A golf ball having a mark with a distinct appearance unrealizable by only changing in tint. Ink can be prepared by mixing one or more components which provide luster such as pearl particles, shell particles, mica particles and the like in an ink medium. Therefore, ink can be used for marking the surface of the golf ball by an indirect printing used with a transfer printing film or a direct printing such as a pad printing, a screen printing and the like. The composition of the ink is 5 to 150 parts by weight of the mica, pearl particles and the like. The mica, the pearl particles and the like are employed for flat forms.

The present invention relates to a marked golf ball and a method for marking a golf ball. More particularly, it relates to an improvement in an appearance of a golf ball having a mark superior in metallic luster as well as durability.
In general, a golf ball is marked with a pattern consisting of letters, numerals, a trade name, a logotype, and the like with one or more colors. As a method for making golf balls, various techniques are known including a direct printing technique as typified by a pad printing technique, a transfer printing technique stamping a solid transfer printing film with a die, a thermal transfer printing technique using a transfer printing film having a desired pattern of transfer ink layer on a base film, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. 63137/1978. Other miscellaneous transfer printing techniques which do not employ thermal transfer printing technique have also been used. As ink used in such a marking method, printing ink has been widely used which is a mixture of an organic or inorganic pigment and an ink medium.
In recent years, customers"" tastes have been diversified and consequently customers have been in want of golf balls which are distinct from others in a golf ball market. More particularly, in marking golf balls, the golf ball needs to have a mark distinct from other marks and excellent in appearance. Therefore, providing such a golf ball will attract customer interest and contribute to stimulate the golf ball market.
However, since conventional printing ink used for the marking can only adjust hue by changing a ratio of pigments, such printing ink cannot have been sufficiently agreeable to the golf ball market needs.
Considering the golf ball is mainly used outdoor in day, the mark of the golf ball may be more desirable which shines notably under the sunlight and is clearly distinguished from others during playing golf.
As the golf ball is characterized by use outdoor, ink can be prepared containing metal particles such as aluminum particles, copper particles and the like, and a metallic mark with such ink may be applied to the golf ball in order to obtain the mark having luster under the sunlight. However, as an ink varnish (resin) is generally not compatible with the metal particles, such ink is inferior in compatibility, mixing ability, and dispersive ability and is difficult to be uniformed. Therefore, such ink is difficult to be prepared and consequently adjusted precisely to printing conditions. Both a direct printing and a transfer printing to the ball cause a problem so that an excellent result cannot be achieved. Especially, for a transfer printing technique, a pattern is printed on a base film such as a polypropylene film, thereafter the pattern is transferred by hot-pressing to a surface of the golf ball. Consequently, a poor aptitude for printing happens twice when the pattern is printed to the base film and the pattern is transferred to the golf ball as described above. As a result, dissatisfaction is increased because of the influences of such a poor aptitude of printing.
Even if the mark can be printed on the surface of the golf ball with the ink containing the metal particles, such a mark generally tends to be chipped because of incompatibility between the ink varnish and the metal particles and tends to be inferior in durability to a mark of the golf ball with the conventional ink in the present situation.
As a result of earnest studies to develop a golf ball which has an appearance unrealizable by only changing the tint, preferably a method for marking the golf ball with a mark having an excellent appearance by reflecting sunlight and the like and the golf ball having such a mark, the present inventors conceived of the present invention in consideration of this situation.
In a preferred mode of the present invention, a golf ball is provided having a mark of desired pattern applied with an ink composition containing a component which can afford to develop luster.
The ink composition contains 15 to 250 parts by weight of the luster developing component relative to 100 parts by weight of an ink resin.
The ink composition contains 5 to 150 parts by weight of the luster developing component relative to 100 parts by weight of an ink medium. The ink medium is an intermediate of printing ink and has a sufficiently printable function as ink by only coloring the ink medium. In general, the ink medium contains an ink resin, a plasticizer, a filling material such as an extender pigment and a filler, a solvent and the like.
For the golf ball having a mark superior in light reflectiveness as well as durability, the luster developing component as described above is a flake or scale-like, crystalloid or non-crystalloid nucleus coated with a light reflective material.
In a preferred mode of the present invention, the nucleus is a mica, the light reflective material is metal oxide or metal nitride, and suitably the metallic oxide is an iron oxide.
On the other hand, for a method for marking a mark of a desired pattern on a surface of the golf ball, the ink composition is produced by mixing the luster developing component and the ink medium, then the ink composition is applied on the surface of the golf ball.
For such a method as described before, as shown in FIGS. 1(a) to (c), the ink composition 10 is applied in the desired pattern on a base film 12 for a transfer printing film 14 to form an ink layer 16 on the base film 12, thereafter the ink layer 16 is positioned to the golf ball 18 surface, then the ink layer 16 is hot-pressed against the golf ball 18 to transfer the ink layer 16 to the golf ball 18 surface.
As shown in FIGS. 2(a) to (d), the ink composition 10 is applied in the desired pattern on a printing plate 20 for a pad printing 22, thereafter the ink composition 10 is adhered to the pad 24 by pressing the pad 24 to the printing plate 20. Thereafter, the pad 24 is pressed to the golf ball 18 surface to transfer the ink composition 10 to a surface of the golf ball 18.
As shown in FIGS. 3(a) to (c), the desired pattern on the printing plate 30 for a screen printing 32 is formed, then the printing plate 30 is faced to the golf ball 18 surface. Thereafter, the ink composition 10 is squeegeed on the printing plate 30 to transfer the ink composition 10 to a surface of the golf ball 18.

Marked golf ball and method for marking golf ball


The present invention provides an image display apparatus mounted in a vehicle, which includes a communication unit for transmitting/receiving data to/from an external mobile terminal, and a controller for generating Internet access information including Internet access environment information about the image display apparatus and controlling the communication unit to transmit the generated Internet access information to the mobile terminal, wherein the Internet access information includes at least one of Internet access state information representing whether the image display apparatus is connected to the Internet, and roaming state information representing whether a roaming service is used for Internet access of the image display apparatus. According to a mobile terminal, image display apparatus mounted in a vehicle and data processing method using the same, Internet access information can be efficiently transmitted between the mobile terminal and the image display apparatus.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, an image display apparatus mounted in a vehicle and a data processing method using the same, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal and an image display apparatus mounted in a vehicle, which are configured to efficiently access the Internet in various Internet access environments, and a data processing method using the same.
Discussion of the Related Art
Image display apparatuses display image information using a screen. Among them, an image display apparatus set in a vehicle provides a function of displaying information about the vehicle, a navigation function, a TV display function, etc. to users. Recent technical development enables the image display apparatus mounted in a vehicle to be linked with a mobile terminal carried by a user using a wired/wireless network to perform data communication with the mobile terminal.
Furthermore, the mobile terminal and the image display apparatus mounted in a vehicle can access the Internet and provide various functions and information to the user. In addition, the mobile terminal and the image display apparatus mounted in a vehicle can access the Internet using the other devices through data communication. That is, the image display apparatus mounted in a vehicle can access the Internet using the mobile terminal and the mobile terminal can access the Internet through the image display apparatus mounted in a vehicle.
The mobile terminal and the image display apparatus mounted in a vehicle are not fixed and are used in a moving environment, and thus an Internet access environment may change frequently.
Accordingly, it is necessary for the mobile terminal and the image display apparatus mounted in a vehicle to share Internet access information thereof in various Internet environments to efficiently provide Internet service to the user.

Mobile terminal, image display apparatus mounted in vehicle and data processing method using the same


A method for reducing stray conductive material near vertical surfaces in semiconductor manufacturing processes comprising the following steps. Deposit the gate oxide, polysilicon and cap oxide layers. Apply a Poly1A mask. The Poly1A mask pattern comprises the Poly1 areas that are part of the final circuit layout as well as additional Poly1 areas that are included to provide planar surfaces to prevent stringer formation. Etch the cap, polysilicon and gate oxide layers to partially form the transistor gate structures. Form oxide spacers on the sides of the transistor gate structures. Apply a source/drain mask. Deposit source/drain dopants to form diffusions. Deposit an interlayer dielectric. Mask and pattern contacts to the diffusions and the Poly1 layer. Deposit blanket TiN/Ti layer(s). Pattern the TiN/Ti layer(s) using a TiN/Ti mask and a dry anisotropic etch. Patterning the TiN/Ti layer(s) may create TiN/Ti stringers along vertical surfaces of the interconnect layer. However, by defining the Poly1A mask pattern to leave Poly1 in pre-defined potential stringer problem areas, these surfaces remain planar and thus free of stringers. Next, apply a Poly1B mask. The Polyl1B mask is defined such that the final Poly1 pattern is the logical AND of the Poly1A mask pattern and the inverse of the Poly1B mask. Then etch the cap, polysilicon and gate oxide layers to complete formation of the transistor gate structures.

