with corresponding holes and recombine. Each time this occurs, a photon of light is emitted, which is how LEDs generate light. The wavelength distribution of the light generated by an LED generally depends on the semiconductor materials used and the structure of the thin epitaxial layers that make up the "active region" of the device (i.e., the area where the electrons and holes recombine).
Most LEDs are nearly monochromatic light sources that appear to emit light having a single color. Thus, the spectral power distribution of the light emitted by most LEDs is tightly centered about a "peak" wavelength, which is the single wavelength where the spectral power distribution or "emission spectrum" of the LED reaches its maximum as detected by a photo-detector. The "width" of the spectral power distribution of most LEDs is between about 10 nm and 30 nm, where the width is measured at half the maximum illumination on each side of the emission spectrum (this width is referred to as the full-width-half-maximum or "FWHM" width).
In order to use LEDs to generate white light, LED lamps have been provided that include several LEDs that each emit a light of a different color. The different colored light emitted by the LEDs combine to produce a desired intensity and/or color of white light. For example, by simultaneously energizing red, green and blue LEDs, the resulting combined light may appear white, or nearly white, depending on, for example, the relative intensities, peak wavelengths and spectral power distributions of the source red, green and blue LEDs.
White light may also be produced by surrounding a single LED with one or more luminescent materials such as phosphors that convert some of the light emitted by the LED to light of one or more other colors. The combination of the light emitted by the single-color LED that is not converted by the luminescent material(s) and the light of other colors that are emitted by the luminescent material(s) may produce a white or near-white light.
As one example, a white LED lamp may be formed by coating a gallium nitride-based blue LED with a yellow luminescent material such as a cerium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet phosphor, which has the chemical formula Y3Al5O12:Ce, and is commonly referred to as YAG:Ce. The blue LED produces an emission with a peak wavelength of, for example, about 460 nm. Some of blue light emitted by the LED passes between and/or through the YAG:Ce phosphor particles without being down-converted, while other of the blue light emitted by the LED is absorbed by the YAG:Ce phosphor, which becomes excited and emits yellow fluorescence with a peak wavelength of about 550 nm (i.e., the blue light is down-converted to yellow light). The combination of blue light and yellow light that is emitted by the coated LED may appear white to an observer. Such light is typically perceived as being cool white in color, as it is primarily comprises light on the lower half (shorter wavelength side) of the visible emission spectrum. To make the emitted white light appear more "warm" and/or exhibit better color rendering properties, red-light emitting luminescent materials such as Eu2+ doped CaAlSiN3 based phosphor particles may be added to the coating.
Phosphors are the luminescent materials that are most widely used to convert a single-color (typically blue or violet) LED into a white LED. Herein, the term "phosphor" may refer to any material that absorbs light at one wavelength and re-emits light at a different wavelength in the visible spectrum, regardless of the delay between absorption and re-emission and regardless of the wavelengths involved. Thus, the term "phosphor" encompasses materials that are sometimes called fluorescent and/or phosphorescent. In general, phosphors may absorb light having first wavelengths and re-emit light having second wavelengths that are different from the first wavelengths. For example, "down-conversion" phosphors may absorb light having shorter wavelengths and re-emit light having longer wavelengths. In addition to phosphors, other luminescent materials include scintillators, day glow tapes, nanophosphors, quantum dots, and inks that glow in the visible spectrum upon illumination with (e.g., ultraviolet) light.
A medium that includes one or more luminescent materials that is positioned to receive light that is emitted by an LED or other semiconductor light emitting device is referred to herein as a "recipient luminophoric medium." Exemplary recipient luminophoric mediums include layers having luminescent materials that are coated or sprayed directly onto a semiconductor light emitting device or on surfaces of the packaging thereof, and clear encapsulents (e.g., epoxy-based or silicone-based curable resin) that include luminescent materials that are arranged to partially or fully cover a semiconductor light emitting device. A recipient luminophoric medium may include one medium layer or the like in which one or more luminescent materials are mixed, multiple stacked layers or mediums, each of which may include one or more of the same or different luminescent materials, and/or multiple spaced apart layers or mediums, each of which may include the same or different luminescent materials.

Recipient luminophoric mediums having narrow spectrum luminescent materials and related semiconductor light emitting devices and methods


A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to collect additional location-related data. In the context of a method, for example, an entity in motion is identified and a drone is caused to accompany the entity that has been identified and to collect the location-related data while accompanying the entity. After having collected at least some location-related data, the method includes causing the drone to discontinue accompanying of the entity and to travel toward a destination.

Location-related data is utilized for a wide variety of purposes. For example, digital maps and other navigation applications use location-related data to provide accurate and up-to-date information to consumers of the digital maps or other navigation applications, such as vehicles, drivers, or the like. The location-related data may include not only information regarding the location of roads, trails or the like including, in some instances, lane-level information, but also information regarding a number of other parameters, such as information regarding traffic flow or congestion, information regarding the curvature of roads, information regarding the speed of travel along a road, information regarding road roughness and many other parameters utilized, for example, by mapping applications and for other navigational services.
Location-related data may be provided by a variety of sources. For example, dedicated vehicles may travel along roads to collect location-related data. These dedicated vehicles include a plurality of sensors, such as one or more cameras, one or more light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors, inertial sensors, temperature sensors, altimeters, one or more global positioning system (GPS) sensors (including assisted GPS sensors) or the like, in order to capture location-related data. While these dedicated vehicles collect a very robust set of located-related data, need for location-related data is great and deploying dedicated vehicles is relatively expensive. Thus, location-related data is also collected by other location-aware devices. For example, many privately owned or operated vehicles include a navigation system or other type of location-aware system that permits location-related data to be collected while the privately owned or operated vehicle travels along the roads. Further, a variety of mobile communication devices, such as mobile telephones, e.g. smartphones, smartwatches, personal navigation devices, tablet computers and the like, also include mapping or navigation systems or other location-aware systems such that these mobile communication devices may similarly collect location-related data as the person carrying the mobile device travels along various roads or other trails, such as on foot, in a vehicle, or otherwise.
These additional sources of location-related data increase the quantity of location-related data and, as a result, assist in maintaining the completeness, freshness and accuracy of the location-related data that is utilized by mapping and other navigational applications. However, these other sources of navigation-related data may be stationary or otherwise inaccessible for extended periods of time and, as such, may only sporadically provide useful location-related data. By way of example, a vehicle that includes a navigation or other location-aware system may oftentimes be parked, such as at a residence, an office or the like. While parked, the navigation or other location-aware system of the vehicle will not provide location-related data or at least will not provide location-related data that is not redundant with location-related data that has been previously provided. Similarly, a person that carries a mobile communication device that includes a navigation or other location-aware application may frequently be stationary, such as at a residence, an office or the like, such that the mobile communication device fails to provide useful location-related data for lengthy periods of time.
Furthermore, even in instances in which location-related data is collected by navigation or other location-aware systems onboard a vehicle or navigation or other location-aware applications executed by mobile communication devices, the location-related data may be proprietary or otherwise restricted. As such, the location-related data may not be available to a data collection entity that would otherwise utilize the location-related data to create and update digital maps and other related navigation information.

