A method of managing treatment of crop is disclosed. The method comprises: monitoring a first parameter describing a daily shrinkage of a plant part of the crop, and a second parameter describing daily growth rate of a plant part of the crop. The method further comprises calculating a plant status function based on a value of the first parameter and a value of the second parameter, and operating a crop treatment system responsively to the plant status function.

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to agriculture and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a method and system for crop management.
Most of the consumed fresh water in the world is for irrigation, and most of the irrigation is for agriculture. Currently employed irrigation techniques include gravity fed or "flooding" techniques, center pivot irrigation, sprinklers and drip irrigation.
Even though drip irrigation provides water efficiency which is much higher than either gravity fed or center pivot techniques, there remains a tendency to overwater.
The measurement of climatic parameters which are used for evapotranspiration calculation, soil moisture and soil water potential have suggested for scheduling irrigation. Use of plants as indicators for irrigation scheduling has been suggested. However, prior attempts were hampered by the dynamic nature of plant water status and by the lack of suitable indicators, relative to established scheduling methods based on atmospheric and soil observations. Goldhamer and Fereres suggested that the maximum daily shrinkage (MDS) of tree trunks of almond trees can be used as a single parameter for irrigation scheduling [Goldhamer and Fereres, Irrig Sci (2004) 23: 11-19]. Fernandez et al., suggested that the measurements of the daily difference for maximum trunk diameter have the potential for scheduling low frequency deficit irrigation strategies in mature Arbequina olive trees with heavy fruit load [Fernandez et al., Agricultural Water Management 98 (2011) 1813-1821].


A color balance adjusting apparatus is used for a full color copier in which an original image is illuminated by a light source; the illuminated image is exposed onto a photoreceptor to form electrostatic latent images corresponding to first, second and third colors for creating a color image; and each of the formed electrostatic latent images is developed into a visualized toner image. The color balance adjusting apparatus includes an infrared sensor for detecting toner density of the toner image formed with a toner having any one color of the first, second and third colors. The apparatus further includes automatic adjustment means which determines a relation of light intensity to toner density detected for one color by varying light intensity of said light source, and which determines optimal light intensity for the other two colors as predetermined functions of obtained optimal light intensity. Using this apparatus, automatic adjustment of the color balance for each copy mode can be effected in a short time with lesser consumption of electricity and supplies.

1. Filed of the invention
The present invention relates to a color balance adjusting apparatus for use in full-color copiers, and particularly to the color balance adjusting apparatus for use in full-color copiers that operates in link with an automatic control function of image density.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of full color copiers, the adjustment of color balance of a color image used to be carried out by using an original having various gradations of gray patches. With such an original, a service engineer would adjust the apparatus such that the gray patches of the original might be reproduced as certain gray colors. In this case, the copying operations used to be repeated while the service engineer adjusting the color balance, or adjusting each toner amount of color components, i.e., yellow, magenta and cyan until the reproduced color of certain patches would be gray.
This series of operations had to be performed for different copy modes.
In the conventional method described above, since the balancing condition of yellow, magenta and cyan is so delicate and unstable that if one component of the colors deviates from the balanced condition to a slight degree, the composed color might be totally off balance. As a result, the service engineers cannot perform a speedy adjustment. Therefore, in the adjustment using the conventional method, the service engineer must practice a lot of testing copies for the adjustment of a machine having multiple modes, so that the number of copies would be increased, and therefore the developer and the photoreceptor would be exhausted or worn out resulting in cost increase. Still, in view of the user side, the adjustment must take a prolonged period of time, so this would cause an unfavorable impression upon users.
As an apparatus for adjusting the color balance automatically, there has been proposed means in which the voltage of lamp is automatically changed to record each toner image of yellow, magenta and cyan on a photoreceptor and the thus created toner images are measured on the density with an infrared sensor. In this case, each colors of yellow, Magenta and cyan must be recorded, therefore the adjustment time, the consumption of power and the use amount of supplies are increased. Besides, in case a user activates the color balance adjustment mode erroneously, the copier remains engaged in operation over a prolonged period of time without discharging any recorded sheet, thus giving the user a feeling of uneasiness.

Color balance adjusting apparatus for full-color copier


The present invention relates to a programmable switching system having N interconnected switching devices (ISDs), each of the ISDs having a unique network address. An ISD includes a switch operating in switching mode and programming mode, a communication interface, a microprocessor, and a memory. The microprocessor controls operation of ISDs when switch is in switching mode and programs ISD when switch is in programming mode. The memory includes a network address storage, and firmware. When the firmware is executed at the microprocessor, firmware is configured to: communicate with all ISDs of programmable switching system through communication interface over a network, receive user's inputs at switches of ISDs, and in response of the received user's inputs, to program ISDs, when switch is in programming mode, and receive user's input at the switch to perform switching functions of the ISD, when the switch is in switching mode.

Traditionally, there are many switches for lights, and household appliances. In most cases, each of the lights and household appliances is controlled by a switch. The light in the foyer is usually located at the entrance of a house, and lights in a room is usually located in the room, either near the entrance, or near a bed. However, if someone needs to get up from the bed in the middle of the night and go to bathroom, he has to turn on a series of lights such as bedroom lights, hallway lights, and bathroom lights. Under current construction and design, it is very difficult to turn on all those lights by pressing one button, or turning on one switch. Although there are intelligent household automation and control tools available on the market, these tools tend to be very expensive, and very difficult to set up or program. It is desirable to have certain programmable switches to replace the existing switches in a household such that these switches can be flexibly and easily programmed to control one or more lights or household appliances.
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed needs still exist in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.


A method for use in a broadband wireless access protocol (such as IEEE 802.16 or Long Term Evolution (LTE)) includes scheduling by a base station a stand-by subscriber station for each subscriber station with uplink (UL) transmission opportunities, transmitting by the base station and over the network, a list of each of the stand-by subscriber stations, determining by the stand-by subscriber stations if there is unused bandwidth reserved for the corresponding subscriber station, communicating to the base station that there is the unused bandwidth, and releasing the unused bandwidth for use by the stand-by subscriber station.

Although the background of the invention is provided generally in the context of IEEE 802.16 networks, it should be understood that this is merely one example of a type of network with problems that can be addressed by the present invention. The Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), based on IEEE 802.16 standard standards [1] [2], is designed to facilitate services with high transmission rates for data and multimedia applications in metropolitan areas. The physical (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) layers of WiMAX have been specified in the IEEE 802.16 standard. Many advanced communication technologies such as Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) are embraced in the standards. Supported by these modern technologies, WiMAX is able to provide a large service coverage, high data rates and QoS guaranteed services. Because of these features, WiMAX is considered as a promising alternative for last mile broadband wireless access (BWA).
In order to provide QoS guaranteed services, the subscriber station (SS) is required to reserve the necessary bandwidth from the base station (BS) before any data transmissions. In order to serve variable bit rate (VBR) applications, the SS tends to keep the reserved bandwidth to maintain the QoS guaranteed services. Thus, the amount of reserved bandwidth transmitted data may be more than the amount of transmitted data and may not be fully utilized all the time. Although the amount of reserved bandwidth is adjustable via making bandwidth requests (BRs), the adjusted bandwidth is applied as early as to the next coming frame. The unused bandwidth in the current frame has no chance to be utilized. Moreover, it is very challenging to adjust the amount of reserved bandwidth precisely. The SS may be exposed to the risk of degrading the QoS requirements of applications due to the insufficient amount of reserved bandwidth.
Thus, despite the promise shown by WiMAX, problems remain with providing the desired QoS without overly decreasing bandwidth utilization. What is needed is improved protocols for implementation in network devices which overcomes these and other deficiencies.

Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.


Pump device for hydraulically activating a valve in particular used for oil and gas exploration wherein such a valve may be a safety valve assigned to a riser or a tree, said pump device including a piston cylinder unit from which pressurized hydraulic fluid can be pumped in direction to the valve. To improve such a pump device so that the pressure of the hydraulic fluid is produced in particular at the corresponding site and near to the valve and is safe and constructed in a simple way an electrical drive means is movably connected to a piston of the piston cylinder unit for alternating movement in axial direction of the piston within the cylinder.

The invention relates to a pump device for the hydraulic actuation of a valve, especially employed in the production of crude oil or natural gas, as a safety valve assigned to a pipeline or to a tree, with a piston-cylinder unit from which hydraulic fluid can be pumped under pressure in the direction of the valve.
Corresponding pump devices are known from practice, which are generally arranged far away from the actual valve and do not just supply it with hydraulic fluid, but also other equipment, in particular for crude oil or natural gas production. The appropriate valve is in this respect assigned to a pipeline or similar facility as a safety valve and is generally termed a downhole safety valve. In marine crude oil or natural gas production it is arranged along the pipeline and below the surface of the sea and is used for closing the pipeline in the case, for example, of a leak or similar problem.
With such safety valves it has however been found that often a leak occurs and already after a relatively short time a corresponding hydraulic fluid has run out, even out of a corresponding storage container. In addition a hydraulic fluid under pressure cannot be passed specifically to a certain safety valve at the point of application or relatively near to the safety valve, but rather generally long hydraulic fluid pipes are required, whereby at the most an appropriate reservoir for hydraulic fluid is arranged where applicable at the point of application at the safety valve. However, also here the appropriate leakage problems occur.