FIG. 1 shows a simple circuit layout 100, or equivalently the mask patterns for a circuit. The circuit has four polysilicon gate MOS transistors T1, T2, T3 and T4. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the diffusion regions for transistors T1 and T3 are of a first conductivity type (e.g., N) and the diffusion regions for the other two transistors T2 and T4 are of the opposite conductivity type (P). For instance, if the substrate of the device is a P-type substrate, the right half of the circuit is located in an N-well, and the circuit shown consists of two CMOS inverters connected tail to nose (or cross connected). The mask layers shown are:
a polysilicon (Poly1) mask 102; PA1 an interconnect metal (TiN/Ti) mask 104; PA1 a diffusion mask 106, which actually consists of two masks, one for N-channel transistors and one for P-channel transistors, plus a well mask that is not shown in FIG. 1 at all; PA1 a metal to diffusion contact mask 108 for defining metal layer to diffusion connections; and PA1 a metal to polysilicon contact mask 110 for defining metal layer to polysilicon connections.
For convenience, the two metal regions in the circuit are labeled as regions 112 and 114. Also, the polysilicon layer is herein called Poly1, since in many circuits a second polysilicon layer called Poly2 may also be used.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 method 120 illustrates a conventional semiconductor process for manufacturing the circuit. After performing the normal wafer preparation steps (including well formation and field oxide formation), the gate oxide is deposited along with the polysilicon and cap oxide (or nitride) layers that form the polysilicon gate stack (step 122). Then the Polyl mask is applied and the cap, polysilicon and gate oxide regions are etched using conventional etching techniques to form the polysilicon transistor gate structures (step 124). Then oxide (or nitride) spacers are formed on the sides of the transistor gate structures, the source/drain regions are masked and the source/drain dopants are deposited (or implanted) to form source and drain regions (step 126). In CMOS circuits, two sets of diffusion masks and doping steps are required.
Next, an interlayer dielectric layer is deposited, and contact regions are masked and etched to form contact holes through the interlayer dielectric. These contacts are used for forming metal to diffusion and metal to polysilicon connections.
Then a metal layer such as a layer of TiN (titanium nitride) or Ti or a sandwich of the two is deposited and patterned using the metal layer mask (step 128). The particular etching method used is a potential problem that is discussed in more detail below. The metal layer etching step may create the stringers that are the subject of the present invention. Finally, the remainder of the circuit is formed using downstream processing steps which are not directly relevant to the present discussion.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the problem addressed by the present invention concerns etching the metal interconnect layer located above the polysilicon transistor gate material layers. In one embodiment, the metal interconnect layer is TiN (titanium nitride), Ti (titanium), or a sandwich of the two, and is separated from the transistor gate stack and diffusion regions by a fairly thin interlayer dielectric layer. In many semiconductor circuits the interlayer dielectric deposited after forming the transistor gate stack is thin and the partially manufactured circuit is not planarized before the metal interconnect layer is deposited and patterned.
There are generally three conventional methods of etching used to pattern the metal layer: isotropic plasma etch, anisotropic plasma etch, and wet etch. The anisotropic etch is highly directional and therefore causes less undercutting, but also tends to leave stringers along the sides of vertical surfaces, such as the sides of polysilicon gate structures. In particular, if metal stringers 118 are left along the side edges 116 of the polysilicon stack structures, those stringers may cause the two metal regions 112 and 114 to be electrically connected, causing the circuit to fail.
The isotropic plasma etch and wet etch methods leave less stringers and in fact could be used to effectively eliminate the metal stringer problem. However, the isotropic plasma etch and wet etch provide much worse control over the "critical dimensions" (CD) of the circuit being manufactured due to undercutting. Therefore, anisotropic plasma etching is highly preferred, so long as the metal stringer problem can be eliminated.
The other conventional approach to eliminating the metal stringer problem, while still using anisotropic plasma etching for metal layer patterning is to planarize the partially formed circuit after forming the polysilicon gate structure but before depositing the metal layer. However, planarizing the circuit is expensive, and causes other problems not relevant here.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor manufacturing process that eliminates the interconnect metal layer stringer problem, without requiring circuit planarization before metal layer formation, and while enabling anisotropic plasma etching to be used for metal layer patterning.

Method for reducing stray conductive material near vertical surfaces in semiconductor manufacturing processes


A method for producing a silica glass blank co-doped with titanium and fluorine for use in EUV lithography includes (a) producing a TiO2—SiO2 soot body by flame hydrolysis of silicon- and titanium-containing precursor substances, (b) fluorinating the TiO2—SiO2 soot body to form a fluorine-doped TiO2—SiO2 soot body, (c) treating the fluorine-doped TiO2—SiO2 soot body in a water vapor-containing atmosphere to form a conditioned soot body, and (d) vitrifying the conditioned soot body to form the blank. The blank has an internal transmission of at least 60% in the wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm at a sample thickness of 10 mm, a mean OH content in the range of 10 to 100 wt. ppm and a mean fluorine content in the range of 2,500 to 10,000 wt. ppm. Titanium is present in the blank in the oxidation forms Ti3+ and Ti4+.

