The liquid droplet ejection apparatus includes a liquid supply path, a plurality of mutually independent pressurizing chambers, a plurality of liquid introduction bores for establishing communication between the corresponding pressurizing chambers and the liquid supply path, and a plurality of ejection nozzles for establishing communication between the corresponding pressurizing chambers and the exterior of the liquid droplet ejection apparatus. An ejection bore formed at the end portion of the ejection nozzle has a hollow cylindrical form and the inside diameter thereof increases toward an ejection opening. When a potential difference is applied between two electrodes of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element, a ceramic sheet forming the upper wall of the pressurizing chamber deforms to thereby cause a change of the volume of the pressurizing chamber. Thus, liquid pressure within the pressurizing chamber increases to thereby cause simultaneous ejection of a plurality of liquid droplets from the ejection opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid droplet ejection apparatus for ejecting droplets of liquid, such as liquid material or fluid, from an ejection opening through pressurization of the liquid within a pressurizing chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
The liquid droplet ejection apparatus of this type includes a pressurizing chamber into which liquid is introduced via a liquid introduction bore, an ejection nozzle communicating with the pressurizing chamber, and pressurizing means, such as a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element, for changing the volume of the pressurizing chamber. The apparatus pressurizes liquid contained in the pressurizing chamber through change in the volume of the pressurizing chamber to thereby eject the liquid in the form of droplets from an ejection opening of the ejection nozzle. Such a liquid droplet ejection apparatus is used in, for example, a color printer.
However, since a conventional liquid droplet ejection apparatus is intended to eject merely a single droplet of liquid by a single operation of pressurization, the diameter of a liquid droplet is relatively large. Thus, the conventional apparatus cannot be used in mechanical equipment requiring mistlike fuel or the like.
An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid droplet ejection apparatus capable of ejecting liquid in a mistlike form.
To achieve the object, the present invention provides a liquid droplet ejection apparatus comprising a pressurizing chamber communicating with a liquid supply path via a liquid introduction bore; an ejection nozzle connected to the pressurizing chamber; and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element for changing a volume of the pressurizing chamber so as to pressurize liquid introduced into the pressurizing chamber via the liquid introduction bore to thereby eject the liquid in a form of liquid droplets from a circular ejection opening of the ejection nozzle, wherein a diameter of a largest liquid droplet among the liquid droplets ejected is not greater than a diameter of the ejection opening.
Also, the present invention provides a similar liquid droplet ejection apparatus configured such that a plurality of liquid droplets are simultaneously ejected from the ejection opening by means of a single operation of pressurization.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a similar liquid droplet ejection apparatus configured such that a plurality of liquid droplets ejected from the ejection opening by means of a single operation of pressurization simultaneously reach an imaginary plane defined in a manner such that all points on the plane maintain an equal distance to the ejection opening.
These liquid droplet ejection apparatuses can be used in mechanical equipment requiring mistlike fuel or the like (e.g., a gasoline-injection-type internal combustion engine) and eject (inject) liquid through effective utilization of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element.
Preferably, any one of the liquid droplet ejection apparatuses described above is configured such that each of the liquid introduction bore and an ejection-side end portion of the ejection nozzle assumes a hollow, substantially cylindrical form, and a bottom face of the cylinder forming the ejection-side end portion of the ejection nozzle serves as the ejection opening; the ratio of the diameter of the liquid introduction bore to the diameter of the ejection opening is 0.6 to 1.6; the ratio of the diameter of the ejection opening to the height of the hollow cylinder forming the ejection-side end portion is 0.2 to 4; and the rate of change (per unit time) in the ratio of the amount of change in the volume of the pressurizing chamber to the sum of the volume of the ejection nozzle and the volume of the pressurizing chamber is 6 ppm/xcexcs to 40 ppm/xcexcs.
The ratio of the diameter d0 of the liquid introduction bore to the diameter d1 of the ejection opening (d0/d1) is 0.6 to 1.6 for the following reason. When the ratio (d0/d1) is less than 0.6, the amount of liquid to be introduced into the pressurizing chamber via the liquid introduction bore becomes small in relation to the amount of liquid to be ejected from the ejection opening, causing an ejection defect. When the ratio (d0/d1) is in excess of 1.6, during pressurization, a large amount of liquid flows back into the liquid supply path from the pressurizing chamber via the liquid introduction bore, resulting in a failure to eject liquid from the ejection opening.
The ratio of the diameter d1 of the ejection opening (i.e., the diameter d1 of the bottom face of the hollow cylinder) to the height h1 of the hollow cylinder formed at the ejection-side end portion (d1/h1) is 0.2 to 4 for the following reason. When the ratio (d1/h1) is not greater than 4, during ejection, contact resistance between liquid and the inside wall surface of the ejection-side end portion becomes relatively large, so that vibration remaining, on liquid surface, immediately after ejection settles promptly, thereby preventing air (a bubble) from being caught in the ejection nozzle. As a result, entry of a bubble into the pressurizing chamber from the ejection nozzle can be prevented, thereby enhancing ejection stability. When the ratio (d1/h1) is less than 0.2, during ejection, contact resistance between liquid and the inside wall surface of the ejection-side end portion becomes excessively large. As a result, the force of ejection becomes insufficient, resulting in disabled ejection.
The rate of change (per unit time) R in the ratio of the amount of change xcex94V in the volume of the pressurizing chamber to the sum of the volume xcex94n of the ejection nozzle and the volume Vk of the pressurizing chamber (xcex94V/(Vn+Vk)) is 6 ppm/xcexcs to 40 ppm/xcexcs for the following reason. The greater the rate of change R, the smaller liquid droplets become. However, when the rate of change R is in excess of 40 ppm/xcexcs, ejection becomes unstable. When the rate of change R is less than 6 ppm/xcexcs, droplets to be ejected become granular. As a result, an object that a plurality of liquid droplets are ejected by means of a single operation of pressurization cannot be attained.
Preferably, any one of the liquid droplet ejection apparatuses described above is configured such that an ejection-side end portion of the ejection nozzle assumes a hollow, substantially cylindrical form and is formed such that a bottom face of the cylinder serves as the ejection opening; and an inside diameter of the cylinder increases toward the ejection opening. In this case, preferably, a value obtained by dividing, by the height h1 of the cylinder, the difference between the diameter d1 of the bottom face of the cylinder and the diameter d2 of the top face of the cylinder serving as an opening located on the side of the pressurizing chamber ((d1xe2x88x92d2)/h1) is 0.05 to 0.7.
Through employment of the geometric features mentioned above, the liquid is ejected in a mistlike form for the following reason. Conceivably, during ejection, the liquid is subjected to not only a force imposed along the axial direction of the hollow cylinder (i.e., along the direction perpendicular to a plane serving as the ejection opening), but also a force imposed along a direction perpendicular to the axial direction and exerted from the inside wall surface of the hollow cylinder; thus, the liquid becomes unlikely to assume a large granular form.
Also, any one of the liquid droplet ejection apparatuses described above is preferably configured such that the ejection-side end portion of the ejection nozzle comprises a first ejection bore formed in a thin-plate member and assuming a hollow, substantially cylindrical form having a top face located on the side of the pressurizing chamber and a bottom face located on the side of the ejection opening; and a second ejection bore assuming a hollow, substantially cylindrical form and formed in a liquid-repellent layer formed on the surface of the thin-plate member located on the side of the ejection opening, a top face of the hollow cylinder forming an opening connected to the bottom face of the first ejection bore, a bottom face of the hollow cylinder forming the ejection opening of the ejection nozzle. The inside diameter of the second ejection bore increases toward the ejection opening. In this case, preferably, a value obtained by dividing, by the height of the second ejection bore, the difference between the diameter of the ejection opening of the second ejection bore and the diameter of the opening of the second ejection bore connected to the first ejection bore is 0.5 to 2.0.
The liquid-repellent layer is provided in order to prevent adhesion of liquid droplets to an area around the ejection opening during ejection. When the liquid-repellent layer is provided, the liquid-repellent layer substantially serves as the end portion of the ejection nozzle. Accordingly, when, as mentioned above, the hollow, substantially cylindrical second ejection bore formed in the liquid-repellent layer is configured such that the inside diameter thereof increases toward the ejection opening, the liquid is subjected to not only a force imposed along the axial direction of the second ejection bore (hollow cylinder), but also a force imposed along a direction perpendicular to the axial direction; thus, the liquid becomes unlikely to assume a granular form. As a result, the liquid is ejected in a mistlike form.
Further, preferably, in the above-described liquid droplet ejection apparatus having the first and second ejection bores, the inside diameter of the first ejection bore decreases toward the second ejection bore.
Through employment of the geometric feature that the inside diameter of the first ejection bore decreases toward the second ejection bore, variation in liquid pressure within the pressurizing chamber immediately after ejection becomes unlikely to occur, thereby lowering the possibility of entry of a bubble into the pressurizing chamber from the ejection nozzle. As a result, ejection becomes stable.
Also, any one of the liquid droplet ejection apparatuses described above is preferably configured such that an ejection-side end portion of the ejection nozzle assumes a hollow, substantially cylindrical form and is formed such that a bottom face of the cylinder serves as the ejection opening; and a protrusion portion is formed on an inside wall surface of the ejection-side end portion. In this case, the ratio of the height of the protrusion portion to the diameter of the ejection opening preferably falls within the range of 0.03 to 0.17. Moreover, three to twelve protrusion portions are preferably formed along the inside wall surface of the ejection-side end portion.
The protrusion portions split a liquid droplet immediately before ejection, thereby facilitating ejection of liquid in a mistlike form.
Preferably, in any one of the liquid droplet ejection apparatuses described above, the pressurizing chamber and the ejection nozzle are integrally formed of zirconia ceramics.
By virtue of characteristics of zirconia ceramics, a liquid droplet ejection apparatus having high durability against frequent deformation can be readily manufactured.
Embodiments of the present invention will next be described with reference to drawings. Herein, the term xe2x80x9cpiezoelectric/electrostrictivexe2x80x9d means piezoelectric and/or electrostrictive. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive element is widely known as an element characterized by extending primarily in a direction parallel to an externally applied electric field and contracting in a direction perpendicular to the electric field and adapted to convert electrical energy to mechanical energy and vice versa. A piezoelectric element is characterized by exhibiting coercive electric field (external electric field as observed upon inversion of polarization) of relatively high intensity. An electrostrictive element is characterized by exhibiting coercive electric field of very low intensity.

