A high-strength steel sheet suitable for deep drawing, characterized by comprising 0.04 to 0.25 mass % of C and 0.3 to 3.0 mass %, in total, of at least one of Si and Al, the steel sheet having multiple phases structure comprising ferrite as a main phase (a phase having the highest volume fraction), not less than 3 vol. % of austenite, and bainite and martensite; said steel satisfying a requirement that a value obtained by dividing volume fraction of Vg (vol. %) of austenite before working by the content of C (mass %) contained in the whole steel, Vg/C, is 40 to 140, a requirement that Vp (volume fraction of austenite at the time of plane strain tensile deformation)/Vs (volume fraction of austenite at the time of shrink flanging deformation) is not more than 0.8, and a requirement represented by the formula EQU 220<Vg{300(2750Cg+600)/(HfVf+HbVb+HmVm)-1}<990. wherein Cg represents the content of C in austenite; Vf represents the volume fraction of ferrite; Hv represents the hardness; Vb represents the volume fraction of bainite; Hb represents the hardness; Vm represents the volume fraction of martensite before working; and Hm represents the hardness. The high-strength steel sheet is produced under specified production conditions of the temperature on the inlet side of rough rolling (hot rolling), annealing conditions in a two-phase region in the step of continuous annealing after cold rolling, cooling conditions, and bainite transformation treatment conditions.

In recent years, there is an ever-increasing demand for a reduction in the weight of automobile bodies, in addition to the comfort and safety of the automobiles, which requires an increase in the strength of thin steel sheets utilized in automobile structures. Further, in the production of components of the automobile body, simplification, and continuous operation, of the production process by a reduction in the number of forming steps, and by one-body pressing, are considered technical requirements. When the thin steel sheet, among steel products used in such forming, is particularly taken into consideration, the selection criterion of the steel product is that the steel product has good formability. Stretchability, deep drawability, stretch-flange ability, and bendability are also required of the thin steel sheet. In this connection, good deep drawability, in addition to stretchability, is required in order to make it possible to prepare components having a complicated shape, such as interiors of automobiles, requiring only a small number of steps or one-body pressing.
The material properties governing the stretchability are elongation and work hardening coefficient (n value). In recent years, a high-strength multiple phase steel sheet comprising a mixed microstructure of ferrite, bainite, and austenite has been proposed as a steel sheet excellent in the above properties. This steel sheet utilizes "transformation induced plasticity" which is a phenomenon such that austenite remaining at room temperature is transformed to martensite at the time of forming, resulting in high ductility. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 61-157625 discloses, as a process for producing a high-strength steel sheet, a process for producing a thin steel sheet, such as a steel sheet for automobiles which should be inexpensive and mass-produced. In this prior art, Si is added to inhibit the precipitation of carbides, and ferrite transformation (bainite transformation) at low temperature is allowed to proceed to effectively enrich C in untransformed austenite, thereby stabilizing the austenite. Further, there is a report that the volume fraction and stability of retained austenite are important for providing high ductility in this steel (TETU TO HAGANE, 78 (1992) p.1480). However, no mention is made of deep drawability.
On the other hand, the Lankford value (r value) determined by a uniaxial tensile test, rather than elongation and the n value, is generally used as a material property governing the deep drawability. In general, the deep drawability of a material is tested in terms of deep drawing to a cylindrical cup. It is valuated using a formable range of blank holder force between the minimum force which can restrain wrinkles in the flange portion and the maximum force which can prevent rapture at the shoulder portion of the punch. A material having excellent deep drawability has high breaking proof stress in the shoulder portion of the punch and low shrink flanging deformation resistance in the flange portion. According to the theory of plasticity, a material having a high r value is characterized by having high fracture strength in a deformed state around plain strain in the shoulder portion of the punch and low deformation resistance under shrink flanging deformation in the flange portion. The r value is governed by a texture of the sheet, and, hence, in the development of the conventional deep drawable steel sheet, attention has been drawn mainly to the regulation of the texture. In recent years, however, that a steel utilizing deformation induced transformation of retained austenite has excellent drawability has been reported (SOSEI TO KAKO, 35-404 (1994) p.1109). This suggests that a variation in stability of the retained austenite depending upon the type of deformation is important for the deep drawability of this type of steel.
For a high-strength steel sheet having a tensile strength exceeding 440 MPa, it is difficult to attain a combination of strength with regulation of the texture at a production cost comparable to that of the prior art, and, consequently, no steel sheet having satisfactory deep drawability has been developed in the art. Therefore, the application of a high-strength steel sheet having a tensile strength of not less than 440 MPa to components produced mainly by deep drawing, such as components for inner panels of automobiles, is very difficult. Also in the above Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 61-157625 as prior art, the high-strength steel sheet produced has high ductility and n value, and, hence, among various types of formability, the stretchability is particularly excellent. However, the deep drawability is not studied at all, and the high-strength steel sheet is unsatisfactory for the application thereof to components having a complicated shape requiring deep drawability, such as inner panels of automobiles. Further, in this steel sheet, some types of press forming cause age cracking, of articles prepared by press forming, called "season cracking" or "longitudinal cracking," posing a problem when this steel sheet is applied to press forming involving drawing.
Further, in the deep drawing of a high-strength steel sheet, the load necessary for forming is increased, which causes problems such as lack of loading capacity of a pressing machine and galling caused by sliding under high face pressure. For this reason, materials which, despite high strength, can be formed into articles under low load has been desired in the art.
In "TETSU TO HAGANE, 78 (1992) p.1480" cited above, deep drawability is not studied at all. "SOSEI TO KAKO, 35-404 (1994) p.1109" reports the influence of stability of retained austenite on the deep drawability for steels having tensile strength on the order of 600 MPa. It, however, does not clarify the influence of the volume fraction and hardness of each phase on the deep drawability. Further, the technical problems, such as season cracking, loading capacity of the pressing machine, and galling, remain unsolved.
The present invention has been made with a view to eliminating the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a steel sheet, suitable for deep drawing, which, unlike the conventional high-strength steel sheet, can be deep-drawn at a lower forming load while avoiding the occurrence of galling and season cracking.
The term "steel sheet" as used herein is intended to mean a steel sheet which, in order to improve the conversion treatability, corrosion resistance, and press formability, has been subjected to various treatments such as plating with Ni, Zn, or Cr as a main component, formation of a film of an organic compound or an inorganic compound, or coating of a lubricant.