Drone-based collection of location-related data


The present invention relates generally to a method of amplifying a nucleic acid region of interest and, more particularly, to a method of amplifying a nucleic acid region of interest via a nested single tube PCR. The method is designed to provide a means to selectively inactivate the functionality of the outer primer or primers and to maintain amplification efficiency throughout the reaction. The development of a means to achieve efficient amplification by the outer primer followed by efficient amplification with the inner primers, in the context of a single tube nested PCR, is useful in a range of applications including, but not limited to, the diagnosis and/or monitoring of disease conditions which are characterized by specific gene sequences and the characterization or analysis of specific gene regions of interest. Still further, the method enables quantification to be performed and not just simple detection.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method of amplifying a nucleic acid region of interest and, more particularly, to a method of amplifying a nucleic acid region of interest via a nested single tube PCR. The method of the invention is designed to provide a means to selectively inactivate the functionality of the outer primer or primers and to maintain amplification efficiency throughout the reaction. The development of a means to achieve efficient amplification by the outer primer followed by efficient amplification with the inner primers, in the context of a single tube nested PCR, is useful in a range of applications including, but not limited to, the diagnosis and/or monitoring of disease conditions which are characterized by specific gene sequences and the characterization or analysis of specific gene regions of interest. Still further, the method of the present invention enables quantification to be performed and not just simple detection.
2. Description of the Related Art
The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.
Bibliographic details of the publications referred to by author in this specification are collected alphabetically at the end of the description.
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique which is utilised to amplify specific regions of a DNA strand. This may be a single gene, just a part of a gene or a non-coding sequence. Most PCR methods typically amplify DNA fragments of up to 10 kilo base pairs (kb), although some techniques allow for amplification of fragments up to 40 kb in size (Cheng et al., 1994, Proc Natl Acad Sci. 91:5695-5699).
PCR, as currently practiced, requires several basic components (Sambrook and Russel, 2001, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 3rd Ed.). These components are:
a DNA template which contains the region of the DNA fragment to be amplified;
primers, which are complementary to the DNA regions at the 5′ and 3′ ends of the DNA region that is to be amplified;
a DNA polymerase (e.g. Taq polymerase or another thermostable DNA polymerase with a temperature optimum at around 70° C.), used to synthesize a DNA copy of the region to be amplified; and
Deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) from which the DNA polymerase builds the new DNA.
PCR is carried out in small reaction tubes (0.2-0.5 ml volumes), containing a reaction volume typically of 15-100 μl, which are inserted into a thermal cycler. This machine heats and cools the reaction tubes within it to the precise temperature required for each step of the reaction. Most thermal cyclers comprise heated lids to prevent condensation on the inside of the reaction tube caps. Alternatively, a layer of oil may be placed on the reaction mixture to prevent evaporation.
Accordingly, PCR is a method that allows exponential amplification of DNA sequences within a longer DNA molecule. The reaction involves a number of cycles of amplification, and in each cycle the template for each molecular reaction is either a strand of the initial DNA in the sample or a strand of DNA synthesised in a preceding cycle. Each PCR cycle involves the following steps
denaturation by heat to separate the 2 strands of the DNA duplex
hybridization of the upstream and downstream primers to their complementary sequences
extension of the primers by the DNA polymerase to produce a complementary copy of the template sequence
Typically the PCR reagents and conditions are chosen so that denaturation, hybridization and extension occur at close to maximum efficiency and as a result the amount of the desired sequence increases with each cycle by a factor of close to 2. Substantial amplification occurs by the end of the PCR eg a 30 cycle PCR will result in amplification of the original template by a factor of almost 230 (1,000,000,000). This degree of amplification facilitates detection and analysis of the amplified product.
After a number of cycles of amplification, the PCR may be terminated and the product analysed in various ways, most commonly by gel electrophoresis. When the PCR is carried out to a finite endpoint, the amount of amplified product is usually not closely related to the amount of input target DNA, and this type of PCR is rather a qualitative tool for detecting the presence or absence of a particular DNA and/or for providing sufficient target DNA for further analysis.
In order to measure messenger RNA (mRNA), the method uses reverse transcriptase to initially convert mRNA into complementary DNA (cDNA) which is then amplified by PCR and analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Reverse transcription followed by end-point PCR is similarly essentially a qualitative technique.
In order to provide quantification capability, real-time PCR was developed. This procedure follows the general pattern of PCR, but the amplified DNA is quantified during each cycle. Two common methods of quantification are the use of fluorescent dyes that intercalate with double-stranded DNA and modified DNA oligonucleotide primers or probes the fluorescence of which changes during one of the steps of the PCR. Frequently, real-time polymerase chain reaction is combined with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to quantify low abundance messenger RNA (mRNA), enabling a researcher to quantify relative gene expression at a particular time or in a particular cell or tissue type.
(i) Real-Time PCR Using Dyes Binding to Double-Stranded DNA
A DNA-binding dye, such as Sybr Green, binds to all double-stranded (ds)DNA in a PCR reaction, causing increased fluorescence of the dye. An increase in DNA product during PCR therefore leads to an increase in fluorescence intensity which is measured at each cycle, thus allowing DNA concentrations to be quantified.
(ii) Fluorescent Reporter Sequence Methods
A number of different methods using fluorescent reporter primers or probes have been developed and they tend to be more accurate and reliable than use of DNA binding dyes. They use one or more DNA primers or probes to quantify only the DNA to which the primer or probe hybridises. Use of a reporter probe, such as a Taqman probe, significantly increases specificity and may allow quantification even in the presence of some non-specific DNA amplification. Use of sequence-specific primers or probes allows for multiplexing—assaying for several different amplified products in the same reaction by using specific sequences or probes with different-coloured labels, provided that all targets are amplified with similar efficiency.
In terms of quantification, relative concentrations of DNA present during the exponential phase of the reaction are determined by plotting fluorescence against cycle number on a logarithmic scale. A threshold for increase of fluorescence above background or decrease below background (depending on the precise method) is determined. The cycle at which the fluorescence from a sample crosses the threshold is called the cycle threshold, Ct.
The amount of target DNA is then determined by comparing the test results to the results produced by one or more standards. When the target DNA is genomic DNA, then a series of standards, usually 10 fold dilutions of a known amount of the target DNA, are commonly used. When the target DNA is cDNA, then one or more internal standards of the cDNA of another gene are commonly used.
A variation of traditional PCR, designed to increase the specificity of the PCR amplification, is the nested PCR reaction. In this amplification reaction, two sets of primers are used in two successive reactions. In the first, one pair of primers is used to generate DNA products, which may also contain products amplified from non-target areas. The products from the first PCR are then used to start a second, using one ('hemi-nesting') or two different primers whose binding sites are located (nested) within the first set. The specificity of all of the primers is combined, usually leading to a single product.
Nested PCR is conventionally performed by carrying out an initial PCR in one reaction tube, transferring an aliquot of the amplified products into a second reaction tube, and then carrying out a second PCR. This procedure has two disadvantages. It is more complex than a single PCR and, more importantly, it carries the risk of contaminating the environment with the amplified products of the first PCR, which may lead to contamination of subsequent experimental procedures. For this reason, several methods have been developed for carrying out the successive PCRs in the one reaction tube.
Carrying out two rounds of PCR in the one reaction tube involves adding the primers for the two rounds into the initial reaction mixture. The methods that have then been used for producing two sequential rounds of PCR, the first using the outer pair of primers and the second using the inner pair, include:
using different annealing temperatures for the two rounds of PCR (Kemp et al., Gene 1990, 94:223-228, Erlich et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,809),
decreasing the concentration of the primers for the first round PCR (Erlich et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,809)
varying the annealing times for the two rounds of PCR Grosz et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,728)
modifying the structure of the primers for the second round of PCR and using two different annealing temperatures during this round. (Xu Dingbang Publication CN1858219).
using a low denaturation temperature for the second round PCR (Erlich et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,809)
using chemically modified primers for the first round PCR and an enzyme which would progressively destroy them (Du Breuil Lastrucci U.S. Pat. No. 7,273,730)
using an initial physical separation of the reagents for the first and second round PCRs (Yourno U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,773, Ching et al. United States Patent Application 20060177844).
The principle underlying all of these methods is to produce, at some point, a rapid or gradual inhibition of the activity of the primers for the first round PCR so that ongoing amplification depends progressively on the activity of the primers for the second round PCR. However, all of these methods have disadvantages, the nature of the disadvantage depending upon the method. Their robustness varies and the reaction conditions may need to be adjusted depending on the sequence of interest which is to be amplified. Amplification may be inefficient, in some cases throughout the first round PCR and in other cases during the transition from the first round to the second round PCR. As a consequence, some of the approaches are not widely used in practice, whereas others are used only for detection and not for quantification.
In work leading up to the present invention, a single tube nested PCR method has been developed which facilitates both specificity and efficiency by providing a mechanism to selectively inactivate the functionality of the outer primer once it is no longer required, thereby enabling efficient amplification using the outer primers followed by efficient amplification using the inner primer. This has therefore enabled the development of a PCR method which is sufficiently efficient to effect quantification, as well as detection, and which provides the unique advantages of a single tube nested PCR reaction.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) device has a USB plug with reduced wobble. A USB metal wrap around the perimeter of the USB plug is attached to a housing by overmolding. A plug supporter is inserted into the front of the USB metal wrap, and has locking tabs that snap over the inside wall of the housing. Side tabs on the plug supporter fit into side slots on the USB metal wrap to secure the plug supporter inside the USB metal wrap. A circuit board with a USB flash controller has USB metal contacts on an extension end that is inserted through the housing and into the USB metal wrap. The extension end fits underneath top tabs on the plug supporter, preventing the extension end with the USB metal contacts from upward wobble when the USB plug is inserted into a USB socket.

