A wireless communication apparatus adapted to be mounted on an elevated surface having an electrical socket thereon. The apparatus includes a housing, a photocell and a transceiver. The housing at least partially defines an interior space and has a portion which is translucent. The photocell is supported by the housing in the interior space so that ambient light exterior to the housing passes through the translucent portion to the photocell. The transceiver is also supported by the housing and is positioned within the interior space of the housing.

The present invention relates generally to a mounting arrangement for an electronic device, and particularly to a wireless communication system mounted on an elevated surface.
There are many wireless communication systems which include a stationary antenna for receiving signals transmitted by an end device, transmitting signals to be received by an end device and/or relaying signals from a transmitting antenna to a receiving antenna. In these and other wireless communication systems, the location of the antenna is very important. For example, an antenna located on an elevated surface provides an increased coverage area (i.e., the area to which the antenna can transmit signals and/or from which the antenna can receive signals) and sometimes provides a clear line of sight radio path between the antenna and the end user.
Currently, antennas are mounted atop elevated surfaces such as one might find on buildings, light poles, towers, etc. When the antenna is mounted or positioned on the elevated surface, various electrical connections need to be established. In some environments, providing power to the transmitter, receiver and/or transceiver is simple. In other environments, establishing the necessary electrical connections is more complex.


A heater assembly for an injection molding apparatus comprises a heater sleeve having a threaded inner surface for engaging a threaded outer surface of a nozzle body of a nozzle or a threaded surface of a mold manifold. A clamping element such as a lock nut or a spring is provided adjacent the heater sleeve. The lock nut and/or the spring abuts the heater sleeve to force the threaded inner surface of the heater sleeve into contact with the threaded outer surface of the nozzle body. This removable clamped heater assembly operates regardless of the temperature of heater.

Heat generation and management of molten material in an injection molding apparatus is important for ensuring the production of high quality molded parts. Heating of the molten material is typically accomplished by locating several electrically powered heaters adjacent to the flow channel of the machine nozzle, the mold manifold and the hot runner nozzle. Several different types of electrical heaters are available including coil heaters, band heaters, film heaters, heat pipes, induction heaters and cartridge heaters. The heaters are sometimes integrated or embedded into the nozzle housing in order to optimize the heat transfer to the molten material. Integrated electrical heaters are more expensive to manufacture and typically cannot be replaced without replacing the entire nozzle.
It is often preferable to use removable heaters because they are less expensive to manufacture and can be replaced without replacing the entire nozzle. A disadvantage of the known removable heaters in injection molding is that achieving efficient heat transfer between the heater and the nozzle can be difficult. Because the heater is a separate component, gaps can occur between the heater and the nozzle or manifold, any gap between these components reduces the efficiency of the heat transfer. The amount of contact between the heater and the nozzle or manifold must therefore be maximized. As a result, clamping solutions have been developed. Ideally, an optimum heater clamp would provide a good heat transfer from the heater to the nozzle irrespective of the actual temperature of the heater clamp. An ideal clamped heater would operate perfectly in hot conditions and would continue to operate perfectly regardless of temperature changes or variations from higher temperatures to lower temperatures. This means that the temperature fluctuation of the heater would not affect the clamping force between the heater and the nozzle.
A further disadvantage of known removable heaters is that they often require additional space to accommodate a locking mechanism. This is a problem in high cavitation molding applications where the space between the adjacent nozzle is minimized.
Referring to FIG. 1, a prior art clamp comprising a cylindrical heating sleeve 4 is shown. The heating sleeve 4, which includes heating elements 5 embedded therein, surrounds a nozzle body 6 to transfer heat thereto. The heating sleeve 4 includes an axial gap that provides a spring like characteristic. A clamping mechanism 7 having a screw 8 is provided for tightening the heating sleeve 4 about the nozzle body 6. The heating sleeve 4 is installed and clamped around the nozzle body 6 when the nozzle body 6 is in the cold condition. During regular operation, heat expansion causes the nozzle body 6 and the heating sleeve 4 to expand radially, as indicated by arrows 9. When the injection molding apparatus is turned off, the heating sleeve 4 and nozzle body 6 should return to their original size. This continuous heating and cooling of the heating sleeve 4 and the nozzle body 6 causes the contact between the heating sleeve 4 and nozzle body 6 to be reduced over time. This reduces the heat transfer between the heating sleeve 4 and the nozzle body 6. Therefore, it is necessary to readjust the clamping mechanism 7 on a frequent basis.
Several attempts have been made in the prior art to address this problem. The prior art solutions include several different clamping devices for exerting a compressing force on the heater in order to maintain contact between the nozzle body and the heater.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,241 discloses a removable annular heating element that is maintained in position by a nut. The nut is threaded onto a threaded lower portion of the nozzle near the nozzle tip.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,870 teaches an induction heating element for hot runner nozzles that includes a clamping sleeve having axial slots of various lengths.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,466 discloses a clamping sleeve that surrounds a heater. The clamping sleeve has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the heater and therefore causes the heater to be compressed against the nozzle when heated. The clamping sleeve may also be preloaded to exert a compressing force on the heater in the cold state.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,163,016 discloses a removable heater that is surrounded by a clamp. A pair of collars at opposing ends of the clamp are provided to compress the heater against the nozzle body.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,497 discloses a jacket-heating unit for a nozzle. The heating unit is surrounded by a sleeve that is flexible in the radial direction. A circular lock surrounds the sleeve and is rotatable between a released position and a clamped position. The sleeve and the circular lock include facing surfaces that have profiles that deviate from that of a cylindrical shell.
Achieving full contact between smooth heater surfaces and smooth nozzle or manifold body surfaces having different expansion coefficients is a difficult task particularly when the temperature of the heater cycles between hot and cold temperatures. As a result, the clamping heater devices of the prior art tend to be complex and thermally less efficient than expected. In addition, some skill and additional time is typically required to properly install the prior art devices.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a removable heater for an injection nozzle or tubular manifold, which obviates or mitigates at least one of the above disadvantages.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Removable heater for a hot runner nozzle


The invention relates to a container for vomit or urine. The container includes a flattened conical paperboard funnel to which is sealably attached a bag. The funnel has a "duck-bill" valve attached to its lower end, and the valve is disposed inside the bag. A shroud or cover is sealingly attached to the outer surface of the funnel. The cover is shaped to allow easy insertion of the user's hand while providing protection for the user from contact with material which may miss the funnel during initial positioning thereof.

The present invention relates to containers for receiving body fluids, such as vomit and urine, and in particular, to disposable containers which are collapsible which provide sanitary protection to the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,734 (the '734 patent) shows a disposable bag of the type with which the present invention is intended to be used. The '734 patent shows a bag having a paperboard funnel sealingly engaging a plastic bag. The upper rim of the bag is attached to the middle of the outside surface of the funnel. The bottom portion of the funnel contains a simple valve comprised of a flattenable plastic tube which allows entry of fluid through the funnel into the bag, but which prevents fluid from escaping the bag. products made in accordance with the '734 patent have been sold in substantial numbers.
Disposable containers are used in a variety of applications. On airplanes and other transportation vehicles, they provide means to assist those who may suffer from motion sickness. There is also a need in hospitals for simple, portable receptacles for vomit and urine.
However, prior art devices for this purpose have, to some extent, needed improvement in that the user's hand is generally exposed to the regurgitated fluid which may miss entry into the container. This problem is particularly prevalent in situations where a person is vomiting. Vomiting is usually accompanied by large convulsive bodily movement, and the person vomiting generally finds it difficult to hold still. It may also be difficult for the person vomiting to control arm and hand movement during actual regurgitation. Therefore, there is a likelihood that at least some of the regurgitated substance will miss any receptacle held by the person vomiting.
Likewise, if another individual assists the person vomiting, it will be difficult to maintain alignment of the container in the proper position to completely prevent any spillage. This difficulty is again due to the large convulsive movements which normally accompany vomiting.
It is important to prevent regurgitated or urinated fluid from contacting the user's skin because such fluid will often contain infectious or contagious agents such as viruses and bacteria.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a container for receiving body fluids which will protect the user from spillage.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container which can help prevent the spreading of infectious or contagious diseases.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disposable, collapsible bag which will protect the user's hand from coming into contact with fluids to be contained therein.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a disposable, collapsible bag for receiving vomit and urine which has integral hand protection.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a simple and economical container for receiving vomit and urine.
These and other objects of the invention are achieved with a container comprised of a paperboard funnel to which is sealingly attached a flat plastic bag. The bag is attached to the outer surface of the funnel. A simple duck-bill valve is attached to the lower portion of the funnel which lies inside the bag. The valve is arranged to allow flow of material into the bag, but prevent escape therefrom. A hand cover is sealingly attached to the outer surface of the funnel at a level which allows a user's hand to grasp the funnel.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following specification, read in conjunction with the attached drawings.


