A method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head having a plurality of passage modules that have individual passages, actuator modules that include a plurality of actuators and a drive unit and the liquid ejection head produced by the method. The method comprising ranking the actuator modules according to a magnitude of a capacitance of the actuators, classifying the passage modules into a terminal region group and a central region group, fixing the actuator modules to the passage modules so that the actuator modules that having a capacitance not less than a predetermined capacitance correspond to the passage modules in the terminal group and so that the actuator modules having a capacitance less than the predetermined capacitance in the actuator module ranking correspond to the passage modules in the central region group.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head that ejects a liquid onto a recording medium to form an image, a method of manufacturing a recording apparatus that includes the liquid ejection head, a liquid ejection head, and a recording apparatus.
For example among inkjet heads used in inkjet type recording apparatuses, there are so-called piezo type heads with which an actuator is deformed to apply pressure to an ink in a pressure chamber and thereby eject the ink from a nozzle. With the piezo type inkjet head, a driver IC or other drive unit is provided to supply a drive voltage to the actuator and the drive unit is known to generate heat due to the drive voltage (see JP-A-2008-074041, for example).

Method of manufacturing liquid ejection head, method of manufacturing recording apparatus including the same, liquid ejection head, and recording apparatus


A vehicle active tilt control system provides improved response time in torsionally adjusting front and rear stabilizer bars during vehicle maneuvers. The system includes front and rear actuators connected, respectively, to the front and rear stabilizer bars for selectively twisting the stabilizer bars. The actuators are moveable in first and second opposing directions for twisting the stabilizer bars in opposing directions. A directional control valve is operatively connected to the front and rear actuators for directing fluid flow to the actuators to selectively cause movement of the actuators in one of the first and second opposing directions. An electrically pressure-controlled pump is operatively connected to the directional control valve for delivering fluid to the directional control valve at controllable pressures, thereby providing improved pressure-control response time which results in improved system performance.

Automotive vehicles having independent suspensions are generally equipped with stabilizer bars to reduce inclination or roll of the vehicle bodies during vehicle maneuvers. The stabilizer bar is usually connected between the suspension arms of the vehicle wheels. When the left and right wheels are in similar positions with respect to the suspensions, the stabilizer bar does not twist so that the suspensions are mutually independent. When one of the left wheel and the right wheel passes over a projection on the road surface, or when the vehicle turns and thus the left wheel and the right wheel assume considerably different positions with respect to the suspensions, the stabilizer bar is twisted. This twisting motion induces a torsional resilient force for affecting the rolling characteristic of the vehicle and of the road-surface-following characteristic of the vehicle wheels.
It is desirable that the torsional resilient force of the stabilizer bars can be adjusted in accordance with running or traveling conditions of the vehicle. Specifically, it is desirable to reduce the torsional rigidity during straight travel of the vehicle and to increase the torsional rigidity during turning of the vehicle. The reduced torsional rigidity enhances the road-surface-following characteristic of the vehicle wheels while the increased torsional rigidity enhances the rolling characteristic of the vehicle.
Certain vehicle active tilt control systems include front and rear stabilizer bars which are adjustable by front and rear hydraulic actuators placed in lieu of the stabilizer bar linkages. The actuators are moveable in first and second opposing directions for adjusting vehicle body roll active roll moment to compensate for vehicle roll.
Current active tilt control systems on the market use flow-controlled pumps and an additional pressure control valve on the main line for controlling the oil pressure which drives the actuators. The flow-controlled pumps provide fluid to a main flow line, and an electronically controlled pressure relief valve of the main flow line controls the fluid pressure. In this method, the entire flow is controlled by the single stage electrically operated pressure relief valve. Typically, flow gain of these valves are limited by design restrictions. The use of such a single stage valve slows system response time, and as a result of this, the system cannot compensate for the roll moment during evasive cornering maneuvers.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a flow-controlled pump 10 is shown schematically and graphically as used in prior art active tilt control systems. The flow control function within the flow-controlled pump 10 is provided by a flow-control circuit. The flow-controlled pump 10 includes a rotary pump group 12 and a spool valve 14. The rotary pump group 12 draws fluid from the tank 16 and feeds fluid through the spool valve 14 and orifice 18 to the main line 20. The fixed orifice 18 provides a pressure drop as a measure of the flow. This pressure drop is captured by the spool valve 14. At a predetermined pressure difference, the metering orifice of the valve 14 starts relieving oil into the reservoir 16, providing the flat flow characteristic shown in FIG. 2 for different flow rates. This break point A1 or A2 in the flow control characteristic, as shown in FIG. 2, is dependent upon the size of the orifice 18.
In order to provide good flow regulation, the metering orifice of the main flow spool valve has a high flow gradient. However, the buildup of the pressure differential across the main spool 14 is typically a slow process, which results in slow response to flow demand.
Typically, the active tilt control system will have an additional pressure relief valve on the main flow line 20 such that downstream flow is divided again. The first portion of the flow is used for the active tilt control system operation and the second portion of the flow is used for pressure control, i.e., it is returned back to the tank 16. A disadvantage of such a system is that the pump's flow is limited and cannot provide higher instantaneous flow, which results in a slower response time for the active tilt control system. The single stage pressure control valve that controls the pressure in the main line must provide a fast response as well as good flow and pressure characteristics. However, the flow gradient of this valve cannot be as high as the flow gradient of the main spool valve. Even if the single stage pressure control valve has good pressure characteristics, the amount of flow that is flowing through the valve is significant. This means that the actuators do not receive the largest amount of flow when the fast response is needed. Accordingly, flow is wasted.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an active tilt control system with improved controllability for quicker response during vehicle maneuvers.

Vehicle active tilt control system with pressure-controlled pump


A device is provided for feeding an endless welding wire stored in a first container in a first coil generally concentric with a first vertical axis and a second container in a second coil generally concentric with a second vertical axis spaced longitudinally from the first axis in a given direction. The novel device including a track element extending in a path generally including the coil axes and extending above the coils in the given direction. A grommet, with a vertical wire receiving guide opening, is mounted on a support mechanism carried by the track element for movement of the grommet above the coils and along the path of the track element.

For high production electric are welding, especially in the automobile industry, there is substantial development work directed to providing endless welding wire from a continuous supply of wire by butt welding the ends of wire in coils of adjacent packages, such as drums. The use of endless welding wire reduces the down time associated with package change over in automatic and robotic welding. Endless welding wire involves welding wire coiled in two adjacent packages butt welded together so that as one coil is exhausted, the second coil automatically provides welding wire. To continue the supply of endless welding wire, an empty container is replaced by a new container having a first wire end forming the normal feed wire end and an exposed trailing end from the bottom of the new coil. The feed end is then butt welded to the exposed trailing end of the previous wire coil to continue providing welding wire. This technique is well known; however, it is seldom used because of the difficulty in feeding the wire from one coil and then the next coil by a single wire feeding device capable of accommodating wire from one drum and then wire from the next drum. The common wire feeding mechanism is a feeding grommet spaced substantially above and generally between the two containers or drums so that the wire from one drum is pulled through the vertically spaced grommet and then wire from the second drum is pulled through the same grommet. To prevent tangles and sharp bends, the vertically spaced feed grommet must be substantially above the two adjacent containers or drums. This typical feeding device for endless welding wire has two major disadvantages. First, the feed grommet is over 2 feet above the top of the adjacent containers. This creates interference with associated mechanisms and structures adjacent the wire feeder. Consequently, the two drums and the wire feeder must be spaced away from the welding station or robot so that it is in an area having a vertical clearance. In some factories, such clearance is not available, thus, causing rejection of this feeder for an endless welding wire. Furthermore, the welding wire is normally at the open circuit voltage of the welding operation. Thus, the wire extending from the packages to the grommet exposes high voltage, requiring some type of protective guard around the feeding operation. Such guard presents another obstacle to using the standard feeding device for endless welding wire. In an effort to reduce the height necessary for the feeding grommet it has been proposed that the feeding grommet be mounted on a swinging arm that pivots from the center of one welding wire coil to the center of the adjacent welding wire coil, as the first coil is exhausted and the second coil replaces the first coil. This swinging arm allows the endless welding wire from the first coil to be pulled through the feeding grommet directly above the coil. As the next coil is used, the arm pivots to a position above the second coil. This mechanism reduces the height of the feeding grommet and the length of bare wire exposed during the welding operation. To assure proper orientation of the feeding grommet, the swinging arm carrying the grommet has two arcuate positions, normally locked in place by a spring biased detent. This swinging arm feeding device does reduce the height of the mechanism, but not to any great extent. The swinging action from one coil to the other coil of the endless welding wire must avoid sharp bends in the wire. Thus, the vertical height remained a spatial problem. Furthermore, the pivoting arm, not only caused certain difficulties when shifting from one coil to the next coil, but also maintained a large length of exposed, bare welding wire with open circuit voltage. The high fixed feeding grommet and swinging arm feeding grommet constitute background technology to which the present invention is directed. They both have the problem of excessive height requiring vertical clearance for the area containing the two welding wire packages and result in a substantial length of exposed wire. Furthermore, the swinging arm feeding device promotes tanglements, as the arm swung from one coil supply to the next coil supply at changeover. The present invention relates to an improved feeding device for an endless welding wire that overcomes the disadvantages associated with prior attempts in this technical area.


