A dielectric ceramic composition which contains a rare earth element (Ln), Al, Ca and Ti as metal elements and which when these components are expressed in terms of a mole ratio as aLn.sub.2 O.sub.x.bAl.sub.2 O.sub.3. cCaO.dTiO.sub.2, the values of a, b, c, d and x satisfy a+b+c+d=1, 0.056.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.0.214, 0.056.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.0.214, 0.286.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.0.500, 0.230.ltoreq.d.ltoreq.0.470, and 3.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.4. The dielectric having the above composition is disposed between a pair of input and output terminals to constitute a dielectric resonator. The dielectric ceramic composition exhibits such dielectric properties as a large dielectric constant at high frequencies, a large Q-value and a small temperature coefficient of resonance frequency. Satisfactory properties are exhibited when the dielectric ceramic composition is used for a resonator or as a material of circuit board for high-frequency applications.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel dielectric ceramic composition suited as a material of resonators and circuit boards used in the microwave region mounted, for example, on mobile phones, cordless telephones, personal wireless telephony and satellite broadcast receivers, and to a dielectric resonator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, dielectric ceramics have been widely used in the microwave region accompanying the realization of mobile phones, cordless telephones, personal wireless telephony and satellite broadcast receivers. The dielectric ceramics for microwave applications are chiefly used for the resonators requiring, however, the following three properties to be satisfied--(1) the dielectric ceramic should exhibit a large dielectric constant relative to its size that is urged to be reduced, since the wavelength is contracted to 1/.epsilon.r.sup.1/2 in the dielectric, (2) the dielectric ceramic should exhibit small dielectric loss at high frequencies, i.e., should have a high Q-value, and (3) the dielectric ceramic should exhibit a resonance frequency that changes little with a change in the temperature, i.e., should have a small temperature dependence of the dielectric constant and should remain stable.
Dielectric ceramics of this kind which have been known so far include oxide ceramic materials such as BaO-TiO.sub.2 type material, BaO-REO-TiO.sub.2 (where REO denotes an oxide of a rare earth element) type material, MgTiO.sub.3 -CaTiO.sub.3 type material and like materials (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications Nos. 10806/1986, 100058/1988 and 19603/1985).
The BaO-TiO.sub.2 type material exhibits a dielectric constant .epsilon.r which is as great as 37 to 40 and a Q-value of as great as 40,000. It is, however, difficult to obtain the BaO-TiO.sub.2 type material which exhibits a temperature coefficient .tau.f of resonance frequency which is zero in a single phase. Moreover, the BaO-TiO.sub.2 type material permits the dielectric constant to greatly change with a change in the composition and further permits the dielectric constant to greatly change depending upon the temperature. With this material, therefore, it is difficult to stably decrease the temperature coefficient .tau.f of resonance frequency maintaining a large dielectric constant and a small dielectric loss.
As for the BaO-REO-TiO.sub.2 material, there has been known a BaO-Nd.sub.2 O.sub.3 -TiO.sub.2 type material or a BaO-Sm.sub.2 O.sub.3 -TiO.sub.2 type material. However, though these materials exhibit dielectric constants .epsilon.r of as very great as 40 to 60 and a temperature coefficient .tau.f of resonance frequency which is zero, their Q-values are as small as 5000 or less.
Moreover, the MgTiO.sub.3 -CaTiO.sub.3 type material exhibits a Q-value which is as great as 30,000 and a temperature coefficient .tau.f of resonance frequency which is zero, but exhibits a dielectric constant .epsilon.r which is as small as 16 to 25.
Thus, none of the above-mentioned materials fully satisfy the aforementioned three properties required for the dielectric material for high-frequency applications.
The present invention was contrived in view of the above-mentioned defects, and provides a dielectric ceramic composition which has a large dielectric constant, a large Q-value, small temperature dependence of the dielectric constant and remains stable, and a dielectric resonator.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have forwarded the study and have discovered that a dielectric ceramic composition could be obtained having a large dielectric constant, a large Q-value, small temperature dependence of the dielectric constant and which is stable if the composition is composed of Ln.sub.2 O.sub.x, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, CaO, and TiO.sub.2 (Ln is at least one or more kinds of rare earth elements, and 3.ltoreq.x .ltoreq.4) which are adjusted to lie over a particular range.
That is, the dielectric ceramic composition of the present invention contains, as metal elements, a rare earth element (Ln) , Al, Ca and Ti. Here, when these components are expressed in terms of a molar ratio as aLn.sub.2 O.sub.x.bAl.sub.2 O.sub.3.cCaO. dTiO.sub.2, the values of a, b, c, d and x satisfy a+b+c+d=1, 0.056.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.0.214, 0.056 .ltoreq.b.ltoreq.0.213, 0.286.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.0.500, 0.230.ltoreq.d.ltoreq.0.470, and 3.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.4. Moreover, the dielectric resonator of the present invention comprises a dielectric ceramic disposed between a pair of input and output terminals and operates relying upon the electromagnetic coupling, wherein the dielectric ceramic contains, as metal elements, a rare earth element (Ln), Al, Ca and Ti. Here, when these components are expressed in terms of a molar ratio as aLn.sub.2 O.sub.x bAl.sub.2 O.sub.3 cCaO dTiO.sub.2, the values of a, b, c, d and x satisfy a+b+c+d=1, 0.056.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.0.214, 0.056.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.0.214, 0.286.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.0.500, 0.230.ltoreq.d.ltoreq. 0.470, and 3.ltoreq.x.times..ltoreq.4.
The dielectric ceramic composition of the present invention is a composite oxide containing a rare earth element (Ln) , Al, Ca and Ti as metal elements. Described below is the reason why the composition is limited within the above-mentioned ranges.
The range 0.056.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.0.214 is selected because of the reason that when 0.056 >a, the temperature coefficient .tau.f becomes great having a positive sign and the absolute value of .tau.f exceeds 30. When a>0.214, the dielectric constant decreases, the Q-value becomes smaller than 20,000, the temperature coefficient .tau.f becomes great having a negative sign and its absolute value exceeds 30. Particularly preferred range is 0.078.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.0.1166.
The range 0.056.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.0.214 is selected because when 0.056>b, the Q-value becomes smaller than 20,000 and the temperature coefficient .tau.f increases having a positive sign. When b>0.214, the Q-value becomes smaller than 20,000. Particularly preferred range is 0.078.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.0.1166.
Furthermore, the range 0.286.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.0.500 is selected because when 0.286>c, the Q-value becomes smaller than 20,000 and when c>0.500, the temperature coefficient .tau.f becomes great having the negative sign and its absolute value exceeds 30. Particularly preferred range is 0.390.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.0.47.
Moreover, the range 0.230<d<0.470 is selected because when 0.230.gtoreq.d, the temperature coefficient .tau.f becomes great having the negative sign and when d.gtoreq.0.470, the Q-value becomes smaller than 20,000. Particularly preferred range is 0.340.ltoreq.d.ltoreq.0.422.
Rare earth elements (Ln) may be Y, La, Ce, Pt, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Er, Yb and Nd. Among them, Nd is most preferred. In the present invention, there may be used two or more kinds of rare earth elements (Ln). From the standpoint of temperature dependence of the dielectric constant, it is desired to use Y, Ce, Pr, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Er and Yb.
A preferred dielectric ceramic has a composition expressed by the following formula: EQU aNd.sub.2 O.sub.3.bA.sub.2 O.sub.3.cCaO.dTiO.sub.2
wherein a, b, c, and d have the same meaning as mentioned above.
And another preferred ceramic has a composition expressed by the following formula: EQU ALm.sub.2 O.sub.x.bAl.sub.2 O.sub.3.cCaO.dTiO.sub.2
wherein Lm denotes a combination of Nd and other rare earth element selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Er and Yb, said Nd and other rare earth element being present at an atomic ratio of 9:1 to 1:9, especially 9:1 to 5:5.
According to the present invention, furthermore, the dielectric ceramic composition consists of the above-mentioned composition as main components and to which may be further added ZnO, NiO, SnO.sub.2, Co.sub.3 O.sub.4, MnCO.sub.3, ZrO.sub.2, WO.sub.3, LiCO.sub.3, Rb.sub.2 CO.sub.3, Sc.sub.2 O.sub.3, V.sub.2 O.sub.5, CuO, SiO.sub.2, MgCO.sub.3, Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3, B.sub.2 O.sub.3, GeO.sub.2, Sb.sub.2 O.sub.5, Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5, Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5, and the like compound. These compounds can be added in amounts of smaller than 6% by weight though it may vary depending upon the components that are added. Among them, Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5 and Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 that are added in amounts of 1 to 4% by weight help increase the dielectric constant compared with that of when they are not added, and help bring the temperature characteristics close to 0. It is therefore allowed to obtain a dielectric ceramic having excellent properties.
The dielectric ceramic composition of the present invention is prepared, for example, as described below. As starting materials, the powders of a rare earth oxide of a high purity, an aluminum oxide, a titanium oxide and a calcium carbide are weighed to be at desired ratios. Powders of Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5, Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5, ZnO and the like may be added to the above main components. Thereafter, pure water is added thereto and the starting materials are mixed and pulverized under the wet condition by a mill using zirconia balls for 10 to 30 hours until the average particle diameter of the mixed components becomes smaller than 1.6 .mu.m. The mixture is dried, calcined at 1100.degree. to 1300.degree. C. for 1 to 4 hours, admixed with a binder in an amount of 0.8 to 5% by weight and are granulated. The obtained powder is molded into any desired shape by a molding means such as dry press, cold hydrostatic pressure press or extrusion molding, and is then fired in the open air at a temperature of 1400.degree. to 1700.degree. C. for 1 to 10 hours.
The dielectric resonator of the present invention, e.g., the TE-mode type resonator shown in FIG. 1 has an input terminal 2 and an output terminal 3 formed on both sides of a metal case 1, and has a dielectric ceramic 4 of the aforementioned composition which is disposed between these terminals 2 and 3. In this TE-mode type dielectric resonator, the microwaves are input through the input terminal 2 and are reflected by the boundary between the dielectric ceramic 4 and free space, and are confined in the dielectric ceramic 4 to develop resonance of a particular frequency. The signals are electromagnetically coupled to the output terminal 3 and are output. Though not diagramed, the dielectric ceramic composition of the present invention may be further adapted to a coaxial resonator of the TEM mode, a strip line resonator, a dielectric ceramic resonator of the TM mode and to any other resonators as a matter of course.
The dielectric ceramic composition of the present invention is a composite oxide containing a rare earth element (Ln), Al, Ca and Ti as metal elements. By adjusting these components within a particular range, it becomes possible to obtain a dielectric ceramic composition having a large dielectric constant, a large Q-value , small temperature dependence of the dielectric constant and which is stable.
By using the dielectric ceramic having the above-mentioned composition, furthermore, it is allowed to fabricate a dielectric resonator which operates upon the electromagnetic coupling featuring a small size, small loss, and stable resonance frequency at a temperature at which it is used.

