A method of constructing a floor so as to prevent squeaking due to movement of the floor decking relative to the joists. The joists are installed, and strips of resiliently compressible cushioning tape are laid on the upper edges of the joists so that an adhesive side of the tape adheres thereto to keep the strip in position, and so that a non-adhesive side of the tape faces upwardly therefrom. Floor decking is placed on top of this so that the strip of tape is sandwiched between the decking and the joists, and the non-adhesive surface of the tape permits the decking to be slid thereover to a desired position. Fasteners are then driven through the decking and into the joist to secure the decking in position, and the resilient cushioning tape fills any gaps between the joists and the decking so as to prevent the decking from moving on the joists and causing squeaks. A tool for laying the strips of tape is made up of a handle portion and a spool portion. The spool portion has a peripheral channel which engages the upper edges of the joist, and the tape is wound in this channel with the adhesive side out so that this adheres to the joist and unrolls the tape as the spool is rolled along the joists using the handle.

In most houses and many similar structures, the floors are conventionally constructed by installing a series of narrow floor joists to provide support, and then placing sheets of plywood or the like on top of these to form the flooring surface. The sheets of plywood are nailed to the joists, and then carpet, linoleum, or other floor covering is typically installed on top of the plywood.
Due to the increasing expense and difficulty of obtaining fully seasoned wood products, there has been an increasing tendency in the construction industry to install joists which are not as fully seasoned, nor perhaps as true, as the builder might otherwise like. Unfortunately, once the wood fully dries, its curvature often changes, and the resulting irregularities and misalignment of the edges of the joists with the overlying plywood frequently results in numerous squeaks in the floor of the finished building. These squeaks often occur where the plywood rubs up and down against the shaft of a nail, where there is a space or gap between the top of the joist and the plywood which permits the plywood to flex up and down as a person or other object moves across the floor. Because it is usually necessary to remove a ceiling and/or carpeting or other floor covering to get at the source of the problem, repairs to correct such squeaks are typically very expensive.
The conventional measure which has been adopted in the construction industry in an attempt to overcome the problem of floor squeaks is to glue the plywood sheets to the joists using a conventional wood glue or the like. This technique has been marked by very modest success. Very commonly, once the wood has dried out, the resulting irregularities and misalignments become so great that the dried glue simply cracks or breaks and so does nothing to prevent the squeaks from developing. Also, because such glues set up within a limited period of time after they have been dispensed from their containers, the builder is obliged to place the plywood on the floor joists almost immediately after the glue has been laid thereon, which interferes with the builder's flexibility in managing the project; furthermore, in very hot or very cold climates, the glue tends to set up excessively fast, which aggravates this problem. Also, most such glues cannot be used when it is raining. Still further, once the glue has been placed on the floor joists, the construction crew can no longer walk about on the tops of the joists, which makes it very difficult to position and install the sheets of plywood, and when the crew slides the sheets of plywood along the tops of the joists into place, the edges of the sheets often scrape the glue off of the joists so that there is virtually none left to bond to the plywood.
An additional problem which is encountered using the conventional construction methods described above is a lack of sound insulation between vertically adjoining rooms, as in an apartment complex. Impact noises, such as those of a person walking or dropping an object on the floor, are readily transmitted directly through the floor joists to the ceiling of the vertically adjoining room. While systems have been proposed for sound insulation of such floors, these have normally been prohibitively difficult and expensive to construct, particularly for use in low-cost construction projects such as public housing apartments, motels, and the like. And, of course, the conventional glueing technique described in the preceding paragraph does nothing to prevent the transmission of impact noises through the floor joists.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a method of constructing the floors of houses and like structures which eliminates squeaks, and which compensates for irregularities and misalignments which occur when the wooden floor joists dry out. Furthermore, there is a need for such a method which can be easily practiced in a variety of weather conditions without constraining the builder's schedule, and which eases the task of moving about on the floor joists to align and install the sheets of plywood flooring. Still further, there exists a need for such a method which also helps reduce the transmission of impact sounds in a vertical direction between adjoining rooms in a structure.

Method and apparatus for construction of flooring to prevent squeaks


A method for forming a stainless steel sink bowl having a top edge, a sidewall and a bottom surface interconnected by smooth corner surfaces from a single sheet is provided. The method comprises drawing a stainless steel blank between a first draw die and a first forming die to form a first drawn blank having an unfinished bowl with a length, width and depth which are less than the finished length and width and generating a deformation warmth in the blank at the corner surfaces in proximity to the rim as the first drawn blank is being formed to a temperature of approximately 70.degree. C. to 90.degree. C. The first drawn blank is immediately removed from the first draw die and the first forming die and transferred to a finish draw die. The first drawn blank is finish drawn, prior to loss of the deformation warmth, between the finish draw die and a finish forming die to form a finish drawn blank having a finished bowl while simultaneously forming a grid ledge at a medial position in a portion of the sidewall of the finished bowl. A stainless steel sink bowl formed from a single sheet of material and having a grid ledge is also provided.

Sink bowls made from stainless steel provide excellent durability in comparison to some other materials. Stainless steel sinks are often used in harsh environments to resist damage and in sterile environments. Stainless steel sink bowls are also commonly used for aesthetic reasons to compliment certain kitchen designs.
Methods for deep drawing a seamless sink bowl from one-piece of stainless steel sheet, as well as such sink bowls, are generally known in the art. Stainless steel sink bowls formed by deep drawing have heretofore been limited to smooth sidewalls based on the deep drawing process required to form the bowl. Methods are also known for producing two adjacent sink bowls in a single seamless stainless steel sheet. Generally, such methods for forming single or double bowl sinks involve clamping a stainless steel blank in a double action press. The blank is clamped between upper and lower gripping members, and the bowl is formed in one or more draws by applying a force to a forming die which contacts the clamped blank and forces it through a drawing die. For single deep drawn sink bowls, more than one draw is often required, and partially formed bowls are often stock-piled between the first and subsequent forming steps. Double bowl sinks require a number of drawing steps and the partially formed blanks are also stock-piled between forming steps.
Sink bowls made from cast ceramic, iron, polymeric or other materials are also known in the art. Such sink bowls are generally molded from various materials in liquid form and cured or fired to form the finished sink bowl. A greater variety of shapes and sizes of sink bowls can be made by this method in comparison with forming stainless steel. One such sink bowl, which is manufactured by the assignee of the present application, includes a ledge located at a medial portion of the sidewall of the sink bowl. While this ledge, which is generally used for supporting a wire rack or grid above the bottom of the sink, is easily formed in cast sink bowls, forming such a ledge at a medial portion of a seamless stainless steel sink bowl drawn from a single blank was not thought to be possible. This is due to a number of factors, such as the location of the ledge at a medial position on the sidewall, the depth of draw required, formation of the ledge in less than all sides of the bowl, and the tangential displacement of the sidewall required in forming the ledge which generally leads to wrinkles or puckers resulting in non-usable product.

Method for forming a seamless stainless steel sink bowl with a grid ledge and product


A device that reclaims industrial fluids. Solid contaminants are removed from the liquid being reclaimed by a series of increasingly fine filter elements positioned within a filter housing. The substantially solid contaminant-free fluid then enters an evaporation chamber having a design that constrains the fluid to form a thin film atop an evaporation plate at the bottom of the chamber to facilitate evaporation of volatile contaminants. Insert members are positioned within the evaporation chamber to increase the surface area of the thin film to further enhance the removal of the volatile contaminants. The temperature and pressure of the evaporation chamber is controlled by a heating element that is under the control of a temperature sensor. Evaporated volatile contaminants escape the evaporation chamber through a port formed in the head that closes the device. Latches are used to secure the head in the absence of conventional nuts and bolts, and the head screw threadedly engages the evaporation plate. The device is adapted to hang freely so that it is held level by gravity to insure that the fluid is evenly distributed.