The present invention provides a music search device for searching for a tune by using an impression quantity obtained by quantifying a listener's impression of such a tune. A tune database contains at least data of a plurality of tunes and a characteristic quantity obtained by quantifying characteristics of each tune. The tune database includes an adjustment table. A reference table storage section stores a reference table containing a previously obtained set of a characteristic quantity and an impression quantity for each of a plurality of sample tunes. When an adjustment input is received, an updating section adds to the adjustment table a set of a received impression quantity and a characteristic quantity of a tune associated with the received impression quantity, and updates the mapping function based on the adjustment table, to which the set of the impression quantity and the characteristic quantity has been added, and the reference table.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a music search device, and more particularly to a music search device for searching for music data based on a user's subjective evaluation.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, with the availability of personal computers, or the like, having a large-capacity storage device and with the advancements in the music data compression technology, a large number of music tunes (a large amount of music data) can be stored in a personal computer. Where a user can store a large number of tunes, it would be convenient for the user to be able to identify a tune of interest from among a large number of tunes by specifying an image that the user has for such a tune, as well as by specifying its title.
Music search methods for searching for a tune according to the user's impression of such a tune have been proposed in the art. In these methods, a musical characteristic quantity (such as tempo or beat) of a tune is automatically extracted from the tune data and converted into an impression quantity (such as violent-ness or refreshing-ness), which is obtained by quantifying the impression of the tune. The user, searching for a tune, inputs an impression quantity, and a tune having an impression quantity close to the inputted impression quantity is presented to the user. Thus, the user can easily find a tune of a certain image intended by the user.
The conversion between the characteristic quantity and the impression quantity can be performed by using a mapping function. The mapping function is derived from combinations of impression quantities obtained by actually evaluating various tunes, and characteristic quantities uniquely derived from the tunes. More specifically, the impression quantity and the characteristic quantity are obtained for each of a plurality of tunes, and a mapping function is derived from the obtained combinations so that the impression quantity and the characteristic quantity can be properly converted to each other by the mapping function for those tunes. Using the derived mapping function, the impression quantity of a tune that has not been actually evaluated can be calculated.
However, each person has a different perception from others. Therefore, a particular mapping function cannot produce conversion results that agree with the perceptions of all users. Moreover, people have to actually evaluate a number of tunes to obtain a mapping function. If the number of tunes evaluated or the number of people evaluating tunes is not sufficient, it may not be possible to obtain a desirable mapping function (i.e., a mapping function capable of producing conversion results that agree with the perceptions of many users). Therefore, with the conventional music search methods, the tune presented to the user in response to an impression quantity inputted by the user may not be a tune of the image intended by the user.
Moreover, with the conventional methods, the mapping function for the conversion between the characteristic quantity and the impression quantity is a predetermined fixed function. Therefore, even if the search results do not agree with the perception of the user, the user cannot make adjustments to the function. An ideal mapping function for a certain user may be obtained if the user actually evaluates a large number of tunes, but it will be quite time-consuming and tiring for the user. It is quite impractical that each user has to evaluate a large number of tunes to obtain a mapping function that suits the user. As described above, with the conventional music search methods, the search results may not agree with the perception of the user. Moreover, in such a case, the user is left with no option at all for improving the search function.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The magnetostrictive rod of a linear motor is made of twinned single crys Terfenol-D having its crystalline axis aligned with the rod axis to produce non-uniform transverse magnetostriction during axial magnetostrictive elongation of the rod in response to a triggering magnetic field. Slide bearing forces applied through spring biased support plates are limited to flat surfaces formed on the rod perpendicular to a transverse axis along which the rod is magnetostrictively contracted.

This invention relates generally to motors or actuators through which electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy by magnetostriction.
Linear motors based on electrostriction operating principles are well known and are similar in operation to magnetostrictive types of linear motors. In a magnetostrictive linear motor, an active element is movable in one direction of motion relative to a container associated with its stator. The movable element is tightly held in the container while the motor is deenergized. The stator also has already associated therewith an electromagnetically energized coil for generating a magnetic field that is oriented in the direction of motion imparted to the movable element. In continuous motion types of motors, having relatively small strokes, the movable element is maintained clamped to its stator at one axial location in the direction of motion. In motors producing discontinuous motion, the movable element is either clamped to the stator at two or more axial locations or the clamping location is changed during operation.
The use of polycrystalline Terfenol-D as a most desirable magnetostriction material has already been proposed for the movable element of magnetostrictive linear motors. Such active element material is magnetostrictively elongated by a localized magnetic field swept along the direction of motion as the element shrinks from the inner wall surface of its stator support lube by contracting uniformly in directions transverse to its motion. The movable element clamped to the stator support tube in the static condition of such motors is under randomly applied radial stress in multi-axis directions.
Various problems are inherent in the latter type of linear motor already known in the art. First, the polycrystalline Terfenol-D material must be ground into a near perfect circular cross-section in order to establish a uniform tight fit within the support tube. Second, any wear between the outer cylindrical surface of the movable element and the inner wall surface of the support tube renders the motor inoperative. Thirdly, motor performance is limited by its pre-stressed condition.
It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a linear motor of the type having the desirable properties of a crystalline Terfenol-D magnetostrictive element, but avoids the aforementioned problems associated therewith and meets the high levels of performance necessary for high power micropositioners, injection valves, micrometering valves and other devices relying on accurate linear motion.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A compressed gas buoyancy generator powered by temperature differences in a fluid medium having a thermal gradient which includes a body having an inflatable chamber connected thereto for rendering the body buoyant at a surface of the fluid medium and a mechanism for inflating the inflatable chamber with a gas, the inflating mechanism including a mechanism for inflating the inflatable chamber with the gas by obtaining energy from the thermal gradient within the fluid medium. The inflating mechanism includes a mechanism for absorbing heat at a surface portion of the fluid medium and for converting the absorbed heat at a predetermined depth of the fluid medium into a mechanical work for inflating the inflatable chamber when the body is at the surface of the fluid medium.

1. Field of the Invention
This application concerns a thermal engine with the capability to store and controllably release energy and which is particularly adaptable to free bodies which move vertically in a fluid medium, typically in the ocean.
2. Discussion of the Background
Bodies are commonly moved vertically through the ocean, for example instruments which measure the properties of the interior of the ocean at one or more depths, and transit to the surface for recovery, radio telemetry of stored data, etc.
The design of such bodies involves two problems. First, the motion from deep in the ocean to the surface and return. The work required is designated as the driving force F times the distance d through the water (i.e., work=F.times.d), and several approaches to generating the driving force are commonly used. For example, a motor/propeller system or a system of movement of seawater ballast from inside the body to outside, thus changing the density of the body, is known. Also known is a system of transferring oil or other fluids between a reservoir inside the body to a flexible external bladder, thus changing the specific volume of the body. This may include jettisoning of fluid or solid bodies of a density greater or less than a secondary body, or the transfer of gas from a storage reservoir inside the body to a flexible external bladder to ascend, and jettisoning the gas for descending.
For example, the ocean instrument commonly called ALACE (Autonomous Lagrangian Circulation Explorer) uses a electro-hydraulic system as follows. To ascend (i.e. gain buoyancy), oil from an internal reservoir is pumped to a flexible external reservoir via a hydraulic pump powered by an electric motor. To descend, an electrically operated hydraulic valve opens and allows oil to flow from the external to an internal reservoir. Both the motor and valve draw power from a battery pack and are controlled by an electronic controller.
Most of these approaches have been used, and are suitable for providing the driving force to move the body through a column of water.
Once the body reaches the surface of the ocean a second problem is frequently encountered. The body needs a certain buoyancy to expose its antenna, relocation aids, reflectors, etc., and this buoyancy is often greater than can be readily provided by the propulsion system which brought it to the surface.
Stated another way, the body, on arrival at the surface has very little buoyancy, and if disposed in a surface wave field, it will frequently be below the surface.

