A liquid crystal display device includes a planarizing layer; a common electrode on the planarizing layer; a pixel electrode on the planarizing layer; a liquid crystal layer; a data line; and a color filter layer. An electric field is generated between the pixel electrode and the common electrode. The liquid crystal layer covers the common electrode and the pixel electrode. The color filter layer includes a first filter and a second filter in contact with the first filter. The first filter transmits a light, of a first wavelength, that passes through the pixel electrode. The second filter transmits a light, of a second wavelength, that passes through the other pixel electrode next to the pixel electrode.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an in-plane switching liquid crystal display, more particularly to a liquid crystal display device suppress the shift of display colors due to aging and a liquid crystal display apparatus including the liquid crystal display device.
2) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an in-plane switching (hereinafter, "IPS") image display apparatus is proposed, and practical application of this apparatus is progressed. The IPS image display apparatus has a configuration of controlling the orientation of liquid crystal molecules and displaying a predetermined image by applying an electric field to the liquid crystal molecules in a direction parallel to the substrate where a liquid crystal layer is disposed. As compared with a conventional image display apparatus that an electric field is applied in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, the IPS image display apparatus has superior voltage holding characteristic and a broader view angle due to the electric field direction.
FIG. 12 is a schematic view of a part of the conventional IPS image display apparatus. As shown in FIG. 12, the conventional IPS image display apparatus includes a transparent array substrate 101, a transparent counter substrate 102, and a liquid crystal layer 103 that is disposed between these substrates.
On the array substrate 101, there are disposed a common electrode 104, a pixel electrode 105, a data line 106, and a scan line (not shown). The liquid crystal molecules having the liquid crystal layer 103 has orientation. By controlling the electric field applied to between the pixel electrode 105 and the common electrode 104, an image can be displayed by utilizing the electro-optic effect of the liquid crystal.
Further, a color filter 107 is disposed on the counter substrate 102 to make it possible to display a color image. The color filter 107 has a function of transmitting only lights of wavelength corresponding to R (red), G (green), and B (blue) out of an incandescent light that is transmitted through the liquid crystal layer 103. FIG. 12 displays a green color layer 110 that makes the light of the wavelength corresponding to green pass through as an example.
A back light unit not shown that functions as a light source is provided beneath the array substrate 101, and irradiates a plane beam of an incandescent light to the array substrate 101. The liquid crystal layer 103 has a function of generating lights and shades on the screen by controlling a light transmittance of the irradiated incandescent light corresponding to the potential of the pixel electrode 105, thereby to display the image. Specifically, a predetermined potential is given to the pixel electrode 105 to generate an electric field between the pixel electrode 105 and the common electrode 104. The orientation of the liquid crystal molecules within the liquid crystal layer 103 is controlled in the electric field. The light transmittance is controlled following the change in the orientation.
The function of a light shielding layer 111 provided within the color filter 107 is explained. The electric field applied to the liquid crystal molecules within the liquid crystal layer 103 is generated not only between the pixel electrode 105 and the common electrode 104 but also between the common electrode 104 and the data line 106. The data line 106 has a predetermined potential irrespective of the potential of the pixel electrode 105. Therefore, the electric field attributable to the data line 106 is generated irrespective to the potential variation of the pixel electrode 105. Consequently, in the case of the IPS image display apparatus in the normally black mode, for example, the orientation of the liquid crystal molecule near the data line 106 changes due to the electric field attributable to the data line 106, even when a potential is not given to the pixel electrode 105 display black. As a result, the light that passes through the data line 106 and the common electrode 104 is discharged to the outside, and a black color having a color shading is displayed, which degrades the displayed image.
In order to shield the light that passes through the data line 106 and the common electrode 104, the light shielding layer 111 is disposed, thereby to suppress the degrading of the image quality. Particularly, the light shielding layer 111 is disposed in the area corresponding to the area where the common electrode 104 and the data line 106 are disposed within the color filter 107. With this arrangement, the leakage of the light that passes through between the data line 106 and the common electrode 104 to the outside is suppressed, thereby maintaining a high image quality (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 9-101538, for example).
However, based on the provision of the light shielding layer 111, the conventional IPS image display apparatus has the following problems. First, the aperture ratio falls due to the provision of the light shielding layer 111.
While the light shielding layer 111 is provided to prevent the light not contributing to the image display from being leaked out, the light shielding layer 111 also shields a part of the light that passes through between the pixel electrode 105 and the common electrode 104 that is necessary for the image display. The incandescent light supplied from the back light unit contains a part of the component that proceeds to an inclined direction. Therefore, in order to shield this light as well, the light shielding layer 111 is disposed over a wide area. When a positioning error at the manufacturing time is considered, the area of the light shielding layer 111 further expands. Consequently, a part of the light that is necessary for the image display is also shielded near the end of the light shielding layer 111, which lowers the aperture ratio, resulting in a reduction in the brightness of the display image.
Degradation of the image quality due to the disposition of the light shielding layer 111 is also pointed out. Specifically, it is known that due to the accumulation of a charge near the boundary between the light shielding layer 111 and the green color layer 110, a third electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer 103, which degrades the image quality. This phenomenon is considered attributable to a reduction in the specific resistance of the green color layer 110 due to the aging and a subsequent reduction in the light transmittance due to the accumulation of the charge, in the configuration shown in FIG. 12. Actually, as a result of an acceleration test of the color filter 107 carried out in a high temperature and high humidity condition, the inventors of the present application confirm that the specific resistance of 1015 Ω·cm at the beginning decreases to 1010 Ω·cm.
Further, as a result of an acceleration test carried out for the IPS image display apparatus built in with the color filter, it is confirmed that the light transmittance in the green color layer 110 is lowered extremely more than in other color filter due to the charge accumulation, and that the color tone of the total image shifts. FIG. 13 is a graph illustrating a change in a y value that indicates the intensity of the green color component of an image displayed in the IPS image display apparatus according to the conventional technique as a result of the acceleration test. In the present acceleration test, the intensity is measured for two different IPS image display apparatuses, and lines 13 and 14 are obtained. As is clear from the lines 13 and 14, the y value is lowered by about 0.02 as a result of the acceleration carried out for 100 hours. In general, when the y value changes by about 0.01, a color shift of the display image can be visually confirmed. A user recognizes the color shift in the IPS image display apparatus having the conventional configuration, which is not preferable.

In-plane liquid crystal device with electric field shielding layer


In one embodiment there is provided a bottle and cap package configuration designed to hold a solid substance and provide an escape path for a scent of the substance. The cap has an internal surface with a mid-section projection to cooperatively rest on an upper ledge of the bottle neck. At least one raised pad is positioned between the upper ledge of the bottle and the underneath side surface of the mid-section projection such that when the cap is positioned on the neck of the bottle, the at least one raised pad creates a ventilation gap permitting a scent of a substance contained in the well of the bottle an escape path between the upper ledge of the bottle and the underneath side surface of the mid-section projection and then around the threads to under the bottom surface edge of the cap.

Bottles and Caps are typically designed to seal a product or substance within. Oftentimes if the manufacturer wants to provide the user with the scent of the contents a small scratch pad with the scent will be placed outside of the bottle for the consumer. The present embodiments provide for a unique packaging that allows the consumer to easily obtain the scent of the product within the bottle without the need of a scratch pad.


A feedback topology delta-sigma modulator having an AC-coupled feedback path reduces signal level in the loop filter, easing linearity requirements and reduces capacitor size requirements for the filter integration stages. The delta-sigma modulator includes a loop filter having multiple integrator stages, a quantizer, and a feedback network providing at least two feedback paths to corresponding integrators in the loop filter. In one aspect, only one of the feedback paths from the quantizer output is DC coupled, and at least one other of the feedback paths is DC-coupled, which reduces the signal levels in the loop filter integrators. In another aspect, at least one of the feedback paths from the quantizer is AC coupled, providing a similar result. The AC feedback path may be provided through a series-connected resistor and capacitor. The DC feedback path may be provided through a resistor, a switched-capacitor network, or may be a quantizer-controlled current source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to delta-sigma modulators/converters, and more specifically, to a delta-sigma modulator having reduced signal level in the loop filter that is provided by an AC-coupled feedback path.
2. Background of the Invention
Delta-sigma modulators are in widespread use in analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs), in which they provide very linear behavior and simple implementation due to the reduced number of bits used in the analog signal comparison. The delta-sigma modulator typically includes a loop filter and a quantizer connected in a feedback loop that combines the output of the quantizer with the input signal. The resulting operation provides noise shaping of the output of the quantizer, as determined by the loop filter characteristics. The path from the input of the modulator to the output of the quantizer (as also modified by the feedback), provides the signal transfer function (STF) and the loop around the quantizer loop filter provides the noise transfer function (NTF). Converters employing a delta-sigma modulator typically have a loop filter that optimizes the NTF to "shape" the "quantization noise" so that it is out of the signal band of interest, while providing a highly-linear response for the STF.
Originally, delta-sigma modulators for analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) employed single-bit feedback-only topologies, which have an advantage in that the STF is an all-pole response. However, the feedback topology modulator is disadvantageous in that each integrator output has an offset that compensates for the average DC value of the quantizer feedback provided to each integrator, raising the overall signal swing level required from each stage and leading to increased non-linearity. Also, the quantizer signal and quantization noise are provided to each integrator by the multiple feedback paths and are not attenuated as much in the feed-forward topology modulator, in which the quantizer output is introduced only at the input combiner. Thus, the feedback topology converter typically requires higher integrator time constants, and thus larger capacitors. Since the thermal noise floor of the loop filter is set by the input resistance, higher integrator time constants require larger capacitors, undesirably increasing required die area for implementation.
The higher signal levels present in the stages of a feedback-type modulator present several problems. First, in order to maintain the same level of harmonic distortion, the linearity of the loop filter stages must be higher than for a corresponding feed-forward design, since the signal levels through those stages are higher. In particular, the DC offset present at each stage of the feedback-type modulator contributes greatly to non-linearity. The capacitors used in the integrators must also be much more linear than for the feed-forward design for the same reason. Finally, for converters using multi-bit quantizer feedback, the capacitors must typically be larger in the feedback modulator design. Increasing the number of quantizer levels in the feed-forward design significantly reduces the integration gain/time constant requirement of the loop filter stages, whereas in the feedback topology, the decrease is not a significant.
Therefore, feed-forward topologies, and in particular, multi-bit feed-forward topologies, are almost always used in ADCs, due to the reduced noise and signal levels present in the integrator stages of the loop filter. The feed-forward topology has disadvantages in that there are zeros present in the STF. Out-of-band peaks in the response due to the presence of the zeros increase the converter noise floor by the aliasing of noise present at the peaks back into the signal pass-band.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a feedback topology delta-sigma modulator having reduced signal levels through the integrators, so that the noise performance advantages of the feedback topology can be had, without requiring large capacitors and highly-linear integrators and capacitors.