Pump device for the hydraulic actuation of a valve


A holder is constructed of a cylindrical member made of a metal and an inward flange member made of a diffusion transparent member. The inside of the cylindrical member is sectioned into a tapered area whose inside diameter decreases downward, and a small-diameter cylindrical area and a large-diameter cylindrical area. The inward flange member is bonded to the bottom end of the small-diameter cylindrical area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical member inspection apparatus for detecting defective factors of an optical member such as a lens, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical member such as a lens or a prism is designed so that a luminous flux incoming into the optical member is regularly refracted, advanced in parallel, converged onto a point or line, or diverged. However, if the optical member contains a foreign substance such as yarn waste (so-called fuss) or the like which had been immixed while the optical member is formed, or if the surface of the optical member is scratched during handling thereof by an operator after it had been formed, a luminous flux incoming into the optical member is disturbed and thereby, a desired optical property cannot be obtained.
Therefore, various optical-member inspection apparatuses detecting defective factors of an optical member to automatically decide the quality of an optical member have been proposed so far. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-246706 discloses an optical member inspection apparatus which outputs image data for deciding the quality of an inspection target optical member, by using an imaging optical system and a line sensor arranged on the optical axis of the optical member, and thereby picking up the optical member while rotating the optical member about its optical axis. In a picture shown by the image data obtained by the optical member inspection apparatus, defective factors of the optical member are imaged as bright images in a dark background corresponding to the normal region.
In this case, the inspection target optical member is picked up from a position on its optical axis. Therefore, the lateral face of the optical member (that is, "edge" as for a lens) is imaged as a bright image (which is annular image as for a lens, which is referred to as "edge image") inside of the outer border of the optical member in the picture shown by the image data which is obtained by picking up the optical member. Particularly, in the case that a negative lens having a thick edge (such as a negative meniscus lens) is picked up from the concave side, the width of the edge image increases.
An image processor of the optical-member inspection apparatus distinguishes a region corresponding to the optical member within image data, based on the position of a lateral image in the image data and cuts out only region inside the lateral image as an object region of image-processing which is called "inspection target region" herein after.
As a holder for holding an inspection target optical member in an optical-member inspection apparatus, an annular holder of which internal surface is formed with inward flange or spot facing for supporting the entire outer margin of the inspection target optical member is often adopted so as to be able to securely hold the inspection target optical member regardless of its edge thickness. FIG. 17 is a sectional view showing such a conventional holder. The conventional holder shown in FIG. 17 is made of a cylindrical member 100. On the inner edge of the opening at the upper end 101 of the cylindrical member 100, a spot facing portion 102 which is lowered by one step is formed so as to support the outer margin of the optical member.
However, when the outer margin of the inspection target optical member is mounted on the inward flange or spot facing of the holder having the above shape, illumination light is shaded by the inward flange or spot facing and thereby, the illumination light does not reach the lateral face of the inspection target optical member. As a result, no rays come into an image pickup device because rays are reflected on the lateral face and therefore, a lateral image is not formed in a picture shown by image data. If the lateral image is not imaged in the picture shown by the image data, it is impossible to securely identify a region corresponding to the inspection target optical member in the image data. That bring a mistake that unnecessary noises are contained in inspection results due to regions other than the proper region corresponding to the inspection target optical member being included in an inspection target region, or a mistake that defective factor is overlooked by excluding a part or the whole of the proper region corresponding to the inspection target optical member from the inspection target region. If the above mistakes occur, it is impossible to accurately decide the quality of the inspection target optical member. In case that only one holder having specific diameter for one size of optical member is used, the above problem is not serious because the range of proper region can be preset. However, in case that plurality of holders respectively having various diameters are exchangeably used (that is, in case that optical members having various diameters are inspected), the above problem becomes very serious because the range of inspection target region must be actively set in accordance with acquired image data itself.
Furthermore, according to the conventional holder shown in FIG. 17, an object serving as an aim for lowering an inspection target optical member to set it to a holder is only the spot facing portion 102 itself. Therefore, to set the inspection target optical member to the holder, an operator is liable to carelessly hit the inspection target optical member against the upper end 101 of the cylindrical member 100 to scratch a surface of the inspection target optical member because the operator does not know a right course of letdown of the inspection target optical member. Otherwise, the operator may waste a lot of time by carefully performing operations so as not to scratch the surface of the inspection target optical member. Moreover, when the width of the lateral face (edge as for a lens) of an inspection target optical member is narrow, the lateral face (edge) completely enters the spot facing 102. In this case, the operator cannot pick up the optical member in the spot facing 102 with his or her fingers. Therefore, the operator may scratch the surface of the inspection target optical member by a jig or waste the working time, with intent to take out the optical member from the spot facing 102 by using the jig.

Optical-member inspection apparatus and holder for inspection target member


Percutaneous suture externalizer devices are disclosed which grasp, secure and externalize sutures from within an abdominal or thoracic cavity. The suture externalizer devices include a thin tubular sheath with a penetrating point and a hook rod slidable within the sheath. The hook rod is slidable between an extended position and a retracted position. The hook rod is biased to the extended position. In the retracted position, a suture grasped within the hook is snugly held between the hook rod and the inner wall of the sheath, providing a positive means of securing the suture during externalization. An alternative embodiment utilizes a hollow tubular hook rod that can also be used to insufflate the abdominal or thoracic cavity. The alternative embodiment utilizes a valve to control the flow of gas through the hook rod, into and out of the cavity.

Semm Emergency Needles are commonly known in the surgical instruments art. Semm Needles are used to externalize sutures from within the abdominal cavity. The Semm Needle is a reusable, exposed crochet type hooked needle mounted to a rod, the rod being approximately 3 millimeters in diameter. In use, the Semm Needle requires excessive force to penetrate the peritoneum. This excessive force tends to minimize control of the Semm Needle during penetration. Thus, once the peritoneum is penetrated, the Semm Needle tends to plunge into the abdominal cavity with minimal control.
An additional disadvantage of the Semm Needle is that once it penetrates the peritoneum, the sharp needle point remains exposed. The exposed point increases the potential for damage due to inadvertently perforating organs or tissue.
Another disadvantage of the Semm Needle is that it lacks a means to positively secure a suture portion once it is grasped within the hook. Using a Semm Needle, a suture may tend to dislodge from the hook during externalization because the suture is not securely held within the device. A further disadvantage of the Semm Needle is that upon removal from the abdominal cavity it can damage the surrounding tissue.
Veress needles are commonly known in the surgical instruments art. Veress needles are used to insufflate the abdominal cavity using compressed gas. A Veress needle includes an inner dull stylet slidably mounted in a sheath. The sheath of a Veress needle has a sharp outer point for penetrating tissue. The inner dull stylet is spring biased such that it retracts during penetration and extends once it is beyond the resistant tissue. Veress needles, however, do not provide a means or mechanism for securing and externalizing sutures.


A device for increasing strength of a hollow shaped part with a closed cross-section for a vehicle body has at least one reinforcing element extendable at least partially into an inner space of the hollow shaped part and connectable with the hollow shaped part, and an aperture provided in the hollow shaped part and formed so that the reinforcing element extends into the inner space of the hollow shaped part.

The present invention relates to a device for increasing the strength of a hollow shaped part of a vehicle body, which has a closed cross-section.
German patent document DE 195 18 946 A1 discloses a vehicle structural component or a hollow shaped part with a closed cross-section, which is formed of at least two interconnected components. The vehicle structural component is a front support or a A-support of a vehicle body, composed of an outer plate, a support reinforcement and an inner support of light metal. For stiffening of the vehicle structural component, a reinforcing element produced of light metal extrusion is provided. It has an outer shape which is substantially identical to an inner shape of the closed cross-section of the vehicle structural component. The reinforcing element is arranged inside the region of the closed cross-section of the vehicle structural component.
For further increase of the strength of the vehicle structural component, several iron elements, such as for example a steel pipe or a steel plate or similar elements, are arranged along the hollow region of the reinforcing element.
The disadvantage of this solution is however that the vehicle structural component is composed of several individual parts which must be held before the manufacture and connected with one another in various manufacturing steps. This leads to a complicated and cost-intensive manufacturing process.
Moreover, another disadvantage of this solution is that the known vehicle structural component, due to the complicated multi-part construction, has a high total weight. This is disadvantageous for the automobiles since it is contrary to the tendencies in automobiles for reducing the fuel consumption by reducing the vehicle weight.
In addition, the known vehicle structural component has the disadvantage that the reinforcing element provided in the inner space of the vehicle structural element has low manufacturing tolerances, to ensure an easy adaptation of the reinforcing element in the interior space of the vehicle structural element.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for increasing the strength of a hollow shaped part of a vehicle body, having a closed cross-section, which eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for increasing the strength of a hollow shaped part with a closed cross-section for a vehicle body, which makes possible the manufacture of a vehicle body with a high strength and a low total weight, and with low manufacturing costs.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent herein after, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a device for increasing the strength of a hollow shaped part with a closed cross-section for a vehicle body, in which the reinforcing element extends through an aperture of the hollow shaped part in its inner space.
Since the inventive device has the reinforcing element which is arranged at least partially in an inner space of the hollow shaped part, and also is connected with the hollow shaped part and extends through a recess of the hollow shaped part in its inner space, a simple mounting and manufacture of a correspondingly designed vehicle structural component is provided in an advantageous manner. This leads to reduced manufacturing costs.
Moreover, the inventive device has the advantage that a hollow shaped part of a vehicle body which is provided with the inventive device has a high component strength with a low weight. The reason is that the hollow shaped part after its manufacture is provided with a simple design reinforcing element which is inserted through the aperture into the inner space and is fixedly connected with the hollow shaped part.
A special cost-favorable manufacture of a hollow shaped part of a vehicle body is provided when the hollow shaped part is formed as a one-piece component which is produced by an inner high pressure molding and provided with the reinforcing element. Thereby a hollow shaped part of a vehicle body, such as for example an A-support can be produced with cross-sections which correspond to special construction space requirements and strength requirements in one manufacturing step, and can be provided with a reinforcing element in particularly highly loaded regions in the above described simple manner.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Device for increasing strength of a hollow shaped part of a vehicle body