Several devices have been observed that have utility in removing solids, liquid fluids and gaseous fluids from liquid fluids such as lubricants, oil, diesel fluids, hydraulic fluid, and the like. Typically, the known devices remove contaminants such as solids by filtration and said devices remove oxidizing or reducing agents through evaporation. U.S. Pat. Nos. showing such devices include 4,289,583, 4,227,969, 4,189,351, 4,006,084, and 4,115,201. U.K. pat. no. 1,424,625 is also of interest.
The devices disclosed in the foregoing patents, and all other devices known to the present inventors, often succeed in removing at least some contaminants from the liquid fluid being reclaimed, but all of the known devices leave at least some contaminants in the fluid. The poorly designed devices leave an unacceptably high amount of contaminants in the fluid. Even the better designed devices have a number of shortcomings.
Typically, the better designed devices include an evaporation plate and chamber area into which the fluid to be reclaimed is introduced, and means are provided for heating the fluid to temperatures between 180 degrees Fahrenheit and 220 degrees Fahrenheit. At pressures below atmospheric pressure, many volatile compounds will evaporate at these temperatures.
However, even these devices are inadequate because they either do not take into consideration a number of variables that affect evaporation, or such variables are considered but not properly controlled.
For example, adequate temperature control has not been observed in the art. Many of the known devices do not provide even heat distribution; this results in uneven evaporation. Some of the devices provide acceptable temperature gradients throughout the liquid, but only if the device is held perfectly level during the reclamation process. Real world conditions seldom permit such ideal laboratory conditions and those reclamation devices that function properly only when held perfectly level have little practical utility.
The earlier devices also lack adequate pressure control within the evaporation chamber and within the filter chamber.
Moreover, the earlier devices are not adapted to handle fluids of differing viscosities; when a wide variety of fluids of differing viscosities are handled by the heretofore known devices, the fluids sometimes burn and the devices eventually become clogged and inoperative.
Moreover, some units lack adequate means for removing volatile organic gases from the evaporation chamber, and include heating elements that are directly exposed to such explosive gases. Needless to say, such devices are dangerous.
Clogged jets are also common in the earlier devices because solid particulate matter is inadequately filtered; the clogged jets lower the flow rate through the chamber and, when coupled with inadequate temperature control, lead to burning of the fluids in the chamber. The art has observed that the fluid burns quite easily because a thin film thereof forms on the walls of the evaporator chamber, but no effective means has heretofore been found to overcome the interrelated problems of clogged jets, reduced flow rates, and burning fluids.
Another less serious but troublesome shortcoming of the heretofore known devices relates to the structural aspect of such devices: they include closure means that are bolted to the canisters that hold the filtration media. Thus, facile replacement of the media is not available.
The prior art, when considered as a whole in accordance with the requirements of law, neither teaches nor suggests better methods and devices for reclaiming industrial fluids. The conventional wisdom is that the art has already reached its highest level of development, and that future developments will be limited to minor refinements of the known devices.

Apparatus for removing solid and volatile contaminants from liquids


A mounting platform provides support and packaging for one or more fiber Bragg gratings and electronic circuitry (e.g., heaters, coolers, piezoelectric strain providers, temperature and strain sensors, feedback circuitry, control loops), which may be printed on or on the mounting platform, embedded in the mounting platform, or may be an “off-board” chip solution (e.g., the electronic circuitry may be attached to the mounting platform, but not formed on or defined on the mounting platform). The fiber Bragg gratings are held in close proximity to the electronic circuitry, which applies local and global temperature and/or strain variations to the fiber Bragg gratings to, for example, stabilize and/or tune spectral properties of the fiber Bragg gratings so that spatial variations in the fiber Bragg gratings that result from processing and manufacturing fluctuations and tolerances can be compensated for.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relates to photonic devices and, more particularly, to stabilization and control of in-fiber photonic devices.
2. Background Information
An optical transmission system transmits information from one place to another by way of a carrier whose frequency is in the visible or near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. A carrier with such a high frequency is sometimes referred to as an optical signal, an optical carrier, or a lightwave signal.
An optical transmission system typically includes several optical fibers. Each optical fiber includes several channels. A channel is a specified frequency band of an electromagnetic signal, and is sometimes referred to as a wavelength. One link of an optical transmission system typically has a transmitter, the optical fiber, and a receiver. The transmitter converts an electrical signal into the optical signal and launches it into the optical fiber. The optical fiber transports the optical signal to the receiver. The receiver converts the optical signal back into an electrical signal.
An optical transmission system that transmits more than one channel over the same optical fiber is sometimes referred to as a multiple channel system. The purpose for using multiple channels in the same optical fiber is to take advantage of the unprecedented capacity offered by optical fibers. Essentially, each channel has its own wavelength, and all wavelengths are separated enough to prevent overlap.
One way to transmit multiple channels is through wavelength division multiplexing, whereupon several wavelengths are transmitted in the same optical fiber. Typically, several channels are interleaved by a multiplexer, launched into the optical fiber, and separated by a demultiplexer at a receiver. Along the way, channels may be added or dropped using an add/drop multiplexer or switched using optical cross-connect switches. Wavelength division demultiplexing elements separate the individual wavelengths using frequency-selective components, which can provide high reflectivity and high wavelength selectivity with the aim of increasing the transmission capacity of optical fibers.
Many of these frequency-selective components are in-fiber photonic devices in that the devices are part of an optical fiber. In-fiber devices have a large number of advantages. One advantage is that coupling of optical signals in and out of the optical fiber to another discrete photonic device (e.g., discrete filter) is avoided, which allows the optical transmission system to achieve much lower insertion losses and to increase long-term device reliability. An additional advantage is that polarization effects are reduced because cylindrical symmetry is maintained.
One of the limitations of in-fiber devices is that they are difficult to control using external inputs, to tune or to stabilize device properties, for example. For instance, one such in-fiber device is a fiber Bragg grating, which can be used as a temporally invariant optical filter. The physical properties (e.g., strain, temperature) of fiber Bragg gratings typically should be stabilized so that the filtering properties of the gratings are stabilized. When a fiber Bragg grating is attached to a substrate, however, the filtering properties of the fiber Bragg grating may be affected by the physical characteristics of the substrate.
Morey et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,898 (hereinafter "Morey"), disclose temperature compensated embedded Bragg grating filters in which temperature-varying longitudinal strains are configured to compensate central wavelength changes attributable to temperature changes. Morey is limited, however, in that it does not compensate for other environmental conditions to which embedded Bragg grating filters may be subjected.

Apparatus and methods for stabilization and control of fiber devices and fiber devices including the same


A method of manufacturing an array substrate and a display device includes forming a water-soluble organic layer on a surface of a passivation layer, forming a photoresist layer on a surface of the water-soluble organic layer to perform a yellow light process to form a photoresist layer pattern, a cross-section of a water-soluble organic area is less than a cross-section of a bottom surface of a photoresist area, and dry etching the passivation layer such that a cross-section of the passivation layer pattern is the same as a cross-section of the water-soluble organic layer pattern.

Thin film transistor-liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs) are currently the most widely used flat panel displays. As technologies for manufacturing liquid crystal panels are maturing and advancing, simplifying manufacturing processes, shortening the manufacturing processes, and improving efficiency of the manufacturing processes are important ways to reduce production costs so as to survive in fierce competition in the industry. Therefore, manufacturing a TFT-LCD array substrate structure using three photolithography processes has come into being.
The three photolithography processes are combined with a peeling process of a transparent electrode using a halftone mask based on four photolithography processes. After tunneling a passivation layer, the transparent electrode is directly formed without removing a photoresist. The photoresist is removed after forming the transparent electrode. Difficulty of the peeling process of the transparent electrode is that the photoresist is covered with the transparent electrode. The photoresist can only be peeled from an undercut area not covered by the transparent electrode using a stripping solution. In the area where the undercut is small, the peeling efficiency is low and the photoresist remains, thereby affecting panel quality.

Method of manufacturing TFT array substrate and display device

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECRONICS SEMICONDUCTOR DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


There is provided a method performed by a first network node for enabling network congestion management in a wireless network. The method comprises the step of encapsulating and sending user packets in a tunnel to a second network node, wherein each packet comprises information related to a byte loss volume for the tunnel. The method further comprises the step of receiving congestion volume information for the tunnel from the second network node. The method also comprises either the step of applying network congestion policing for the tunnel based on the received congestion volume information, or alternatively the step of forwarding the received congestion volume information to a third network node, to enable network congestion policing for the tunnel based on the received congestion volume information.

Transport networks are limited resources and bandwidth usage is difficult to predict and manage. Network congestion may occur when more packets or data are transmitted through a network than the network can accommodate. The network typically has a fixed capacity, such as fixed bandwidth or a fixed packet transmission rate. Conventionally, networks experiencing such congestion may simply drop packets. However, dropping packets may have certain drawbacks, such as causing retransmission of the dropped packets, which may further contribute to or prolong the network congestion.
With the deployment of Wi-Fi and 4G radio access networks, the mobile transport network (aka backhaul network) is becoming the bandwidth bottleneck (BB) which is defined as the lowest bandwidth along the complete path between the mobile subscriber and the service endpoint (e.g. the Internet). The bottleneck bandwidth in mobile networks is often located at or near the last hop of the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) eNodeB (eNB) or Wi-Fi Access Point (AP).
Internet traffic is and will continue to be the bulk of the traffic carried over mobile networks. Such traffic is carried over default bearers know as non-Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol User (GTP-U) [Ref. 1] tunnels or Wi-Fi Control And Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) [Ref. 2] or Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) [Ref. 3] tunnels usually with a low priority class. Wireless connectivity will soon surpass 300 Mbps, thus making possible for a single subscriber to consume a large portion or all of the transport network resources available between a radio access node and a mobile core network.
Today, when packet loss, delay, or average utilization exceeds a certain threshold, some mobile operators buy more capacity without necessarily attempting to manage the traffic. Other operators prefer to use rate enforcement and limit a number of heavy users at peak times, but they still eventually buy more capacity when utilization rises. In some cases, the backhaul capacity may be over-dimensioned generating a higher cost than necessary for transporting Internet traffic.
Current radio access technologies (Wi-Fi and 4G) do not dynamically account for the available capacity of the mobile transport network and do not know how the available backhaul capacity is shared among users. Thus, there is a general need of a more efficient procedure for managing the network capacity to avoid network congestion.