Feedback topology delta-sigma modulator having an AC-coupled feedback path


A projection display device D includes an acquiring means 2 that acquires a pixel value Cg and a depth value Cz for each of a plurality of pixels constituting an image, a light output means 3 that outputs pixel display light Ld per pixel according to the pixel value, a light guide body 5 that guides the pixel display light Ld to a position corresponding to the pixel on a projection surface 8, and changes the light path length of the pixel display light Ld to the projection surface 8 according to the depth value Cz of the pixel. The light guide body 5 includes a reflector 51 that has mirror surfaces 511a opposing each other. The light path length control means 3 changes the number of times the pixel display light is reflected by the mirror surfaces 511a of the reflector 51 according to the depth value Cz of the pixel.

Various methods have heretofore been proposed for allowing a viewer to view an image stereoscopically. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for displaying a synthesized image composed of right-eye and left-eye images with parallax on a display device, and allowing the viewer's right-eye to see only the right-eye image and the viewer's left-eye to see only the left-eye image. According to this method, the viewer is able to perceive a sense of depth that depends on the amount of parallax between the right-eye and left-eye images (hereinafter, "horizontal parallax").
Patent Document 1: JP 2002-123842A (paragraphs 0002 and 0005)

Projection display device and projection display system


According to one embodiment, a storage device includes a wireless communication circuit, a storage, and a controller circuit. The wireless communication circuit is configured to connect to an external first device by wireless communication. The storage has a storage region. The controller circuit is configured to correct first information on the basis of a first capacity which is a free space of the storage region of the storage. The first information is numerical information indicating quality of the wireless communication with the first device. The controller circuit obtains second information being the corrected first information.

In construction of a mesh network using a wireless Local Area Network (wireless LAN), a routing protocol such as IEEE 802.11s or Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks (RPL) is employed.
Meanwhile, in recent years, a storage device that is capable of communicating using a wireless LAN, such as an SD memory card provided with a wireless communication device, is known.

Storage device, storage system, and method


A positive lock for an ambulance cot and method thereof which requires lifting an upper frame of the ambulance cot, in order to permit a spring actuator to clear an interference fit of the positive lock, are provided. If the upper frame is not lifted, then the spring force used to pull on the positive lock is insufficient to overcome the interference fit. Clearing the interference fit permits the cot to be height adjusted. Optionally, a light indicator may be provided which illuminates if the cot has not been positively locked in a height adjusted position.

One of the leading causes of potential patient handling accidents is having an ambulance cot drop unexpectedly from an elevated position to its lowered position with a patient onboard. In such cases, injuries can occur not only to the patient but also to the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel.
The typical reason for such droppings is operator error, e.g., not ensuring that the cot is fully locked in the full-upright position, or inadvertent operation of one of the release handles. Such operator errors, although unacceptable, are understandable considering EMS personnel are operating in a busy and potential hazardous environment. Accordingly, under such pressure to perform efficiently in such an intense environment, routine tasks such as operating an ambulance cot with a patient thereon presents the potential for making such mistakes.

Positive lock for height adjustable ambulance cot


A thermal cleaning of a substrate that has been subjected to wet cleaning is carried out under a high vacuum atmosphere to remove an oxide film remaining on the substrate. Thereafter, a thermal cleaning is carried out under a hydrogen atmosphere to remove contamination such as carbon or the like. At this time, the oxide film has already been removed and therefore contamination is effectively removed by a relatively low temperature and short duration thermal cleaning. Thus, problems such as the degradation of the profile of the impurity concentration in the impurity diffusion layer which has been formed over the substrate are prevented.

In recent years, epitaxial growth techniques, in which another crystal is grown on a crystalline substrate, such as a silicon substrate, to have a structure that corresponds to the crystal lattice of the substrate, have been indispensable in the processes for high performance devices such as heterobipolar transistors and elevated source/drain CMOS devices. If contamination exists on the topmost surface of the substrate when carrying out epitaxial growth, the contamination acts as seeds and crystal defects are generated in the epitaxially grown another crystal. Even if the density of the generated crystal defects is not very large, the contamination buried in the crystals adversely affects the characteristics of the device that uses the crystals. For these reasons, in order to produce a high performance device using an epitaxial growth technique, a cleaning in which contamination is removed from the surface of the crystal layer has to be performed prior to the start of the epitaxial growth process.
The cleaning is generally accomplished by means of a washing step, which is carried out outside the crystal growing apparatus, and a thermal cleaning, which is carried out inside the crystal growing apparatus. The washing step is carried out by treating the substrate with chemical solutions, such as acids and hydrogen peroxide, the purpose of which is to remove most of the contamination attached onto the substrate surface. Unlike other processes in the manufacturing steps for a semiconductor device, the cleanliness of a substrate surface that is required for the epitaxial growth process is very high. Thus, the purpose of the thermal cleaning carried out in the chamber is to remove the contamination that cannot be removed by the chemical washing step and to remove the oxide film formed due to reaction of the semiconductor, which composes the substrate with oxygen in the atmosphere subsequent to the chemical washing step or the contamination that has reattached to the substrate surface.
This thermal cleaning is carried out by heating the substrate under a specified atmosphere while the substrate is retained in a chamber. Also, a hydrogen atmosphere or a high vacuum atmosphere is used as an atmosphere in which the thermal cleaning can be carried out.
FIGS. 6(a), 6(b), and 6(c) are timing charts respectively showing the changes over time of wafer temperature, hydrogen flow rate, and open/close operation of an exhaust system during a conventional process including thermal cleaning of a substrate (wafer) under a low-pressure hydrogen atmosphere and epitaxial growth. In this atmosphere, the state of the atmosphere in the chamber is in a viscous flow region since the pressure in the chamber is relatively high, and the transport of gas is in a condition that can be represented in terms of fluid dynamics, in which interaction between the molecules is presumed. As shown in FIG. 6(a), for the cleaning under a hydrogen atmosphere, a thermal cleaning is performed under a pressure of several hundred to several thousand Pa (several Torrs to several ten Torrs) by heating a wafer to a wafer temperature Tc of between 850° C. and 900° C. and supplying hydrogen to the chamber at several liter/min. Thereafter, the temperature in the chamber is reduced to the temperature Te (about 550° C. in the case of epitaxial growth) for a subsequent treatment, and a treatment such as epitaxial growth is carried out. During that time, as shown in FIGS. 6(b) and 6(c), the exhaust system is kept open and a constant hydrogen flow rate Hfl is maintained. Thus, in the case of the thermal cleaning of a wafer under a hydrogen atmosphere, it is necessary that the wafer temperature be about 850° C. or higher in order to complete the thermal cleaning within a treatment time of several minutes.
FIGS. 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c) are timing charts respectively showing the changes over time of wafer temperature, hydrogen flow rate, and open/close operation of an exhaust system during a conventional process including thermal cleaning of a substrate (wafer) under a high vacuum atmosphere and epitaxial growth. As shown in FIG. 7(a), the thermal cleaning under a high vacuum atmosphere is usually carried out by heating the wafer to a wafer temperature Tc of between about 700° C. and 750° C. Thereafter, the temperature in the chamber is reduced to the temperature Te (about 550° C. in the case of epitaxial growth) for a subsequent treatment, and a treatment such as epitaxial growth is carried out. During that time, as shown in FIGS. 7(b) and 7(c), the high vacuum exhaust system is kept open and the hydrogen flow rate Hfl is maintained at 0, that is, hydrogen is not supplied. Thus, in the case of employing a high vacuum, generally no gas is introduced into the chamber during the thermal cleaning, but a small amount of several sccm per minute of disilane, hydrogen, or the like may be introduced. In this atmosphere, since the introduced amount of gas is small, the pressure range inside the chamber is 10−2 to 10−8 Pa (10−4 to 10−10 Torr), which is very low. In this high vacuum atmosphere, the gas transport is in a so-called molecular flow region, in which there is almost no interaction between molecules, and in this state there is also little interaction between gas molecules. In this case, the wafer temperature Tc may be about 550° C. (approximately the same as the growth temperature).
In the thermal cleaning method as described above, the types of atmospheres are selected according to the types of exhaust systems of the apparatus used for a treatment subsequent to the thermal cleaning, because the pressure range in the respective atmospheres varies greatly. Generally, thermal cleaning under a hydrogen atmosphere is used as a pretreatment for a low pressure chemical vapor deposition method (LP-CVD method), while the thermal cleaning under a high vacuum atmosphere is used as a pretreatment for an ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition method (UHV-CVD method) and for a molecular beam epitaxy method (MBE method) using a solid source.
FIGS. 8(a), 8(b), and 8(c) are timing charts respectively showing the changes over time of wafer temperature, hydrogen flow rate, and open/close operation of an exhaust system during a conventional process reported in reference (K. Oda et al., Journal of Electrochemical Society, Vol. 143, No. 7, p. 2361, 1966), which includes thermal cleaning under a high vacuum atmosphere and epitaxial growth. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), a thermal cleaning is performed under a pressure of several hundred to several thousand Pa (several Torrs to several ten Torrs) by heating a wafer to a wafer temperature Tc between 850° C. and 900° C. under a hydrogen atmosphere and supplying hydrogen into the chamber at several liter/min. Thereafter, an epitaxial growth process is performed under a high vacuum atmosphere. The apparatus is equipped with a high vacuum exhaust system and a low vacuum exhaust system, and as shown in FIG. 8(c), during the thermal cleaning, the high vacuum exhaust system is closed while the low vacuum exhaust system is opened, and during the epitaxial growth, the low vacuum exhaust system is closed while the high vacuum exhaust system is opened. In this method, a hydrogen atmosphere of a viscous flow region is used as an ambient within the chamber only during the thermal cleaning. However, in the case of this method, the condition of the atmosphere in the chamber is always in a viscous flow region from the start of the heating until the completion of the thermal cleaning, and after the thermal cleaning has completed, the inside of the chamber is changed over to an ultrahigh vacuum condition to start crystal growth. Thus, as a thermal cleaning method, this method is not different from the wafer cleaning treatment under a hydrogen atmosphere shown in FIG. 1.