An angular velocity detector includes an angular velocity detecting element having a vibrating body arranged in a base substrate to be vibrated on a surface horizontal with respect to the base substrate. The angular velocity detecting element detects an angular velocity around an axis perpendicular to the base substrate based on a vibration of the vibrating body. In the angular velocity detector, a circuit substrate is bonded to a first surface of the base substrate through an adhesive, and a second surface of the angular velocity detecting element is electrically connected to the circuit substrate through a bonding wire. Furthermore, the adhesive is partially arranged on the first surface of the base substrate at least at a portion corresponding to a bonding portion of the bonding wire on the second surface of the base substrate. Therefore, a wire bonding can be easily accurately performed.

An angular velocity detecting element generally has a substrate such as a semiconductor substrate, etc., and a vibrating body able to be vibrated on a surface horizontal with respect to this substrate is formed.
The vibrating body is operated and vibrated in a first direction on the horizontal surface. When the angular velocity is applied to the vibrating body on the basis of this driving vibration, the vibrating body is vibrated in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on this horizontal surface by Coriolis force.
The angular velocity around the axis perpendicular to the substrate can be detected by detecting a vibrating state of the vibrating body in this second direction.
In such an angular velocity detecting element, the detecting accuracy of the angular velocity may be reduced by applying external acceleration. For example, when an external acceleration component is superposed on the vibration of the vibrating body, this external acceleration component is detected as the angular velocity.
Therefore, a vibration proof structure for holding the angular velocity detecting element within a case by using an elastic member is conventionally proposed (e.g., JP-B1-3020496). This structure does not deteriorate detecting efficiency of the angular velocity because this structure has high rigidity around a sensitive axis while having the vibration proof effect of transmitting no external vibration to the angular velocity detecting element. However, in this case, a space for the vibration proof device is required and the number of parts is increased and cost is also increased.
In contrast, a device forming a structural body by mounting an angular velocity detecting element onto a package through an adhesive of a low Young's modulus is proposed (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,658,937 corresponding to JP-A-2003-28644). In this device, a reduction in the detecting accuracy of the angular velocity using the application of the external acceleration is restricted by reducing a resonance frequency of this structural body. However, in this case, the angular velocity detecting element is directly bonded to the package through the adhesive, and a wire bonding between the angular velocity detecting element and a circuit substrate is unnecessary.


A bumper reinforcement 11 that extends in a vehicle width direction and is removably attached to a vehicle body frame 4 is provided. A vibration damping portion integrally provided with the bumper reinforcement 11 is provided. The vibration damping portion is formed by a hydraulic damper 3 formed into an elongated shape extending in the vehicle width direction and generates damping force with respect to elastic deformation of the bumper reinforcement 11 in the vehicle width direction. Moreover, both ends of the hydraulic damper 3 in the vehicle width direction are fixed to the bumper reinforcement 11.

1. Field of the Invention
The preferred embodiments of the present invention relate to, inter alia, a vehicle body vibration damping apparatus that dampens the vibration of a vehicle body frame of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventors' knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
In some conventional cases, in a vehicle body frame of an automobile, a reinforcing member as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,311 (hereinafter referred to as "Patent Document 1") is attached, or retrofitted, and used in order to partially improve the rigidity in accordance with a running condition and/or a preference of a driver. The reinforcing member disclosed in Patent Document 1 is formed into an elongated shape and positioned in an engine compartment.
This reinforcing member is attached to upper end portions, i.e., a pair of right and left suspension towers, of a vehicle body frame so as to connect the suspension towers to each other. This reinforcing member reinforces the vehicle body with respect to forces applied to the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction from an upper end portion of a shock absorber for a front wheel suspension device.
The above-described reinforcing member is elastically deformed by compression when a load is applied in the vehicle width direction, and due to the immediate release of the load, the reinforcing member generates vibration, which may deteriorate the riding comfort. In order to prevent the generation of the vibration, a hydraulic damper or a vibration damping portion such as rubber may be provided on a halfway portion in the longitudinal direction as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2002-211437 (hereinafter referred to as "Patent Document 2").
The device disclosed in Patent Document 2 constitutes a vehicle body vibration damper capable of damping the vibration of a vehicle body rather than reinforcing the vehicle body.
In the above-described vehicle body vibration damper disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is preferable to attach the damper to a vehicle body frame during the assembling procedures of the vehicle body. However, this increases the number of steps of assembling the vehicle body by the steps of attaching the vehicle body vibration damper to the vehicle body frame, which results in increased production cost.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. For example, certain features of the preferred embodiments of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages and/or providing certain advantages, such as, e.g., disadvantages and/or advantages discussed herein, while retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.

Vehicle body vibration damping apparatus


A new cultivar of Cercis canadensis tree named ‘SEIRB’ that is characterized by its stems that form a “zig-zag” growth pattern, its semi-weeping plant habit, its flowers that are deep pink in color and its dense plant form.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Cercis canadensis and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, 'SEIRB'. 'SEIRB' is an Eastern redbud tree grown for use as a landscape plant.
The new Cercis was discovered by one of the Inventors in April of 2012 in a cultivated field in Marshall, Va. The parentage is unknown.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by side veneer grafting under the direction of the Inventors in summer of 2015 in Belvidere, Tenn. Asexual propagation by side veneer grafting has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A video interface system and method produce an interlaced video signal from a noninterlaced graphics signal produced by a computer. The video interface system receives a digitized noninterlaced graphics signal directly from the graphics system of the computer and converts the graphics signal into an analog interlaced video signal. The noninterlaced graphics signal is characterized by a higher resolution and higher frequency than the analog interlaced video signal. In the preferred embodiment, the video interface is connected to a decoder within the graphics system. The decoder generates and combines timing signals with pixel values from a frame buffer to produce a noninterlaced graphics signal. In architecture, the video interface has an x-filter configured to receive the graphics signal and configured to scale an x-dimension of an image represented by the graphics signal, a y-filter connected to the x-filter for scaling a y-dimension of the image represented by the graphics signal, a cache connected to the y-filter for receiving data from the y-filter at a first rate and for providing the data to the y-filter, a field memory for receiving the data from the cache at a second rate that is slower than the first rate, and a video encoder for receiving data from the field memory at a third rate that is slower than the first and second rates and for providing the analog interlaced video signal.

Typical television video standards include NTSC, PAL, and SECAM. The NTSC standard has been adopted in, for example, the United States and Japan. The NTSC standard provides for an interlaced image with an image resolution of 640.times.480 pixels, or 320.times.240 pixels. An "interlaced" image is one where the odd and even horizontal lines of the image are updated on alternate frame refresh cycles. The odd and even fields are updated at about 30 hertz (Hz), and the image is, as a whole, is fully updated at a rate of about 60 Hz, which corresponds to the alternating current (AC) power supply cycle in the U.S. and Japan. Further, the data stream that carries the interlaced image is fed to a video display, such as a television monitor, via a pixel, or dot, clock operating at about 27 megahertz (MHz).
The PAL and SECAM video standards have been adopted other places in the world, including for example, Europe. The PAL/SECAM television video standards provide for an interlaced image with a typical resolution of 768.times.565, or 384.times.283 pixels. The odd and even fields are updated at about 25 Hz, and the image, as a whole, is fully updated at a rate of about 50 Hz, which corresponds to the AC power supply cycle in these countries. Moreover, the data stream is fed to a video display via a pixel clock operating at about 27 MHz.
In contrast to the NTSC, PAL, and SECAM video standards, a typical computer generated image is noninterlaced, can have a much higher resolution, and is usually generated by a data stream having a much higher frequency, or pixel (dot) clock. As an example, a typical resolution is 1280.times.1024 pixels, and a common pixel clock operates at about 135 MHz, which is more than four times that of the usual interlaced video pixel clocks.
It is oftentimes desirable to produce an interlaced video signal from a noninterlaced computer graphics signal. More specifically, engineering designs, particularly, animated designs, are often produced on workstations or high end computers that generate high resolution, high frequency, noninterlaced computer graphics signals for driving a computer graphics display. Further, it may be desirable to show the animated design on a low cost conventional video cassette recorder (VCR) or other device that utilizes the NTSC, PAL, or SECAM video standard. In order to accomplish this functionality, several approaches have been utilized.
One approach, called the Folsom technique or the Lyon-Lamb technique, involves capturing the computer generated analog signal passing from a graphics system to the computer graphics display. This technique is shown in FIG. 1A and generally denoted by reference numeral 11. With reference to FIG. 1, the system 11 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 12 interconnected as indicated by reference arrow 13 with a graphics system 14, which is in turn interconnected with a computer display 16. The graphics system 14 drives a high resolution, high frequency, noninterlaced analog signal to the computer display 16, as indicated by reference arrows 15, 15a. In accordance with the Folsom or Lyon-Lamb technique, a video processing system 18 is interconnected with the graphics system 14 to receive the analog noninterlaced video signal, as indicated by reference arrows 15, 15b. The video processing system 18 includes, among other things, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a frame buffer, and a processor for controlling the foregoing elements in order to generate a low resolution, low frequency, interlaced video signal 21. Although meritorious to an extent, this system 11 is expensive as the video processing system 18 must deal with a high frequency analog signal. Further, there is degradation in data in that the source data is transformed from digital to analog and then back to digital again.
Another approach involves capturing a digitized noninterlaced graphics signal directly from the CPU, prior to processing by the computer's graphics system. This technique is illustrated in FIG. 1B and generally denoted by reference numeral 31. Referring to FIG. 1B, a video processing system 33, for example, an EISA video out card, is interconnected to the CPU 12, as indicated by reference arrow 13b in order to capture the high resolution, high frequency, noninterlaced graphics signal. The video processing system 33 includes, among other things, a frame buffer and processor, which in combination produce the low resolution, low frequency, interlaced video signal 21.
This approach has little merit in that the video processing system 33 cannot take advantage of the accelerators that are typically employed in the graphics system 14. Accelerators are used to implement, for example, translation, rotation, shading, texture mapping, etc. Furthermore, the video processing system 33 cannot acquire the contents of the frame buffer in the graphics system 14 in real time, i.e., in a fast enough time to generate the video signal 21. One reason is that typical graphics system 14 are designed so that data can be written fast to the graphics system 14, but read very slow from the graphics system 14. Moreover, such a transfer would require at least one iteration of write and read operations, which would obviously slow the transfer.
Another problem associated with the aforementioned approaches involves a phenomenon known as "flickering" in the generated interlaced video signal. When an interlaced image is created from a noninterlaced graphics signal, the interlaced image is oftentimes characterized by pixels that appear to strobe, or flicker. This predicament results from low resolution details being visible in an odd field, but not the even field, or vice versa. An example would include a single horizontal line disposed on an even line. In this example, the line would be generated during even field production, but not during odd field production. Thus, the high intensity data would appear to flicker.