A wind sensitive operating system for swimming pools would enable swimming pools to activate cleaning systems during times of high winds. Currently swimming pools cannot sense high wind conditions and altar their running conditions accordingly. This invention would have a control box which could sense high winds and start up swimming pool cleaning systems at a predetermined wind velocity and a predetermined time length of high wind.

Not applicable.
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to swimming pool equipment, specifically to activating pool equipment by wind speed.
2. Description of Prior Art
Most swimming pool systems run on automatic timers, which turn pool cleaning systems on and off at the same times every day (for example: turns on 10:00 A.M. turns off 6:00 P.M.). This timer system acts independently of the wind. The reason a need for a wind-dependant system exists is that pools will keep themselves much cleaner by being able to clean themselves during high-debris (high wind) times. This will result in pools, which will last longer, use fewer chemicals and have cosmetic appeal to owners and users. Most Swimming pool surfaces last longer the,less dirt sits on them. Swimming pool water uses less chemicals the less the amount of debris in the water. Swimming pools are focal points of most residences and commercial properties that have one.
The essence of my invention is that it will allow swimming cleaning systems to sense high wind conditions and act accordingly by turning on pool motors or valves which will more efficiently clean pools in high need times. After high winds die down my invention can shut down these cleaning systems after a short delay time. This system will not replace the standard time-clock set up but will augment it by providing the pool cleaning systems with knowledge of wind conditions.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are:
(a) to keep swimming pools cleaner than existing systems do;
(b) to provide greater longevity of swimming pool surfaces;
(c) to provide lower chemical demand than existing systems do;
Further objects and advantages are providing the ability to swimming pool valves to switch themselves to the most advantageous positions for operating under high or low wind situations.

Wind operated actuator for swimming pools


According to an embodiment, a charging condition control apparatus includes a measurement unit, an estimation unit, a calculation unit and a control unit. The measurement unit measures a present battery capacity of a secondary battery. The estimation unit estimates a present end-of-charge potential of an anode of the secondary battery based on the present battery capacity and an open circuit potential curve of the anode. The calculation unit calculates a differential potential between the present end-of-charge potential and an initial end-of-charge potential of the anode. The control unit controls a charging condition of the secondary battery according to the differential potential.

Nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries such as lithium ion secondary batteries are known to have a high energy density. Owing to this, nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries have been typically used as power sources for portable electronic equipment. Moreover, applications of nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries have recently been expanded to the energy sources for hybrid transport equipment (e.g., hybrid cars, hybrid bicycles) or electromotive transport equipment (e.g., electric vehicles, electric motorcycles).
Additionally, use of nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries as batteries for large-scale power storage is also being fully studied.
Still, the energy density of the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries currently in practical use is, when evaluated in terms of, e.g., maximum continuous Internet connection time of smartphones or maximum travel distance per one charge of electric vehicles, not considered to be sufficiently high to meet such needs. As such, research and development for improving the energy density of nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries are being conducted. More concretely, as the improvement in a capacity density of active materials may lead to a drastic improvement in the energy density of nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, attempts are being made to apply various materials to cathode active materials and anode active materials.
For example, graphite, carbon-based materials and lithium titanium oxide (LTO) are known as anode active materials. Further, silicon (Si) has a greater capacity than these anode active materials and the capacity of Si alone is about 10 times that of graphite. The Li absorption mechanism of Si as an anode active material corresponds to an alloying reaction to form Li—Si alloy, and involves a very large volume change. Thus, use of Si alone as an anode material will accelerate size reduction of the active material particles and collapse of the electrode due to the volume change at the time of charge and discharge of the battery, resulting in early deterioration of the battery capacity. Accordingly, in using Si as an anode material, the influence of the volume change is suppressed typically by altering Si into SiO through partial oxidation, by adopting Si in the form of composite active material particles such as a coating, by compounding Si with a carbon-based material within electrode active material layers, or the like.
Use of such composite Si may realize a lithium ion secondary battery having a practical level of cycle life as well as a large energy density. Nevertheless, batteries employing composite Si as an anode involve a large volume change of Si, which easily causes a break of an electrode (mode concretely, anode) and particles and the side-reactions due to increase of their surface areas, as compared to the conventional batteries employing graphite as an anode material. As such, in the batteries employing composite Si as an anode, deteriorating reactions of the anode (specifically, capacity decrease of the anode and a reaction to consume Li stored in the anode) progress more rapidly than in the conventional batteries employing graphite as an anode material.
Moreover, if a cathode hardly deteriorates while the deteriorating reactions of an anode rapidly progress, the capacity ratio between the cathode and the anode, as well as the SOC (State Of Charge) position will change. Charging the battery having such a changed internal state under the same conditions as prior to the change (e.g., at the start of use) would promote the deterioration of the battery capacity.
More concretely, where a charge and discharge potential curve shows a gentle gradient as with the anode using graphite or LTO, even a change in the SOC position of the anode will not largely influence the deteriorating speed of the battery capacity. On the other hand, when a battery combines an anode providing a charge and discharge potential curve of a steep gradient (e.g., Si that is compounded or mixed with a carbon material) and a cathode having a capacity in the high potential region, a shift of the SOC position of the anode will largely change the end-of-charge potential of the cathode, resulting in the cathode being charged in the high potential region that is not normally used as a charge and discharge capacity and therefore in fast deterioration.

Charging condition control apparatus and battery pack


A method of inducing uterine contraction which comprises administering, to a subject in need of such contraction, a uterine-contractionally effective amount of a prostanoic acid derivative selected from the group consisting of. a) 15-ketoprostaglandin E compounds, and PA1 b) 15-ketoprostaglandin F compounds with the proviso that when the only one group, which is unsubstituted n-pentyl group, is attached to the carbon atom at the 15-position of the prostanoic acid nucleus and the bond between the carbon atoms at 5- and 6-positions is a double bond, then the bond between the carbon atoms at 13- and 14-positions is a single bond.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a use of 15-keto-prostaglandin E or F compounds for uterine contraction.
Prostaglandins (hereinafter, prostaglandin is referred to as PG ) are members of a class of organic carboxylic acid that are contained in human and most other mammalian tissues or organs and that exhibit a wide range of physiological activities. Naturally occurring PGs possess as a common structural feature the prostanoic acid skeleton: ##STR1## while some of synthetic analogues have somewhat modified skeletons. The natural PGs are classified based on the structual feature of five-membered cycle moiety into PGAs, PGBs, PGCs, PGDs, PGEs, PGFs, PGGs, PGHs, PGIs and PGJs, and also on the presence or absence of unsaturation and oxidation in the chain moiety as:
Subscript 1--15--OH PA1 Subscript 2--5,6-unsaturated--15--OH PA1 Subscript 3--5,6-- and 17, 18-diunsaturated--
Further, PGFs are sub-classified according to the configration of hydroxy groups at 9- and 11-position into .alpha.(both hydroxy groups being in alpha configration) and .beta.(both hydroxy groups being in beta configration).
2. Background Information
Natural PGE.sub.1, PGE.sub.2 and PGE.sub.3 are known to have vasodilating, hypotensive, gastro-juice reducing, intestine-hyperkinetic, uterine contracting, diuretic, bronchodilating and anti-ulcer activities. Also, natural PGF.sub.1.alpha., PGF.sub.2.alpha. and PGF.sub.3.alpha. are known to have hypertensive, vasocontracting, intestine-hyperkinetic, uterine contacting, luteo-regressive and bronchocontracting activities. Among others, PGF.sub.2.alpha. is put into practical use as parturifacient and also is known to have anti-pregnant activity. However, application of PGF.sub.2.alpha. is limited by its undersirable side-effects, i.e. intestine-contracting and intraocular hypertensive activities.
In addition, some 15-keto (i.e. having an oxo group at. 15-position in place of the hydroxy group) prostaglandins and 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandins are known as substances naturally produced by enzymatic actions during metabolism of natural PGs (Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 66, 509, 1966). It has also been described that 15-keto-prostaglandin F.sub.2.alpha. has an antipregnant activity.