Method for cleaning substrate and method for producing semiconductor device

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Techniques for managing a storage system involve: based on a degree of importance of data stored in a persistent storage device of the storage system, determining key data from the data, wherein a degree of importance of the key data is higher than a threshold degree; respectively identifying first data corresponding to the key data in a first cache of the storage system and second data corresponding to the key data in a second cache of the storage system as non-removable; and in response to corruption of the first data, repairing the first data using the second data in the second cache. Such techniques can avoid system shutdown caused by corruption of key data.

A large amount of data is generally stored in a storage system. For example, a large amount of metadata and user data are stored in the storage system. During use, the data stored in the storage system may be corrupted due to hard disk failures, media errors, software failures, or the like. Some metadata stored in the storage system is very important for the storage system. If such metadata is corrupted, the storage system cannot work normally.

Method, device and computer program product for storage system management


Organic protective film 4 is directly adhered on the surface of silicon semiconductor crystal 1. Silicon semiconductor crystal 1 with organic protective film 4 is prepared by adhering organic protective film 4 on the surface of silicon semiconductor crystal substrate 1 on which oxide film 8 is formed, removing oxide film 8 to directly adhere organic protective film 4 on the surface of silicon semiconductor crystal 1, removing organic protective film 4 and then treating silicon semiconductor crystal 1.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a silicon semiconductor crystal having a protective film which is a stable film and easy to remove, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing a silicon semiconductor crystal which features prevention of oxidation of surface of the silicon semiconductor crystal in a process for manufacturing semiconductor devices such as in the utilization of the surface of silicon semiconductor crystals.
It also relates to a method for forming a very thin silicon oxide film on the surface of a silicon semiconductor substrate.
It also relates to a method for manufacturing a high-quality silicon semiconductor crystal thin film.
2. Related Art
A natural oxide film of silicon with a thickness of 1.0-1.5 nm is usually formed on the silicon semiconductor crystal surface. When manufacturing semiconductor devices and such using the silicon semiconductor crystal, it is necessary to expose silicon atoms by completely removing the silicon oxide film and such which is covering the silicon semiconductors crystal surface.
Conventionally, methods which have been used to remove the oxide film formed on the silicon semiconductor crystal surface include a method in which the oxide film is removed by means of etching using an aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid and such and a method in which the oxide film is removed by reduction in an hydrogen atmosphere at a high temperature, approximately 1,100.degree. C.
In the method in which a silicon semiconductor crystal is cleaned with an aqueous Solution of hydrofluoric acid and rinsed with water to terminate the silicon semiconductor crystal surface with hydrogen atoms, the silicon semiconductor crystal surface is relatively stable against oxidation by air because it is covered or terminated with hydrogen atoms. However, as time goes on the oxidation of the silicon semiconductor crystal surface gradually proceeds and there are many cases where the quality of the semiconductor devices is degraded due to the fact that the next process is not conducted promptly within a few tens of seconds after the hydrogen termination and oxidation occurs before the process of actually using the silicon semiconductor crystal surface, such as growing a silicon semiconductor crystal thin film, takes place.
On the other hand, in the method in which the silicon semiconductor crystal is held in a hydrogen atmosphere at a high temperature of about 1,100.degree. C. for a reducing treatment, there are cases of generation of slip dislocation due to thermal stress and deterioration of the dopant concentration distribution.
Such an oxide film which is formed due to oxidation of silicon by air always has a thickness of approximately 1.0-1.5 nm. However, as the semiconductor devices become more highly integrated, a very thin oxide film with an even thinner thickness of approximately 0.5-0.7 nm will be required in the future. It is impossible to form and maintain a thinner oxide film with the aforementioned conventional methods.

Silicon semiconductor crystal and a method for manufacturing it


Describe herein are electronic devices that includes a display stack having a cover component atop a lightguide component and a display component below the lightguide component. In some instances, the cover component including an antiglare layer having at least some antiglare properties applied to a top surface of a substrate and a touch pattern applied to a bottom surface of the substrate. In some cases, the touch pattern is a single layer multi-touch pattern connected to a touch controller to from a touch sensor capable of detecting the location of an object proximate to antiglare layer.

A large and growing population of users is enjoying entertainment through the consumption of digital content, such as music, movies, images, electronic books, and so on. The users employ various devices with electronic displays such as electronic book ("eBook") readers, cellular telephones, smart phones, portable media players, tablet computers, wearable computers, laptop computers, netbooks, desktop computers, televisions, appliances, home electronics, automotive electronics, augmented reality devices, and so forth to view the digital content. Electronic displays may present various types of information, such as user interfaces, device operational status, digital content items, and the like, depending on the kind and purpose of the associated device. The appearance and quality of a display can affect the user's experience with the electronic device and the content presented thereon. Accordingly, finding ways to enhance user experience and satisfaction continues to be a priority.


Feed horn apparatus for use in a multiple-feed antenna system. The present invention comprises a corrugated feed horn and an antenna array or cluster of feed horns arranged in a hexagonal lattice pattern. The feed horn comprises a hexagonal aperture formed by a circular-to-hexagonal transition section a corrugated section disposed adjacent to the circular-to-hexagonal transition section, a tapered section disposed adjacent to the corrugated section, and an input section having an input/output port disposed adjacent to the tapered section. The corrugated feed horn has good beam pattern symmetry, low cross-polarization, and sidelobe levels, along with an increased horn aperture area. As a result, the efficiency of the corrugated feed horn is improved by transitioning from a circular to the hexagonal aperture.

The present invention relates generally to satellites, and more particularly, to a multi-band, corrugated antenna feed horn having a hexagonal aperture, and an antenna array employing multiple such feed horns arranged in a hexagonal lattice, for example, for use in a multiple beam antenna system.
The assignee of the present invention manufactures and deploys satellites that orbit the earth and which carry communication equipment, including antenna systems, and the like. The assignee of the present invention has heretofore developed a multi-band, conical corrugated horn with a smooth-wall conical transition to a circular aperture that increases the aperture efficiency of the horn. The present invention relates to hexagonal feed horn structures for use in antenna systems on satellites and other spaceborne vehicles, and provides for an improvement over this previously-developed feed horn structure.
Prior art relating to hexagonal horns addresses a circular feed end, a xe2x80x9cflaredxe2x80x9d horn portion, and a larger, hexagonal aperture end. Other prior art includes conical, corrugated horns with circular apertures.
Prior art relating to hexagonal horns includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,324, entitled xe2x80x9cAntenna array with hexagonal horn,xe2x80x9d which describes the use of xe2x80x9cflaredxe2x80x9d horns with a hexagonal aperture and a circular waveguide input. U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,197, entitled xe2x80x9cConformal aperture feed array for multiple beam antenna,xe2x80x9d discusses a multiple beam array antenna that is designed with an aperture shape which conforms to the particular coverage area to which the antenna is directed, e.g., circular, elliptical, or irregular in shape. The inner horns of the feed array have hexagonal aperture dimensions, while the outer perimeter of the outer horns consist of xe2x80x9carcsxe2x80x9d so that the overall feed array perimeter xe2x80x9cmatchesxe2x80x9d the shape of the coverage area. There are numerous, prior conical corrugated antenna feed horns developed by the assignee of the present invention that have the last, circular corrugated ring as the aperture (i.e., no smooth-wall conical transition to larger circular aperture).
It is an objective of the present invention to provide for a feed horn that improves the radiation pattern symmetry, low cross-polarization levels, and bandwidth of hexagonal feed horn structures. It is also an objective of the present invention to provide for a multi-band, corrugated antenna feed horn having a hexagonal aperture to improve efficiency. It is also an objective of the present invention to provide for an antenna array employing multiple hexagonal aperture feed horns.
To meet the above and other objectives, the present invention provides for feed horn apparatus comprising a multi-band, corrugated antenna feed horn that may be used in a multiple-feed antenna system. Multiple such multi-band, corrugated antenna feed horns may be arranged to form a corrugated feed horn array or cluster of feed horns arranged in a hexagonal lattice pattern.
The corrugated feed horn comprises a hexagonal aperture formed by a circular-to-hexagonal transition section, and a corrugated section disposed adjacent to the circular-to-hexagonal transition section. A tapered section is disposed adjacent to the corrugated section, and an input section having an input/output port is disposed adjacent to the tapered section.
The corrugated feed horn has desirable properties of a multi-band, conical corrugated horn, including good beam pattern symmetry, low cross-polarization, and sidelobe levels, along with an increased horn aperture area. As a result, the efficiency of the corrugated feed horn is improved by transitioning from a circular to a hexagonal aperture.