Flash memories have gained wide acceptance for non-volatile storage, which is ideal for portable devices that may lose power, since the data is not lost when stored in the flash memory. Flash memories are constructed from electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) cells. Flash EEPROM chips may store 1 G-Bytes or more of data. Small flash-memory cards have been designed that have a connector that can plug into a specialized reader, such as for compact-flash, secure-digital, memory stick, or other standardized formats.
More recently, flash memory cards are being sold that contain a USB connector. Such USB-flash memory cards do not require a specialized reader but can be plugged into a USB connector on a personal computer (PC) or other hosting device. These USB-flash memory cards can be used in place of floppy disks. A USB-flash card can have a capacity of more than ten floppy disks in an area not much larger than a large postage stamp.
Rather than use a randomly-addressable scheme such as is common with dynamic-random-access memory (DRAM), many flash memories use a block-based addressing where a command and an address are sent over the data bus and then a block of data is read or written. Since the data bus is also use to send commands and addresses, fewer pins are needed on the flash-memory chip, reducing cost. Thus flash memory is often used as a mass-storage device rather than a randomly-addressable device.
FIG. 1A shows a prior-art flash-memory card with a USB connector. Flash memory chip 12 may be a 128 Mega-byte non-volatile chip or may have some other capacity. Controller chip 14 contains a flash-memory controller that generates signals to access memory locations within flash memory chip 12. Controller chip 14 also contains a USB interface controller that serially transfers data to and from flash memory chip 12 over a USB connection.
USB connector 20 may be mounted on board 10, which is a small circuit board with chips 12, 14 mounted thereon. Multi-layer printed-circuit board (PCB) technology can be used for board 10. A plastic case (not shown) can surround board 10.
USB connector 20 contains a small connector substrate 16, which is often white ceramic, black rigid plastic, or another sturdy substrate. Connector substrate 16 has four or more metal contacts 18 formed thereon. Metal contacts 18 carry the USB signals generated or received by controller chip 14. USB signals include power, ground, and serial differential data D+, D−.
USB connector 20 contains a metal case that wraps around connector substrate 16. The metal case touches connector substrate 16 on three of the sides of connector substrate 16. The top side of connector substrate 16, holding metal contacts 18, has a large gap to the top of the metal case. On the top and bottom of this metal wrap are formed holes 15. USB connector 20 is a male connector, such as a type-A USB connector.
FIG. 1B shows a female USB connector. Female USB connector 22 can be an integral part of a PC, or can be connected by cable 21. Another connector substrate 26 contains four metal contacts 28 that make electrical contact with the four metal contacts 18 of the male USB connector 20 of FIG. 1A. Connector substrate 26 is wrapped by a metal case, but small gaps are between the metal case and connector substrate 26 on the lower three sides.
Locking is provided by metal springs 24 in the top and bottom of the metal case. When male USB connector 20 of FIG. 1A is flipped over and inserted into Female USB connector 22 of FIG. 1B, metal springs 24 lock into holes 15 of male USB connector 20.
FIGS. 2A, 2B are cross-sections highlighting connections between male and female USB connectors. Female USB connector 22 is on the left while male USB connector 20 is being inserted from the right. Male USB connector 20 is flipped over relative to the view of FIG. 1A. Metal contacts 18 are formed on the lower surface of connector substrate 16 on male USB connector 20, while metal contacts 28 are formed on the upper surface of connector substrate 26 on Female USB connector 22. Thus the metal contacts face one another to allow for electrical contact when male USB connector 20 is inserted into Female USB connector 22 as shown in FIG. 2B.
Metal springs 24 formed on the metal case surrounding connector substrate 26 on Female USB connector 22 fit into holes on the metal case of male USB connector 20. This helps to lock the connectors together.
FIG. 3 shows a prior-art USB flash memory card using a slim USB connector. Male USB connector 20 of FIGS. 1, 2 is relatively large. The metal case in particular is cumbersome and increases manufacturing cost. Costs may be reduced by integrating male USB connector 30 with board 32. Board 32 is a PCB that has flash memory chip 12 and controller chip 14 mounted thereon. Board 32 is extended to include male USB connector 30, which has metal contacts 38 formed on end 36 of board 32.
The width and thickness of board 32 at end 36 containing male USB connector 30 is designed to approximately match that of connector substrate 16 of FIG. 1A. Plastic case 34 can enclose board 32 but have an opening for metal contacts 38. Plastic case 34 can cover the bottom and sides of male USB connector 30 up to end 36 to emulate potions of the metal case of the male USB connector of FIG. 1A.
FIGS. 4A, 4B show cross-sections of the prior-art slim USB connector being inserted into a standard Female USB connector. Board 32 that has male USB connector 30 formed on end 36 is flipped over from the view shown in FIG. 3, and end 36 is inserted into female USB connector 22 from the right side.
Metal contacts 38 are located on the lower surface of male USB connector 30. Plastic case 34 has an opening on the lower surface of male USB connector 30 to expose the metal contacts so they can make electrical connection with metal contacts 28 on the upper surface of connector substrate 26 of Female USB connector 22 when inserted as shown in FIG. 4B.
Plastic case 34 helps to fill the gap between board 32 and the top edge of the metal case of Female USB connector 22. Plastic case 34 is also formed along the thin edges of board 32 and helps to fill in the gaps between connector substrate 26 and the sides of the metal case of Female USB connector 22 that are above and below the plane of FIG. 4B.
While slim USB connector 30 can be less expensive and smaller than the standard USB connector, it fits less securely into a standard Female USB connector. The lack of the metal case removes the mechanical support provided as the male metal case that fits in the gap below connector substrate 26 and the bottom side of the metal case for the female connector.
The result is a noticeable wobble in the up and down direction when a USB flash memory card containing male USB connector 30 is inserted into Female USB connector 22. Vertical movement of 3-4 millimeter at the end of a 4-centimeter flash card can occur with slight finger pressure. This vertical play gives the user the feeling that the flash memory card is cheap and unreliable, even when sufficient electrical contact is made.
Related Patent Uses Dividers and End Rails to Aid Support
A related patent, U.S. Ser. No. 10/605,146, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,984, disclosed using dividers between the metal USB pads and end rails to increase support for a slim USB connector. A flash-memory card using such as supporting slim USB connector was also disclosed in the parent patent.
While useful, various improvements in the flash-memory card with the slim USB connector have been developed by the inventors. Manufacturing methods and products made by these methods are also being disclosed in this application.