Use of 15-ketoprostaglandin E or F compounds for uterine contraction


A twin-tube hydraulic damper assembly includes a main tube having an internal radius extending along a center axis between a first end and a second end. An external tube is disposed on the center axis extending about the main tube. A base valve attached to the second end for controlling the flow of the working liquid during the compression stroke and the rebound stroke. A rebound valve of at least one rebound deflective disc having a thickness is disposed in the compression chamber and adjacent to the body. The rebound deflective disc has an external circumferential surface spaced from the main tube defining an annular damping gap extending about the center axis and having a radial width whereby a ratio of said radial width of the annular damping gap to the internal radius is less than 10%.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a twin-tube hydraulic damper.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art references disclose solutions providing improvements of acoustic performance of hydraulic dampers. For example, Patent publication DE102008042251 discloses a noise suppression unit arranged on the piston rod formed by a cylindrical sleeve with a diameter lower than diameter of the piston, arranged on the piston compression side. That construction provides annular inertial flow channel between the outer surface of the sleeve and the inner surface of the damper tube. That additional working liquid flow path provides noise suppression effect by means of the liquid inertial force.
Patent publication JPH10-220515 in turn discloses a hydraulic buffer for noise reduction, in which an additional sloped disc is added on a rebound side of the piston assembly specifically in the inlet area of the axial channels. The inclination of said sloped disc provides a vortex flow of working liquid through said axial channels. The vortex flow suppress cavitation produced upstream of the axial channels and thereby reduces the fluid noise.
High frequency vibrations of a piston rod result in rattling (rambling, knocking) noise and if the damper is a part of a vehicle suspension system, these vibrations may be audible even in the passenger compartment. The rattling noise intensity and occurrence obviously depends on a vehicle suspension setup and an acoustic performance of a vehicle chassis. Nevertheless, it occurs mainly at low amplitude, high frequency damper stroke reversals, occurring for example while driving over the road paved with setts (also called Belgian blocks) with relatively low speed of around 20-40 km/h. The most irritating rattling noise occurs at the piston rod vibrations frequency within the range of 300-600 Hz. Poor isolation parameters of the vehicle chassis and the top mount at the end of the piston rod, as well as low level of a background noise related to low vehicle speed at which this rattling noise occurs additionally makes this noise hard to ignore.
The inventors discovered that these vibrations are generated by a deflective disc of a rebound base valve assembly due to pressure fluctuations occurring in particular during rapid changes of the stroke direction.

Twin-tube hydraulic damper with a vibration suppressing device


A sheet registration system includes a transport member on which a sheet is conveyed in a process direction, a vacuum shuttle, and a feedback system. The vacuum shuttle includes a vacuum head which applies suction to the sheet and actuators for rotating the vacuum head in a plane parallel to a plane of the transport member and translating the vacuum head in a cross-process direction. In response to feedback instructions generated by the feedback system, the actuators move the vacuum head, relative to the transport member, while the vacuum is applied to the sheet. The sheet registration system is suitable for use in a printer for reducing skew and lateral offset of sheets of print media.

The exemplary embodiment relates to registration of sheet media and in particular to a registration system which includes a vacuum shuttle head configured for realignment of the sheets.
Transport systems are widely used for transporting sheet media between and within modules of a printing system, such as between a sheet feeder and a marking module, or on a return path through the marking module to enable duplex (double-sided) printing. The transport system may include a combination of rollers, conveyor belts, vacuum-assisted transport units, and the like. In order to ensure that each sheet arrives at a printer component with no more than an acceptable level of skew and lateral errors, registration subsystems are used to steer the sheets to achieve correct alignment.
There are demands for new printer designs that are able to increase the size of the sheet (e.g., to about 66 cm, or longer, in the process-direction) or to increase the printer speed from what is conventionally achievable. For the registration subsystem, steering long sheets and steering sheets at high speeds are challenging. In high speed printers, the amount of time available to perform the registration correction is reduced, which can increase stresses on the sheets. This means that sheets may not be correctly registered if their input error is too large. Registration correction algorithms are used to attempt to steer these sheets to the machine registration targets. However, the large corrections may result in sheet trailing edges being driven into the sidewalls of the transport (resulting in sheet damage or jams) or cause sheets to slip, breaking free of the drive nips, resulting in poor registration.
In one type of registration subsystem, skew and lateral errors are corrected in one motion. This correction induces more skew to move the sheet laterally, creating a 'tail-wag' motion of the sheet. This motion of the sheet is stressful, and the tangential forces on the sheet may exceed the threshold of slip with larger sheets. Another type of registration subsystem uses independent drive rolls for correcting skew while lateral correction is effected by a translating (cross process) carriage. This has an advantage of decoupling the lateral and skew correction. However, the use of the translating carriage limits the maximum speed of the printer system due to the limit on the carriage return time that can be achieved, given the mass of the carriage (including motors, rollers and other drive elements).
One method used to enable registering large sheets is to manually adjust the positions of preceding modules to try to keep the input error low. For example, the sheet feeder may undergo an alignment procedure to reduce the errors in the sheet entering the marking module, or a duplex path alignment procedure may be performed. However, such module alignment procedures impact only the mean input error and are unable to address sheet-to-sheet variations. Thus, even though the average input error may be within acceptable bounds, sheet-to-sheet variations can result in mis-registration of some of the sheets.
There remains a need for a system and method for media registration which address these deficiencies and enable improvements in the capability of a printing system to handle faster sheet speeds, larger sheet sizes, and/or larger weight sheets.

Vacuum shuttle with stitch and roll capabilities


A DIMM includes a DRAM device and a non-volatile memory device. The DIMM is configured to determine that first data stored on the DRAM device is modified data and that second data stored on the DRAM device is unmodified data, and perform a save data operation to transfer the data from the DRAM device to the non-volatile memory device, wherein the save data operation comprises transferring the first data and not transferring the second data.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software resources that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Memory for an information handling system often includes one or more Dual In-Line Memory Modules (DIMMs). The DIMMs are typically configured in accordance with a particular Double Data Rate (DDR) standard, such as a fourth generation standard (DDR4). A non-volatile DIMM (NVDIMM) of a particular type (the NVDIMM-N) may operate as a normal DIMM, but also includes sufficient non-volatile (flash) memory to store the contents of the DIMM in the event of a power failure. As such, an information handling system that supports NVDIMM-N operation may include a separate power source dedicated to operating the NVDIMM-N in a save data operation.

System and method for storing modified data to an NVDIMM during a save operation


The present invention provides a module used for stacking thin panels that allows for stacking of a plurality of thin panels in the vertical direction efficiently and stably. The module includes a sandwiching support portion, a load transmitting portion, and a positioning portion. The sandwiching support portion sandwiches and supports the thin panel. The load transmitting portion is coupled with the sandwiching support portion, and transmits the weight of the thin panel in the vertical direction. The positioning portion relatively positions thin panels, which are stacked in the vertical direction, in the horizontal direction. The sandwiching support portion includes a lower plate-shaped body and a vertical wall. The lower plate-shaped body is disposed on a lower portion of the module. The vertical wall extends upward from an outer edge of the lower plate-shaped body to form an approximately C-shaped cross-sectional surface in conjunction with the lower plate-shaped body. The load transmitting portion includes a load transmitting surface, which is formed outward from an outer surface of the vertical wall. The positioning portion includes an inner lock portion on an inner edge of the lower plate-shaped body and an outer lock portion on the outer edge of the lower plate-shaped body. The inner lock portion is contactable with an inner edge of an upper portion of the module. The outer lock portion is contactable with an outer edge of the upper portion of the module.