Multi-band corrugated antenna feed horn with a hexagonal aperture and antenna array using same


Protective eyewear including a base, a floating protective wireframe (or lenses), an ear piece and a nose piece. The base can be substantially oval in shape, such that the base can surround the eyes of a user wearing the protective eyewear apparatus. The protective cage connects to the frame by snap fit or other means, and is otherwise spaced from and free-floating relative to the frame. This results in eyewear that is more comfortable to wear on a continuous basis and more reliable protection, at least meeting ASTM F 803-03 impact requirements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to protective eyewear, and more particularly, to a protective eyewear apparatus for sports such as women's lacrosse or field hockey.
2. Description of the Background
Protecting players from injury is a primary concern for any sport. Among the most vulnerable parts of the body are the head, face, and eyes. Thus, protective face masks and eyewear are common in sports such as baseball, hockey, football, racquetball, squash, and lacrosse. The sport of lacrosse uses a hard, heavy rubber ball that is thrown with considerable force and which can cause significant injury to unprotected eyes and faces. Most generally accepted rules for competitive lacrosse require a lacrosse ball made of solid rubber, between 7¾ and 8 inches in circumference (about 2½ inches in diameter), and between 5 and 5¼ ounces in weight. With the advances in lacrosse stick design, such lacrosse balls are routinely thrown at speeds in excess of seventy-five miles-per-hour such that impacts of the ball have caused countless bruises, numerous broken bones, and, in rare cases, even death. Indeed, in addition to the long-standing requirement of the rules for men's lacrosse that players wear helmets with face masks, protective eyewear is now mandatory according to the rules of women's lacrosse.
In general, manufacturers continually strive to improve the impact resistance of the protective eyewear they offer. However, improvements in the strength of the equipment often comes at the expense of comfort and dexterity as the equipment becomes more stiff, bulky, or obtrusive to the movement of the wearer. This discomfort can cause a player to choose to wear the equipment improperly or not at all, thereby defeating any improvement in the protection offered. Overall, protective eyewear should be comfortable to wear on a continuous basis and should provide ample protection in accordance with the applicable standards for its usage, including ASTM F 803-03 impact requirements. In providing comfort, the eyewear should be lightweight, flexible, and comfortable against the skin, and should provide adequate ventilation allowing the user to dissipate heat and moisture.


Method for producing a label having at least one identifier and at least one authenticator printed on a printable medium. A unique identifier is generated by a centralized system or a printing device, and the unique identifier is printed on the printable medium incorporating the authenticator. The unique identifier is generated without relation to a product. The method is implemented with a system including one or more printing devices, one or more recording devices and one or more activation devices communicating with the centralized system.

The problem of the authentication of an object, of a document or of a person is an old problem and has been the source of numerous more or less efficient solutions.
Whatever the means implemented, the methods used always have the objective of checking that the object, the document, or its bearer, which is identified is indeed authentic, and is not a copy or an illegitimate bearer.
Some known methods use an authenticating element reproduced identically over a family of products to be able to be recognized by a simple examination, for example a hologram added to the object to be checked. By the very fact of their reproduction many times identically, the checking device and method leaves some doubt as to the authenticity of the product bearing the hologram which may have been reproduced identically on non-legal products.
To resolve this difficulty, it is known practice, in particular from the patent EP 1578268, to mark each object or document, whose authenticity has to be able to be proven, by means of a non-reproducible unique authenticating element associated with an identifier element.
A unique authenticating element is an element which not only exists only in a single copy but which also cannot be reproduced identically or at least can be reproduced identically only with great difficulty or with costs exceeding the benefits that a malicious person could hope for from a reproduction of this unique authenticating element.
As is known, a unique authenticating element is obtained by a random process of scattering elements, for example bubbles in the volume of a transparent polymer, and it is not reproducible when the only means of obtaining a similar result is precisely the random process.
This case is exactly that of bubble codes.
An identifying element is more often than not a code assumed to identify a product, by a category number or part number (P/N), associated or not with a serial number (S/N).
It is thus known that a manufacturer of products has a database of its identifiers with which it associates characteristics of the authenticating element. A person wanting to check the authenticity of a product is then able to connect to the database to check the consistency of the identifier-authenticator pair for the object that he or she holds with that of the database.
A drawback of this checking method stems from the need to manage databases for each category of objects, management processes that are handled by users who apply the authenticating elements, for example labels incorporating three-dimensional bubble codes, and can lead different users to use a same identifier, for example an alphanumeric code, unique to each of them, and which will be associated with different authenticators.
When the products are unrelated to one another, the consequences seem negligible in terms of security.
When the products belong to a same category, a risk of confusion could arise, whether by chance or by design.
Such a risk seems all the more probable when the authenticating elements are standardized and likely to be produced in large numbers by one or more manufacturers such as, for example, the authenticating elements comprising colored fibers in a substrate.

Method for producing an identification and authentication label and associated device


The present invention provides an ink-jet printhead substructure highly thermally efficient and greatly simplified in both the method of manufacture and resulting structure. The printhead substructure of the present invention comprises a resistor formed on an insulated substrate, a single conductive layer that provides both the conductive bonding interconnect pads and the conductive traces for the substructure, a passivation layer and a cavitation barrier. The resistor, passivation layer and cavitation barrier may comprise a single graded layer. The graded thin-film structure provides the resistor, passivation and cavitation barrier components without creating abrupt layer interfaces thereby, improving printhead reliability and durability. Fabrication of the printhead substructure of the present invention requires only two or three lithographic masks and a minimized number of sputter source materials.

