A system for controlling and monitoring the extracorporeal circulation of fluids, which is particularly useful in controlling and monitoring the circulation of blood and cardioplegia solution in surgical procedures. A set of perfusion assemblies are mounted in a transportable console, each perfusion assembly having a separable pump and control module pod. Virtually all the instrumentation for the monitoring and controlling of the pump and the fluid being pumped by that perfusion assembly are present on the pump and control module pod for that perfusion assembly, without the need for any separate control screen. Further, the perfusion assembly uses removable circuit cards and associated instrumentation strips to custom configure the perfusion assembly for each application. The perfusion assembly thereby provides complete information at a glance and complete control of the perfusion assembly by using dedicated controls that are grouped to each perfusion assembly. It is flexible in being configured to the desires of the user, is easy to use and involves a minimum of clutter.

Various forms of open-heart surgery have been practiced for a number of years. Open-heart surgery normally requires the use of a system for the extracorporeal circulation of fluids through a number of fluid circuits. For example, one circuit is used to assume the cardiopulmonary functions of the patient by bypassing the heart and lungs. In this circuit, a catheter receives blood from a major vessel entering the heart and directs the blood through a venous line to a blood reservoir. An arterial pump is used to pump blood from the reservoir through an oxygenation device such as a membrane or bubble oxygenator and through an arterial line and another catheter into a major vessel exiting the heart. This pumping and oxygenation function temporarily replaces or supplements the pumping and oxygenation function of the heart and lungs. The arterial pump circuit may include other devices such as bubble detectors to guard against bubbles entering the bloodstream; temperature sensors and heat exchangers to monitor and control the temperature of the circulated blood; pressure transducers to monitor the pressure in the extracorporeal circuit; a timer; cardiac index monitor; and devices to monitor blood characteristics such as the hemoglobin oxygen saturation level, hematocrit, pH, and blood gasses.
The arterial pump is typically a peristaltic pump in which a set of rollers are mounted on a rotor which rotates through a raceway. A flexible tube is mounted in the raceway between the raceway and the rollers. The rotation of the rotor moves the rollers through the raceway to successively occlude the flexible tube, thereby driving the fluid in the tube through the tube in the direction of the moving rollers. Rotary peristaltic pumps are attractive for pumping blood or other body fluids because they are relatively reliable and simple to operate, and they are sanitary since they do not directly contact the fluid being pumped. Centrifugal pumps or other types of pumps may also be used. Regardless of the type of pump that is used, it may be operated in a steady and continuous manner or in a pulsatile manner to mimic the beating of the heart.
Another potential circuit in the extracorporeal circulation system involves a cardioplegia pump. Most types of common surgery on the heart necessitate a temporary reduction or discontinuance in the beating of the heart in a manner that will not cause damage to the myocardium. This is accomplished by using a cardioplegia pump to pump a cardioplegia solution into the coronary arterial network for distribution throughout the myocardium. The solution drains through the coronary sinus, and can be drawn out of the chest cavity and discarded or directed toward the arterial pump for mixing with systemic blood.
The cardioplegia pump which infuses the myocardium arterial network with cardioplegia solution is typically somewhat similar in design to the arterial pump which bypasses the heart and lungs; it is commonly a peristaltic pump in which a set of rollers mounted on a rotating rotor successively occlude a flexible tube to drive the solution therethrough. As in the case of the arterial pump, the cardioplegia circuit may include other devices such as pressure transducers to monitor the solution pressure to keep it within an acceptable range; an air detector; a timer; and a temperature sensor and heat exchanger to monitor and control the temperature of the cardioplegia solution. In addition, the cardioplegia circuit may include a device for controlling and recording the total volume of cardioplegia solution that is pumped.
Typical extracorporeal systems for use in openheart surgery may contain one or more additional circuits, beyond the arterial circuit and cardioplegia circuit. For example, the system may include one or more auxiliary pumps to draw free blood and cardioplegia fluid from the patient and to add it to the blood reservoir to be mixed with systemic blood to be pumped by the arterial pump. Although uncommon, the system in some configurations may include a venous pump separate from the arterial pump to draw venous blood out of the patient and direct it to a reservoir where the arterial pump can pump it through an oxygenator and heat exchanger. One or more additional pumps may be included in the system for use as back-up pumps in the event of a failure of a primary pump.
Existing systems for extracorporeal circulation are commonly mounted on a wheeled console for convenient storage, transport and use. The typical mounting configuration includes a row of discrete perfusion assemblies, each perfusion assembly including a pump for use as an arterial pump, cardioplegia pump, auxiliary pump, back-up pump, or any other pump needed for the chosen system configuration. Each perfusion assembly may also include a pump control panel. The pump houses the actual pumping elements such as a rotor with a set of rollers to engage the flexible tubing through which the pumped fluid flows and a raceway to hold the flexible tubing in place. It also contains the pump motor and other mechanical components. The pump control panel may include controls such as power switches, speed adjustments and indicators, and forward and reverse controls.
The wheeled console commonly has a number of accessories and a structure for attachment of the accessories. The structure may include one or more vertical poles or "masts," a horizontal crossbar connecting one or more of the masts, and sets of hooks and brackets for hanging or attaching fluid reservoirs, accessory instrumentation, writing surfaces and any other desired elements such as bubble detectors, temperature sensor readouts and other devices mentioned previously.
In the prior art, the pump control panel for each perfusion assembly does not always include all the instrumentation associated with that perfusion assembly and the fluid being pumped by that perfusion assembly. Instead, the configuration generally used in the prior art involves positioning some of the instrumentation on the pump control panel and positioning other instrumentation on a separate module. For example, in one common configuration instrumentation such as speed control, delivery rate readout, forward and reverse, and certain other elements are positioned on the pump control panel for each pump, but other instrumentation such as pulsatile control, pressure detection, temperature readouts and certain other elements are positioned at a remote location. The remote location is often a central CRT, a conglomeration of modules or a touchscreen display module, that is used to control and display certain functions for all of the perfusion assemblies used in the system. This centralized display module is usually the source of more information and controls than can actually be displayed and operated at one time; therefore, the perfusionist must affirmatively request the information and controls that are to be displayed and operated from time to time.
The centralized display module is often mounted on one of the vertical masts attached to the console or to a horizontal crossbar that extends between two masts. It may share the masts and crossbar with pressure sensors, an oxygenator and reservoir, air bubble detectors, heat exchangers, individual instruments, and other accessories, all of which are suspended or attached to the structure by hooks and brackets.


To provide rider restraint means capable of allowing a rider to freely leave a vehicle without a manual release operation when there is no need to restrain the rider to the vehicle. The rider restraint means includes a belt restraining a rider, buckles making the belt detachable, a guide rail making the buckles slidable, a retractor unit controlling the slide of the buckles, and coupling release means releasing coupling between the belt and the buckles in conjunction with the slide of the buckles. The coupling release means includes an inner wire, a wire stopper, and a wire end. The coupling release means releases the coupling between the belt and the buckles when the retractor unit loosens the winding after collision and the buckles slide by a predetermined distance or more or when the rider continues to pull the belt in a state other than collision and the buckles slide by a predetermined distance or more.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rider restraint apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to a rider restraint apparatus, which is suitable for a small vehicle and is capable of allowing a rider to leave the vehicle freely when there is no need to restrain the rider on the vehicle.
2. Description of Background Art
A rider restraint apparatus of a small vehicle has been hitherto known in the background art. The rider restraint apparatus according to the background art includes an airbag that absorbs impact which the rider is subjected to when the vehicle crashes and a seat belt that prevents the rider from leaving forward to enhance the effect of the airbag to absorb impact. In four-wheel passenger vehicles and the like, to obtain sufficient impact absorption by an expanded and inflated airbag, it is necessary to use a seat belt configured to be strained upon detection of impact together with the airbag. In small vehicles such as two-wheeled vehicles, the use of a seat belt unit is considered to further enhance the effect of the airbag. Moreover, in small vehicles such as two-wheeled vehicles, it is desirable that the restraint by the seat belt be released when a secondary motion occurs after a collision.
To solve the aforementioned problems, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2003-276668 discloses a technology that restrains the rider with a seat belt to further enhance the impact absorption effect of the airbag and releases the restraint at a predetermined period of time after the airbag, working with a collision detection sensor, starts inflating and expanding or when a fall sensor detects secondary motion after a collision.


To compress headers efficiently, headers may be differentially encoded. In one embodiment, a difference between a current field and a reference field can be used in a reduced header. In another embodiment, the least significant bits of the current field can be used to represent the current field. When such a field is received, the most significant bits of a reference field are needed to de compress the field. In addition, the present principles determine the typical usage scenarios that may benefit from header compression and further determine that some fields can be removed in a reduced header or be represented by fewer bits. Header compression may impose constraints on the representation of the current field. The present principles recognize constraints on using reduced headers and provide rules and guidelines on applying header compression.

In communication networks, one of the most expensive resources is bandwidth. Audio and video compression methods have been developed to effectively reduce the amount of data to be transmitted over the communication networks. In addition, it is important to reduce the overhead introduced by the use of transport protocols. More specifically, it is important to reduce the size of transport packet headers.