A developing device incorporated in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using a dry developer. The device stores the developer in a hopper including an arcuate wall. Pressure sensors are mounted on the inner surface of the arcuate wall to determine the amount of developer existing in the hopper. A motor is controllably driven to change the rotation speed of an agitator or to change the period of intermittent rotation of the agitator in response to the outputs of the sensors. The rotation speed of the agitator may be changed in association with the load acting on the agitator. Further, while the motor is rotated at a constant speed, a gearing intervening between the motor and the agitator may have the gear ratio thereof changed to change the rotation speed of the agitator.

The present invention relates to a developing device for a copier, facsimile transceiver, printer or similar electrophotographic image forming apparatus using a dry developer.
It is a common practice with a developing device for the above application to agitate a powdery developer, or toner, stored in a hopper by an agitator while conveying it to a developing roller. The agitator is mounted on one end of a rotary agitator shaft which protrudes to the outside of the hopper at the other end thereof. A motor is connected to the protruding end of the agitator shaft via a gearing to rotate the agitator shaft at a constant speed at all times, i.e., with no regard to the varying amount of toner in the hopper. This is not desirable for the following reasons. When a great amount of toner exists in the hopper, the agitator may be rotated at a relatively low speed since it is capable of conveying and supplying the toner to the developing roller efficiently. However, when the amount of toner remaining in the hopper is small, the rotation of the agitator has to be accelerated to compensate for the degration of conveying and supplying ability. It has been customary, however, to rotate the agitator at a constant speed, i.e., at a speed high enough to sufficiently convey the toner even when the toner remaining in the hopper is scarce. It follows that the agitator is undesirably rotated at a high speed when a great amount of toner exists in the hopper, supplying an excessive amount of toner to the developing roller. This brings about blocking, i.e., causes the developer to form blocks in the vicinity of the developing roller to thereby degrade the toner supply. Moreover, the toner fed in an excessive amount is apt to blow out through insufficiently sealed portions of the developing device. In addition, excessive stresses acting on the toner tend to deteriorate the toner.

Developing device for an image forming apparatus using a dry developer


Processes are disclosed for preparing [2.2] paracyclophane and derivatives thereof by conducting the Hofmann elimination of p-methylbenzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide, or derivatives thereof, in the presence of an effective amount of oxygen to inhibit the formation of by-product polymers. The oxygen can be introduced, for example, by a purge gas stream containing molecular oxygen. Products produced by the processes are also disclosed.

[2.2] paracyclophane and derivatives thereof are dimers which can be represented by the following formula: ##STR1## wherein B is typically hydrogen, a halogen, an alkyl, an aralkyl, or a halogen-aralkyl radical containing from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, and m is zero or an integer from 1 to 4.
[2.2] paracyclophane (hereinafter referred to as "PCP") and its derivatives are commonly used as starting materials in the preparation of poly-p-xylylenes (hereinafter referred to as "parylene"). Parylene is often used to provide conformal coatings on a variety of substrates, such as, for example, circuit boards and electronic components, medical implant devices and surgical equipment. Typically, parylene is applied to the particular substrate by a vacuum vapor deposition technique wherein the PCP, or derivative thereof, is vaporized at an elevated temperature and polymerized directly onto the substrate to form a conformal coating of parylene.
PCP is typically prepared by reacting p-methylbenzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (hereinafter referred to as "Q-hydroxide") in an alkaline medium via the Hofmann elimination reaction, the details of which are known to those skilled in the art. Typically, the Q-hydroxide is formed in situ by the reaction of a p-methylbenzyltrimethylammonium halide (hereinafter referred to as "Q-salt") with the alkaline medium. Thus, Q-salt is a common starting material in the preparation of PCP. Derivatives of PCP can be prepared, for example, by conducting the Hofmann elimination reaction on a corresponding derivative of Q-salt.
One problem often encountered in the preparation of PCP and derivatives thereof is that undesired products, such as trimers, other oligomers and higher polymers, can be produced as by-products (hereinafter referred to as "by-product polymers"). It is not uncommon for the yield of such by-product polymers to be greater than 5% and often greater than 10%. The term "yield" as used herein means the yield based on the stoichiometric conversion of two moles of Q-hydroxide forming one mole of PCP. Thus the yield is equal to the moles of reaction product divided by twice the moles of Q-salt or Q-hydroxide used as feed in the reaction multiplied by 100. Aside from detracting from the yield of the desired product, i.e., PCP and derivatives thereof, the formation of by-product polymers is additionally undesirable because such by-product polymers often assume a gelatinous appearance and can be difficult to separate from the reaction product.
Chemical inhibitors, such as, for example, dibenzothiazine (hereinafter referred to as "phenothiazine") have been used to inhibit polymer formation during the preparation of PCP and derivatives thereof. As used herein, the term "chemical inhibitor" means any chemical which is added to the reaction in order to inhibit the formation of by-product polymer. Other commonly used chemical inhibitors include, for example, buytlated hydroxytoluene (commonly known as "BHT"), hydroquinone and derivatives thereof. When chemical inhibitors such as described above are employed, trace amounts of the inhibitors are often present in the desired product. Trace amounts of phenothiazine can cause discoloration of the product and also can interfere with subsequent processing steps, e.g., in the chlorination of PCP. Accordingly, it is often necessary to perform purification steps in order to remove such chemical inhibitors from the PCP and derivatives thereof.
Therefore, improved processes are desired for the preparation of PCP and derivatives thereof which can inhibit the formation of by-product polymers without requiring the use of chemical inhibitors.

Union Carbide Chemicals & Plastics Technology Corporation


An electrical connection terminal for a connection hole includes: a base-side end portion (310) having a predetermined width; a retaining portion (313) having an increasing width wider than the predetermined width of the base-side end portion (310), the retaining portion (313) being formed integrally with the base-side end portion (310); and an insertion taper portion (315) having a taper width narrower than the increasing width of the retaining portion (313) to reach a leading end portion, the insertion taper portion (315) being formed integrally with the retaining portion (313); in which the insertion taper portion (315) is composed of a plurality of taper portions taper angles of which change so as to increase along an insertion direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connection terminal for a connection hole and an engagement structure of an electronic component including the same, and more particularly to an electrical connection terminal for a connection hole which is inserted through a connection hole, and an engagement structure of an electronic component including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An engagement structure of an electronic component with which leads of an electronic component with leads are inserted into (through) through holes of a circuit board with through holes, respectively, to engage the electronic component with leads with the circuit board, for example, is known as conventional one in this technical field. This technique, for example, is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-299250.
This engagement structure of an electronic component includes a printed-wiring board as a circuit board, and an electronic component which is engaged with the printed-wiring board.
The printed-wiring board has at least one pair of through holes which are formed in parallel at predetermined intervals. The electronic component has leads including claw portions which are inserted through the at least one pair of through holes, respectively.
In order to engage the electronic component with the printed-wiring board by using the structure described above, the engagement of the electronic component with the printed-wiring board is performed in such a way that by using an automatic inserting machine, the electronic component is moved and the leads of the electronic component are inserted through the at least one pair of through holes, respectively, from a surface side (from a component mounting surface side) of the printed-wiring board previously placed on a stage. In this case, when the leads of the electronic component are inserted through the at least one pair of through holes, respectively, the claw portions of the leads are engaged with back surface-side opening peripheries of the through holes, respectively. After that, the claw portions of the leads are soft-soldered to the back surface-side opening peripheries (lands) of the through holes, respectively, thereby mounting the electronic component to the circuit board.
In this sort of engagement structure of an electronic component, normally, as shown in FIG. 6, a guide surface (insertion taper surface) 602 having a predetermined lead insertion angle (taper angle) a is formed in a claw portion 601 of a lead 600. Here, the lead insertion angle α means an angle by which the guide surface 602 is inclined with respect to a lead insertion direction (an angle which a side surface 603 and the guide surface 602 make with each other).
This technique, for example, is described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 05-80793, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 11-297385, 08-69828 and 2001-133352, and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 07-22058 in addition to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-299250.
However, in the case of the conventional engagement structure of an electronic component (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-299250), the lead insertion angle α of the guide surface 6002 in the lead 600 is set as single one. For this reason, the conventional engagement structure of an electronic component involves such a problem that when the lead 600 is inserted into the through hole and is then moved in the lead insertion direction, an amount of deflection of the lead 600 increases in correspondence to a movement distance of the lead 600, and thus a lead insertion force gradually increases for a period of time from start of the insertion of the lead into the through hole to end of the insertion of the lead through the through hole.
For this reason, there has been desired the appearance of an engagement structure of an electronic component which is capable of inserting a lead into a through hole by using a lead insertion force held equal to or smaller than a predetermined value (10N) for a period of time from start of insertion of the lead into the through hole to end of the insertion of the lead through the through hole, thereby engaging an electronic component with a circuit board.