Conventionally, a module for storing and conveying fragile and heavy thin panels such as solar panels stacked in the vertical direction so as not to contact one another has been used. Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose examples of the module.
This module includes a support surface and a molded member. The support surface supports a thin panel from below. A peripheral edge portion of the thin panel is sandwiched by a frame body. The molded member is coupled with the support surface, extends outwardly from the support surface, and transmits the weight of the thin panel in the vertical direction. The molded member includes a recess or a protrusion on each of the upper portion and the lower portion. The recess and the protrusion fit each other. This module is placed at each of the four corners of the thin panel via the frame body so as to rest on each support surface of this module via the frame body. Then, in each corner, the recess at the lower portion of the molded member in a new module fits the protrusion at the upper portion of the molded member in a module that has been already disposed. Similarly, the next thin panel is supported by four modules. Accordingly, the thin panels are allowed to be stacked in the vertical direction in a non-contact manner. However, the following technical problems arise in this module.
Firstly, it is difficult to stack a plurality of the thin panels in the vertical direction stably because a positioning portion for the thin panel and a load transmitting portion for the thin panel are not separated with each other. This problem will be described more specifically as follows. The upper portion and the lower portion of the molded member each form a load transmitting surface. The recess and the protrusion are provided on the upper portion and the lower portion, respectively. The recess on the lower portion of the upper module fits the protrusion on the upper portion of the lower module. This allows for positioning of the upper module in the horizontal direction relative to the lower module. Accordingly, it is difficult to sufficiently ensure load transmitting areas on the upper portion and the lower portion of the molded member because the protrusion and the recess exist. This makes it difficult to stably stack the plurality of the thin panels in the vertical direction.
Secondly, the module requires a considerable amount of material, and this leads to increase in cost because a support portion for the thin panel and the positioning portion for the thin panel are separated with each other. This problem will be described more specifically as follows. As illustrated in FIG. 7 of Patent Document 1, a thin panel without a frame is sandwiched between and supported by a pair of bars 14. Using a cylinder portion 13, which is additionally disposed outside of the pair of bars 14, a dowel 6, which is disposed on the lower portion of the cylinder portion 13 of the upper module, fits a void 8, which is disposed on the upper portion of the cylinder portion 13 of the lower module. This allows for positioning of the upper module in the horizontal direction relative to the lower module. Accordingly, a certain amount of diameter expansion of the cylinder portion 13 is required to stably stack the plurality of thin panels in the vertical direction because the support portion for the thin panel and the load transmitting portion for the thin panel are separated with each other and the cylinder portion 13 particularly also serves as the load transmitting portion. This correspondingly requires an extra amount of material.
Thirdly, it is difficult to efficiently stack the plurality of thin panels in the vertical direction. More specifically, for example, in the case where the thin panels are stacked with the modules on the top surface of a pallet in order to convey the stacked thin panels by a forklift truck, the thin panels cannot be stacked unless the modules are preliminarily positioned at a position corresponding to each of the four corners of the thin panel on site, on the top surface of the pallet. This problem will be described more specifically as follows. Each thin panel is placed on the support surface of the module at each of the four corners and is supported from below. Accordingly, the thin panel cannot be supported unless the support surface of the module is preliminarily prepared at each corner in advance. In this respect, it is difficult to place the module at each of the four corners of the plurality of thin panels in advance and then stack the thin panels, which has the modules at the four corners, on the top surface of the pallet. If one dares to take these steps, stability of the modules stacked in a columnar shape may be degraded when four modules attached to the thin panel are stacked at the same time on the modules, which are already stacked in a columnar shape at each corner on the top surface of the pallet, because each of the modules is not fixed to the corresponding corner portion of the thin panel. This might cause collapse of the modules in a columnar shape depending on the circumstance.
Fourthly, the protection for the thin panels is not sufficient especially when the thin panels with frames are stacked in the vertical direction. This problem will be described more specifically as follows. When the thin panels are stacked or while the thin panels are being stacked, the frame body may be pulled out from the module, and the thin panel and the frame body may together be removed from the module. This may cause damage of the thin panel, and may cause breakage of the thin panel depending on the circumstance. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 of Patent Document 1, when the thin panels are stacked or while the thin panels are being stacked, the thin panel and a frame profile 10 may together be removed from the module because inward movement of the frame profile 10 from the module, which is placed on a panel section 4, is not restricted. In contrast, as for the type illustrated in FIG. 4 of Patent Document 1, inward movement of the frame profile 10 from the module, which is placed on the panel section 4, is restricted by a border section 5, which projects upward from the inner edge of the panel section 4. However, this additionally requires the border section 5 and leads to increase in cost for forming the module.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2006-32978
Patent Document 2: JP 55-7790 U

Module used for stacking thin plate panels


A process for producing microcapsules comprising the steps of: adding a hydroxy or amine functionalized acrylic resin or copolymer to an aqueous emulsion including a dispersed internal phase composition;. simultaneously or subsequently adding a formaldehyde condensate prepolymer to said emulsion; and PA0 forming interpenetrating polymer network microcapsule walls around said internal phase, said interpenetrating polymer network microcapsule walls comprising the condensation reaction product of said functionalized acrylic resin or copolymer and said formaldehyde condensate prepolymer is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved method for producing microcapsules and, more particularly, to an improved method for producing microcapsules having one or more microcapsule walls, wherein at least one of the microcapsule walls is an interpenetrating polymer network formed from the condensation reaction between a functionalized acrylic copolymer and an amine formaldehyde or phenol formaldehyde prepolymer. While the method of the present invention is useful in producing microcapsules generally, microcapsules prepared in accordance with the present invention are particularly useful in carbonless pressure-sensitive recording systems and in photographic photosensitive imaging materials of the type which employ a layer of microcapsules containing a radiation sensitive composition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Imaging materials employing photosensitive microcapsules are the subject of commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,399,209 and 4,440,846.
In the aforesaid commonly assigned U.S. Patents, images are formed by image-wise exposing a layer of photosensitive capsules to actinic radiation and rupturing the capsules typically by passing the imaging sheet containing the capsules through a pressure nip. The radiation sensitive composition contains a photohardenable or photosoftenable material which undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure. For example, in the most typical embodiments, the radiation sensitive composition contains a polyethylenically unsaturated monomer which polymerizes upon exposure, thereby causinq the internal phase of the capsules to harden. Due to the difference in the hardness of the capsules in the exposed versus the unexposed areas, only certain capsules rupture and release their contents. If the internal phase contains a dye precursor, the precursor is image-wise released, and a color image is formed upon its transfer to a developer layer. In previously disclosed embodiments, the developer layer may be present on the same support as the layer of capsules or a separate support. It is advantageous if the developer is present on the same support since such a self-contained imaging sheet can be developed as an integral unit.
Microcapsules formulated under the prior art exhibit high sensitivity to moisture and/or humidity. The microcapsule walls tend to absorb moisture and swell.
These swollen microcapsules also contain additional oxygen or are more permeable to oxygen, which is not otherwise present in significant amounts in non-swollen microcapsules. Where the internal phase of the microcapsule contains a photohardenable composition, photohardening is achieved by polymerizing a monomer which is present in the internal phase of the microcapsules, typically by free radical additional polymerization. Where oxygen is present, the oxygen can act as a free radical scavenger, and prevent the radicals from polymerizing the monomer.
Some amount of oxygen is present in all polymeric microcapsules. Thus a finite threshold amount of radiation must be applied to the microcapsules such that the photoinitiator generates a sufficient amount of radicals to deplete the oxygen present. When this threshold level is reached, the radicals generated by the photoinitiator will cause the monomer to polymerize. Oxygen is typically present in concentrations of approximately 10.sup.-3 to 10.sup.-4 moles per liter of internal phase of the microcapsules. This amount must be nearly completely depleted to induce polymerization.
The threshold quantum of radiation necessary to deplete the oxygen present is commonly referred to as the "induction energy" while the light intensity used for exposure is referred to as "induction intensity". The time for which this energy must be applied is referred to as the "induction time".
Induction time varies with the light intensity such that when a higher intensity is applied, a shorter time period is needed to deplete oxygen present and initiate free radical polymerization of the monomer. The reverse is also true. A log-log plot of induction intensity versus induction time yields a reciprocity curve for which, under ideal conditions, the resulting curve is a straight line having a slope of -1.
It has been found that where microcapsules swell due to the presence of moisture, the reciprocity curve suffers severe deviations, particularly in the areas involving lower induction intensities (and correspondingly longer induction times). This deviation is theorized to be caused by the diffusion of oxygen from outside of the capsule walls into the internal phase. Failure is particularly accentuated where the microcapsules are exposed in a relatively high humidity environment, as high humidity significantly deteriorates the barrier properties of the capsule walls.
The result is that under high moisture or humidity conditions using a set induction intensity and time (usually dictated by imaging hardware design parameters), swollen microcapsules fail to polymerize in an image-wise pattern, resulting in inferior reproductions.
Thus, there has arisen a need in the art for a microcapsule having a wall which is less sensitive to humidity.

Method for producing microcapsules and photosensitive microcapsules produced thereby


The present invention relates to a blend of a linear or branched chain saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon wax having a molecular weight of between about 300 to about 5,000 and an alkoxylated alcohol of the formula A--B, wherein A is the unit: CH.sub.3 (CHR--CHR.sub.1).sub.x -- and B is the unit: --CH.sub.2 O(CH.sub.2 CHR.sub.2 O).sub.y H. R and R.sup.1 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkyl group; R.sub.2 is hydrogen or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl group; x is between about 1 to about 142; and y is between about 2 to about 817, provided the weight ratio of B/A+B is between 51 and 90 percent. Such blends may be used with an elastomer and tackifier to form a repulpable laminating adhesive. The invention further relates to a laminating adhesive containing alkoxylated alcohol, elastomer, wax and tackifier.