Method and apparatus for packet header compression


Chlorine dioxide is generated by electrochemical oxidation of sodium chlorite in an anode compartment of a cation-exchange membrane-divided cell in the presence of significant quantities of sodium chlorate and is recovered in a suitable recipient medium by passing the chlorine dioxide through a hydrophobic microporous membrane. Water balance in a continuous operation is maintained by removing water from the anolyte by transporting the same partly across the hydrophobic microporous membrane in vapor form and partly across the cation-exchange membrane.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,039, assigned to Sterling Canada, Inc. and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, there is described the production of chlorine dioxide and its separation using gas membranes, i.e. microporous hydrophobic membranes which permit gas or vapor of chlorine dioxide to pass therethrough but resist the passage of liquid and ions therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,163,793 describes an electrochemical chlorine dioxide generating process in which a mixture of alkali metal chlorite and alkali metal chloride is electrolyzed in an electrolytic cell equipped with a porous diaphragm separating the anode and the cathode compartments.
British Patent No. 714,828 describes a process for the production of chlorine dioxide by electrolysing an aqueous solution containing chlorite and a water soluble salt of an inorganic oxy-acid other than sulfuric acid while U.S. Pat. No. 2,717,237 discloses a method for producing chlorine dioxide by electrolysis of chlorite in the presence of sulfate ions.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 81-158883, published Dec. 7, 1981, describes an electrolytic process for producing chlorine dioxide by electrolysis of chlorite in which the electrolysed solution, at a pH of 2 or less, is fed to a stripping tank where air is introduced to recover the chlorine dioxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,008 describes an electrolytic process for chlorine dioxide production in which the sodium chlorite concentration in the anolyte is monitored and controlled by means of a photometric cell.
Published International patent application WO 91/09158 discloses a method of producing chlorine dioxide from chlorite in an ion exchange compartment of a multi-compartment cell in which hydrogen ions generated in the anode compartment enter the ion exchange compartment through a cation exchange membrane, causing chlorite ions decomposition to form chlorine dioxide and other by-products.
Published International patent application WO 91/09990 teaches an electrochemical process for producing chlorine dioxide from dilute alkali metal chlorite solution in a single pass mode using a porous flow-through anode in which the unconverted chlorite together with other components of the anolyte constitute an effluent.
A disadvantage of all of the above described electrolytic processes for the production of chlorine dioxide is that they are not suitable for a highly efficient, continuous, effluent-free operation in which all the components of the chlorite feed are safely and very efficiently removed with formation of an essentially pure chlorine dioxide, whereby no undesired or harmful by-products or contaminants are generated or accumulated.

Chlorine dioxide generation for water treatment


The disclosure provides a method for fabricating a heat pipe, and an instrument of the method. The method for fabricating a heat pipe includes providing a hollow tube, wherein the hollow tube has an open end and a closed end; disposing a mandril into the hollow tube from the open end, wherein the inside wall of the hollow tube is separated from the mandril by a space, and wherein the mandril comprises a first portion and a second portion and the first portion has a thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the second portion; filling up the space between the mandril and the hollow tube with a powder; performing a sintering process to the hollow tube, forming a first agglomeration region and a second agglomeration region; removing the mandril; injecting a working fluid into the hollow tube; and sealing the open end of the hollow tube.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates to a method for fabricating a heat pipe and an instrument of the method, and in particular relates to a method for fabricating a heat pipe with high heat transfer performance and an instrument of the method.
2. Related Art
Heat pipes have excellent heat transfer performance due to their low thermal resistance, and are therefore an effective means for the transfer or dissipation of heat from heat sources. Currently, heat pipes are widely used for removing heat from heat-generating components such as central processing units (CPUs) of computers.
Generally, according to the positions from which heat is input or output, the heat pipe has three sections: an evaporating section, a condensing section and an adiabatic section between the evaporating section and the condensing section.
The adiabatic section is typically used for transport of the generated vapor from the evaporating section to the condensing section. When the evaporating section of a heat pipe is thermally attached to a heat-generating electronic component, the working fluid receives heat from the electronic component and evaporates. The generated vapor then moves towards the condensing section of the heat pipe under the vapor pressure gradient between the two sections. In the condensing section, the vapor is condensed to a liquid state by releasing its latent heat to, for example, a heat sink attached to the condensing section. Thus, the heat is removed away from the electronic component.
Then the condensed liquid (the working fluid has high specific heat capacity, density, and low viscosity) flows to the evaporating section along the capillary configuration of the heat pipe. This evaporating/condensing cycle repeats and since the heat pipe transfers heat so efficiently, the evaporating section is kept at or near the same temperature as the condensing section of the heat pipe. Correspondingly, the heat-transfer capability of the heat dissipation device including the heat pipe is improved greatly.
The heat transfer performance of the heat pipe depends on three major parameters: pore size between powders for forming the heat pipe, porosity of the heat pipe, and permeability of the heat pipe. Regarding a sintered heat pipe, the above parameters can be adjusted by following process conditions: geometry of the sintering powder, average pore size of the sintering powder, and the sintering period.
The evaporating section, condensing section and adiabatic section of a heat pipe respectively have specific requirements of the three major parameters. Ideally, the evaporating section of the heat pipe should have a lower particular size of sintering powder, and the condensing section and adiabatic section of the heat pipe should have a higher particular size of the sintering powder, since the evaporating section demands high capillary force for recovering the working fluid and broad evaporation area for performing a heat exchange, and the condensing section and adiabatic section demand low fluid impedance for facilitating the liquid transport.
In order to obtain a heat pipe having portions with different particular sizes of sintering powders, a conventional method employs at least two powders with different particular sizes for fabricating a heat pipe. The above method, however, leads to a low product yield and increases the process complexity, and is not suitable for mass production.

Method for fabricating a heat pipe, and instrument of the method


The fermentation of cucumbers and other vegetables into pickles is traditionally a long term process. By exposing the flesh of the vegetable and pickling with calcium chloride instead of sodium chloride, a faster fermentation pickle is achieved with no decrease in quality.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of production of a cured pickle product by fermentation. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method of producing a fermentation cured pickle product quickly, without the traditional fermentation length.
Description of Related Art
Fermented pickle products, such as cucumbers and the like, are popular the world over because of the flavor and appearance that distinguishes them from other types of pickle products.
Commercially produced pickles are fermented in a brine solution of about 6% sodium chloride in large open-top tanks as large as 40,000 liters. The salt in this type of fermentation serves more than one function. For one, it is used to prevent freezing of outside tanks in northern climates. However, the most important function is that the sodium chloride brine solution selects for salt tolerant bacteria, such as Lactobacillus plantarm. Salt tolerant bacteria are normally used for fermentations of this type. Salt-tolerant bacteria help maintain the firm texture of the fermented product while the products are stored up to a year in fermentation tanks. It also provides salty flavor in the products made from the fermented fruit. Open tanks have the problem of allowing undesirable microbes and other items to enter the fermentation easily.
Fermentation of fruits, vegetables, and produce reduces sugars in the vegetable and in the brine from about 2% down to less than about 0.1% sugar. In the pickle industry, fermentation of a vegetable is typically considered complete when sugar test strips of the fermentation brine are negative, indicating less than about 0.1% residual sugar remains. Sugar concentration in the fermentation brine equalizes with the sugar concentration in the vegetable, making end of fermentation measurement easy by measuring the sugar in the brine solution. Also, pH of the fermentation brine typically goes down to about 2.9-3.9, also indicating a completed fermentation process. Those in the industry are familiar with methods for testing for fermentation completion.
With traditional fermentation, vegetables can take from about three to four weeks to finish the fermentation process sufficiently for commercial sale. This limits the amount of equipment-produced pickles to several batches per year in optimal conditions. Tank yard operations in the traditional fermenting process involve a large amount of labor and capital, with respect to maintaining the tank yard for these extended processing times. An additional continuing issue for commercial pickle production is the disposal of the salt in a manner that meets current disposal standards, with some local governments severely restricting the amount of salt which can be disposed of. Recycling of the brine from each fermentation batch has shown some benefit in sodium chloride reduction. However, during recycling, the intermingling of brines from different sources, batches, etc., with more diverse microbial content, presents a carryover of "off" or unwanted flavors in the finished product.
Calcium chloride is well known in the pickling process for having an effect when added to the conventional pickling process in that it increases the firmness of the preserved fruit, especially with cucumbers. Calcium chloride is considered more environmentally friendly than sodium chloride, and the disposal of calcium chloride as a waste product is less of an issue. Whole cucumber pickles have been utilized in a process involving only calcium chloride, and the results of this calcium chloride process indicated that a similar result, in terms of fermentation time, can be obtained without use of sodium chloride. Since no time difference was observed between the calcium chloride process and the sodium chloride process, the processes used did nothing to deal with the length of time it takes to ferment pickles and the problems with low equipment use turnover.