Liquid droplet ejection apparatus and liquid droplet ejecting method


In a shift lever device, at a time when a shift lever is pivotally operated in a front-rear direction, a retainer and a link are pivoted integrally with the shift lever, and a pivot portion is pivoted in the front-rear direction. Further, at a time when the shift lever is pivotally operated in a left-right direction, the shift lever is pivoted with respect to the retainer, and the link is pivoted, and the pivot portion is thereby pivoted in the left-right direction. Moreover, a position of the pivot portion is detected by a detecting mechanism, and a shift position of the shift lever is detected. Therefore, the shift position of the shift lever can be detected via the link.

In the shift device of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2008-44393, a second link is pivotably connected to a shift lever, and a sensor magnet is provided at the second link. Due to the shift lever being operated, the second link is pivoted, and the sensor magnet is pivoted. Due thereto, the shift position is detected due to a Hall element detecting the position of the sensor magnet.
By the way, in this shift device, in a case in which the shift lever is operated in one direction, the shift position of the shift lever is detected via the second link.
Here, in such a shift device, it is preferable to be able to detect the shift position of the shift lever via the second link, even in cases in which the shift lever is operated in one direction and another direction.


A device for removing an incorrectly inserted weft on a jet loom includes nozzles, a scissor locking device, and a suction device operated in response to signals from sensors sensing the position of the weft. The incorrectly inserted weft picking length is removed in the shape of an evolving loop in the direction towards the shed end side by a pull exerted on the whole subsequent picking length of the weft.

The introduction of electronics into weaving technology has been accompanied, from the very beginning, by efforts aimed at removing the causes of jet loom run interruption. One of these causes is an incorrect weft insertion which is detected by a weft stop motion which then gives a signal to stop the machine run. The chief problem in this operation is how to release the incorrectly inserted but already beaten-up weft, especially with fine staple yards.
There are several known mechanisms for this purpose and they can be classified substantially into three groups, viz., mechanisms for drawing out the weft in its axis without releasing it previously, mechanisms releasing the weft by its transverse displacement with subsequent drawing out in the pick axis, and finally mechanisms producing on the incorrectly inserted weft a wave progressing in the pick axis to release the weft progressively and to draw it out then in the pick axis.
The first of these known mechanisms is relatively simple mechanically but not applicable to fine staple yarn wefts due to a high degree of risk of damaging these wefts. A common drawback of the other two mechanisms is their complexity.
There are also several known devices for automatically removing an incorrectly inserted weft. With one of them, the incorrectly inserted, beaten-up and cut off weft is first released by shaft motion, then gripped by manipulator tongs and drawn towards the main jet so as to be presented to the winding device which finishes the removal of the weft from the shed. Another known device for automatic removal of an incorrectly inserted weft operates on a similar principle using its non-separation, and achieving the presentation of the weft to the take down device by means of a portion of the supply of the metering device fed by an ancillary jet. The drawing-off proper is directed towards the main jet, like in the above mentioned known device.
The drawback of the above-mentioned devices is that for releasing the beaten-up weft from the shed, especially with staple yarns, a considerable force is required, in many cases superior to the strength of the weft to be removed. For this reason, the removal of incorrectly inserted wefts by means of such devices is difficult, sometimes even impossible on fine staple yarns. Besides, the devices themselves are considerably complicated and accordingly costly.


An apparatus for and a method of adaptively processing video signals based on noise states. The method includes, a memory device that stores a look-up table in which optimal filter tap coefficients corresponding to a number of noise levels are registered; a noise measurement unit that obtains a noise measurement from input video signals during a predetermined period; a filter coefficient determination unit that selects optimal filter tap coefficients from the memory based on the noise measurement obtained by the noise measurement unit; a noise suppression filter that employs the optimal filter tap coefficients selected by the filter coefficient determination unit to filter and remove noise from the input video signals; and a video signal processor that performs video signal processing on the result output by the noise suppression filter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for, and method of, processing video signals, and more particularly, to an apparatus for, and method of, adaptively processing video signals according to noise a state, in which coefficients of a filter are optimally adjusted according to the magnitude of a noise included in an input video signal and then the input video signal is filtered by the adjusted filter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Related video signal processing techniques are disclosed in Korean patent No. 1999-2523 and Japanese patent No. 2002-341850. Japanese patent No. 2002-341850 discloses a technique in which the contrast of an input video signal is adjusted by a video amplifier and high frequency noise of signals output by the video amplifier are removed by a low pass filter, so that the contrast of the video signal can be adjusted without being affected by noise.
Korean patent number 1999-2523 discloses a technique to enhance the brightness distributional characteristic of an image in a histogram conversion of a probability density function of an image brightness level by selecting a reference histogram with respect to a histogram of an original image, comparing the accumulated distribution function of the reference histogram with that of the histogram of the original image to generate a conversion function, and applying the conversion function to the original image.
Typically, an apparatus for processing video signals uses a noise-suppression filter to remove noise in an input video signal. However, in the noise-suppression filter, since its tap coefficients are fixed regardless of the noise state, video quality is deteriorated as the noise state changes.

Apparatus for and method of adaptively processing video signals based on a noise state


A functional skin patch having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface is provided. The functional skin patch includes a functional unit having a thermo harvester and an antenna unit. The thermo harvester has a first terminal thermally connected to the first surface and a second terminal. The antenna unit has a first terminal thermally connected to the second terminal of the thermo harvester and a second terminal thermally connected to the second surface. The antenna unit has a stacked layer structure including, in this sequence, a metal layer thermally connected to the second terminal of the thermo harvester, a ferrite layer thermally connected to the metal layer, and an antenna layer thermally connected to the ferrite layer.

Functional skin patches or sensor plasters for medical or industrial monitoring networks provide limited space in a thickness direction and further require flexibility to fit to the underlying body, e.g. a human body. In case a thermo harvester is integrated in a functional skin patch, a radiating surface of maximized area is desirable to enhance the thermal conductivity between the functional skin patch and the surrounding air. To provide a low thermal transfer resistance of the outer surface of the functional skin patch, a metal layer may be provided. However, in case the functional skin patch is equipped with an antenna unit, the radiating outer surface and the antenna part compete for the surface area of the outer surface of the functional skin patch.
It is an object to provide a functional skin patch having an antenna and improved thermo harvesting properties.


A passive arrayed-waveguide-grating (AWG) router that can be used to implement the dual functionality of a wavelength router and a 3-dB power splitter for one of its wavelength channels while functioning as a conventional wavelength router for the other wavelength channels. The passive AWG router can advantageously be used, e.g., in a WDM-PON system to reduce the insertion-loss disparity between the various wavelength channels that are being used to broadcast optical signals from an optical line terminal located at the service provider's central office, through the passive AWG router, to a plurality of optical network units located near the end users.