Dielectric ceramic composition and dielectric resonator


An electric baking oven includes an open mesh vertically oriented baking basket to hold food while the food is baked in air by a programmed combination of radiant and convective and conductive energy transfer. An electrical programming control controls the energy from vertically oriented toaster heating elements located juxtaposed to the large vertical faces of the basket and from at least one elongated heating member located below the vertical baking basket with the axis of the elongated heating member oriented nominally horizontal and parallel to the longer horizontal axis of the vertically oriented baking basket.

Parent U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,044 describes a toaster which contains heating elements optimally designed and positioned for toasting and provides the means to preheat the toasting elements to optimal thermal conditions for toasting before introducing the bread or other material to be toasted into the toasting environment. The novel toaster design disclosed in that patent includes also added means to create the optimal conditions for baking, warming, defrosting or a combination thereof. The design geometry, size and thermal environment of the relatively ubiquitous conventional toasters have not proven satisfactory for quality baking, defrosting or warming. By contrast this toaster will perform these functions faster and better than conventional baking ovens common to virtually all kitchens.
Conventional baking ovens that have been used for centuries are designed with horizontal shelves to cook food in horizontal containers that are slowly raised to elevated temperatures by heated air. Food in those containers is heated primarily by contact with the hot horizontal container or by contact with adjacent food in turn heated by contact with the container.
In more recent times motor driven fans have been introduced in ovens to circulate the air around the containers and over the top of foods in horizontal containers or horizontal shelves. Large electrical heaters have been added on the ceiling, floors and side walls of ovens to heat the air more rapidly. Horizontal shelves are provided universally as the means to hold food containers and in some cases to position bread or other foods horizontally in close proximity to a horizontal mounted heater that will toast or broil one side at a time. The efficiency of the toasting operations is very poor taking many minutes to toast—leaving a dry relatively unappetizing product. Large ovens of that sort take 10 or more minutes just to reach baking temperatures and substantial time to complete the baking because of inefficient heat transfer to the food. No provision is made in such ovens to insure intimate and direct contact with all surfaces of the food when that food is particulate or simultaneously with both sides of the food if the food is planer such as steaks, patties, and waffles. An exception to that is the rotisserie that secures larger foods on skewers and rotates them before the heated air, flames, or heated elements.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

High speed baking in novel toasting apparatus


A photocatalyst/alloy fine-particle dispersion containing two kinds of fine particles dispersed in an aqueous dispersion medium, (i) photocatalyst fine particles and (ii) alloy fine particles containing an antibacterial/antifungal metal, easily forms a photocatalyst/alloy fine-particle thin film of high transparency that exhibits antibacterial/antifungal properties regardless of the presence or absence of light irradiation.

Consumers today expect household goods to be safe, secure, healthy and comfortable to use. There is in particular much interest in preventing microbial contamination, which prevention is closely associated with a sense of product safety and security, and a desire for products in one's everyday life to have antibacterial/antifungal qualities.
Antibacterial/antifungal agents can be broadly divided into organic agents and inorganic agents. The synthetic organic antibacterial/antifungal agents that have hitherto been commonly used are inexpensive and effective even in small amounts. Yet, they often exhibit efficacy only against certain microorganisms; the difference in effects on, for example, Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria and molds is sometimes considerable. Additional drawbacks include the ready emergence of resistant organisms, poor heat resistance, and efficacy that is rapid but not long-lasting. There is also a growing concern over the impact of such organic agents on the human body and the environment, which is why inorganic agents are starting to become the norm for antimicrobial agents. However, given the low efficacy of inorganic antifungal agents, most antifungal agents in use today are organic antifungal agents.
Titanium oxide-based photocatalytic materials have recently been attracting attention as inorganic antibacterial/antifungal agents and are increasingly being put to use in substrate surface cleaning, deodorizing, antibacterial and other applications. A photocatalytic reaction is a reaction occurred by excited electrons and holes that generate due to the absorption of light by titanium oxide. Photocatalytic materials are thought to have the following mechanism of action as antibacterial agents: the excited electrons and holes that have formed at the surface of the titanium oxide due to photocatalytic reactions carry out oxidation-reduction reactions with oxygen and water adsorbed to the titanium oxide surface, and the active species thus generated act on microorganisms, causing cell membrane damage and either killing the cells outright or causing them to ultimately break down through long-term action. Advantages of photocatalytic materials thus include their ability to exhibit efficacy on a broad range of microorganisms, including fungi, the low possibility of resistant organisms emerging, and the substantial lack of deterioration in efficacy over time.
Because photocatalytic reactions are triggered by exposure to light in the ultraviolet region (wavelength range: 10 to 400 nm) and light in the visible region (wavelength range: 400 to 800 nm), such efficacy cannot in principle be obtained in dark places untouched by natural light or artificial light. Yet, because bacteria and fungi proliferate even in the absence of light, in products required to have a durable performance over a desired period of time, such as antibacterial/antifungal products, there has existed a desire for photocatalytic materials which exhibit antibacterial/antifungal properties even in dark places that are not exposed to light.
Such challenges are being addressed by investigations on photocatalytic materials that complement the function of a photocatalyst by using the photocatalyst together with an antibacterial/antifungal agent other than a photocatalyst. Photocatalysts break down organic matter, and so the use of an inorganic antibacterial/antifungal agent makes sense. For example, JP-A 2000-051708 and JP-A 2008-260684 disclose that antibacterial properties and antifungal properties even in dark places are achieved by adding silver or copper as an antibacterial/antifungal ingredient.
Photocatalysts are generally used by dispersing photocatalytic particles in a solvent and mixing in a film-forming ingredient so as to form a coating which is then applied onto a substrate. However, as mentioned above, when a metal constituent such as silver, copper or zinc is added to increase the antibacterial/antifungal properties, a number of practical problems arise. Specifically, cases in which the method of supporting a metal such as silver, copper or zinc, or a compound thereof, involves reacting a metal starting material with a photocatalytic particle powder are undesirable because a great deal of effort is required to then disperse the supported catalyst in a solvent. In cases where a metal starting material is added to a dispersion in which photocatalyst particles have already been dispersed, the stability of the dispersed photocatalytic particles is compromised, causing agglomeration to arise. It is thus often difficult in practice to obtain the required transparency when forming such a photocatalytic thin film on various substrates.
In methods for obtaining antibacterial/antifungal metal-containing photocatalytic particles by adding a metal such as silver, copper or zinc, or a compound thereof, to a photocatalyst starting material and then carrying out heat treatment, the crystallinity of the photocatalytic particles decreases, and so the resulting photocatalyst performance declines. Also, because a portion of the antibacterial/antifungal metal is covered by titanium oxide and therefore is not exposed at the surface, the resulting antibacterial/antifungal properties are also diminished.
Another problem is that, when a large amount of a metal such as silver, copper or zinc, or a compound thereof, is added in order to increase the antibacterial/antifungal properties in dark places, a decreased amount of light reaches the photocatalyst, leading to a decline in the resulting catalyst performance. Hence, a photocatalytic thin film having both sufficient antibacterial/antifungal properties for practical use and the transparency required for use on various substrates has yet to exist.
Silver particles have optical, electrical and thermal properties not observed in other substances, and thus are used in various fields. Because they can be expected to exhibit antimicrobial effects even at a relatively low concentration, have a broad antimicrobial spectrum that includes fungi, and also have a high degree of safety in the human body, they are sometimes utilized in antimicrobial coatings. However, silver readily reacts with the sulfur constituent of sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide that are present in trace amounts within the environment to form silver sulfide, leading to associated problems such as discoloration and a weakening of the antimicrobial effects.
According to JP-A 2015-034347, because alloys exhibit qualities that differ from those of the constituent metal elements in unalloyed form, properties unattainable with existing metals alone are expected to emerge with the creation of new alloys. For example, JP-A H11-217638 examines the alloying of silver as a means for increasing the sulfidation resistance of silver.

Photocatalyst/alloy fine-particle dispersion having anitbacterial/antifungal properties, method of preparation thereof, and member having photocatalyst/alloy thin film on surface


The present disclosure provides a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) device and a method for fabricating such a device. In an embodiment, a MEMS device includes a substrate, a dielectric layer above the substrate, an etch stop layer above the dielectric layer, and two anchor plugs above the dielectric layer, the two anchor plugs each contacting the etch stop layer or a top metal layer disposed above the dielectric layer. The device further comprises a MEMS structure layer disposed above a cavity formed between the two anchor plugs and above the etch stop layer from release of a sacrificial layer.