In a semiconductor laser device provided with a semiconductor laser element for outputting a laser beam having a plurality of oscillation longitudinal modes at a stimulated Brillouin scattering threshold or less, a submount formed by diamond and set between the semiconductor laser element and a carrier each configured to enable a highly efficient transfer of heat between the semiconductor laser device components.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor laser device and a semiconductor laser module provided with a semiconductor laser element for outputting a laser beam having a plurality of oscillation longitudinal modes.
The recent and rapid spread of the Internet and sudden increase of connection between in-company LANs, has resulted in an increase of the number of communication calls and in an increase in data traffic. This increase in traffic has stressed current optical systems. To prevent the communication performance from deteriorating, the use wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technologies has advanced and spread.
WDM systems support transmission volumes 100 times larger than the capacity of conventional fiber optic communications by superimposing a plurality of optical signals at different wavelengths on a single fiber. Current WDM systems are capable of long distance transmissions by performing optical amplification with an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) or Raman amplifier. An EDFA is an optical fiber amplifier with erbium added. When light having a wavelength of a 1,550 nm band and serving as a transmission signal passes through the EDFA, an additional light emitted by an exciting laser with a wavelength of 1,480 nm or 980 nm is introduced to amplify the signal.
A Raman amplifier is an amplifier capable of directly amplifying signal light by using an already laid optical fiber as an amplifying medium and introducing amplifying light via using stimulated Raman scattering.
Typically for long distance optical transmission with a WDM system, the interval between repeaters must be small due to inefficient amplification. With more repeaters, costs increase. Therefore, to be able to increase the interval between repeaters, one can either increase the output of a semiconductor laser device used for a signal light source and/or improve the amplifying capacity of the repeater.
To meet the above requirements, a semiconductor laser element capable of outputting a laser beam of 250 mW or more is used for EDFA excitation. This higher power level requires high reliability from the semiconductor laser devices.
In the case of a WDM system it is especially important to maintain highly accurate oscillation control and high output operation, not only for the signal light source, but also for the exciting light source used for amplification. The heat of a semiconductor laser element produced due to current injection is known to be a large factor for degrading the oscillation control and high output operation. To compensate for this thermal degradation problem, various conventional approaches are used.
For example, in the case of a conventional semiconductor laser device, a thermistor for measuring the temperature of a semiconductor laser element is often set nearby the semiconductor laser element so that the temperature of the semiconductor laser element can be controlled by an electrothermal element such as a Peltier element.
FIG. 18 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional semiconductor laser device. In FIG. 18, a submount 102 formed by AlN having an insulating property and a high heat conductivity is set on a carrier 101 formed by CuW. A semiconductor laser element 103 for outputting a laser beam of a predetermined wavelength is set on the submount 102. A submount 104 formed by AlN is set on the carrier 101 and, a thermistor 105 for measuring the temperature of the semiconductor laser element 103 is set on the submount 104.
The semiconductor laser element 103 and the submount 102 are joined to each other through a metallic thin film 102a. The metallic thin film 102a contains layers of Ti, Pt, and Au at thicknesses of 60 nm, 200 nm, and 600 nm respectively. The semiconductor laser element 103 and submount 102 are joined on the metallic thin film 102 by a solder material such as AuSn. The thermistor 105 and submount 104 are also joined through a metallic thin film 104a.
The face of the semiconductor laser element 103 to be joined with the submount 102 serves as a p-side electrode and the upper face serves as an n-side electrode. The semiconductor laser element 103 is set so that the active layer serving as a main heat generating source is present at the p-side electrode side and located nearby the submount 102. The n-side electrode is connected to a negative electrode by an Au wire 106a. The p-side electrode is connected to the carrier 101 at the positive electrode side through the metallic thin film 102a and an Au wire 106b.
Submount 102 secures the insulation of the semiconductor laser element 103 and functions as a heat sink of the semiconductor laser element 103. In the case of the carrier 101, as illustrated, the bottom is joined to a CuW base 110 by AuSn solder. The base 110 is set on a Peltier element 120. The Peltier element 120 is controlled by a temperature control section (not illustrated) correspondingly to the temperature detected by the thermistor 105. As a result, the temperature of the semiconductor laser element 103 is controlled by the thermistor 105, Peltier element 120, and the temperature control section.
The thermistor 105 is also insulated from the carrier 101 by the submount 104 to detect the temperature of the semiconductor laser element 103 through the submount 102, carrier 101, and submount 104, each of which has a high heat conductivity.
The heat generated in the semiconductor laser element 103 is conducted to the thermistor 105 through the metallic thin film 102a, submount 102, metallic thin film 102b, carrier 101, metallic thin film 104b, submount 104, and metallic thin film 104a in order. As recognized by the present inventors the heat conducting distance degrades overall operations as the actual temperature detection of the semiconductor laser element 103 is delayed. Moreover, the generated heat passes through the metallic thin films 102a, 102b, 104b, and 104a that are joined to each other by four AuSn solder joints. However, because the AuSn solder joints are used for the junction they respectively have a large heat joints resistance, and so the heat resistance of the above heat conducting path is increased. Moreover, because of the deterioration of the temperature detection accuracy, the temperature control accuracy is also deteriorated. Thus, in conventional WDM applications, the oscillation wavelength of the semiconductor laser element 103 is prone to becoming unstable due to heat generated at high powers, and the system optical output and service life are deteriorated.
Another limitation is present in conventional WDM applications. When supplying current to a semiconductor laser element in order to obtain a high optical output, a voltage drop of an Au thin film in the metallic thin film 102a occurs. Assuming the total resistance of the Au thin film as 0.12 xcexa9, and an inter electrode voltage of a semiconductor laser element when a current of 1 A circulates through the semiconductor laser element equal to approximately 2V, the voltage drop of the semiconductor laser element in the resonator length direction becomes non-uniform by 0.12 V. This leads to the current injection to the semiconductor laser element to become non-uniform and the light density in the active layer also to become non-uniform. The present inventors have discovered this to accelerate deterioration of a device""s optical output and service life.
All of the above described limitations are more pronounced in a semiconductor laser element that includes a diffraction grating. Examples of such laser elements include those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-323118, Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-134545, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-228669 filed on Oct. 28, 2000, May 1, 2001 and Jul. 27, 2001 respectively in the Japanese Patent Office, the entire contents of which being incorporated herein by reference. These types of laser elements are configured to output a laser beam with a plurality of oscillation longitudinal modes at or below a threshold at which stimulated Brillouin scattering occurs. These types of laser elements suffer unique degradations in performance due to temperature effects. Specifically, the temperature of a semiconductor laser element rises with increases in the current injected into the laser element""s active layer. This temperature increase causes the refractive index of the diffraction grating layer to change. This change in refractive index causes the selection wavelength of the diffraction grating to shift such that the desired central output wavelength cannot be obtained. Therefore, in the case of an iGM laser that has a diffraction grating, the present inventors determined that it is desirable to go beyond conventional measures to accommodate the heat producing high powers.
This invention provides a semiconductor iGM laser device and a semiconductor iGM laser module capable of preventing the optical output and service life of a high output semiconductor laser element from deteriorating the way they do with conventional device. This is achieved by using new materials in such devices and modules to enable a reduction in the number of interfaces between a laser element and a temperature measuring device, as well as a reduction in the number of interfaces between a laser element and a Peltier module. In addition, performance is enhanced by improving the uniformity of voltage drop of the semiconductor laser element in the resonator length direction by distributing driving currents along a length of the resonator cavity.
The first configuration of the present invention includes a semiconductor laser device having a first mount, a second mount formed by a heat sink having a heat conductivity of 500 W/(m*K) or more and set onto the first mount, and a semiconductor laser element joined on to the second mount through a multi-layer film including a gold thin film. The semiconductor laser device also includes a thermistor set on a third mount which is joined onto the first mount through a multi-layer film, including a gold thin film.
The second configuration of the present invention includes a semiconductor laser device having a first mount, a second mount formed by a heat sink having a heat conductivity of 500 W/(m*K) or more and set onto the first mount, and a semiconductor laser element joined on to the second mount through a multi-layer film, including a gold thin film. The semiconductor laser device also includes a thermistor joined directly onto the first mount through a multi-layer film, including a gold thin film.
The third configuration of the present invention includes a semiconductor laser device having a first mount, a second mount formed by a heat sink having a heat conductivity of 500 W/(m*K) or more and set onto the first mount, and a semiconductor laser element joined on to the second mount through a multi-layer film, including a gold thin film. The semiconductor laser device also includes a thermistor also joined onto the second mount through a multi-layer film, including a gold thin film.
A fourth configuration of the present invention includes a semiconductor laser module having the semiconductor laser device according to any one of the first to third aspects, a temperature controlling element for controlling the temperature of the above semiconductor laser element in accordance with the temperature output from the above temperature measuring element, and a fourth mount set onto the above temperature controlling element, in which the above semiconductor laser device is set onto the fourth mount and the above semiconductor laser element is temperature controlled through the fourth mount.