1. Field
The present invention relates to optical communication equipment and, more specifically but not exclusively, to passive wavelength routers.
2. Description of the Related Art
This section introduces aspects that may help facilitate a better understanding of the invention(s). Accordingly, the statements of this section are to be read in this light and are not to be understood as admissions about what is in the prior art or what is not in the prior art.
An access network, also known as a "first-mile network," connects a service provider's central office to businesses and residential subscribers. Access networks are also sometimes referred to in the literature as subscriber access networks or local loops. The bandwidth demand in access networks has been increasing rapidly, for example, because residential subscribers expect first-mile access solutions to provide high bandwidth and offer media-rich services. Similarly, corporate users demand broadband infrastructure through which they can reliably connect their local-area networks to the Internet backbone.
A passive optical network (PON) is an optical fiber-based access network that can typically provide much higher bandwidth than, e.g., traditional copper-based access networks. The incorporation of wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) in a PON further increases the available bandwidth. However, WDM-PONs have not been widely commercialized yet, partly due to their relatively high cost compared to conventional systems and partly due to immature device technologies and insufficiently developed network protocols and software to support various commercially viable WDM-PON architectures.

Wavelength router for a passive optical network


An exhaust purifying apparatus for an internal combustion engine having a DPNR converter (26), a fuel adding device (46), and an electronic control device (50) is provided. The DPNR converter (26) is located in an exhaust passage (14) of the internal combustion engine (10). The DPNR converter (26) traps particulate matter in exhaust gas. The fuel adding device (46) adds fuel to exhaust as that passes through the DPNR converter (26). The electronic control device (50) estimates a combustion rate of particulate matter in the DPNR converter (26) in a state where the fuel adding device (46) adds fuel to the exhaust gas. Based on the estimated combustion rate, the electronic control device (50) sets a manner of adding fuel by the fuel adding device (46). As a result, the exhaust purifying apparatus suppresses excessive temperature increase of a DPNR converter (26) to which fuel is added.

An exhaust purifying member that purifies exhaust gas by trapping particulate matter (PM) in exhaust gas with a filter located in an exhaust passage has been employed for an internal combustion engine such as a vehicle diesel engine. In such an exhaust purifying member, the filter needs to be regenerated by removing particulate matter accumulated in the filter before the filter is clogged by accumulation of trapped particulate matter.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-20930 discloses an exhaust purifying apparatus that eliminates particulate matter in the filter. In the exhaust purifying apparatus of the above publication, the filter supports a catalyst that promotes oxidization of particulate matter, and fuel is added to exhaust gas that flows into the filter. The particulate matter trapped in the filter is oxidized (burned) by adding fuel, and the filter is thus regenerated.
If fuel is added as described above when clogging is caused at an upstream side of the exhaust purifying member, the following problems are likely to occur.
If clogging occurs, the flow of exhaust gas becomes uneven at a section where the clogging has occurred. Therefore, fuel that was supposed to be burned at this section is burned downstream of the section. In this case, particulate matter that is accumulated at the downstream section or particulate matter remaining unburned from a PM elimination process, that is, residual particulate matter is abruptly burned, which excessively increases the temperature of the exhaust purifying member. As a result, for example, thermal degradation may occur.
The state in which clogging is caused at the upstream side of the exhaust purifying member includes a state in which clogging is caused at the upstream end of the exhaust purifying member and a state in which clogging is caused in an exhaust purifying catalyst located upstream of the exhaust purifying member.

Exhaust purifying apparatus for internal combustion engine


A method of manufacturing a cooled gas turbine component includes forming a core with an outer surface. The outer surface includes a core feature. The method also includes casting an outer wall of an airfoil about the core. The outer wall has an exterior surface and an interior surface. The interior surface includes a shaped inlet portion that corresponds to the core feature. Moreover, the method includes forming an outlet portion through the outer wall to fluidly connect the outlet portion to the shaped inlet portion. The shaped inlet portion and the outlet portion cooperatively define a cooling aperture through the outer wall.

Gas turbine engines are generally used in a wide range of applications, such as aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. In a gas turbine engine, air is compressed in a compressor, mixed with fuel, and ignited in a combustor to generate hot combustion gases, which flow downstream into a turbine section. In a typical configuration, the turbine section includes airfoils, such as stator vanes and rotor blades, disposed in an alternating sequence along the axial length of a generally annular hot gas flow path. The rotor blades are mounted at the periphery of one or more rotor disks that are coupled in turn to a main engine shaft. Hot combustion gases are delivered from the engine combustor to the annular hot gas flow path, thus resulting in rotary driving of the rotor disks to provide an engine output.
Due to the high temperatures in many gas turbine engine applications, it is desirable to regulate the operating temperature of certain engine components, particularly those within the mainstream hot gas flow path in order to prevent overheating and potential mechanical issues attributable thereto. As such, it is desirable to cool the airfoils of the rotor blades and stator vanes to prevent or reduce oxidation, thermo-mechanical fatigue, and/or other adverse impacts to the airfoil. Mechanisms for cooling turbine airfoils include ducting cooling air through internal passages and then venting the cooling air through holes formed in the airfoil. However, given the high temperature of engine operation, cooling remains a challenge.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide gas turbine engines with improved airfoil cooling. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Gas turbine component with cooling aperture having shaped inlet and method of forming the same


A pipe anchoring structure adapted to firmly and securely support a pipe relative to undisturbed earth. The device includes a stake body portion adapted to be driven into the ground. The stake body portion carries a pair of adjustable clamping members adapted to engage opposed surfaces of a pipe. Each of the clamping members can be firmly secured to the stake body portion when the pipe has been aligned and positioned in a desired orientation. Additionally, each of the clamping members includes a plurality of concentric circular arc cutout portions to define a recess in one end thereof, the opposed recesses of the respective clamping members adapted to be positioned on opposite sides of a pipe. Laterally outer portions of the clamping members are held against relative rotation by an outboard support rod that passes through each of the clamping members and that includes a head end at one end and a plurality of axially spaced circumferential grooves to receive a circlip in an appropriate groove to limit movement of the support rod relative to the clamping members. Preferably, the elements of the invention are made from plastic material for convenience, low cost, and light weight, and the clamping members portions can be secured to the stake body portion mechanically, such as by connecting screws, and also by means of adhesive connections, such as solvent sealing or gluing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for firmly supporting against upward or downward movement an underground pipe that has been set in a trench and covered with fill dirt. More particularly, the present invention relates to underground pipe support apparatus in the form of an underground stake that includes a pair of clamping members that clampingly engage the outer surface of an underground pipe, the clamping members being securely fastened to the stake to firmly grip and hold the pipe in its original position, relative to the bottom of the trench, so that it does not float to the surface as a result of freezing, thawing, and other movement of the softer fill dirt.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of stake-type supports for supporting a pipe in a trench has been practiced for some time. In applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,012, which issued Nov. 21, 1978, there is disclosed an underground pipe hanger that includes a stake portion that is driven into the solid, unexcavated ground below the base of a trench. The stake portion carries a pair of laterally extending arms that are integrally formed with the stake to support a pipe of predetermined diameter. Thus, a number of such hangers must be available with different lateral arm spacings to accommodate pipes of different diameters. Additionally, a variation of applicant's earlier invention incorporating a ring that is carried on a slidable sleeve is also limited to a specific pipe size, thereby requiring a large number of different size ring structures in order to accommodate the wide variety of pipe sizes in normal use.
A form of underground pipe hanger or support that is capable of accommodating pipes of different diameters is disclosed in R.E. McLaughlin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,455, which issued Mar. 9, 1971. The McLaughlin device includes a steel spike that slidably carries a bracket plate having a cutout portion to receive a pipe. A flexible cable is attached to the bracket plate and is adapted to be passed around the pipe. One end of the flexible cable is firmly secured to the bracket plate and the other end includes a closed loop that is placed in one of a number of notches formed in the bracket to accommodate a variety of pipe sizes. However, the cutout in the McLaughlin et al. bracket is sized for a specific pipe, and thus pipes of sizes different from that of the bracket cutout have localized outer surface stress points because of the small surface area of contact between the pipe and the bracket. Such stress points are particularly undesirable when plastic pipe is supported by the device. Additionally, the McLaughlin et al. bracket is merely held in position relative to the stake by means of a setscrew, which could later permit relative movement between the bracket and the stake, thereby defeating the purpose of the device.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices described above.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved underground pipe hanger structure that securely grips and engages a substantial circumferential surface area of a pipe, and that is securely carried by an underground stake.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an underground pipe hanger made from plastic for light weight, ease of fabrication, and lower cost.