An ink-jet printer includes a pen in which small droplets of ink are formed and ejected toward a printing medium. Such pens include printheads with orifice plates having very small nozzles through which the ink droplets are ejected. Adjacent to the nozzles inside the printhead are ink chambers, where ink is stored prior to ejection. Ink is delivered to the ink chambers through ink channels that are in fluid communication with an ink supply. The ink supply may be, for example, contained in a reservoir part of the pen.
Ejection of an ink droplet through a nozzle may be accomplished by quickly heating a volume of ink within the adjacent ink chamber. The rapid expansion of ink vapor forces a drop of ink through the nozzle. This process is called "firing." The ink in the chamber may be heated with a transducer, such as, a resistor that is aligned adjacent to the nozzle.
Thin-film resistors are conventionally used in printheads of thermal ink-jet printers. In such a thin-film device, the resistive heating material is typically deposited on a thermally and electrically insulated substrate. A conductive layer is then deposited over the resistive material. The individual heater elements (i.e., resistors) therein are dimensionally defined by conductive trace patterns that are lithographically formed using conventional masking, ultraviolet exposure and etching techniques on the conductive and resistive layers.
One or more passivation layers are applied over the conductive and resistive layers and then selectively removed to create a via for electrical connection of a second conductive layer to the conductive traces. The second "interconnect" conductive layer is patterned to define a discrete conductive path from each trace to an exposed bonding pad remote from the resistor. The bonding pad facilitates connection with a conductive lead from a flexible circuit that is carried on the pen. That circuit conveys control or "firing" signals from the printer's microprocessor to the resistors.
Materials providing passivation and cavitation barriers are layered over the resistive and conductive layers to complete the printhead substructure. The printhead substructure is overlaid with an ink barrier layer. The ink barrier is etched to define the shape of the ink chambers that are situated above, and aligned with, each resistor. An orifice plate overlays the ink barrier, with a nozzle opening to each chamber.
The resistors in the thin-film device are selectively driven by the above described thermoelectric integrated circuit part of the printhead substructure. The integrated circuit conducts the electrical signals from the printer microprocessor to the resistors, via the two conductive layers, to heat the resistors and create the super-heated ink bubbles for ejection from the chamber through the nozzle.
In summary, conventional thermal ink-jet printhead substructures require at least three major components be present in the firing chamber portion of the device: (1) a heater (resistor) layer, (2) a passivation (dielectric) layer, and (3) a cavitation barrier. Moreover, conventional ink-jet printhead substructures require at least four metal depositions to create the conductive and resistive layers, hence, requiring up to four source sputtering materials. Conventional printhead substructure fabrication also requires a double dielectrical deposition and at least five lithographic masks (excluding the ink barrier mask) in order to define the necessary thin-film IC components. Accordingly, conventional printhead substructure fabrication is both a labor intensive and an expensive process.
Current thermal ink-jet printhead substructures use aluminum as one of the basic components for the formation of the resistors and conductors. Although aluminum resistors and conductors are acceptable for most applications, they suffer from two major drawbacks: (1) electromigration, or physical movement, of the aluminum in the conductive traces which, in turn, causes reliability failures at relatively high current densities for both the resistor and the conductor, and (2) relatively complex fabrication processes. Also, conventional aluminum-based structures degrade rapidly at current densities greater than about 1.times.10.sup.6 amps/cm.sup.2.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides an ink-jet printhead substructure greatly simplified in both the method of manufacture and the resulting structure. The printhead substructure of the present invention comprises a resistor formed on an insulated substrate, a single conductor layer that provides both the interconnect paths and the conductive traces for the substructure, a passivation layer and a cavitation barrier.
The dual function (i.e., conductive interconnect paths and conductive traces) of the conductor layer of the present invention provides a greatly simplified printhead substructure. Additionally, the dual functioning conductor layer provides a simplified method of manufacture of the substructure as only one metal deposition is necessary.
In a preferred embodiment, the conductor layer is comprised of a noble metal, preferably gold. A gold conductor layer provides conductive traces with low resistance, a low rate of electromigration and excellent bonding properties.
Additionally, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention the resistor, passivation layer and cavitation barrier may comprise a single graded layer. This "graded thin-film structure" (GTFS) provides the resistor, passivation and cavitation barrier components without creating abrupt layer interfaces. Such abrupt, discrete component layers are typically the weaker areas in conventional printhead substructures and reduce printhead reliability and durability. Only a single sputter source material is needed to fabricate the GTFS.
Additionally, regardless of whether the resistor, passivation layer and cavitation barrier comprise discrete layers or a GTFS, fabrication of the printhead substructure of the present invention requires only two or three lithographic masks. With fewer masks, a thinner layer of conductive, passivation and cavitation barrier materials can be manufactured.
Printhead substructures comprised of thinner layers decrease thermal losses since thinner layers in contact with the substructure resistor reduces the typical thermal energy loss between the resistor and the ink. The passivation layer typically contributes the most to the substructure thermal inefficiencies due to its relatively low thermal conductivity characteristics. A more efficient thermal system, in turn, produces printheads with a lower turn-on-energy (TOE). Lower TOEs reduce printhead heating. Excessive printhead heating generates bubbles from air dissolved in the ink and causes prenucleation of the ink vapor bubble. Air bubbles within the ink and prenucleation of the vapor droplet result in a poor ink droplet formation and droplet volume control and thus, poor print quality.
The printhead substructure resistor of the present invention comprises a refractory metal, preferably tantalum-based. Refractory metal-based substructures do not suffer from the same electromigration problems as do aluminum-based systems. Moreover, refractory metal-based printhead substructures can operate at relatively high temperatures with minimal electrical or thermal degradation. Operation at higher temperatures allows an increase in print speed without sacrificing print quality.

Thin-film printhead device for an ink-jet printer


An arrangement for filtering a liquid wherein the liquid accumulates in a sump pan includes a filter media, such as a pleated filter media which has a height approximating the height of the sump pan. Consequently, the filter media tends to interfere with the flow of filtered liquid towards a suction tube which returns the filtered liquid for recirculation. In order to facilitate flow of filtered liquid to the suction tube, the pan includes at least one shallow channel extending transverse to the pleats of the filter media. This arrangement with respect to vehicle transmission oil pans and vehicle lubrication oil pans.

In almost any type of modem machinery, it is desirable to advantageously use space by conserving space when possible. This is especially the case with vehicles. Exemplary of such a situation are vehicle transmissions and vehicle lubricating oil pans. Vehicle transmissions include an oil sump which fits under the valve body of the transmission. In certain cases, the pleat height of the filter may touch the bottom surface of the sump pan or be too close to the bottom surface of the pan to allow unrestricted flow of transmission oil to an oil collection location where an inlet tube withdraws filtered oil from the sump for recirculation in the transmission.
In vehicles, it is desirable to orient the panels of a pleated filter media so as to provide baffles which interrupt the flow within a sump pan away from the inlet tube so that the transmission is not intermittently starved when the vehicle is cornered or otherwise abruptly accelerated. This is accomplished by having filter media which extends in a direction which is perpendicular to or at least has a component which is perpendicular to the direction of the acceleration. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the filter media panels as baffles, it is preferable to have a filter media which is as high as possible within the sump pan, however this interferes with the ability of filtered oil to flow to the inlet tube for recirculation.
While these problems are of apparent significance with respect to transmissions and lubricating oil pans of vehicles, these problems also arise in other types of machinery in which liquids such as lubricating oils, hydraulic oils, fuels and coolant liquids are employed.

Arrangement for filtering liquid used in a device having a sump pan


A video signal-processing device that can improve the apparent contrast of the luminance signal at a television receiving set includes a quantity of black expansion computing section for computationally determining the quantity of black expansion when the luminance component of the input video signal is not higher than a first luminance level, a gain controller for regulating the quantity of black expansion as computationally determined by the quantity of black expansion computing section, a quantity of black expansion adding section for generating an output video signal by adding the quantity of black expansion regulated by the gain controller to the luminance component of the input video signal, and a vertical span adding block for integrating the luminance component of the output video signal not higher than a second luminance level for a field. The gain controller regulates the quantity of black expansion according to the luminance component integrated by the vertical span adding block to improve the apparent contrast of the luminance signal at the television receiving set by accurately expanding black.