Wafer level packaging (WLP) technology provides for the packaging of semiconductor devices at a wafer level. WLP is employed in a variety of technologies including 3D-integrated circuits (IC), chip scale package (CSP) devices, and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) for enhancing electrical properties and reducing costs. However, there are several limitations to the current WLP technology and the integration of the wafer fabrication and packaging processes it provides. The methods of packaging (e.g., protecting the device and providing interconnections) may not be compatible with the fabrication processes that are used to form the devices. Furthermore, solutions often require complicated packaging schemes that suffer from area/density penalties, contamination issues, and/or structural weakness. In one example, MEMS devices have suffered from a poor mechanical structure at an anchor area due to the lack of control over etch of the sacrificial layer.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A swim platform with a higher level of performance offered by an increase in the horizontal velocity and force off of the swim platform, thus enabling the athlete to enter the water further from the start. The athlete having full control over adjustments can create an optimal setup for their specifications.

Swim platforms have seen little innovation in the past several decades. In the 2012 London Olympic Games, the single wedge was introduced to the starting platform for swimming. The wedge is a second platform provided for the athlete's back foot that has a steeper angle than the rest of the platform that stretched the entire width of the platform. Most competitive pools that host meets now use the wedge as their primary platform.
The lead foot of the swimmer provides the most force to accelerate off the platform. The lead foot is also on the platform from 0.1 to 0.5 seconds longer than the back foot from the reaction time at the college and professional level meaning that the lead foot is the most important foot off of the start. The lead foot is currently pushing off of the thin front edge, hindering its output force.
The ball of the foot (the metatarsophalangeal joint) outputs the most force, but currently, the lead foot's force is coming from the toes, leaving the ball elevated from the platform. This can severely limit the front foot's capabilities.
Handlebars were introduced to the wedge swim platform shortly after the wedge. The handlebars are elevated from the platform and parallel to the center axis of the platform. At the college and professional levels, not every athlete uses the handlebars as they are not comfortable. These handlebars have not proven to be beneficial nor restraining, hence the split between usage and lack thereof.

Dual-wedge swim platform with rotating handlebars


A method and a system for allocating memory in a memory buffer that is part of a data distribution device. Generally, the allocation of memory is for the purpose of storing datagrams. The method allocates memory in the buffer based, at least partially, on how ingress ports that are operably connected to the memory buffer have previously used the buffer to store datagrams. The system typically includes one or more detectors that monitor how various ingresses into the data distribution device are using and have used the memory buffer.

1. Field of the Invention
Certain embodiments of the present invention are directed generally to methods for sharing a memory buffer in a data distribution device. Certain other embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to data distribution devices for implementing such methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, data distribution devices according to the related art, such as, for example, routers and shared memory switches, have one pool of data memory and many pointers that reference that pool. As shown in FIG. 1, a pool of data memory according to the related art may include a cell pool buffer 100. The cell pool buffer 100 typically is accessed by ports of the data distribution device that includes the buffer 100, as illustrated in FIG. 1 by the references to representative ports P0, P1 . . . P9 . . . PN, each of which are operably connected to portions of the buffer 100.
According to the related art, each port P0, P1 . . . P9 . . . PN acts as an ingress and/or egress for data packets in one or more Classes of Service (COSs). As shown in FIG. 1, the cell pool buffer 100 has regions thereof allocated to several COSs for each of the ports.
According to the buffer 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, each port has a buffer region 130, 140, 150, 160 allocated/dedicated exclusively to it. Each allocated buffer region 130, 140, 150, 160 is of a set size and includes a statically-allocated number of memory cells. Each region 130, 140, 150, 160 includes a low-water mark (LWM) 110 and a high-water mark (HWM) 120. The LWM 110 sets a minimum level of cells or buffer allocation for each of the COSs supported by a given port. The HWM 120 sets a maximum level of cell or buffer allocation for each of the ports.
Typically, when in use, a data distribution device that includes the buffer 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 makes use of the buffer 100 when some of the ports P0, P1 . . . P9 . . . PN in the device are communicating with other ports, usually on other devices in a network. For example, the buffer 100 may be used when the port P1 in FIG. 1 is exchanging data packets with one or more ports on other devices in the network to which the port P1 is operably connected.
If only two ports in a network are communicating, and if each of these ports has the same capacity/bandwidth available for exchanging data packets or, more generally, datagrams (which may include, for example, cells, bit strings, and packets), only a minimum fixed amount of the cell pool buffer 100 will typically be used. Rather, under such circumstances, packets received by the ingress port will be able to "flow through" the ingress port and will be distributed through egress ports without having to be stored in memory for an extended period of time. However, if one of the ports that is operably connected to the cell pool buffer 100 begins communicating with two or more other ports simultaneously, or if the bandwidth of a receiving (ingress) port is higher than the bandwidth of a transmitting port, a problem of over-subscription may occur at the egress port.
When an egress port is over-subscribed, more data packets, attempt to flow through the egress port than the port can handle. Hence, the packets are usually either stored in the buffer 100 or dropped/discarded. In a preferable data distribution device such as, for example, a router or switch, the over-subscription is only a temporary situation. Therefore, under preferable conditions, the cell pool buffer 100 is large enough to be capable of storing packets that cannot be immediately distributed through an egress port. Under these preferable conditions, the packets are stored until an egress port becomes available for these packets.
In other words, under preferable conditions, when an egress port in a data distribution device is over-subscribed, packets are stored temporarily in the buffer 100. Then, when the burst of packet traffic that caused the over-subscription goes away, the packets stored in the buffer 100 are drained from the buffer 100 and are distributed to egress ports. This allows for continuous operation of the data distribution device without loss of packets.
When, as shown in FIG. 1, the ports P0, P1 . . . P9 . . . PN of a data distribution device have each been operably connected and assigned to a statically-allocated buffer region 130, 140, 150, 160, each port has access to only a certain amount of the memory in the buffer 100. Hence, when the port P1 of the switch becomes over-subscribed, the port P1 may store excess packets in the first statically-allocated buffer region 140, up to the HWM 120. However, if packets attempting to use port P1 as an egress fill up the entire first statically-allocated buffer region 140, continued over-subscription of the port P1 results in dropping/discarding/loss of incoming packets, even though regions 130, 140, 150, 160, etc. are available. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, this is an undesirable condition.
FIG. 2 illustrates a second cell pool buffer 200 according to the related art. This second cell pool buffer 200 alleviates some of the problem of the first cell pool buffer 100 illustrated in FIG. 1.
The second cell pool buffer 200 contains a set of five representative ports P0, P1, P2, P3, P4 and, like the first cell pool buffer 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, has an LWM 210. In order to simplify comparisons between the FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, dashed vertical lines are included to show where the statically-allocated buffer regions 130, 140, 150, 160 illustrated in FIG. 1 would be positioned in the second cell pool buffer 200, had the second cell pool buffer 200 been divided similarly to the first cell pool buffer 100. It should be noted, however, that the vertical lines are provided only for the sake of comparison and that no statically-allocated buffer regions are included in the second cell pool buffer 200.
Unlike the first cell pool buffer 100, the second cell pool buffer 200 does not make use of an HWM for each of the ports operably connected thereto. Rather, when a port that is operably connected to the second cell pool buffer 200 needs to store a number of packets that would have exceeded the capacity of one of the statically-allocated buffer regions illustrated in FIG. 1, a port that is operably connected to the second buffer 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 is capable of storing packets in any buffer region that is available. In other words, if there is a region of the second cell pool buffer 200 above the LWM 210 that is not already storing a packet, any of the ports P0, P1, P2, P3, P4 operably connected to the second buffer 200 may store a packet in that region.
When the second cell pool buffer 200 is utilized as shown in FIG. 2, the port P3 does not store any packets in the regions above the LWM 210 and the port P2 uses only a small portion of what would have been its statically-allocated buffer region according to the first cell pool buffer 100. On the other hand, the port P0 slightly exceeds the capacity of what would have been its statically-allocated buffer region, and the port P4 greatly exceeds the capacity of what would have been its statically-allocated region. Therefore, in FIG. 2, all of the second buffer's 200 memory illustrated above the LWM 210 is used.
In FIG. 2, the ports P0 and P4 have each been oversubscribed enough that packets would have been dropped if the first cell pool buffer 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 had been used. Of course, in FIG. 1, unused memory would have been present in statically-allocated buffer regions allocated to the ports P1, P2, and P3. Therefore, inefficient memory usage would have resulted.
Fortunately, using the second cell pool buffer 200 as shown if FIG. 2, no packets are lost and efficient use is made of all available memory. However, under the second cell pool buffer 200 distribution shown in FIG. 2, if any of the ports attempted to store additional packets, this would not be possible. Rather, because maximum capacity of the second cell pool buffer 200 has already been attained, the additional packets would be dropped, regardless of which port was attempting to store them.
At least in view of the above, it should be apparent that one of the problems associated with allocation of memory cells/space in the second cell pool buffer 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 is that any one port can "use up" a large amount of the second cell pool buffer 200, thereby depriving other ports the use of any cell pool buffer regions above the LWM 210. This situation becomes particularly problematic when a single port, such as a port that only slowly "drains" packets from memory cells to egress ports, frequently deprives the other ports of access to regions of the buffer 200. In such situations, the second cell pool buffer 200 allows unfair, long-term monopolization of the buffer 200 by one port, to the detriment of the other ports connected to the data distribution device containing the buffer 200.
At least in view of the above, there is a need for methods of allocating memory in a memory buffer, wherein the methods do not suffer from the shortcomings of the related art. In addition, there is a need for system for storing datagrams, wherein the systems are capable of implementing such methods.