Compressed gas buoyancy generator powered by temperature differences in a fluid body


A computer system includes a plurality of programs and a plurality of accessible objects. Each program has an associated program identifier, and at least some of the objects have respective access control lists (ACL). Each ACL entry may comprise a program identifier key and an access permission indication. When a user attempts to access an object by way of a program, an entry in the ACL of the object is selected by matching the entry keys with at least the program identifier of the program, and access is granted or denied on the basis of the access permission indication in the selected entry.

This invention relates to security mechanisms for computer systems. More specifically, the invention is concerned with a means for controlling access to files and other objects so as to protect the data from access by unauthorised programs and to allow the confidentiality and integrity of data residing in the system to be maintained.
Many computer systems, including enhanced security versions of UNIX, (UNIX is trade mark of Unix System Laboratories Inc) permit access to files, etc to be controlled by associating with each file a list of the users (and/or groups of users) who are allowed to access the file, with the types of access permitted to each. This list is an example of an Access Control List (ACL). For example, a file might have associated with it the ACL:
______________________________________ jo: rwx alex: chris: x *: r-x ______________________________________
indicating that jo is permitted to read, write or execute the file; alex is not permitted to access it at all; chris is permitted only to execute it; and everyone else (the * entry) is permitted to read and execute it.
Each file also has an owner, who is the only user that is allowed to change the ACL.
Several years ago a seminal paper was published on access control in commercial systems (A Comparison of Commercial and Military Security Policies, Clark & Wilson, IEEE Oakland Conference on Security and Privacy, 1987). A premise of the paper is that access control in commercial systems needs to be based not only on the identity of the user requesting the action, but also on the identity of the program which is acting on the user's behalf to access the data.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved security mechanism for a computer system. This mechanism builds on the above proposal to provide support for application implemented security policies via access control based on the identity of the program.

Security mechanism for a computer system


A process for producing and an image receiving material for dye diffusion thermal transfer processes comprises a carrier material, an intermediate layer of a crosslinked material, and an image receiving layer of an uncrosslinked material, and the two layers are produced without using organic solvents.

This invention relates to an image receiving material for thermal dye transfer processes in which the material has an intermediate layer and a dye receiving layer, and to a process for producing same.
Thermal dye transfer systems, e.g. dye diffusion thermal transfer D2T2, produce images of originals by an electronic method. The originals are broken down into the primary colors cyan, magenta and yellow plus optionally black, which are then converted to electric pulses, and the pulses are relayed to a thermal printer where they are converted to heat in the print head.
The image receiving material passes through the thermal printer in contact with an ink donor element. In the print head the reverse side of a dye donor element is heated in accordance with the pulses given and a dye is released that diffuses or sublimes into this receiving layer of the image receiving material. This process is repeated successively for all the colors, then yielding the finished image.
It is known from JP-OS 60-236794 that carrier materials made of paper can be coated with high molecular thermoplastic materials before applying the image receiving layer. These high molecular thermoplastics may be polyolefins, polystyrene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate or ionomer resins. This intermediate layer of thermoplastics should even out the irregularities in the paper surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,224 also describes an image receiving material for dye diffusion thermal transfer with a paper backing that is provided with a thermoplastic intermediate layer, preferably comprising a polyolefin. According to this patent, the surface roughness of the intermediate layer should be limited to <0.2 .mu.m (average peak-to-valley roughness 7.5 .mu.inch).
European Patent No. 407 613 describes an image receiving material which also has thermoplastic intermediate layers. The thermoplastics are preferably polyolefins, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethacrylate or polycarbonate. The surface roughness of the intermediate layer is between 0.2 and 4.0 .mu.m in this patent.
All three patent publications describe image receiving materials for dye diffusion thermal transfer having a thermoplastic intermediate layer between the paper backing material and the image receiving layer. The quantity of the image transferred is supposed to be improved by the intermediate thermoplastic layer.
However, the image receiving materials of these three aforementioned publications have a definite shortcoming in the finished image with regard to thermal stability and aging resistance. The definition is progressively reduced, lines are broadened and blurred, and the text may be blurred to the point of illegibility. However, the thermal stability and the heat resistance of the image receiving materials are important criteria for their use and for suitability for use.
Therefore, the goal of this invention is to provide an image receiving material for dye diffusion thermal transfer processes that will make it possible to produce images with a high color density that are resistant to aging and heat, and will thus largely retain their good image quality.
This problem is solved by an image receiving material with an intermediate layer of a crosslinked material and an image receiving layer of uncrosslinked material applied to it, whereby both layers are produced from coating compositions that are free of organic solvents.
It was surprising to discover that through the combination of these two layers, a high color density and an excellent thermal stability and aging resistance of the image could be achieved because these good results could not be achieved either through use of two uncrosslinked layers or two crosslinked layers.
The materials used for the intermediate layer are lacquers of monomers, oligomers or prepolymers, but usually mixtures of these groups. Mainly the monomers serve as diluents in the lacquers. The monomers can be omitted to advantage if the coating compositions are processed at elevated temperatures, preferably 300.degree. C. to 60.degree. C.
The monomers, oligomers and prepolymers contain carbon double bonds (>C.dbd.C<), as acryl, methacryl, allyl or vinyl compounds. They may also contain hydroxyl groups, carboxyl groups and other polar groups, e.g. to improve adhesion of the image receiving layer.
Preferably, the crosslinkable compounds should comprise more than 50 wt % acrylate esters and/or methacrylate esters.
The lacquers can be filled to advantage before crosslinking with white pigments, such as carbonates, oxides, sulfates or sulfites of the elements calcium, magnesium, barium, strontium, zinc or titanium. Because of its high refractive index, titanium dioxide has proven especially suitable. Lacquers containing up to 70 wt % titanium dioxide have been processed successfully. Thus, the image background yields a high light reflection and makes the images appear more brilliant.
In addition, the lacquers may also contain up to 20 wt % additives, such as uncrosslinkable resins, optical brighteners matting agents, dyes and photoinitiators.
After applying the lacquer to the carrier material, it is crosslinked by means of high energy radiation which may be electron beam radiation or ultraviolet radiation. When using ultraviolet, photoinitiators must be added to the lacquer to form free radicals that initiate the crosslinking reaction.
The lacquers can be applied to the carrier material with the usual applicator systems, such as doctor blade or slit gap metering systems, grid rollers or multiple roll systems.
To produce especially brilliant images, the lacquer is brought in contact with high gloss metal surfaces, e.g. high-gloss cylinders, and crosslinked by exposing it to high energy electron radiation. The radiation treatment with accelerated electrons is applied from the back side, i.e. from the uncoated side of the carrier material. The electrons must be accelerated to the extent that their depth of penetration exceeds the thickness of the carrier material plus the lacquer layer. This technique is described in German Pat. No. 30 22 709.
To improve the flatness or dimensional stability of the carrier material, it may also be coated on both sides with a lacquer or precoated on one or both sides with thermoplastics, such as polyolefins.
A thermoplastic layer that has the function of a barrier layer beneath the intermediate layer of crosslinked lacquers prevents the penetration or absorption of the applied lacquer into the interior of the paper and, thus, saves on the use of lacquer material.
All suitable materials such as those known from the literature can be used for the image receiving layer. The finished image is resistant to aging and heat due to the intermediate layer. However, the coating composition should be free of organic solvents.
In order to assure good adhesion of the image receiving layer on the crosslinked intermediate layer, pretreatments such as corona discharge have proven suitable.

Multilayer image receiving material for thermal dye transfer and process for producing same


An orthopedic fastener having compound parabolic petals configured to secure within trabecular bone during orthopedic procedures by compressing the trabecular bone while minimizing the lacerating effect of traditional screws and correspondingly reducing trauma to the trabecular bone. The compound parabolic petals are configured to progressively compress the trabecular bone during advancement of the orthopedic fastener through the trabecular bone in a compress-partial release-compress progression along a shaft of the orthopedic fastener and create a secure connection thereto with compression distributed along the length of the orthopedic fastener, and center a proximal end of the shaft/orthopedic fastener within an insertion point of the orthopedic fastener.