Electrical connection terminal for connection hole and engagement structure of electronic component including the same

Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho


Implantable drug delivery devices include a housing defining a reservoir, a first unit within the reservoir, and a second unit within the reservoir. The first unit contains a drug and the second unit contains a functional agent that facilitates release of the drug. Intravesical drug delivery devices include a housing portion containing a drug formulation and a housing portion containing an excipient, and are configured to release the drug according to a first release profile and the excipient according to a second release profile. Methods include inserting any of these devices into a patient and releasing drug from the device.

Various implantable drug delivery devices are known in the art. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0202151 to Lee et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0149833 to Cima et al. describe drug delivery devices for minimally invasive deployment and retention in a cavity or lumen in a patient, such as the bladder. The devices resist excretion, such as in response to the forces associated with urination. For example, the devices may include a retention frame, which may be configured into a relatively low profile for deployment into the body, and once implanted may assume a relatively expanded profile to facilitate retention. The devices may provide controlled release of drug over an extended period in a predefined manner. In some embodiments, the devices include a water-permeable tube that defines a drug reservoir for housing a drug and at least one aperture for releasing the drug. Osmotic pumping or diffusion may be the dominant mechanism by which the drug is released from the reservoir. Highly water-soluble drugs, such as lidocaine hydrochloride, may be released via osmotic pressure at therapeutically useful rates over an extended period. In other embodiments, the device may be configured to release lower solubility or other drugs primarily or exclusively via diffusion.
It would be desirable, however, to provide improved drug delivery devices and systems. For example, it would be desirable to provide devices, systems, and methods in which relatively lower solubility drugs can be released at therapeutically useful rates by an osmotic pressure means over an extended period. It would also be desirable to provide implantable drug delivery devices and systems capable of delivering a variety of active agents at a selected release kinetics profile and to provide additional techniques, structures, and/or formulations to enhance control of drug release in vivo, for example from a device deployed in the bladder.

Multi-unit drug delivery devices and methods


A processor includes a front-end with an instruction set that operates at a first bit width and a floating point unit coupled to receive the instruction set in the processor that operates at the first bit width. The floating point unit operates at a second bit width and, based upon a bit width assessment of the instruction set provided to the floating point unit, the floating point unit employs a shadow-latch configured floating point register file to perform bit width reconfiguration. The shadow-latch configured floating point register file includes a plurality of regular latches and a plurality of shadow latches for storing data that is to be either read from or written to the shadow latches. The bit width reconfiguration enables the floating point unit that operates at the second bit width to operate on the instruction set received at the first bit width.

Processors employ various structures to store data for use during processing activities. One type of data structure is a register file. A typical register file stores data in functional latches that are associated with an entry that may be written to or read from in parallel. In order to access the data stored in the functional latches, typical processors utilize split renaming in order to "split" registers into high bit registers and low bit registers. Split-renaming allows the processor to implement registers wider than the native width of the processor. In particular, the high bit portion of a register and low bit portion of the register are assigned different identifiers, or names, by the microprocessor, so that the register is logically treated as two different registers. For example, several currently available microprocessors split rename 256-bit registers into a high 128-bit register and a low 128-bit register. Split renaming registers into high and low registers results in an increase in the amount register space required to perform computational operations. For example, split renaming the 256-bit register described above into high and low 128-bit registers requires twice the number of entries and area in the physical register file. The increased size of the physical register file required for split renaming results in an increase in manufacturing costs as more microprocessor space is required to perform the split renaming operations.

Bit width reconfiguration using a shadow-latch configured register file


Embodiments of systems and methods for planning and/or delivering an oral or facial endosseous implantation in a patient are described. In certain embodiments, systems according to the invention include a processing module; a bone imaging module that communicates bone data about the patient to the processing module; a surface imaging module that communicates surface data about the patient to the processing module; and the processing module processes the bone data and the surface data into an output that includes three-dimensional (3-D) representation data indicative of at least one of an oral structure and a facial structure of the patient. In certain embodiments, a system includes a fabrication module that produces a physical model based on the 3-D representation data and indicating a planned location of an endosseous implant. In certain embodiments, a system includes a surgical module that guides implantation of an endosseous implant based on the 3-D representation data.

The practice of replacing missing teeth with man-made prosthetics dates to at least as early as 700 BC, when the Etruscans made dentures from human or animal teeth. The first truly artificial teeth, made using porcelain, were first devised around 1770, and a British Patent for artificial teeth was granted in 1791 to De Chemant.
Since then, improvements in the design and manufacture of dental prosthetics have included the use of new materials, such as synthetic polymers and carbon fiber materials, as well as new methods of treatment planning. More recently, prosthetics have advanced from the traditional surface mounted denture, to the use of permanently mounted implants surgically inserted into the underlying jaw bone, and onto which an artificial tooth or set of teeth can be mounted. These implants provide a number of advantages, including improved stability, better fit, and greater comfort.
Along with the development of improved prosthetics have been advances in the planning and delivery of replacement teeth. For example, recent methods of treatment planning include the use of imaging data to produce a virtual treatment plan, for example, Simplant® computer software as referred to in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0059665 (Orentlicher et al.).
Virtual treatment planning systems are typically used to direct the fabrication of a surgical guide. For example, in the NobelGuide™ system, treatment planning software outputs are sent to a remote facility where a surgical guide is constructed by sterolithography techniques. In another exemplary embodiment, the virtual treatment system allows for replication of the titanium blank which is later utilized to build the improved prosthetics therefrom. The completed surgical guide is mounted in the patient's mouth and used by the dental surgeon to guide a surgical drill in order to form holes into which the implants are placed.

Assisted dental implant treatment and replication system


An apparatus for making a glass ribbon can include a heating plane including a heat footprint facing the surface of an edge director. A projection of the heat footprint in a resultant direction of the heating plane within the heat footprint can intersect the surface of the edge director. In further embodiments, a fusion draw method of making a glass ribbon can include radiating heat within a heat footprint of a heating plane toward a surface of an edge director. At least a portion of the heating plane within the heat footprint can face the surface of the edge director so that the surface of the edge director is intersected with heat radiating from the heat footprint of the heating plane.

It is known to fusion draw molten material off a root of a forming wedge into a glass ribbon. It is also known to provide the forming wedge with edge directors to minimize attenuation of the width of the glass ribbon. However, excess cooling of the molten material contacting the surface of the edge directors may undesirably result in devitrification of the molten material into glass deposits on the surfaces of the edge directors. If allowed to form, such glass deposits may periodically break off and form imperfections in the glass ribbon. Furthermore, such glass deposits may reduce the wettability of the surfaces of the edge directors in contact with the molten material, thereby causing the molten material to prematurely pull away from the edge directors. Premature pulling away of the molten material from the edge directors can reduce fusion quality of the outer edge of the glass ribbon and result in undesired variation the width of the glass ribbon.