High-strength steel sheet suitable for deep drawing and process for producing the same


Disclosed is an illuminating safety net which includes a net body which has a quadrilateral perimeter of elongate tensile members, and a plurality of elongate tensile elements attached to the perimeter and extending within the perimeter in at least two transverse directions; and an elongate flexible lighting strip engaged to the net body along at least part of a perimeter edge of the perimeter.

The invention relates to an illuminating safety net.
Lighting is an issue in underground mine excavations. To provide adequate lighting, particularly in the working areas or stopes of the mine, requires a complex electrical installation of bulbs, power lines, means to attach and suspend the bulbs and power lines and intermittent accessible electricity supply points.
In a typical lighting system, a string of bulbs is suspended from a wall of the excavation, interlinked by a power cable. The bulbs are interspersed on this cable at intervals that create an uneven lighting pattern.
The current invention at least partially solves the aforementioned problem.


A modular instrument pedalboard is provided. The modular instrument pedalboard provides a plurality removably connectable pods, which may be effect pedal pods, power distribution pods, audio distribution pods, power/audio distribution pods, or a combination thereof. The pods include a base that has a first part of a connector that is adapted to be coupled to a second part of the connector which allows the pods to be connected, rearranged, expanded, contracted, and/or a combination thereof. Further the connectable pods include a circuit board to for parts of one or more audio loops as well as a power bar to transmit audio signals and power between pods.