It is common for trauma, oral and maxillofacial, bone reconstruction, total joint reconstruction or orthopedic corrective procedures for various deformity (collectively, "orthopedic procedures") to utilize surgical intervention to reconstruct, repair injured or failing joints or bones. Often during orthopedic procedures, securing or fastening bones, teeth, tissues, or other devices to bones is necessary. The devices, systems, and methods used to perform these fixations are critical for minimizing patient trauma, disability and recovery time, and ensuring that the fixation remains secured. In one regard, the devices and methods for these procedures must interact with the specific structure of bone. For example, fasteners must pierce surrounding tissue and the bone and secure therein. Less movement of the fracture ends, fragments, or fixation device typically correlates to shorter healing time, increased stability and more functional utility of the repair, although complete rigidity is not necessarily desirable.
In one aspect, trabecular bone is a focal point for bone damage during orthopedic procedures. With reference to FIG. 1, trabecular bone 102, also referred to as cancellous bone, is a generally spongy, porous type of bone that is found at the ends of long bones and within flat and irregular bones such as the sternum, pelvis, and spine. Trabecular bone 102 may be contained within denser cortical bone surfaces 101.
FIG. 2 shows finite structures of trabecular bone 102 (with continuing reference to FIG. 1). At the micro- 201 and nano- 202 structure scales the lattice-type configuration of trabecular bone 102 may be seen. The lattice includes bridges 203 of trabecular bone material (described in further detail, below) with interstices therebetween. Trauma or lacerations to the bone material bridges 203 can weaken entire portions of the lattice. The nano-structure scale 202 shows that successive bridges 203 of bone material may be supported by and/or connected to other discrete formations within the trabecular bone 102. Thus, damage to one portion of the lattice may affect the integrity of other portions.
Each trabecular bone cell also includes nucleotides which provide a communication channel between trabecular bone cells within a larger bone structure. Accordingly, minimizing the scar tissue in the insertion area and leveraging the nucleotide connections between all bone cells in a given bone structure is important since it allows for the bone to leverage the natural characteristics of bone and encourage adjacent cells to come to the aid of any impacted cells and provide additional anchoring stability in the overall bone structure. This is especially important when surgical fasteners and other orthopedic fixation devices are used on the bone to correct deformity and require maximum stability for thorough healing.
All of the above aspects of trabecular bone are susceptible to damage during orthopedic procedures of all kinds. For example, to fix an orthopedic device to a bone a surgeon may drill an insertion point through one of the cortical bone surfaces, advance a fastener through the insertion point and trabecular bone to secure the orthopedic device, and anchor the fastener in the cortical wall distal to the insertion point. A fastener that must pierce and secure itself within the trabecular bone can potentially traumatize or lacerate the trabecular bone and/or damage the nucleotide connections between trabecular bone cells.
Damage to the trabecular bone can increase healing time and scar tissue. This, in turn, reduces the effectiveness of the repair as the bone attempts to adjust to any fasteners, fixtures, or manipulations from the orthopedic procedure. Further, trabecular bone injury weakens the entire bone and hinders the natural biological bone remodeling whereby the trabecular bone structure naturally changes over the course the bone's life and adjusts to or prevents further damage from repeated forces. Damage to the trabecular bone stimulates a rigid bone remodeling to compensate for the damage. The damaged portions of trabecular bone become incapable of natural bone remodeling. Thus, more damage to the natural structure of the trabecular bone leads to more bone with diminished ability to adjust to repeated forces and/or prevent further damage or injury.
Current screws, fasteners, and other devices used in orthopedic procedures can damage the trabecular bone. For example, the devices may manipulate and artificially fixate bone fragments including trabecular bone to fix the device(s) in place. The manipulation and fixation may traumatize the trabecular bone by, e.g., indiscriminately stressing, fracturing, and shifting portions of the bone. In addition, some screws and fasteners employ sharp threading that can lacerate the trabecular bone and surrounding tissues.
In addition, the devices and systems used in the subject procedures often fracture, loosen, or even disengage from fixations. Any of these can cause further damage to the bone and may require additional orthopedic procedures to remedy.
The current devices, systems, and associated methods also have some difficulty interfacing with many patient co-morbidities: osteopenia and osteoporosis, Parkinson's Disease, diabetes mellitus, among others.
In view of the above, there is a need for an orthopedic fastener that minimizes trauma and injury to tissues and bone, especially trabecular bone, during orthopedic procedures and prevents fracturing, loosening, or disengaging of the orthopedic fastener over the life of the implant once it is in place.

Orthopedic fastener and associated systems and methods


Evaluation of electrical accessibility within a layer of a circuit to pin geometries residing within a cell boundary of the circuit is provided. The evaluating includes, for instance, checking along substantially parallel pin geometry access paths of the layer to determine possible points at which a respective pin geometry of the pin geometries within the cell boundary may be accessed. The evaluating also includes identifying which points of the possible points are accessible access points by any route of the possible routes for electrically connecting to a respective pin geometry of the pin geometries from a first side or a second side of the cell boundary, wherein at least one point of the possible points is identified as not being an accessible access point based on the at least one point being inaccessible by the possible routes.

Efficient usage of Back End of Line (BEOL) routing resources continues to be an important factor in achieving reduction in both die scale and costs of chip design. Emphasis is typically placed on narrowing the wire pitch and overall footprint of chip components, particularly in heavy traffic areas such as the Metal-2 (M2) and Metal-3 (M3) layers. Despite these efforts, space constraints in heavy traffic area continues to be an issue in need of improvement especially as demand rises for more complex chips of increasingly smaller sizes.

Evaluation of pin geometry accessibility in a layer of circuit


There is provided an embossed film in which the frequency of loss of concavities is smaller, the embossed film including: a film main body; and a plurality of concavities formed on a surface of the film main body. A diameter of an opening surface of the concavity is larger than a visible light wavelength, an arrangement pattern of the concavities has periodicity along a length direction of the film main body, and the difference between the rate of loss of concavities in one end portion of the film main body and the rate of loss of concavities in the other end portion of the film main body is 10 ppm or less.

These days, embossed films having concave-convex structures of various planar configurations are developed and used.
Examples of the method for producing such an embossed film include a method in which a concave-convex structure is formed on a sheet-like transfer destination film using a stamper master.
Specifically, a stamper master in which the inverted shape of a concave-convex structure that is to be formed on a film is formed on the surface of a flat plate-like substrate (transfer surface) is produced, and the stamper master is pressed against
a transfer destination film; thereby, the shape of the transfer surface of the stamper master is transferred to the transfer destination film. By performing such transfer repeatedly, an embossed film on which a desired concave-convex structure is formed can be produced on almost the entire area of a sheet-like transfer destination film.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Embossed film, sheet film, transfer copy, and method for producing embossed film


A two-lead, surface-mounting, high-power micro-leadframe semiconductor package has the same outline, mounting, and electrical functionality as industry standard leadframe packages but provides a lower internal resistance, a higher package power rating, and costs less to produce. The novel package incorporates one of a rectangular array of xe2x80x9cmicro-leadframesxe2x80x9d (xe2x80x9cMLFsxe2x80x9d), each having parallel and respectively coplanar upper and lower surfaces etched in a plate having a uniform thickness. Each micro-leadframe includes an I-shaped die pad having a head, a foot, and opposite sides. First and second leads are disposed at the foot of the die pad, each having a side aligned with one of the sides of the pad. The second lead has an right-angled wire-bonding pad next to the die pad. A portion of a lower surface of each of the die pad and the leads is exposed through a lower surface of an envelope of plastic molded on the package to define package input/output terminals.