The present invention provides methods for analyzing compositions of polypeptides such as antibodies by ionic strength-mediated pH gradient ion exchange chromatography. In some aspects, the methods use a combination of pH gradients and ionic strength gradients to separate the polypeptide from charge variants of the polypeptide. In some aspects, the methods use a stable ionic strength to optimize the pH gradient separation window to separate the polypeptide from charge variants. Such methods are useful for analyzing polypeptide, e.g. antibodies, with a pI greater than 9 or a pI less than 7. In some aspects, the invention provides a multiproduct method for the analysis of polypeptides of varying pI's.

Proteins like monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have mostly charged and polar amino acids at the surface in an aqueous environment (Barlow, D J and Thornton, J M (1986) Biopolymers 25:1717). Because of molecular interaction with the solution components, the surface residues can undergo multiple chemical and enzymatic modifications, leading to a heterogeneous mixture of protein variants with slight differences on their electrostatic surface (Dick, L W et al., (2009) J. Chromatogr. B 877:3841; Liu, H W et al., (2008) Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 22:4081; Miller, A K, et al., (2011) J. Pharm. Sci. 100:2543; Wang, W R et al., (2011) Mol. Immunol. 48:860). Cation-exchange chromatography (CEC) is considered to be the gold standard to profile the charge heterogeneity of protein therapeutics according to a recent review by Vlasak, J and Ionescu, R (2008 Curr. Pharm. Biotechnol. 9:468). The charge sensitive separation method is typically required by the regulatory agencies to ensure the production consistency during manufacturing and to monitor the degradation level of protein therapeutics (Miller, A K, et al., (2011) J. Pharm. Sci. 100:2543; He, X P Z (2009) Electrophoresis 30:714; Sosic, Z et al., (2008) Electrophoresis 29:4368; Kim, J et al., (2010) J. Chromatogr. B 878:1973: Teshima, G et al., (2010) J. Chromatogr. A 1218:2091).
Analytical ion exchange chromatography (IEC) methods using a pH gradient have emerged as alternative techniques to conventional salt gradient IEC for profiling the charge heterogeneity of therapeutic proteins (Farnan, D and Moreno, G T (2009) Anal. Chem. 81:8846; Tsonev, L I and Hirsh, A G (2008) J. Chromatogr. A 1200:166; Nordborg, A et al., (2009) J. Sep. Sci. 32:2668; Rozhkova, A (2009) J. Chromatogr. A 1216:5989; Rea, J C et al. (2010) J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 54:317). In this technique, proteins that are typically loaded on a cation-exchange stationary phase are eluted by increasing the pH of the mobile phase. It has recently been demonstrated that a pH gradient IEC (pH-IEC) method with a relatively broad pH window from 6.0 to 9.5 not only provided better resolution than traditional salt-gradient IEC, but also offered multi-product capability through the analysis of 12 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with pI from 7.3 to 9.0 (Farnan, D and Moreno, G T (2009) Anal. Chem. 81:8846). That pH-IEC method is also highly tolerant to sample matrix with varied ionic strengths (0 to 250 mM NaCl) and pH values (5.0 to 8.5) (Farnan, D and Moreno, G T (2009) Anal. Chem. 81:8846). Furthermore, the reported pH-IEC method is not evidently impacted by the column length and chemistry and fast separation with a shorter column can be achieved to improve the throughput of protein variant analysis. According to a recent validation report (Rea, J C et al. (2010) J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 54:317), the developed pH-IEC method has shown excellent precision at different chromatography conditions and good linearity at different column loads. Thus the reported pH-IEC method is suitable for routine testing in the biotechnology industry.
Despite the many advantages, the reported pH-IEC method was intended primarily for the mAbs with pI values in the studied range of 7.3 to 9.0. The fact that the elution profile of a mAb can vary with different buffer compositions and concentration, and the pH values at which the mAbs elutes indicates that pH-gradient IEC involves a combined ionic-strength and pH-gradient elution mechanism (Farnan, D and Moreno, G T (2009) Anal. Chem. 81:8846). This is also consistent with Anderson and coworkers' report on pH-gradient anion-exchange chromatography (pH-AIEC) (Anderson, D J and Shan, L (2001) Clin. Chem. 47:128; Shan, L and Anderson, D J (2001) J. Chromatogr. A 909:191; Shan, L and Anderson, D J (2002) Anal. Chem. 74:5641). With an increasing number of mAbs in the development phase in the biotechnology industry, especially more low-pI mAbs that show potentially longer half-life based on the animal studies (Igawa, T. (2010) Protein Eng. Des. Sel. 23:385) there is a need to expand the applicability of pH-IEC methods to a broader range of therapeutic mAbs.
All references cited herein, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Ionic strength-mediated pH gradient ion exchange chromatography


The present invention relates to a method of the type-specific detection of herpes simplex virus, characterized by comprising the step of DNA amplification in a liquid mixture containing either of a combination of a first DNA primer containing an oligonucleotide having at least 15 bases in a base sequence of the formula (1a) ##STR1## with a second DNA primer containing an oligonucleotide having at least 15 bases in a base sequence of the formula (2a): ##STR2## or a combination of a first DNA primer containing an oligonucleotide having at least 15 bases in a base sequence of the formula (1b): ##STR3## with a second DNA primer containing an oligonucleotide having at least 15 bases in a base sequence of the formula (2b): ##STR4## a DNA polymerase and an aqueous liquid sample; and then the step of DNA examination on the resultant reaction solution.. According to the present invention, it is possible to differentiate infectious disease caused by the HSV I or HSV II, accurately and rapidly in a type specific manner.

Human herpes simplex virus (HSV) lies dormant in the human sensory ganglions. Once one is infected, the disease recurs repeatedly. There are two types in HSV: Type I and Type II. The rate of recurrence and the sensitivity to drugs differ depending on the type. Therefore, the determination of the type of HSV is important. The most reliable method of diagnosis of the HSV infectious disease is to isolate the virus for determination, but this method requires culture cells and requires several days for the determination, so is difficult to appropriately reflect the results in treatment. There is also a method of determination using a fluorescent antibody, but in this case cells of the diseased area are required. Further, there is known a method of using DNA fragments type-specific to HSV as a probe and examining a sample of the patient by the dot blot method. Nevertheless, this method does not only require a lot of sample (for example, 200 to 500 .mu.l), but also was not able to determine the type of HSV, even when HSV was found. Therefore, there has been a desire for the development of a technique and in vitro diagnostic agents which enable determination of HSV I and HSV II with high precision in a short time.
On the other hand, while it had been said in the past that there was no base sequence which would enable type-specific recognition of HSV, the present inventors have already developed a type-specific DNA probe for HSV. Namely, it is possible to obtain a type-specific DNA probe by labeling DNA fragments obtained by cleaving HSV I or HSV II DNA with particular restriction enzymes [or DNA fragments obtained by cleaving DNA obtained by inserting the DNA fragments into an appropriate vector (plasmid) and cloning the same, with particular restriction enzymes]. These labeled DNA fragments include several hundred to several thousand bp (base pairs) and are superior in type-specificity. Details thereof are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-142499 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2-90198.
However, the above-mentioned labeled DNA fragments have a size difficult to prepare by chemical synthesis. Therefore, the present inventors engaged in further studies to discover base sequence which can be easily handled (for example, a size to an extent that chemical synthesis can be adopted) without reducing type-specificity. As a result, a relatively small base sequence which can be used in type-specific determination was discovered. Namely, the object of the present invention is to provide various primers which can be used for the amplification of DNA fragments specific to HSV I or HSV II, and probes specific to HSV I DNA or HSV II DNA.

Method of type-specific detection of herpes simplex virus


A feeding station for a splicer of a rotary offset printing press is provided. The feeding station includes a feeding device for feeding a paper roll into a splicer; an unpack station for unpacking a paper roll; and a buffer station for storing an unpacked paper roll.

The present patent application concerns a feeding station for a splicer of a rotary offset printing press, of the type including a feeding device for feeding a paper reel into a splicer, an unpack station for unpacking a paper reel and a first buffer station for storing an unpacked and prepared paper reel.
Known feeding stations include an unpack station for unpacking a paper reel, a buffer station for buffering the unpacked reel and a feeding device for feeding a paper reel into the splicer. Splicers are also called "pasters" or "reel changers". In the following the term "splicer" is used synonymously for pasters and reel changers.
In the known devices, a track leads from the unpacking station directly to the buffer station and directly from the buffer station to the feeding device.
The buffer station is necessary, as unpacking the reel takes usually longer than feeding it into the splicer. Hence, when a new reel needs to be fed into the splicer, the new reel must already be unpacked and prepared.
Also, the used reels are usually taken off the splicer one by one and disposed of immediately. This operation is cumbersome.
The known layout of the feeding device takes up a great amount of space.

Feeding station for a printing press, corresponding printing press and method

Abstract: The feeding station includes an unpack conveyor leading from the unpack station to the feeding device; and a buffer conveyor leading from the buffer station to the feeding device. The feeding device includes a feeding carriage having a core container for holding two or more cores.

Abstract: A corresponding method is also provided.


Methods and apparatus are disclosed for efficient TLB (translation look-aside buffer) shoot-downs for heterogeneous devices sharing virtual memory in a multi-core system. Embodiments of an apparatus for efficient TLB shoot-downs may include a TLB to store virtual address translation entries, and a memory management unit, coupled with the TLB, to maintain PASID (process address space identifier) state entries corresponding to the virtual address translation entries. The PASID state entries may include an active reference state and a lazy-invalidation state. The memory management unit may perform atomic modification of PASID state entries responsive to receiving PASID state update requests from devices in the multi-core system and read the lazy-invalidation state of the PASID state entries. The memory management unit may send PASID state update responses to the devices to synchronize TLB entries prior to activation responsive to the respective lazy-invalidation state.