Anchoring structure for underground pipes


The systems and methods of the invention can process a qualitative expression, typically a phrase, to generate a numerical value that represents the likelihood of an event as expressed by the given qualitative expression. The qualitative expressions typically are made up of a probability term and possibly a term of degree and one or more terms of negation. Thus, the systems described herein allow numerical information to be captured from qualitative expressions. This, allows further numeric processing and data refining, and facilitates the development of databases of information, such as databases of information about the significance of the existence of a symptom for the diagnosis of a particular disease.

The process of diagnosing an illness or a disease typically involves recording the demographic information about the patient and documenting the findings that the patient is exhibiting. Together the demographic information and the finding information provide a patient profile. The diagnosing physician can compare the demographic information and the finding information of the patient against a listing of the common and descriptive findings for a particular disease, and can determine the likelihood that such a disease would be present in a patient having the information set forth in the profile.
For this process to work well, the physician must be provided with a database of information that sets forth the descriptive symptoms for a particular disease. Unfortunately, this information is difficult to come by. Frequently, the doctor must rely on personal experience, or search through the literature to identify studies that set forth statistical ranges indicating the likelihood that a particular finding is present in a patient with a particular disease. Often, however, the literature only offers general qualitative discussions as to the frequency or relevancy of a particular finding for a particular disease. Such qualitative expressions include statements that a particular disease is "very frequently" accompanied by a particular finding or that the finding is "almost never absent" in a patient with a particular disease. Similar qualitative expressions are used to describe the likelihood that a patient with a certain demographic profile will have a particular disease.
Although qualitative expressions provide information as to the probability that a particular finding will be seen in a patient suffering from a particular disease, the information is conveyed in a somewhat ambiguous manner and lacks the precision of a numerical statement that typically would be provided by a rigorous statistical analysis. However, patient studies that result in rigorous statistical analysis are few and far between. The scarcity of such publications arises in part from the difficulty in obtaining research support for analyzing a sufficiently large pool of candidates to come away with meaningful statistical data. Consequently, much of the diagnostic information available to a treating physician is in the form of qualitative expressions.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a system that can extract reliable and meaningful information from qualitative expressions.

Systems and methods for quantifying qualitative medical expressions


A method and a device for monitoring the combustion of fuel in a power station are provided. An actual concentration distribution of a material in a combustion chamber is measured, the actual concentration distribution is evaluated, taking into consideration a combustion stochiometry, and conclusions are drawn regarding a composition of the fuel on the basis of the evaluation that has been carried out.

For power stations, the fundamental objective is to monitor the combustion which is taking place in a combustion chamber in the power station, for example a boiler with a base area of 10 meters by 10 meters, over as wide an area as possible, to enable the variables required for optimizing the combustion process to be derived therefrom.
Thus, absorption spectroscopy is a known method. As an alternative measurement technology, acoustic pyrometry is also known. Using absorption spectroscopy or acoustic pyrometry, it is only possible to measure mean values along a line in the boiler or combustion chamber.
For the purpose of calculating the temperature and concentration distribution in a plane in a combustion chamber from measured mean values at various places in a power station's combustion chamber, a known method is the CAT measurement technique, Computer Aided Tomography.

Method of determining a composition of fuel in a power station


An authentication process is activated by a processor receiving an access request for user access to a user device. One or more biometric sensor module captures imaging data or other sensor data within a field of view encompassing the head of the user, or encompassing a head region including the head of the user. The processor carries out biometric recognition methods on the captured imaging data. Biometric recognition methods may include head-limb gesture recognition (including hand-to-face, and limb-near-head, gestures); head recognition; ocular recognition; facial recognition; and combinations of these methods. Upon successful match of captured sensor data with one or more user credential records stored for an authorized user of the user device, the processor authorizes the access request, providing access to the operating environment of the user device on start-up, or to one or more of a system setting, an application program, a data, and a hardware resource.

Many electronic devices such as personal computers, and mobile devices including mobile phones and tablet devices, use some form of authentication. "Identity management" poses the challenge of authentication—validating that an individual is who he says he is. Many applications require an authentication factor in the form of something the person knows, typically a password that must be input into the device to gain access. Typically, individuals are associated with usernames and passwords in order to gain access to computer systems. This has traditionally meant remembering and entering unique user names and passwords for the computer, secured applications and websites. In systems requiring additional security control such as online banking, individuals have been required to use "two factor authentications." This requires multiple types of identification such as a password plus a PIN or token. Keeping track of numerous passwords and constantly entering them has become inconvenient at best, and unmanageable for many.
A password is most often typed onto a keyboard or other interface which then allows the user to gain partial or full access to the utility of the device and/or network. A problem with using passwords is that they are time consuming and inconvenient to enter. Users often use informal passwords or share their password with others, compromising system security. These practices diminish the password's value and make it difficult to have an accurate auditing of access. Moreover, passwords can be difficult to administer when forgotten or misplaced.
It also is known to use biometric authentication to gain access to electronic devices. Biometric authentication using facial recognition is often used. Other biometric authentication techniques include, for example, voice recognition, fingerprints, palm print, hand geometry, iris recognition, retinal scan, palm print, and DNA. Still other techniques use a gesture, such as gestures associated with a device's display. Examples of gesture recognition technique include the user touching a device's touch screen, and movements that are recognized by the device.
While various applications using biometric authentication, and applications using authentication via gestures, are separately known in the art, there is a need for a system and method that combines these techniques in providing robust security. Additionally, there is a need for a system and method that combines these techniques so as to provide flexible, user-friendly access to electronic devices.

Access control through head imaging and biometric authentication

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company


In a braking force control apparatus which controls a braking force applied to a vehicle based on a relation thereof with an obstacle ahead of the vehicle, irrespective of a braking operation of a driver, a lateral force is predicted which can be generated in cases where avoidance steering is carried out by the driver, in order to avoid an obstacle which has been detected, and an actual braking force actually applied to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle is limited in accordance with a braking force which can be applied in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and which is calculated based on the lateral force thus predicted. According to this, in the braking force control apparatus which controls the braking force of the vehicle, the lateral force for avoiding a collision with the obstacle by means of steering is obtained.

In the past, in order to prevent a collision accident and a rear end collision accident, the following has been carried out. That is, an obstacle ahead of a vehicle is detected, and when the vehicle is approaching the obstacle, with the distance from the vehicle to the obstacle exceeding a threshold value, a braking force is applied to the vehicle in a forced manner, thereby reducing the speed of the vehicle. On the other hand, when the driver recognizes approaching the obstacle and is going to avoid the collision with the vehicle by carrying out avoidance steering, if a braking force is applied to the vehicle in a forced manner without taking the avoidance steering into consideration, the braking of the vehicle due to the braking force and the avoidance steering may interfere with each other, so that a sufficient avoidance effect has not often been obtained. Accordingly, there has been disclosed a technique in which a maximum braking force that can be generated on the vehicle is calculated from a lateral force generated by the avoidance steering of the driver, by making use of a so-called circle of friction, and a maximum value of the braking force is set to this calculated value, thereby making it possible to carry our effective collision avoidance (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In addition, there has been disclosed another technique in which in order to avoid interference between the braking of the vehicle due to the braking force and the avoidance steering, the braking force to be applied is decreased under the condition that such interference is likely to occur (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In such a technique, in cases where collision avoidance by steering is possible, the braking force to be applied is set lower in comparison with the case where it is judged that the collision avoidance by steering is impossible. This attains effective collision avoidance.

Braking force control apparatus for a vehicle


A signal converting device receives input data obtained by continuously scanning data for a predetermined period along one of i axes X1, X2 . . . Xi of an imaginary i-dimensional spatial coordinate system, where the data exists in given space-time regions a1, a2 . . . ai extending along these axes. The device processes the data in a given sub time-space region Nj included in any time-space region aj (where j=1, 2 . . . i) at a magnification specific to a given sub time-space region Mj (1.ltoreq.j.ltoreq.i). As a result, the device outputs new data existing in the sub time-space region Mj. The region Mj is identical to the sub time-space region Nj, or exists outside the time-space region aj. The device has an input data item converter that converts the input data items so that the product of output data items existing in small regions Lm of ordinates representing spatial positions in the sub time-space region Mj extending along at least one axis Xj is nearly equal to the product of the corresponding input data items existing in small regions Ln or ordinates representing spatial positions or is nearly equal to K times a given constant other than zero, and for converting data items existing in one axis while data items on any other axis remain in a fixed state.