Fusion draw apparatus and methods of making a glass ribbon


A coordinated decorative bath ensemble that is both beautiful and functional. The coordinated decorative bath ensemble comprises a decorative tissue paper storage receptacle, a waste container basket skirt, a clothes hamper skirt, a towel skirt, a cover for the toilet tank lid, a cover for the toilet bowl seat lid, a decorative scarf, and a decorative panel. Although the coordinated decorative bath ensemble contains numerous articles, the ensemble produces a single effect. The single effect is a beautiful, color and pattern coordinated bathroom. The decorative tissue paper storage receptacle makes new rolls of tissue paper readily accessible to the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a decorative bath set that is used to decorate bathroom interiors and, more specifically, to a coordinated decorative bath ensemble for covering toilet seat lids and toilet tank covers, storing extra toilet paper rolls, skirting hanging towels and adorning shower curtains.
2. Description of the Related Art
Enhancing the physical appearance of a room in a home or any other place of abode is very important psychologically because a strong sense of well-being and satisfaction is obtained when a room has the proper decorum. The physical appearance of the rooms of any dwelling play a crucial role in the perceived and actual value of the property.
One of the most important rooms in any dwelling, especially a home, is the bathroom. Most residences have two or more bathrooms; therefore, the decorum of the bathrooms in a house can have a profound effect on the market value of the house. The decorum of the bathrooms in a house plays a key role in the comfort level of the house because the bathroom is one of the most frequently used rooms in a home. In fact, it has been estimated that a 65 year old person spends 3-5 percent or approximately 25,000 hours of his or her lifetime inside the bathroom.
The prior art describes a number of decorative articles that are used to improve the decorum of a bathroom. However, the prior art does not describes a coordinated ensemble of decorative articles that synergistically interact producing a single strikingly stunning effect that is both exquisitely beautiful and very functional.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 149,626 issued on May 18, 1948 to F. H. Fielding describes a decorative cushion seat for a toilet cover. The decorative article of the Fielding design patent involves a single item. U.S. Design Pat. No. 195,397 issued on Jun. 11, 1963 to P. T. Whitehorn describes a decorative toilet seat cover. The decorative article of the Whitehorn design patent only involves a single item. U.S. Design Pat. No. 214,444 issued on Jun. 17, 1969 to Mary Weinman describes a decorative cover for a toilet bowl. The Weinman design patent like the other two aforementioned design patents involves only a single item.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 370,724 issued on Jun. 11, 1996 to Susan G. Elsey describes a decorative toilet tank skirt. The Elsey design patent like the other cited design patents involves only a single item. U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,043 issued on Apr. 9, 1957 to Seymour S. Dolnick describes a cover for the toilet flush tank. The flush tank cover prevents condensation from forming on the flush tank as a result of moisture in the room air condensing on the cold, exposed wall surfaces of the flush tank and dripping onto the bathroom floor which creates a potentially injurious situation.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,608,694 issued on Sep. 2, 1952 to Robert Gardner describes a cover for a toilet seat lid that contains an elastic cord at the edge of the material of the cover that serves to hold the lid cover firmly in place. The elastic cord has a gap at the back of the cover where the lid is hinged so that the elastic cord will not interfere with the opening and closing of the lid. U.S. Pat. No. 2,910,705 issued on Nov. 3, 1959 to Eli B. Coplan also describes a cover for a toilet seat lid. The toilet seat lid cover has elastic sewn around its entire margin which allows the cover to fit snugly on the lid.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,611 issued on Apr. 16, 1963 to S. S. Dolnick describes a decorative and insulating toilet bowl cover that covers the marks and defects on the toilet bowl while at the same time insulating the bowl against both moisture and undesirable noise. U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,291 issued on Feb. 13, 1996 to Christine J. Direnzo describes lace works for a bathroom sink on a counter top of a vanity. The elongated ribbon of lace fabric serves as a decorative border about the rim of the bathroom sink on the counter top of the vanity.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. The prior art decorative articles address a particular problem but make no attempt whatsoever to transform an ordinary bathroom into an extraordinary bathroom with a splendid functional decorum.


The present specification provides a method for preparing a styrene monomer including preparing a styrene monomer of Chemical Formula 2 by reacting a compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 in the presence of phosphoric acid, wherein the phosphoric acid is used in 100 mol % or greater based on 100 mol % of the compound represented by Chemical Formula 1.

The present disclosure relates to a method for preparing styrene monomers. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a method for mass production of halogen-substituted polymers at a competitive price by the reaction with an alcohol as a starting material in phosphoric acid.
Styrene is a key material used for various purposes ranging from the fields of organic synthesis such as medicines or natural products to manufacturing of polystyrene-based resins widely used in everyday lives and industries.
Like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a polymer compound substituted with halogen has excellent thermal and chemical stability and has excellent mechanical properties, and in order to produce the halogen-substituted polymers at a competitive price, efficient synthetic pathway for monomers is very important. However, with respect to such demands, significantly high production costs and limited availability of monomers is main obstacle restricting the extensive application of halogen-substituted polymers.

Method for preparing halogen-substituted styrene monomer


An embossable, multilayer, polyolefin film comprising a core layer comprising a polyolefin and an appearance enhancing agent selected from the group consisting of coloring agents, phosphorescence producing agents, reflective agents, and mixtures thereof, wherein the core layer comprises the interior of the film; and an embossable layer exterior to and on one side of the core layer, the embossable layer comprising an olefin polymer, and being particularly suitable for embossing and subsequently receiving a metal layer thereon.

Films having a decorative, prismatic or holographic appearance are known in the art. These conventional films, however, are dominated by polyester films, which are able to handle the high temperatures needed for this application and provide a visually appealing and strong finished product. One of the advantages to using the film of the present invention (e.g., a biaxially oriented polypropylene film), is in the economics. The polyolefin films (e.g., OPP) of the present invention are less dense than those films made from polyethylene terephthalate, and thus they offer cost savings to the purchaser in an improved yield for the same amount of film by weight. They also may be more easily tailored for advantages or benefits in terms of physical properties such as sealability, oxygen and water barrier properties, coefficient of friction, or printability.
The film of the present invention has been tailored to provide a substrate that is easy to emboss, provides a brilliant embossed and metallized surface, and also contains a high energy treated surface on the unembossed side for further converting. Further, the film of the present invention provides color or optical effects that were previously only available with coating or laminating steps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,318 to Migliorini, et al. discloses a metallized oriented film combination having a propylene polymer substrate with a high density polyethylene skin layer on at least one side thereof and a thin metal layer deposited on the surface of the high density polyethylene. U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,318 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,074 to Migliorini discloses a metallized oriented film combination having a propylene polymer substrate with an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) skin layer on at least one side thereof and a thin aluminum layer deposited on the surface of the EVOH. U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,074 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,520 to Migliorini, et al. discloses a metallized oriented film combination having a propylene polymer substrate with an amorphous polyamide or a blend of amorphous polyamide and a semicrystalline polyamide layer on at least one side thereof and a thin vacuum metallized layer deposited on the surface of the polyamide. U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,520 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,109 to Haas discloses an embossed ethylene-propylene copolymer film having a thickness of less than or equal to 24 microns. A method and apparatus for making the film by blow-extruding the ethylene-propylene copolymer into a tubular web, pinching the tubular web between pinch rolls, and embossing the pinched web by passing it between an embossing roll and a pressure roll. U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,109 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Copending allowed U.S. application Ser. No. 09/280,475 by Migliorini et at filed Mar. 30, 1999, granted as U.S. Pat. No. 6,391,425 on May 21, 2002, discloses an embossed, cast polyolefin film or an embossed, oriented polyolefin film that comprises: (a) a core layer comprising a propylene polymer; (b) an embossed outer layer on one side of the core layer, the embossed outer layer comprising an olefin polymer capable of being embossed; and (c) an additional outer layer on a side of the core layer opposite to the embossed outer layer, the additional outer layer comprising an olefin polymer. The embossed film can then be metallized to produce a shiny, metallic film having a decorative, prismatic or holographic appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,829 to Daecher et al discloses an apparatus for formation of high quality plastic sheet in a continuous fashion. Also disclosed are a variety of optical and electronic display applications for high quality plastic sheet produced in a continuous fashion. U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,829 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,446 to Cox et al discloses a holographic shrink wrap element containing a shrink wrap film and a layer on the shrink wrap film, wherein the layer contains a holographic image. A process for preparing a holographic shrink wrap element includes providing, in the following order, a holographic polymer film having a holographic surface, a layer on the holographic surface and a shrink wrap film, and removing the holographic polymer film, leaving the holographic image on the layer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,446 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,687 to Malott discloses a passive, reusable visual amusement or warning device includes a handle and a number of light diffracting strips bearing an embossed holographically generated diffraction pattern. The diffraction pattern in the foil is produced in a planar format, and the strips bearing the pattern are displayed and viewed in a curved format. Ambient light striking the strips is diffracted to produce a dynamic, kaleidoscopic readily noticed display of brilliant colors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,687 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,636 to Nilsen et al discloses a continuous process for producing printed patterns on retroreflective material, wherein a partially cured pattern is printed on a roll of film and partially cured cube-corner prisms are bonded to the film over the printed matter thereby encapsulating the printed matter to protect the printed matter from the environment. U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,636 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Copending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/757,175 by Lu et al, filed Jan. 9, 2001, published as U.S. Publication Ser. No. 2003/0021981 on Jan. 30, 2003, discloses a multi-layered colored thermoplastic film comprising an opaque core layer comprising a thermoplastic material and a first skin layer comprising a thermoplastic material with a coloring agent adjacent tote core layer, and a method of producing same. Copending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/757,175, published as U.S. Publication Ser. No. 2003/0021981 on Jan. 30, 2003, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.