Semiconductor laser device with a diffraction grating and semiconductor laser module


A pulsed electromagnetic field method of treating a soft tissue wound, wherein, in one embodiment, a patient in need of treatment for a soft tissue wound is administered a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) having repetitive pulse bursts less than approximately 30 ms in duration, with a pulse burst repetition rate greater than approximately 5 Hz, the pulse bursts generated with a drive signal including pulses each having a first-polarity portion with a pulse width less than 1 ms and a second-polarity portion with a shorter pulse width, the electromagnetic field having a maximum amplitude less than approximately 4 mT and rising to its maximum amplitude during the first-polarity portion. According to another aspect of the invention, a soft tissue wound is treated by administering a pulsed electromagnetic field having substantially unipolar magnetic field pulses generated with a drive signal including a series of pulses each having a first-polarity portion with a pulse width less than 1 ms and a second-polarity portion with a longer pulse width, the electromagnetic field having a maximum amplitude less than 4 mT and rising to its maximum amplitude during the first-polarity portion.

This invention relates to wound treatment, and more particularly to methods of treating soft tissue wounds with the aid of electrical stimulation.
Chronic wounds, such as pressure ulcers, venous ulcers and diabetic ulcers, are significant public health concerns. Within the United States, the annual incidence of such chronic wounds is greater than 7 million. Further, the incidence of these chronic wounds increases as much as 14% per year. This is particularly true for diabetic ulcers, which afflict about 15% of the 16 million diabetics in the United States. Each year, approximately 85,000 lower-extremity amputations are performed as a result of treatment failure of diabetic ulcers. Such chronic wounds occur in approximately 31% of diabetic patients and take up to 20 weeks to heal. The incidences of venous and pressure ulcers within the United States are estimated to be 1.3 million and 3 million, respectively, with an annual growth rate of about 6%.
Wound healing involves a series of interrelated events including coagulation, inflammation, deposition and differentiation of extracellular matrix, fibroplasia, epithelialization, contraction and remodeling. There are slight differences in the healing process depending on the type of wound. For example, the healing of a chronic pressure ulcer mainly involves deposition of extracellular matrix and contraction. However, a partial-thickness burn wound primarily heals through epithelialization. On the other hand, the healing of diabetic ulcers can be further complicated by other diabetic issues such as neuropathy, poor circulation and decreased response to infection.
Presently, chronic wound patients are faced with a lack of effective treatment options and a high cost of care. Currently available treatment methods for the type of wounds described above include various types of dressings, debridement/irrigation, pressure relieving devices, ultrasound, whirlpool/pulsed lavage, ultraviolet, pulsed frequency radiation, low-energy laser, hyperbaric or topically applied oxygen, cytokine growth factors, antibiotics and topical and systemic drugs. Research has also been centered on developing surgical glues, sealants and dressing, artificial skin and growth factors such as transforming growth factors (TGF-β), fibroblast growth factor (aFGF and bFGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGF-II) and interleukins (IL-1 and IL-2). Other research has focused on reducing the pressure on the soft tissue by designing a variety of wheelchair cushions, pads, shoes, mattresses and beds to distribute the pressure more evenly over the body. Unfortunately, even with the best available wound care procedures, chronic wounds tend to heal very slowly, not heal at all, or even worsen.
An alternative approach to wound healing is the implementation of electrical stimulation. The rationale for using electrical stimulation is based on the fact that the human body has endogenous bioelectric systems that promote wound healing. However, when the body's endogenous bioelectric system is inadequate, external electrical stimulation can be used to supplement the natural bioelectric currents or electric fields for enabling or enhancing wound healing.
There are several disadvantages associated with prior art methods of electrical stimulation for wound healing. One disadvantage is that many prior art methods require placement of one or perhaps two electrodes directly on the soft tissue wound. Such placement increases the probability of bacterial contamination, thereby complicating wound healing and further, acid or base build-up on the electrodes can adversely effect healing in the wound area. Other prior art devices and methods are inconvenient or difficult to employ as a result of their bulk or complexity. For example, several prior art devices require the implementation of several electrodes, whereby one electrode is applied directly over the wound area or immersed in a saline solution containing the body part with the wound and at least one other electrode is positioned on the patient as far away from the wound as possible. This makes extended treatment periods uncomfortable for the patient, as well as prohibiting free travel of the patient.
Several studies describe the use of direct current, pulsed electromagnetic fields, pulsed current, and radio frequency stimulation for the repair of ulcers, but the results of these studies have not been encouraging. In principle, electrical stimulation could accelerate the healing of ulcers and other soft tissue wounds, and numerous possibilities have existed for stimulation signal types and waveforms which might be considered for such purposes, but, despite years of research in this area, a need remains for a more effective signal for treatment of soft tissue wounds.
Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved electrical stimulation method for promoting wound healing of soft tissue wounds, such as venous, diabetic and pressure ulcers. The method should treat the wound area without actual contact with the wound to reduce the probability of bacterial infection. Further, the method should be simple and inexpensive while effectively treating soft tissue wounds.

Pulsed electromagnetic field method of treating soft tissue wounds


A method of damping a conductor tube in a guide tube therefor comprises the steps of inserting a bag between the conductor and the jacket and filling the bag with a settable material to provide a resilient layer between the conductor and the guide tube.