The signal level of black color of video signals transmitted to television receiving sets for the purpose of displaying images on the display screen of the television set can vary depending on the broadcasting station, the TV camera, the type of the home use VTR or the like. It is known that the apparent black contrast is improved by expanding (the amplitudes of) signals for black in the television receiving set that reproduces video signals. FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a block diagram of a video signal-processing device 7 proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 7-154644, which is a typical black level expansion circuit.
The video signal-processing device 7 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises an input terminal 71, a black expanding section 72, an output terminal 73, a black peak holding section 74, a comparator 75, a pedestal level transmitting section 76 and a gain control amplifier 77. The video signal-processing device 7 operates for feed back control in order to make the peak position of the input black level (to be referred to as black peak level hereinafter) agree with the pedestal level.
The black expanding section 72 performs an operation of black expansion on black level signals lower than a predetermined threshold level TH as shown in FIG. 2A out of the video signals input by way of the input terminal 71 depending on the feedback gain input from the comparator 75. The black expanding section 72 then transmits the black level signals that have been subjected to an operation of black expansion to the output terminal 73 and the black peak holding section 74. The video signals transmitted to the output terminal 73 are output to the television receiving set without modification.
The black peak holding section 74 sequentially takes out only the video signals that do not contain any synchronizing signal component out of the transmitted black level signals and detects the black peak level BL of each of the signals. The black peak holding section 74 applies the detected black peak level to the comparator 75. The configuration of the black peak holding section 74 will be described in greater detail hereinafter.
The comparator 75 receives the black peak level from the black peak holding section 74 and the pedestal level Ep as shown in FIG. 2B from the pedestal level transmitting section 76. Then, the comparator 75 determines the difference between the black peak level and the pedestal level Ep and outputs the difference to the gain control amplifier 77.
The gain control amplifier 77 generates a feedback gain on the basis of the black peak level and the pedestal level Ep input to it and transmits the feedback gain to the black expanding section 72. Note that the gain control amplifier 77 generates a feedback gain so as to reduce the difference between the black peak level and the pedestal level input to it. Upon receiving the feedback gain, the black expanding section 72 can perform an operation of black expansion so as to make the black peak level agree with the pedestal level Ep.
As the black expanding section 72 repeats the operation of transmitting a video signal that has been subjected to an operation of black expansion to the black peak holding section 74 for the black level signals, it is possible to make the black peak level gradually come close to the pedestal level Ep. Thus, the video signal-processing device 7 can converge only the video signals with a black level lower than the predetermined threshold level TH as shown in FIG. 2B to a constant luminance level and can hold the video signals other than black level signals without manipulating the amplitude so that it is possible to improve the black contrast, while maintaining the brightness of the entire image to a constant level.
Now, the black peak holding section 74 of the video signal-processing device 7 will be described in greater detail. FIG. 3 is a schematic circuit diagram of the black peak holding section 74. The black peak holding section 74 comprises an input section 81 for receiving video signals that have been subjected to an operation of black expansion from the black expanding section 72, a first transistor 82, a second transistor 83, a third transistor 84, a first power source 86, a second power source 87, a resistor 88, a black area control resistor 89, a capacitor 90, an output section 91 for applying the detected black peak level to the comparator 75, a first current source 92 and a second current source 93.
The first transistor 82 receives the video signal Be that is expanded for black from the input section 81 by way of its base terminal. Its emitter terminal is connected to the first current source 92, while its collector terminal is connected to the base terminal of the resistor 88 and the base terminal of the third transistor 84. The second transistor 83 has its base terminal connected to the second current source 93, the capacitor 90, the output section 91 and so on and is adapted to transmit the held black peak level to the comparator 75 by way of the output section 91. The third transistor 84 has its base terminal connected to the collector terminal of the first transistor 82 and the resistor 88 and its collector terminal is connected to the black area control resistor 89. Note that each of the first transistor 82, the second transistor 83 and the third transistor 84 is operated to become ON/OFF according to the potential difference between the base and the emitter thereof.
The resistor 88 has one of its ends connected to the collector terminal of the first transistor 82 and the base terminal of the third transistor 84 in order to regulate the voltage applied from the first transistor 82 to the third transistor 84. The black area control resistor 89 has one of its ends connected to the base terminal of the second transistor 83 and its other end connected to the collector terminal of the third transistor 84 in order to limit the electric current supplied from the second current source 93 and the capacitor 90 to the third transistor 84. The capacitor 90 typically stores an electric charge that corresponds to the current value of the black peak and is connected to the connection point of the above-described second transistor 83 and the black area control resistor 89 as well as to the output section 91 and the second current source 93.
Now, the operation of the black peak holding section 74 will be described below.
The first transistor 82 and the second transistor 83 form an operational amplifier for switching operations. The first transistor 82 becomes ON and the second transistor 83 becomes OFF when the base potential of the first transistor 82 is lower than the base potential of the second transistor 83, whereas the first transistor 82 becomes OFF and the second transistor 83 becomes ON when the base potential of the first transistor 82 is higher than the base potential of the second transistor 83.
When a video signal showing a black peak level lower than the currently held black peak level is input to the black peak holding section 74 having such an operational amplifier by way of the input section 81, the base potential of the first transistor 82 is lowered to make the first transistor 82 become ON. As a result, an electric current flows from the collector terminal of the first transistor 82 to the resistor 88 to raise the potential difference between the opposite ends of the resistor 88.
As the potential difference between the opposite ends of the resistor 88 rises to such an extent as to turn on the third transistor 84, the transistor 84 becomes ON and an electric current flows from the second current source 93 and the capacitor 90 to the third transistor by way of the collector terminal thereof. As a result, the base potential of the second transistor 83 is lowered. In other words, when a video signal whose black peak level is lower than the black peak level that is currently held by the black peak holding section 74 is input, the black peak holding section 74 lowers the black peak level it holds to the lower black peak level.
When, on the other hand, a video signal showing a black peak level higher than the currently held black peak level is input to the black peak holding section 74 by way of the input section 81, the base potential of the first transistor 82 is raised to make the second transistor 83 become ON. As a result, the first transistor 82 becomes OFF and hence the third transistor 84 also becomes OFF so that the electric current output from the second current source 93 is stored in the capacitor 90.
Thus, as the above sequence of operation is repeated, the lowest level of the input video signal, or the black peak level, is held to the base terminal of the second transistor 83.
FIG. 4 illustrates the relationship between the input video signal E and the black peak level BL held by the black peak holding section 74. In FIG. 4, dotted line Bp1 indicates the black peak level when the black area control resistor 89 is ignored. If point a11 in FIG. 4 shows the voltage currently held for the black peak and an input signal having a lower value is entered, the black peak holding level falls to point a12 and a new black peak is held. If the voltage of the input signal rises from there, the third transistor 84 in FIG. 3 becomes OFF and the electric current from the second current source 93 is stored in the capacitor 90. Since the current value from the second current source 93 is typically very small, the voltage of the output gradually rises. In this way, the black peak holding operation proceeds.
In FIG. 4, dotted line Bp2 indicates the black peak level when the black area control resistor 89 is made to show a large resistance. Since the electric current supplied to the third transistor 84 is limited by the black area control resistor 89, the capability of tracking the black peak holding level in response to the input signal falls so that the black peak holding level rises if compared with the dotted line Bp1 .
In other words, the black peak level that is held changes as a function of the resistance of the black area control resistor 89. For the black peak level indicated by the dotted line Bp2 falls to the black peak level indicated by the dotted line Bp1, the black area of the input signal needs to be greater. Differently stated, it is possible for the black peak holding section 74 of the video signal-processing device 7 to determine the area of a black region for which an operation of black expansion is conducted by means of the black area control resistor 89 by selecting the resistance of the black area control resistor 89.
With the above described known video signal-processing device 7, the black peak level held by the black peak holding section 74 theoretically undulates as shown by the dotted lines Bp1 and Bp2 in FIG. 4 so that, if black is expanded according to the black peak holding level, the image being displayed may show mainly vertical shading depending on the video signal, which is visually not pleasant to the viewers.
While the undulations of the black peak holding level can be reduced by increasing the capacitance of the capacitor 90 and/or reducing the electric current supplied from the second current source 93, there arises a problem that the known video signal-processing device 7 cannot respond sufficiently quickly when a video signal for a quickly changing scene is input.
Furthermore, when an analog system is used and the component blocks of the black peak holding section 74 shown in FIG. 3 are realized by using ICs, there arises a problem that the current values of the black area control resistor 89, the capacitor 90 and the first and second current sources 92, 93 can disperse to make it difficult for the video signal-processing device 7 to operate stably.

Device and method for processing video signals to improve the black contrast


Polymeric pipe loaders and polymeric pipe loading methods are disclosed. A polymeric pipe loader may include a support frame, a positioning platform coupled to the support frame, and a vacuum lift mechanism coupled to the support frame, the positioning platform, or both. A polymeric pipe loading method may include extruding a length of polymeric pipe, cutting the length of polymeric pipe, receiving the length of polymeric pipe on a conveyor chain of a positioning platform, engaging the length of polymeric pipe with a vacuum lift mechanism, and transferring the length of polymeric pipe to a bundling cart.

Large diameter polymeric pipe can be manufactured in lengths which can weigh over ten thousand pounds. These heavy pipe lengths can be packaged into bundles for shipping. In order to package heavy lengths of pipe into bundles, a mechanism is needed to transfer the heavy lengths of pipe to a bundling cart. One such mechanism involves hoisting the heavy length of pipe with straps and using a crane to transfer the hoisted heavy lengths of pipe to the bundling cart. During transfer, the heavy lengths of pipe can swing and bend, creating both personnel-safety issues and damage to the heavy lengths of pipe.


A collator includes at least one processor and a storage unit storing a plurality of registered face images, the processor performs a partial collation for collating a feature quantity of a first target area excluding partial areas in each of the plurality of registered face images with a feature quantity of a second target area excluding a partial area in a search face image to be searched, and displays a result of the partial collation.

PTL 1 discloses a face image collation and search system that can perform a collation process in a case where an imaging environment, conditions, and the like of an input image and a registered image are different. In the face image collation and search system, a registered image of a user is registered in a registered image DB in advance. In an authentication process, a face image of the user imaged by a camera is analyzed, environmental parameters and the like are estimated, and the collation image adjusted based on the estimated parameters and the registered image are compared and collated.

Collator and method for displaying result of collation

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A row unit for a header of an agricultural harvester. The row unit includes a frame, a first deck plate assembly mounted to the frame, and a second deck plate assembly mounted to the frame. The first and second deck plate assemblies each include a deck plate, a plurality of deck plate segments extending from the deck plate and moveable between a first position and a second position relative to the deck plate, and a plurality of biasing members for biasing each respective deck plate segment. The row unit includes both operator controlled macro adjustment and automatic micro adjustment of a gap between the first deck plate assembly and the second deck plate assembly. The micro adjustment is achieved through biasing members biasing each respective deck plate segment.

The present invention relates generally to corn header assemblies for use with agricultural harvesters. In particular, the present invention relates to an improved corn header assembly that includes a multi-segmented deck plate auto adjustment mechanism.
Agricultural harvesters that harvest corn are provided with headers having dividers, also generally known as snouts, for directing rows of corn stalks to row units that include ear separation chambers which are defined by deck plates or stripping plates that position the ears of corn for separation from the stalks. The ears of corn are then passed to an auger for conveying the corn to a feeder house of the agricultural harvester. Harvested corn is then processed to the harvester's inner chambers for further processing.
Conventional corn header assemblies use e.g., a rock shaft to control the separation or spacing of the deck plates (also referred to as the "gap") within a row unit. Such deck plate separation designs have a rocker arm mounted vertically to the row unit and a control linkage below the row unit to move the deck plates. As a result, adjustment of the deck plate opening from row to row can be difficult, jerky and imprecise. Mechanical tolerances which are built into such a deck plate separation design in order to improve ease of deck plate movement also leads to backlash which affects the operator's ability to properly set the deck plates. Improperly set or poorly adjusted deck plates cause grain loss, ear damage and economic losses. For example, current corn header assemblies utilize a pair of long ridged deck plates and the gap between the deck plates is fixed. As a result, smaller ears of corn may be pulled completely through the fixed gap spacing and go unharvested.
Such deck plate control designs are also bulky, heavy and take up valuable space underneath the corn header row unit. Further, such designs can generate excess debris which can lead to trash accumulation in the corn header assembly effecting overall header efficiency and operation. Debris can also accumulate within the deck plates themselves, including interstitial spaces. In addition, conventional rocker shaft control systems typically control only one of the two deck plates of a single row unit which can lead to the deck plate opening (or gap) not being aligned with the center of the row unit stalk rolls.
During typical harvesting operations, row spacing can vary from approximately fifteen inches to forty inches depending on the number of plants on a given acre. As the row spacing changes, the distance between plants changes. Additionally, the stalk diameter varies from stalk to stalk. Conventional header designs use a moveable non-automatic deck plate design wherein the deck plates are macro controlled by the operator through a hydraulic cylinder and linkage. Another design allows the deck plate to automatically adjust, but results in the deck plates having a gap spacing corresponding to the largest diameter stalk. As such, during harvesting operations, the gap spacing between the deck plates can remain open even when active stalks are not passing through them. Anytime there is no plant, there is a potential for grain loss. As a result, conventional header designs result in significantly more grain loss because grain falls out of deck plates not actively engaged with a row. For example, current fifteen inch headers cannot harvest thirty inch rows because grain can fall out of deck plates not actively engaged with a row.
Therefore, there is still a need for an improved corn header assembly that reduces grain loss and allows harvesting in any direction without losing grain. Embodiments of the present invention address the foregoing issues of conventional corn header assemblies.