Wax-based, hot-melt laminates have long been used in the packaging industry. They offer excellent protective barrier properties and thus serve to protect the contents of packages against the loss or gain of moisture vapor or gases.
In addition to performing as a protective barrier film, such laminates also act as adhesives. The adhesive characteristics permit the joining of dissimilar films, foils or papers. In addition, hot melt laminates are important adhesives for bonding difficult to wet substrates or for bonding substrates which are rigid and load bearing.
The prior art hot melt laminates largely consisted of three ingredients--an elastomer (such as a conventional ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer containing about 28 weight percent vinyl acetate units), a tackifier and a wax. The strength of the laminate is measured by its ability to bond two surfaces together. This is controlled not only by the adhesion to the surfaces involved, but also to the cohesive strength of the laminate itself and by the cohesive characteristics of the substrate. The adhesive strength factor depends upon the chemical-mechanical bond that is created between the laminate and the surface of the substrate.
Laminate adhesives are used in several industries, including the food industry. As landfills continue to close and concerns about the environment are increased, interest in development of recyclable laminate adhesives is being renewed.
The recycling of wastepaper from materials containing laminate adhesives proceeds generally by one of three methods. In two of the methods, the adhesive is separated from a water slurry of recycled fibers using either cleaners or screens. When screens are employed, the pulp slurry is passed through a cylindrical screen plate fitted with small holes or fine vertical slots. Particles of the adhesive are separated out and rejected. When cleaners are used, the pulp slurry is pumped into the cleaner to form a spiraling flow. The slurry is thereby subjected to a centrifugal field. A central core is formed in which the particles of adhesives concentrate. A portion of the pulp slurry is extracted from this central core carrying the rejected adhesive particles.
In the third method, a thickened pulp slurry is heated to a temperature, generally ranging from 180.degree. F. to 250.degree. F. It is then subjected to an intensive shearing and/or kneading action. The adhesive particles are broken down to fine sizes, thereby minimizing spotting. Considerable energy is expended, however, in the process.
In the design of modern recycling systems, interest has been centered on those properties of laminates which are useful in the separation of the adhesive particulates from the pulp slurry. Much attention has been paid to the size of the adhesive particulate and its resistance to breakup when the wastepaper is wetted and broken up in a pulper. Pulpers have been specifically designed to minimize breakup of the laminate particulate during the pumping action. The larger particulates are separated from the pulp slurry with screens. To separate the particulates that pass through the screens, the pulp slurry is pumped into a through-flow cleaner wherein the smaller adhesive particulates are removed. If screening and cleaning are insufficient to produce the required cleanliness, the pulp is subjected to dispersion.
Laminate adhesives must be repulpable in order to maximize wastepaper quality. Such laminates typically contain an elastomeric resin and a tackifying resin. In addition, they may contain antioxidants, fillers and plasticizers. The elastomeric resin serves to form the backbone and contributes to the cohesive strength and toughness of the composition. Tackifying resins promote specific adhesion and help the adhesive to wet the substrate. In addition, a wax is added to decrease melt viscosity, increase the crystallinity and control the open and set times of the elastomeric resin.
Microcrystalline waxes, as well as paraffin waxes, are principally used in commercially available laminates. In addition to such waxes, commercially available laminating adhesives further contain a tackifier and a resin. The resin is principally either a conventional ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (having between 25 and 28 weight percent of vinyl acetate units) or a synthetic rubber. Previous efforts to recycle materials containing laminate adhesives has been largely unsuccessful due to the non-dispersability of waxes and resins contained in such adhesives.
It is most desired to develop a laminating adhesive which is compatible with aqueous systems and is recyclable. Compatibility defines the ability of the composition to impart adhesive properties to contiguous layers. Compatibility may be measured by various means such as viscosity stability, melt flow characteristics and cloud point. In particular, compatibility references the physical state wherein the elastomeric resin, tackifier and other additives are in a homogenous indistinct blend. In an incompatible adhesive, the elastomer, tackifier and other additives are in discrete areas in the molten state.

Repulpable laminating adhesive containing an elastomer, tackifier and a blend of an alkoxylated alcohol and a wax


The present invention provides a membrane probe contact bump compliancy system implemented in an integrated circuit (IC) testing system to nondestructively test a wafer. This integrated circuit system includes a test controller which is capable of controlling and executing a set of test programs, a wafer dispensing system, and a probe card. Under control of the test controller, the wafer dispensing system handles and controls the wafer for the performance of said set of test program. The probe card has a performance board and a plurality of probes. In cooperation with the wafer dispensing system, the probe card positions each of the probes to engage the wafer substantially at a predefined location with a controlled amount of force. The performance board further includes a transmission line corresponding to each probe. The probes are affixed to the performance board with each probe connected to a corresponding transmission line such that each probe is in electric communication with the test controller via the performance board. The probe card further includes a probe compliancy system disposed between the performance board and the probes. The compliancy system includes at least one elastomer layer and at least one deflectable protection layer. The probe compliancy system cushions the probes in engaging the wafer and the deflectable protection layers protect the elastomeric layers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the nondestructive testing of integrated circuits (ICs) and more specifically to a probe testing system including a compliancy system capable of reliably cushioning the contact force between the probes and the device under test (DUT).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Integrated circuits are manufactured by forming multiple layers of semiconductor circuits generally with repeated and fixed patterns to develop a plurality of "chips" on a thin planar substrate, i.e., a wafer. The wafers are then cut into individual chips for further processing and packaging. Individual chips, however, must first be inspected and tested to assure the quality and the reliability of the final products made from these semiconductor chips.
The testing operation is performed at a wafer level before the wafers are sawn apart into individual chips. The testing system typically comprises a test controller, which executes and controls the test programs; a wafer dispensing system, which mechanically handles and positions the wafers for testing; and a probe card, which maintains an accurate mechanical contact with the device under test (DUT) and provides an electrical interface between the test controller and the DUT. The probe card includes a printed circuit board known as the `performance board`. A performance board may be designed for individual ICs or IC families. The probe card also has a plurality of test probes which are accurately positioned to coincide with the input/output (I/O) pads of the device under test (DUT).
Under control of the test controller, a set of testing signals including of specific combinations of voltages and currents are generated and transmitted to the DUT via the performance board and the test probes. The output of the chips in response to the test signals are detected and transmitted by the probes to the test controller via the performance board. The voltage, current or frequency responses from the DUT are analyzed and compared with a set of predetermined allowable ranges. Chips which fail to meet the testing criteria are identified and rejected and the remainder of the tested chips are accepted for further process.
A conventional type of wafer probe card consists of a set of fine styluses or probes mounted on the performance board. The probes are arranged so that their tips form a pattern identical to that of the DUT's contact pads. The other ends of the probes are soldered to the traces of the printed circuits on the performance board for further connection to the test controller. The wafer dispensing system brings the wafer to be tested to an aligned position under the probe card and raises the wafer until proper contacts are established between the probes and DUT's input/output (I/O) pads.
Membrane probe technology has also been developed by forming an array of microcontacts, generally known as contact bumps, on a thin and flexible dielectric film, i.e., a membrane. For each contact bump, a microstrip transmission line is formed on the membrane for electric connection to the performance board. The contact bumps are formed by a metal plating method. The microstrips are formed by use of the photolithographic methods. Because the contact bumps can be formed right on the membrane, unlike the conventional probes, membrane probes have no extending needles or blades to hold the fine probe tips in place. The contact bumps can be formed to create a large number of contacts with high probe density. Additionally, improvements in mechanical and electric performance are realized by the membrane probes because of the simplicity of its configurations.
One critical prerequisite for successful IC test by either the membrane or conventional probe cards is to establish proper electrical contact between the probes and the DUT's input/output pads. In practical testing operations, the probe card and its probe tips or the contact bumps may not be exactly coplanar with the surface of the DUT's I/O pads. In the case of membrane probe cards, a self-leveling system (U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,920) is used to accommodate this non-coplanarity condition. To compensate for the same such variations with conventional probe cards, the wafer dispensing system is controlled to raise the wafer a predetermined distance beyond the first point of contact to assure proper contact with all probes. Such practice is generally referred to as overdrive.
Another factor which may affect the testing operation is the nonconductive oxide film which typically forms on the surface of the I/O pads of a DUT. This thin layer is only five to ten nanometers in depth but due to its high degree of resistance the accuracy of current, voltage, or frequency response measurements is severely impaired. In the case of conventional probe cards the problem is resolved by holding the probes at a small angle with respect to the plane of the DUT. As the probes are pushed by the wafer, the probes slide along the surface of the pads. This horizontal movement creates a scrubbing action which removes the oxide film on the surface. For the membrane probe, a scrubbing motion is created by using a set of flexure pivot assemblies. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,383 entitled "Membrane Probe with Automatic Contact Scrub Action" by Huff et al. (Apr. 17, 1990).
The probes and the membrane with its contact bumps are therefore subjected to the forces of vertical `overdrive` and horizontal `pulling` and `scrubbing` in the test operations. These stressful operation conditions can cause the membrane to lose resiliency. Material deteriorations and structure break down can also occur which cause premature damages of the probe card.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,920, entitled "Self-leveling Membrane Probe" (issued on May 6, 1990), Huff et al. discloses a self-leveling mechanism to improve the surface coplanar alignment between a membrane probe contact bumps and a DUT. Pivotal pins, together with leaf springs and the translation stages, provide a small angular rotational freedom for surface alignment adjustments. In addition, an elastomeric bed is placed between the self-leveling mechanism and the membrane and its contact bumps to cushion the force of the probe on the DUT.
The self-leveling mechanism and the elastomeric bed are useful in reducing the stress placed upon the contact bumps. However, when exposed to excessive temperature in hot chip testing in combination with excessively high loading forces, all elastomers exhibit a phenomenon known as compression set or creep. This can lead to premature damage of the contact bumps and their transmission lines. The elastomeric layer must be protected in order to prevent such premature damages.
Additionally, the membrane along with the elastomer bed is subject to lateral forces while making the horizontal scrubbing motion to remove the oxide film from the DUT's I/O pads during testing. Excessive overdrive (force) and temperature will result in making these lateral forces unacceptable and can impaire the effectiveness of the scrubbing motion. The elastomer layer must be protected in order to prevent loss of mechanical coupling through friction, between the elastomer and the membrane.