The present invention refers to a method for producing a blank of titanium-doped glass having a high silicic acid content and an internal transmission of at least 60% in the wavelength range of 400 nm to 700 nm at a sample thickness of 10 mm, and with a given fluorine content for use in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography.
Furthermore, the present invention refers to a blank of titanium-doped silica glass for use in EUV lithography.
In EUV lithography, highly integrated structures having a line width of less than 50 nm are produced by microlithographic projection devices. Radiation from the EUV range (extreme ultraviolet light, also called soft X-ray radiation) with wavelengths of about 13 nm is used. The projection devices are equipped with mirror elements which consist of titania-doped glass having a high silicic-acid content (hereinafter also called "TiO2—SiO2 glass" or "Ti-doped silica glass") and which are provided with a reflective layer system. These materials are distinguished by an extremely low linear coefficient of thermal expansion (shortly called "CTE"; coefficient of thermal expansion), which is adjustable through the concentration of titanium. Standard titania concentrations are between 6% by wt. and 9% by wt.
In the intended use of such blanks, which are made from synthetic titanium-doped glass having a high silicic-acid content, as a mirror substrate, the upper side thereof is provided with a reflective coating. The maximum (theoretical) reflectivity of such an EUV mirror element is about 70%, so that at least 30% of the radiation energy is absorbed in the coating or in the near-surface layer of the mirror substrate and converted into heat. In the volume of the mirror substrate, this leads to an inhomogeneous temperature distribution with temperature differences that, according to information given in the literature, may amount to 50° C.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a deformation that is as small as possible, if the glass of the mirror substrate blank had a CTE which is zero over the whole temperature range of the working temperatures arising during use. In Ti-doped silica glasses, however, the temperature range with a CTE of approximately zero can in actual fact be very narrow.
The temperature at which the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass equals zero shall also be called zero crossing temperature or TZC (temperature of zero crossing) hereinafter. The titanium concentration is normally set such that a CTE of zero is obtained in the temperature range between 20° C. and 45° C. Volume regions of the mirror substrate with a higher or lower temperature than the preset TZC expand or contract so that, despite an altogether low CTE of the TiO2—SiO2 glass, deformations may arise that are detrimental to the imaging quality of the mirror.
In addition, the fictive temperature of the glass plays a role. The fictive temperature is a glass property that represents the state of order of the "frozen" glass network. A higher fictive temperature of the TiO2—SiO2 glass is accompanied by a lower state of order of the glass structure and by a greater deviation from the most energetically advantageous structural arrangement.
The fictive temperature is influenced by the thermal history of the glass, especially by the last cooling process. In the last cooling process, different conditions are bound to prevail for near-surface regions of a glass block as compared with the central regions, so that different volume regions of the mirror substrate blank already have different fictive temperatures due to their different thermal history. The fictive temperatures, in turn, correlate with correspondingly inhomogeneous regions with respect to the CTE curve. In addition, however, the fictive temperature is also influenced by the amount of fluorine, because fluorine has an impact on structural relaxation. Fluorine doping permits the adjustment of a low fictive temperature and, consequently, also a smaller slope of the CTE curve with respect to the temperature.
The Ti-doped silica glass is produced by flame hydrolysis, starting from precursor substances containing silicon and titanium. First of all, a porous soot body of titanium-doped SiO2 is produced, which is vitrified into a dense glass body. Optionally, the soot body is subjected, prior to vitrification, to a drying process (e.g. by treatment in a halogen-containing atmosphere) for reducing the hydroxyl group content (OH group content). Doping with titanium oxide, however, leads to a brownish appearance or staining of the glass due to a more or less strong concentration of Ti3+ ions in the glass matrix. The shaped bodies for this application, hereinafter also called blanks, are large, dark-brown plates with dimensions of up to about 70×60×20 cm3. The blanks must be checked with respect to their optical properties and with respect to defects or inhomogeneity due to the manufacturing process. The brownish appearance of the glass has turned out to be problematic, since common optical measuring methods that presuppose transparence in the visible spectral range can only be used to a limited degree or cannot be applied at all.
The literature has proposed various solutions for limiting the amount of Ti3+ ions in favor of Ti4+ ions by way of an oxidation treatment. When a Ti-doped silica glass is used with a relatively high hydroxyl group content, the OH groups permit the desired oxidation of Ti3+ into Ti4+. This is, for example, described for Ti-doped silica glass by Carson and Mauer in "Optical Attenuation in Titania-Silica Glasses," J. Non-Crystalline Solids, Vol. 11(1973), pp. 368-380, which indicates a reaction according to formula 2Ti3++2OH−→2Ti4++2O2−+H2.
This procedure is adopted in European Patent Application Publication No. EP 2 428 488 A1, particularly with respect to optimized conditions for the process of oxidation and the out-diffusion of hydrogen during an annealing treatment. The Ti-doped silica glass disclosed in EP 2 428 488 A1 is not doped with fluorine, has a high OH content of more than 600 wt. ppm, and has a relatively low hydrogen content (less than 2×1017 molecules/cm3). To ensure a high OH content, the addition of water vapor during the deposition process is recommended. A two-stage deposition process is described in which TiO2—SiO2 soot particles are first formed that are subsequently consolidated and vitrified. A one-stage process is also described in which the soot particles are vitrified immediately (so-called "direct quartz" or "DQ method"). The amount of Ti3+ ions in the Ti-doped silica glass is disclosed as being less than 3 ppm and the internal transmission over a wavelength range of 340 nm to 840 nm is disclosed as being greater than 90%. However, no information is provided about the thickness of the sample.
International Application Publication No. WO 2004/089836 A1 discloses a Ti-doped silica glass with a fluorine doping that exhibits a very flat slope of the coefficient of thermal expansion over a relatively wide temperature range. First, the porous TiO2—SiO2 soot body is predried in air at 1200° C., which entails a first reduction of the OH content and an oxidation of Ti3+ ions. Subsequently, for fluorine doping, the TiO2—SiO2 soot body is exposed to an atmosphere with 10% by vol. of SiF4 in oxygen or in helium for several hours. Apart from fluorine doping, this treatment entails a further reduction of the OH content. To prevent a dark coloration or staining during vitrification of the soot body, it is suggested in WO 2004/089836 A1 that the soot body should be treated prior to vitrification in an oxygen atmosphere for several hours in the temperature range between 300° C. and 1300° C., before the subsequent vitrification step is carried out under helium. The glass body of fluorine- and titanium-doped silica glass is then shaped into a blank and subjected to an annealing treatment for setting the fictive temperature. Information on the amount of Ti3+ ions or on the dark staining or on the internal transmission is not provided in WO 2004/089836 A1.
International Application Publication No. WO 2006/004169 A1 resumes the examples of WO 2004/089836 A1 with respect to the amount of Ti3+ and the information on the internal transmission. The method according to WO 2006/004169 A1 also provides an oxygen treatment of a TiO2—SiO2 soot body with fluorine doping prior to vitrification (under helium.). Fluorine doping is carried out in an atmosphere containing oxygen and fluorine. The Ti-doped silica glass produced in this manner contains 10 wt. ppm OH groups and 12 wt. ppm Ti3+ ions. The fluorine content is 120 wt. ppm and 6,300 wt. ppm, respectively. The internal transmission in the wavelength range of 400 nm to 700 nm is specified to be more than 80% in the case of this relatively high content of Ti3+. However, this is for a glass thickness of only one millimeter. Converted to a sample with a thickness of 10 mm, this corresponds to a value for the internal transmission of only 10%.
The methods according to WO 2004/089836 A1 and WO 2006/004169 A1 are very complicated technically and do not yield an acceptable, sufficiently high internal transmission for realistic sample thicknesses in the range of 10 mm.
It is known from U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0179879 A1 that in a TiO2—SiO2 glass for use in EUV lithography, the CTE curve over the temperature obtained in the course of operation can be influenced, apart from a homogeneous distribution of the titanium concentration, by further parameters (e.g., by doping with fluorine and by the OH content). Fluorine may also serve as a drying reagent with which the OH content can be set to less than 100 ppm. Inversely, an OH content of up to 1500 ppm is achieved through the action of water vapor during vitrification. In one embodiment according to US 2006/0179879 A1, a fluorine-doped TiO2—SiO2 soot body is obtained by flame hydrolysis of precursor substances containing silicon, titanium and fluorine. In a subsequent process step, the soot body is vitrified or consolidated in an inert gas atmosphere containing water vapor. The fluorine content of the TiO2—SiO2 glass is in the range of 500 wt. pm to 2000 wt. ppm. No information is provided on the amount of the Ti3+ ions in the TiO2—SiO2 glass, on the OH content and on the internal transmission in the visible wavelength range of this fluorine-doped TiO2—SiO2 glass.
Apart from the aforementioned embodiment, US 2006/0179879 A1 also generally discusses the production of quartz glass according to the so-called soot method under the heading "Soot Formation Followed by Consolidation." Thus, the SiO2 soot body can be subjected, at about 1000° C., to a treatment with helium, hydrogen, water vapor or a doping gas, such as CF4, in the case of a desired fluorine doping, before a subsequent vitrification step is carried out at a higher temperature. No information is provided on the impacts of the treatment with helium, hydrogen or water vapor on the SiO2 soot body or on the sintered quartz glass. However, it must be assumed that, since a drying of the soot body prior to vitrification is obviously not intended, a high OH content is present in the soot body, which might even rise due to the water vapor-containing atmosphere and will lead to undesired bubbles during vitrification.
International Application Publication No. WO 2009/084717 A1, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2010/0179047 A1 and 2014/0155246 A1 and European Patent Application Publication No. 2 377 826 A1 are additional prior art publications regarding TiO2—SiO2 glass with fluorine-codoping.
In sum, according to the prior art, the reduction of Ti3+ ions in favor of T4+ ions in Ti-doped silica glass is ensured either by a sufficiently great amount of OH groups, whereby an internal oxidation with hydrogen diffusing out occurs, or at a low OH group content, wherein an oxygen treatment is required prior to vitrification. Such oxygen treatment demands a high treatment temperature and special corrosion-resistant furnaces, and is thus expensive.
In TiO2—SiO2 glass with F-codoping, the problems regarding brown coloration or staining caused by a high amount of Ti3+ ions are especially significant because, due to fluorine, there are virtually no OH groups present which may induce an oxidation of Ti3+ into Ti4+.
Moreover, it has been found that although the known oxygen treatment prior to vitrification reliably increases the amount of oxygen, whereby oxidation occurs once in favor of Ti4+ ions, this measure is not permanent, for instance, when the vitrified blank is shaped under a reducing atmosphere (e.g. by applying an oxyhydrogen flame adjusted in a reducing manner). This means that, due to the oxygen treatment, the oxygen is available only once for the oxidation of Ti3+ to Ti4+, so that under reducing conditions, Ti3+ ions are increasingly formed again, which is known to lead to the dark appearance or staining of the glass.

Method for producing a blank of fluorine-doped and titanium-doped glass having a high silicic-acid content and a blank produced according to the method


A lock and harness assembly includes first and second locks removably attached to each other. The locks are coextensively shaped, and are independently and simultaneously pivotal between folded and unfolded positions. Each lock has a linear medial edge conjoined to the other's medial edge when the locks are at a locked position. First and second harnesses traverse through the first and second locks. The harnesses are slidably positioned through the locks. Each lock includes a mechanism for statically holding the harnesses at a locked position such that the harnesses are prohibited from sliding through the locks after the locks have been coupled. Each lock includes a mechanism for releasably coupling the locks to each other such that the locks must be slidably adapted along a linear path defined orthogonal to the harnesses.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to lock assemblies and, more particularly, to a child-proof lock assembly for a child vehicle car seat.
2. Prior Art
It is well-known that many standard vehicle restraint systems do not adequately protect children from injury during vehicle collisions. For example, shoulder seat belts often do not adjust sufficiently to accommodate a child, sometimes resulting in the shoulder seat belt being dangerously positioned at the child's neck. To remedy this problem, supplemental child vehicle restraints, such as child car seats, have become an increasingly popular way of properly restraining children during vehicle collisions, thereby reducing injuries resulting therefrom. Instead of the conventional shoulder seat belt restraint, car seats usually employ some form of harness that extends across the entire torso of the child.
Most car seats with three- or five-point safety harnesses include a one- or two-piece sliding clip that is intended to hold the two shoulder straps in place over the child's shoulders. The two straps are generally threaded through the plastic clip, which should rest on the child's chest at approximately armpit-level. Unfortunately, because the clip slides easily to adjust to the size of the child, an active toddler may soon discover that he or she can slide the clip down, slip the harness straps from his or her shoulders, and climb out of the car seat.
Accordingly, a need remains for a child-proof lock assembly in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a harness lock assembly that easy to use, provides peace of mind to drivers, and greatly increases the safety achieved for a toddler placed in the car seat. Such a child-proof lock assembly keeps a child safely restrained and allows the motorist to concentrate on driving the vehicle. The lock assembly also helps parents avoid expensive tickets for improperly restraining their children, and ultimately saves lives by effectively restraining infants and toddlers in the event of an accident.