In a communication system in which a gateway entity is linked to a plurality of infrastructure entities which in turn are operable to communicate with an access terminal, the access terminal needs first to establish a data attachment point (DAP) with one of the infrastructure entities. Handoff of the DAP from one infrastructure entity to another infrastructure entity is initiated by the access terminal. The access terminal weighs factors such as the link conditions with the various infrastructure entities, the time since the last DAP handoff, and time duration communicating with the current infrastructure entity before proceeding with the DAP handoff.

I. Field
The present invention generally relates to communications, and more particularly, to handoff of data attachment points in wireless communication systems.
II. Background
In telecommunications, especially wireless communications, communication environments are not static but rather dynamic. In a mobile communication setting, some communication entities such as an Access Terminal (AT) may move from one location to another at different points in time.
Reference is directed to FIG. 1 which shows a simplified schematic illustrating an exemplary communication system. In the following description, terminology associated with a Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) system is used. The basic terminology and principles of operations of the UMB system can be found from a publication by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) established by the Telecommunication Industry Association (TIA), entitled "Interoperability Specification," 3GPP2-A.S0020. As shown in FIG. 1, within the Radio Access Network (RAN) 12, for example, in a Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) system in which an AT 14 is accessing a backbone network 16 via an evolved Base Station (eBS) 18 wirelessly. The eBS 18 serves as a data exchange entity between the AT 14 and an Access Gateway (AGW) 20. The AGW 20 has direct access to the backbone network 16. The backbone network 16 can be the Internet, for instance.
In FIG. 1, the eBS 18 serves as the Data Attachment Point (DAP) for the AT 14. More specifically, the eBS 18 serving as the DAP has the forward link traffic binding with the AGW 20, for example, as operated under the Proxy Mobile IP (PMIP) protocol promulgated by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Under the PMIP protocol, the AGW 20 sends forward-link data traffic to the DAP, the eBS 18 in this case, which in turn directs the data traffic to the AT 14. The eBS 18, acting as the DAP, is the network entity which performs the last binding with the AGW 20.
In a wireless environment, the AT 14 is mobile. That is, the AT 14 may move from one location to another, within the same RAN 12 or to a different RAN.
Reference is now directed to FIG. 2 which shows another simplified schematic illustrating the mobility of the AT 14.
Suppose in FIG. 2, the AT 14 originally communicating with eBS 18 now moves away from eBS 18 and begins to communicate with the eBS 22. The eBS 22 is now called the Forward-Link Serving eBS (FLSE) for the AT 14 as it is the eBS 22 that directly communicates and exchanges data with the AT 14. However, there has not been any binding update with the AGW 20. That is, the network entity that performed the last binding with the AGW 20 was still the eBS 18 and there has not been any binding update with the AGW 20 since then. As such, the eBS 18 still serves as the DAP. Under such a scenario, data from the AGW 20 is sent to the eBS 18 which is the DAP in this case, and then routed to the AT 14 to the eBS 20 which serves as the FLSE. Data packets from the AGW 20 to the AT 14 are routed according to the data path 24 as shown in FIG. 2.
Even though the AT 14 has roamed away from the coverage area served by the eBS 18, the eBS 18 remains the DAP for the AT 14. The reason is in a wireless setting, depending on the mobility of the AT 14, it is possible that the eBS 18 may again become the FLSE for the AT 14. For instance, the AT 14 may be on the boundary line of the coverage areas provided by both the eBS 18 and the eBS 22. Consequently, the AT 14 may only communicate with the eBS 22 temporarily. However, if the communications between the AT 14 and the eBS 22 are not temporary, routing data packets via the meandering data path 24 may not be an efficient usage of communication resources, at least from the perspective of backhaul utilization. In addition, packet data latency is also impacted. Instead, the DAP is preferably switched from the eBS 18 to the eBS 22. For such a DAP switch, the eBS 22 needs first to perform a forward link traffic binding with the AGW 20. After the successful completion of the forward link traffic binding process, the eBS 22 becomes the current DAP. Data packets are then routed from the AGW 20 to the AT 14 via the eBS 22, as shown by the data path 26 in FIG. 2. The switch of DAP from BS 18 to eBS 22 can be based on certain criteria, for example, after it is assured that the AT communicates with eBS 22 for a predetermined period of time.
Heretofore, switching or selection of the DAP, called a DAP handoff, has mostly been AN-initiated. In the AN-initiated handoff, the handoff process is transparent to the AT 14. However, problems may arise if the AN 14 has no knowledge of the handoff. For instance, the intended DAP may turn out to be the non-intended DAP. This is especially true in a asynchronous environment in which the various communication entities are not synchronized with each other. Referring back to FIG. 2, again suppose the AT 14 is at the boundary of the coverage areas of both eBS 18 and eBS 22. Sensing the presence of the AT 14, e.g., via the downlink signal strength, in an AN-initiated handoff, both the eBS 18 and the eBS 22 attempt to be the DAP by registering with the AGW 20 for the forward-link binding. Further suppose that the AT 14 is well settled within the coverage area provided by the eBS 18, and consequently the eBS 18 should be the most suitable DAP for the AT 14. Nevertheless, if registration messages sent and received between the AGW 20 and the eBS 22 are faster than those between the AGW 20 and the eBS 18, the eBS 22 can be assigned as the DAP ahead of the eBS 18, contrary to what was intended. Recovery of the wrongly assigned DAP, even if not fatal to the communication session involved, requires additional signaling and messaging which unnecessarily tie up communication resources.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a DAP assignment scheme with more accuracy and certainty, thereby allowing more efficient utilization of communication resources.


Insert pads used in women's clothing can be difficult to insert, remove, or adjust. The application includes independent methods for each of these scenarios, which are significant improvements over the state-of-the art method of manually massaging into place. By using a specially designed tool with the method laid out herein, it is possible to accomplish these tasks with great effectiveness and in much less time than before.

Several different types of women's clothing may include a contoured insert pad (51) which is usually made of foam and is designed to smooth, shape, and conceal the details of the wearer's breast. These insert pads are located inside the breast cup lining (52) of clothing, brassieres, sports brassieres, or bathing suit tops. They are typically removable through a small slot or gap in the article of clothing's side seam (53), where the brassiere structure goes beneath the wearer's arm. Since the removable insert pads are often not affixed to the article of clothing in any way, they can fall out or become bunched up while storing, transporting, or laundering the clothing. Insertion and alignment of the insert pad can be very difficult and time consuming to achieve due to the fact that the access hole is usually quite small and located on the side seam of the article of clothing. This access hole is not located closely enough to where the pad will ultimately need to be placed so the fingers of most individuals are simply not long enough to manage this task effectively. Currently, the method suggested by merchants and manufacturers of these insert pads is to fold or roll it up, slide it into the article of clothing, and then massage the article of clothing from the outside to open, flatten and align the insert pad into place. This method is both time consuming and difficult to perform since it must be accomplished by feel alone. This is only compounded by the fact that many insert pads are orientation specific. Therefore, a need exists for novel means and methods by which a user will be capable of inserting these insert pads accurately into the article of clothing in a timely and efficient manner.

Method for inserting and removing clothing insert pads


It is provided a break-out element for a module support, which is designed as a wet/dry area separation, of a door or flap of a motor vehicle, wherein the break-out element is integrally connected to the adjacent material of the module support via at least one region of weakness of lesser material thickness, and wherein the region of weakness acts as a predetermined breaking point and forms at least part of the edge of an access opening. The break-out element is in the shape of a cup, wherein the region of weakness is arranged between the free edge of an edge-side cup ring and the base of the cup.

The disclosure relates to a break-out element for a module support, which is designed as a wet/dry area separation, of a door or flap of a motor vehicle. The break-out element according to the solution ensures simple and secure access for a tool when required, for example in order to separate a windowpane from a window opener mechanism.
DE 10 2005 033 116 A1 discloses a break-out element of the type in question which has an annularly encircling region of weakness. Said partial portion of a unit support enclosed by the region of weakness can be broken out by action of force in order to thereby open up a service opening.
Although this technical solution is extremely simple, it also has disadvantages. Due to the absence of defined handling elements, the service opening can be broken free in a manner only controlled to a limited extent by means of a tool, for example a screw driver. This can lead to inadvertent damage of parts located there behind. Furthermore, the broken-out part could drop into the wet area, which would necessitate complicated removal of the unit support if rustling noises are to be reliably avoided during the journey. Since only comparatively little force can therefore be applied in order to break out the part closing the service opening, the region of weakness has to be provided with a particularly thin material wall thickness. This in turn conceals the risk of the regions of weakness themselves or the region enclosed by them no longer being sufficiently supplied with plastics melt during the injection molding process of the unit support. The tightness of the unit support would thereby no longer be ensured.
Similar technical solutions are known from DE 198 24 130 A1 and DE 103 60 794 A1, in which predetermined breaking ports are provided in a sheet metal component or a unit support. Upon breaking of the predetermined breaking points, openings which can serve as installation openings or for components to reach through are opened up.
Furthermore, DE 10 2011 116 134 A1 and DE 20 2004 020 237 U1 discloses predetermined breaking points which can be broken open via a screwing tool to be attached.