This patent application claims priority from U.K. Patent Application No. 0113971.6 filed Jun. 8, 2001, U.K Patent Application No. 0114805.5 filed Jun. 18, 2001 and U.K. Patent Application No. 0114912.9 filed Jun. 19, 2001.
This invention relates to a packing apparatus that is typically adapted for packing and/or supporting articles, such as pipes or pipe-work or equipment or machinery. The invention especially concerns damping of conductor tubes of offshore installations, such as fixed platforms, jack-up rigs and floating installations.
Many industrial structures and plant require a large network of pipes to convey fluids around the structure. In oil and gas plant, the large network of pipes requires a great deal of maintenance to control damage due to corrosion, erosion and fatigue. One particular problem associated with oil and gas plant is structural fatigue of pipes due to vibration. The vibration is generally unavoidable and typically results from the high-speed flow of fluid through the pipes, and on oil and gas platforms, it is general practice to support all pipes and pipe-work using structural supports. However, designing, making and installing these pipe supports is quite labour intensive, because the support brackets are generally fabricated in preset sizes, which may not precisely fit between a pipe and the nearest supporting structure. Therefore, in order to ensure a good fit between the pipe and the support bracket, shims are inserted on site between the pipe and the support bracket, so as to ensure that any space for vibration is minimised. Shims are also formed to pre-set sizes.
Drill conductor tubes in, for example, fixed offshore platforms run from the seabed up to the wellhead area passing through a series of guide tubes built into a steel jacket framework. The purpose of the conductor tube is to protect the high-pressure wellhead casing, which runs within it from environmental effects. The wellhead casing is guided within the conductor tube and hence the assembly moves laterally as a unit. The wellhead tree is attached to the top of the wellhead casing and is used for the connection of topside flowline pipework. The conductor and casing assembly acts as a tall slender structural element fixed at its base and carrying a large mass (the wellhead tree) at its top and having intermediate lateral guides in between.
The effects of wave and wind action are able to displace easily the conductor, which must then be restrained by the intermediate guides.
The conductors are installed after the jacket and topside structure by lowering the conductors through the jacket guides then grouting them into the seabed. The annular gap between a conductor and its guide tube must be sufficiently large to allow the conductor joint connectors to pass through and allow for misalignment of the guide tubes during fabrication of the jacket. The larger the gap the easier the conductors will be to install. However, a large gap will allow a conductor tube more freedom to move and hence cause large wellhead and flowline pipework movements. In addition, large impact forces will occur when the conductor tube contacts its guide tube.
Once the conductors are installed they can either have shims installed at the guides or they can be left free to move within the guides. In either situation problems can arise. If no shims are installed the conductors are free to move within the constraints of the guide tube. This should not affect the conductors or the guide tubes but the wellhead tree will experience larger than desirable movement and shock loading due to the conductor coming to an abrupt stop within its guide tube. This can cause large flowline pipework movement and vibrations, which can cause problems in the flowline pipework and attachments, in particular cumulative fatigue damage.
When shims are installed they tend to comprise steel strips forced down the annular gap between the conductor tube and its guide tube often completely eliminating any movement of the conductor tube. The practice of rigidly fixing the conductor tubes within the guide tubes is not recommended. Wave induced deflection of the conductor tube can induce large end moments if the conductor tube is rigidly fixed at its guide tube locations. The jacket guide tubes and framing members are generally not designed to resist these end moments. Local over stressing and fatigue problems can occur in the jacket structure if the conductors are rigidly fixed to the guide tubes.
An object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for packing or supporting articles, such as pipes, pipework, equipment or machinery.
According to the present invention there is provided a packing device comprising a container for containing a settable substance within the container.
Typically the container is flexible and/or deformable.
The container is typically placed between two items for packing purposes, typically so as to pack one item within the other and to limit the extent of movement of the one item within the other.
The settable substance is typically poured, injected or otherwise delivered into the container once the container is in place, and normally while the settable substance is in a liquid phase. After the container has been put in place and the settable substance has been delivered, optionally via a valve in the container, the viscosity of the settable substance then changes, so that the settable substance adopts a generally solid or at least a less fluid phase.
The viscosity of the settable substance delivered into the container can be varied, and although the viscosity of the settable substance is typically higher than the viscosity of the substance when initially delivered into the container, it is not necessary for the initial substance delivered to the container to be of low viscosity. For example, the initial settable substance delivered to the container could be a gel or a sol. Equally, while the viscosity of the substance once set is typically higher than when it is initially delivered into the container, the viscosity of the final set substance might also vary between applications, and in some embodiments could be a gel or a sol, while in other embodiments the final set substance could be a hard plastics material.
The compliance of the set substance can even be varied within the container, so that when the substance has set, the container has different zones of hardness. This is particularly useful where some pliability of the device is desirable in the immediate vicinity of the item to be packed so as to prevent some slight movement but so as to prevent excessive vibration or other movement beyond certain parameters. In such embodiments, the compliance of the substance disposed immediately against the item to be packed can be less than the compliance of the settable substance in other parts of the container, for example around the outside of the container, spaced apart from the item to be packed. This can be accomplished by different zones within the container containing different compositions of settable material, or by a gradient of compliance of the settable substance within the container.
The invention also provides a method of packing an item, the method comprising inserting a packing device between the item and an adjacent structural support, the packing device comprising a container, inserting a settable substance into the container and allowing or promoting a change of viscosity of the settable substance.
The invention also provides a method of supporting a pipe, the method comprising inserting an inflatable bladder between the pipe and an adjacent structural support so as to take free space between the pipe and the adjacent structural support.
The invention also provides a pipe support comprising an inflatable bladder.
Typically, the bladder is inflated with a fluid that is settable, i.e. a fluid that can adopt different phases.
Typically the settable substance is delivered into the container via a valve in the container, and sets hard over a period of time or when induced to set by a catalyst or the like. Typically the packing device assumes a shape when set that conforms to at least a part of the space between the item and the adjacent structural support, thereby occupying the space between the item and the support, and preventing or limiting movement of the item.
The settable substance can be a polymer such as polyurethane, and can be delivered to the container in liquid form, and then allowed to polymerise within the container.
The possible triggers for polymerisation of the substance can include time, heat, light and catalysts. The set substance typically has plastic and/or elastomeric properties, or can be completely hard. The hardness characteristics of the set substance can be adjusted by adjusting the density of cross-linking within the set polymer. This can be achieved, for example by adding cross-linking agents, or adjusting the characteristics of the feedstock isocyanates and alcohols. Indeed, the hardness, strength, stiffness, abrasion resistance, toughness, frictional coefficient, and other characteristics of the substance can be adjusted in the final set in accordance with the desired characteristics for each particular application, The addition of low-cost fillers to the injected substance can reduce the amount of the higher cost polymer required to fill the container and thereby reduce the cost of certain embodiments.
Fillers and fibres can be added to the material injected into the container to form a composite material for additional strength or other characteristics. The set material can be made fire retardant or resistant by the addition of certain materials. In certain embodiments, the device can incorporate intumescent material.
The container can be flexible and in preferred embodiments of the invention can comprise a bag or tube. The container can typically be in the form of a closed bag of generally rectangular or other shape although the precise shape of the bag is unimportant, as this can be fabricated to suit individual structures and/or spaces. However, generally rectangular bags can be inflated to adopt a wide variety of shapes that fill spaces between a large number of pipes and supports, thereby providing some flexibility, and reducing the need to carry a large number of different sizes of bags to suit individual circumstances. In certain embodiments, the container can initially take the form of an endless tube that can be sealed where desired on-site in order to fit within various spaces that are encountered. The material of the bag can be a plastics or rubber material, such as nitryl or butyl rubber, and in some preferred embodiments the material can be puncture resistant so as to resist puncture while the injected material is still in liquid form within the bag. Indeed, the container can comprise two skins in certain embodiments, with an inner skin to contain the polymer or other settable substance, and outer skin to resist abrasion damage and/or thermal damage or puncture by structural support.
It should be noted than puncture and abrasion resistance is only desirable in certain circumstances while the injected material is polymerising into a solid (or more solid) phase, after which point, abrasion damage or puncture to the bag or container does not affect the functioning of the device, as the packaging function is performed by the set material.
It should also be noted that it is not necessary for the bag to expand to fill the whole of the space available, and that the bag not need even expand to its full extent. It is sufficient for the bag to be capable of expanding to be disposed between the two items to be packed, and this can be achieved as easily when the bag is half full as when it is completely full.
The invention also provides a method of adjusting the position of a pipe or other item of equipment within a supporting structure, the method comprising inserting an inflatable bladder between the pipe and the supporting structure, and inflating the bladder to move the pipe relative to the supporting structure.
This aspect of the invention can be used to centre or otherwise adjust the position of pipes or other item of equipment within structural supports, or to pre-load pipes with force in a particular direction within a supporting structure, which is frequently required within oil and gas plant.
In certain embodiments, the inflatable bladder can have a valve and can be connected via a conduit to a hydraulic pressure source in order to adjust the pressure on the inflatable bladder. In certain embodiments, many different bladders are provided, and all may be connected, optionally via valves, to a manifold that controls pressure distribution to all of the bags or bladders in order to co-ordinate movement of the pipe, or pre-loading force.
In embodiments of the invention where the transmission of force is contemplated, the provision of bags or bladders with large surface areas is a particular advantage, as large forces can be applied to the pipes by such bags or bladders, with relatively little movement.
In typical embodiments, the bag or bladder is positioned adjacent to the pipe, but in certain other embodiments, the bag or bladder can be integrated into the pipe supporting structure, or disposed between the immediately adjacent pipe support, and a more distant hard point. For example, in certain preferred embodiments the bag or bladder is positioned immediately adjacent the pipe between the pipe and the cradle or saddle against which the pipe normally rests. However, in some other embodiment, the bag or bladder can form part of the cradle or saddle, or the leg of the cradle or bracket, or can be disposed underneath a duck foot.
The invention also provides a method of moving an item comprising placing a packing device against the item, inflating the packing device with fluid, and optionally allowing the fluid in the packing device to change phase.
Bags and bladders can be placed in horizontal and vertical or other planes in order to move the pipe or other item in such planes.
Certain embodiments of the invention reduce the need for on-site adjustments of shims. Devices can also be designed with frictional coefficients that reduce the need for shoes to be installed at pipework supports in order to reduce abrasion damage to the pipes causes by the pipework supports.
Certain embodiments can also provide a damping function to the packing supports. By specifying different hardness values for the polymer, the stiffness of the damping function can be tailored to suit each application. This is extremely useful for pipework made from long-lasting materials that can be subject to fatigue due to vibration damage.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of damping a conductor tube in a guide tube therefor comprising the steps of inserting a bag between the conductor and the jacket and filling the bag with a settable material to provide a resilient layer between the conductor and the guide tube.
The present invention also provides a damping device for use between a conductor tube and a guide tube therefor comprising a bag adapted and shaped for insertion between a conductor tube and its guide tuba and adapted to be filled by a settable material.
The bags used in the invention are preferably sized so as to end only over a portion of the periphery of a conductor tube. In practice it may be convenient to use say four bags to damp a conductor tube, the bags being generally evenly spaced about the conductor tube. Spaces between adjacent bags can then be used to insert temporary chocks between the conductor tube and its guide tube in order to centralise the conductor while the material introduced into the bags sets.
The bags are preferably made of a material that is substantially impervious to the settable material. Synthetic fabrics are preferred materials for the bags and preferably such fabrics are coated with synthetic material. For example, the bags may be made of reinforced nylon coated with PVC. The bags themselves are preferably capable of withstanding pressures of at least 2 bar. The bags may be made by joining appropriately shaped sections of fabric such as, for example, by stitching and/or ultrasonic welding.
The settable material may be any suitable synthetic material that can be poured, injected or pumped into a bag and then set to provide a resilient slab. It is also desirable that the material when set be resistant to chemicals and to seawater. It is believed that polyurethane may be a suitable settable material for use in the invention. The bags may be partitioned, whereby different filling materials may be used in different sections of the bag. That may allow use of a bulking material to form a core with more or less resilient material used in outer regions of the bag to provide the requisite damping effect. The hardness of various sections of the slab may be adjusted by the same means.
The bags of the invention preferably have not only a filling port but also a vent to allow displacement of air as the bags are being filled.
Guide tubes for conductor tubes generally comprise a lower cylindrical part and a flared upper part, which facilitates the insertion of a conductor tube through the guide tube. The bags of the invention preferably have upper and lower parts that when expanded correspond with the cross-sectional shape of the annular gap between the cylindrical conductor tube and its guide tube. Preferably the bags will be sized so as to extend below the guide tube and the lower ends of the bags will preferably be shaped so as to expand to form a lip or bulge along their bottom edge that extends outwardly of the guide tube. The top and bottom shaping of the bags is intended to produce a filled bag that is resistant to axial displacement. The bags may have on their surfaces that contact the conductor tubes a layer or coating of a friction reducing material to enable the conductor to move axially with minimal or no displacement of the bag. Such a friction reducing material may be, for example, PTFE.
In some situations, the guide tubes may also have a flared lower section, in which case the bags to be used therewith will preferably have a lower section with divergent opposed faces to result in a filled shape corresponding to the profile of the annular gap in the region of the lower flared section of the guide tube.
Filling the bags with settable material only is generally suitable for clearances between the conductor and guide of upped 50 mm. For larger clearances it may be desirable to include in the bag a core. The inclusion of a core will reduce the amount of settable material needed and will also provide shape retention and stiffness to the bag during setting. The core may be a solid or may include voids to alter damping characteristics. The core may be provide with passages therethrough to allow flow of settable material through the core for even spread of settable material around the core and to help fix the core. The core may be made of synthetic material and may be made from a foamed or expanded material, such as of polystyrene. The core will preferably be adhered to or otherwise fixed to a bottom wall of the bag.
As an alternative to providing a core within the bag, a similar effect may be achieved by including in the beg void pockets.
It may be desirable to provide the bags with means for locating same prior to filling. To that end it is proposed that the bags have one or more hooks, clamps or the like to locate over a top edge of the guide tube, The hooks or clamps may simply be attached to a top part of the bag. On the other hand it may be desirable to provide some rigidity to the bags to facilitate feeding them into the annular gap between the conductor tube and the guide tube, in which case stiffening rods or the like may be attached along sides of the bags, such as in pockets on the side edges of the bags, and clamps or hooks may be attached to ends of these rods, either to top ends or to both ends.