A modular checkweigher/grader system is disclosed. A feed conveyor is provided for directing items to be weighed to a weighing conveyor. The entire system is modularly designed using lightweight durable materials, such as plastics and stainless steel. Each conveyor includes a conveyor belt in contact with upper and lower surfaces of a platform. The belts are tightened and loosened with quick release tension clamps and driven by air powered motors. The feed conveyor is attached to a frame by toggle clamps. The weighing conveyor is attached to a load cell which is connected to the frame by toggle clamps. These toggle clamps permit the entire feed and weighing conveyors to be easily removed. All of the air and electrical connector to the conveyors are by quick release connectors. The entire weighing conveyor is used as the weighing platform. A tachometer may be used to regulate the conveyor speed. A modular grading conveyor is disclosed for categorizing objects from the weighing conveyor. A tensioner is provided for allowing the grader belt to be slackened for easy cleaning. Grader paddle control modules are hinged for easy cleaning. The hinges are secured by butterfly nuts for easy removal of broken modules. All air and electrical connections to the paddle control modules are by quick release connectors.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to checkweigher and grading systems, and more particularly to a modular checkweigher and grading system wherein the weighing platform includes the conveyor assembly, including air powered motors for driving the conveyor belts.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Checkweigher/grader systems are commonly known in the art. These systems are generally used to check the weight of objects moving across a high-speed conveyor, and to determine if the weight of the object is within a desired range.
In the majority of prior-art checkweigh systems, a weighing platform connected to a load cell is centrally located under a slackened belt or chain which carries the item to be weighed. The belt or chain is sufficiently slack to allow the item to momentarily come to rest on the weighing platform. Such a system is shown for example in Del Resso, U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,475. These systems often produce errors in the weight reading caused by the slackening of the belt. In order to overcome the problem of belt slackening, prior patents have either attempted to electronically filter the oscillation errors, or employed mechanical assemblies to reduce the error.
De Santo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,668 discloses a conveyor in which the entire conveyor belt, and drive means are located on top of the load cell. This system reduces the error due to slackening, but because a portion of the belt remains supported only by end pulleys, slackening errors still result.
Other examples of systems to reduce checkweigher error include, for example, Hall, Jr. et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,439, and Yano, U.S. Pat. No. 3,714,401.
An additional problem with prior art checkweigh systems is that they were not suitable for harsh environments, such as processing chickens. These mechanical systems are difficult to repair and clean, and often breakdown in the harsh environment. In the event of a breakdown, the entire line must be stooped until a repair is effectuated. Further, the mechanical apparatus used in these systems, especially the electrical motors and chain drives, require extensive, and expensive maintenance procedures.
Grading systems are also commonly known. Most of these systems likewise require much maintenance to operate in harsh environments. For example, most conveyors are extremely difficult to clean or dry in the event of a spillage. The conveyor belts may difficult to lift, and the control boxes may not be moved for cleaning. If a breakdown occurs, the entire line may remain idle until repaired.
None of the prior art systems provide a checkweigher/grader system in which the conveyors may be easily removed, replaced or cleaned; in which the conveyor belt remains in contact with both the upper and lower surfaces of the weighing platform for reduced slackening errors; in which the weight of the drive mechanism is included as part of the weight applied to the load cell, including low maintenance motors; and in which modular, reconfigurable, easily cleanable grader units are used.


The present invention relates to a process for the cryogenic distillation of air in a distillation column system having at least one distillation column operating at a higher pressure and one distillation column operating at a lower pressure, wherein feed air is cooled and fed to the higher pressure column, wherein the boil-up at the bottom of the lower pressure column producing the oxygen product is provided by condensing a stream having a nitrogen concentration equal to or greater than that of the feed air stream and wherein at least two expanders are employed to provide refrigeration to the distillation column system, wherein the first expander is operated at an inlet temperature near ambient or above ambient temperature and the second expander is operated at an inlet temperature colder than ambient, characterized in that at least one of the two expanders employs at least one of the following steps: (a) work expanding a portion of the feed air; (b) work expanding a process stream with a nitrogen content equal to or greater than that of the feed air, and, then, condensing at least a portion of the expanded stream by a latent heat exchange with at least one of the following two liquids: (i) a liquid at an intermediate height in the lower pressure column and (ii) one of the liquid feeds to low pressure column which has an oxygen concentration of at least the concentration of oxygen in the feed air; (c) condensing at least one process stream with nitrogen content equal to or greater than that in the feed air by latent heat exchange which vaporizes at least a portion of an oxygen-enriched liquid stream which has oxygen concentration of at least the concentration of oxygen in the feed air and which is at a pressure greater than the pressure of the lower pressure column, and work expanding at least a portion of the resulting vapor stream; and (d) work expanding a process stream from the higher pressure column with nitrogen content equal to or greater than that in the feed air and withdrawing the expanded stream as gaseous product stream.

The present invention relates to several methods for efficient production of oxygen by cryogenic air separation. In particular, the present invention relates to cryogenic air separation processes where it is attractive to produce at least a portion of the total oxygen with purity less than 99.5% and, preferably, less than 97%.
There are numerous U.S. patents that teach the efficient production of oxygen with purity less than 99.5%. Two examples are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,704,148 and 4,936,099.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,753,698 discloses a method for the fractionation of air in which the total air to be separated is prefractionated in the high pressure column of a double rectifier to produce a crude (impure) liquid oxygen (crude LOX) bottoms and a gaseous nitrogen overhead. The so produced crude LOX is expanded to a medium pressure and is completely vaporized by heat exchange with condensing nitrogen. The vaporized crude oxygen is then slightly warmed, expanded against a load of power production and scrubbed in the low pressure column of the double rectifier by the nitrogen condensed within the high pressure column and entered on top of the low pressure column. The bottom of the low pressure column is reboiled with the nitrogen from the high pressure column. This method of providing refrigeration will henceforth be referred to as CGOX expansion. In this patent, no other source of refrigeration is used. Thus, the conventional method of air expansion to the low pressure column is replaced by the proposed CGOX expansion. As a matter of fact, it is cited in this patent that the improvement results because additional air is fed to the high pressure column (as no gaseous air is expanded to the low pressure column) and this results in additional nitrogen reflux being produced from the top of the high pressure column. It is stated that the amount of additional nitrogen reflux is equal to the additional amount of nitrogen in the air that is fed to the high pressure column. An improvement in the efficiency of scrubbing with liquid nitrogen in the upper part of the low pressure column is claimed to overcome the deficiency of boil-up in the lower part of the low pressure column.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,410,343 discloses a process for the production of low purity oxygen which employs a low pressure and a medium pressure column, wherein the bottoms of the low pressure column are reboiled against condensing air and the resultant air is fed into both the medium pressure and low pressure columns.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,148 discloses a process utilizing high and low pressure distillation columns for the separation of air to produce low purity oxygen and a waste nitrogen stream. Feed air from the cold end of the main heat exchangers is used to reboil the low pressure distillation column and to vaporize the low purity oxygen product. The heat duty for the column reboil and oxygen product vaporization is supplied by condensing air fractions. In this patent, the air feed is split into three substreams. One of the substreams is totally condensed and used to provide reflux to both the low pressure and high pressure distillation columns. A second substream is partially condensed with the vapor portion of the partially condensed substream being fed to the bottom of the high pressure distillation column and the liquid portion providing reflux to the low pressure distillation column. The third substream is expanded to recover refrigeration and then introduced into the low pressure distillation column as column feed. Additionally, the high pressure column condenser is used as an intermediate reboiler in the low pressure column.
In international patent application #PCT/US87/01665 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,431), Erickson teaches a method of withdrawing a nitrogen stream from the high pressure column, partially expanding this nitrogen to an intermediate pressure and then condensing it by heat exchange against either crude LOX from the bottom of the high pressure column or a liquid from an intermediate height of the low pressure column. This method of refrigeration will now be referred to as nitrogen expansion followed by condensation (NEC). Generally, NEC provides the total refrigeration need of the cold box. Erickson teaches that only in those applications where NEC alone is unable to provide the refrigeration need that supplemental refrigeration is provided through the expansion of some feed air. However, use of this supplemental refrigeration to reduce energy consumption is not taught. This supplemental refrigeration is taught in the context of a flowsheet where other modifications to the flowsheets were done to reduce the supply air pressure. This reduced the pressure of the nitrogen to the expander and therefore the amount of refrigeration available from NEC.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,099, Woodward et al use CGOX expansion in conjunction with the production of low purity oxygen. In this case, gaseous oxygen product is produced by vaporizing liquid oxygen from the bottom of the low pressure column by heat exchange against a portion of the feed air.
In DE-28 54 508, a portion of the air feed at the high pressure column, pressure is further compressed at the warm level by using work energy from the expander providing refrigeration to the cold box. This further compressed air stream is then partially cooled and expanded in the same expander that drives the compressor. In this scheme, the fraction of the feed air stream which is further compressed and then expanded for refrigeration is the same. As a result, for a given fraction of the feed air, more refrigeration is produced in the cold box. The patent teaches two methods to exploit this excess refrigeration: (i) to produce more liquid products from the cold box; (ii) to reduce flow through the compressor and the expander and thereby increase flow to the high pressure column. It is claimed that an increased flow to the high pressure column would result in a greater product yield from the cold box.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,721, the low pressure column of a double column process is operated at a pressure much higher than the atmospheric pressure. The resulting nitrogen stream from the top of the low pressure column is divided into two streams and each stream is expanded in a different expander operating at different temperature levels.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,756 also teaches the use of two expanders to obtain large temperature differences between the cooling and warming streams in the main heat exchanger that cools the feed air stream for distillation. This is done to reduce the number of main heat exchanger cores. However, in order to operate two expanders, the low pressure column is run at pressures greater than 2.5 bar and a portion of the nitrogen exiting from the top of the low pressure column is expanded in one of the expanders. A portion of the feed air is expanded in the second expander to the low pressure column.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,115 teaches a double column process where two different pressure feed air streams are produced by compression and fed to the cold box for separation. The lower pressure air stream is fed to the low pressure distillation column, while the higher pressure air stream is sent to the high pressure column. The double column process produces low purity oxygen and nitrogen products.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,901 also teaches the use of two pressure air feeds to the cold box for separation. The lower pressure air stream is about 1.5 to 1.8 bar pressure and is withdrawn from an interstage of the main air compressor. The rest of the air is further compressed to a higher pressure and sent to the high pressure column. The lower pressure air is sent to the low pressure column. The problem with such a process is that a separate adsorbent bed is to be used to remove impurities such as water and carbon dioxide from the lower pressure air stream. Due to the lower pressure, a large quantity of water is present in the lower pressure air stream and this not only increases the size of the adsorbent beds but also the energy required for the regeneration of these beds. This leads to an expensive process.

Air separation process using warm and cold expanders


An unlatching device for disengaging door security latches, of the type with a swing arm and a stationary arm, from the exterior. The security latch opener comprises a thin piece of metal; two finger like prongs formed at one end of the piece of metal; a series of four bends creating an offset area approximately at the center of the piece of metal; said prongs having notches at an outer end for engaging said swing arm of said security latch.