1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to a signal-converting device for converting video signals output by a television camera or an electronic camera, thereby to change the size of the image formed of the video signals. More particularly, the invention relates to a signal-converting device suitable for use in a so-called "electronic zooming" device which processes an input signal to enlarge the image formed by the video signal, or a so-called "picture imposing apparatus" which processes the input video signal to reduce the image formed by the video signal, or a scanning line conversion apparatus which converts a video signal for a specific number of scanning lines to a video signal for a different number of scanning lines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Along with the advance in electronic technology, electronic cameras and video movie cameras (i.e., VTRs each having a built-in camera)--all for home use--are used in increasing numbers. It is demanded that the electronic cameras and the VTRs be modified so that they can be smaller and can be operated more easily. In most video movie cameras, zooming, i.e., one of the functions of the video movie camera, performed by operating a zoom lens. The use of a zoom lens, which is a relatively large component, has been an obstacle to the miniaturization of the video movie camera and the reduction in the weight thereof. Recently, a high-resolution solid-state imaging device has been developed, making it possible to achieve electronic zooming by processing the video signals generated by the imaging device. Hence, the video movie camera need not have a zoom lens, and can therefore be made smaller. A signal-converting device, which processes the video signals output by a solid-state imaging device, thereby to achieve electronic zooming, must be as simple as possible so that the video movie camera can be sold at so low a price that every household can buy it.
The signal-converting device used for achieving electronic zooming has the following problems, however.
First, when the signal-converting device processes the video signals such that the image formed of these signals is enlarged or reduced at a non-integral magnification, each component line of the original image may have a different thickness, depending on its location in the image. In other words, the enlarged or reduced image is noticeably distorted.
Second, the signal-converting device needs to have an A/D converter, a D/A converter and a memory since its main function is to process digital signals. These indispensable components are relatively expensive, and the video movie camera may be too expensive a home-use apparatus.
Further, the signal-converting device must have a circuit which can process the video signals output by the solid-state imaging device at high speed, thus within a limited period of time. This is because the video signals represents an image which is moving. The high-speed signal-processing circuit consumes much electric power.


In general, various aspects of the present invention provide methods, apparatuses, systems, computing devices, computing entities, and/or the like for mapping the existence of target data within computing systems in a manner that does not expose the target data to potential data-related incidents. In accordance with various aspects, a method is provided that comprises: receiving a source dataset that comprises a label assigned to a data element used by a data source in handling target data that identifies a type of target data and data samples gathered for the data element; determining, based on the label, that the data samples are to be anonymized; generating supplemental anonymizing data samples associated with the label that comprise fictitious occurrences of the type of the target data; generating a review dataset comprising the supplemental anonymizing data samples intermingled with the data samples; and sending the review dataset to a review computing system.

A significant challenge encountered by many organizations is discovering and classifying target data across multiple data assets found within multiple computing systems. Computing processes that discover and classify such target data can require a significant amount of computing resources, especially when an organization stores data across a very large number of systems which can each use their own, possibly unique process or format for storing data. Additionally, transferring data between computing systems as part of the discovery process, classification process, or other processes can expose the data to a significant risk of experiencing some type of data incident involving the data, such as a data breach leading to the unauthorized access of the data, a data loss event, etc. Therefore, a need exists in the art for improved systems and methods for discovering and classifying personal data that address these and other challenges.

Data processing systems and methods for anonymizing data samples in classification analysis


A process fluid regulator includes a regulator body having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet connected by a fluid flow path. A control element is disposed within the fluid flow path, the control element cooperating with a seat to control fluid flow through the regulator body. An actuator is attached to the regulator body, the actuator providing force to move the control element relative to the seat. The actuator includes a housing and a diaphragm within the housing, the diaphragm dividing the actuator housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. A high pressure bleed valve is attached to the lower chamber to vent residual gas from the lower chamber, which creates additional volume for process liquid in the lower chamber. This additional volume improves effectiveness and response time of the process fluid regulator.

Process fluid regulators are used throughout industry to control fluid flow within process systems. Generally, process fluid regulators include a regulator body having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet connected by a fluid flow passage. A movable control element, such as a plug, cooperates with a seat to vary a size of an opening within the fluid flow passage, which controls the flow of process fluid through the process fluid regulator. Actuators are attached to the regulator body and connected to the control element to operatively control a position of the control element with respect to the seat. Actuators can include a housing and a diaphragm disposed within the housing, the diaphragm dividing the inside of the housing into at least to chambers. The diaphragm is connected to the control element by an actuator stem so that the control element moves in conjunction with the diaphragm. A control spring biases the diaphragm to a desired position, which biases the control element to a desired position (i.e., to an open position or a closed position). Process fluid pressure (either upstream of the control member or downstream of the control member) may be used as an input to the actuator to offset or overcome spring force generated by the control spring. The actuator uses the input process fluid pressure to adjust the position of the control element (by way of the diaphragm and stem) to maintain a desired downstream process fluid pressure. In this way, the process fluid regulator "regulates" the downstream pressure of the process fluid.
In some systems, the process fluid is a liquid that is flowing through the system at high pressure. When a high pressure process liquid is used as an input to the actuator of a process fluid regulator, residual gas may become trapped in one of the chambers, thereby reducing the available volume within the chamber for the process liquid. This is especially true when the process fluid regulator is installed in an upright orientation, with the actuator located above the regulator body. A reduction in available volume may reduce actuator effectiveness and thus, the effectiveness of the process fluid regulator itself.

EMERSON PROCESS MANAGEMENT REGULATOR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.


Modern electronic devices are getting more portable and smaller leading to smaller distances between speakers. In particular, computers are now so compact that the notebook computer is one of the most popular computer types. However, with the proliferation of media available in digital form, both music recordings and video features, the demand for high quality reproductions on computers has increased. Systems and methods for producing wider speaker effects and immersion effects disclosed can enhance a listener's experience even in a notebook computer.

Stereophonic sound works on the principle that differences in sound heard between the two ears by a human get processed by the brain to give distance and direction to the sound. To exploit this effect, reproduction systems use recorded audio signals in left and right channels, which correspond to the sound to be heard by the left ear and the right ear, respectively. When the listener is wearing headphones, the left channel sound is directed to the listener's left ear and the right channel sound is directed to the listener's right ear. However, when sound is produced by a pair of speakers, sound from a left channel speaker can be heard by the listener's right ear and sound from a right channel speaker can be heard by the listener's left ear. When the listener moves relative to the location of the speakers the depth of feeling of the reproduced sound will change. Stereo speaker systems typically rely on the physical separation between the left and right speakers to produce stereophonic sound, but the result is often a sound that appears in front of the listener. Modern sound systems include additional speakers to surround the listener so that the sound appears to originate from all around the listener.

Systems and methods for creating immersion surround sound and virtual speakers effects


A combination of utensils including a table defining an upperside and an underside. The upperside of the table defines a first recess, a second recess, a cutout being in communication with the first and second recesses, a third recess and two shaft-receiving recesses each defining a narrow entry. The table defines an aperture within the second recess. A chopping board is receivable in the first recess. A mandolin/grater is receivable in the second recess. A sharpening wheel is formed on a shaft. The sharpening wheel is pivotably receivable in the third recess as two ends of the shaft are retained in the shaft-receiving recesses. Two first flanges are formed on the underside of the table. A tool-receiving box includes two flanges formed thereon. The flanges of the tool-receiving box are engageable with the first flanges of the table so that the tool-receiving box is slidably mounted on the underside of the table. Two second flanges are formed on the underside of the table. A food-receiving box includes two flanges formed thereon. The flanges of the food-receiving box are engageable with the second flanges of the table so that the food-receiving box is slidably mounted on the underside of the table.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a combination of utensils in a kitchen.
2. Related Prior Art
Knifes, chopping boards, sharpening stones, mandolins and graters are generally disposed in various places in a kitchen. For example, knifes are disposed on a rack, which is disposed on a worksurface, or a shelf which is fixed on a wall. Chopping boards are disposed on a worksurface or hung on a wall. A sharpening stone is stored in a tool-receiving box. Mandolins and graters are stored in drawers. However, a cook frequently needs various different utensils briefly when preparing food and it is very inconvenient for him/her to either keep taking out and replacing the utensils or leave them idle on the worksurface between periods of use. Therefore, there is a long and unfulfilled need for a combination of utensils.