Modern processors often include caches to improve the performance of accessing external memory by providing copies of instructions and/or data in smaller faster memories with shorter access latencies. In addition such caches may provide support for fast virtual to physical address translations using a device such as a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) to cache virtual to physical address translations, for example from the system page tables in a paged virtual memory system. When a TLB matches a virtual address to one of the translations stored in the TLB, we may refer to such and event as a TLB hit and the retrieved physical address can be used to access memory in a cache or in main memory more quickly. When a TLB fails to match a virtual address to one of the translations stored in the TLB, we may refer to such and event as a TLB miss or a page miss, and the translation proceeds by looking up the corresponding page tables in memory.
A typical multi-core processor or multi-core processing system may have various homogeneous or heterogeneous processing devices—for example, some number of homogeneous processor cores together with one or more heterogeneous graphics processors or video processors, etc. These homogeneous or heterogeneous processing devices may share virtual memory address spaces. Typically, the homogeneous processor cores may have cache hierachies and TLBs as described above to cache virtual to physical address translations from the system page tables in a paged virtual memory system. In modern processors the homogeneous processor cores may also include a page-miss handler (PMH) in hardware to perform page walks through system page tables more quickly. When one of these homogeneous processor cores tries to access a page in virtual memory that is not mapped to anything in physical memory, the memory access will cause a page fault, and the operating system will be invoked to "fix" the problem.
The heterogeneous processing devices, such as graphics processors may also have mechanisms such as TLBs for performing virtual to physical address translations, but typically there is some software that runs on the homogeneous processor cores and may communicate with drivers for the heterogeneous processing devices to set up page tables, etc. for some limited sharing of the paged virtual memory system with the heterogeneous processing devices. But unlike in the homogeneous processor cores, these mechanisms may have limited capabilities, lacking the ability to handle page faults, for example. Therefore the pages that are shared with these heterogeneous processing devices may need to be locked down in memory, preventing the operating system from paging them in from, and out to disk as demand dictates. Thus the number of applications that can be supported may be limited, or the amount of physical memory required may be greater than it would otherwise have been. Further the software that runs on the homogeneous processor to set up page tables, etc. for sharing paged virtual memory with the heterogeneous processing devices incurs a performance overhead, which may reduce the effectiveness of using the heterogeneous processing devices.
When software running on the homogeneous processor cores (e.g. the operating system) makes changes to the page tables, the corresponding translations that are cached in various TLBs throughout the system must be invalidated. This is known as a TLB shoot-down. One simple approach is to broadcast an invalidation message to all devices in the system, but this may cause unwanted communication congestion. Moreover, page tables set up for the heterogeneous processing devices may not be the same page tables used by the homogeneous processor cores, and the mechanisms used in the heterogeneous processing devices may have limited capabilities to invalidate their TLB entries and to recover new page table information on their own.
In order to avoid unwanted congestion, operating systems have used a form of lazy invalidation scheme. Since the operating system is running on the homogeneous processor cores and has access to which of the processes, applications or threads are active on the various homogeneous processor cores, it could "shoot-down," or trigger an invalidation of TLB entries as necessary, i.e. only in the TLBs of cores which were actively running a process that used that TLB entry, and/or in the TLBs of cores that may want to activate a process that will use that TLB entry. Thus unnecessary activity and overhead for TLB shoot-downs could be avoided. But since the operating system does not run on the heterogeneous processing devices, it cannot track which processes are active and which TLB entries may need to be invalidated, even if we assume that the heterogeneous processing devices are capable of recovering the new page table information and/or generating page faults. Therefore a broadcast would need to be sent to all of the heterogeneous processing devices potentially sharing the process virtual address space.
As the number of processing cores and other heterogeneous processing devices accessing caches or using virtual memory increases, there may be good reason to expect problems, such as additional memory congestion, and conflicts when virtual memory space is shared by more of these devices. To date, potential solutions to such reasonably expected problems have not been adequately explored.

Method and apparatus for TLB shoot-down in a heterogeneous computing system supporting shared virtual memory


A computing system can receive and compile power cell data, and in certain examples, the power cell data can be distributed to a distributed ledger. The computing system can further determine approximate battery end of life (ABEL) for each power cell based on a compiled historical record of power cell data. Based on the determined ABEL, the computing system can generate ABEL reports for users, determine optimal settings for a power cell or battery-powered device, and/or transmit notifications to users, to facilitate power cell usage optimization, and/or optimal repurposing or recycling timing.

Examples described herein relate generally to power cell tracking and optimization systems for use in primary life power cells, second life power cells, and further applications of power cells (e.g., batteries and/or energy storage systems). Battery systems and battery-powered goods, such as electric vehicles, tools, sensors Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc., are projected to experience significant growth in production and sales in the coming decades. For example, common forecasts for the lithium ion battery market predict growth of three to four times current production in the next decade. However, underutilization of battery potential is common.
For example, widespread inefficiencies exist in the full usage of battery life, resulting in common practice of disposing or recycling batteries when they still possess nearly 80% of their capacity. This approximate battery capacity coincides with what is commonly known as the end of the primary life of the battery, and recycling or disposal of these batteries at the end of their primary life can results in significant waste and environmental hazard.
A secondary market for so-called second life batteries or battery packs alleviates the harmful effects of premature disposal or recycling of primary life batteries. However, inefficiencies in each of primary life battery monitoring, primary battery life usage, end-of-life prediction, and the selection of second-life batteries for battery packs—as well as the unreliability of battery information for used batteries and battery products—have prevented the exploitation of the full potential of batteries.

Power cell tracking and optimization system


A system and method for rasterization an image on a display through approximation, wherein the image is decomposed into a plurality of convex polygons, each convex polygon being defined by a plurality of original edges and each original edge being defined by two vertices. The coordinates of original vertices of an original edge are truncated, and the truncated coordinates are used to generate modified coordinates that define a modified edge. A plurality of modified edges defines a potentially changing region. If a selected region of a display device intersects this potentially changing region defined by the modified edges, then the first selected region is refreshed on the display device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computer graphics. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for rendering graphical images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computers display the image of complex models by decomposing them in to polygons. Any convex polygon can be further divided into triangles. The process of converting a triangle in to a format useful for display is called rasterization. The rasterization process samples each triangle. Samples inside a triangle are assigned values determined by the characteristics of the triangle, and samples outside of the triangle are discarded. To achieve a high quality image, the sampling must be exact. Otherwise, an error in sampling may cause visual anomalies in the final image.
The simplest method to detect the intersection of a triangle and a region is to create a bounding box around the triangle. If the bounding box touches the region of interest, then the triangle may intersect the region. Referring now to FIG. 1, where a prior art method of testing is illustrated using a bounding box 102 and a triangle 104. Three rectangular regions, A, B, and C, are tested whether they intersect with the triangle 104. First, the coordinates of the bounding box are determined by checking minimum and maximum values of x and y of the triangle 104.poly—x_low=min(x0,x1, . . . xn)poly—y_low=min(y0,y1, . . . yn)poly—x_high=max(x0,x1, . . . xn)poly—y_high=max(y0,y1, . . . yn)
Then, the coordinates of the bounding box are compared with x and y value of a rectangular region, and the results of four comparison, true or false, are ANDed.triangle_intersects_region=(poly—x_low<=region—x_high)&&(poly—y_low<=region—y_high)&&(poly—x_high>=region_x_low)&&(poly—y_high>=region—y_low)
The intersection test is conservative and simple. However, a thin triangle with diagonal orientation may generate many false positives. The number of false positives is inversely proportional to the ratio of the triangle area to the bounding box area. Further, while the bounding box test alone is efficient, it is not very accurate. For rectangular regions A 106, B 108, and C 110, triangle_intersects_region would be TRUE for rectangular regions A 106, B 108, and C 110. However, for regions B 108 and C 110, the results would be false positives, and only region A 106 intersects the triangle 104.
To exactly determine if a triangle intersects a region, the appropriate corner of the region needs to be checked against each edge of the triangle. If every edge of the triangle has at least one corner of the region on the same side as the interior of the triangle, then the triangle and the region intersect. For example, in FIG. 2, corner 202 of region A 106 is in the same side as the interior 210 of the original triangle 104 for all three edges 204, 206, and 208 of the triangle 104. On the other hand, region B 108 does not have any corner that is in the same side as the interior 208 for all three edges 204, 206, and 208 of the triangle 104. Therefore, region B 108 does not intersect with the triangle 104.
To determine the intersection, a cross product must be computed for each edge. The sign of the cross product determines if that edge contains a corner of the region.cp—n=(corner—x—n−x—0—n)*(y—1—n−y—0—n)−(corner—y—n−y—0—n)*(x—1—n−x—0—n)
where:                (corner_x_n, corner_y_n) is a corner of the region n.        (x—0_n, y—0_n) is one vertex of the nth edge        (x—1_n, y—1_n) is the other vertex of the nth edge
The precision of the math needed to compute the cross product is determined by the precision of the vertices and the granularity of the grid that determines the regions. A finer sampling grid, or higher vertex precision, will require more circuitry to compute the cross product. High vertex precision may require a large amount of circuitry. Consequently, the exact intersection test is accurate, but inefficient.
In the example of the prior art method used in FIG. 2, the top-left corner of region A 106 and region B 108 are on the interior side of the right edges 204 and 206 of the triangle 104. The bottom-right corner of region A 106 is on the interior side of the left edge 208 of the triangle 104, but the bottom-right corner of region B 108 is not. Therefore, the triangle 104 intersects region A 106, but not region B 108.
The cp_n calculation is intensive because it involves subtraction of two x coordinates and two y coordinates and multiplication of the results of these subtractions, where each coordinate is represented by an integer and a fraction. For example, for a system where each coordinate employs 15 bits to represent the integer part and 10 bits to represent the fraction part, the calculation of cp_n involves 25 bit subtractors and 25 bit multipliers, and the result would be a 50 bit number.

System and method for rasterization through approximation


A protective film for a polarizer. An exemplary polarizer protective film includes a transparent resin with nanoscale particles dispersed therein, having an average diameter not exceeding 50 nanometers.