Occasionally, there are justified reasons for opening a door security latch from the exterior. For example, in a hotel, it is sometimes necessary to enter a guest room immediately in order to render emergency medical attention to a guest. If the security latch is in use, currently it is necessary to call someone for bolt cutters to cut the latch or to breakdown the door. Calling for bolt cutters or breaking down the door causes substantial damage which would also cause necessary replacement and/or repair costing the hotel substantial expenditures to return the door and/or latch to the normal operating condition. Therefore, a tool is warranted to allow immediate access to guest rooms, especially in emergency situations, without damage to property.
It is an object of this invention to provide for the first time a tool that unlatches security latches allowing immediate entry to rooms without wasting valuable time, especially in emergency situations.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a tool that unlatches security latches without damage to doors or latches.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a tool that is simple to use and that is reusable in opening security latches from the outside.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a cost effective tool to enter guest rooms that have the security latches engaged without substantial costs to replace damaged latches or repair doors/frames.
If is a further object of this invention to provide a tool that is convenient for essential personnel to carry on their key ring.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a tool that would be a major asset in an emergency preparedness program. For example, the immediate rescue of an unconscious guest from a smoke filled room.
Further objects and advantages are to provide a security latch opener which can be used easily and conveniently to gain immediate access to a guest room that saves time and time is a precious commodity in an emergency situation, and the security latch opener does not cause damage to the security latch or the door and is simple to use.

Door security latch opener and method of using same


Systems and methods that enable consistent navigation (for a database and memory environment) in object relational mapping. This typically ensures fidelity of object graph via restrictions on collections of persistent objects (e.g., entity sets, entity refs . . . ). Moreover, a tracking component can detect changes as they occur, and only a copy of the objects that have changed can be created, to optimize operation.

As the strategic value of software increases for many companies, software vendors continually seek out new techniques to automate the production of software and to improve quality and reduce cost and time-to-market. These techniques include component technology, visual programming, patterns and frameworks. As the complexity of software systems increase in scope and scale, companies seek techniques to manage and solve such complexities, which include recurring architectural problems, such as physical distribution, fault tolerance, replication, security, concurrency and load balancing. Additionally, the development for the Internet, while making some communications exchanges much simpler, exacerbates these architectural challenges.
In particular, one common software architectural representation is a class diagram. A class diagram presents a graphic presentation which describes the static structure of the symbols in a system, and shows a collection of declarative (static) model elements, such as classes, types, and their contents and relationships. Classes are arranged in hierarchies that share a common structure and behavior, and are associated with other classes. Class diagrams model class structure and contents using design elements such as classes, packages and objects, and also display relationships such as containment, inheritance, associations and others. A class, in the jargon of object-oriented programming, is an element that defines the structure and behavior of a set of objects in an object-oriented program. In an object-oriented application, classes have attributes (member variables), operations (member functions) and relationships with other classes.
Moreover, code generation has become popular in the context of object-relational mapping (ORM). Relational data storage systems (e.g., DB2, SQL Server, MySQL, and the like) are commonly employed to store relational data and manage associated relationships. It is desirable for software developed in source-level languages to access and manipulate the relational data stored in the relational data storage system. When the application software is managing the relational data, it is also desirable to maintain the relationships inherent in the data. In addition, any changes or modifications to the relational data should be persisted back the relational data storage system.
In general, object-oriented languages do not provide software developers with tools to manage relational data and ensure consistency of relationships. For example, when data for a one-to-many relationship such as the customer order relationship is mapped using object oriented source code, it is frequently mapped without such features. Accordingly, when objects are populated with relational data, it is typically the responsibility of the programmer to ensure that the objects are consistent with the relational data. Similarly, when an object such as an order is removed, the programmer is responsible for ensuring that all the relevant relationships are updated. If an Order is deleted, such Order must be removed from the list of orders for the related Customer.
Additionally, once data is retrieved from the Database and converted to objects, then the data access layer can lose its ability to track a change, and two separate environments, namely: the database and the memory can be considered. In the database environment rows and columns are employed and a value provides access to desired objects. In contrast, in a memory environment pointers can be typically employed and in general no value matching or comparison is performed for object identification.
Inconsistencies can occur in such environments between the database and the memory, for example during debugging operations or when objects are modified, deleted or inserted. Errors can then be triggered, to refuse persistence of data in the database. Moreover, the ordering of the issued sequel commands can further add to the complexities involved in the object relational mapping.
Furthermore, inefficiencies exist in operation of object relational mapping systems. For example, when a programmer's code induces changes in objects within a memory, an object is initially brought into memory and a copy maintained therein. Such copy can be preserved to provide for a later comparison when a persist operation is required. Creating such copies for all loaded objects can consume resources associated with the computing infrastructure.

Retrieving and persisting objects from/to relational databases


The presently disclosed subject matter is generally directed to a fishing lure for use in attracting and catching fish. Particularly, the lure includes a lure head defined by a main body, a neck, and a connector. The main body includes a rounded first end that allows the lure to easily move through the water. The main body also includes a second end that is operably connected to the neck. The neck houses a plurality of rings that circumferentially surround the neck. In use, the rings make noise as the lure moves through the water. A skirt attaches to the connector and provides an additional attraction for fish. The lure is therefore designed to attract fish by sight and sound senses.

In recent years, fishing has evolved into a huge industry, with millions of dollars spent annually on boats, tackle, and lures. As a result, many devices have been developed to improve the chance of successfully catching fish. For example, it is well known that many species of fish are attracted to sound waves and vibrations. Therefore, lures have been developed that produce a rattling noise as they travel through the water. However, many prior art lures that include noise-making features include one or more pellets internal to the lure. Because the rattle mechanism is housed within the lure, the noise has a limited range and therefore reaches a relatively small number of fish. Alternatively, prior art lures have been developed that have one or more rattles mounted to an exterior surface, such as on the underside or top of the lure. Even though these lures produce louder noises when compared to internal-rattle lures, the rattles can become dislodged or lost due to contact with one or more items (a fish, movement of water, etc.). It would therefore be beneficial to provide a fishing lure with noise-making capabilities that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.

Fishing lure comprising one or more external rings


A package comprising a plurality of disposable absorbent articles contained in an outer wrap is disclosed. The outer wrap is formed of a film having a thickness and has a path of scoring that partially but not completely penetrates the thickness, and defines a path of weakness in the film along which tear propagation is facilitated.

A number of manufacturers of disposable diapers offer variants having wetness indicators. A wetness indicator may include, for example, a chemically active device and/or material that provides a signal such as a visible change of appearance or other perceivable signal, noticeable to the caregiver, when the diaper is wetted. By provision of such a signal, the caregiver may be notified that the wearer has urinated in the diaper, which may indicate the need for a change. The need for the caregiver to manually check and feel the diaper with her hands for wetness may be thereby reduced or eliminated.
A number of manufacturers of disposable absorbent articles such as diapers and training pants, incontinence pants and feminine hygiene pads offer variants having absorbent cores that include particles of absorbent gelling materials, sometimes also known as superabsorbent polymers. Such particles attract and capture water molecules and are typically capable of absorbing many times their weight in water.
Disposable absorbent articles are often sold in stacks, in bags or packages formed of polymer film. The film is typically wrapped about one or more compressed stacks of articles and welded or adhered to itself along seams to form a closed bag or package. Because the film and the package must be sufficiently robust both to contain the one or more stacks of articles, often under compression, and to withstand shipping and handling, without breaking open, the package is, typically, also sufficiently robust as to be difficult for a consumer to open unless an opening aid is provided.
Currently opening aids are typically provided in the form of lines or other paths of perforations that have been die-cut through the film forming the package. A line or other path of perforations enables the consumer to initiate and propagate a tear therealong and create an opening into the package, through which articles may be withdrawn when needed.
Such perforations, however, compromise the film's ability to bar or inhibit entry of moisture into the package. In areas of relatively high temperature and humidity, entry of moisture through the perforations will be greater. When the articles in the package include wetness indicators, entry of moisture through the perforations may be sufficient to trigger the wetness indicators prior to use, and also may impart a damp feeling or otherwise degrade the supply of unused diapers in various ways. This may negatively affect the utility of the wetness indicator and the quality of the unused articles, and thus, may negatively affect consumer perception of the product.
Thus, an improvement in the way in which articles having wetness indicators as well as articles having materials that are prone to absorbing moisture from the air, are packaged, would give the manufacturer thereof a competitive advantage.