1. Technical Field
This invention pertains to the semiconductor packaging art in general, and in particular, to making two-lead, surface-mounting, high-power, micro-leadframe semiconductor packages having enhanced power ratings and lower manufacturing costs.
2. Related Art
In a known type of high-power, metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (xe2x80x9cMOSFETxe2x80x9d) device, a number of lower-power devices are formed in a single semiconductor die, or xe2x80x9cchip,xe2x80x9d and the respective xe2x80x9cgatexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9csourcexe2x80x9d terminals of the devices are all formed on the top of the die and respectively connected in parallel by thin metal pads on the top surface of the die, which in turn, are internally connected, typically by wire bonds, to respective leads of the device package.
The xe2x80x9cdrainxe2x80x9d terminals of the individual devices are all respectively formed on the bottom of the die, and are connected in parallel by a thin metal pad on the bottom surface of the die, which in turn, is internally connected, typically by solder, to a metal die-mounting pad, which then constitutes a third xe2x80x9clead,xe2x80x9d or terminal, of the package. Other types of two- and three-terminal, high-power electronic devices can be made in a similar fashion.
An industry standard TO-252 xe2x80x9ctwo-lead header,xe2x80x9d surface-mounting, highpower, leadframe semiconductor package 10 adapted to accommodate the above types of devices is illustrated in the top plan, side elevation, and bottom plan views of FIGS. 1-3, respectively, in which a protective plastic envelope 36 molded over the device is shown by a dashed line to reveal the underlying details thereof. The standard package 10, sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9cDpakxe2x80x9d package, is similar to other standardized two-lead, surface-mounting packages of a known type in the industry, viz., the TO-263 (xe2x80x9cD2pakxe2x80x9d) and the TO-268 (xe2x80x9cD3pakxe2x80x9d) outline packages.
The lead frame 12 of the standard package 10 comprises a rectangular die pad 14, three leads 16, 18 and 20, and a xe2x80x9cheaderxe2x80x9d 22 that are typically die-stamped from a dual-gage metal sheet, e.g., copper. A first, down-set tie-bar 24 permanently connects the vestigial center lead 18 to the die pad 14, and a second, transverse tie-bar 26 (shown by dashed lines) temporarily connects the three leads 16, 18, and 20 together until the package is molded over with plastic, and is then cut away and discarded.
A semiconductor die 28 incorporating an electronic device of the type described above is mounted on the upper surface of the die pad 14 with its lower surface in electrical connection therewith, and a plurality of wire bonds 30 are connected between bonding pads 32 and 34 on the upper surface of the die 28 and right-angled wire bonding arms at the inner ends of each of the first and second leads 16 and 20, respectively, as described above. A protective plastic envelope 36 is molded over the leadframe 12, die 28, and wire bonds 30, and a lower surface of the die pad 14 is exposed through and flush with the envelope to constitute, along with the down-set first and second leads 16 and 20, a third, surface-mounting terminal of the package 10.
While the industry-standard package 10 provides a workable housing and mounting for the above-described types of high-power devices, it also includes some aspects that need improvement. In particular, the dual thickness leadframe 12 is relatively expensive to produce, and is limited to a single inline, or tandem, xe2x80x9cstripxe2x80x9d production method that is relatively cost-inefficient.
Also, the two leads 16 and 20 of the package 10 must be made relatively thin so that they can be formed in multiple planes, as shown in the figures, and as a result, their electrical conductivity is adversely reduced. Further, the length of the right-angled wire-bonding arms on the inner ends of the leads 16 and 20 is limited by the presence of the third, vestigial lead 18. As a consequence, only two small (0.008 in.) diameter wire bonds 30 can be made to the second lead 20 of the package, which adversely affects the internal resistance of the package in, e.g., a power MOSFET, resulting in a relatively high value for the internal resistance between the drain and the source of the device during operation (xe2x80x9cRDS(ON)xe2x80x9d), and a concomitant lower power rating for the package.
A need therefore exists for a two-lead, surface-mounting, high-power, micro-leadframe semiconductor package that has the same outline, mounting, and electrical functionality as industry-standard power packages, but which has a higher package power rating and costs less to produce than such packages. This invention provides such a package and a method for making it.
The novel package of the invention and the method for making it comprise providing a metal plate having a uniform thickness. A rectangular array of identical microstructures, each having parallel and respectively coplanar upper and lower surfaces, are formed in the plate, e.g. by photolithography and etching techniques. Each of the microstructures includes an I-shaped die pad having a head, a foot, and opposite sides. A first, elongate lead is disposed at the foot of the die pad. The first lead has a side aligned with one of the sides of the pad, a proximal end located next to the die pad, and an opposite, distal end. A second, L-shaped lead is also disposed at the foot of the die pad, on the other side thereof from the first lead. The second lead has a side aligned with the second side of the die pad, a proximal end; with an elongated right-angled wire-bonding arm thereon located next to the pad, and an opposite, distal end.
A plurality of disposable tie-bars temporarily couple the die pad and the leads of each microstructure together within the plate during fabrication of the packages. A recessed shoulder can be formed around at least a portion of the periphery of the lower surface of each of the die pad and the leads in each microstructure to provide enhanced moisture resistance of the package and adhesion with a protective plastic envelope molded on the package.
A semiconductor die is mounted with its lower surface on and in electrical connection with the upper surface of the die pad in each of the microstructures, such that the die pad comprises an electrical terminal of the resulting package, e.g., in a power MOSFET device, a drain terminal. A plurality of wire bonds is connected between pads on the upper surface of the dies in each of the microstructures and an upper surface of the proximal ends of each of associated ones of the first and second leads therein to complete the internal electrical connection of the dies. For example, in a power MOSFET package, a single wire bond is connected between a common gate pad on the upper surface of the die and the proximal end of the first lead, and as many as five wire bonds are connected between a common source pad on the die and the right-angled wire-bonding arm on the second lead of the package.
A protective envelope of plastic is molded over the die pad, the leads, the die, and the wire bonds in each of the microstructures in the plate, such that at least a portion of a lower surface of each of the die pads and the leads therein is exposed through a lower surface of a respective plastic envelope to form a separate, flush, surface-mounting terminal of the respective package. After the plastic envelopes are molded on the microstructures, the tie bars holding each microstructure in the plate are cut through around a periphery of the envelope of the respective package to singulate the package from the plate.
By utilizing a single, thicker gage of metal in a micro-leadframe design, rather than the thinner, dual-gage metal of the prior art die-stamped leadframe, and by assembling the packages in a large rectangular array, rather than in the single, inline strip of the prior art method, a substantial reduction in package manufacturing costs results. Additionally, the novel design affords nearly twice the lead thickness, and enables up to three more wire bonds of greater diameter to be made to the leads of the package, than in the industry standard packages. This results in a substantial reduction in the internal resistance, inductance, and capacitance in the package, and a corresponding substantial increase in its power rating.
A better understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the present invention may be obtained from a perusal of the detailed description below of some exemplary embodiments thereof, particularly if such perusal is made in conjunction with the figures of the appended drawings.

Making two lead surface mounting high power microleadframe semiconductor packages


A handle assembly of a lock includes a handle, a sleeve, a stopper and an engaging member, wherein the handle comprises an accommodating slot, a lodge hole and a penetrating hole. The sleeve is disposed at the accommodating slot along the direction of a major axis and comprises a through hole. The stopper is disposed at the sleeve and protrudes to the sleeve via the through hole of the sleeve. Owing to the through hole corresponded to the lodge hole, the stopper is lodged in the lodge hole of the handle. The engaging member is disposed in the accommodating slot and adjustably movable along the direction of a transverse axis so that the handle and the sleeve are steadily engaged from each other.

With reference to FIG. 7, a conventional lock 200 includes a handle 210, a sleeve 220 and a stopper 230, wherein the handle 210 comprises an accommodating chamber 211, and the sleeve 220 is disposed within the accommodating chamber 211. There is an allowance between the sleeve 220 and the handle 210 to prevent the sleeve 220 from getting stuck inside the accommodating chamber 211. The stopper 230 is engaged with the handle 210 and the sleeve 220. When the handle 210 actuates the sleeve 220 to rotate via the stopper 230, the sleeve 220 and the handle 210 are severely swayed via the allowance between the sleeve 220 and the handle 210 therefore resulting in damage of the handle 210, the sleeve 220 or the stopper 230.
Referring to FIG. 7 again, the lock 200 further includes a transmission plate 240 disposed in the sleeve 220. When the transmission plate 240 is rotated toward an unlocked position, a tool 250 is applicable to compress the stopper 230 through a penetration hole 212 of the handle 210 so as to make the stopper 230 separate apart from the handle 210. Therefore, the handle 210 enables to separate apart from the sleeve 220 as well.
With reference to FIG. 8, when the transmission plate 240 is rotated toward a locked position, the transmission plate 240 enables to support the stopper 230 to prevent the tool 250 from compressing the stopper 230 to avoid separation between the handle 210 and the sleeve 220.
With reference to FIG. 8 again, when the stopper 230 is forcibly collided by an external force through the penetration hole 212 of the handle 210, the stopper 230 collides with the transmission plate 240 simultaneously to cause deformation of the transmission plate 240. Therefore, the transmission plate 240 fails to support the stopper 230 after deformation. An intruder may apply the same way to make the handle 210 separate apart from the sleeve 220.


In a first aspect, a programmable transfer device is provided for transferring conductive pieces to electrode pads of a target substrate. The programmable transfer device includes (1) a transfer substrate; and (2) a plurality of individually addressable electrodes formed on the transfer substrate. Each electrode is adapted to selectively attract and hold a conductive piece during transfer of the conductive piece to an electrode pad of a target substrate. Numerous other aspects are provided.