A conventional electric guitar may be integrated with an effects pedal. An effects pedal for an electric guitar may include a reverb pedal, a distortion pedal, sometimes referred to as overdrive or a "fuzz" pedal, a wah-wah pedal, a boost pedal, a compressor, a noise gate, a filter pedal, an equalizer, a chorus pedal, a flange, etc. While a single pedal is useful, many guitarists use multiple effects pedals to customize a sound or to change sounds during a performance.
A pedalboard may be used if a guitarist uses multiple pedals to organize the pedals and to inhibit the pedals from movement during a performance. A pedalboard is generally a flat board, such as wood, fiberglass, or a composite, that anchors the different effect pedals. Typically, a power distribution unit is connected to the various effect pedals mounted on the board to provide the necessary power.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional pedalboard 10. The conventional pedalboard has a flat board 12, which happens to be framed by metal. The board 12 mounts a power distribution unit 14 that receives grid or line power from a plug 16. The pedalboard 10 has a plurality of effects pedals 18 mounted to the flat board 12. The power distribution unit 14 has a plurality of cables 20 that supply power at the appropriate voltage to the different effects pedals 18.
As can be appreciated, FIG. 1 shows a relatively small pedalboard 10 for convenience. Conventional pedalboards can be massive, such as the conventional pedalboard 22 shown in FIG. 2.
Pedalboards, whether small or large, are generally customized to a particular guitarist's likes and desires, although there are certain conventions in the industry that are generally known and not relevant to an understanding of the present technology. While effective, conventional pedalboards also are inflexible. Thus, as a guitarist's ability grows such that the guitarist wants to add effects, or as the guitarist's likes and desires for guitar effects changes such that the order or arrangement might change, the guitarist is presented with a Hobson's choice of sorts. The Hobson's choice is to NOT make the change and stick with the current pedalboard, which is unsatisfactory, or scrap the current pedalboard and construct a completely new board, which is both wasteful and costly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,459,023, issued Oct. 1, 2002, attempts to solve at least some of the above referenced problems. The '023 Patent provides a pedalboard that has a left member and a right member coupling a plurality of horizontal members separated by a gap forming a plurality of rails. At least one of the left or right member is removable. The effect pedals slide onto the pedalboard using the rails, but they are otherwise conventionally connected to a power distribution system. U.S. Pat. No. 8,138,406, issued Mar. 20, 2012, also attempts to solve at least some of the above referenced problems. The '023 Patent provides an extension board that may be hooked onto existing pedalboards to provide additional space for new effects pedals. As can be appreciated, neither of the above referenced patents satisfactory addresses the above described issues. Thus, against this background, an improved modular pedalboard is desirable.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A control method for a hydrogen filling system is provided. A hydrogen filling system (S) includes a vehicle (V) that sends unique information (V, MC) of the hydrogen tank and detected values (T, P) of sensors, and a station (9) that determines a filling mode based on this information (V, MC, P, T), and fills hydrogen to the tank in this determined mode. A station ECU (95) calculates predicted values (T′, P′) of the temperature and pressure inside of the hydrogen tank during filling of hydrogen based on the unique information (V, MC), continuously confirms whether the detected values (T, P) of the sensors and the predicted values (T′, P′) match while filling fuel, and in the case of an inconsistency between the detected values and predicted values being confirmed, interrupts filling of fuel in the filling mode determined based on the unique information.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control method for a fuel filling system.
Related Art
Fuel cell vehicles travel by supplying air and hydrogen to the fuel cell, and driving an electric motor using the electric power thereby generated. In recent years, progress has been made in the practical implementation of fuel cell vehicles employing such fuel cells as the energy source for generating motive power. Hydrogen is required to generate electric power by fuel cells. In recent years, vehicles have become mainstream that store a sufficient amount of hydrogen in advance in a high-pressure tank or a hydrogen tank equipped with a storage alloy, and use the hydrogen inside of the tank to travel. In concert with this, vigorous research has progressed also in the technology designated as so-called communicative filling for quickly filling the required amount of hydrogen into the tank.
Communicative filling is technology that sends information related to a hydrogen tank to a station as a data signal using some kind of communication means from the vehicle side, and performs filling control based on the data signal received at the station. Sensors that detect temperature and/or pressure of the hydrogen gas inside the hydrogen tank are provided to the hydrogen tank. From the vehicle side, data signals including information related to the temperature and/or pressure of the hydrogen tank (hereinafter, this information related to the temperature, pressure, etc. of the hydrogen tank is collectively referred to as tank state information) based on the outputs of these sensors are sent to the station side. The station side fills hydrogen based on the acquired tank state information, in an appropriate mode according to the state of the hydrogen tank at this time.
Patent Document 1 describes technology for determining abnormalities such as in various sensors of the hydrogen tank used in the above such communicative filling. With the invention of Patent Document 1, hydrogen gas is filled at a predetermined constant flow rate from starting filling until a predetermined time elapses. With this invention, the temperature inside the hydrogen take after initial filling is predicted based on the flow rate, temperature, etc. of hydrogen gas released from the station to the vehicle at initial filling, this predicted value and an actual detected value of the temperature sensor after initial filling are compared, and in the case of these greatly diverging, it is determined that an abnormality has arisen in the temperature sensor, etc., and measures are taken such as a reduction in filling flow rate, interruption, and notification of the abnormality.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2011-122657


A threaded rod of a variable length has one end connected to a first part of the element to be adjusted. A pivoted detent element cooperates with the threaded rod, with two channels extending diametrically through the pivoted detent element. The first channel has a threaded wall and the second channel has a smooth wall, the second channel forming an angle of preferably about 15.degree. with the first channel. The pivoted detent element is pivotally mounted in a casing and has a protruding tail. A spiral spring is supported between the tail and the casing. The casing further comprises a rear portion connected to a second part of the element to be adjusted.