USB device with integrated USB plug with USB-substrate supporter inside


Flow cells configured for piezoelectric millimeter-sized cantilever sensors provide direct, sensitive detection of analytes in fluid media. The flow cells comprise a flow inlet and a flow outlet positioned to cause sample flow past a sensing surface of the cantilever sensor. The flow cell is configured for millimeter-sized cantilever sensors. The geometry of the flow cell influences the sample flow and thus the interaction of the flow with the cantilever sensor.

Sensors that rely on mechanical resonance such as quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors, microcantilever sensors, and plasma resonance sensors (SPR) are commonly used in flow cells. A flow cell is a vessel in which a sensor is placed to detect material in a medium. Typically, the medium is pumped through the flow cell. Thus, the medium flows through the cell, and hence the moniker flow cell. Typically flow rates of the medium in flow cells utilizing mechanical resonance sensors are on the order of micro-liters per minute (μL/min). For example, the recommended liquid flow rate for use in instrument grade quartz crystal microbalance QCM sensors is 200 μL/min. Lower flow rates of about 33 μL/min are typically used with other microcantilever sensors.
In general, performance of both QCM and microcantilever sensors deteriorates at high flow rates. This can present a problem when the sample volume of the medium is large and the amount of target material (material to be detected) in the medium is low. For example, the tolerable level for Cryptosporidium and Giardia is 0.2 cells per liter of drinking water. Thus, using a typical QCM and microcantilever sensor to test a source of drinking water for parasites, such as Cryptosporidium (a parasite known to cause diarrhea) or Giardia (a parasite known to infect the intestinal tract), is neither effective or practicable without a concentrating step.

Flow cells for piezoelectric cantilever sensors


A fishing lure has a rattling device comprising an elongated capsule of synthetic resin material containing noise-makers and having a cap which also serves to secure the capsule to the lure. The exterior of the capsule is exposed to the water in which the lure is immersed to optimally transmit noise from the rattle to the water for attracting fish.

The present invention relates, in general, to fishing equipment, and more particularly to a novel rattling capsule for attachment to the exterior of a fishing lure for noise-making to attract fish by mimicking their prey.
Heretofore various rattling lure concepts have been known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,115 to Auten et al discloses a glass capsule containing several metal balls; the capsule being buried within a plastic worm to create a noise-making lure from a silent lure. U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,660 to Plew shows a metal ball sealed within two metal cups to form a noise-making device for molding within a soft plastic lure, such as a worm, for attaching to the hook itself before being molded within a lead weight, or for attaching to a wire harness for selective placement on a fish line.
Another type of noise-making worm lure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,307 to Pittman. Pittman teaches lure-exterior rattles tied to the lure tail and formed as an open sphere with a clacker or an enclosed bell form containing several hard balls for noise-making.
A rattle for use on a spinner-type lure is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,353 to McClellan. The McClellan rattle consists of hexagonal slugs or beads contained in a bullet or torus shaped capsule having a central tube for carriage on the spinner wire or attached line.
Other jig-type lures exist in which the rattle is entirely surrounded by the body of the lure itself. These include lures shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,326 to Hoover et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,228 to Giovengo and U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,750 to Gammill. The Hoover et al rattle is merely a cavity molded within the lead weight of the jig. The cavity contains one metal ball and is sealed by a cap retained on a shelf formed at the edge of the cavity. The Giovengo lure contains a capsule with ridged sides containing multiple steel balls, the entire rattle being covered by a rubber sock. Gammill teaches a lead weight having a molded cavity for containing an aluminum or steel cylinder holding metal balls, the molded cavity being plugged by a larger metal ball.
Various shortcomings exist with known noise-making fishing lures, and achieving the goal of sufficiently mimicking the sound made by fishes' prey is not a simple task. Often the manufacturing process is complicated or expensive or the noise produced is unsatisfactory. For example, the patents of Plew, Auten et al, Hoover et al, Gammill and Giovengo all illustrate noise-makers which are formed within the lure itself or surrounded by some material so that the rattle is muffled, producing unsatisfactory mimicking. By contrast, Pittman shows a rattle which is exterior of the lure, but requires relatively complex attachment and is subject to snagging and breakage. Likewise, the Plew rattle may be attached exterior to the lure body, but so doing requires that the hook be formed in an abnormal, off-set position or that the rattle be attached to a harness for tying to the fish line; both arrangements are somewhat bulky and subject the lure to a high risk of snagging. Other rattles, such as those illustrated in McClellan, and previously discussed, are very complex in their designs, complicating and increasing the cost of manufacture.
Accordingly, it is among the objects of this invention to provide a rattle for use with fishing lures that relatively realistically imitates the noise produced by certain fish prey, such as crayfish, and that the noise be loud enough for the target fish to hear. The subject lure should be relatively simple and inexpensive to produce and easy to use as well as being water-tight and stream-lined to avoid snagging on underwater plants and other objects. The rattling lure of the present invention should further be formed so as to be easily decorated, at the manufacturer or user's option.
In furtherance of these objects, the invention is briefly, a fishing lure having a weight, a hook having a shank extending from the weight and a rattling device for attracting fish. The rattling device comprises an elongated capsule of synthetic resin material having at least one noise-maker therewithin. A capsule closure means maintains the noisemaker within the capsule and longitudinally secures the capsule to the lure. The outer surfaces of the capsule are exposed to water when the lure is immersed in water for transmitting noise from the noise-maker to the water for attracting fish.