Apparatus for frequency-separating input image data, the apparatus comprises a data buffer; a multi-stage filter for performing successive spatial filtering operations on input image data, the multi-stage filter having:. (i) a first filtering stage for frequency-separating the input image data into image data representing at least two spatial frequency bands; and PA1 (ii) one or more subsequent filtering stages for receiving a subset of image data output by the preceding stage and frequency-separating that image data into image data representing two or more spatial frequency bands; PA1 in which data output by each stage which is not part of the subset of the image data to be filtered by a subsequent filtering stage is supplied to the data buffer; and means for combining image data output by the last of the filtering stages and image data buffered in the data buffer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the frequency separation of image data.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Frequency-separation of image data is a well-established technique, and is particularly useful as part of a data compression process. The image data can be divided into different spatial frequency bands, and a different degree of quantisation or other lossy processing applied to the bands in dependence on the relative importance of each band to the reconstructed picture.
One recently proposed technique for image data frequency separation is the so-called "wavelet" coding technique. In this technique, the resulting spatial frequency bands vary in size in dependence on the frequency range of the bands.
An example of the wavelet coding technique is illustrated schematically in FIGS. 1a to 1d of the accompanying drawings. An input image 10 (FIG. 1a) is horizontally and vertically decimated (by a decimation factor of two in each direction) to form four spatial frequency bands 1, 2, 3 and 4 (FIG. 1b).
In FIGS. 1b, 1c and 1d, horizontal spatial frequency increases from band to band in a left-to-right horizontal direction, and vertical spatial frequency increases from band to band in a top-to-bottom vertical direction. Accordingly, in FIG. 1b, the top left band 1 represents the lowest horizontal and vertical spatial frequencies.
As shown in FIG. 1c, the band 1 (but not the bands 2, 3 and 4) is then horizontally and vertically decimated to form four further bands, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4. Of these, only the lowest spatial frequency band 1.1 is further separated to form bands 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3 and 1.1.4.
FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings schematically illustrates a previously proposed wavelet encoder, and FIGS. 3a to 3c of the accompanying drawings schematically illustrate the data structure within line buffers of the encoder of FIG. 2.
In FIG. 2, input image data is subjected to horizontal and vertical decimation by a first horizontal and vertical filter stage 20. (Suitable filters are described in British published patent application no. 2 262 854). The four spatial frequency bands generated by the first filtering stage 20 (i.e. the bands 1, 2, 3 and 4 of FIG. 1b) are then passed, multiplexed together, to a second filter stage 30. This stage decimates the band 1 to generate the four bands 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 and passes these, together with the bands 2, 3 and 4 (which have not been filtered by the second stage 30) to a third filter stage 40. The third filter stage 40 decimates the band 1.1 to generate the bands 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3 and 1.1.4. The entire band structure of FIG. 1d is then output by the third filter stage 40.
Each filter stage 20, 30 and 40 comprises horizontal and vertical multi-tap finite impulse response (FIR) decimation filters. The horizontal FIR filters simply process groups of samples along a single line of the image, but the vertical FIR filters require line buffers or memories 50, 60 and 70 to provide line-delayed samples for the filtering process.
The line buffer 50, associated with the first filter stage 20, has to store n lines for an n-tap vertical filtering process. However, because of the way in which the output data from the first and second filter stages is multiplexed together (to be described below with reference to FIGS. 3a to 3c of the accompanying drawings) the line buffers 60 and 70 have to store 2n lines and 4n lines respectively.
FIGS. 3a to 3c schematically illustrate the data structures in the line buffers 50, 60 and 70 respectively.
FIG. 3a shows the structure of the line buffer 50, which is one line wide (in this example, 720 samples wide) and n lines deep to allow for an n-tap vertical filtering process carried out by the first filter stage 20.
In the data output by the first filter stage 20, samples from the four bands 1, 2, 3 and 4 are multiplexed together in square groups of four (2.times.2) samples. The second filter stage filters only those samples from the band 1 (shown shaded in FIG. 3b), but because such samples occur only every second line of the multiplexed data generated by the first filter stage 20, in order to buffer a vertical group of n samples from band 1 a 2n-line buffer 60 is required.
The second filter stage 30 generates output data in which the four bands 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 are multiplexed with data representing bands 2, 3 and 4 from the first filter stage 20. The third filter stage acts only on samples from the band 1.1, but since these occur only every fourth line of data from the second filter stage, the line buffer 70 has to store 4n lines to perform an n-tap vertical filtering operation.
Wavelet encoders of the type illustrated in FIG. 1 are often implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). However, it is a severe burden to have to provide the line buffers 50, 60, 70 to store n+2n+4n lines of image data. Indeed, in order to produce line buffers of this type it is often necessary to use up to 5 ASIC gates per stored bit.


A portable power tool, in particular an angle grinder, includes a housing that accommodates a drive and an electronic device with an interface configured to electrically connect the electronic device. The power tool further includes a housing inner part that is configured as a drive housing and supports the electronic device. The interface has at least one first electrical interface contact region and at least one second interface contact region spaced apart from the first interface contact region. At least one insulating element spaced apart from the interface contact regions is arranged between the housing inner part and the electronic device. The insulating element is configured to avoid an electrical short-circuiting connection between the first interface contact region and the second interface contact region.

The disclosure relates to a portable power tool, in particular an angle grinder.
Portable power tools having a housing and having an electronic unit accommodated in the interior of the housing are known from the prior art. This electronic unit is inserted in the housing in such a way that the electronic unit is held positively and/or nonpositively relative to the housing in the housing. Owing to manufacturing tolerances, it is not possible to prevent the formation of gaps between the electronic unit and the housing. These gaps can fill with contaminants.


This disclosure includes a system to send text messages by the Internet and deliver messages in the form of speech directly on an addressee's phone. This system includes a central server where software is installed. The server receives a written text message, converts it into speech and processes it, so that the message can be sent in vocal form over a telephone line. The user receiving the message in vocal form can also answer it, sending a reply message to the sender using the telephone.

Different systems use the Internet as a means of transferring data, but such systems are typically not capable of sending text messages from the Internet and converting them into vocal messages on a telephone line.
By means of an IP connection it is possible to download songs, to telephone, to send e-mail messages, and to send SMS messages.
The most common peripheral unit, available for everyone, to be connected to the Internet is the modem. This word is a mixture of two words, modulator and demodulator. The function of a modem is to convert digital data in the form of electric pulses into a form that can be used for transmission on normal telephone lines. Therefore, the modem converts electric signals coming from the computer into sounds and permits their transmission by means of the telephone line. The receiving modem makes the opposite operation: as soon as it receives the sounds from the telephone line, it reconverts them into electric signals in order to make them available to the computer it is connected to. This further operation is called demodulation. Technical evolutions of modems include new peripheral units and digital platforms that send data on a suitably shaped line without any need to convert them into sounds, such as ISDN data transmitting cards. Another resource available to users is the DSL connection. Using this system it is possible to divide the vocal transmission from the data transmission by using particular filters.
Also referring to Internet connections, another available technology for users is the system of connection by satellites. Thanks to these systems even people who are not experts at hardware and software can surf on the Internet, send e-mail messages, send SMS messages, and send and receive fax and other related operations. By means of data transmitting cards, permitting the transmission of complex data in audio and even video forms, also called technological platforms, many companies develop more and more complex programs and applications in order to provide firms with ancillary services.
One of the easiest ways to send communications with a telephone, using the Internet, is writing SMS messages. For this purpose, the user fills in a form on the web writing a text message and sends it to a server/gateway that transfers it to the mobile number the message is directed to.
However, this means of communication has some drawbacks. SMS messages are short and the communication reaches almost exclusively the users of the country where the portal works. In addition, these SMS messages reach neither cordless phones not using the GSM system nor common house telephones. The communication that reaches the final destination is mainly textual, in the form of a message that can be read on a display, not vocal. Another important characteristic is that users cannot verify immediately the result of the SMS message sent on-line.
"Text-to-speech" (TTS) technology exists, which permits some interactions via internet/telephone. By these means, an Internet/telephone service where TTS is in use allows a service subscriber to receive a notification that a message has arrived on the phone or a notification to dial a telephone number and listen to the message in the form of speech. Nevertheless, this system is not convenient as it needs registrations, and is limited and not easy to be used by an inexpert user. The TTS technology principally reads text and converts the text to speech. TTS technology has been useful for teaching, utility and support purposes, in particular for those who are disabled and blind, but as regards to its use with telephone interactions, it is mostly based on "inbound" applications, i.e., centered in order to support inbound and not outbound communications. Vocal tree menus are an example and are used by companies in order to automatically provide a caller with information.
Other systems permitting communication by voice with another user via the Internet also exist. But with the traditional methods, people holding a single telephone line cannot communicate by voice in a simple and comfortable way through the computer with another telephone. In fact, in order to make a call using the Internet, the user needs software, loudspeakers and microphones. An Internet user is not able to send text messages to the designated telephones, except for the messages appearing on the display of the phone.
Also, e-mails, the most widespread means of communication via the web, cannot give guaranties about the correct receipt of the communication by the addressee. As a matter of fact, a simple automatic acknowledge transmission of the e-mail by the addressee to the sender is not sufficient to say he/she has entirely read the communication or understood its meaning.