Deposition processes are disclosed herein for depositing thin films comprising a dielectric transition metal compound phase and a conductive or semiconducting transition metal compound phase on a substrate in a reaction space. Deposition processes can include a plurality of super-cycles. Each super-cycle may include a dielectric transition metal compound sub-cycle and a reducing sub-cycle. The dielectric transition metal compound sub-cycle may include contacting the substrate with a dielectric transition metal compound. The reducing sub-cycle may include alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a reducing agent and a nitrogen reactant. The thin film may comprise a dielectric transition metal compound phase embedded in a conductive or semiconducting transition metal compound phase.

Field of the Invention
The application relates generally to the field of photoactive devices and materials and more particularly to methods for forming thin films comprising a dielectric transition metal compound phase and a conductive or semiconducting transition metal compound phase.
Description of the Related Art
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is based on sequential, self-saturating surface reactions, which can provide good conformality and step coverage regardless of the geometry of the structure to be coated. However, deposition of metallic films by ALD has been challenging, in part because ALD is based essentially on thermodynamically favorable half-reactions.
Refractory metal conducting layers are basic building blocks in micro and nano-electronics. Oxidation resistant metal thin films are desirable in a number of contexts. For example, titanium nitride layers are commonly used in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, for example, as a gate electrode material or as a copper diffusion barrier. However, titanium nitride is known to oxidize from the surface when stored in air, likely through grain boundaries, up to depths of tens of nanometers.
Further, photoactive materials and/or electrically conductive photo transparent materials are useful in a wide variety of contexts. For example, photoactive materials can be used to convert radiant energy from photons into electrical energy and are important elements in, for example, solar cells.


The rotary tool has an element (10) rotatable about an axis of rotation and provided with a polygonal pin (16). A wrench socket insert (3), having a recess complementary to the polygonal pin (16), can be placed at the polygonal pin (16). The polygonal pin (16) and the tool (3) have longitudinal throughbores (18, 30). A tool element as a retaining control member (2) can be passed through the longitudinal throughbores. A transverse bore (20) is provided in the polygonal pin (16) and connected, on the one hand, to the longitudinal throughbore (18) and ends, on the other hand, at the outer surface of the polygonal pin (16). A detent ball (22) is located in the transverse bore (20) and adapted to snap into a detent passage (28) in the tool element (3). The retaining control member, as a further rotary tool element (2), can be pulled out from and rotated in the longitudinal throughbore (18); it has a cylindrical peripheral surface engaged by the detent ball (22) and thus keeps the detent ball (22) engaged with the tool element (3). At its inner end, the transverse bore (20) has a constriction (24) engaged by the detent ball (22) in its innermost position to prevent the same from falling out of the transverse bore (20) into the longitudinal throughbore (18) when the further rotary tool (2) is pulled out. In this innermost position, the detent ball (22) is forced completely out of the detent passage (28) into the transverse bore (20).

1. Field
The present invention is in the field of rotary tools, such as socket wrenches and power and impact tools, utilizing quick release and positive locking mechanism.
2. State of the Art
A rotary tool of the type concerned is described in European Patent Application No. 0,066,710, published on Dec. 15, 1982. Therein, a longitudinally displaceable, retaining control member is provided and has a lateral, longitudinally widening recess. The retaining control member extends through the longitudinal throughbore of a pivot portion of a ratchet, which has a square pin, i.e. drive stud, provided thereat. The recess cooperates with a detent ball, which is movable in a transverse bore of the square pin. The retaining control member is loaded with the force of a spring and keeps the square pin in a locking position in which the detent ball is in locking engagement with a detent recess of the square pin of the ratchet as a wrench socket insert. The wrench socket insert is thereby safely held by the square pin or the ratchet.
The retaining control member is rotatable about its axis in the longitudinal throughbore, which extends through the pivot portion and the square pin between a releasing position and a locking position. It is thus ensured that the locking position cannot be released unintentionally by acting on the spring loading the retaining control member. In the releasing position, the retaining control member can be displaced only against the force of the spring longitudinally of the throughbore such that the ball can be released from the locking engagement and the wrench socket insert can be released. In the direction toward the outer surface of the square pin, the transverse bore has a constriction which prevents the ball from falling out from the transverse bore when the wrench socket insert is removed.
A ratchet of similar type is described in German Published Patent Application No. 2,906,719.
Countersunk bolts are known as connecting members. They comprise a threaded portion for fastening purposes by means of a nut as in the HI-LOK Fastener produced by Hi-Shear Corporation, 2600 West 247th Street, Torrance, Calif. As published in Aviation Week, Nov. 22, 1965, a profiled cut-out extends from the free end of a threaded portion for engagement with a screwdriver having a correspondingly profiled engagement portion. By means of the thus-inserted screwdriver, the countersunk bolt can be held stationary while the nut is being tightened by means of a ratchet and a wrench socket insert. The screwdriver extends through a longitudinal throughbore of the ratchet and the wrench socket insert.


A fascia member (200) for a wireless telecommunication device (700) or other electronic device includes a thin, flexible membrane (201) having a transparent, reinforcing member (212) coupled thereto. The thin, flexible membrane (201) includes a transparency region (203) and a deflectable key region (204). The thin, flexible membrane (201) may thus serve as a major front face for the wireless telecommunication device (700) with no break lines between display and keypad. Printing on one side of the thin, flexible membrane (201) provides alphanumeric indicia (207) and graphical designs for the wireless telecommunication device (700). Printing may also be applied to the transparent, reinforcing member (212).