Break-out element for a module support, which is designed as a wet/dry area separation, of a door or flap of a motor vehicle

Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Bamberg


A section signature stacking body where one or more section signatures are stacked in a proper appearance is formed and carried out. A section signature accumulating apparatus includes: a first carrying part configured to receive and carry the manufactured section signature; a classifying/carrying part configured to classify N (N is an integer equal to or larger than 2 section signatures having the same configuration transported by the first carrying part to N different section signature accumulating parts one by one to carry the section signatures; N section signature accumulating parts configured to stock the section signatures carried by the classifying/carrying part and form a section signature stacking body where one or more sections signatures are stacked; and a second carrying part configured to carry N section signature stacking bodies discharged from the N section signature accumulating parts, respectively.

The present invention relates to: a section signature accumulating apparatus which manufactures at least folding-in-two sections signature with one sheet or a plurality of overlaid sheets, and overlays one or more manufactured section signatures to form and carry out a section signature stacking body, and a section signature accumulating method.
In recent years, in order to show off the digital printing features, printing media whose configurations are subdivided according to regions or requests of readers and which are formed by combining a plurality of different section signatures are being required to be manufactured. For example, in the field of newspapers, section signature stacking bodies configured by overlaying a plurality of kinds of section signatures, such as a section signature where news of the entire society are reported, a section signature where local news are reported, and a section signature where information (for example, information on sports, travels, restaurants, food materials, or the like) desired by readers are reported, are required to be formed. The section signature stacking body formed in this way may also be made to form a multi-section newspaper signature by, if necessary, folding the section signature stacking body into two and binding the section signature stacking body into a bundle with outer section signatures thereof using a post-processing apparatus.
Meanwhile, technologies including apparatuses (or Methods) capable of overlapping a plurality of kinds of section signatures to form a section signature stacking body are disclosed in Patent Literatures 1 and 2. Further, a technology disclosed in the following Patent Literature 3, as an apparatus for stably discharging gathered objects to a stacker part, is known.
According to the method and apparatus disclosed in Patent Literature 1, "(1) continuously printed sheets are continuously supplied to a first collection station one by one. Sheets allocated to one common signature are disposed to vertically overlap each other, and (are collected) to form a sheet piling body. (2) The finished sheet piling body is transported from the first collection station. (3) In order to finish a signature, the finished sheet piling body is folded at a center thereof in a first folding station. (4) The signature is disposed on a signature piling body including a plurality of signatures which has already been printed and folded in a second collection station. (5) If all signatures of a newspaper are completely equipped, the signature piling body is folded at a center thereof in a second folding station". Here, the second collection station corresponds to the section accumulating apparatus.
In the method and apparatus disclosed in Patent Literature 2, "(1) opposite surfaces of an endless paper web are digitally printed by a digital printing machine through a known method. (2) The paper web is carried by a pulling roller in an area of a first carrying path at a predetermined speed and with a predetermined tensile force, the endless paper web is supplied to a transverse cutter behind the pulling roller, and the transverse cutter divides the endless paper web into a paper. (3) The paper is weakened by a groove roller before being folded in a continuous folding machine, and then is folded accurately along a groove line in the continuous folding machine. (4) A second carrying path is installed behind the continuous folding machine, and includes a gathering station at a rear area when viewed from the carrying direction, and the paper is gathered as a complete newspaper booklet at the gathering station. (5) At a distal end of the second carrying path, the newspaper booklet is supplied to a first working station which is a subsequent processing means by a carry-out part. The carrying plane of the newspaper booklet is inclined in the first working station. (6) The booklet supplied to the first working station is positioned on a catch element by its own self-weight thereof in the first working station. A plurality of folded newspaper booklets may be gathered at the first working station, instead of just one newspaper booklet. (7) After (when) the plurality of folded newspaper booklets is gathered, the catch element drops, and the plurality of gathered newspaper booklets is slid to a second working station having a folding machine via a cascade due to its own self-weight thereof because of the above-described inclination. (8) In the second working station, the newspaper booklet is folded at a center thereof or has a bundling part". Here, the first working station corresponds to the section accumulating apparatus.
Further, the apparatus disclosed in Patent Literature 3 relates to a discharge technology for discharging a plurality of kinds of papers overlapped one by one in a predetermined sequence to form one gathering object to a stacker part (accumulating part), and the gathering object delivered from a gathering/carrying part is guided to a paper ejection guide plate to be guided between a pair of paper ejection rollers, the stacker part receives a discharging force due to rotating forces of the pair of paper ejection rollers, and opposite lower surfaces of the gathering object are guided to compulsory guide surfaces of a pair of paper ejection posture forcing pedestals to be shifted to an upper side, so that the gathering object is discharged while taking a V-shaped aviation posture when viewed from the front side. In addition, in the case of a weak gathering object (including light papers or a few sheets of papers), as the compulsory guide surfaces of the pair of paper ejection posture forcing pedestals face upward, a bending force is applied to the gathering object to be discharged while the gathering object takes a V-shaped aviation posture having a large angle, whereas in the case of a strong gathering object (including heavy papers or many sheets of papers), as the compulsory guide surfaces of the pair of paper ejection posture compulsory pedestals face downward, a bending force is rarely applied to the gathering object to be discharged while the gathering object takes a V-shaped or horizontal aviation posture having a small angle, whereby a difference in leaps is not generated regardless of the strength of the gathering object, the arrangement of the papers is stable, and the gathering object is discharged to the stacker part while the paper is neither jammed nor wrinkled.    [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2002-193545    [Patent Literature 2] JP-A No. 2007-76923    [Patent Literature 3] JP-A No. 2001-48398

Section signature accumulating apparatus and section signature accumulating method


A lens barrel includes an outer barrel provided on an inner periphery with a first thread and at least one linear guide groove intersecting the first thread and extending in a direction of an optical axis of the lens barrel, a middle barrel provided on an outer periphery with a second thread meshing with the first thread, and an inner barrel positioned inside the middle barrel. The inner barrel is provided with at least one follower which engages with the at least one linear guide groove, so that the inner barrel is guided along the optical axis without rotating about the optical axis with respect to the outer barrel. The lens barrel is also provided with a recess formed at a front end of each of the at least one linear guide groove on the inner periphery of the outer barrel. The recess has a width dimension which enables rotational movement of the at least one follower into the at least one linear guide groove during initial meshing of the middle barrel with the outer barrel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens barrel having a linear guide mechanism provided in the lens barrel for guiding a linear moving barrel along an optical axis without the lens barrel rotating about the optical axis.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional lens-shutter type of zoom lens camera having a telescoping type of zoom lens barrel is widely known. In such a type of zoom lens camera, a zoom lens barrel unit is usually assembled separately from a main body (camera body) of the camera before being installed in a housing of the camera body. The housing of the camera body is usually provided on an inner peripheral surface thereof with a female helicoid and a plurality of linear guide grooves intersecting the female helicoid and extending in the optical axis direction. In the camera body having such a housing, the zoom lens barrel unit is usually installed using the following method. The zoom lens barrel unit is first inserted into the housing from a rear of the housing. Subsequently, the male helicoid, formed on an outer peripheral surface of the outermost barrel of the zoom lens barrel unit, is brought into mesh with the female helicoid which is formed on an inner periphery of the housing. Thereafter, a linear guide plate, provided with a plurality of radial follower projections, is secured to the rear end of the outermost barrel and the plurality of follower projections engage with the plurality of linear guide grooves of the housing.
According to such an installing method, it is necessary to carry out several processes to install the zoom lens barrel unit in the housing of the camera body. This complicated installation process is troublesome and increases installation time.
When a lens barrel is designed having a guide groove or a cam groove formed on an inner peripheral surface which engages with a follower projection provided on a predetermined member to guide the same along the groove, the width and depth of the groove are determined before the whole dimension of the lens barrel (thickness, diameter, etc.) is determined. Also, the width and depth of the groove need to be sufficient to maintain the mechanical strength of the lens barrel. Therefore, in general, such a lens barrel having a guide or cam groove tends to be designed as a member which is too thick and too large.

Lens barrel having a linear guide mechanism


A data processing system is provided with a programmable memory protection unit 10 defining a plurality of programmable memory regions 2, 4, 6, 8 each with associated programmable memory attributes. A default memory protection unit 22 is provided and defines a plurality of default memory regions a, b, c, d, e each with associated default memory attributes. If a miss occurs in the programmable memory protection unit 10, and the memory access is a privileged level memory access, then the default memory protection unit 22 will return default memory attributes for that memory request.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of data processing systems. More particularly, this invention relates to memory protection mechanisms within data processing systems using which it is determined from the target address of a memory access request what attributes are associated with that target address. As an example, in the case of a memory protection unit, depending upon the attributes associated with a particular target address, a memory access may be permitted or not permitted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to provide memory protection units which are programmable such that the total memory space is divided into programmable memory regions with programmable attributes associated with each of those memory regions. As an example, the attributes may indicate properties such as read only, cacheable, non-cacheable, not executable, etc. Circuit resources are consumed in the elements needed to define the programmable memory regions and to store the programmable attributes associated with those programmable memory regions. Whilst fine-grained control might be desirable, this requires significant circuit resources to achieve and this brings with it a disadvantageous increase in gate count, power consumption, cost etc.
It is an object of at least preferred embodiments of the invention to seek to provide suitably fine-grained control of memory accesses whilst consuming relatively low levels of circuit resource in a manner which is well suited to the most common type of use for such memory protection units.