System and method for sending text messages converted into speech through an internet connection


A compound of Formula (I)

This disclosure generally relates to benzopyran compounds. More particularly the disclosure relates to benzopyran colorants having high thermal stability.
A wide variety of colorants are known to be useful in coloring many different kinds of polymers. Colorants having high glass transition temperatures (Tg) for stability during processing, and good weatherability properties under a variety of conditions are in great demand in the coloration of thermoplastics. However, it is difficult to find colorants with these stability properties that also impart a desirable color and good color value to products.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for new colorant compounds that have good chroma, good fluorescent intensity, and good weatherability and at the same time can also be processed at high temperatures.

Benzopyran colorants, method of manufacture, and method of use

Abstract: A compound of Formula (I)

Abstract: wherein X is hydrogen or a radical of Formula (II), R1 independently at each occurrence is a C1–C20 aliphatic radical, a C3–C10 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C3–C10 aromatic radical; R2, R3, R4 and R5 are independently at each occurrence a halogen, a nitro group, a cyano group, a hydroxy group, a C1–C20 aliphatic radical, a C3–C20 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C6–C20 aromatic radical; and “n”, “q”, and “p” are each independently integers having a value of 0 to 3, and “m” is an integer having a value of 0 to 4.


A handle-locking mechanism for a door comprises a sliding bar, a locking member and a rotatable member all inside a lock body, wherein the rotary motion of the rotatable member drives an upper latch and a lower latch to a locking position and unlocking position; the sliding bar is slidably arranged inside the lock body and one end of the sliding bar abuts against the bolt, and the sliding bar is provided with a first elastic element, and the sliding bar is pushed against the elastic force from the first elastic element when the bolt retracts; the locking member is coupled with the sliding bar, and when the bolt stretches out, the locking member is brought by the sliding bar to a position to block the rotary motion of the rotatable member.

A multipoint lock is a door lock having multiple bolts or latches locking a door, and works in the following principle: for opening the door, use a key to unlock the lock cylinder from outside the door or turn a thumb knob on the inside of the door, and thereby retract the deadbolt, and then rotate the handle downwardly to a certain angle, and thereby retract the latch bolt while the upper and the lower shootbolt latches are retracted, thus the door can be opened. Subsequently, upon release of the handle, then the latch bolt extends, and the handle can be released to restore to its original position. For locking the door, rotate the handle upwardly to a certain angle, and the upper and the lower shootbolt latches extend, then lock the lock cylinder using a key or a thumb-turn knob, and thereby extend the deadbolt, thus the door is locked. Subsequently the handle is released and restored to its original position. Due to the fact that the door is locked by the upper and the lower shootbolt latches, the deadbolt and the latch bolt at the same time, safety is greatly improved.
However, in prior art, the handle may possibly swing down from the origin position when the multipoint lock was locked, such that the multipoint lock may be unlocked by unintentionally moving the handle during the practical use, resulting in the poor security protection and anti-theft performance of the door lock, and it is more likely to cause damage to the door lock.

Handle-locking mechanism and door lock using such mechanism


A picture frame made from a flexible magnetic sheet material is disclosed which is part of a mailer including a gift card and envelope. The gift card has a front surface carrying parallel strips of double-sided adhesive tape each having an outwardly facing releasable adhesive on one side to which the picture frame can be attached to display a photograph between the picture frame and card. The recipient of the mailer can peel the flexible picture frame from the card, remove the photograph, and magnetically attach the picture frame to a metal surface to display the photograph. Also disclosed is an embodiment wherein the card is a display card made from a magnetically attractive material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a gift card having a surface carrying strips of releasable adhesive to which a picture frame made from a flexible magnetic (permanent magnet) sheeting material can be secured to display a photograph there between, the flexible magnetic sheeting material being removable for magnetic attachment to a metal surface to display the photograph. In a preferred embodiment of this application, the permanent magnet sheeting material is attached to a display card made of a material attractive to magnets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various mailers have been developed which permit a photograph to be displayed as part of a greeting card or the like. Persons receiving such photographs often display them by tacking them to bulletin boards, by taping them or adhesively securing them to various surfaces, or by using magnets to secure them to metal doors or refrigerators. None of the prior art arrangements have provided a means of both mailing a photograph in a decorative magnetic picture frame and also using the same magnetic picture frame to display the photograph on a vertical metal wall surface.

Combined magnetic picture frame and gift/display card


A switching converter includes a main transistor, an inductor coupled to the main transistor, a feedback circuit configured to generate a feedback signal indicative of the output voltage and a controller configured to generate a control signal to control the main transistor. The controller has an on timer, a ramp generator, a comparing circuit and a logic circuit. The on timer is configured to generate an on-time control signal. The ramp generator is configured to generate a ramp signal, wherein the level of the ramp signal is regulated to be equal to the level of a common mode voltage when the status of the main transistor is changed from OFF to ON. The comparing circuit generates a comparison signal based on the ramp signal, the common mode voltage, a reference signal and the feedback signal. The logic circuit generates the control signal based on the on-time control signal and the comparison signal.

Constant on-time (COT) control is widely used in power supply area because of its good transient response, simple structure and smooth mode transition. However, for switching converters using COT control, there may be sub-harmonic oscillation at the output voltage if the estimated serial resistance (ESR) of the output capacitor is not big enough.
To eliminate the sub-harmonic oscillation, a ripple injection method is usually employed. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a prior constant on-time switching converter. As shown in FIG. 1, a resistor Rr1 and a capacitor Cr1 are used to generate a ramp signal which is in phase with the current flowing through the inductor L. Through a capacitor Cr2, the ramp signal is coupled to a feedback signal FB indicative of the output voltage VOUT to eliminate the sub-harmonic oscillation.
For the prior constant on-time switching converter shown in FIG. 1, the value of Rr1, Cr1 and Cr2 are determined by the input voltage VIN, the output voltage VOUT and the switching frequency of the switching converter. That means, once the application is changed, the value of Rr1, Cr1 and Cr2 should also be changed. This apparently makes circuit design complex. Furthermore, the ramp signal shown in FIG. 1 is sensitive to noise, which harms line and load regulation of the switching converter.

Constant on-time switching converter with internal ramp compensation and control method thereof


The structure of the present invention includes: a switching element inserted in series in a field coil of an A.C. generator for intermittently controlling a field current supplied to the field coil in accordance with an output voltage from the A.C. generator in order to control the output voltage from the A.C. generator to a predetermined value; and conduction rate control means for detecting a rotational speed of the A.C. generator to reduce a conduction rate of the switching element in accordance with an increase in rotational speed.

A conventional controller of an A.C. generator for vehicles controlled a duty ratio of a switching element for intermittently controlling a field current of a generator to thereby limit the field current so as for the field current not to exceed a predetermined limitation value. Note that, the predetermined limitation value is selected so as to become a value equal to or larger than a value of a field current which is to be caused to flow in order to obtain a predetermined output from the generator when a temperature of a generator has risen up to a predetermined value (refer to JP 6-38720 B (page 2 and FIG. 1)).
In accordance with such a conventional controller for an A.C. generator for vehicles, there are shown generator output characteristics in which a power transistor is usually held in a conduction state as long as a generated voltage is lower than a predetermined value after a maximum vehicle electrical load has been put on a generator, and hence an output is also increased in accordance with an increase in rotational speed of the generator. That is to say, there was encountered a problem such that temperatures of an armature coil and a rectifier rose along with an increase in output of the generator to become difficult to be suppressed within an allowable temperature, which resulted in reduction of quality. In addition, there was encountered a problem that a large cooling fan was required as means for enhancing a cooling property in order to suppress rise of a temperature, which resulted in that a generator could not be miniaturized.

Controller of A.C. generator for vehicles


A solder machine uses various linear actuators to move a PWB carrier in three degrees of freedom relative to a solder bath, to facilitate safe loading and unloading of PWBs onto the carrier while the carrier is distanced from the bath, and then to move the carrier over the bath, lower it, and tilt it as necessary to effect soldering.

Solder machines are used to dip components such as printed wiring boards into solder baths to effect mechanical-electrical connections. To undertake this dipping automatically, previous wave soldering systems have been used that have been relatively bulky to accommodate necessary conveyance of the PWBs into the solder bath at the desired locations of the PWBs. Furthermore, the bulkiness of the prior wave soldering machines has been necessitated to accommodate required soldering precision. Such prior machines have typically consumed around three square meters of valuable factory floor space.


A replacement fluid cartridge for a dispenser has three parts: an injection molded nozzle, a thermoformed reservoir portion, and a cover sheet. The nozzle has a substantially flat top portion, an outer portion adjacent to the flat top portion, an outermost end, and a plurality of orifices extending through the nozzle. The second part is a piece of flexible film having a plurality of depressions surrounded by a flange. The flange is continuous and in a plane except at a nozzle-fitting portion. The nozzle-fitting portion is shaped to wrap around the outer portion of the nozzle where it is bonded to the nozzle in a fluid-tight manner. The flat top portion of the nozzle resides substantially within the plane of the flange. Each of the plurality of depressions has an inside, a continuous sidewall, and a closed bottom. The third part is a substantially flat cover sheet bonded to the flange and to the flat top portion of the nozzle such that the plurality of depressions are sealed closed by the cover sheet. Each of the plurality of orifices in the nozzle provide exclusive fluid communication from the outermost end of the nozzle to one inside of each of the plurality of depressions.