An image forming apparatus includes a platen glass face provided in an apparatus body and having a reading area for reading a document set under a stationary condition thereof and an automatic reading area for reading the document while the document is guided past over this automatic reading area by an automatic document feeding mechanism, a cover means mounting said automatic document feeding mechanism and attached to the apparatus body via a pivot shaft to be pivoted for selectively opening/closing the platen glass face and a reading guide attached to the cover means and configured for guiding the document in opposition to the automatic reading area when the cover means is closed. The reading guide has a first end portion close to said pivot shaft attached to be movable to/away from said cover means and a second end portion away from the pivot shaft attached to be immovable to/away from the cover means and an urging means for urging the first end portion of the reading guide toward said automatic reading area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a platen glass face provided in an apparatus body and having a reading area for reading a document set under a stationary condition thereof and an automatic reading area for reading the document while the document is guided past over this automatic reading area by an automatic document feeding mechanism, a cover means mounting the automatic document feeding mechanism and attached to the apparatus body via a pivot shaft to be pivoted for selectively opening/closing the platen glass face, and a reading guide attached to the cover means and configured for guiding the document in opposition to the automatic reading area when the cover means is closed.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an image forming apparatus of the above-noted type, there is known an apparatus in which the reading guide is immovably fixed to the cover means (see. e.g. Japanese Patent Application "Kokai" No. 2002-189319) (this conventional apparatus will be referred to as "First Prior Art" hereinafter).
As such image forming apparatus, there is known another apparatus as shown in FIG. 13 in which the reading guide 4b is attached to the cover means 4 via urging means 11 provided respectively at opposed ends thereof, so that this entire guide 4b can move to and away from the cover means 4 (see e.g. Japanese Patent Application "Kokai" No. 2001-235909) (this conventional apparatus will be referred to as "Seconds Prior Art" hereinafter).
With the above-described image forming apparatus, in order to be able to accurately read an image on a document while an automatic document feeding mechanism guides the document onto a platen glass face and then guides it through an automatic reading area provided on this face, it is essential that the platen glass face and the reading guide be maintained with a constant distance therebetween over the entire right/left width of the document, in particular, the document being fed be free from any force which may result in displacement thereof to either side.
According to First Prior Art described above, the reading guide is fixed (immovable) to the cover means. Therefore, in order to maintain such proper positional relationship between the platen glass and the reading guide, extremely high precision is required in their positional relationship for avoiding error in the attaching position of the cover means relative to the apparatus body.
In practice, however, due to e.g. the dimensional tolerance of a pivot shaft for the cover means and other parts associated therewith, it is difficult to realize such high precision attachment which maintains a same distance between the apparatus body (platen glass) and the cover means (reading guide) over all portions thereof. As a result, there tends to occur a problem of a portion of the reading guide (in particular, the portion thereof adjacent the pivot shaft) being afloat the platen glass face.
On the other hand, according to Second Prior Art described above, the reading guide is mounted such that the guide, in its entirety, is urged against the platen glass face by the urging means. Therefore, when the cover means is closed, the reading guide can readily assume a posture along the platen glass face. Hence, for example, when the image of the document is read at the automatic reading area with using the automatic document feeding mechanism, an appropriate gap can be maintained therebetween over all portions thereof. On the other hand; however, if the urging force of the urging means is large, this urging force will tend to push the cover means up away from the platen glass. As a result, the distal end portion of the cover means away from the pivot shaft may be pushed afloat the platen glass surface. Then, when the document reading operation is effected by manually placing and keeping the document still at a reading area on the platen glass face, without using the automatic document feeding mechanism, such "floating" cover means may cause a problem in the document reading operation.
Further, the reading guide employed in Second Prior Art is designed to be attached to the cover means with using screws. This fact makes the assembly of the apparatus troublesome and also requires a tool for fixing the screws. And, once the reading guide has been fixed with the screws, the reading guide will not normally be removed. Therefore, when there occurs change in the type and/or thickness of paper sheet material employed, the construction of Second Prior Art can only provide a same urging force to the paper sheet, regardless of its type/thickness.


Extraction mixture capable of recovering actinide elements such as U, Pu and transplutonium elements from radioactive liquid waste in reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. One embodiment of the extraction mixture includes a solution of bidentate organophosphorus extractant, dihexyl-N, N-diethylcarbamoyl phosphonate in a polar diluent, wherein bis-tetrafluoropropyl ether of diethylene glycol is used as the polar diluent at the following ratio of components: 0.1-1.2 M/L of bidentate extractant and the rest of diluent. Another embodiment of the extraction mixture includes a solution of bidentate organophosphorus extractant, phenyloctyl-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylphosphine oxide in a polar diluent, wherein a mixture of metanitrobenzotrifluoride with trialkylphosphate is used as the polar diluent at the following ratio of components: 0.1-1.2 M/L of bidentate extractant, 0.3-1.1 M/L of TBP, and the rest of MNBTF.

Ecological safety requires that the long-lived radionuclides generated in spent nuclear fuel reprocessing be converted into the forms preventing their penetration into the environment during storage. Therefore it is necessary therewith to provide the recovery of uranium, plutonium and transplutonium elements (TPE), especially americium and curium.
Liquid extraction is the most widespread method for reprocessing of liquid high-level waste (HLW). Standard PUREX-process for TBP (tributylphosphate) extraction of uranium and plutonium from acidic solutions is known [Reactor Handbook, Sec. Edition, Ed. S. M. Stoller, R. B. Richards, v.2, Fuel reprocessing, p. 101 (1961) Interscience publ. Inc., NY]. In PUREX-process the extraction mixture of 1.1 M TBP in saturated hydrocarbons is used: it extracts uranium and plutonium well, but recovers all other elements very weakly.
It is also known TRUEX-process involving the recovery of americium and curium from acidic solutions, as well as rare-earth elements (REE) [E. P. Horwitz, et al, Solv. Extr. Ion Exch., v.3(1&2), p. 75, 1985]. In TRUEX-process the extraction mixture of 0.15-0.25M phenylotcyl-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylphosphine oxide and 0.1-1.5M TBP in saturated hydrocarbons is used to recover trivalent elements and small quantities of uranium and plutonium from acidic solutions.
The extraction mixture used in the method for extraction of REE, TPE, U and Pu by diphenylcarbamoylphosphine oxide in fluorinated diluents is most similar to the extraction mixture applied in the patent draft [B. F. Myasoedov, M. K. Chmutova, V. A. Babain, A. Yu. Shadrin, V. P. Popik, G. A. Pribulova, E. G. Dzekun. Russian Certificate of Authorship No. 1524519 (converted to patent on Apr. 27, 1997), "Method for extraction recovery of rare-earth and actinide elements"]. This method is based on extraction mixture of 0.05-0.3M diphenyl-N,N-dibutylcarbamoylphosphine oxide solution in metanitrobenzotrifuoride or ortho-nitrophenyltetrafluoroethyl ether as prototype.
Drawback of the prototype is concerned with the fact that, in the presence of appreciable uranium quantities (U concentration more that 5 g/L(liter)) in aqueous phase, the precipitation solvate of uranium with carbamoylphosphine oxide is formed in organic phase; in this case the extraction process cannot be conducted under dynamic conditions.

Extraction mixture for recovery of actinide elements from acidic solutions

Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute


A blade for a cutting instrument, in particular for medical use, includes a first ceramic layer, a second ceramic layer, and a heating device arranged between the first ceramic layer and the second ceramic layer.

The present disclosure relates to a blade for a cutting instrument, in particular for medical use, to a corresponding scalpel holder for a blade, and to a method of producing a corresponding blade.
In certain medical interventions, cuts are made, the edges of said cuts being cauterized in order to stop the blood flow. Cauterization can take place, ideally, instantaneously, so as to minimize blood loss and to make it easier for the doctor to see the area on which he is working. Use is currently made, for example, of electric scalpels. These function as follows: a current is conducted through the human body and, as a result of heating, leads to cauterization by coagulation of the proteins, as a result of which veins and tissue are welded. A distinction is made between monopolar electric scalpels and bipolar electric scalpels.
In the case of the monopolar variety (main application), one pole of the voltage source is connected to the patient over the largest surface area possible. The knife forms the second pole. It may be the case here that the current, rather than flowing specifically to the site which is to be cauterized, also finds another way through the patient's body, or over the surface of the patient's body, and this results in severe burning at the incorrect site.
In the case of the bipolar variety, the two poles are arranged on the tool, for example tweezers or forceps. Reference is made here to bipolar tool designs such as scissors or forceps.
The formation of fluid (blood, tissue fluid, etc.) which nevertheless occurs obscures the view and is removed via an additional suction-extraction tool.