A double knit fabric which does not require hemming treatment even when it is cut into a desired shape and does not give any damage on handling to the fabric when an user wears it, and which can suppress generation of run or curling. A double knit fabric having a superior run and curling generation preventing ability, is made by a knitting process utilizing a non-elastic yarn and an elastic yarn having thermal deformation starting temperature being 150° C. to 190° C., with a plating stitch so that the non elastic yarn is arranged on both external surfaces thereof, while the elastic yarn is arranged on both inner surfaces thereof.

Generally speaking, a cut end portion of a clothing or a garment especially made of a weft knitting fabric possibly has a defect portion such as a yarn fray (caused by a yarn releasing or a yarn dropping), a yarn projection, a curling, or a defected portion having a ladder like configuration, that is to say a run, which is continually generated along an array of knitting loops caused by some of the knitting loops being released from another knitting loops in a wale direction of the weft knitting fabric, when no after-treatment has been performed on the cut edge portion of the knit fabric.
Therefore, as an after-treatment for the cut edge portion thereof, the following after treatment methods are generally used, such as, a sewing method with using an overlocking machine, a hemmingmethod, a method for sewing the cut edge portion together with a lace fabric, a thermal fixing method with a seam tape or the like or a piping method with utilizing a separate fabric (patch fabric).
However, the operations for the above-mentioned after-treatments (after-processing) generally require a lots of processing steps so as to cause the costs thereof to be increased and additionally, especially regarding a good such as an underwear or an undershirt which directly contacts to a human skin, since a part of the good which has been treated by the above-mentioned after-treatment, would sometimes become thick or hard.
Accordingly, since a part of the skin of an user to which the cut edge portion to which the above-mentioned after-treatment has been performed, is directly attached, or an area in the vicinity of the part of the skin of the user, is pressed or rubbed or becomes stuffy, it becomes problem for the user to feel itch or to be suffered from skin roughness.
Further, since a projected portion of the hem line is sometimes reflected partly on an outerwear, another problem in which an aesthetical characteristic of a wear is worsened is arisen.
Additionally, although a part member used for a pocket or a fastener is also sewn on the clothing, a yarn fray (caused by a yarn releasing or a yarn dropping) and a yarn projection generated at an end portion of the part member which is attached to the clothing, also become a problem.
In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2003-201654 (Patent Document No. 1), discloses an elastic warp knit fabric having an ability of preventing loop drop from being generated, and which is knitted by feeding a non-elastic yarn and an elastic yarn in parallel to each other with knitting at least one of these knitting yarns so as form a closed loop (a silk lap) and further which is knitted so as to make its width to be narrow and to increase an amount of yarns with controlling the runners in order to obtain a stability of the fabric.
However, since this knit fabric is a warp knit fabric, it is generally difficult to set the elongations both in a warp yarn direction and in a weft yarn direction of the warp knit fabric with a well balanced condition, and thus an elongation in one direction thereof is possibly suppressed so that the fabric shows a tensioned feeling whereby when such warp knit fabric is used for an innerwear or the like, fitness of wearing thereof is deteriorated.
Additionally, it is generally spoken that since a warp knit fabric is not usually able to show soft feeling, the warp knit fabric shows a problem to have a coarse feeling as an underwear.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 61-207682 (Patent Document No. 2), discloses a method to prevent a run that is to say a stripe like defect caused by a fray of knitting loops from being generated in a circular weft knitting fabric by previously applying water in-soluble resin at an end portion of the circular weft knitting fabric, in performing a dyeing and finishing process to the weft knitting fabric.
However, this method would also raise a further problem in which a good handling of the circular weft knitting fabric would be lost by applying the resin thereto as well as this method further would have a problem in a durability of the weft knitting fabric.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2005-113349 (Patent Document No. 3), discloses a garment made of knit fabric having fray generation preventing ability by being knitted with a thermal fusible elastic yarn such as a low melting point polyurethane elastic yarn and a yarn other than the thermal fusible elastic yarn utilizing a plating stitch and which having at least one opening, a part of or an overall of a peripheral edge of which having a curved configuration and a cut end free configuration without being treated by any of the after treatment.
However, it raises further problem that the knitted fabric or the garment made by such knitted fabric shows its handling to be coarse.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 63-28971 (Patent Document No. 4), discloses a technology in that a yarn or a fiber used in a textile knitting or weaving fabric cannot be easily dropped out from the fabric by applying a needle punching operation to the fabric with utilizing the barbed needles as a loop fixing means so as to entangle the fibers or yarns with each other at an intersecting point formed by a warp yarn and a weft yarn of the fabric followed by a felting operation with applying water thereto.
However, under this method, the fabric cannot have sufficient durability as well as sufficient fray generation preventing effect and run generation preventing effect cannot be obtained.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2004-52157 (Patent Document No. 5), discloses a technology in that only the polyurethane elastic yarns are used in a front surface and a back surface of a knit fabric, so as to obtain a stretchable knit fabric having superior stretched ability and superior fray generation preventing characteristic so that the stretchable knit fabric can be used as a garment with leaving a hem portion under a cut out free condition.
However, in this technology, although it is easy to obtain a knit fabric having a sufficient elongation, size stability and configuration maintenance ability of the knit fabric made only by polyurethane elastic yarns are deteriorated without fully taking the knitting stitches configuration into account.

Double knit fabric having superior run or curling generation preventing ability and a method for processing the double knit fabric


An exercise apparatus includes left and right support members movably connected to a frame, left and right force receiving members mounted on respective support members for movement along the support members without rotating relative to the support members, and left and right cranks rotatably mounted on the frame and linked to respective support members and respective force receiving members in a manner that constrains the force receiving members to move through respective elliptical paths in response to rotation of the cranks.

Exercise equipment has been designed to facilitate a variety of exercise motions. For example, treadmills allow a person to walk or run in place; stepper machines allow a person to climb in place; bicycle machines allow a person to pedal in place; and other machines allow a person to skate and/or stride in place. Yet another type of exercise equipment has been designed to facilitate relatively more complicated exercise motions and/or to better simulate real life activity. Such equipment typically uses some sort of linkage assembly to convert a relatively simple motion, such as circular, into a relatively more complex motion, such as elliptical. Some examples of such equipment may be found in United States patents which are disclosed in an Information Disclosure Statement submitted herewith.
Exercise equipment has also been designed to facilitate full body exercise. For example, reciprocating cables or pivoting arm poles have been used on many of the equipment types discussed in the preceding paragraph to facilitate contemporaneous upper body and lower body exercise. Some examples of such equipment may be found in United States patents which are disclosed in an Information Disclosure Statement submitted herewith.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A system for displaying and managing information on a webpage using an indicator comprises an indicator displayed on a surface of specific contents of the webpage with reference to coordinate values corresponding to the specific contents and for classifying and elaborating on the specific contents; an indicator generation module for generating the indicator comprising a block setting portion for predicting a width of the specific contents, a coordinate setting portion for grasping the coordinate value of a webpage area corresponding to the specific contents, an input portion for inputting information to be recorded in the indicator, a storage portion for storing the coordinate value and an output portion for outputting the indicator to the specific contents based on the information stored in the storage portion; and an indicator database stored in the system server through the storage portion and collected according to a specific classification.

In the modern societies, according to great developments of an internet, it can easily search and obtain various information, which were obtained through a newspaper or a library reading in the past, by means of the internet.
That is, the internet user inputs the specific keyword through a keyboard of computer by using a webpage having various search engines capable of searching various information and specific contents, so that the user can easily obtain the pertinent webpage containing the specific information.
Presently, according to the developments of various search engines in the information search field using the internet, for example, easy functions such as an automatic word completion and a relation word search and so forth occur in succession, so that it can play a part in searching the information in variously famous internet portal sites.

System for displaying and managing information on webpage using indicator


The present invention is related to a fan device with fluidic air function, wherein the fan device is configured with an air guide frame which provides each air molecule with higher space freedom and surface area existing in the space by more frequent collision and a longer fluidic path. Thus, after propelling from the fan and colliding with the air guide frame by following the swirly blades, the air flow becomes more comfortable and feels like a nature breeze when it touches human skin, and the present invention is applicable in all types of electric fan or any structure blowing the air.