Multi-segmented deck plate auto adjustment mechanism for a harvester row unit


An ejector mechanism operates to force silt material from individual chambers in a rotating wheel of a silt removal machine. The rotating wheel removes the silt material from under a shallow body of water by collecting it in individual chambers of the rotating wheel. Since the silt material is generally soft and sticky, the ejector mechanism urges the silt material from the respective chambers as the wheel rotates. The ejector mechanism includes a rotating crank that rotates as the excavator wheel rotates and is connected by a link to an ejector arm.

Various types of ejector mechanisms have been used in the past to force material from a chamber. For example, it is known to use a pusher plate in a bucket for an excavator machine or a bowl a scraper machine to force the material out of the bucket or bowl. These known pusher plates are normally controlled by a hydraulic cylinder so that when it is desired by the operator to eject the material, he merely operates a control valve which results in the hydraulic cylinder pushing the plate forward to force the material out.
In strip mining applications, large excavating wheels have been used to remove overburden material so that coal can be harvested. These large wheel type excavating machines merely scoop up the overburden material in individual scoop and as the individual scoops of the large wheel reaches the topmost point of the wheel rotation the overburden material falls onto a conveyor. When the large excavating wheel is operated in soft sticky overburden material, the overburden material does not freely fall from the individual scoops. Consequently, it is desirable to provide an ejector mechanism that operates to urge the soft sticky material from the chambers of a wheel that is being used to remove silt from under a body of water.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.

Ejector mechanism for a silt removal excavating wheel


A method of bonding an insulation layer (26) to a CMC layer (22) by applying a compliant joining layer (24) between them in a series of steps (52-70) effective to bond the layers (22, 24, 26) with reduced differential shrinkage stresses during firing and reduced residual stresses. The CMC layer (22) and the compliant layer (24) may each be fired to an intermediate stage prior to applying the next layer (24 and 26 respectively), such that the compliant layer (24) has a remaining amount of curing shrinkage between that of the CMC layer (22) and the insulating layer (26) during a final firing stage. The insulation layer (26) may be a friable graded insulation (26F) cast as a composite of hollow ceramic spheres (26S) in a ceramic matrix (26M). The compliant layer (24) may form a checkerboard of cracks (72) oriented generally perpendicular to the layer surface that function to relax stress. The cracks define columns (74) of material that form a bond at opposed ends to the CMC layer and to the insulation respectively.

Engine components in the hot gas flow of modern combustion turbine engines are required to operate at ever-increasing temperatures as engine efficiency requirements continue to advance. Ceramics typically have higher heat tolerance and lower thermal conductivities than metals. For this reason, ceramics have been used both as structural materials in place of metallic materials and as coatings for both metal and ceramic structures. Ceramic matrix composite (CMC) structures with ceramic thermal insulation outer coatings have been developed to provide components with the high temperature stability of ceramics without the brittleness of monolithic ceramics. An especially effective type of ceramic thermal barrier insulation coating is described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,424 which has come to be known as friable graded insulation (FGI). The coating includes a plurality of hollow oxide shapes, a binder, and at least one oxide filler powder. The oxide shapes, which may be spheres, are situated in the phosphate binder and the filler powders such that each sphere is in contact with at least one other sphere, and the arrangement of spheres is such that the composition is dimensionally and chemically stable at temperatures of approximately 1600° C. A challenge facing optimization of insulated CMC structures is the effectiveness of joining of the CMC material and the insulation layer, given that the insulation layer is typically cast onto a partially processed substrate representing a different state of process shrinkage.

Process for applying a thermal barrier coating to a ceramic matrix composite


A disk file apparatus having a storage device (4) for multistageously storing disk cartridges (3) each containing a disk therein while keeping each of said disk cartridges horizontal, a drive device (5), and an automatic disk exchanging device (7) including a carrier device (6) for taking out a disk cartridge in between said storage device and said drive device, carrying the disk cartridge vertically and supplying the disk cartridge, wherein: slide mechanisms (60) are provided on a carrier frame (17) so that the opening/closing of claw arms (24) of a holder (21) provided in the carrier device is interlocked with the going-in-and-out operation of the holder mechanically; the carrier frame is supported so as to be rotatable in the form of a cantilever on the horizontal center of a cartridge storage portion inside thereof; and an inverting device (33) having a solenoid (50) and clutch gears (46, 47) is provided in a holder carrying device (32).

For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho-60-261066, a conventional disk file apparatus comprises as its basic configuration: a storage device in which disk cartridges each containing a disk are stored multistageously so that each of the disk cartridges is kept horizontal; a drive device for writing/reading information into/from a disk; and a automatic disk exchanging device for picking any one of the disk cartridges out of the storage device selectively, carrying the selected disk cartridge vertically, inserting the selected disk cartridge into the drive device and taking out the disk cartridge from the drive device after writing/reading of information to restore the disk cartridge to its original position of the storage device or restore the disk cartridge to a predetermined position where the disk cartridge can be exchanged for a new one.
Further, the automatic disk exchanging device disclosed in the aforementioned Publication includes: a carrier carrying device for vertically carrying a carrier having claws engaged with a pair of notch grooves provided on opposite sides of the rear portion of each disk cartridge so that the carrier is moved between the storage device and the drive device; a claw carrying device for moving the claws horizontally so that the disk cartridge goes in and out between the storage device and the drive device; and a carrier inverting device for inverting the carrier by 180.degree. so that information can be recorded on opposite surfaces of each disk.
In the conventional automatic disk exchanging device, configured as described above, in a state in which one of the disk cartridges stored in the storage device is drawn out horizontally from a freely selected position of the storage device and stored in a storage portion within the carrier by the claw carrying device through engagement between the claws of the carrier and the notch grooves of the disk cartridge, the disk cartridge is carried to the drive device by the carrier carrying device and then pushed out by the claws so as to be inserted into the drive device whereafter information writing/reading is performed. Thereafter, the disk cartridge is drawn out by the claws from the drive device, stored in the storage portion, carried to the storage device by the carrier carrying device again and then restored to its original position of the storage device.
The conventional automatic disk exchanging device, however, requires a claw carrying device such as a timing belt drive mechanism or requires a claw opening/closing mechanism such as a motor, a solenoid, or the like, separately in the case where the claws are to be opened/closed. Accordingly, not only the whole thickness and weight of the carrier are increased but also the structure thereof becomes complex. There arise a large number of problems which unclude the lowering of reliability, increasing of cost, etc.
Further, in the conventional carrier inverting device, the cartridge storage portion is provide so as not to be concentrical with the rotating shaft of the carrier, so that the height position of the cartridge storage portion varies when the carrier is inverted by 180.degree.. That is, because the cartridge storage portion is located in a position where the cartridge storage portion is eccentric with respect to the carrier rotating shaft, the carrier inverted by 180.degree. is not restored to its original position, so that a difference in height position is formed by the distance of eccentricity. Accordingly, when the disk cartridge is to be inserted into the storage device or into the drive device, the height of the carrier carrying device needs to be adjusted by the difference in height position. There arises a problem that superfluous time is required.
Further, if the stopper mechanism provided in the drive device in order to prevent the disk cartridge inserted therein from springing out is released by using a motor, a solenoid, or the like, in a conventional manner, increases both in space and in cost are brought correspondingly.
Further, though a filter device for preventing dust is generally mounted on the casing of the body of the disk file apparatus, the filter device is hardly used commonly because the filter device is conventionally mounted individually in accordance with the filter type. There arises a problem that an increase in cost is brought.