The present invention relates to a mechanical positioning jack which can be used in a simple and practical manner for an adjustment of the discontinuous positioning of the back of a seat, an adjustment in height of a sitting portion of a seat, an adjustment in height of a seat head-rest, the displacement of a slide for the longitudinal positioning of a seat, which seat is particularly a vehicle seat and more particularly an automobile vehicle seat.
Automobile vehicles, even less expensive automobile vehicles, are more and more provided with seat equipments for the driver and the front passenger, comprising adjusting elements so as to bring each seat in conformity with the morphology of the user of the seat, in order to avoid fatigue symptoms resulting from traveling in a vehicle.
But the longitudinal adjustment of the seat by using slides, the inclination adjustment of the back of the seat, the adjustment of the under-thigh cushion placed in front of the sitting portion of the seat, the adjustment of the lumbar cushion and finally the adjustment of the head-rest, all require rather costly mechanisms all having a the disadvantage of creating unpleasant sensations, since the respective play of these mechanisms resulting from their production cannot be entirely compensated.
This is the reason why one is led to study simple, inexpensive and play-free mechanisms able to perform the aforementioned functions.
The object of the present invention is therefore a mechanical positioning jack moving step by step, i.e., providing a discontinuous positioning without play, thereby providing maximum comfort to the driver and/or to the passenger.

Mechanical positioning jack for vehicle seats


Sealing assemblies with rolling annular seals are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a stuffing box having a rolling seal positioned in a body for sealing against a tubing or wireline cable received in a bore of the body. The rolling seal can rotate within the body to roll along the tubing or wireline cable in response to movement of the tubing or wireline cable through the body and friction between the rolling seal and the tubing or wireline cable. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the presently described embodiments. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
In order to meet consumer and industrial demand for natural resources, companies often invest significant amounts of time and money in finding and extracting oil, natural gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth. Particularly, once a desired subterranean resource such as oil or natural gas is discovered, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource.
Further, such systems generally include a wellhead assembly through which the resource is accessed or extracted. These wellhead assemblies may include a wide variety of components, such as various casings, valves, sealing assemblies, fluid conduits, and the like, that control drilling or production operations. Various tools can be run into wells through the wellhead assemblies for formation evaluation or sampling. In some instances, such tools are lowered into wells by cables or tubulars, such as wireline cables or coiled tubing. Preventers, stuffing boxes, or other sealing assemblies can be used to seal about cables or tubulars as they are run into or pulled from wells.


A HEMT-type field-effect semiconductor device has a main semiconductor region comprising two layers of dissimilar materials such that a two-dimensional electron gas layer is generated along the heterojunction between the two layers. A source and a drain electrode are placed in spaced positions on a major surface of the main semiconductor region. Between these electrodes, a gate electrode is received in a recess in the major surface of the main semiconductor region via a p-type metal oxide semiconductor film whereby a depletion zone is normally created in the electron gas layer, with a minimum of turn-on resistance and gate leak current.