The present invention relates to a protective film for a polarizer, and a polarizing plate, and a visual display using the polarizing plate concerned.
A polarizing plate used for displays, such as liquid crystal display, is a laminated product of a polarizer having a polarization function and a protective film for securing its durability and mechanical strength with the interposition of an adhesive.
The polarization function of the polarizer is obtained by orienting a light anisotropic absorber in a transparent polymer film. For example, a PVA-based polarizer is obtained by allowing iodine or a dichromatic dye to be absorbed on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film, followed by uniaxial orientation by stretching. In such a polarizing plate, if moisture permeability of the polarizer protective film is high, dissociation of PVA or iodine ion in the polarizer can affect polarizing performance.
Although triacetyl cellulose (TAC) films are generally used as polarizer protective film from the viewpoint of transparency, appearance, and easy adhesion to the polarizer, the moisture permeability thereof (about 300 g/m2/24 hours) may be insufficient to protect the polarizer in high humidity, especially as application fields of viewing displays become wider, and requirements for polarizing plates become more severe as a result.
In addition, hard coat processing is commonly applied for the purpose of protecting the surface of the polarizing plate. This hard coat layer is typically formed by a method in which a curable coated film with high hardness is added on the surface of the protective film. It would be advantageous to provide a protective film with sufficient hardness to eliminate the requirement for a hard coat layer.

Polarizer protective film, polarizing plate, and visual display

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A plurality of workpieces are supported on a workpiece holder disposed over an opening defined in a horizontal base plate and connected to an evacuating device. A reaction chamber, which is supported on an arm of a lifting and lowering device, is vertically movable with respect to the base plate between a lowered position in which the reaction chamber defines a closed space which accommodates the workpieces therein and a lifted position in which the workpieces are exposed out of the reaction chamber. A heating device, which is supported on an arm of another lifting and lowering device, is vertically movable with respect to the base plate between a lowered position in which the heating device surrounds the reaction chamber and a lifted position in which the reaction chamber is exposed out of the heating device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heating apparatus for curing a film coated on a surface of a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate, or the like.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
It has been customary to deposit a film of phosphosilicate glass (PSG) or boron silicate glass (BPSG), or a nitride film on a semiconductor wafer, or to deposit a film of silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) on a glass substrate by first coating the surface of the semiconductor wafer or glass substrate with a coating solution of the above material and thereafter curing the coated semiconductor wafer or glass substrate with a heating device.
Heretofore, the heating device comprises a reaction chamber fixedly mounted on a base plate, a heater disposed around the reaction chamber, and a holder for holding a number of workpieces to be cured, the holder being insertable into the reaction chamber from below. In operation, the reaction chamber is evacuated to allow a solvent in the films coated on the workpieces to evaporate away, and then the workpieces are heated for curing.
The holder with a plurality of workpieces maintained therein is lifted into the reaction chamber before a curing process, and then lowered out of the reaction chamber after the curing process. Since the holder is vertically moved into and out of the reaction chamber at low speed, the overall time required to process the workpieces is lengthy.
Furthermore, the reaction chamber and heater are relatively positioned in fixed relationship. Consequently, once the temperature in the reaction chamber has increased as a result of the heating process, it does not drop quickly. When a next batch of workpieces is set in the reaction chamber and the reaction chamber is evaporated to remove the solvent by way of evaporation, a condensation reaction occurs at the same time, tending to develop cracks in the coated films.


Antimicrobial lubricant compositions are disclosed. The antimicrobial lubricant compositions are particularly useful in providing antimicrobial capability to a wide-range of medical devices. The compositions include an oil lubricant. Representative lubricants may include polydimethyl siloxane, trifluoropropyl copolymer polysiloxane, and a copolymer of dimethylsiloxane and trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane. The compositions include rheology modifiers as necessary. The compositions also include antimicrobial agents, which may be selected from a wide array of agents. Representative antimicrobial agents include of aldehydes, anilides, biguanides, bis-phenols, quaternary ammonium compounds, cetyl pyridium chloride, cetrimide, alexidine, chlorhexidine diacetate, benzalkonium chloride, and o-phthalaldehyde.

The present invention relates to antimicrobial compositions and methods for use of those compositions in various medical applications. One of the major challenges of modern medical treatment is control of infection and the spread of microbial organisms.
One area where this challenge is constantly presented is in infusion therapy of various types. Infusion therapy is one of the most common health care procedures. Hospitalized, home care, and other patients receive fluids, pharmaceuticals, and blood products via a vascular access device inserted into the vascular system. Infusion therapy may be used to treat an infection, provide anesthesia or analgesia, provide nutritional support, treat cancerous growths, maintain blood pressure and heart rhythm, or many other clinically significant uses.
Infusion therapy is facilitated by a vascular access device. The vascular access device may access a patient's peripheral or central vasculature. The vascular access device may be indwelling for short term (days), moderate term (weeks), or long term (months to years). The vascular access device may be used for continuous infusion therapy or for intermittent therapy.
A common vascular access device is a plastic catheter that is inserted into a patient's vein. The catheter length may vary from a few centimeters for peripheral access, to many centimeters for central access and may include devices such as peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC). The catheter may be inserted transcutaneously or may be surgically implanted beneath the patient's skin. The catheter, or any other vascular access device attached thereto, may have a single lumen or multiple lumens for infusion of many fluids simultaneously.
The vascular access device commonly includes a Luer adapter to which other medical devices may be attached. For example, an administration set may be attached to a vascular access device at one end and an intravenous (IV) bag at the other. The administration set is a fluid conduit for the continuous infusion of fluids and pharmaceuticals. Commonly, an IV access device is a vascular access device that may be attached to another vascular access device, closes the vascular access device, and allows for intermittent infusion or injection of fluids and pharmaceuticals. An IV access device may include a housing and a septum for closing the system. The septum may be opened with a blunt cannula or a male Luer of a medical device.
When the septum of a vascular access device fails to operate properly or has inadequate design features, certain complications may occur. Complications associated with infusion therapy may cause significant morbidity and even mortality. One significant complication is catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI). An estimate of 250,000-400,000 cases of central venous catheter (CVC) associated BSIs occur annually in US hospitals.
A vascular access device may serve as a nidus of infection, resulting in a disseminated BSI (blood stream infection). This may be caused by failure to regularly flush the device, a non-sterile insertion technique, or by pathogens that enter the fluid flow path through either end of the path subsequent to catheter insertion. When a vascular access device is contaminated, pathogens adhere to the vascular access device, colonize, and form a biofilm. The biofilm is resistant to most biocidal agents and provides a replenishing source for pathogens to enter a patient's bloodstream and cause a BSI. Thus, devices with antimicrobial properties are needed.
One approach to preventing biofilm formation and patient infection is to provide an antimicrobial coating on various medical devices and components. Many medical devices are made with either metallic or polymeric materials. These materials usually have a high coefficient of friction. A low molecular weight material or liquid with a low coefficient of friction is usually compounded into the bulk of the materials or coated onto the surface of the substrates to help the functionality of the devices.
Over the last 35 years, it has been common practice to use a thermoplastic polyurethane solution as the carrier for antimicrobial coatings. The solvent is usually tetrahydrofuran (THF), dimethylformamide (DMF), or a blend of both. Because THF can be oxidized very quickly and tends to be very explosive, an expensive explosion-proof coating facility is necessary. These harsh solvents also attack many of the polymeric materials commonly used, including polyurethane, silicone, polyisoprene, butyl rubber polycarbonate, rigid polyurethane, rigid polyvinyl chloride, acrylics, and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). Therefore, medical devices made with these materials can become distorted over time and/or form microcracks on their surfaces. Another issue with this type of coating is that it takes almost 24 hours for the solvent to be completely heat evaporated. Accordingly, conventional technology has persistent problems with processing, performance, and cost.
Another limitation to the use of such devices is the general availability of suitable antimicrobial agents for use in controlling microbial growth. One of the most commonly used antimicrobial agents used in medical devices is silver. Silver salts and silver element are well known antimicrobial agents in both the medical surgical industry and general industries. They are usually incorporated into the polymeric bulk material or coated onto the surface of the medical devices by plasma, heat evaporation, electroplating, or by conventional solvent coating technologies. These technologies are tedious, expensive, and not environmentally friendly.
In addition, the performance of silver coated medical devices is mediocre at best. For example, it can take up to eight (8) hours before the silver ion, ionized from the silver salts or silver element, to reach efficacy as an antimicrobial agent. As a result, substantial microbial activity can occur prior to the silver coating even becoming effective. Furthermore, the silver compound or silver element has an unpleasant color, from dark amber to black.
Vascular access devices of this type may require, or benefit from the use of, a lubricant. A lubricant can be applied to the moveable parts of the device in order to facilitate actuation of the septum. However, with conventional lubricants, bacteria and other microorganisms may also reside in the lubricant. Conventional lubricants are not intended to prevent or significantly inhibit microbial growth and propagation. Indeed, conventional lubricants may play a role in the spread of microbial agents.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved methods for providing antimicrobial capability to medical devices of various types, and particularly devices related to infusion therapy. Specifically, there is a need for an effective antimicrobial lubricant that can be used in connection with various types of medical devices. There is a need for a lubricant that aids in preventing microbial propagation and may be useful and effective in killing microbial agents on contact.


A substantially light-insensitive black and white monosheet thermographic recording material comprising a support and a thermosensitive element, the thermosensitive element containing a substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt, an organic reducing agent therefor in thermal working relationship therewith, a binder and at least one mesionic 1,2,4-triazolium-3-thiolate compound.