Dispensers of high viscosity fluids may require significant force input from the user in order to initiate dispensing. Pushing downward with the palm of one's hand has been found to be an ergonomically efficient way for a user to develop sufficient force to dispense high viscosity fluids, such as toothpaste. Positive displacement pumps which utilize this approach have become available recently. An example is the MENTADENT.TM. toothpaste co-dispenser, a Trademark of Chesebrough-Pond's USA Co. of Greenwich, Conn.; which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,295,615, and 5,335,827 to Gentile. The Mentadent co-dispenser has an upper portion containing two cylinders, each filled with different components of a toothpaste. At the end of each cylinder is a piston frictionally engaged in its cylinder to prevent leakage of toothpaste fluid from the cylinder. The upper portion is telescopingly connected to a bottom portion having two upright posts of equal length, which are spaced apart so as to align with the cylinders of the upper portion. When a user presses downward on the upper portion, the pistons are pressed against the two fixed posts. Such pressure causes the pistons to move upward into the cylinders and to drive toothpaste fluids from each cylinder through separate discharge orifices connected to the top of the cylinders. The amount of fluid dispensed from each cylinder is determined by the distance the upper portion is pushed downward and the diameters of the two cylinders.
The MENTADENT positive displacement toothpaste dispenser suffers from several deficiencies. First, the pistons provide considerable frictional resistance to movement in the cylinders when they are tight enough to prevent fluid leakage. High static friction and high fluid yield point require users to press hard to initiate dispensing. As a result, hard pressing to initiate flow must be immediately followed by lighter pressing to control displacement in order to avoid dispensing too much fluid. Such control is difficult for many users. Second, piston and cylinder arrangements require accurately molded or machined parts for adequate fit and reproducible operation. Such part accuracy is expensive.
A dispenser which avoids static friction and the need for accurate part requirements offers better function and lower manufacturing costs. In the caulking gun art, others have attempted to solve a similar friction problem by placing one or more flexible fluid-containing bags against a movable ram. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,323,682 to Creighton, Jr., et al. shows a ram pressed against the closed end of two side-by-side bags. The ram crushes the bags and fluid is dispensed from the opposite end of the bags. That is, each bag wrinkles axially as it shortens in length. Thin bags can be crushed nearly flat. However, even bag crushing may provide frictional resistance to dispensing because as the bag is crushed, the wrinkles typically slide along the cylinder wall. Also, any cocking of the ram relative to the cylinder may cause the bag wrinkles to jam between the ram and the cylinder wall.
Another type of toothpaste dispenser is the Crest Neat Squeeze dispenser, a trademark of The Procter & Gamble Company of Cincinnati, Ohio; which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,165 to Van Coney. A squeezebottle has a fluid-containing bag housed inside the squeezebottle along with one-way air and fluid valving. Together these elements enable air pressure to be developed inside the squeezebottle and outside the bag which causes the bag to invert and thereby push out the toothpaste from the bag. An inverting bag has minimal friction resistance because the bag wall behaves like a rolling diaphragm. That is, the fold at the inverting point progressively moves from the closed end of the bag toward the discharge end. Such a dispenser can also be designed to discharge virtually all of its contents if the closed end of the bag matches the shape of the inside of the discharge end of the dispenser.
The Crest Neat Squeeze dispenser is a single use dispenser. When empty, the entire dispenser is discarded. Squeezebottles with bags and valving are more expensive than conventional toothpaste tubes. Thus, there is value in reusing the squeezebottle with its valving and in replacing fluid-containing bags in order to reduce the average package cost per unit of fluid delivered. Replacement bags are difficult to manage with such a dispenser, however, because the dispenser utilizes trapped air for dispensing. Reestablishing an air-tight seal after bag replacement is a problem because every user cannot be depended upon to provide adequate sealing. For example, when an expensive threaded engagement between rigid components is provided to generate a seal, users do not torque the components to the same degree.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,920 to Reiboldt et al. shows a Crest Neat Squeeze dispenser having a replacement cartridge with threaded components at the base of the dispenser. U.S. Pat. 5,454,486 to Mack et al. shows a similar dispenser having threaded components at the top of the dispenser. In both references not only is there an air sealing issue, but also there is a hygiene issue associated with toothpaste. Toothpaste is known for unsanitary-looking residue buildup on nozzles of tubes. The shape of the Crest Neat Squeeze nozzle is designed to minimize such buildup, but users still prefer a new nozzle with each new container of toothpaste. Replacing the nozzle with the bag results in the discharge valve also being replaced.
Therefore, what is missing in the prior art is a dispenser which utilizes the low friction of an inverting bag, and which has a replacement bag & nozzle that avoids both a discharge valve being discarded with each nozzle and unreliable user-generated air-tight sealing.
Dispensing multiple fluid components in accurate proportions is also an important need. Such fluid components typically have to be kept apart until the time of dispensing to prevent premature reaction between them. Vacuum type pump dispensers and dual compartment tubes are readily available. However, differences in fluid rheology cause one fluid to flow differently than the other when such dispensers are actuated. As a result, proportions dispensed are often inaccurate. One fluid reservoir may even run out of fluid before the other. Positive displacement pumps for simultaneous dispensing of multiple fluids in accurate proportions are now available, such as the MENTADENT piston and cylinder dispenser, whose deficiencies are discussed hereinbefore.
It is an object of the present invention to provide replaceable fluid cartridges having inverting bag reservoirs for high viscosity fluids, which operate in positive displacement co-dispensers such that there is the least possible pressing force required of a user to co-dispense fluids.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive fluid cartridge, having a nozzle with separate orifices for each fluid and a nozzle closure, which can be made by an economic process from only three parts.

Replacement fluid cartridge for a positive displacement pump and method of making the cartridge


A modular aerial vehicle for inspection of enclosed and open space environments. The aerial vehicle is employed for inspection of various environments in remotely controlled and autonomous fashions. The aerial vehicle is capable of carrying different sensory modules depending on the specific application including surface inspection. Aerial vehicle may be connected to a tether cable for electrical power delivery and transmission of control commands. The aerial vehicle may utilize a landing structure which allows landing on any angled metallic or non-metallic surface.

Public safety is an important concern in industries around the world. It is mandatory to put the public safety in the paramount importance of every industrial practice. Routine standardized inspection is an efficient method to prevent unforeseen dangers. Nearly all the industries including power generation, refineries, chemical, process plants, etc., require frequent inspection of the machineries, large pipes, tanks, pressure vessels, wind turbines, mixing vats, power transmission lines and posts, etc.
Conventionally, qualified personnel are employed to enter or climb up to such spaces and perform inspection whenever routine or emergency inspections are needed. Despite all the trainings these personnel receive, these inspection processes are very dangerous in view of the constrained access and hazardous atmosphere. Moreover, human inspection of inaccessible or hazardous spaces usually requires lengthy and expensive planning, including potential shut down of the normal operation of the unit and preparation of hazard analysis, safety procedures and rescue plans.
Another conventional method involves using visual inspection equipment such as periscope and the like. More recently, remotely controlled robotic vehicles such as crawlers and magnetically attaching rovers carrying visual sensors are being used for inspection. These methods usually suffer from limited motion capability and fail to produce a complete visualization of the structure.
Accordingly, it is desirable to devise a method and a remote controlled or autonomous system which may provide a complete visualization of the structure in a shorter time, at a lower cost and/or at a higher safety level. A method and a remote controlled or autonomous system may be capable of carrying different sensory systems (e.g. coating, UT, etc.) in addition to visual inspection sensors. A method and a remote controlled or autonomous system may allow unrestricted motion for an indefinite time interval.

Method and apparatus for surface attachment of modular unmanned aerial vehicle for inspection


Temporary assembling is carried out by inserting an ion conducting actuator into a groove which is provided at a central portion of a substrate. Thereafter, a bump is pressed by forcing in a direction of a surface of the substrate while carrying out leveling and thrust control, by a flat portion of a pedestal having a recess which is provided such that the ion conducting actuator is not crushed. At this time, due to a deformation of the bump which is pressed, the electrical connections are carried out assuredly, and the ion conducting actuator is held mechanically by both sides.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting structure of an actuator, and a method for mounting an actuator.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in fields such as medical equipments, industrial robots, and micro machines, research and development of actuators in which various principles of operation are applied have been carried out. Among these, an actuator element in which, an electrode is formed on a surface of an ion exchange resin in a form in which polar molecules such as an ion fluid included, and is deformed by bending by applying a voltage has been called as an artificial muscle for its flexible driving mode. A structure of the actuator being simple, it is expected to have applications in various fields from now onward. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2004-282992, examples of structures of various actuators have been described.
However, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2004-282992 mentioned above, although examples of structures of various actuators have been described, there has been no mention about a mounting structure of an actuator.
Moreover, in a conventional mounting structure of making electrical connections and mechanical connections of an actuator, an actuator which includes an electrode for driving for example, due to a demand for stable electrical connections, have a structure different from the mechanical connections, and the mounting structure of the actuator has been complex.

Actuator having first and second electrodes and deformable joining member and method for mounting actuator