This invention relates to semiconductor devices, particularly to field-effect semiconductor devices as typified by the high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) diode (diode that utilizes a layer of 2DEG as a current path or channel), and the metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MESFET). More particularly, the invention pertains to such field-effect semiconductor devices that are normally off, instead of normally on as in the case of most of such devices known heretofore. The invention also deals with a method of fabricating such normally-off field-effect semiconductor devices.
The HEMT has been known and used extensively which comprises an electron transit layer of undoped semiconducting nitride such as gallium nitride (GaN) grown on a substrate of silicon or sapphire via a buffer, and an electron supply or barrier layer of n-doped or undoped semiconducting nitride such as aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) deposited on the electron transit layer. A source, a drain and a gate (Schottky) electrode are disposed on the electron supply layer.
Made from the dissimilar semiconducting materials, the electron transit layer and electron supply layer differ in both band gap and lattice constant. The electron supply layer of AlGaN is greater in bandgap, and less in lattice constant, than the electron transit layer of GaN or the like. By being placed on the electron transit layer having a greater lattice constant, the electron supply layer generates an expansive strain or tensile stress and so undergoes piezoelectric depolarization. The electron supply layer is additionally subject to spontaneous depolarization.
Consequently, due to both piezoelectric and spontaneous depolarizations, the 2DEG layer is created along the heterojunction between the electron supply layer and the electron transit layer. The 2DEG layer provides a channel of very low resistance, or of high electron mobility, for source-drain current flow. This current flow is controllable by a bias voltage applied to the gate electrode.
As heretofore constructed, the HEMTs of the general construction above were mostly normally on; that is, there was a source-drain flow of electrons while no voltage was applied to the gate. The normally-on HEMT had to be turned off using a negative power supply for causing the gate electrode to gain a negative potential. Use of such a negative power supply made the associated circuitry unnecessary complex and expensive. The conventional normally-on HEMTs were rather inconvenient of use.
Attempts have been made to render the HEMT normally off. Among the suggestions heretofore made to this end are:
1. Accommodating the gate in a recess formed in the electron supply layer.
2. Interposing a p-type nitride semiconductor layer between the gate and the electron supply layer (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-273486).
3. Accommodating the gate in a recess in the electron supply layer via an insulating film of strontium titanate or the like (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-222414).
4. Partly removing the electron supply layer to expose part of the electron transit layer and placing the gate on the exposed part of the electron transit layer via an insulating film (WO 2003/071607).
The first cited known scheme is designed to weaken the electric field due to the piezoelectric and spontaneous depolarizations adjacent the part of the electron supply layer that has become thin by creation of the recess therein. The weaker electric field is cancelled out by the built-in potential of the device, that is, the potential difference between the gate and the electron supply layer when no bias voltage is being applied to the gate. The result is the disappearance of the 2DEG layer from the neighborhood of the gate. The device is normally off because there is no source-drain current flow while no voltage is being applied to the gate.
However, the HEMT built on this known scheme had a threshold voltage as low as one volt or even less and so was easy to be triggered into action by noise. What was worse, this threshold changed substantively with manufacturing errors in the depth of the recess in the electron supply layer. Another weakness was that there was a relatively large current leakage upon application of a positive voltage to the Schottky gate. Creating the recess in the electron supply layer brought about an additional shortcoming that the resulting thin part of the electron supply layer became incapable of supplying a sufficient amount of electrons to the electron transit layer even when a voltage was applied to the gate in order to turn the device on. The fact that the 2DEG layer was partly insufficient in electron density the turn-on resistance of the device inordinately high.
The provision of the p-type semiconductor layer under the gate according to the second known suggestion above serves to raise the potential of the underlying part of the electron transit layer. The resulting depletion of electrons from under the gate creates a hiatus in the 2DEG layer, making the device normally off.
An objection to this second known suggestion is the difficulty of creating the p-type nitride semiconductor layer of the sufficiently high hole density required. In cases where this requirement was not met, then it became necessary either to make the electron supply layer thinner or, if the electron supply layer was made from AlGaN or aluminum indium gallium nitride (AlInGaN), to lower its aluminum content. The result in either case was a drop in the electron density of the 2DEG layer, which in turn made higher the source-drain turn-on resistance.
The third known solution also seeks to gain normally-off performance by making the electron supply layer thinner under the gate by creating a recess in that layer. By receiving the gate in this recess via the insulating film, the HEMT is saved from an increase in current leakage and made higher in transconductance (symbol gm).
Having a recess in the electron supply layer, this prior art normally-off HEMT possesses the same shortcomings as the first described one. As an additional disadvantage, the insulating film was susceptible to physical defects, particularly when made thinner for a higher transconductance. A defective insulating film was a frequent cause of current leakage, lower antivoltage strength, device destruction, and current collapse. All these results would be avoidable by making the insulating film thicker, but then the device would be inconveniently low in transconductance.
With the gate placed on the exposed part of the electron transit layer via an insulating film as in the fourth known solution above, the 2DEG layer in the electron transit layer is normally absent from under the gate. A problem with this prior art device arose when the gate was excited to turn it on. Its turn-on resistance was higher than the more conventional normally-on HEMT by reason of the absence of the 2DEG layer from under the gate.
The difficulties and inconveniences pointed out hereinbefore in conjunction with the known normally-off field-effect semiconductor devices are not limited to HEMTs alone. Similar problems have attended the conventional endeavors to provide other types of normally-off field-effect semiconductor devices such as MESFETs and 2DEG diodes.