Humidity-stable package of disposable absorbent articles with wetness indicators


To provide a mechanism for coordinating the operation of throttle valves in a carburetor system in which a plurality of carburetors are connected in series and are then arranged in parallel with one another so as to position shafts thereof in parallel with one another. The throttle valves are rotated on said shafts to open or close passages of the carburetors. In the throttle valve operation coordinating mechanism, each of the carburetors connected in series shares one shaft which is received in bearings positioned at opposite ends thereof. A link extends between the shafts of the carburetors arranged in parallel and coordinates the operation of the shafts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanism for coordinating the operation of carburetor throttle valves in a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional carburetors used in multi-cylinder internal combustion engines employ a mechanism similar to that shown in FIG. 3 to coordinate operation of the throttle valves. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the carburetor arrangement used in a V-type 4 cylinder internal combustion engine. Numeral 1 indicates the top edge of the internal combustion engine. Numeral 3 indicates the carburetors provided on top of each of the cylinders.
Numeral 4 indicates throttle valves. These throttle valves 4, are supported on shafts 5, arranged across the individual carburetors 3. The throttle valves 4 open and close with the rotation of the shafts 5. Also, adjacent pairs of carburetors 3 are arranged in series such that the shafts 5 are coaxial. Furthermore, these carburetors 3 are juxtaposed such that their shafts 5 are parallel to each other.
In the case of the above conventional carburetors 3, each shaft 5 is rotatably supported in bearings 6 provided on opposite ends thereof. Furthermore, the tips of adjacent shafts 5 protrude from the bearings 6, and are connected to each other by operation coordinating mechanisms 7a and 7b provided at the tips the of shafts 5. Also, to one of these shafts 5 (the lower right shaft in FIG. 3) is attached a drive mechanism 8. The rotation of this shaft (driving shaft) 5 is transmitted, via the link 9 extending between the tips of the shafts 5 protruding from the bearings 6, to the shafts 5 (driven shafts) of the carburetors 3 arranged in parallel to the carburetors on the driving side.
That is, in the conventional carburetor 3, when the shaft 5 in the lower right of the figure is rotated by the drive mechanism 8, the rotation is transmitted to the shaft 5 (the upper right shaft in the figure) by the operation coordinating mechanism 7a, and then to one of the driven shafts (the upper left shaft) 5 via the link 9, then by the operation coordinating mechanism 7b, to the shaft 5 (the lower left shaft). As a result, the shafts 5 rotate together by an equal amount, and open or close the throttle valves 4, thereby controlling the volume of air delivered to each of the cylinders.
However, in the above conventional throttle valve operation coordinating device, the link 9 extends between the tips of the shafts 5. Therefore, the link 9 is supported in a cantilever fashion by one end of the shaft 5. Particularly on the driven shafts 5, when rotation is transmitted through the link 9, the shaft 5 is pushed by the link 9 as shown by the arrow M in the figure, causing a swing left or right with the bearings 6 acting as a fulcrum. It is possible that the motion of the link 9 not be converted into the rotation of the shafts 5 correctly. Therefore, in the above conventional throttle valve operation coordinating device, to prevent the swing of the shafts 5 in the driven side carburetor 3 and the non-uniformity of the opening and closing amount and opening and closing time of the throttle valves 4 attached to them, despite the high cost, it is necessary to use bearings 6 to hold the shafts 5 firmly.

Mechanism for coordinating operation of throttle valves in carburetor system


In a new supplemental combination, the herb, Vitex agnus-castus (chasteberry), enhances hormone balance by increasing luteinizing hormone (LH) and progesterone release and, therefore, ovulation frequency. The antioxidants, green tea, vitamin E, and selenium, improve overall reproductive health. L-arginine, an amino acid, stimulates the reproductive organs by improving circulation. Folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12, iron, zinc and magnesium help promote women""s fertility.

Because of delayed child bearing, unhealthy diets and use of tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, drugs and environmental contaminants, difficulties in conceiving have been experienced.
Needs exist for pharmaceutical compounds that improve fertility in both women and men.
This invention provides combinations of bioeffecting compounds for promoting fertility in men and women. The combinations include nutritional components that benefit fertility health. All the components have been studied separately, to determine their individual efficacy. The invention provides the first products to put these components together synergistically in women""s and men""s formulations.
As many as 15% of couples in the U.S. have difficulty conceiving a child. In about one third of these cases, it is the man that is infertile; in another third, the female has fertility issues. The remaining is due to a combination of male and female fertility issues, or unknown causes. In many of these cases, causes of infertility are treatable. Nutritional and lifestyle changes should be the first step to increasing chances for conception. Smoking and caffeine, drug and alcohol consumption, environmental toxicants, and stress are related to infertility in men and women. Reproductive organs are highly susceptible to free radical or oxidative damage from environmental toxicants and natural aging. A balanced, nutritional diet, and nutritional supplements with high antioxidant content can help reverse some of that damage. In women, hormone balance is critical to monthly ovulation and development of the corpus luteum (an ovarian follicle that release progesterone after release of the egg to prepare the uterus for implantation).

Method and composition for improving fertility health in female and male animals and humans


Provided are polyester resins containing hydroxy functionalized isophthalate ester moieties useful in coating compositions. The invention provides both solvent-borne as well as water-borne coating compositions comprised of the resins and a crosslinker such as a melamine-type crosslinker. Polyester resins of the present invention having a T.sub.g of greater than about 50.degree. C. are useful in thermosetting powder coating compositions. The coatings thus provided possess excellent acid resistance, hardness, impact resistance, and stain resistance.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,381,058 discloses the use of hydroxyaromatic dicarboxylic acids (e.g. 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid) in preparing polyesters which have improved dyeability with basic and direct dyes. The polyester compositions disclosed in this patent are useful as fibers, but not as resins for producing coatings when crosslinked.
It is known (EP 0,419,088) that polyester resins containing terminal hydroxy groups may be capped by reacting with carboxyphenols (e.g. p-hydroxy benzoic acid) to give terminal groups such as I ##STR1## wherein R.sub.l is a direct bond, C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 hydrocarbylene or C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 oxyhydrocarbylene and R.sub.2 is hydrogen, hydroxy, halo, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxycarbonyl and that said resins may be crosslinked to produce coatings having enhanced properties. It is noted that the hydroxy functionalized benzoate moieties in these known compositions are monovalent--the hydroxy group is not reactive under the conditions employed for resin synthesis--and always in terminal positions on the polymer chain, in contrast to the hydroxy functionalized aromatic diester moieties of this invention which are divalent which are located randomly along the polymer chain as inherent structural units.
Lastly, it is known (Eastman Kodak Publication No. N-278, "Resin Formulations from Eastman Industrial Chemicals", May 1981) that valuable coatings can be prepared from polyester resins similar to those of this invention but without containing the hydroxy functionalized isophthalate ester moieties, the structural unit which characterizes the valuable resins/coatings of this invention. The previously known coatings have shown deficiencies in the properties of hardness, acid resistance and stain resistance, etc.
There is a need in the coatings industry for high strength, high modulus, chemically resistant coatings. This invention is directed toward meeting the above needs and the coatings described have improvements in one or more specific properties of acid resistance, pencil hardness, impact resistance, solvent resistance, gloss, etc.
The present invention provides polyester resin compositions containing hydroxy functionalized isophthalate moieties, said resins being prepared by a direct polycondensation process which is suitable for economical, large-scale production. These new resins are useful as coatings binders and may be dissolved in conventional solvents and formulated into thermosetting coating compositions which exhibit a good combination of the desirable properties mentioned above.


An optical pickup lens having a lens and a lens holder, each of which has at least one mark in a direction of rotation based on an optical axis of the lens as a center of rotation. The mark(s) of the lens holder is provided so as to oppose the mark(s) of the lens. Preferably, the marks of the lens and the marks of the lens holder are provided at regular intervals. Since both the lens and the lens holder have the marks thereon, the lens can be mounted on the lens holder at a predetermined angle in the direction of rotation of the lens based on the center of rotation of the lens.

Optical pickup units are mounted on optical disc apparatuses (including magneto-optical disc apparatuses) such as compact discs (or CD), mini discs (or MD) and digital versatile discs (or DVD) apparatuses, etc. so as to record data on optical discs or reproduce the recorded data therefrom.
FIG. 13 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a conventional optical pickup unit (90), in which an optical pickup lens (10) comprising a lens (or an objective lens) (20) and a lens holder (30), a reflecting mirror (60), a collimator lens (70), and an optical unit (80) are arranged in this order from the side close to an optical disc (50). The optical unit (80) comprises a semiconductor laser as a light source (not shown) for emitting a laser beam, and photo detectors (not shown) which receive reflected light from the optical disc. A laser beam from the semiconductor laser of the optical unit (80) passes through the collimator lens (70), the reflecting mirror (60) and the lens (20) so as to irradiate the optical disc (50). The laser beam reflects on the optical disc (50), and then the reflected laser beam goes backward to be detected by the photo detectors of the optical unit (80).
The lens (20) is mounted on the lens holder (30) which is connected to and is driven by an optical pickup lens-driving mechanism (an actuator, not shown). The optical pickup lens (10) is composed of the lens (20) and the lens holder (30). This arrangement makes it possible to change position of the lens (20) relative to the optical disc (50) by operating the actuator. In other words, it is possible to drive the lens (20) independently in a direction parallel to an optical axis (40) of the lens and in a radial direction of the optical disc (50) (i.e., a direction perpendicular to an optical axis (40) of the lens). Therefore, focusing and tracking can be controlled.
Generally, a plastic lens formed by injection molding is used for the optical pickup lens. The plastic lens is formed by injecting molten plastic into a cavity of a mold through a gate of the mold, cooling and solidifying the same. Therefore, optical distortion (astigmatism) tends to grow in the plastic lens because of an influence of the resin flow generated on the lens being shaped in the mold. Moreover, in case where the mold has a plurality of cavities, subtle difference in the flow of the resin into the cavities of the mold varies the astigmatism of a plurality of the resultant lenses which are shaped in the respective cavities. Furthermore, even if a plurality of plastic lenses are shaped in the same cavity, the astigmatism of the resultant lenses may vary depending on variation in molding conditions for each of lots.
The presence of astigmatism of the optical pickup lens gives an influence on a focus error signal from the optical pickup unit, which may lead to unstable focus servo control. Therefore, careful attention is needed for mounting the lens on the lens holder so that the astigmatism of the lens and the astigmatism of the optical systems except for the lens can be canceled by each other as much as possible, to thereby minimize astigmatism of the whole of the optical pickup unit. In case of mass-production of optical pickup lenses each comprising a lens and a lens holder, an angle for mounting the lens on the lens holder (i.e., an angle for rotating the lens based on an optical axis of the lens as the center of rotation) at which influence of the astigmatism of the lens can be minimized is examined relative to each lot of molded lenses and to each of the cavities of molds, and then, the lens is mounted on the lens holder at the predetermined angle.
Conventionally, adjustment of the angle for mounting the lens (20) on the lens holder (30) is carried out as illustrated in FIGS. 14 to 16. FIG. 14 is a plan view of the optical pickup lens (10), schematically illustrating a method of mounting and positioning the lens (20) on the lens holder (30). FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the optical pickup lens shown in FIG. 14, and FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the optical pickup lens shown in FIG. 14. Positioning of the lens (20) relative to the lens holder (30) in a direction parallel to the optical axis (40) of the lens (20) is carried out by placing a flat portion (22) of a round edge (21) of the lens (20) on a portion (32) of the lens holder (30) which receives the flat portion (22) of the round edge (21) of the lens (20). Further, the positioning of the lens (20) relative to the lens holder (30) in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis (40) of the lens (20) is performed by contacting an outer peripheral side portion (23) of the round edge (21) of the lens (20) with a portion (33) of the lens holder (30) which receives the outer peripheral side portion (23). Accordingly, the positioning of the lens (20) relative to the lens holder (30) can be easily achieved in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the optical axis (40) of the lens (20), respectively.
However, the conventional optical pickup lens (10) has a problem in that any means has not been taken to determine a position for rotating the lens (20) in the direction of rotation (45) of the lens relative to (based on or considering) the center of rotation of the lens (20) (i.e., the optical axis (40)). Therefore, the operation of mounting the lens (20) on the lens holder (30) at the predetermined angle is not easy (cf., JP-A-2001-126275). Further, the conventional optical pickup lens (10) has a problem in that it takes long in mounting the lens (20) on the lens holder (30) at the predetermined angle (cf., JP-A-2001-126275).