During device packaging, electrical connections must be formed between semiconductor device electrode pads of a substrate die and package lead frames. One technique for forming such electrical connections is to employ a Flip Chip process.
During a typical Flip Chip process, conductive bumps are provided at electrode pads of a substrate die, and the substrate die is attached to a circuit board or other carrier face down. The conductive bumps form electrical and mechanical connections between the substrate die and the carrier. Various reflow and/or underfill processes may be employed to secure the substrate die to the underlying carrier and protect the electrical connections provided by the conductive bumps.
Flip Chip bumps may be formed at electrode pads of a substrate using many techniques such as masked physical vapor deposition, electrochemical or electroless plating, paste printing or the like. Another technique for forming bumps at electrode pads of a substrate is to pre-form micron size solder balls and to transfer the pre-formed solder balls to the electrode pads. E. Hashino et al., "Micro-Ball Wafer Bumping for Flip Chip Interconnection," IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference (2001) describe such a technique in which pre-formed solder balls are transferred to electrode pads via an arrangement plate. As described by E. Hashino et al., the arrangement plate includes a plurality of vacuum holes, each adapted to vacuum-hold one solder ball, arranged in a pattern that matches the pattern of electrode pads to which the solder balls are to be transferred. Ideally, such an approach allows all solder balls required for a substrate to be transferred to the electrode pads of the substrate in one transfer operation.
Vacuum-based arrangement plates suffer from several drawbacks. For example, a unique arrangement plate typically must be employed for each electrode pad pattern. Also, during transfer of solder balls to the arrangement plate, improper solder ball registration may occur at one or more vacuum holes of the arrangement plate due to vacuum leaks, contamination, moisture, etc. To affect transfer of solder balls from the arrangement plate to electrode pads of a substrate, an adhesive agent such as solder flux typically must be employed at each electrode pad so that solder balls remain at the electrode pads when the arrangement plate is removed. Flux-free processing thereby is precluded. Accordingly, improved methods and apparatus for transferring conductive materials, such as solder balls, are desirable.

Methods and apparatus for transferring conductive pieces during semiconductor device fabrication


A spout plate used in a spray head of a sprayer includes a spout plate insertably secured at the spout end of the spray head and made from a slightly flexible rubber or plastic material such that multiple posts defining distinct water guide channels are provided annularly on the spout surface thereof. A center of the spout plate is connected to a center of the interior of the spray head. When the spout plate is insertably secured at the spout end of the front end of the spray head of the sprayer, and water flows through the interior of the spray head and flow out of the spout plate for spraying via the water guide channels of the posts provided on the spout plate, different water jets can be sprayed out from the water guide channels of the posts to thereby provide an extensive spraying area and multiple effects.

(a) Field of the invention
The present invention relates to device about sprayer, and particularly to a spout plate for a spray head of a sprayer.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional water sprayer is illustrated. The water sprayer includes a spray head having a bottom end with inner threads 21 and front end serving as spout end that is fitted with an spout plate 22 the surface of which is provided with many outlet holes 221, a long tube 3 having a top section with outer threads 31 for engaging inner threads 21 of the bottom end of spray head 2; and a handle 4 connected to a bottom end of long tube 3 and having a bottom end 41 connectable to a water hose (not shown) connected to a water source and provided with a switch 42 for controlling water to flow to the sprayer. In the aforesaid structure, after the bottom end of handle 4 is connected to a water source via water hoses, a stream of water can flow via handle 4 into long tube 3 and further into spray head 2 to be discharged via outlets 221 annularly disposed in spout plate 22 at spout end of spray head 2.
Referring further to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the spout plate 22 is mainly made from aluminum thin round plate, the surface of which is directly punched by using a plurality of punch needles to from a plurality of outlets 221 therein, and the outlet end of spray head 2 is internally provided with a retaining positioning groove 23 such that the entire outer edge of spout plate 22 can straddle and be positioned on a top side of groove 23. A front periphery 24 of spray head 2 is roll-pressed inwardly to fit and position the spout plate 22 at outlet end of the spray head 2.
As mentioned above, after the bottom end of handle 4 is connected to water source via a water hose, a stream of water can flow via the handle 4 into the long tube 3 and further into the spray head 2 to be discharged via the outlets 221 annularly disposed in the spout plate 22 at the spout end of spray head 2. If it is desired that the water out of via the outlets 221 are a very fine jets as in a gardener""s sprayer, the diameter of the outlets 221 cannot be too large, and the pressure of the water stream supplied to spray head 2 cannot be too small. Otherwise, fine jets of water cannot be obtained, and the jets of water coming out via outlets 221 are disorderly and weak.
In general, when using a plurality of multiple punching needles to form through holes in a metal plate simultaneously, the largest punching depth acceptable to the punching needles cannot be larger than the thickness of the metal plate, i.e., when through holes of 1 mm-diameter are to be formed in the metal plate and punching needles of an external diameter are used for punching the metal plate, the thickness of the metal plate cannot be larger than 1 mm. Otherwise, the punching needles cannot form the holes directly. In the conventional spout plate 22 insertably mounted at the spout end of the spray head 2, since it is made from thin round aluminum plate. Although multiple punching needles can be used to punch the spout plate 22 to form multiple through holes therein, after the bottom end of the handle 4 is connected to the water supply, the water can flow via the handle 4 into the long tube 3 and further into the spray head 2 and is sprayed out via the outlets 211 in the spout plate 21 insertably mounted at the outlet end of the spray head 21. If the pressure of the water supply is strong enough, the water is sprayed out in fine water jets from the outlets 221. If the water pressure is low, fine water jets cannot be formed and the strength of the sprayed water is weak, as shown in FIG. 4.
Therefore, only if the spout plate 22 is not made from thin round aluminum plate and is made from a round metal plate of a larger thickness and formed with multiple fine water channels therein, the water can flow the sprayer via the bottom end of the handle 4 and the long tube 3 and further into the spray head 2 so as to be sprayed out from the fine water channels in the spout plate 21 insertable mounted at the spout end of the spray head 2. However, in this case, holes in the spout plate 21 cannot be simultaneously formed by using punching needles. Instead, fine water channels have to be formed by drilling the surface of the spout plate 21, which is complicated and inconvenient in manufacturing the spout plate 21.
The object of the present invention is to provide a spout plate for a spray head of a sprayer to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art. In the improved spout plate for a spray head of a sprayer, a spout plate is in sertably secured at the spout end of the spray head and is made from a slightly flexible rubber (plastic) material by integral injection molding such that multiple posts defining distinct water guide channels are provided annularly on the spout surface thereof. A center of the spout plate is connected to the center of the interior of the spray head that is rotatably retractable and controllable. When the spout plate is insertably secured at the spout end of the front end of the spray head of the sprayer, and the sprayer is passed by water flow which flows through the interior of the spray head and flow out from the spout plate to be sprayed out via the water guide channels of the posts provided on the spout plate, distinct water jets can be sprayed out from the water guide channels of the posts to thereby provide an extensive spraying area and multiple effects.

Spout plate used in spray head of sprayer


An electric connector fastener including a female retaining plate made for fastening up with a male retaining plate, and a press block fastened to the female retaining plate for release control, the female retaining plate having a hook hole extended from an angled front end thereof adapted for receiving the male retaining plate, an arched notch at an inner side of its angled front end in communication with the hook hole for engagement with a raised portion of the male retaining plate, an axle housing transversely disposed in the middle for installation, a returned springy tail having an angled end piece, and two retaining holes longitudinally spaced between the springy tail and the axle housing, the press block having a longitudinal track defined within a bottom channel thereof into which a part of the female retaining plate is inserted, and two sloping retainer blocks spaced inside the bottom channel and respectively forced into engagement with the retaining holes of the female retaining plate.

The present invention relates to electric connector fasteners adapted for use in an electric connector for securing it to a matching electric connector.
FIG. 1 shows a female retaining plate 10 adapted for use in a first electric connector for engagement with a male retaining plate 21 of a second electric connector 20. The female retaining plate 10 comprises a hook hole 11 at one end, an axle housing 12 transversely disposed in the middle, a press portion 14 at an opposite end, and a projecting spring strip 13 spaced between the press portion 14 and the axle housing 12. The male retaining plate 21 comprises a screw 25 mounted in a hole in the connector 20, a projecting strip 22, a raised portion 23 raised from the projecting strip 22 at one side. When the two electric connectors are connected together, the raised portion 23 of the male retaining plate 20 is forced into engagement with the hook hole 11 of the female retaining plate 10. When to disconnect the two electric connectors, the press portion 14 is depressed to force the hook hole 11 out of the raised portion 23. The drawback of the aforesaid arrangement is that the raised portion 23 of the male retaining plate 21 tends to be forced out of the hook hole 11 of the female retaining plate 10, causing a connection error. Further, because the female retaining plate 10 is a metal plate and the press portion 14 is not electrically insulated, it is dangerous to operate the press portion 14 with the hand when power supply is not turned off.