1. Field of the Invention
A fan device with fluidic air function, which contains a fan device and is characterized by comprising an air guide frame which is further composed of a frame body and at least two clockwise swirly blades, wherein the said frame body is configured with a plural of arc-section inclined guides which are overlapped at both sides with each other to form a whole structure of frame body with a fitting edge at the back rim position, and the at least two clockwise swirly blades are configured with the center part at one end and are connected with the inner side of the frame body by twisting the other end. With this combination, the present invention is applicable to guide the air flow with a prolonged and swirly air path in the space and provides higher air molecule freedom which enables a better indoor air circulation and forms a comfortable and nature breeze.
2. Description of Related Art
Traditionally, an electric fan is always driven by the inner motor to blow the air forward and is equipped with a protection frame to avoid touching with the rotating fan. Therefore, that electric fan only functions as a device to pump the air forward. The said protection frame is also linked with a reducing gear to make it rotatable and the air flows like a swirl.
However, the air is flowing at the front of electric fan and the protection frame is configured as a strip structure only and it could not provide a better circulation effect around the whole indoor space. Furthermore, the prior electric fan might not be able to make an indoor space full of a fresh and fragrant air or its air flow is still too strong to produce an air like natural breeze. Even the prior electric fan is equipped with a swing gear to control the electric fan swinging to and fro with certain angle coverage, there is still a limited space for circulation.
In view of these drawbacks and problems, the present invention aims to provide a fan device with fluidic air function that is applicable to an existed air blowing device to convert an air flow generated therefore into a mild and comfortable flow of air that seems to a natural breeze with an aromatic essence or perfume for indoor air refreshing purpose.


The present invention provides an optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus having a circuit configuration whereby it is possible to prevent tracking drive signals from being offset even when the temperature of a tracking actuator drive circuit is increased. The output resistance of a low-pass filter 15 is composed of two serially connected resistors R2a and R2b, the resistance of the former one R2a of the serially connected resistors R2a and R2b being arranged to be lower than that of the latter one R2b and a connecting point S between the former and latter resistors R2a and R2b being connected to the input side of an A/D port 6, whereby the potential difference between a tracking output port 12 and the A/D port 6 is reduced as much as possible, and thereby the reference voltage value stored in a reference voltage value storing means 9 approaches an exact value as close as possible, which increases the accuracy of comparison results of a comparing means 7 substantially, and therefore a D/A conversion and offset cancel circuit 10 can output a tracking drive signal without offset.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus for recording information onto an optical disk and reproducing information recorded on an optical disk, and particularly to an optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus comprising a circuit for preventing a tracking drive signal from being offset.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an optical disk reproducing apparatus, the tracking servo of an optical pickup is performed in accordance with a tracking error signal, and in more detail, with a track cross signal in which the pulse width is varied in accordance with the amount of shift (amount of shift to the radially inner or outer side of a track on an optical disk) of an objective lens provided in the optical pickup against a thread with the optical pickup mounted thereon.
For example, when the objective lens shifts to the radially inner side of a track on an optical disk, the tracking servo performs drive control based on a current track cross signal in such a manner as to put the objective lens back to its normal position against the track by applying a tracking drive voltage to a tracking actuator so that the objective lens is moved radially outward to be put back its normal position against the track. That is, the tracking error balance is corrected to be zero.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the operation of an objective lens and a tracking actuator included in an optical pickup 30 which is provided in an optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus. In FIG. 3, the numeral 36 indicates a light source for emitting laser beam, where a laser beam emitted from the light source 36 passes through a hologram element 35 to be reflected at a mirror 34, and then is condensed by the objective lens 33 to spot-irradiate the recording surface of an optical disk 38. Then, a returning light beam reflected from the recording surface of the optical disk 38 is condensed by the objective lens 33 again to be reflected at the mirror 34, and then is divided into a plurality of light beam groups when passing through the hologram element 35 to enter multi-divided light receiving element groups 37. It is noted that the description about a focusing servo for focusing a laser beam onto the recording surface of the optical disk 38 is omitted here.
In the reflected light from the optical disk 38, which is then condensed by the objective lens 33, is contained +/−1st order light components diffracted by the track groove on the recording surface of the optical disk 38, first and second regions formed in a divided manner perpendicularly to the direction of the track groove on the surface of the hologram element 35 being positioned in such a manner as to correspond to regions modulated, respectively, by +1st and −1st order light components. The returning light beam passes through the first and second regions in the hologram element 35 to be divided in different directions, and then received by the multi-divided light receiving element groups 37 to be photoelectrically converted. Then, a tracking error detection circuit 39 selects suitable signals among signals separately output from the multi-divided light receiving element groups 37, and obtains the difference therebetween to generate a tracking error signal.
Next will be described the shift of the objective lens 33 against a thread (for moving the optical pickup 30 in the radial direction of the optical disk 38) not shown in the figure. A lens holder 32 with the objective lens 33 mounted thereon is supported movably onto the tracking actuator 31 so as to be movable in the radial direction (tracking direction) of the optical disk 38 against the thread. Therefore, the lens holder 32 is driven by the tracking actuator 31, where a tracking drive voltage is supplied to the tracking actuator 31 through a tracking actuator drive circuit 40 based on the tracking error signal output from the tracking error detection circuit 39 to perform tracking servo control.
In the case above, the lens holder 32, i.e., objective lens 33 shifts in the tracking direction with, for example, an eccentricity of the optical disk 38, where the optical disk 38 has a high rotational frequency (eccentricity frequency) of, for example, several to several tens of Hz, while the driving operation for the thread has a low frequency of, for example, 1 Hz. Therefore, in the case of tracking servo, since the objective lens 33 only follows the track groove on the optical disk 38, the objective lens 33 is to shift against the thread due to an eccentricity of the track groove.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a circuit and a low-pass filter connected thereto for canceling the offset of focusing drive signals and tracking drive signals in a system LSI (Large Scale Integration) 1 provided in a conventional optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus.
It is noted that the system LSI 1 comprises, though not shown in the figure, an RF amplifier for amplifying RF signal, i.e., read-out signal from an optical pickup when reproducing an optical disk; a digital signal processing section for performing signal demodulation processing and error correction processing in accordance with the data format of the optical disk after converting an RF signal output from the RF amplifier into digital data and then storing the generated data in a RAM; a stream demultiplexing section for demultiplexing data stream output from the digital signal processing section into audio data, subpicture data and video data; a subpicture decoder for performing predetermined decode processing by inputting the subpicture data output from the stream demultiplexing section; a video decoder for performing predetermined decode processing by inputting the video data output from the stream demultiplexing section; a video processor for synthesizing data output from the video decoder and data output from the subpicture decoder; a video encoder for converting the synthesized data output from the video processor into a video signal for display to display an image on a display device; and a system controller for controlling the above-described components.
In FIG. 4, the system LSI 1 comprises: an A/D port 2 as an input port for receiving and analog/digital-converting a focusing drive signal, which is output to a focusing actuator drive circuit not shown in the figure, as a feedback signal; a reference voltage value storing means 4 for storing the digital voltage value of a first focusing drive signal input through the A/D port 2 as a reference voltage value; a reference voltage value storage control means 3 adapted to control in such a manner as to store the digital voltage value of the first focusing drive signal in the reference voltage value storing means 4 as a reference voltage value; a comparing means 5 for comparing the reference voltage value and the digital voltage value of a focusing drive signal input through the A/D port 2; a D/A conversion and offset cancel circuit 10 (including a circuit for performing the same processing as follows also for tracking drive signals) for digital/analog-converting a digital focusing drive signal generated based on a focusing error signal, which is input from the digital signal processing section not shown in the figure, into an analog focusing drive signal and for adjusting the analog focusing drive signal so as not to be offset in accordance with a comparison result of the comparing means 5 and then to be output; and a focusing output port 11 for outputting the analog focusing drive signal.
The system LSI 1 also comprises: an AMD port 6 as an input port for receiving and analog/digital-converting a tracking drive signal, which is output to the tracking actuator drive circuit 40 (refer to FIG. 3), as a feedback signal; a reference voltage value storing means 9 for storing the digital voltage value of a first tracking drive signal input through the A/D port 6 as a reference voltage value; a reference voltage value storage control means 8 adapted to control in such a manner as to store the digital voltage value of the first tracking drive signal in the reference voltage value storing means 9 as a reference voltage value; a comparing means 7 for comparing the reference voltage value and the digital voltage value of a tracking drive signal input through the A/D port 6; a D/A conversion and offset cancel circuit 10 for digital/analog-converting a digital tracking drive signal generated based on a tracking error signal, which is input from the digital signal processing section not shown in the figure, into an analog tracking drive signal and for adjusting the analog tracking drive signal so as not to be offset in accordance with a comparison result of the comparing means 7 and then to be output; and a tracking output port 12 for outputting the analog tracking drive signal.
The optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus also comprises a low-pass filter 13 for allowing only a low-frequency component of the analog focusing drive signal output from the focusing output port 11 to pass therethrough to be output as a focusing drive signal for the focusing actuator drive circuit and also to be fed back to the A/D port 2; and a low-pass filter 14 for allowing only a low-frequency component of the analog tracking drive signal output from the tracking output port 12 to pass therethrough to be output as a tracking drive signal for the tracking actuator drive circuit 40 (refer to FIG. 3) and also to be fed back to the A/D port 6.
Meanwhile, an output terminal of the above-mentioned low-pass filter 14 is connected with the tracking actuator drive circuit 40 and the A/D port 6 to output tracking drive signals, where when the temperature of the tracking actuator drive circuit 40 is increased due to its operation, tracking drive signals can be offset.
When the temperature of the tracking actuator drive circuit 40 is increased, the resistance of the circuit is also increased due to the temperature characteristics of resistors, transistors, etc. that constitutes the tracking actuator drive circuit 40, and thereby the coil current for the tracking actuator 31 (refer to FIG. 3) is reduced, resulting in a slowdown in the operation of the tracking actuator 31. In order to compensate for the reduction, a servo control section not shown in the figure functions in such a manner as to raise the voltage of tracking drive signals for the tracking actuator drive circuit 40.
However, since the currently set resistance of a feedback line L1 for tracking drive signals is high, that is, the resistance of a resistor R2 (e.g., 22KΩ) in the low-pass filter 14 is high, the reference voltage value of the reference voltage value storing means 9 that is set by a first tracking drive signal is lower than the original voltage value, whereby a tracking drive signal with a lower voltage value than that of the tracking drive signal that should originally be output to the tracking actuator drive circuit 40 is to be output from the low-pass filter 14.
Therefore as mentioned above, when the temperature of the tracking actuator drive circuit 40 is increased, the resistance of the circuit is also increased due to the temperature characteristics of resistors, transistors, etc. that constitutes the tracking actuator drive circuit 40, and thereby the coil current for the tracking actuator 31 (refer to FIG. 3) is reduced, resulting in a slowdown in the operation of the tracking actuator 31, and in order to compensate for the reduction, the servo control section not shown in the figure functions in such a manner as to raise the voltage of tracking drive signals for the tracking actuator drive circuit 40. Consequently, the voltage of tracking drive signals output from the low-pass-filter 14 is raised. However as shown in FIG.5, a tracking drive signal TD is to be offset as represented by OS, where performing recording and reproducing operations as it is suffers from troubles.
The prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 8-138255 is adapted to switch the connection of resistors in accordance with pit regions or group regions on an optical disk to adjust the gain of focusing error signals or tracking error signals, but not adapted to prevent tracking drive signals from being offset when the temperature of the tracking actuator drive circuit is increased.
The prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 5-182206 relates to focusing control, but not adapted to prevent tracking drive signals from being offset when the temperature of the tracking actuator drive circuit is increased.
The prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 61-11944 is adapted to be capable of correcting an error in a focus deviation detection signal even if generated due to the temperature change in the apparatus, but not adapted to prevent tracking drive signals from being offset when the temperature of the tracking actuator drive circuit is increased.

Optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus


An adjustable extrusion die shapes a melt into a non-circular cross-sectional profile form. The wall thickness of the profile is adjustable by moving two adjustment plates orthogonal to each other and transverse to the flow of the melt. Movement of each adjustment plate is restricted to prevent rotation relative to a melt-shaping bushing.

In general, an extrusion such as extruded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe is formed by feeding plastic into an extruder where it is subjected to high temperatures to create a molten substrate. The substrate then proceeds through a feed tube, at the end of which additional material known as capstock can be applied if desired. The process of adding additional material to the substrate is known as co-extrusion. The substrate whether or not capstock coated is known as melt. The melt proceeds through an extrusion head, at the end of which the melt passes through a die. The die contains the circular cross-sectional profile shape to be extruded. The melt hardens as it exits the die in the desired cross-sectional form. The hardened material forms a tube that can grow to arbitrary length as additional melt is extruded.
Normally, PVC pipe is produced by extruding molten plastic through a single die of an extruder. In some cases, two PVC pipes are produced simultaneously by extruding molten plastic through a Y-block, a pair of extrusion heads and a pair of dies.
The ultimate shape of the extrusion is determined by a melt flow passage in the die between a bushing which surrounds a pin or mandrel. For circular pipe, the pin is circular in cross-section and an opening in the bushing which surrounds the pin is circular. To obtain a non-circular cross-section, such as a square, a circular extrusion is typically reshaped through a transition bushing and pin which are circular at the inlet and square, for example, at the outlet.
One problem that arises, based on the current method and applied die technology is that it is extremely difficult to consistently extrude non-circular cross-section profiles, and correction of tolerance errors inside the extrusion die require interruption of the extrusion process. With circular cross-sections, adjustment may be provided to shift the bushing relative to the pin to obtain an extrusion of uniform thickness. However, with non-circular cross-sections, where rotation of the bushing relative to the pin cannot be tolerated, prior approaches are not feasible.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a method and an extrusion die for adjusting the wall thickness of a non-circular cross-sectional profile without stopping the extrusion process.
The invention achieves this result by providing an extrusion die which contains a bushing plate, a profile pin and a first adjustment plate. The bushing plate has a flow path which shapes the exterior profile of the melt. The profile pin is located within the flow path of the bushing pin and shapes the interior profile of the melt. The first adjustment plate faces the bushing plate and surrounds the profile pin and may be moved in a direction transverse to the flow of the melt to provide a shift of the non-circular cross-sectional profile of the flowing melt. The movement of the first adjustment plate is restricted to prevent rotation relative to the bushing plate or may restrict movement along a first transverse axis.
A second adjustment place which faces the first adjustment plate and surrounds the profile pin may be moved orthogonal to the first adjustment plate to provide a shift of the non-circular profile of the flowing melt. The movement of the second adjustment plate is restricted to prevent rotation relative to the first adjustment plate.
A first bushing plate defines a flow path which maintains the circular cross-sectional profile exterior of the flowing melt. A second bushing plate defines a flow path which shapes the circular melt exterior to the desired non-circular cross-sectional profile exterior of the flowing melt. A third bushing plate defines a flow path which maintains the desired non-circular cross-sectional profile exterior of the flowing melt.
A first section of the profile pin defines a flow path which maintains the circular cross-sectional interior of the flowing melt. A second section of the profile pin defines a flow path which shapes the circular melt interior to the desired non-circular cross-sectional profile interior of the flowing melt. A third section of the profile pin defines a flow path which maintains the desired non-circular cross-sectional profile interior of the flowing melt.
A bushing plate comprising non-circular cross-sectional surfaces defining a flow path through the bushing plate to maintain the desired non-circular cross-sectional profile. Opposing protrusions at a distal end from a face of the bushing plate defining at a distal end an adjustment channel which receives shoulders of a first adjustment plate and locates the first adjustment plate therein to prevent rotation of the first adjustment plate relative to the bushing plate.
A first adjustment plate comprising non-circular cross-sectional surfaces defining a flow path through the first adjustment plate to maintain the desired non-circular cross-sectional profile. Shoulders at a proximal end from a face of the first adjustment plate which maybe moved within an adjusting channel of the bushing plate to prevent rotation of the first adjustment plate relative to the bushing plate. Opposing adjusting channels from a distal face which receive shoulders of the second adjustment plate and locate the second adjustment plate therein to prevent rotation of the second adjustment plate relative to the first adjustment plate.
A second adjustment plate comprising non-circular cross-sectional surfaces defining a flow path through the second adjustment plate to maintain the desired non-circular cross-sectional profile. Opposing shoulders at a proximal end from a face of the second adjustment plate moveable within adjusting channels of the first adjustment plate to prevent rotation of the second adjustment plate relative to the first adjustment plate.

Independent X/Y flow adjustable extrusion die


A culture of Nitrosomonas packaged in a manner to induce a metabolic state of dormancy under conditions favorable for survival of up to at least one year at room temperature: with a method for its rapid reactivation to complete metabolic activity within about 72 hours: for its subsequent addition into aquaria to immediately begin the oxidation and prevention of harmful ammonia accumulation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to aquarium maintenance, specifically an active culture of Nitrosomonas for oxidizing ammonia.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Nitrosomonas is a genus of bacteria in aquaria which oxidize ammonia. A toxic waste product of animals, ammonia accumulates causing injury or death to aquarium inhabitants.
When fish or other animals are added to an aquarium, a small number of Nitrosomonas are carried with them and introduced into the aquarium. As aquarium animals produce ammonia, the Nitrosomonas begin to oxidize it into nitrite.
Ammonia is produced faster than the rate at which the small number of Nitrosomonas can oxidize it. Ammonia levels rise to toxic levels, killing or injuring aquarium inhabitants until a sufficiently large population of Nitrosomonas develops to keep ammonia levels at or near zero.
Unlike many bacterial species, Nitrosomonas do not have the ability to produce spores. Many bacterial species are capable of producing dormant spores which are resistant to adverse environmental conditions.
When starved of ammonia, under certain conditions, the vegetative Nitrosomonas cell is capable of becoming dormant and surviving in this state without ammonia, its only food and source of energy, for years. While dormant, however, the cell is not resistant to adverse environmental conditions. While dormant the Nitrosomonas cell is much more sensitive to adverse conditions such as chemical insults and exposure to light.
Nitrosomonas are relatively slow to reproduce compared to most other bacterial species. To accelerate the establishment of the needed population of Nitrosomonas in an aquarium, many commercial products claiming to contain live Nitrosomonas are available. It is claimed that the addition of these products will prevent toxic ammonia accumulation.
Heretofore, these products suffer from a number of disadvantages:
(a) If the product is a dried or freeze dried culture little or none of the Nitrosomonas cells survive. This type of processing kills all or almost all Nitrosomonas cells. Adding dead cells increases the amount of organic material available for decomposition thereby increasing the amount of ammonia produced. Adding only a few live cells which might survive this type of processing does not have an appreciable effect on reducing ammonia accumulation.
(b) If a liquid culture of Nitrosomonas is packaged in a closed container with an ammonia (i.e. energy) supply present cells may die as a result of oxygen starvation.
(c) If a liquid culture of Nitrosomonas is packaged in a closed container with other species of bacteria present, particularly anaerobic varieties, Nitrosomonas cells will die. Death results from the toxic effects of the waste products, such as hydrogen sulfide, produced by other species of bacteria.
(d) If a liquid culture of Nitrosomonas remains suspended in its own culturing media cells will die as a result of exposure to its own waste products.
(e) If a liquid culture of Nitrosomonas is not maintained under aseptic conditions, cells can die as the result of the waste products of other organisms, the action of organisms which can utilize Nitrosomonas as a food, and the action of organisms which can use Nitrosomonas as a host.
(f) Most of the waste products covered in (c) through (e) are also toxic to other aquarium inhabitants. The addition of these cultures to an aquarium can result in the addition of toxic chemicals causing injury or death to aquarium inhabitants.
(g) If a liquid culture as described in (b) through (e) above, is kept under refrigeration, the Nitrosomonas cells can remain alive for a limited time. The limited shelf and high cost for maintaining temperature control has restricted the use of such products.
(h) Any Nitrosomonas cells which survive the packaging procedures described in (a) through (e) and (g), above, will be in a state of metabolic dormancy. When added to an aquarium system, dormant cells require several days before metabolic activity and the ability to oxidize ammonia returns, assuming ammonia is present. During this "lag" period, ammonia levels accumulate to toxic levels killing or injuring aquarium inhabitants.