A vertical-current-flow device includes a trench which includes an insulated gate and which extends down into first-conductivity-type semiconductor material. A phosphosilicate glass layer is positioned above the insulated gate and a polysilicon layer is positioned above the polysilicate glass layer. Source and body diffusions of opposite conductivity types are positioned adjacent to a sidewall of the trench. A drift region is positioned to receive majority carriers which have been injected by the source, and which have passed through the body diffusion. A drain region is positioned to receive majority carriers which have passed through the drift region. The gate is capacitively coupled to control inversion of a portion of the body region. As an alternative, a dielectric layer may be used in place of the doped glass where permanent charge is positioned in the dielectric layer.

The present application relates to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to trench device structure and fabrication.
Trench MOSFET devices being manufactured today have their source regions formed by implanting the required dopant species.
Note that the points discussed below may reflect the hindsight gained from the disclosed inventions, and are not necessarily admitted to be prior art.
With reference to FIG. 1, a vertical DMOS transistor is shown. This Figure is from U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,079, which is incorporated by reference in the present application. Gate regions 12 are formed within a gate dielectric layer 17. P− body regions 18 are diffused into the epi layer (or substrate) 10. A second layer of polycrystalline silicon 11 is deposited. The second polysilicon layer 11 is N-type doped using phosphorus, arsenic or antimony.
A layer of silicon dioxide 19 is deposited on the polysilicon 11 and the exposed parts of the silicon substrate 10, The n-type dopant in the second polysilicon layer 11 forms the diffused n-type source regions 14. P-type dopant is introduced and diffused to the desired depth forming p+ region 16 which is shown as being shallower than p− body region 18, but may be the same depth, or deeper, than p− body region 18. Separate contact regions 13, 15 are opened through insulating layer 19 to the polysilicon layer to electrically contact the source region 14. This structure allows the contact to the source polysilicon to be made a distance from the diffused source region in the silicon.


Methods for forming split gate flash cell structures provide for symmetrical cells that are immune to misalignment of the photoresist pattern when forming the control gates. Spacers are utilized to form the floating gates in the floating gate transistors used in the flash cells. The spacers may be oxide spacers used to mask a polysilicon layer that will form the floating gates or the spacers may be polysilicon spacers that will themselves form the floating gates. The inter-gate oxide of the floating gate transistors may be formed using HTO or may be deposited. Hard mask spacers are used in conjunction with the control gate photoresist patterning operation to control the size and configuration of the control gate and the channel length.

A flash memory is a non-volatile storage device that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. Flash memories are commonly used in memory cards, USB flash drives and solid-state drives for general storage and transfer of data between computers and other digital products. Flash memory devices typically store information in an array of memory cells made using floating gate transistors.
A floating gate transistor is a field effect transistor having a structure similar to a conventional MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor). Floating gate MOSFETs are distinguished from conventional MOSFETs because the floating gate transistor includes two gates instead of one. In addition to an upper control gate, a floating gate transistor includes an additional floating gate beneath the control gate and above the transistor channel but completely electrically isolated by an insulating layer such as an oxide layer that completely surrounds the floating gate. This electrically isolated floating gate creates a floating node in DC with a number of inputs or secondary gates such as the control gate, formed above the floating gate and electrically isolated from it. These secondary gates or inputs are only capacitively connected to the floating gate. Because the floating gate is completely surrounded by highly resistive material, i.e. the insulating layer, any charge placed on the floating gate is trapped there and the floating gate remains unchanged for long periods of time until the floating gate MOSFET is erased. Unless erased, the floating gate will not discharge for many years under normal conditions. Fowler-Nordheim Tunneling or other Hot-Carrier injection mechanisms may be used to modify the amount of charge stored in the floating gate, e.g. to erase the floating gate. The erase operation is therefore critical to the operation of floating gate transistors.
The default state of an NOR ("Not Or" electronic logic gate) flash cell is logically equivalent to a binary "one" value because current flows through the channel under application of an appropriate voltage to the control gate when charge is stored in the floating gate. Such a flash cell device can be programmed or set to binary "zero" by applying an elevated voltage to the control gate.
To erase such a flash cell, i.e. resetting it to the "one" state, a large voltage of the opposite polarity is applied between the control gate and the source causing electrons to exit the floating gate through quantum tunneling. In this manner, the electrical charge is removed from the floating gate. This tunneling necessarily takes place through the inter-gate dielectric formed between the floating gate and the control gate. It is therefore important to provide a floating gate transistor having a floating gate and an inter-gate dielectric with appropriate shapes and thicknesses that will promote the creation of a strong electric field that enables tunneling and allows for the flash cell device to be erased.
One conventional method for forming the inter-gate dielectric includes locally oxidizing an exposed portion of polysilicon that will form the floating gate, the localized portion being an exposed portion of polysilicon hot covered by an oxidation resistant film such as silicon nitride. This thermal oxidation of polysilicon includes a high thermal budget, which is generally undesirable in CMOS (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) technology. It would therefore be desirable to form floating gate transistors utilizing a lowered thermal budget.
In split gate flash cell technology, a common drain is typically formed in the substrate between two adjacent floating gate transistors. The common drain is commonly formed between the control gates of adjacent floating gate transistors and misalignment issues associated with patterning the control gate material can result in the common drain being improperly positioned and the control gates of adjacent floating gate transistors having different lengths. This is especially undesirable as this results in different channel lengths of the floating gate transistors and therefore different operational characteristics of the transistors.
Conventional split gate flash cells, adjacent floating gate transistors using a common drain and methods for making the same are therefore beset with a number of limitations and shortcomings.

Flash cell with floating gate transistors formed using spacer technology


Supplemental apparatus for a hand-held power drill that uses the rotational movement of the drill for both rotating a drill bit and advancing the drill bit into the work piece. In one form the illustrated apparatus comprises a separate attachment that includes a base for releasibly attaching to a hand drill. The base supports a moveable support unit for releasibly holding a selected drill bit in a position to be advanced into the work piece to drill a desired hole. A transmission mechanism on the base is connected to the support unit and transmits rotation from the chuck of the drill so as to both (1) rotate the drill bit, and (2) move the drill bit forwardly relative to the base into the work piece. The power drill connects to the attachment from the side so that it is disposed generally at right angles to the drill bit. This arrangement is very compact and allows the drill to be used in a limited spaces where it is very difficult for the operator to otherwise apply, from the side, the required forward force on the drill. The attachment may also include a control such as a clutch that is manually operable by the operator to selectively vary how rapidly the drill bit advances into the work piece. In another form the apparatus and the drill may be combined in one integrated unit.