Membrane probe contact bump compliancy system


A method and an arrangement for control of the speed of a baler includes detection and mapping of one or more of a crop property and data derived therefrom during the harvesting of a field by a combine harvester. Crop residues are deposited in a windrow in the field. The method and arrangement control the speed of the baler in the pickup of the windrow while taking into account one or more of the mapped crop property and the data derived from the crop property.

Square balers are used to harvest agricultural crops like hay, silage, or straw. The square baler is pulled by a tractor and mechanically driven by a PTO shaft. The crop is usually precompacted in a precompression chamber and then pressed against the already existing bale by a reciprocally acting plunger in the slightly convergent main bale chamber.
To operate the baler with maximum productivity, a speed of travel may be adjusted in dependence on the size and density of the windrow. In the prior art, various manufacturers have offered control systems that regulate the forward speed of the tractor on the basis of a sensor signal from the square baler. The sensor signal is generated by a sensor integrated into the pickup, precompression chamber, or main bale chamber, and represents a characteristic value for the load of the baler. Many such sensors are known in the prior art (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,705 B2). For example, the torque or rotary speed at the pickup, forces on the packers or plunger, or even the number of plunger strokes per new flake are sensed. The disadvantage of these control systems is that they can only operate reactively and, therefore, cannot react to larger variations in the windrow or can react only with a delay. This can result in problems, in particular, when baling straw, which is chopped beforehand by a combine harvester and laid in the windrow. If the combine harvester needs to stop for any reason, a large amount of straw will collect at a single point due to the delayed straw deposition. The driver must actively intervene in such situations, stop the system, and manually drive over the heap of straw. Otherwise, he risks plugging the baler.
To solve this problem, it was proposed to detect and characterize the windrow in front of the tractor by means of sensor technology. This can take place, for example, by means of a (stereo) camera (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,400,957 B2), laser scanner (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,785 B1), or ultrasound sensors (e.g., L. Hofmann, "Windrow Scanning with Ultrasound," Landtechnik 5, 1993, pp. 266-268).
The cost-intensive sensor expense and susceptibilities to environmental effects like dust and dirt have prevented broad commercial use of such predictive systems up to now. It is also disadvantageous with conventional sensor detection of the windrow that only geometric data about the windrow, such as the width, height, cross-sectional area, or volume, can be determined. However, the windrow density and possibly moisture level are likewise relevant for optimum baler throughput control.
The problem of speed optimization also exists with round balers (e.g., German Patent Application No. 102005029405 A1).
European Patent Application No. 2952081 A1 describes a procedure in which various data about the straw are stored during the harvesting of grain (for example, the position of the windrow and the direction of travel of the combine harvester as it was being produced), and the data is used to plan the path of the baler for picking up the windrow, so that the baler can travel in the opposite direction from the direction of the combine harvester. It was further proposed to steer a baler by means of a stored windrow position (e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/175198 A1, German Patent Application No. 102005047306 A1, German Patent Application No. 102005004508 A1, European Patent Application No. 2267567 A2). The above problem of speed control, however, is not solved by these measures.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for developing an inexpensive and robust throughput control system for balers that can handle large variations in the windrow.

Method and arrangement for control of the speed of a baler


A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving Final Form presentation document data and inserting one or more alternate Mark-Up formats at each of one or more document components identified in the document data.

There has traditionally been two major approaches for representing document content. These approaches include Final Form (e.g. Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) and Portable Document Format (PDF)) and Mark-Up (e.g. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), ePub, etc.). In a page environment (e.g., print, Acrobat, etc.), the Final Form specification assures precise placement and control of visual appearance, while in a non-page environment a Mark-Up language describes structure and semantics that facilitate adaptation such as reflow (e.g., screen size) and orientation (e.g., portrait or landscape).
The flexibility of the Mark-Up format not only enables web content on a diverse set of devices, but may also be leveraged to address accessibility needs such as low vision (e.g., zoom, contrast), dyslexia (e.g., font), color blindness (e.g., color scheme), and general blindness (e.g., annunciation). Much effort has gone into defining rules for extracting structure and semantics from Final Form documents by retrofitting tags to promote "accessibility" (e.g., PDF/UA). Thus, a derivation of a Mark-Up format from Final Form is fraught with issues, such as dealing with tables that span pages, content "artifacts" (e.g., header, footer, page num., etc.) and reading order for marked content that may otherwise be encountered randomly throughout a data stream. Even when these rules have been clarified, understood and implemented, the Final Form document is ultimately cluttered with unwanted tags. This results in additional steps (e.g., stripping (tags)) prior to print production.
Nonetheless, generalized efforts to tag Final Form data often result in the Mark-Up format being more suitable for one particular need due to disabilities. Ideally, a given document would be developed with alternate formats optimized for an intended use such as printing (for sighted users), annunciation (for blind users), contrast, color-blind, low vision etc. Moreover, fidelity is a concern whenever two or more parties reference a document simultaneously. For instance, content referred to as "Page 3, Paragraph 1" by someone reading a Final Form printout may appear as "Paragraph 8" in alternate Mark-Up.
Consider a use case in which a banking or utilities customer initiates a support call referencing their latest monthly statement. Depending on configured preferences, the customer may have received print, HTML or an alternate (e.g., assessable) format. A document format that effectively links a Final Form document with alternate Mark-Up formatting would enable the call center to access the document in the exact format being used by the customer.
Accordingly, a document format that can simultaneously represent Final Form and an alternate Mark-Up is desired.

Autonomous document formatting mechanism


A steel having such a good machinability that it can be directly cut without being annealed and a good induction hardenability. The steel consists essentially of C: 0.37-0.45%, Si: up to 0.35%, Mn: more than 1.0% - up to 1.5%, B: 0.0005-0.0035%, Ti: 0.01-0.05%, Al: 0.01-0.06% and the balance of Fe, the content of N being up to 0.022 and has a fine structure of ferrite crystal grain size number 6 or more as defined by JIS-G0552. In addition to the above basic composition, the alloy may further contain some optional alloying elements.. The material is suitable for manufacturing machine structural parts such as drive shafts of automobiles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a steel for induction hardening, more specifically, a steel which can be processed as rolled without being annealed by cutting or form rolling and is suitable for induction hardening.
2. State of the Art
Taking a drive shaft with a homokinetic joint for automobiles as an example, it is manufactured in accordance with the steps of annealing or spheroidal annealing a steel for rolling such as SAE1541 to increase the machinability thereof, processing the steel by cutting or form rolling and strengthening the surface by induction hardening.
The SAE1541 steel, however, has poor machinability as rolled, and therefore, it is difficult to process the steel without heat treatment. Thus, this steel is not a suitable material from an economical point of view.
As the automobiles are getting more light-weighted and high-powered, the drive shafts should have higher strength. On the other hand, it is demanded that annealing be eliminated to enable direct cutting of the rolled steel at the request of cost reduction. To meet the request, there was proposed a steel having a composition in which manganese content of the SAE1541 steel is reduced to improve the machinability. The steel, however, has a drawback that the induction hardenability is low and the depth of surface hardened layer fluctuates.


A spinning reel having anti-reversal mechanism of simple and improved construction. The anti-reversal mechanism thereby provides a reversal rotation of a rotor because of the engagement between a ratchet gear and a stop pawl. This engagement can be released by a switching means which includes a depressing portion, position setting portion, shaft portion and a thumb lever, these being integrally formed. The switching means can be assembled to the reel body by inserting it from outside of the reel body.