1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a fascia for a portable electronic device, and more specifically to a fascia assembly having a thin, flexible membrane that serves both as a depressible keypad and as a display.
2. Background Art
Portable electronic devices, such as mobile telephones, portable music players, and portable gaming devices, are becoming more and more commonplace. While once a rare luxury, it is now not uncommon to see a person with two or three electronic devices operating simultaneously. For example, a businessperson commuting to work may have a mobile telephone for receiving calls, a portable music player for listening to music, and a wireless messaging device for sending e-mail and browsing the Internet. Advances in engineering and design have made these devices increasingly affordable.
In addition to reducing prices, advances in technology have also reduced the size of these devices. While a mobile telephone in the early 1980s came in a bag and was about the size of a shoe, today's mobile telephones easily slip into a shirt pocket. The devices are becoming more stylish as well. By way of example, the RAZR mobile telephone, manufactured by Motorola, Inc., has won critical acclaim for its sleek, ultra thin design. Consumers sometimes give as much weight to the aesthetic appearance of a device when making a purchase as they do to the device's feature set. As such, the trend for designers is to create smaller devices without compromising aesthetic appeal.
There are problems, however, in attempting to design new, smaller, more fashionable devices. One problem involves tooling limitations in the manufacture of exterior housing components of these devices. The most common way to manufacture durable housing components for rechargeable battery packs is by way of injection molding. In the injection molding process, molten plastic is injected into the cavity of a metal mold. The plastic flows throughout the cavity, thereby filling it. When the plastic cools, the mold is opened and the plastic part is removed.
The problem with this process is that there is a fundamental limit to the minimum thickness per unit area of the walls of any part. This is due to the flow of the molten plastic. If the cavity in the mold includes passages that are too thin, the plastic will not flow properly through these thin regions. Improper plastic flow leads to parts with walls that break easily or have holes in them. The net result is a battery housing with walls that fall apart too easily.
A second problem involves the user interface. Injection molded parts are generally manufactured from rigid materials such as polycarbonate and ABS resins. To incorporate a user interface, such as a keypad for example, the designer must add holes for keys and buttons. By adding these holes, the plastic remaining between the holes must be increased in thickness to provide the overall rigidity. This increased bulk can compromise the aesthetic appearance.
There is thus a need for an improved electronic device housing that offers a thinner, yet still reliable, housing component.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Fascia assembly for a portable electronic device


The present invention refers to a system, process, and method of collecting, handling and processing paperboard based fast food service items for the production of pulp suitable for reuse into paper or paperboard and the contemporaneous recovery of the waterproofing film for the production of energy.

Today, much waste or waste material from stores, convenience stores, fast food chains, restaurants, retail locations, offices, schools, and commercial, institutional, and government environments or locations is discarded by individuals (e.g. mainly consumers, employees, students) into waste receptacles (e.g. trash containers, trash receptacles, trash cans, garbage containers, garbage receptacles, and garbage cans) provided onsite. These waste receptacles typically are fitted with disposable plastic bags, which can be closed when filled, removed from the waste receptacles, and then disposed of in waste containers (e.g. trash cans, garbage cans, and dumpsters) usually located outside the buildings and/or adjacent to the parking lots of these locations to facilitate removal by a waste disposal service.
Typically, the waste is not sorted onsite, and all different types of waste are discarded into the same waste receptacles resulting in a wide variety of waste mixed together, including trash, garbage, paper products plastic products, food waste, and other waste items defining a general waste stream. The plastic bags filled with waste are thrown into a garbage can or dumpster, and mixed with other loose waste or plastic bags containing waste. This waste is transported in dumpsters or garbage trucks to land fills, and typically not sorted before land filling.
Currently, there exists a need to recover materials, which requires separating or sorting waste into targeted waste to allow this particular waste to be effectively recycled. Once certain types of waste are mixed together, even subsequent separating or sorting may not allow the waste to be recycled due to the contamination of the targeted waste with other types of waste. In particular, waste food and beverage products (e.g. paper products, paper cups, paper plates, paper containers, plastic products, plastic cups, plastic containers, foam products, foam cups, foam plates, foam containers, cardboard products) should not be mixed with other types of waste to avoid being contaminated to allow these types of waste to be recycled into new products suitable for contact and use with food and beverage that meet the standards and guidelines of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Further, to ensure proper handling of the waste food and beverage products, the custody of this waste from the point of disposal (e.g. store located waste receptacle) through the point of recycling of this waste must be established, tracked, maintained, and verified to assure no additional contamination thereof. Thus, it is preferred that this type of waste be immediately separated or sorted at the onsite location, and maintained separate from the general or mixed waste stream throughout collecting, transporting, storing, and recycling thereof. However, if maintained separate in the way described here it can be economically co-transported from facility to facility.
Due to the large amount of labor involved with sorting, it is desirable that consumers (e.g. individuals, end users, customers, students, employees, workers, contractors) of food and beverage products immediately begin the process of sorting the waste food and beverage products by placing these items in marked waste collection containers (e.g. receptacles, bins, vessels). For example, consumers immediately place used paper cups or plastic bottles into separately marked waste collection containers to begin the process of effectively sorting particular types of waste. The marked waste collection containers, preferably contain a removable disposable bag(s) or liner(s), which when filled can be removed and then disposed of into waste containers such as garbage cans and dumpsters.
In the recycling of paper cups and paper plates, the paper substrate is of a high quality paperboard stock, which has been treated with a plastic, wax, or resin coating process to make the paperboard resistant to water penetration and resulting degradation. It is desirable to be able to recycle this particular type of paper stock into long fiber pulp and/or food grade paperboard suitable for manufacturing paper cups, paper plates, and other direct food contact type products and containers, while maintaining a sanitary environment and ensuring a high degree of custody and segregation to avoid the inclusion of any hazardous or deleterious materials in the new products.
Due to increasing public, private, and government awareness and interest in "going green" and being environmentally friendly, there exists renewed interest and demand for recycled products having greater percentages of recycled material content. Thus, this demand will require new and effective systems and methods of recycling waste into renewable products.
In most store, retail, office, school, commercial, institutional, and government environments or locations, simple waste receptacles (e.g. trash containers, trash cans, garbage containers, garbage cans) are still used today to collect and remove waste from these environments or locations. Again, it is common to provide disposable plastic bags or liners in waste receptacles to facilitate removal and transfer of the waste to garbage cans and dumpsters and to maintain a sanitary condition of the waste receptacles. In order to recycle the waste, in particular targeted waste to be recycled into food grade new products (e.g. paper cups, plastic cups, foam cups, paper plates, plastic plates, foam plates, paper bowls, plastic bowls, foam bowls, plastic utensils), it is desirable to treat the waste prior to and/or during the collecting, storing, transporting, and recycling stages or steps. In particular, it is desirable to densify the waste to reduce its volume, disinfect, and remove water or liquid from the waste to prevent deterioration of the waste (e.g. breaking down of the waste chemically or biologically) to maintain the high quality of the waste material to be recycled, particularly waste to be recycled into food grade or contact recycled products.
Further, it is desirable to collect the waste immediately after use by the consumer, in particular at the onsite environment or location, again to obtain the waste material to be recycled before any deterioration thereof. For example, new paper products are typically placed in contact or filled with food and beverage at store (e.g. fast food establishments, cafes, restaurants, food courts, markets, convenience stores), retail, office, school, commercial, institutional, and government environments or locations, and then immediately consumed onsite. Thus, it is desirable to provide a waste collection device onsite that is configured to operate onsite, and capable of safely and effectively interfacing with consumers. The waste collection device is configured to treat the waste being discarded by mechanical treatment (e.g. shredding, compressing, rolling), separating hard items like glass, wood, etc. to protect the mechanical treatment mechanism and limit consumer contamination, light treatment (e.g. laser, UV, IR), disinfecting, removing water, treating with air, chemicals, gases, and treating with pressure, vacuum, and heat. It is particularly desirable to treat the waste immediately upon being discarded into the waste collection device, however, additional or timed treatments can be applied inside or within the waste collection device, again to maintain the high quality of the stock material to be recycled.

Waste recycling systems, processes, and methods


A multiple amplifier system comprises a sound source, a power source, an electronic crossover network for dividing an audio signal from the sound source into a plurality of frequency ranges. Each of the divided audio signal is amplified by an individual power amplifier and fed to a corresponding speaker. A superposing circuit is connected to the sound source and the power source for superposing the audio signal from the sound source and power from the power source. The superposed signal is applied to the electronic crossover network through a lead.

The present invention relates to a car sound system and more particularly to a multiple amplifier system thereof.
The trends in today's car sound system require a combination stereo rather than a component stereo in order to provide sophisticated systems with various functions. One of the features of the combination stereo is a multiple amplifier system wherein a plurality of loudspeakers each for different frequency range and respective power amplifiers are provided so as to realize improved sound quality and to expand the reproducible frequency range.
FIG. 5 shows a conventional multiple amplifier system having a sound source 1 such as a CD player and a cassette deck. The audio signal from the source 1 is applied to an electronic crossover network 2 for dividing the audio signal into high, middle and low frequency ranges. The divided audio signals are fed to power amplifiers 3, 4 and 5 and further to a tweeter 6, midrange speaker 7, and woofer 8 through lines 9, 10 and 11, respectively. The multiple amplifier system provides a clear sound image, and reduced intermodulation distortion due to the explicit division.
In general, the power amplifiers 3, 4 and 5 are disposed adjacent the sound source 1 and the speakers 6, 7 and 8 are positioned at various places of the car interior, distant from the amplifiers, for example disposed behind the rear seat. Hence a part of each of the lines 9, 10 and 11 between dotted vertical lines in FIG. 5 must be threaded through spaces between various members of the car body. Therefore, a tiresome operation requiring time is needed for wiring, especially when passing the lines through members having complicated structure, such as members around a door panel.