Blade for a cutting instrument, scalpel holder for a blade, and method for producing a blade


An electronic apparatus includes first and second level package structures and an LGA (land grid array) interposer. The first level package structure includes a package substrate, one or more integrated circuit chips mounted on a first surface of the package substrate, and a first pattern of I/O contacts with pitch P1 formed on a second surface of the package substrate opposite the first surface. The second level package structure includes a second pattern of I/O contacts with pitch P2, wherein P2 is not equal to P1. The LGA interposer is disposed between the first and second level package structures and provides space transform electrical interconnections between the first second patterns of I/O contacts, and further includes a dummy contact formed on at least a first or second surface of the LGA interposer and aligned to an LGA contact on an opposing surface of the LGA interposer.

Innovations in semiconductor fabrication and packaging technologies have enabled development of smaller scale, higher density integrated circuit chips, as well as the development of highly integrated chip modules with wiring and area array I/O contact densities that enable dense packaging of IC (integrated circuit) chips. In certain applications, high-performance electronic modules can be constructed with one or more MCMs (multi-chip modules) mounted to a circuit board such as a system board (or node card), a PCB (printed circuit board), a PWB (printed wiring board), etc, using a suitable area array connection technique for module-to-board I/O and power interconnections.
By way of example, high performance computer systems are typically designed with high-performance processor modules having first level packages (chip modules) constructed using MCM technology to achieve high-density packaging of large numbers of IC processor chips, as well as LGA technology to achieve high-density and high-count I/O interconnections to a second level package (e.g., node card).
Current MCM technology using glass-ceramic substrates can readily accommodate the higher I/O and power density requirements for compact, high performance package designs. In general, state of the art MCM techniques allow a plurality of IC chips to be flip-chip bonded to a ceramic module substrate using small pitch, highly dense arrays of micro-solder ball interconnects formed between bonding pads on the active surfaces of the IC chips and matching arrays of contact pads formed on a chip mounting surface on the ceramic substrate. For example, with glass-ceramic technology, high-density arrays of contact pads with on center contact pitches in the range of 0.15 to 0.25 mm, for example, can be formed on the top side substrate surface. Moreover, glass-ceramic MCM technology supports the wiring densities that are required for escape routing from the top side high-density contact arrays to, e.g., other chips on the substrate and to high density arrays of I/O contacts formed on the bottom side of the MCM substrate for module I/O and power.
For high-performance package designs, LGA techniques enable direct interconnection between corresponding area arrays of I/O contacts formed on mating surfaces of a chip module (e.g., Single Chip Module, SCM, or MCM) and circuit board using a conductive interposer that is compressed between the module and board. Various types of LGA interposer structures have been developed which generally include, for example, rigid, semi-rigid and flexible substrate structures having arrays of electrical contacts formed by, e.g., compressible conductive spring structures, conductive metal-elastomer composites, wadded wire, etc. State of the art LGA techniques enable MCM-to-board interconnections with I/O interconnect densities/counts and electrical/mechanical properties that are desirable for high-performance CPU module designs. Moreover, LGA interposers provide electrical and mechanical interconnect techniques that allow MCM chip modules to be readily removable from circuit boards, which is advantageous for high-end modules such as CPU (Central Processor Unit) packages which may require repeated rework during production or are designed to be field-upgradeable. FIGS. 1A˜1D schematically illustrate an electronic apparatus having a conventional LGA packaging structure for module-to-board I/O interconnection. FIG. 1A is a schematic cross-sectional side-view of an electronic apparatus (10) which generally comprises a chip module assembly (100), an LGA interposer (120), an electrical circuit board (130) and insulator layer (140) and a stiffener plate (150). The chip module assembly (100) comprises an MCM (multi-chip module) (110), a metallic support frame structure (104) and a thermal hat (105). The MCM (110) includes a module substrate (102) with a plurality of IC chips (103) flip-chip mounted to an array of contacts formed on the top surface of the substrate (102) via micro-solder balls (103a). The substrate (102) includes multiple levels of wiring and interconnects that provide electrical connections between top side contacts, other top side contacts, or an area array of I/O contacts (102a) formed on the bottom side of the substrate (102).
FIG. 1C is a schematic plan view of the bottom surface of the chip module assembly (100), which illustrates the bottom surfaces of the support frame (104) and the MCM substrate (102). The support frame (104) is designed to surround the perimeter of the MCM substrate (102). The support frame (104) includes various mechanical components (107) and (108) to support LGA alignment and actuation, as explained below. FIG. 1C illustrates a layout pattern of the I/O contacts (102a) on the bottom side of the substrate (102). In the exemplary embodiment, the area array of I/O contacts (102a) are arranged in 4 rectangular arrays (A1, A2, A3, A4) of evenly spaced metallized I/O pads, where the arrays are separately located in one of 4 quadrants on the bottom surface of the MCM substrate (102). FIG. 1D is an expanded view of a portion of the bottom surface of the chip module assembly (100) which includes the I/O contact array A1.
Referring again to FIG. 1A, the circuit board (130) includes an area array of contact pads (130a) on a top surface of the board (130) having a layout pattern matched to that of the area array of I/O contacts (102a) on the bottom of the MCM substrate (102). The board (130) includes conductive through vias (130b) formed within the board (130) below the contacts (130a). The board (130) includes multiple levels of wiring with connections to the conductive vias (130b) to thereby route I/O signals and power to the contacts (130a). The insulator sheet (140) electrically isolates the board (130) from the stiffener plate (150).
The LGA interposer (120) functions as a direct electrical interface to connect the I/O contacts (102a) on the bottom of the MCM substrate (102) to matching I/O contacts (130a) on the upper surface of the circuit board (130). FIG. 1B is a schematic side view illustration of the LGA interposer (120) of FIG. 1A. Referring to FIG. 1B, the LGA interposer (120) includes an insulating substrate (121) having an array (CA1) of columnar contact structures (122) aligned with corresponding I/O contacts (102a) on the bottom of the MCM substrate (102) and contacts (130a) on the top surface of the board (130). The LGA interposer (120) has a conventional framework based on conductive elastomer contact technology wherein the columnar contact structures (122) are formed of a composite of conductive metal particles embedded in a matrix of elastomer. Each columnar contact structure (122) includes an upper contact (122a) and a lower contact (122b), which are disposed on opposing surfaces of the substrate (121) and which are electrically connected through an aperture (122c) formed in the substrate (121). The contacts (122a) and (122b) are formed having larger heads on each side of the carrier (121) than the aperture (122c) such that each columnar contact (122) resembles a miniature rivet. The elastomer component of the contacts (122) provide the compliance that is needed to support the compressive force applied across each contact during LGA actuation, while accommodating possible nonplanar aspects of the mating surfaces. The electrical conductivity is provided by conductive fillers in the elastomer.
In general, the multichip module (110), LGA interposer (120), and circuit board (130) form a stacked structure, which is fixedly held together using a compression force applied by a hardware actuation structure to compress the LGA interposer (120) between the chip module (110) and board (130) with a force that is sufficient to ensure proper actuation of the LGA connectors (122). The support frame (104), package thermal hat (105) and stiffener plate (150) are mechanical components that serve various purposes including, e.g., mechanical support, thermal cooling, uniform loading of compression forces for LGA actuation, etc. For instance, the thermal hat (105) serves as a protective package lid as well as a heat spreader for cooling the IC chips (103). A thermal paste layer (106) is disposed between the back surface of the chips (103) and the thermal hat (105). The thermal paste (106) provides mechanical compliance and serves as a primary thermal path to transfer heat from the IC chips (103) to the thermal hat (105). An air cooled heat sink or a liquid cooled cold plate can be coupled to the thermal hat (105) to remove heat using known methods.
The metal support frame (104) serves to mechanically support the MCM (110), the thermal hat (105) and associated heat sink device mounted on top of the thermal hat (105). As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the support frame (104) is designed to surround the outer perimeter of the MCM substrate (102). A silicone based adhesive is commonly used to bond a projection portion of the thermal hat (105) to the top surface of the MCM substrate (102) to form a semi-hermetic region around the ICs. Typically, the support frame (104) and the thermal hat (105) are bolted together.
The supporting frame (104) includes mechanisms to enable package assembly and LGA actuation. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1C, the support frame (104) includes alignment pins (107) which protrude from the bottom surface of the support frame (104) at two opposite corners thereof. These alignment pins (107) are aligned to, and mate with, alignment holes that are formed in the LGA interposer (120) and circuit board (130), to ensure proper alignment of I/O connections between the chip module (110) and board (130) through the LGA interposer (120). Moreover, hardware (108) is provided at the center of each side, for example, of the chip module assembly (100) as part of the LGA actuation structure.
Typically, LGA actuation is achieved using stiff springs which act to pull the MCM assembly (100) towards the stiffener plate (150) with a force that is sufficient to compress the LGA (120) between the MCM (110) and board (130). The supporting frame (104) and thermal hat (105) essentially form a top loading plate which acts to uniformly distribute the load around the top perimeter of the MCM substrate (102) which further distributes the load and the stiffener plate (150) is a bottom loading plate which acts to uniformly distribute the load across the system board (130), to thereby ensure uniform compression force across the LGA contact area. Only a minimal, if any, load is transferred through the thermal hat to the thermal paste layer and to the ICs (103) mounted on the MCM substrate (102).
FIGS. 1A˜1D illustrate a conventional package structure in which MCM and LGA technologies can be utilized to construct compact, high performance electronic modules, such as CPU modules, having highly-density chip modules with high density I/O module-to-board interconnections. For area array package structures such as depicted in FIG. 1A, the package footprint (i.e. MCM substrate (102) size) is based, primarily in part, on the number of I/O connections (I/O count) that are needed for a given design as well as the I/O contact density (I/O pitch). As chip modules are constructed with higher chip densities and functionality requiring higher I/O counts, the modules must be designed with smaller I/O pitch to either maintain or reduce the chip module footprint. In other words, smaller I/O pitch for the module-to-board interconnections allows higher-I/O-count chip modules to be formed using the same, or smaller, substrate sizes, thus lowering package costs.
Although current MCM and LGA interposer technologies can achieve high I/O densities (I/O pitch less than 1 mm), the I/O interconnect density in conventional package structures such as depicted in FIG. 1A has currently reached a practical pitch limit of 1 mm (e.g., P1 in FIGS. 1A and 1B). This limit is governed primarily by economics and manufacturing requirements of complex multilayer circuit board fabrication, which mandate the use of low-cost and high production/high yield board fabrication methods. However, state of the art board fabrication technologies (e.g., sequential lamination method) that meet such requirements are not able to provide the plated thru hole size and wiring densities needed to support I/O contact arrays having I/O pitch less than 1 mm. Although fine-pitch organic package technologies (e.g., "build-up" layers which are used in first level packages to which chips are directly attached) may be used in lieu of conventional PCB to construct system boards or node cards, it is too expensive to fabricate an entire system board or node card, for example, using such organic package technologies.
Consequently, in the package design of FIG. 1A, the I/O density is limited by the 1 mm contact pitch of the area array (130a) of the board (130). In this regard, the ability to use smaller scale MCM structures is effectively limited by the amount of electrical contacts needed to meet I/O and power requirements (bottom surface area) for the given application rather than the number and size of the chips (top surface area). As the number of I/O increases, if the I/O density cannot be increased, the MCM package size must be increased to accommodate more I/O contacts. Since MCM structures are very expensive to fabricate, it is desirable to increase the I/O available on the bottom surface of an MCM without increasing the MCM area and without decreasing the pitch of contacts on a PCB or node card or an LGA connector beyond practical limits.