Optical pickup lens comprising a lens and a lens holder which have marks to easily mount the lens on the lens holder at a predetermined angle in the direction of rotation of the lens, and optical pickup unit comprising the optical pickup lens


A tire pressure monitor system is provided including a sensor housing forming an internal housing mount chamber. An air inlet port is formed on a housing side surface and is orientated parallel to the wheel rim rotational axis. A sensor assembly including an air pressure sensor element is mounted within the internal housing mount chamber. A filter element and a gasket element are positioned between the air pressure sensor element and the air inlet port. A potting material fills the internal housing mount chamber. The filter element and the gasket element creating an air pressure flow path from the air inlet port to the air pressure sensor element.

Automotive design and manufacturing has included an increasing quantity of consumer and performance features. These features provide a range of information regarding vehicle performance and function. Wherein many of these systems were traditionally either accomplished manually or required a physical wire connection to vehicle computers, more systems within the vehicle now operate through wireless transmission.
A feature that provides considerable challenges involves the monitoring of vehicle tire pressure. Correct tire pressure is highly desirable as it impacts vehicle handling, fuel economy, tire wear, etc. In order to properly monitor tire pressure, systems are commonly mounted within the tire and attached to either the valve stem or the wheel rim. These systems include pressure sensors and wireless transmitters to transmit individual pressures to a central computer. As the sensor assemblies are mounted within the wheel during vehicle operations, these systems must be extremely robust. Tire impact, high rotational speeds, and quick momentum shifts must all be accommodated. Therefore it is highly desirable for the sensor assemblies to be designed for extreme conditions.
Although momentum based stressors are of considerable concern, so additionally are environmental stressors. Vehicle wheel assemblies often are exposed to considerable environmental changes. Water or other fluids may accumulate within the wheel during routine operations. When the wheel is at a twelve o'clock or six o'clock position, such accumulation may adversely effect the sensor assembly if such fluid is allowed to enter the pressure inlet port of the sensor assembly. The sensor element itself may be permanently damaged should such fluid be allowed to contact the electronics. Therefore, it is highly desirable to have a tire pressure monitor assembly that was extremely robust and was resistant to fluid intrusion. Such a monitoring assembly would increase lifespan and reduce warranty costs.

Tire pressure monitor system with side entry pressure port


An acoustic panel having highly desirable sound absorption characteristics. The panel is preferably formed of an open frame, there being at least one septum centrally located within the frame opening and in contact with the frame members. On each side of the septum are expanded fiberglass batts. Both sides of the frame are faced with perforated hardboard sheets which, in turn, are covered by an open-cell foam layer and a layer of scrim material comprising metal foil and a tear-resistant backing. The panels can be covered with a decorative fascia such as fabric or synthetic sheet materials.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in panels which may be utilized as modular office partitions and, more particularly, to an acoustic panel having desirable sound absorbing characteristics and which has fire-retardant qualities.
2. Description of the Related Art
Office space is often rented as a large open area generally without partitions. Normally such office space is divided into a number of smaller, more functional work stations, rooms and halls by utilizing semi-permanent panels of varying height in the form of metal frames joined together at their edges and having covered cores.
Movement of people through and around the work stations, rooms and hallways, conversations, telephone conferences, normal operation of office equipment, and business activities in general can generate considerable noise. The noise can be distracting to workers and visitors to the office and can diminish work place productivity. Accordingly, there is considerable need for panels that have the capacity to absorb sound and frustrate the transmission of sound therethrough. It is also desirable that these panels be fire resistant or retardant in order to meet local fire codes.
A number of attempts to make acoustic and fire-retardant panels have been made heretofore. Most of these panels have been relatively expensive.
Webster U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,580, issued Apr. 10, 1984, discloses an acoustical panel having air impervious septum, a layer of low-density fiberglass, a perforated layer of medium-density fibrous board having tackable qualities and an outer layer of fiberglass or decorative fabric. A steel rim surrounds the panel. Structured rigidity must be provided by the septum and the steel rim. This construction has relatively low torsional resistance.
The U.S. Pat. No. to Lapins et al. 4,630,416, issued Dec. 23, 1986, discloses a sound-absorbing acoustical panel which consists of a central honeycomb core that acts like a septum. On both sides of the honeycomb core a thin facing sheet of aluminum has holes placed in the skin forming Helmholtz resonators with the honeycomb core. The holes alternate between columns of the honeycomb cells which are open on only one side. Attached to the skins is a layer of porous sound-absorbing material, which consists of a thin layer of high density fiberglass and an outer layer of variable density fiberglass. The outer layer is of variable density fiberglass, from low density to more dense as it approaches the thin high-density layer. The decorative fabric layer covers a porous soundabsorbing layer. The sound-absorbing panel is enclosed in a frame of channel shape rails which presumably are made of metal. The Helmholtz resonators are difficult to tune to a broad range of frequencies and work best for narrow frequency bands. The panels require precise manufacturing tolerances and procedures.
The U.S. Pat. Nos. to Sailor et al. 4,084,366, issued Apr. 18, 1978, Sailor et al. 3,084,367, issued Apr. 18, 1978 and Sailor et al. 4,155,211, issued May 22, 1979, all disclose an acoustical panel similar to the Lapins et al. '416 panel.
The U.S. Pat. No. to Haugen et al. 4,702,046 issued Oct. 27, 1987, discloses an acoustical wall panel that mounts to a wall with a frame. The acoustical wall panel consists of a wooden frame that encloses fiberglass batts. Attached to the back of the frame is a plastic covering and in front of the frame is a rigid acoustical tectum board. An acoustical transparent cloth wraps around the wooden frame and is stapled thereto to cover the acoustical board. The Haugen et al. wall panel does not have the structural integrity required for partitions nor does it have the required sound barrier properties required for partition applications.
Herman Miller, Applicant's assignee, has heretofore manufactured and sold an office panel having a particle board frame, a honeycomb core, a hardboard layer covering the honeycomb board and attached to the frame, a scrim layer covering the hardboard layer and a decorative fabric covering the scrim layer. The scrim layer is a combination of a thin aluminum foil backed by a very thin layer of fibrous batting such as fiberglass. This prior panel has fire-resistant characteristics but did not have acoustical properties. The particle board frame is directional in nature. The pressed surfaces of the frame face outwardly and inwardly of the framing material so that the fabric can be attached to the outer surface through staples.
Herman Miller, Applicant's assignee, has also heretofore manufactured an acoustical panel in which clear pine rails and stiles form a frame, a hardboard septum is mounted within the frame, fiberglass batting is mounted within the frame on each side of the septum and a perforated steel panel was nailed or stapled to the frame. A layer of half-inch fiberglass batting is positioned outside the steel panels. A decorative fabric layer covers the fiberglass layer and is stapled to the outside edges of the frame. The clear pine frame elements were required to hold the nails or staples used to secure the steel panel to the frame as well as to hold staples used to hold the fabric to the sides of the frame members. The panels had a slightly puffy appearance.
The U.S. Pat. No. to Ashton, 4,571,906, issued Feb. 25, 1986, discloses a sectional screen in which a wood frame has a septum in a central portion, fiberglass batting in cells formed within the frames, a perforated wall on each side of the frame and a sound-absorbing cloth covering the frame.