Hand-held power drills are widely used tools. When using such a drill, the operator is normally required to apply a substantial manual forward force to advance the drill bit into the work piece. This obviously requires effort from the operator and uses energy that could be utilized in other ways. Further, after a substantial amount of this type of drilling, the operator can become fatigued and subject to slow down and/or injury.
Of particular significance, it has been found that often drilling must take place where there is a restricted space in front of the hole to be drilled. The operator must hold the drill from the side. This makes it difficult for the operator to apply the necessary forward force on the drill bit. It is also difficult to keep the drill bit aligned at right angles to the work piece surface. Further, especially when large size drills are required it is difficult to hold up the weight of the drill from the side.
It is also often desirable for the operator to be able to control the rate of advancement of the drill bit into the work piece.
There have been various attempts to meet these needs, but they have all been lacking in various ways.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,060,769 uses a complicated spring-loaded guide for advancing the drill bit. The spring is tensioned and it then applies an advancing force on the drill. This is not very satisfactory. The advancing force that the spring is capable of applying is rather limited. However, as stronger springs are used, the weight of the device undesirably increases. Further the force of each spring is a generally fixed value which cannot be varied during operation. This device also does not readily allow one to operate in tight spots.
Another attempt is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,089,357 that uses a guiding and advancing system that is very hard to attach to the drill and very difficult to use.


A failure countermeasure support system for efficiently determining upon countermeasures to be executed for remedying a failure of a construction machine, based upon information about the failure. There are provided: a plurality of maintenance databases 2, 3, 4, and 5; a structured information database 100 in which the maintenance information in the maintenance databases 2, 3, 4, and 5 is structured; a structured information search section 13 which searches the structured information database on the basis of failure information about a mobile vehicle, and extracts one or more structured information records; and a display control section 15 which outputs a list of the one or more extracted structured information records. The outputted list includes link information to maintenance information in the maintenance databases 2, 3, 4, and 5, corresponding to structured information records which are included in this list.

It is possible to determine countermeasures to be efficiently performed for maintenance of a mobile vehicle such as a construction machine or the like, using a database in which various types of information for maintenance have been accumulated. There are various types of such maintenance databases, such as, for example, manuals for troubleshooting, parts catalogs, instruction manuals, and the like.
Furthermore databases are also known in which, with a similar objective, past examples are registered which include failures which have actually occurred in the past, and countermeasures which have been taken against them.
Moreover, in Patent Citation #1, there is described a failure information management system in which a management server collects failure information from a vehicle such as a construction machine or the like which is operated in a workplace, and outputs a method for dealing with this failure or the like to the construction machine or the like.
Patent Citation #1: International Publication WO2006/085469

Failure countermeasure supporting system for mobile vehicle


The present invention provides an aluminum alloy brazing sheet material, particularly suitable for charge air cooler applications, comprising a core alloy and a clad brazing alloy, as well as to methods for their manufacture and use. The present invention also provides a method for increasing the yield strength of brazing sheet materials.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to materials and methods applicable to brazing sheet materials and in particular to aluminum alloys that maintain strength at high temperatures such as those that are required for automotive, vehicular, or industrial heat exchangers, and specifically in charge air coolers, as well as methods for their manufacture and use.
2. Description of Related Art
Strength enhancement of aluminum brazing sheet at room and elevated temperatures is desirable towards downgauging for weight saving and higher operating temperatures in various heat exchanger applications. Aluminum brazing sheet typically includes a core alloy of 3xxx and a lower melting braze clad of 4xxx series. 3xxx and 4xxx are designations as set forth by The Aluminum Association. As 3xxx series aluminum alloys are generally non-heat treatable, solid solution strengthening is the primary source of enhancing as-brazed strength. However, precipitation hardening to some extent is possible if magnesium is present in the core alloy. Age hardening in 3005 based brazing sheets was demonstrated in earlier work. (See for example, N. D. A. Kooij, J. A. H. Sxc3x6ntgerath, A. Bxc3xcrger, K. Vieregge, A. Haszler, xe2x80x9cNew High Strength Alloys for Brazing with Long Life Corrosion Propertiesxe2x80x9d, VTMS Conf. Proc., Indianapolis, Ind. 971882 (1997); N. D. A. Kooij, J. A. H. Sxc3x6ntgerath, A. Bxc3xcrger, K. Vieregge, A. Haszler, xe2x80x9cThe Development of Two High Strength Aluminum Brazing Sheet Alloys with Long Life Corrosion Propertiesxe2x80x9d, Alumitech Conf. Proc., Atlanta, Ga. (1997) p. 185-190; WO 99/55925 from Hoogovens Aluminium Walzprodukte xe2x80x9cAluminium Alloy for Use in a Brazed Assemblyxe2x80x9d; and H. Scott Goodrich and G. S. Murty, xe2x80x9cAge hardening effects in 3xxx series brazing sheet core alloysxe2x80x9d, VTMS 4 Conf. Proc., I Mech E 1999, London, p. 483, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties).
One mechanism of age hardening involves (i) diffusion of silicon from the braze clad into the core alloy, (ii) retention of silicon and magnesium in solution during cooling from the braze cycle, and (iii) then the precipitation of Mg2Si during subsequent vehicle operation or post-braze aging treatment. However, 3xxx alloys are generally not heat treatable, and the primary strengthening mechanism is by solid solution strengthening. It has been reported that age hardening of materials that included Mg in the core material such as 3005 was possible.
In a published study, Goodrich et al., xe2x80x9cAge hardening effects in 3xxx series brazing sheet core alloysxe2x80x9d, VTMS 4 Conf. Proc., I Mech E 1999, London, p.483, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, the aging response of different brazing sheets was monitored through room temperature tensile tests performed immediately after brazing and after aging for various times at 104xc2x0 C., 150xc2x0 C., 175xc2x0 C. and 200xc2x0 C. As the actual heat exchanger operating temperature is generally higher than room temperature, the material properties at elevated temperatures are of interest from a design standpoint. This especially applies to charge air coolers which are used in turbocharged engines and in diesel engines to cool the intake air compressed by the turbocharger prior to its injection into the cylinder chamber. This is done by employing an air-to-air heat exchanger (known in the automobile and truck industry as an inter-cooler or charge-air-cooler). The cooled and compressed air results in maximum performance derived from turbocharging, which lowers emission levels and improves fuel efficiencies. Charge air coolers are exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations and elevations in use, and as such, their construction in terms of metallurgy has proven difficult to design. Standard 3xxx series alloy such as 3003 alloys have been used in the past in some heat exchanger applications since they are easily formed into sheet, fins and tubes. However, they have relatively low strength and generally cannot be used in applications that require subjection to high temperatures. Different aluminum alloys have been used to construct charge air coolers including 3003, but the 3xxx series alloys, while being brazeable, are generally too soft to adequately machine or have the necessary mechanical properties at high temperatures to be acceptable for use in applications such as in charge air coolers. Moreover, the materials must be able to exhibit sufficient strength after long-term exposure to temperatures greater than about 177xc2x0 C. Many vehicle manufacturers have turned to copper and brass for designing materials useful in the manufacture of charge air coolers since these materials can operate at the temperatures required for a charge air cooler (i.e. up to peak temperatures of about 250-300xc2x0 C.). However, copper and brass are much heavier and costlier than aluminum, and as a result, typically cost more to operate in terms of fuel efficiency given their added weight. Thus it would be desirable to have an aluminum alloy that is suitable for use under the conditions required for charge air coolers without using copper/brass alloys. Since the use of turbocharged engines is increasing in both automobiles and trucks, there have been increasing demands on aluminum alloy suppliers to obtain a material that has good formability and acceptable strength over the complete temperature profile that is required for operating a charge air cooler.
An example of additional strengthening at elevated temperatures in charge air cooler alloys was reported by Raybould and Capriotti LaSalle in U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,266, xe2x80x9cHeat Exchanger Having Aluminum Alloy Parts Exhibiting High Strength at Elevated Temperatures,xe2x80x9d the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In accordance with these and other objects, the present invention provides aluminum alloy brazing sheet materials that have an increase in yield strength when the materials have been exposed to high temperatures for extended periods of time (i.e. temperatures of from 100-250xc2x0 C. or 260xc2x0 C., for times up to 2500 hours) greater than would have been expected. Such increases in yield strength of the inventive brazing sheet materials may be obtained by subjecting the aluminum alloy to a post braze aging treatment. The increase in yield strength of the core materials is unexpectedly retained, even after the materials are subjected to high temperatures for an extended period of time or when the materials are exposed to very high temperatures that would be found in the case of heat exchanger components, particularly in heat exchanger applications where down-gauging would be advantageous such as for header material and most particularly charge air coolers.
In further accordance with the present invention, there is provided a brazing sheet material comprising a core in 3xxx series alloy that includes at least one dispersoid forming element in an amount sufficient to increase the yield strength of the brazing sheet by up to about 20% in a peak age temper, as compared to the alloy in an as-brazed temper.
In further accordance with the present invention, there is provided a brazing sheet material comprising a core in a 3xxx series alloy of the following preferred composition (in weight % based on the weight of the core alloy): Si less than 0.2%, Fe less than 0.2%, Cu: 0.3%-0.7%, Mn: 1.3%-1.7%, Mg: 0.4%-0.8%, Ti less than 0.10% and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cr (preferably 0.05%-0.20%), Sc (preferably 0.05%-0.20%), V (preferably 0.05%-0.20%), Zr (preferably 0.05%-0.20%), Hf (preferably 0.05%-0.20%) Ni (preferably 0.20%-1%), balance aluminum and unavoidable impurities. In preferred embodiments, the inventive brazing sheet material has been subjected to a treatment sufficient to maintain an increase in strength over a wide temperature range.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects, features and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combination particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