Space transforming land grid array interposers

International Business Machines Corporation


A method of extending the control plane to a metro sub-domain for a network having a transport plane for carrying subscriber traffic within end-to-end connections, and a control plane for managing at least a portion of resources of the transport plane allocated to the connections. A first set of control-plane enabled nodes of the network is designated as core nodes, each core node being operable to route subscriber traffic between a pair of neighbor core nodes in the network. A second set of control-plane enabled nodes of the network is designated as metro nodes, each metro node being connected to a core node and operating as a sub-domain of the network. Each core node that is connected to at least one metro node is designated as a host node. The host node is controlled to advertise summary information of its connected metro nodes to other core and metro nodes in the network, thus making it possible to extend control plane function to the metro nodes that can calculate connection routes, set-up/tear-down connections and perform connection failure recovery functions.

FIG. 1A schematically illustrates the logical architecture of an Optical Transport Network (OTN) in accordance with ITU-T recommendation G.8080/Y.1304, entitled Architecture for the Automatically Switched Optical Network (ASON), the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. As may be seen in FIG. 1A, the network 2 is logically divided into a transport plane 4 and a control plane 6.
The Transport Plane 4 comprises a plurality of switches 10 interconnected by Physical Interfaces (PIs) 12, and is responsible for transporting subscriber traffic via end-to-end connections provisioned through the network. The Control Plane 6 comprises an Optical Connection Controller (OCC) 14 associated with each switch 10 of the transport plane 4, and is responsible for resource and connection management within the transport plane 4. In the illustrated architecture, one OCC 14 is associated with a respective one switch 10 for clarity. In fact, the ASON permits an OCC 14 to manage multiple switches 10, if desired. Each OCC 14 is connected to its corresponding switch 10 of the transport plane 4 via a Connection Controller Interface (CCI) 16 which enables the respective OCC 14 to implement control plane functionality for its corresponding switch 10. Within the Control Plane 6, the OCCs 14 are interconnected via Network to Network Interfaces (NNIs) 18, and provide a set of network resource and connection management functions. These functions may, for example, include: network topology discovery (resource discovery); address assignment; path computation, connection set-up/tear-down; connection protection/restoration; traffic engineering; and wavelength assignment. Other management functions can be implemented by the control plane 6, as desired.
A physical node of the network will typically incorporate both a Transport Plane switch 10 and its corresponding Control Plane OCC 14, although this is not essential. In some cases, a Transport Plane switch 10 and its corresponding Control Plane OCC 14 may be provided in separate physical machines. For example, the respective OCCs 14 of one or more switches 10 may be hosted on a server (not shown).
Client premised equipment (CE) 20, which may be a server or a router, for example, can send and receive packets that contain information for both the Transport Plane 4 and the Control Plane 6. For this purpose, the CE may be connected to a switch 10 of the Transport Plane 4 via a PI 12, and to its corresponding OCC 14 via a User Network Interface (UNI) 22.
FIG. 1B presents a simplified view of the network architecture of FIG. 1A, in which the switches 10 and their associated OCCs 14 are represented by network nodes 24 connected by inter-node links 26 (each of which includes a PI 12 and its corresponding NNI 18). Similarly, the CE 20 is represented as being connected to a network node 24 via an access link 28 which, in the illustrated embodiment, includes a PI 12 and a UNI 22.
Referring to FIG. 2, it is customary to extend the architecture of FIG. 1B to implement access gateways (AGs) 30 between the CEs 20 and the network 2. An access gateway 30 may also be referred to as an access server or an aggregation server. The function of the access gateway 30 is to provide an interface between one or more CEs 20 and the network 2. Among other things, an AG 30 enables a service provider to aggregate traffic flows to and from multiple CEs 20, which increases the number of CEs 20 that can access the network 2, while making better use of the bandwidth capacity of the access links 28 to the network 2. The use of an AG 30 also simplifies the implementation of dual-homed connections to the network 2, which has a benefit of removing a single point of failure in the path to and from the CEs 20. In the example of FIG. 2, AG-1 is dual homed to the network 2 via respective access links 28 to network nodes A and B, while AG-m is single-homed to the network 2 via an access link 28 to node B.
It would be desirable to extend the control plane 6 to include the AGs 30. This would be beneficial in that, among other things, each AG 30 would then be able to participate in topology discovery, path computation, connection set-up/tear-down and failure recovery functions offered by the OTN control plane 6. As is known in the art, topology discovery requires the exchange of link state messages between each of the OCCs 14 of the control plane 6, and the use of such state messages to accumulate a respective topology database for each OCC 14. Such topology database can then be used by an OCC 14 to compute connection routes through the network 2. Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a well-known protocol which defines various types of Link State Advertisement (LSA) messages that may be used for this purpose. Other protocols are also known, which also use inter-OCC messaging for topology discovery and route computation. For ease of description in this application, explicit reference will be made to LSA messages, it being understood that such references are also intended to encompass other message types and protocols that may be used in the control plane to implement topology discovery and route computation functions for the network 2.
In a full-mesh network, both the volume of LSA traffic and the size of the topology database increases with N2, where N is the number of nodes participating in the control plane 6. In a network environment in which there are a large number of AGs 30, extending the control plane 6 to include the AGs 30 can lead to a proliferation of LSA traffic and require a very large topology database, both of which may degrade the topology discovery, route computation, and failure recovery functions of the control plane 6.
Techniques that enable extension of the OTN control plane 6 without unduly degrading control plane performance remain highly desirable.

Intelligent and scalable routing in multi-domain optical networks