Disk file apparatus for automatically taking out and inserting disk cartridges


The invention provides melanin-concentrating hormone receptor antagonists containing as the active ingredient piperidine derivatives represented by the general formula [I]:

Melanin concentrating hormone (hereafter abbreviated as "MCH") is a cyclic peptide hormone/neuro-peptide, which was for the first time isolated by Kawauchi, et al. in 1983 from sermon hypophysis [Nature, Vol. 305, 321 (1983)]. The hormone is known to functionally antagonize to melanin cell stimulating hormone in fishes, to cause concentration of melanin granules in melanophore and participate in body color change [International Review of Cytology, Vol. 126, 1(1991); Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vol. 5, 120 (1994)]. Also in mammals, MCH-containing neuron nerve cells are localized in the hypothalamus lateral field and uncertain zone, but their nerve fibers are projecting over a very wide scope in the brain [The Journal of Comparative Neurology, Vol. 319, 218 (1992)], and MCH is considered to preside over various central functions in living bodies.
Hypothalamus lateral field is known of old as feeding center, and furthermore, recently molecular biological and pharmacological knowledges suggesting participation of MCH in controlling energetic homeostasis are being accumulated. That is, it has been reported that expression of mRNA, which is a MCH precursor, was accelerated in brains of ob/ob mouse, db/db mouse, Ay/a mouse, Zucker fatty rat or the like which are model animals of hereditary obesity, or in brains of fasted mice [Nature, Vol. 380, 243 (1996); Diabetes, Vol. 47, 294 (1998); Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 268, 88 (2000); Molecular Brain Research, Vol. 92, 43 (2000)].
Acute ventricular administration of MCH to rats was observed to induce accelerated feeding activity [Nature, Vol. 380, 243 (1996)] and chronic administration invites obesity accompanied by polyphagy [Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America, Vol. 99, 3240, (2002)]. Moreover, MCH precursor gene-deficient mouse shows reduced food ingestion or rise in oxygen consumption per body weight compared to wild type mice. Its low body weight due to decrease in body fat was observed [Nature, Vol. 396, 670 (1998)].
On the contrary, transgenic mouse which expresses excessive MCH precursor develops obesity accompanied by polyphagy and insulin resistance [The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Vol. 107, 379 (2001)]. Consequently, it is suggested that MCH is an important factor for developing obesity and participates in diseases induced by metabolic disorder or respiratory diseases of which one of risk factors is obesity. Besides, MCH is known to participate also in anxiety-causing action, epilepsy, memory, learning, diuretic action, excretory action of sodium and potassium, oxytocin secreting action, reproduction and reproductive function [Peptides, Vol. 17, 171 (1996); Peptides, Vol. 18, 1095 (1997), Peptides, Vol, 15, 757 (1994); Journal of Neuroendocrinology, Vol. 8, 57 (1996); Critical Reviews in Neurobiology, Vol. 8, 221, (1994)].
MCH causes versatile pharmacological actions through MCH receptors which are present mainly in the central nervous system. As receptors of MCH, at least two types of type 1 receptors (MCH-1R or SLC-1) and type 2 receptors (MCH-2R or SLT) are known [Nature, Vol. 400, 261 (1999); Nature, Vol. 400, 265 (1999); Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 261, 622 (1999); Nature Cell Biology, Vol. 1, 267 (1999); FEBS Letters, Vol. 457, 522 (1999); Biochemical and Physical Research Communications, Vol. 283, 1013 (2001); The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 276, 20125 (2001); Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 98, 7564 (2001); Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 98, 7576 (2001); The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 276, 34664 (2001); and Molecular Pharmacology, Vol. 60, 632 (2001)].
Of those, the pharmacological action observed on rodents is induced mainly via MCH-1R [Genomics, Vol. 79, 785(2002)]. Because MCH-1R gene-deficient mice chronically administered with MCH do not develop polyphagy or obesity, it is known that controlling of energy exchange by MCH is induced via MCH-1R. Furthermore, deficiency of MCH-1R promotes activity amount of mouse [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 99, 3240 (2002)], and its participation in central diseases accompanied by behavioral disorder, for example, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia and the like also is strongly suggested [Molecular Medicine Today, Vol. 6, 43 (2000); Trends in Neuroscience, Vol. 24, 527 (2001)].
It is also reported that autoantibody to MCH-1R is present in serum of vitiligo vulgaris patient [The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Vol. 109, 923 (2002)]. Furthermore, expression of MCH-1R in certain species of cancer cells was reported, and in vivo expression sites of MCH and MCH-1R also suggest their participation in cancer, sleep, vigil, drug dependence and digestive disorders [Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 289, 44 (2001); Neuroendocrinology, Vol. 61, 348 (1995); Endocrinology, Vol. 137, 561 (1996); The Journal of Comparative Neurology, Vol. 435, 26 (2001)].
Functions of MCH are expressed upon its binding to MCH receptors. Therefore, when its binding to MCH receptor is inhibited, expression of MCH action can be inhibited. In consequence, substances which are antagonists to binding of MCH with its receptor are useful as preventing or treating agent of those various diseases in which MCH participates, for example, metabolic disorders represented by obesity, diabetes, hormone disorder, hyperlipidemia, gout, fatty liver, hepatitis and cirrhosis; cardiovascular disorders, represented by stenocardia, acute or congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, coronary atherosclerosis, hypertension, renal diseases and electrolyte abnormality; central nervous system or peripheral nervous system disorders represented by bulimia, emotional disturbance, depression, anxiety, epilepsy, delirium, dementia, schizophrenia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, memory impairment, sleep disorders, cognitive failure, dyskinesia, paresthesias, smell disorders, morphine tolerance, drug dependence and alcoholism; reproductive disorders represented by infertility, preterm labor and sexual dysfunction; digestive disorders; respiratory disorders; cancer or pigmentation.
As compounds having analogous structures to those of the present invention compounds, for example, as compounds not having spiro ring, 1) those disclosed on J. Med. Chem., 39 (7) 1514-20 (1996) and 2) those disclosed in JP Announcement (Tokuhyo) Hei 11 (1999)-507344A can be named. Again, as the compounds having spiro ring, there are those disclosed in International Publication WO 02/088089 Pamphlet. However, those compounds do not have MCH-1R antagonizing action.
On the other hand, as to heretofore known antagonists to melanin-concentrating hormone receptor, descriptions are found in, for example, International Publications WO 01/21577 Pamphlet, WO 01/82925 Pamphlet, WO02/06245 Pamphlet, and WO 02/02744 Pamphlet; and in JP 2002-3370A. In particular, WO 02/02744 or WO 02/06245 disclose compounds having a spiro ring, but they differ from the compounds of the present invention at the carbon moiety adjacent to the amidic carbonyl group (CO) in general formula [I] of the present invention.
The object of the present invention is to provide piperidine derivatives which have an action to inhibit binding of MCH to MCH-1R, and also to provide preventing or treating agents utilizing them, of diseases such as metabolic disorders represented by obesity, diabetes, hormone disorder, hyperlipidemia, gout, fatty liver, hepatitis and cirrhosis; cardiovascular disorders, represented by stenocardia, acute or congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, coronary atherosclerosis, hypertension, renal diseases and electrolyte abnormality; central nervous system or peripheral nervous system disorders represented by bulimia, emotional disturbance, depression, anxiety, epilepsy, delirium, dementia, schizophrenia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, memory impairment, sleep disorders, cognitive failure, dyskinesia, paresthesias, smell disorders, morphine tolerance, drug dependence and alcoholism; reproductive disorders represented by infertility, preterm labor and sexual dysfunction; digestive disorders; respiratory disorders; cancer or pigmentation.

Melanin-concentrating hormone receptor antagonists containing piperidine derivatives as the active ingredient

Abstract: [wherein R1 is hydrogen, hydroxyl, lower alkyl, or the like; R2, R3a, R3b, R4a, R4b, R5a, R5b and R6 each stands for hydrogen, halogen, or the like; W1 and W2 each independently stands for —O—, —CH2—, or the like; Y1, Y2, Y3 and Y4 stand for —CH—, —CF—, —N—, or the like; Z stands for lower alkyl, an aliphatic heterocyclic group, or the like; Ar is a mono- or bi-cyclic aliphatic heterocycle or an aromatic heterocycle; and n is an integer of 1 to 8]. The compounds act as antagonist against melanin-concentrating hormone receptor and are useful as drugs for central diseases, circulatory diseases, or metabolic diseases.


A nonwoven fabric for an absorbent article has a plurality of first ridges and a plurality of first grooves on a first surface, each of the first ridges extending in a first direction and being provided with a first top surface including a first top section and first side surfaces, and each of the first grooves extending in the first direction; each of the first grooves of the nonwoven fabric has a plurality of second ridges and a plurality of bottom sections on the first surface, each of the second grooves being contiguous with two adjacent first ridges among the plurality of first ridges and having a second top section; the nonwoven fabric is provided with a plurality of predetermined recess units; and in each of the plurality of recess units, the fiber density of the first surface is lower than the fiber density of the first top surface.

A top sheet has been considered in which it is difficult for highly viscous excrement adhered thereto to return to the skin of the wearer, after an absorbent article absorbs the highly viscous excrement such as loose stool, highly viscous menstrual blood, etc.
For example, in Patent Document 1, a top sheet for an absorbent article is described (claim 1) in which recessed and protruded shapes are formed on the surface side being in contact with the skin at the time of being worn, characterized in that, at the time when the absorbent article in which the top sheet is used is being worn, the recessed and protruded shapes deform flexibly in accordance with the shape and the motion of the body, and the recessed portions of the recessed and protruded shapes capture the highly viscous excrement so as to let the highly viscous excrement be separated from the body.
According to the top sheet described in Patent Document 1, as described in claim 1, the recessed portions of the recessed and protruded shapes capture the highly viscous excrement so as to let the highly viscous excrement be separated from the body of the wearer.
In Patent Document 2, a nonwoven fabric for an absorbent article which includes thermoplastic resin fibers, the nonwoven fabric including a first surface, a second surface on the opposite side of the first surface, protruded portions which protrude toward the first surface side, and groove portions which are dented toward the second surface side, wherein the protruded portions are extended toward a first direction of a surface of the nonwoven fabric, and are provided in a plurality of columns with a predetermined interval in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction in the surface of the nonwoven fabric; the groove portions are extended in the first direction in a space between the adjacent protruded portions with respect to the second direction, and include a plurality of recessed portions provided discontinuously with respect to the first direction, at the groove bottom portions of the groove portions, each of which having a bottom portion positioned on the further second surface side than the groove bottom portions of the groove portions; and at least a part of a circumferential surface of the recessed portions includes a hole portion being connected to the second surface. Further, the nonwoven fabric which has the similar shape is also described in Patent Documents 3 and 4.