This invention relates to a spinning reel having a reverse rotation preventing mechanism.
A conventional spinning reel having a reversal rotation preventing mechanism is shown in FIGS. 1 thru 4. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a drive gear 4 is fixedly secured to a handle shaft 1 rotatable by a handle (not shown). The drive gear 4 is engaged with a pinion 2 connected to a rotor 3 to rotate same. The drive gear 4 integrally provides a ratchet gear 5 engageable with a ratchet pawl 7 pivotably mounted on a fishing reel body 6. One end of the ratchet pawl 7 normally engages the ratchet gear 5 by the biasing force of a spring 8.
Known is a switching means 9 which selectively controls the engagement between the ratchet gear and the ratchet pawl by a thumb lever 15 in order to permit the rotor 3 to rotate only in the fishing line rewinding direction to thus implement the anti-reversal function, or to permit the rotor to rotate in both rewinding and cocked directions. The switching means 9 includes a depressing portion 10 for urging the other end of the ratchet pawl 7, a position setting portion 12 for maintaining the above-mentioned engagement and disengagement between the ratchet gear 5 and the ratchet pawl 7, a shaft portion 14 rotatably supported by a bore 13 of the reel body 6 and the thumb lever 15.
The position setting portion 12 is in resilient contact with a free end of a U-shaped spring 11 whose other end is fixedly secured to the reel body 6 by a screw 23 (FIG. 4). The position setting portion is of generally cylindrical shape with two partially cut away flat surfaces adapted to be in surface engagement with the free end of the U-shaped spring 11 because of its urging force toward the portion 12. The surface engagement between the U-shaped spring with one of the flat surfaces of the position setting portion serves to maintain a first position of the depressing portion 10, while the surface engagement between the U-shaped spring 11 and the other flat surface serves to maintain the second position of the depressing portion, to thereby maintain engagement or disengagement of the ratchet pawl with the ratchet gear.
With this structure, the pivotal movement of the thumb lever 15 causes the depressing portion 10 to rotate about its axis to urge the other end of the ratchet pawl 7 against the biasing force of the spring 8, while the pivotal movement of the lever 15 is terminated and the lever is latched by the surface engagement between the U-shaped spring 11 and the position setting portion 12.
As best shown in FIG. 3, the depressing portion 10, the position setting portion 12 and the shaft portion 13 are integrally formed as a rod-like member 16, and the thumb lever 15 is separately provided. At outer end of the rod-like member a small diameter portion 18 is provided and is outwardly extended from the reel body 6 to provide a linking portion 17 adapted to be inserted into a corresponding cylindrical recess 19 formed in the thumb lever 15. The thumb lever 15 is further formed with a hole 20 in alignment with the cylindrical recess 19, and a screw 21 is inserted in the hole 20 and is threadingly engaged with a threaded hole 22 centrally formed in the shaft portion 14 to thus connect the rod-like member 16 to the thumb lever 15.
According to the conventional switching means 9, since the mass of the depressing portion 10 is large, the rod-like member 16 is inserted from the interior space of the reel body 6 into the cylindrical recess 19 of the thumb lever 15 during assembly. To be more specific, after the U-shaped spring 11 is secured to the reel body 6 by the screw 23, the rod-like member 16 is positioned in the reel body 6 and is inserted into the bore 13, so that the linking portion 17 is protruded therefrom to the outside of the reel body 6, to thus fit with the cylindrical recess 19 of the thumb lever 15. Thereafter, the thumb lever 15 is fixedly connected to the rod-like member 16 by the screw 21, so that the switching means 9 is supported on the reel body 6.
The above assembly work could be complicated and troublesome. Further, during assembly or disassembly, since the rod-like member 16 is attached or detached from the interior of the reel body, U-shaped spring 11, ratchet pawl 7 and the ratchet pawl spring 8 may be damaged, and furthermore, threading engagement between the screw 21 and the rod-like member 16 may be loosened or unfastened, to thereby deteriorate the fishing operation or lose the thumb lever 15. Moreover, since there are a lot of mechanical parts, production cost may be increased with complicated assembly work.

Spinning reel with anti-reversal mechanism


The present invention pertains to a tubular heat exchanger for operation at high gas temperature and high pressures with heat exchanger tubes, which are coiled on the greater section of their linear extension. Further, the tube bottoms have tie rods, which brace the tube bottoms. The tie rods (3) of a graduated circle (1a, 1b) are connected at several points in the longitudinal direction by rings (5) into a cage. The tie rods (3) are flattened (3a) in the area of the rings (5). The tubes arranged on the adjacent graduated circle are connected to one another in the coiled area (2a) by means of angular plates (4) in pairs in the area of the rings (5). The connection to the angular plates (4) is such that, the tube form a hollow-cylinder-shaped tube cage. At least three guiding plates (6, 6a) are arranged in each area of uncoiled tubes (2b).

Tubular heat exchangers with coiled tubes in combination with tie rods bracing the tube bottoms have been developed according to DE 36,40,970 C2 for the operation of high pressurizations on the casing under extremely high thermal loads acting at the same time.
In this heat exchanger structure, two thin-walled tube bottoms are connected via tension rods, which rods are arranged on concentric graduated circles.
The radial distance of the graduated circles is selected such that sufficient room for the heat exchanger tubes remains on the intermediary ring areas. These heat exchanger tubes are coiled on the greatest section of their length over the longitudinal axis of the container.
Due to the necessary elasticity of the coil with at least one winding, the external row of tubes determines the cylindrical length of the coiled area of all rows of tubes. Since the exchange surfaces of all tubes and thus the extended tube lengths should be as equal as possible, the coiled tubing on the graduated circles towards the center of the tube bottom has a number of windings greater than 1 with constant angle of inclination. The ends of the tubes are not coiled and run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the heat exchanger. The direction of rotation of the coiling changes from graduated circle to graduated circle.
The tie rods, around which coolant flows, are acted upon with the same temperature as the casing and are thus also subjected to the same heat expansions.
As a result of the flexibility of the coil, the tubes acted upon with higher temperatures only release small forces, created as a result of the heat expansion, as a load on the tube bottoms. Thus, by means of the combination of the bracings tie rods with the coiled tubes, high pressures can be absorbed by the casing and the highest temperatures can be absorbed by the tubes without damage.
Due to the narrow tube separations, there is no possibility in the area of the coiling of connecting the bundles of tubes of the individual graduated circles to one another, in order to bring about a necessary support among them or on the cylinder wall of the heat exchanger.
However, in a horizontal installation of the heat exchanger, since the weight of the bundles of tubes must be diminished, and even in a vertical installation, supports of the tubes are necessary to avoid vibrations, the tie rods arranged on the adjacent graduated circles lying towards the outside should also be referred to as holding elements and even as supporting elements of a bundle of tubes.

High temperature/pressure gas tubular heat exchanger


An integrator unit for integrating an incoming light beam for a uniform distribution of illumination comprises an inner cylinder fixedly equipped with a rod integrator, an outer cylinder in which the inner cylinder is coaxially received for axial movement and axial adjustment members which comprises a circumferential groove spatially squared to a center axis of the inner cylinder and a radial access bore formed in the outer cylinder. A round shaped position adjustment tool has an end pin on a round end face thereof in a position off center from an axis of rotation of the position adjusting tool. The position adjusting tool is inserted in the radial access bore to put the end pin in the circumferential groove and turned in the radial access bore so as thereby to move the inner cylinder axially back and forth.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrator unit for achieving a uniform distribution of illumination by a light beam from an illumination light source.
2. Description of Related Art
There have been known digital micro mirror devices (DMDs), one of optical modulation devices, incorporated into projectors for projecting an image on a screen. In a digital light processing (DLP) type of projector with such a DMD installed therein, a light beam from a light source impinges the DMD through an illumination lens system. The DMD modulates a light beam incident upon a mirror surface (which is called a light modulation area or a pixel area) thereof according to video signals or picture information and then provide image forming light for projecting an image on the screen through a projection lens system.
The DLP projector is typically provided with a rod integrator or a relay lens system disposed in an illumination path between the light source and the DMD. Common examples of the rod integrator include such a rectangular hollow pipe made up of glass plates with inside surfaces coated with reflective coatings, respectively, as is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-354925 and a long rectangular prism. A light beam incident upon the rod integrator is uniformized in illumination distribution by repeated total reflection by the internal reflective surfaces and then impinges the DMD through a relay lens system. An illuminated area of the DMD is typically defined by an area on which an optical image at an exit surface of the rod integrator is focused by the relay lens system between the rod integrator and the DMD.
It is desirable for an image projected on a screen to be as bright as possible. Therefore, it is required that a light beam from the light source reaches the whole light modulation area of the DMD at a high efficiency. With the aim of filling this requirement, a projector provided with a rod integrator adjustable in position is described in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-354925. The rod integrator is fixedly attached with an adhesive after position adjustment.
The light beam incident upon the DMD must be uniformized in illumination distribution and sufficiently bright as well in order for the projector to project a quality image on a screen. On that account, it is typical to use as the light source high accuracy discharge lamps such as a very high pressure mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, a xenon lamp and suchlike. What is important is that the light beam covers the whole light modulation area of the DMD. If the light beam has an illumination field beyond the whole modulation area of the DMD, the light beam is wasted. On the other hand, if the light beam has an illumination field too small to cover the modulation area of the DMD 26, a projected image includes peripheral omissions.
In the case of a digital light processing optical system, it is impossible to determine image brightness unless an image is projected through the digital processing optical system installed in an actual projector. In such conventional position adjustable rod integrators as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-354925, because the rod integrator is fixedly and hermetically assembled to an integrator unit before installation thereof into a projector, it is impossible to readjust the rod integrator unless the integrator unit is dissembled if it is found that the illumination field of the rod integrator is too wide or too narrow.