High temperature aluminum alloy brazing sheet and methods of manufacturing and uses therefor


There are provided a water dispersion for ink-jet printing comprising colorant-containing water-insoluble graft polymer particles in which the water-insoluble graft polymer contains a main chain which is a polymer chain containing a constitutional unit derived from a salt-forming group-containing monomer (a) and a constitutional unit derived from an aromatic ring-containing (meth)acrylate monomer (b), and a side chain which is a polymer chain containing a constitutional unit derived from a hydrophobic monomer (c); a water-based ink for ink-jet printing using the water dispersion; and an ink-jet printing method using the water-based ink. In accordance with the present invention, printed images or characters formed on a coated paper are excellent in gloss, image clarity and image clarity property including both of the image clarity and the gloss, and printed images or characters formed on an ordinary paper exhibit a high print density.

In ink-jet printing methods, droplets of ink are directly projected onto a recording medium from very fine nozzles and allowed to adhere to the recording medium, to form characters and image. The ink-jet printing methods have been rapidly spread because of their various advantages such as easiness of full coloration, low costs, capability of using ordinary paper as the recording medium, non-contact with printed images and characters, etc.
Among such printing methods, in view of enhancing the weather resistance and water resistance of printed images and characters, an ink-jet printing method utilizing an ink containing a pigment as the colorant has now come to dominate. For example, PCT pamphlet WO 00/39226 discloses a water-based ink containing a pigment-containing vinyl polymer in which a graft polymer obtained from a macromer is used as the vinyl polymer to achieve a high print density.
Also, in JP 10-87768A, there is disclosed a water dispersion containing an insoluble colorant and a graft copolymer dispersant having a main chain and at least one side chain in which both the chains are respectively produced from an ethylenically unsaturated monomer, and one of the main chain and side chain constitutes a hydrophilic moiety and the other constitutes a hydrophobic moiety containing at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of aryl esters of acrylic acid, aryl esters of methacrylic acid, N-aryl acrylamides, N-acryl methacrylamides and vinyl aryl esters in an amount of 50% by weight or more based on the total weight of the hydrophobic moiety.
Although these conventional water-based inks are excellent in print density and dispersion stability, there is still such a need that the water-based inks are further improved in print density upon printing on ordinary papers as well as gloss upon printing on coated papers for ink-jet printing (hereinafter referred to merely a "coated papers").


The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to low power current-voltage mixed analog to digital converter (ADC) architecture. In some implementations, an ADC device includes a comparator array configured to receive an input analog voltage signal during a sample phase and a collection of reference voltages during a hold phase, a capacitor configured to receive the input analog voltage signal during the sample phase and to act as a feedback capacitor during the hold phase, an opamp coupled with the capacitor, and a transistor array configured to be powered by the opamp and activated by the comparator array to add or subtract currents to form a residue output voltage signal, which corresponds to the input analog voltage signal, used in analog to digital conversion of the input analog voltage signal.

The present disclosure describes systems and techniques relating to analog to digital converter (ADC) circuitry, such as pipelined ADC circuitry.
The pipelined ADC has become a popular ADC architecture for sampling rates from a few megasamples per second (Msps) up to 100 Msps or greater. Resolutions generally range from a few bits at the faster sample rates up to 16 bits at lower rates. These resolutions and sampling rates cover a wide range of applications, including charge coupled device (CCD) imaging, ultrasonic medical imaging, digital receivers, base stations, digital video (for example, high definition television, HDTV), digital subscriber lines (DSL), cable modems, and fast Ethernet.
FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic of prior art pipelined ADC circuitry 100. The circuitry 100 operates in two phases, a sample phase 110 wherein an input voltage (Vin) 125 is provided to the circuit, and a hold phase 120 wherein the input voltage 125 is compared to a number of reference voltages 130 to determine a residual voltage output 135 that is a portion of the input voltage 125.
During the sample phase 110, the input voltage 125 is provided to and stored across a collection of sampling capacitors 140 that are arranged in parallel. A capacitor 145 is reset in sample phase 110. The input voltage 125 is also stored on a feedback capacitor 145, which is also used as a sampling capacitor during the hold phase (e.g., to reduce the amount of area needed for the sampling capacitors).
Referring now to the hold phase 120, the input voltage 125 (now stored by the feedback capacitor 145) is compared by an opamp 150 to a collection of reference voltages applied to the sampling capacitors 140 to determine a residual voltage output 135 that presents an output voltage Vout that is substantially the input voltage 125 with the reference voltage added or subtracted from it.
Bandwidth is determined for a given sampling frequency, and for high accuracy an increased number of sampling capacitors 140 are generally needed. But as the number of sampling capacitors in the circuitry 100 is increased, the feedback factor decreases. One approach to this problem is to implement multiple opamps 150. But as the number of sampling capacitors 140 and opamps 150 increases, so too does the device size as well as the device's power requirements.