A system for responding to telephone queries for transit system information is disclosed in which the information received by transit information operators is used to initiate a pathfinding query, which results in a search using a heuristic method with Island Sets being performed in order to determine, for example, an itinerary which the operator can relate to the caller which answers the caller's query. A stopping rule, based on clock time, iteration count, openings of goal nodes, adjustments of goal node labels and the state of the transaction queue is also disclosed.

The invention relates generally to a computerized system for decision making. More particularly, the present invention relates to the real time system for determining itineraries for public transportation systems which are optimal based upon the rider's criteria.
The problem faced by many riders of public transportation systems is that of choosing or determining a route between an origin and a destination. The public transit rider wishes to choose the optimum itinerary for each trip. Often times, many potential riders would like to use public transportation systems, however, they have difficulty determining the exact location of the transit stations, as well as the route to take to get to their destination.
Once a rider has selected public transportation as the optimum transportation mode, the passenger wishes to maximize his utilization of that system by choosing the optimal set of bus and rail routes through the transit system from his origin to the destination at a particular time of day. While different riders have different objectives and, therefore, different utility functions, virtually all passengers place a high value on travel time.
As is well known, a transit system is a public transportation provider which operates vehicles on fixed routes, according to fixed schedules. An urban transit system typically includes buses and rail vehicles moving along fixed routes and stopping at a predetermined set of transit stations or bus stops. Generally, service is provided in both directions along the route. For convenience, the transit authority designates one of the directions inbound and the other outbound. The transit authority publishes a schedule that lists some or all of the stops along the route, with the times that a vehicle on the route arrives at the stop. Such points listed on the schedule are termed time points. The times for stops not listed on the schedule are determined by interpolation. Typically, a schedule lists several running times for each route.
In addition, certain stops in the transit network are transfer points. Two or more routes service those stops and the transit authority allows transfers between at least two of the routes. In many transit networks, the transit authority will not allow transfers that could be used to make a round trip. Therefore, passengers must request a transfer pass on the first route, so that the transit authority can control which route combinations represent valid transfers. The transfer authority may also require transfer passengers to take the very next bus that passes the transfer stop, in order to prevent passengers from visiting two destinations for a single fare. However, a reasonable amount of time must be allowed between alighting from one transit vehicle and embarkment on the next transit vehicle, so that the transfer is possible even when the vehicles run ahead of or behind schedule.
As described above, the transit system normally follows a predetermined schedule. However, that schedule may be changed relatively frequently, for a number of different reasons. For example, holidays and special events may interrupt the service schedule, or cause it to be temporarily rerouted. Construction of the roads travelled by the transit system and of the transit facilities themselves may also cause interruptions. Also, transit vehicle drivers and other transit workers are typically represented by labor unions that demand service changes three to four times per year.
The problem faced by riders who must choose a route between an origin and a destination is known as the transit itinerary selection problem. Since travellers typically also seek to minimize the amount of walking required at their origins or destinations, the number of transfers required during the trip and the travel itself, passengers typically try to maximize utility by choosing the itinerary having a minimum net travel impedance. When a transit system is modeled as a network, with edge costs measured in units of impedance, the transit itinerary selection problem becomes a shortest path problem. If the impedence of the edges varies with the time of day, it becomes a time-dependent shortest path problem.
In solving the shortest path problem, a network contains a single source node and one or more goal nodes. The problem to be solved is to find a path of minimum length from the source node to a goal node. In addition to solving the shortest path problem in a transportation system, it is desirable to determine the time-dependent shortest path.
Each edge cost is associated with an edge cost function which, for a transit itinerary problem, as with airline scheduling problems and other shortest-path problems where a timetable is involved, is assumed to be a discrete function. Thus, arrival time is determined by looking up the destination nodes entry in a timetable.
For many years, riders or potential riders seeking information with regard to routes typically communicated by telephone with an information agent at the local public transportation company. Such transportation agents, who typically are highly trained and may be long time employees of the public transportation system, are very knowledgeable with regard to the routes and timetables of their transportation company. However, sometimes the agents need to refer to books of route maps and timetables in order to answer incoming queries.
Transit information, however, is relatively complicated. Agents must remember schedules, routes, times, inbound or outbound direction, stop locations, addresses, intersections, landmarks, time of day and whether it is rush hour or not, fares and transfer points. Such data, among other pieces of information, must be remembered by the information agent and related to the caller. While individuals who have been information agents for a long period of time generally have such information at their fingertips, it is much more difficult for less experienced agents. In addition, the process for training new information agents is time consuming and lengthy.
The training of agents is only one of the problems that needs to be solved in order to provide timely and accurate information to a caller in a minimum amount of time. Since most callers to a transit information center ask for detailed trip itineraries, an information agent can spend as much as 8 or even 17 minutes a call with each caller. In addition, some callers are potential new riders who are unsure of their route and may call back again with the same questions. If a different agent gives a different answer, even though correct, not only does the transit system lose the amount of time the agent has spent with the caller, twice, but, may also lose the potential rider who doesn't trust the accuracy of the transit information.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a computerized information system which can be easily learned by information agents in a short period of time and which provides consistent answers for the information agents to provide to the callers. Since each caller is a potential rider, each caller represents potential additional revenue for the transit system. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to answer all incoming calls in a timely manner and to provide correct and repeatable information to the callers in a very short real-time basis.
Therefore, using the instant inventive system, the productivity of the information agents is increased since the length of each call decreases, the number of calls processed per day increases, and the call capture rate increases. The quality of the information provided is accurate and consistent, is up to the minute, and serves to encourage new riders for the transit system. Also, the instant automated telephone information system is easy to learn and reduces training time to hours. Therefore, part-time or temporary personnel can be used in order to supplement the normal staff of information agents, on an as needed basis.
Using the instant invention, time-consuming cross-referencing of routes and schedules is eliminated and the information agent is therefore able to spend more time interacting with the caller. Because calls are shorter, more of them can be handled by the same number of agents with the same number of telephone lines.
For a further discussion of the need for telephone information transit systems, the reader is referred to Cutler, M. R. and Potter, R. F., The Effectiveness of Telephone Information Services Transit, U.S. Department of Transportation, Urban Mass Transportation Administration, February, 1984.


A control handle assembly (200) includes a rigid handle (202) for grasping by the operator to steer a walk-behind mobile machine (10) and a control portion (220) moveable relative to the handle (202) to control a function of the machine (10). A flexible extension (238) extends between the handle (202) and the control portion (220) and over the separation defined thereby. The flexible extension (238) flexes when pushed or pulled by the operator's hands and particularly when the flexible extension is engaged with both the control portion (220) and the handle (202) and when the operator's hand extends into the separation therebetween.

The present invention generally relates to a control handle assembly for a walk-behind mobile vehicle or machine, particularly to a handle assembly including a fixed handle for steering the mobile vehicle or machine and a control portion moveable relative to the handle for controlling an operative function of the mobile vehicle or machine, and specifically to a handle assembly including a flexible extension extending between the fixed handle and the moveable control portion and over the separation therebetween.
In walk-behind mobile vehicles or machines, an operator grips a handle for steering the vehicle or machine and simultaneously must control an operative function of the mobile vehicle or machine. As an example, in the case of floor scrubbers, the speed at which the floor scrubber traverses the floor is desired to be adjusted during operation to slow the floor scrubber at heavy soiled areas requiring more aggressive scrubbing and to increase the speed of the floor scrubber at lesser soiled areas where minimal scrubbing is needed. Floor scrubbers include solution and recovery tanks full of cleaning and recovered solutions and often include batteries as a source of power such that they are relatively heavy which increases the steering difficulty. Additionally, the scrubbing member or the like of the floor scrubber may tend to force the floor scrubber in unintended directions in normal operation. Thus, it is necessary for the operator to tightly grip the handle to steer the floor scrubber while simultaneously moving a switch portion to control the speed of the floor scrubber. Typically, the switch portion is operated by the thumb(s) of the operator while the handle is being gripped and steered by the user's hands. Thus, the hands and especially the thumbs of the operator become quickly fatigued.
Similar problems may occur in other types and forms of walk-behind mobile vehicles or machines. Thus, a need exists for a handle assembly allowing simultaneous steering and function control which does not result in operator fatigue, which overcomes other problems and deficiencies in prior handle assemblies, and which is otherwise advantageous over prior handle assemblies for walk-behind mobile vehicles or machines.