An apparatus for applying flowable material to a work surface includes a frame structure having a handle portion and an axle portion; a roller cover mounting structure rotatably mounted on the axle portion; a roller cover having an outer cover surface and engagingly fitted over the roller cover mounting structure, for gathering a quantity of the flowable material on the outer cover surface and transferring at least part of the quantity of flowable material to the work surface; and a mounting structure locking mechanism for locking the mounting structure against rotation relative to the frame structure. The locking mechanism preferably locks the mounting structure against rotation releasably, so that the roller cover transfers the flowable material by either rotating or by sliding against the work surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of paint application devices. More specifically the present invention relates to a roller apparatus for applying paint, stain and other flowable material to a work surface. The roller apparatus includes a roller frame with a handle portion at one end, an axle portion at the other end, and a roller assembly mounted on the axle portion for removably receiving a conventional roller cover. The roller assembly contains a releasable locking mechanism which frees the roller cover to rotate freely about the axle portion for the conventional rolling application of flowable material, and which alternatively locks the roller cover against rotation about the axle portion for a sliding application of the material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been roller devices for applying paint and other material to work surfaces. A problem with these prior devices has been that a smooth finish is often not attainable because the material transferred by the device rolling element leaves elevated irregularities, such as stipples and bubbles, as the element surface rides over and lifts away from the work surface. Applicant has discovered that a sliding action produces a smooth finish virtually free of such irregularities. These prior devices are not constructed to perform a sliding application.
An example of such a prior roller device is that of Morgan, et al., U.S. Pat. No. Des. 305,080, filed on Jun. 1, 1987, for what is termed a paint roller frame. Morgan, et al., includes the conventional bent rod roller framework with rotatably mounted, spaced apart cover support disks and an outwardly bowed, longitudinally oriented, wire cage for mounting a roller cover. A problem with Morgan, et al., is that the cover support disks and mounting cage are always free to rotate, so that sliding the roller cover to apply material is awkward or impossible.
Another prior device is that of Jacobs, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,840, filed on Dec. 19, 1991. Jacobs, et al., discloses an epoxy floor roller tool and method of making the tool for removing air bubbles from an already applied layer of epoxy and polyurethane floor coating materials. A problem with Jacobs, et al., is that no provision is made for sliding application of flowable material. Another problem with Jacobs, et al., is that two steps are required in the material application, namely those of applying the material over the work surface and of subsequently rolling the Jacobs, et al., device over the wet material to remove bubbles. This procedure virtually doubles the work time needed for the project, and similarly increases the cost as well.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a roller apparatus which is capable of applying flowable material to a work surface in a rolling mode, and which can alternatively apply the material in a sliding mode.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which changes modes of operation simply by shaking or bumping the apparatus, so that no tools or work interruption are necessary.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which has the familiar feel and appearance of a conventional paint roller device, and which accepts the conventional and widely available roller covers.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is durable, reliable, simple in design and inexpensive to manufacture.


Method and means for modifying gases or fumes fed through a filter (1), from its inlet side to its outlet side, submitted to an electric plasma having its maximum plasma density (d) at the filter's inlet side. The gases or fumes may comprise NOx, the filter being constituted by a catalytic material fit for modifying NOx. The filter also may be polluted with e.g. a soot deposit, precipitated on the filter's surface and/or within the filter's interior. The means may comprise a first electrode system (2) at the filter's inlet side and a second electrode system (3) at the filter's outlet side, connected to a high voltage (V1). Preferably the first electrode system comprises two or more groups of interlacing electrodes, each connected to a high voltage source (V1, V2, V3).

The use of an electrical plasma for chemical conversion of ingredients—like NOx (NO, NO2, . . . ), coal, soot etc.—of exhaust gases is known from various (patent) publications since about 1994.
In presence of water and/or oxygen the plasma produces strongly oxidizing radicals such as OH, HO2, O and negative ions of O2. It has also been shown by chemical kinetics calculations (R. Dorai, J. Appl. Phys. Vol 88, No. 10, 2000) that electron impact dissociation of hydrocarbons in exhaust gases contributes to the total concentration of oxidizing compounds.
In order to apply plasma's for soot and/or NOx conversion, gas permeable dielectric filter materials have been proposed in an interelectrode gap. Examples of these materials are packed pellet beds and ceramic foams with a variety of main pore sizes. These materials are essential for either collection of materials such as soot particles, dust particles or particles containing living micro-organisms (the collection may be mechanical or electrostatically enhanced) or because of their catalytic properties.
A number of attempts have been made to convert both soot particles and NOx in a single plasma reactor. However, because in electrical plasma's NO is readily oxidized to NO2, and soot oxidation by NO2 reproduces NO, segmented approaches have been investigated too. According to the segmented approaches, soot is filtered and converted by plasma in a first segment, and the remaining NOx concentration is further treated by plasma in a second segment, preferentially in presence of a catalyst.
For soot conversion, different filter and electrode configurations have been proposed. In wall-flow type plasma filters, e.g. proposed by S. Müller et al. (Hakone Conference, Greifswald, 11-13 Sep. 2000), the filter pore size is sufficiently small to collect the main particle mass at the filter surface. In the so called flow-through filter type, the particles are collected within a ceramic packed bed or within a relatively open ceramic foam where the main pore size is large compared to the particle size. A plasma filter of this type has been proposed by AEA Technology in patent WO00/71866.
For optimization of NOx conversion, plasma reactors have been proposed with relative large non-gas permeable electrodes, where at least one of the electrodes is covered by a dielectric barrier coated with catalytic material. Examples of this type of reactors are published in patents (e.g. US2001/0040089 of Delphi Technologies).
A drawback of existing wall-flow plasma filters is that either the plasma's cause smaller particles that are either not filtered or the filter pore size causes an unacceptable pressure drop. Flow-through plasma filters suffer from relatively large filter thickness requirements and inhomogeneous plasma distribution. An important drawback of existing plasma reactors in general, for both soot and NOx conversion, is their high energy consumption. For automotive applications an extra fuel consumption of 2-4% for generating the electrical plasma may be acceptable. However, the electrical plasma power at this given fuel consumption is unsufficient for effective conversion of soot and NOx using the known plasma reactors.

Method and means for chemically modifying gases or fumes

Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek TNO


The present invention provides a seismic exploration and imaging system for producing seismic survey reports of subsea geological structures. The exploration system provides a method in which both P-waves and S-waves are detected without the need for placing detection apparatus in contact the seabed. A seismic event is applied (12) to the earth's surface (13), and the detected response including P-waves and S-waves in the earth's. The detecting apparatus comprises a means for monitoring and recording the response to the seismic event in the form of movements of particles at the earth's surface, from a position spaced from the earth's surface. Particles at the surface will respond both to P-wave and S-wave stimulation and so their movements will be representative of the two waves. These movements are detected from a distance.

Conventional seismic methods for exploring subterranean strata beneath the seabed involve generating a seismic wave and measuring the response. The seismic wave may be simple or complex and may be generated at sea level, beneath the surface of the water or at the seabed. The response is detected by a series of spaced receivers which are commonly positioned on cables towed behind an exploration vessel. Generally, the receivers are held stationary for the detection step and are then moved to a different location and the process is repeated.
The response to a seismic event in the solid rock at the sea floor includes a compression wave (P-wave) and a shear wave (S-wave). P-waves are considered well suited to imaging structures while the combination of S-waves is well suited to determining rock and fluid characteristics. P-waves travel through rock and sea water while S-waves travel through rock only. Thus, if the receivers are hydrophones floating at or beneath the surface, they will detect only the P-waves. In order to detect the S-waves, it is necessary to use geophones located at the seabed.
It has also been recognised that better seismic imaging can be achieved by making use of both P- and S-waves. However, the costs involved in positioning and re-positioning geophones on the sea bed in addition to the use of hydrophones has been found to be prohibitively costly. This is particularly so since in order to detect S-waves effectively, three independent orthogonal geophones are required at each recording location.
Specifically, it has been known for more than 10 years that 4C seismic imaging of the subsurface may add more and better information to exploration due to high quality recording of shear waves (S-waves) at the water bottom. Unfortunately, 4C-imaging did not become the success that was expected, primarily due to the combination of extreme high acquisition cost and uncertainties in the prediction of payback. The cost factor is related to capacity problems in available acquisition techniques.
4C recording is normally carried out by a hydrophone and three independent orthogonal geophones. The geophones are coupled to the sea bottom and they are therefore sensitive to the particle velocities generated by both the seismic p-waves and the s-waves. These techniques use either sensor cables at the sea bottom or geophone nodes resting on or planted in the sea bottom. 4C seismic acquisition consists of a sequence of moving source and moving receiver operations. After an independent source vessel has carried out a series of shooting profiles, the bottom equipment has to be moved into the next position. Both due to this static recording component in the acquisition and due to a limited number of available receivers, these 4C acquisition systems become ineffective. Due to physical problems both related to moving the heavy equipment along the water bottom and geophone coupling, the reliability is adversely affected.
Finally, it is also recognised that the cost effectiveness of carrying out such seismic imaging, and in particular S-wave measurements, could be greatly reduced by avoiding the need to locate detection apparatus at the seabed, that is to measure an S-wave from a position spaced from the seabed and so allow effective re-positioning of the detection apparatus with respect to the seabed. However, as mentioned, S-waves do not travel through sea water, making direct sensing remote from the seabed impossible. Remote sensing has further inherent problems in that the detection apparatus is subjected to ocean currents which can inhibit effective positioning of the detection apparatus, and introduce noise into measurements, making correlation of the results very difficult.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method of seismic exploration in which both P-waves and S-waves are detected but which is simpler and less costly than known techniques.

Seismic exploration and imaging system for producing survey reports of subsea geological structures