Upon generating an inversion input signal to be inputted to a level shifter section in an inverter section, a voltage VHL, which gives an output voltage of a high level in the inverter section, is generated by a resistance division from the power supply voltages VHH and VLL in a voltage-dividing section. Thus, it becomes possible to provide a level shift circuit which can realize a reduction in the number of terminals and low power consumption by using a simple circuit construction.

The present invention relates to a level shi ft circuit, and more particularly to a level shift circuit which is operated by an input signal and an inversion input signal.
FIG. 10 shows a structural example of a conventional level shift circuit. This level shifter circuit has a level shifter section 101 that is constituted by four MOS transistors, that is PMOS transistors P81 and P82, and NMOS transistors N81 and N82.
The PMOS transistor P81 and the NMOS transistor N81 are series-connected to each other between power supply voltages VHH and VLL through a terminal of an inversion output signal OUT B. In the same manner, the PMOS transistor P82 and the NMOS transistor N82 are also series-connected between power supply voltages VHH and VLL through a terminal of an output signal OUT. Moreover, the output signal OUT also serves as an input for the gate of the PMOS transistor P81, and the inversion output signal OUT B also serves as an input for the gate of the PMOS transistor P82.
An input signal IN is inputted to the gate of the NMOS transistor N81. An inversion input signal IN B, obtained by inverting the input signal IN in an inverter section 102, is inputted to the gate of the NMOS transistor N82. The inverter section 102 has a construction in which a PMOS transistor P83 and a NMOS transistor N83 are series-connected to each other between power supply voltages VHL and VLL.
In the level shift circuit having the above-mentioned construction, upon receipt of a low-level (voltage VL) signal as the input signal IN, the NMOS transistor N81 is turned off. Moreover, the input signal IN is also applied to the gates of the PMOS transistor P83 and the NMOS transistor N83 of the inverter section 102 so that the PMOS transistor P83 is turned on while the NMOS transistor N83 is turned off. In other words, the output from the inverter section 102 forms an output voltage VHL with only the PMOS transistor P83 being turned on.
Consequently, the inversion input signal IN B with High level (voltage VHL), obtained by inverting the input signal IN, is inputted to the NMOS transistor N82 to turn it on. For this reason, on the drain side of the NMOS transistor N82, the level of the output signal OUT is set to the VLL level. The PMOS transistor P81 having the output signal OUT connected to the gate thereof is turned on, since the gate level is lowered to the VLL level, with the result that on the drain side thereof, the level of the inversion output signal OUT B is set to the VHH level. The PMOS transistor P82, which has the inversion output signal OUT B with the VHH level as its gate input, is turned off.
As described above, in the level shift circuit, upon receipt of the input signal IN with the low level (voltage VL), the output signal OUT B is set to the VLL level and the inversion output signal OUT is set to the VHH level; thus, they are stabilized. In contrast, in the case when the input signal IN goes to the high level (voltage VH), the output signal OUT is set to the VHH level, and the inversion output signal OUT B is set to the VLL level; thus, they are stabilized.
In the arrangement of FIG. 10, the inverter section 102 is used in order to obtain the inversion input signal IN B to be inputted to the gate of the NMOS transistor N82; however, as illustrated in FIG. 11, even in the case when the inverter section 102 is removed, the same level shift operation may be carried out by inputting the signal IN B from outside.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional level shift circuit shown in FIG. 10, in addition to the power supply voltages (VHH, VLL) used for the circuits after having been subjected to the level shift, another power supply voltage (VHL) used for the inverter section 102 that generates the inversion input signal used before the level shift. These power supplies need to be inputted to the level shift circuit from outside, resulting in an increase in the number of terminals in the circuits.
Moreover, in the level shift circuit shown in FIG. 11, the inversion input signal IN B is generated by an external circuit, and inputted to the level shift circuit; however, in this case, since most of the signals that need to be inputted from outside require inversion signals thereof, this also results in an increase in the number of terminals.
One objective of the present invention is to provide a level shift circuit which can achieve a reduction in the number of input terminals as well as low power consumption, by using a simplified circuit construction, and also to provide an image display device using such a level shift circuit.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, a level shift circuit in accordance with the present invention is provided with: a level shifter means, having an input signal and an inversion input signal formed by inverting the high/low level of the input signal inputted thereto, with a first voltage that is a high power-supply voltage and a second voltage that is a low power-supply voltage being connected thereto, which, based upon the high/low level of the input signal and inversion input signal, switches the first voltage and the second voltage to output the resulting voltage; an inversion input signal generation means, having the input signal, either of the first voltage and the second voltage, and a third voltage that gives an output level corresponding to the low level or the high level of the inversion input signal, inputted thereto, which, based upon the high/low level of the input signal, switches the output voltage level so as to generate an inversion input signal formed by inverting the input signal; and a voltage-dividing means which voltage-divides and extracts the third voltage between the first and second voltages.
In the case when the input signal and the inversion input signal formed by inverting the input signal are required as input signals to the level shifter, the third voltage that gives the output level corresponding to the low level or the high level of the inversion input signal needs to be prepared in addition to the first and second voltages that give the low level or the high level of the output signal.
In conventional devices, the third voltage has been supplied as a power supply voltage supplied from outside the level shift circuit; therefore, the corresponding terminals have been required. However, in the above-mentioned construction, the third voltage is generated by the voltage-dividing processes based upon the first and second voltages carried out by the voltage-dividing means. For this reason, it is possible to eliminate the terminal through which the third voltage is inputted, and consequently to reduce the number of terminals in the level shift circuit.
Moreover, in the level-shift circuit of the present invention which, in response to the input signal inputted from outside, generates an inversion input signal that is the corresponding inversion signal inside thereof, and based upon the high/low level of the input signal and the inversion input signal, shifts the level of the input signal so as to output the resulting signal, the voltage, which gives the output level of the low level or high level of the inversion input signal, is generated by a resistance division from the power supply voltage that gives the output level of the output signal that has been level-shifted.
In the case when the input signal and inversion input signal are used in the conventional level shift circuit, with respect to the inversion input signal, two cases in which it is inputted from outside in the same manner as the input signal and in which it is generated inside thereof have been proposed. In the case when the inversion input signal is inputted from outside, the corresponding input terminal is required in the level shift circuit. Moreover, even in the case when the inversion input signal is generated inside thereof, in addition to the power-supply voltage for providing the output level of the output signal that has been level-shifted, another voltage for providing the output level of the low level or high level of the inversion input signal is required; consequently, the corresponding terminal for supplying this voltage is required.
In contrast, in the construction of the level shift circuit of the present invention, the voltage, which gives the output level of the low level or high level of the inversion input signal, is generated by a resistance division from the power supply voltage that gives the output level of the output signal that has been level-shifted. That is, in the above-mentioned level shift circuit, only the terminal for inputting the power supply voltage for providing the output level of the output signal that has been level-shifted is required, resulting in a reduction in the number of the terminals.
Moreover, an image display device in accordance with the present invention, which is an active-matrix-type image display device having display pixels arranged in a matrix format, is characterized in that the data signal driving circuit and the scanning signal driving circuit have the above-mentioned level shift circuit.
In the above-mentioned image display device, it is possible to reduce the number of terminals in the data signal driving circuit and the scanning signal driving circuit.

Level shift circuit and image display device


A sheet metal component that is bent from a sheet metal blank includes at least one three-sided corner. Two edges of the three-sided corner are formed by a first bending member of the sheet metal blank bent about a first inner bending radius Ri,1 and a second bending member of the sheet metal blank bent about a second inner bending radius Ri,2, and the third edge of the three-sided corner is formed by a first blank edge of the first bending member and a second blank edge of the second bending member. The sheet metal blank has an internal corner that forms the first blank edge, the second blank edge, and a wedge-like recess that opens in the internal corner.

For laser welding boxes, hoods, or other sheet metal components, the components are intended to be constructed in such a manner that the necessary gap tolerances for subsequent manufacturing processes are achieved. The three-sided corners of the sheet metal component may generally have a maximum gap of 0.1 to 0 2 mm for adequate subsequent welding results and process reliability. The sheet metal members are further intended to be constructed to overlap by a specific dimension. Typically, in the region of visible seams, overlapping of at least approximately 70% of the sheet metal thickness is recommended. Accordingly, the preparation of the component requires a corner construction which should be taken into consideration between two bent members of the initial sheet metal blank. As known, wedge-like recesses can be provided in the internal corner of the sheet metal blank between two bending members to prevent compression and associated expansion of the bent members in that region during the bending operation.

Methods for forming sheet metal components having three-sided corners and related components and systems