Thermography is an image-forming process including a heating step and hence includes photothermography in which the image-forming process includes image-wise exposure and direct thermal processes in which the image-forming process includes an image-wise heating step. In direct thermal printing a visible image pattern is produced by image-wise heating of a recording material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,424 discloses in a heat developable and heat stabilizable photographic silver halide element comprising a support having thereon, in reactive association, in binder: (a) photographic silver halide, (b) a photographic silver halide developing agent, (c) an activating concentration of a thermal base releasing compound, the improvement comprising (d) a stabilizing concentration of a mesoionic 1,2,4-triazolium-3-thiolate silver halide stabilizer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,896 discloses in a heat developable and heat stabilizable photographic silver halide element comprising a support having thereon, in reactive association, in binder: (a) photographic silver halide, (b) a photographic silver halide developing agent, (c) an activating concentration of a thermal base releasing compound, the improvement comprising (d) a stabilizing concentration of a mesoionic 1,2,4-triazolium-3-thiolate silver halide stabilizer precursor containing a heat releasable blocking group on the sulfur atom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,390 discloses a mesoionic 1,2,4-triazolium-3-thiolate precursor represented by the formula:
wherein: R1 is alkyl containing 1 to 18 carbon atoms, —N(—R6)R5, alkenyl containing 3 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl containing 3 to 12 carbon atoms, or aryl containing 6 to 20 carbon atoms; R2 is alkyl containing 1 to 9 carbon atoms or aryl containing 6 to 12 carbon atoms; R3 is alkyl containing 1 to 18 carbon atoms, aryl containing 6 to 20 carbon atoms, or cycloalkyl containing 3 to 12 carbon atoms; R4 is carboxyaryl containing 7 to 13 carbon atoms, cyano (CN) or amido (CONH2); R5 and R6 are individually hydrogen, alkyl containing 1 to 18 carbon atoms, or aryl containing 6 to 20 carbon atoms, provided that when one of R5 and R6 is alkyl then both R5 and R6 are alkyl; n is 1 or 2; and X is an acid anion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,896 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,390 disclose mesionic silver halide stabilizer precursors, which upon thermal processing form a stabilizer moiety which reacts with the silver halide in unexposed areas to form a stable silver (I) salt. However, U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,896 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,390 are silent in respect of their use in substantially light-insensitive thermographic recording-materials whose thermosensitive element contains a substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt and a reducing agent therefor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,984 in a photographic element comprising a support having thereon, in reactive association, in binder, photographic silver halide and a dye precursor, the improvement wherein, said dye precursor is a diphenylamine having, in an ortho position to the amine, a sulfonyldiamido group that is capable upon oxidation of said diphenylamine of releasing a sulfonylamine fragment which, in turn, is capable of thermally releasing ammonia or an amine and wherein said diphenylamine is capable upon oxidation of forming a phenazine dye. U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,390 further discloses 1,5-dimethyl-6-allyl-1,2,4-triazolium-3-thiolate as a development accelerator in the photographic element.
JP 05-107764 discloses a silver halide photosensitive material capable of stably giving a high density image with low fog independently of a change in processing conditions and inhibiting the lowering of the sensitivity during storage in the raw state, the photosensitive material comprising a polymerizable photosensitive layer containing silver halide, a reducing agent and a polymerizable compound formed on a substrate, a mesoionic compound represented by the formula is incorporated into the photosensitive polymerizable layer:
wherein G is a 5- or 6-membered ring having N, O, S and/or Se as a hetero atom, E is —O—, —S— or —N-D (where D is alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aralkyl, aryl or a heterocyclic group) and G may have a substituent. JP 05-107764 further discloses that the mesoionic compound is a compound represented by formula (II):
wherein D1 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkynyl, aralkyl, aryl or heterocyclic group; D2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkeynyl, aralyly, aryl or heterocyclic group; L is —O—, —S—, or —N(D3)-; and D3 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkynyl, aralkyl, aryl or heterocyclic, amino, acylamino, sulfonamido, ureido or sulfamoylamino; and D1 and D2 and D2 and D3 may represent the atoms needed to form a ring.
EP-A 0 713 133 discloses a thermal imaging system consisting of (i) a donor element comprising on a support a donor layer containing a binder and a thermotransferable reducing agent capable of reducing a silver source to metallic silver and (ii) a receiving element comprising on a support a receiving layer comprising a silver source, capable of being reduced by means of heat in the presence of a reducing agent, a binder and a stabiliser selected from the group consisting of benzotriazoles, heterocyclic mercaptanes, sulphinic acids, 1,3,4-triazo-indinolines, 1,3-dinitroaryl compounds, 1,2,3-triazoles, phthalic acids and phthalic acid derivatives.
EP-A 0 901 040 discloses a substantially light-insensitive monosheet recording material comprising a support and a thermosensitive element containing a substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt, an organic reducing agent therefor in thermal working relationship therewith and a binder, characterized in that said thermosensitive element further contains an unsaturated carbocyclic or heterocyclic stabilizer compound substituted with a—SA group where A is hydrogen, a counterion to compensate the negative charge of the thiolate group or a group forming a symmetrical or an asymmetrical disulfide and said recording material is capable of producing prints with a numerical gradation value defined as the quotient of the fraction (2.5-0.1)/(E2.5-E0.1) greater than 2.3, where E2.5 is the energy in Joule applied in a dot area of 87 μm×87 μm of the imaging layer that produces an optical density value of 2.5, and E0.1 is the energy in Joule applied in a dot area of the imaging layer material that produces an optical density value of 0.1.
WO 94/16361 discloses a multilayer heat-sensitive material which comprises: a color-forming layer comprising: a color-forming amount of finely divided, solid colorless noble metal or iron salt of an organic acid distributed in a carrier composition; a color-developing amount of a cyclic or aromatic organic reducing agent, which at thermal copy and printing temperatures is capable of a color-forming reaction with the noble metal or iron salt; and an image-toning agent; characterized in that (a) the carrier composition comprises a substantially water-soluble polymeric carrier and a dispersing agent for the noble metal or iron salt and (b) the material comprises a protective overcoating layer for the color-forming layer. Furthermore, WO 94/16361 discloses that suitable antifoggants are well-known photographic anti-foggants such as mercaptobenzotriazole, chromate, oxalate, citrate, carbonate, benzotriazole (BZT), 5-methylbenzotriazole, 5,6-dimethylbenzotriazole, 5-bromobenzotriazole, 5-chlorobenzotriazole, 5-nitro-benzotriazole, 4-nitro-6-chlorobenzotriazole, 5-nitro-6-chlorobenzotriazole, 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-1,3,3a,7-tetraazaindene, benzimidazole, 2-methylbenz-imidazole, 5-nitrobenzimidazole, 1-phenyl-5-mercaptotetrazole, 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, 2-mercaptobenzoxazole, 2-mercaptothiazoline, 2-mercapto-4-methyl-6,6′-dimethylpyrimidine, 1-ethyl-2-mercapto-5-amino-1,3,4-triazole, 1-ethyl-5-mercapto-1,2,3,4-tetrazole, 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiodiazole, 2-mercapto-5-aminothiodiazole, dimethyldithiocarbamate, and diethyldithiocarbamate.
JP 2002-293039A discloses a monochromatic or multi-colour image-forming material comprising an image-forming layer containing a dye precursor and a deblocking agent for generating the dye by reacting with the precursor of the surface of a support, wherein the deblcoking agent is a mesionic compound, but is silent in respect of the use of mesionic compounds in substantially light-insensitive thermographic recording materials whose thermosensitive element contains a substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt and a reducing agent therefor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,571 discloses a process for producing an aqueous dispersion containing particles of a substantially light insensitive silver salt A, said silver salt A being a salt of a carboxylic acid having a solubility of less than 10−3 g in 100 ml of water at 20° C., said process consisting essentially of: (a) preparing an aqueous dispersion containing particles of a silver salt B, said silver salt B having a solubility of between 0.001 g and 1.5 g in 100 ml of water at 20° C., wherein the media for said aqueous dispersion is selected from the group consisting of water and mixtures of water and water-miscible organic solvents; and (b) reacting said particles of said silver salt B in the aqueous dispersion formed in step (a) with a solution of a conversion agent, wherein said conversion agent is a water soluble salt of the carboxylic acid, thereby forming the aqueous dispersion of particles of said substantially light insensitive silver salt A. U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,571 further discloses the presence of stabilizers and antifoggants in the thermographic and photothermographic materials and in an extensive list mentions the mesoionic 1,2,4-triazolium-3-thiolate precursors described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,390 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,896 and also tribromomethyl ketone compounds described in EP-A 600 587. As is explained below, one: skilled in the art would know that the stabilizing and antifoggant requirements for photothermographic materials containing a substantially light-insensitive silver salt, a reducing agent therefor and photosensitive silver halide are completely different from those for thermographic materials containing a substantially light-insensitive silver salt and a reducing agent therefor. Therefore, in respect of compounds known to stabilize photothermographic materials, such as mesoionic 1,2,4-triazolium-3-thiolate precursors and tribromomethyl ketone compounds, one skilled in the art would, in a list of stabilizers for both photothermographic and thermographic materials, associate these stabilizers with photothermographic materials and would have no expectation of stabilizing properties in respect of substantially light-insensitive thermographic materials.

Thermographic recording materials containing a mesionic, 1,2,4-triazolium-3-thiolate compound


A portable food container is cooled by a solar powered refrigeration unit and includes a thermoelectric power unit and heat pipes so that the container will be cooled even when there is no solar radiation and will have an even temperature distribution.