A support stand for display device includes a base seat, an elevating support, and a locking module detachably connected the elevating support to the base seat. The locking module includes a fixing member, a rotating member, an elastic member, and a latching member. The fixing member is fixed on one of the base seat and the elevating support, and the fixing member defines a gap and a latching groove. The rotating member is rotatably extended through the other one of the base seat and the elevating support, and the fixing member. The elastic member is sleeved on the rotating member, and abuts on the fixing member. The latching member is fixed on an end of the rotating member. The latching member is extended through the gap of the fixing member, and is engaged in the latching groove of the fixing member.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to locking modules and support stands, particularly, to a locking module and a support stand used for a display device.
2. Description of Related Art
Display devices, such as liquid crystal display monitors, often stand on a flat surface using a support stand. A typical support stand includes an elevating support attached to a display device, and a base seat to mount the elevating support. Generally, the elevating support is mounted on the base seat with screws or latching hooks, or the elevating support is integrally formed with the base seat.
However, when the elevating support is screwed on the base seat, it is inconvenient to assemble or disassemble the typical support stand, because the screws need to be tightened or loosened one by one. When the elevating support is latched on the base seat, the typical support stand may have a poor structural strength, because the latching hooks may be easily damaged by an external force or abraded. When the elevating support is integrally formed with the base seat, the typical support stand may be inconvenient to carry or package, because the typical support stand occupies a relatively large space.
What is needed, therefore, is a locking module and a support stand for a display device that overcomes the limitations described.

Locking module and support stand for display device using the same

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


An engine air intake device for an outboard motor includes a plurality of main intake pipes corresponding to each cylinder. First and second branch pipes extend from an upstream end of each main part. The first branch pipes are longer than the second branch pipes. The second branch pipes each include a valve and are selectively closed. The first branch pipes open into a first surge tank. The second branch pipes open into a second surge tank that is formed separately from the first surge tank. In operation, the valves of the second branch pipes are open when the engine is operating in high engine speed and are closed at low-to-medium speeds.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to intake devices for outboard motors. More particularly, the present invention relates to an intake device that provides a good inertia charge effect in all speed ranges for an internal combustion engine of an outboard motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several factors affect the efficiency and effectiveness of delivering an air charge to an internal combustion engine. It has been found that at low-to-medium engine speeds, a relatively long intake pipe is desired to maximize engine performance. However, at high engine speeds, a relatively short intake pipe is best. It is known to provide an engine air intake system wherein the length of the intake pipes can effectively be lengthened based on engine speeds. An example of such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,100.
Certain other factors also arise in the design of engine air intake systems, especially intake systems for outboard motors. For example, in multi-cylinder engines, air intake into one cylinder may interfere with intake into another cylinder. Also, space constraints are particularly limiting for an outboard motor intake system, as the internal combustion engine and associated components must be enclosed within a cowling.


Disclosed herein are screening tools for fetal/maternal wellness, such as biomarkers for assessing preeclampsia. More specifically, methods are disclosed for assessing the risk of preeclampsia in a subject, the methods including obtaining a first serum sample from the subject, determining a level of glycosylated fibronectin (GlyFn) in the first serum sample, and comparing the determined level of GlyFn with a control value, wherein an elevation in the determined level of GlyFn in the first serum sample relative to the control value indicates that the subject is at increased risk of preeclampsia. Also disclosed are methods of determining the risk of preeclampsia in a subject during a first, second, or third trimester, methods of assessing severity and progression of preeclampsia and complications of a risk of low birth weight or HELLP syndrome.

Preeclampsia is a potentially life-threatening complication unique to pregnancy, and it occurs in up to 7% of all pregnancies. Hypertensive disorders, including preeclampsia, are the second leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide, and are responsible for 10%-25% of all maternal deaths. Unfortunately, clinical manifestations of preeclampsia may occur late in the course of the disease, and may be associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Robust biomarkers for screening, diagnosis, and monitoring, particularly with respect to severe preeclampsia, are necessary to appropriately manage preeclampsia and to mitigate adverse outcomes. This is particularly the case in developing countries, where the burden of disease is greatest, and where medical intervention is often ineffective due to late presentation. Furthermore, the incidence of preeclampsia has been increasing since 1990, which may be directly related to the increase in obesity. Early and robust diagnostic tests are urgently needed in order to provide for appropriate triage to skilled medical facilities and management of preeclamptics.

Biomarkers for assessment of preeclampsia


A peripheral memory patch apparatus for attachment to a patient's skin includes a high capacity memory for storing physiologic data uplinked from an implantable medical device. A resilient substrate provides support for a memory, microprocessor, receiver, and other electronic components. The substrate flexes in a complimentary manner in response to a patient's body movements. The substrate is affixed to the patient's skin with the use of an adhesive which provides for comfort and wearability. The low profile peripheral patch apparatus is preferably similar in size and shape to a standard bandage, and may be attached to the patient's skin in an inconspicuous location. A status indicator provides for a visual, verbal, or tactile indication of the operational status of the peripheral memory patch. Uplinking of physiologic telemetry data from the internal memory of an implantable medical device to the peripheral memory patch is initiated in response to a transfer signal produced by the peripheral memory patch. The transfer signal may be generated by the implantable medical device or upon actuation of a switch by the patient. Various telemetry techniques including radio frequency, acoustic, and body bus telemetry techniques, may be employed to transfer information between the implantable medical device and the peripheral memory patch.

Various medical devices have been developed that acquire information from one or more physiologic sensors or transducers. A typical physiologic sensor transduces a measurable parameter of the human body, such as blood pressure, temperature, or oxygen saturation, for example, into corresponding electrical signals. In many implantable medical device applications, it is often desirable or necessary to acquire physiologic data for extended periods of time and on a continuous basis. Moreover, in many applications, it is often desirable or necessary to provide for such extended periods of physiologic data acquisition through use of an apparatus that is both convenient for the patient to use and one which does not draw public attention to the patient's condition. It is well understood that conspicuous or easily noticed medical devices and equipment often provide a disincentive for patients to participate in needed testing, evaluation, and therapies.
A problem well known to designers of implantable medical devices, such as pacemakers, for example, concerns the necessity to use low power components, including low power memory components, within the implantable medical device. Use of low power components is considered necessary in order to provided for extended periods of implantable electronic device operation and to reduce the need to repeatedly replace batteries which can only be accomplished through surgical means. As a consequence, conventional implantable medical devices typically employ low voltage, low current memory devices which have limited storage capacity and access speed, and often lag behind the state-of-the-art in memory technology by several years. These and other limitations significantly decrease the data storage and access capability of implantable medical devices, and often precludes the opportunity to integrate high capacity, low cost, state-of-the-art memory devices in implantable medical device designs.
Various implementations of portable or user-worn electrocardiographic recording/monitoring devices are known in the art, examples of which may be found in the issued U.S. Patents listed in Table 1 below.
TABLE 1 Patent No. Inventor(s) Issue Date 5,759,199 Snell et al. Jun. 2, 1998 5,634,468 Platt et al. Jun. 3, 1997 5,511,553 Segalowitz Apr. 30, 1996 5,289,824 Mills et al. Mar. 1, 1994 5,191,891 Righter Mar. 9, 1993 5,113,869 Nappholz et al. May 19, 1992 4,622,979 Katchis et al. Nov. 18, 1986
The patents listed in Table 1 hereinabove are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their respective entireties. As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate readily upon reading the Summary of the Invention, the Detailed Description of Various Embodiments, and the Claims set forth below, many of the devices and methods disclosed in the patents identified below and listed above in Table 1 may be modified advantageously by using the teachings of the present invention.
A conventional portable or user-worn electrocardiographic (ECG) monitor/recorder, such as those disclosed in one or more of the patents listed in Table 1 above, typically requires an external harness to secure the device to a patient during use. Moreover, such conventional ECG monitoring devices are generally conspicuous and readily perceivable by others, and must typically be removed prior to exposure to water or other hostile environments. As was previously described hereinabove, an important and often necessary requirement for providing effective testing and evaluation is ensuring that the monitoring device will be worn by the patient during the entirety of the testing period.
An ECG monitoring/recording device which is conspicuous to onlookers creates a disincentive to wear such devices. Such conventional ECG monitoring devices must also be removed during bathing or swimming, thus interrupting the acquisition of data during these times. Also, conventional ECG monitoring/recording devices are limited in terms of their ability to acquire only electrocardiographic data obtained through contact with the patient's skin.

Peripheral memory patch and access method for use with an implantable medical device