Low power current-voltage mixed ADC architecture


Systems and methods are presented herein for creating and using a multi-function device that allows a user to transform the device into the desired feature-set form which permit access to that feature's functions, without a need for a user to traverse a series of interface menus to get to the desired functionality. In an exemplary embodiment, the device can be transformed into a phone, a media player, and a camera.

Mobile communication devices, such as personal desktop assistants, contemporary mobile telephones, hand-held computers, tablet personal computers, laptop personal computers, wearable computers and the like are becoming popular user tools. In general, they have become small enough to be easily carried, consume little battery power, and, at the same time have become capable of containing more and more features, such as music players and cameras. However, most of the devices are built around a specific feature and to access a different feature (such as a camera on a phone-centric device), a user must navigate through several layers of user interface, which is not only time-consuming and cumbersome, but makes such devices difficult to use.


A double swirl burner including an annular air nozzle, an annular fuel nozzle coaxially disposed within the annular air nozzle, and a central air nozzle coaxially disposed within the annular fuel nozzle. An annular air nozzle may include at least one first inlet port on a peripheral wall of the annular air nozzle, where the first inlet port may be configured to allow for tangentially injecting a first air stream into the annular air nozzle. A first air stream may be tangent to a circular cross-section of the exemplary annular air nozzle, and a first axial inlet that may be configured to allow for axially injecting a second air stream into the annular air nozzle along a centerline of the annular air nozzle.

The current design of combustion systems is driven by the need for increased power density, improved fuel efficiency, reduced life-cycle costs, and reduced environmental impact due to NOx emissions. Various technologies have been developed to address the abovementioned needs, especially to control Nox emissions. These technologies include, but are not limited to, air staging, exhaust gas recirculation, and fuel staging. In the air staging approach, air is introduced into a combustion system in stages.
One way to implement air staging is by utilizing swirl combustion. Swirl combustion allows for increased fuel and oxidizer mixing and reduced local flame temperatures that may lead to higher combustion efficiencies and lower NOx emissions. In gas turbine applications and industrial burners, swirl flow is usually generated utilizing geometric swirl generators, such as guide vanes that are generally designed with invariable geometries. These geometric swirl generators are only capable of generating a specific swirl number. The swirl number, which is defined as a ratio of a tangential momentum to an axial momentum of swirl flow, is dependent on blade or vane angles of these geometric swirl generators as well as a mass flow rate of an airstream entering these geometric swirl generators.
Double annulus swirl burners may also be utilized for combustion. These double annulus swirl burners may allow for controlling a radial distribution of flow and the swirl number to achieve stable flames. The double annulus swirl burners may utilize geometric swirl generators in the annuluses to generate either co-swirling or counter-swirling airstreams within the two annuluses. As mentioned before, utilizing geometric swirl generators may limit the capability of changing the swirl number within the two annuluses; therefore, there is a need for a double swirl burner that may utilize aerodynamic swirl generators. These aerodynamic swirl generators may utilize axial and tangential airstreams to generate swirl flow. Accordingly, the swirl number for these aerodynamic swirl generators may be controlled by tuning a ratio of tangential and axial mass flowrates.


The disclosure relates to a heating and/or cooling system having an energy conversion device included in a refrigerant circuit and having reducing means for reducing and/or removing solidified phase change material from a component of a heat transfer circuit, wherein the reducing means are driven by energy provided from the energy conversion device. The disclosure also relates to a corresponding method for reducing or removing solidified phase change material.

Systems for heating and/or cooling usually comprise a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant is circulated. A class of these systems furthermore comprises a heat transfer circuit circulating a heat transfer medium. In some of these systems, the heat transfer medium can comprise or be a phase change material as a phase change slurry (PCS), for example. Such heating and/or cooling systems can be called as heating ventilation and cooling systems (HVAC), for example.

Heating and/or cooling system and method for reducing or removing solidified phase change material


A shoe for a bicycle includes an outsole having a depression for receiving a board and having an opening for receiving a coupler. The board has a recess for receiving a fastener plate. One or more fasteners are engaged through the coupler and the board and threaded to the fastener plate for securing the coupler to the board. A shoe upper includes a peripheral flange engaged onto the board and an insole has a peripheral portion snugly engaged with the peripheral flange of the shoe upper. The insole has a pivotal flap received in the recess and engaged with the fastener plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shoe, and more particularly to a shoe for bicycle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One typical shoe for attaching onto the bicycle is shown in FIGS. 5-7 and comprises an outsole 93 including an opening 96 formed therein for receiving a coupler 95 which is to be coupled to a pedal 97 (FIG. 4) of the bicycle for solidly securing the shoe to the pedal 97 and for preventing the shoe from being disengaged from the pedal 97. A shoe upper 90 includes a peripheral flange 91 extended inward from the bottom peripheral portion thereof and engaged into the outsole 93. An insole 92 and a pad 94 are engaged in the shoe upper 90. The insole 92 includes two oblong holes 921 formed therein for threading the fasteners 951 and includes a recess 922 formed therein for receiving a fastener plate 99 which is preferably made of metal materials. The fasteners 951 are threaded through the oblong holes 921 of the insole 92 and are threaded to the fastener plate 99 for securing the coupler 95 to the insole 92. The insole 92 and the shoe upper 90 and the outsole 91 are secured together by such as the adhesive materials, and may further be solidly secured together with stitches. For allowing the coupler 95 to be secured to the insole 92 with the fasteners 951, the insole 92 should be made of materials having a suitable strength for preventing the insole 92 from being deformed and for stably and solidly retaining the coupler 95 to the insole 92. Accordingly, a gap 98 should be formed between the outsole 93 and the insole 92, such that the insole 92 may not be solidly secured to the outsole 93 and such that the coupler 95 may become loose relative to the outsole 93 when the insole 92 is loosen relative to the outsole 93. The dirt may enter into the gap 98 formed between the outsole 93 and the insole 92, such that the insole 92 may further be easily disengaged from the outsole 93. Especially, the peripheral flange 91 may not be formed flat when the peripheral flange 91 is bent radially inward from the bottom peripheral portion of the shoe upper 90.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional shoes for bicycles.