Many people are finding it desirable to carry food with them as they travel. This situation has long existed in connection with picnics, lunches and the like, and has engendered a plethora of designs for picnic baskets, lunch boxes and the like. However, as more and more people travel, there is a need for food containers that can be used on trips and while traveling. The just-mentioned picnic baskets and lunch boxes while satisfactory for some uses, have drawbacks which inhibit their use in conjunction with travel, expecially long transit times.
Principal among such drawbacks is the limited ability of such food containers to keep food cold during long trips. While such containers are generally insulated and can include places for ice packs or the like, such measures are of limited effectiveness, expecially if the food must be stored for several days or even weeks.
Therefore, the art has included designs for portable refrigeration units. While such units are more effective than the above-described picnic baskets or lunch boxes, these units also have several drawbacks. For example, these units often are of limited effectiveness under certain conditions. Another problem is the possibility of having a rather severe thermal gradient established within the container whereby one section of the container is quite cold while another section is considerably warmer. Proper food storage requires, not only cold conditions, but uniform temperature in the container.
Accordingly, there is a need for a food storage container which can maintain a proper environment for storing food for great lengths of time, and under varied conditions, and which provides a uniform temperature for the environment within the container.


In the construction vehicle, a controller is configured to implement a pump displacement rapid change suppression control for controlling the displacement of a travel hydraulic pump so that travel circuit oil pressure reaches a maximum value equal to or less than a cutoff pressure value when the vehicle has stopped regardless of engine speed, and the displacement of the travel hydraulic pump gradually increases as the travel circuit oil pressure decreases from the maximum value.

An example of a construction vehicle is one wherein a hydraulic pump is driven by an engine, and a travel hydraulic motor is driven by pressure oil discharged from the hydraulic pump, thereby causing the vehicle to travel. With this type of construction vehicle, the speed and traction force of the vehicle can be controlled by controlling the engine speed, the displacement of the hydraulic pump, and the displacement of the travel hydraulic motor (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-144254).
Pump displacement-primary circuit oil pressure characteristics such as those shown in FIG. 14 are commonly obtained in a construction vehicle such as the one described above. The solid line L11 and the dashed lines L12 to L15 in this diagram are lines showing the pump displacement-primary circuit oil pressure characteristics, which vary according to the engine speed. The primary circuit oil pressure is the oil pressure in a travel hydraulic circuit through which flows pressure oil discharged from the hydraulic pump and sent to the travel hydraulic motor. The dashed line L14 shows that the pump displacement is reduced when the primary circuit oil pressure increases, and the pump displacement is increased when the primary circuit oil pressure decreases. The construction vehicle is also provided with an oil pressure limiting component in order to protect the travel hydraulic circuit. The oil pressure limiting component is configured from a cutoff valve or another component for reducing the primary circuit oil pressure so that the primary circuit oil pressure does not exceed a predetermined cutoff pressure value. In the pump displacement-primary circuit oil pressure characteristics shown by the dashed line L12 in FIG. 14, the cutoff valve operates in cases in which the pump displacement is equal to or less than a predetermined pump displacement value Qx3, causing the primary circuit oil pressure to decrease and remain constant at a cutoff pressure value Plt.


An apparatus for suspending hoses or cables which consists of an elongate support having a support surface in the shape of an arch with a vertex, depending haunches and intrados. A hose or cable may supported upon the vertex and haunches of the arch. At least one strap is secured transversely to the support. Loops or rings are provided for attaching the strap to a suspension line.

There are numerous industrial and commercial applications which require hoses or cables to be suspended from a support structure. At the present time a "sling" is used to suspend the hose or cable. The "sling" consists of a strap formed in a loop which extends transversely such that hose or cable rests on the strap. The force exerted by its own weight sometimes causes the hose or cable to become crimped over the strap. The stress exerted upon the material from such crimping ultimately leads to a failure of the cable or hose.


A composite gasket for sealing and EMI shielding is provided. The gasket has a resilient conductive mesh sheet embedded with an elastomer gel layer. The conductive mesh is corrugated to provide a series of repeating waveforms, providing the gasket with a lower deflection force, better corrosion resistance, and a higher EMI shielding capability. A second elastomer can be used around the edge portions of the gasket for improved abrasion resistance and increased tensile strength. A fiberglass sheet can be incorporated in the mesh for added reinforcement and support. The gaskets of the invention can be used on external aircraft components, such as external aircraft antenna mounts.

The present invention relates to gaskets for use in sealing and EMI shielding applications, and particularly for aircraft related applications. More particularly, the present invention relates to a resilient crimped electrically-conductive mesh sheet encapsulated with a polymeric elastomer gel polymer for use in shielding and protecting external aircraft components which generate or receive electromagnetic radiation.
In general, electronic components are sources of electromagnetic (EM) radiation. Electronic components, for example, transmitters, transceivers, microcontrollers, microprocessors and the like radiate a portion of the electric signals propagating through a device as EM radiation. The EM radiation generated in this way is sometimes referred to as EM noise. Higher operating frequency ranges of the electronic components leads to the EM noise that primarily comprise radio frequency (RF) radiation. This RF radiation is normally referred to as RF noise. As may be used herein, EM noise and RF noise are used merely to refer to EM radiations emitted from an electronic device. Moreover, EM noise and RF noise, unless otherwise stated, may be used interchangeably throughout the specification. EM radiation may also be emitted from electronic devices in close proximity to each other (EMI, or electromagnetic interference).
Electronic devices have been conventionally shielded to impede the emission of EM noise. Specifically, the electronic devices can be enclosed in a shield. The shield may be made of various materials, for example, metal sheets, plastic composites, conductive polymer sprays, metal filled epoxy pastes and the like. The shield absorbs EM radiation thereby impeding the emission of EM noise from an assembly of the electronic devices and the shield.
Composite gaskets generally comprising a metal core material enclosed or encapsulated within a resilient polymeric material are well known in the art. Such gaskets have sufficient structural integrity to be useful in sealing components in corrosive and high performance environments, such as for pressure vessels, automotive engines and aircraft. Examples of such gaskets include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,230,290; 4,865,905; 5,791,654; 5,929,138; 6,357,764; 6,454,267; 6,530,577; 6,695,320; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,293. Composite gaskets may also include EMI shielding capabilities, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,477,267; 3,126,440; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,877. The disclosure of each of these patents is incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Many of the gaskets described in the aforementioned patents may not be acceptable for high performance applications, typically aircraft applications, where a variety of performance characteristics may be required in harsh working environments. For example, in addition to EMI shielding and sealing, electrical bonding of components and protection against corrosion may be a necessity.
Conventional gaskets typically have electrical contact only at the edge portion of the gasket. Most such gaskets involve a woven flat wire mesh buried within the body of the elastomer not near the surface. When the gasket is cut to size, the wire mesh is exposed at the edge of the gasket and bent up near the surface. Since the electrical contact of these gaskets and the sealed components is at the edge portion of the gasket, a caulk must be applied at the edge of the gasket to protect the wire mesh from corrosion while maintaining the electrical bonding and EMI shielding. The application and curing of the caulk requires several hours of application and curing time, increasing down time of the aircraft, for instance. When a gasket is replaced, the old caulk must first be removed, and the removal procedure can result in scratches to the protective coating of the aircraft, requiring a repainting of the aircraft surface, thereby expanding the scope and duration of the repair. In addition, most caulking compounds have a limited shelf life which can create inventory obsolescence and increase associated costs.
It would also be advantageous to have a commercial product with a greater deflection range, requiring the application of less closure force, fewer attachment bolts, and thinner mating flanges. Thinner flanges and fewer bolts lead to reduced weight which is important for aircraft applications. Additionally, a gasket with a greater deflection range would be able to provide environmental sealing between mating surfaces which may have a substantial lack of conformity for protection against environmental leakage.
Accordingly, there is a perceived need for an improved composite gasket design, particularly in aircraft applications, that would provide for improved sealing and EMI shielding, while necessitating fewer overall repair and maintenance problems.

Encapsulated expanded crimped metal mesh for sealing and EMI shielding applications


A blow tube arrangement and method for controlling the flow of granular mold material to the cavity of a mold or core making machine, in which one or more transverse openings are formed in the tip of the blow tube, which allow flow into the cavity when the tip is inserted into the cavity but which are covered as the tip is withdrawn. A spring urged covering sleeve receives the tip as it is withdrawn from the mold pattern structure to maintain closure of the tip openings.

This invention concerns mold and core making machines involving the use of air pressure to blow a granular mold material, such as resin coated sand, from a supply into a pattern structure such as a flask or core box. The resin coated sand is cured to form a mold or core for use in casting metals. Such resin coated sand is quite free flowing such that it will tend to continue to flow out of a supply box even after the air pressure is cut off.
The continued flow forms "candles" on the molds or cores which must be removed prior to their use.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,530,928 issued on Sept. 29, 1970 for a "Blow Head Having Valve Means Cooperating with Flexible Chamber Walls" describes a valving for resin coated sand intended to control this tendency for sand flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,761,186 issued on Sept. 4, 1956 for a "Blow Tube for Core Blowing Machine" also is concerned with solving this same problem.
The arrangements shown in these patents do act to cut off flow after the blow tube is withdrawn from the pattern, but do not prevent the formation of features from flow within the bores in the pattern wall into which the blow tube is inserted.

Blow tube arrangement for core and mold making machinery


A method and system for presenting a promotional offer based on detected data. Data that is generated by at least one device detecting one or more physical actions performed by a person is obtained. The device is located in a same physical environment as the person. The data is analyzed to determine that a probability of an undesired action, by the person, is above a threshold value. Responsive to determining that the probability of the undesired action is above the threshold value, a promotional offer is presented to the person. The promotional offer lowers the probability of the undesired action by the person.

Data is being detected by an increasing number and variety of devices and sensors. For example, motion data is detected by an accelerometer, temperature data is detected by a thermometer, and payment data is detected by a smartphone through which a user makes a purchase. Analysis on the data can generate a variety of insights, which can be used to improve quality of life. However, the value of various types of data, and the value of the aggregation of the data, is not being fully captured.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.

Method and system for presenting a promotional offer based on detected data