Nitrosomonas preservation and reactivation for aquaria


A laser beam is irradiated onto a moving object, and scattered light reflected from the moving object is split into two beams, which are then received through respective spatial filters that are 90° out of phase with each other, thereby providing two signals. The signals are processed to determine the movement direction of the moving object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a movement direction determination apparatus for non-contact determination of the movement direction of an object.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a rotation-direction determination apparatus for use in assembly inspection for spindle motors and the like. A rotary spindle motor 1 is assembled with geometric structures, such as screws 2. A CCD (charge coupled device) camera 3 captures images of a position at which the screws 2 pass during the rotation of the spindle motor 1 and transfers the images to a personal computer 4. The personal computer 4 then analyzes the images at a sufficiently high sampling frequency relative to the rotation frequency of the spindle motor 1. As a result, images as shown in FIG. 11A are obtained for clockwise rotation, while images shown in FIG. 11B are obtained for counterclockwise rotation.
Based on such a series of images, a determination can be made as to in which direction the images of the screws 2 move. In general, this direction determination is made through analysis with software installed on the personal computer 4, and the result is then displayed.
In the above example of the related art, geometric structures, such as the screws 2, need to exist on rotating objects or moving objects in order to determine the movement directions.
When, however, the current trends toward higher productivity and lower cost are considered, it is problematic to use the screws 2 and the like for the assembly. Thus, it is considered that press fitting or the like, which is a less expensive assembly technique, will be adopted in the future. In such a case, geometric structures cannot be expected to exist on rotating objects, such as the spindle motor 1, thus making it difficult to determine the movement of the shape captured in images.


A semiconductor wafer has a surface layer to be planarized in a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process. An area of the layer that is higher than another area is altered so that the removal rate is higher. For example, if the surface layer is TEOS oxide, the higher layer may be bombarded with boron and phosphorus to produce BPSG, which has a polishing rate 2-3 times that of the TEOS. Upon CMP planarization, the higher area erodes faster resulting in improved planarization. Alternatively, the lower area may be doped with nitrogen to produce a nitride which is more resistant to CMP, with the same result. Likewise areas, such as tungsten troughs, which tend to be dished by CMP, may be changed to WNx which is more resistant to the tungsten CMP than the adjacent tungsten, eliminating the dishing upon planarization.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention in general relates to the fabrication of integrated circuits, and more particularly to structures and methods for improving the polishing steps in the fabrication of integrated circuits.
2. Statement of the Problem
As is well-known, integrated circuits are generally mass produced by fabricating hundreds of identical circuit patterns on a single semiconducting wafer which is subsequently sawed into hundreds of identical dies or chips. While sometimes referred to as "semiconductor devices", integrated circuits are in fact fabricated from various materials which are either electrically conductive, electrically non-conductive, or electrically semiconductive. Silicon, the most commonly used semiconductor material, can be used in either the single crystal or polycrystalline form. Both forms of silicon may be made conductive by adding impurities to it, which is commonly referred to as "doping". If the doping is with an element such as boron which has one less valence electron than silicon, electron "holes" become the dominant charge carrier and the doped silicon is referred to as P-type silicon. If the doping is with an element such as phosphorus which has one more valence electron than silicon, additional electrons become the dominant charge carriers and the doped silicon is referred to as N-type silicon. Silicon dioxide is also commonly used in integrated circuits as an insulator or dielectric. Its use is so common that in the art is generally referred to as "oxide" without ambiguity.
As indicated above, the properties of silicon are routinely adjusted in integrated circuit technology by adding dopants. Likewise it is common practice to modify other materials, such as conductors or insulators, by adding other components. Or, one material, such as silicon, may be removed or replaced by another. Processes that commonly are used to modify, remove, or deposit a material are ion implantation, sputtering, etching, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and variations thereof, such as plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).
The above-discussed processes are often selectively applied to an integrated circuit through the use of a masking process. In a masking process, a photo mask containing the pattern of the structure to be fabricated is created, the wafer is coated with a light-sensitive material called photoresist or resist, the resist-coated wafer is exposed to ultraviolet light through the mask to soften or harden parts of the resist depending on whether positive or negative resist is used, the softened parts of the resist are removed, the wafer is treated by one of the processes discussed above to modify, remove, or replace the part unprotected by the resist, and then the remaining resist is stripped. This masking process permits specific areas of the integrated circuit to be modified, removed or replaced.
Another process commonly used in fabrication of integrated circuits is chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). This process involves chemically etching of a surface while also mechanically grinding or polishing it. The combined action of surface chemical reaction and mechanical polishing allows for a controlled, layer by layer removal of a desired material from the wafer surface, resulting in a preferential removal of protruding surface topography and a planarized wafer surface. CMP is generally accomplished by polishing the wafer front surface against a polishing pad wetted with a slurry comprised of three ingredients: an acidic or basic solvent; an abrasive; and a suspension fluid. The CMP process is generally used to remove undesirable residues remaining from other processes, particularly when it also desirable to create a smooth, planar surface for a subsequent process. In the past few years, CMP has become one of the most effective techniques for planarizing all or a portion of a semiconductor wafer. However, while a good local planarization can be readily achieved in a CMP process, obtaining a complete planarization with good uniformity on the scale of a wafer, or even a die, is not easy. On the wafer scale, the polishing rate often is not uniform from wafer center to edge due to a difference in relative speed between the polishing platen and the wafer carrier at wafer center and edge. On the die scale, planarization is also not easy due to height differences in the oxide layer between different regions on the die, for example between a memory array and the periphery area in a die. On a smaller scale, planarization is difficult because of differences in the height of the oxide layer between, for example, N-well regions and P-well regions. As another example, the material removal rate will vary from place to place on the wafer, depending on the wafer structure and composition. For example, the polishing rate at a wafer trough often differs from that at the other parts of the wafer due to the different slurry distribution and flow at the different areas. These differences are particularly acute in stacked capacitor DRAMs. This lack of homogeneous planarization can result in some material not being removed to a desired final thickness that was intended, i.e under polishing, in some material being removed that it was not intended to remove, i.e. over polishing, or both. Further, since the subsequent processes assume or even require a planar wafer surface, this lack of planarization can alter the properties and parameters of the device. All of these results contribute to defective devices, loss of device yield, and lack of device reliability. Thus there is a need for apparatus and methods to improve the uniformity of planarization in the CMP process.
Since semiconductor devices are becoming more complex in structure and materials, and since the CMP planarization process is dependent on structure and materials, apparatus and techniques that permit the fabrication engineer to control and design the CMP process would be highly desirable.
Generally, a change in one phase of the integrated fabrication process usually impacts other phases. Since integrated circuit fabrication processes are highly complex and require sophisticated equipment, developments of entirely new processes and materials can be quite costly. Thus new apparatus and methods for control of the CMP process that can be incorporated into current fabrication technology would be highly desirable because expensive modification of equipment and processes can be avoided.
3. Solution to the problem
The present invention solves the above problems by providing an integrated fabrication method in which, prior to the CMP process, a portion of the wafer surface is modified in selected areas so that the polishing rate in these areas is altered. For example, areas that tend to be dished after the conventional CMP process, may be modified in a plasma nitridation process to create a material more resistant to polishing, thereby decreasing the polishing rate, with the net result that after the CMP process the dishing is eliminated. Or an area where there are large height differences in a surface to be planarized, the higher area is modified in an ion implantation process to create a material less resistant to polishing, thereby increasing the polishing rate, with the net result that after the CMP process, the overall surface is flat with the height differences eliminated.