A method for manufacturing a refined fat or oil, including: carrying out a first steam treatment of bringing a fat or oil into contact with water vapor; and subsequently carrying out a second steam treatment of bringing the fat or oil having a temperature lower by 10° C. or more than a temperature of the fat or oil in the first steam treatment into contact with water vapor in the presence of an organic acid.

A fat or oil is essential for a human body as nutrients and source of energy supply (the primary function), and moreover, is important for providing so-called sensory function (the secondary function), which satisfies palatability of foods, for example, taste or aroma. In addition, a fat or oil containing diacylglycerols at a high concentration is known to show physiological effects (the third function) such as body fat-burning effect.
An untreated fat or oil obtained by squeezing seeds, germs, pulp, and the like of plants contains, for example, fatty acids, monoacylglycerols, and odor components. Further, when the untreated fat or oil is processed, trace components are generated as by-products through a heating step such as a transesterification reaction, an esterification reaction, or a hydrogenation treatment, resulting in the deterioration of the taste and flavor of the resultant fat or oil. It is necessary to improve taste and flavor by removing these by-products in order to use the fat or oil as an edible oil. Thus, a process of so-called deodorization, in which the fat or oil brought into contact with water vapor under reduced pressure at high temperature, is generally performed (Patent Document 1).
Further, in order to provide good taste and flavor to a diacylglycerol-rich fat or oil, it is reported to adopt a method involving adding an organic acid to a fat or oil rich in diacylglycerols and then carrying out a decoloration treatment with a porous adsorbent, followed by a deodorization treatment, (Patent Document 2), or a method involving carrying out an esterification reaction between glycerin and each of fatty acids obtained by hydrolyzing a raw material fat or oil by an enzymatic decomposition method and then carrying out a deodorization treatment so that the deodorization time and the deodorization temperature can be each controlled in a given range (Patent Document 3).

Method for producing refined a fat or oil


A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer, a metal layer electrically contacting the semiconductor layer, and a two-dimensional material layer between the semiconductor layer and the metal layer and having a two-dimensional crystal structure.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device including a two-dimensional material layer that has a two-dimensional crystal structure and is interposed between a metal and a semiconductor to reduce a contact resistivity therebetween.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor device includes a metal and a semiconductor that are in contact with each other in a particular part of the semiconductor device to externally exchange electric signals. The metal has a lower resistivity than the semiconductor and can be more easily wired to the external environment. In this case, however, a contact resistivity is generated due to a hetero-contact between the semiconductor and metal.
To reduce such contact resistivity, various methods to reduce a Schottky energy barrier between a semiconductor and a metal have been suggested. For example, a metal having a work function of about 4 eV is used for an n-type semiconductor and a metal having a work function of about 5 eV is used for a p-type semiconductor. However, because a phenomenon occurs when a work function of a metal is pinned on a surface of a semiconductor, there is a limit in reducing the Schottky energy barrier regardless of a type of the metal. As another method, a depletion width may be reduced by doping a surface of a semiconductor contacting a metal to have a relatively high concentration. However, although a doping concentration needs to be further increased as a demand for a semiconductor device having a smaller size has gradually increased, there is a limit in methods of increasing a doping concentration, maintaining a stable doping state, and reducing a depletion width according to an increase in the doping concentration.

Semiconductor device including metal-2 dimensional material-semiconductor contact


A fixation system for bones, with a connecting bar having plural through holes and at least one bone screw insertable into a through hole. The fixation system has at least one filler body, insertable into a through hole, and wherein the filler body is fastened in the through hole by having an overdimension with respect to the through hole.

The present invention is related to a fixation system for bones with a connecting bar having plural through holes and at least one bone screw, insertable into a through hole. Further, the present invention is related to a filler body for a fixation system of the aforementioned kind.
For the stabilisation of broken bones or of bone portions which are instable due to malunions or in the context of surgical cuts, a plate of metal with through holes and bone screws is used since 1886, following a proposal of C. Hansmann. This system has found worldwide acceptance. Today, it is the third important ostheosynthesis method besides to marrow nailing and ostheosynthesis by means of a fixateur externe.
The dimensioning of plate and bone screws, the proper selection of the metals for plate and bone screw with respect to its mechanical properties and its biocompatibility have been intensively investigated since this time by many research teams.
The importance of the non-positive fit between bone screw and plate has been increasingly recognised and implemented in the last 20 years. In the last years, the research of the present inventors has given the result that in a fixation system with plate and angle-stably fixed (i.e. not pivotal in the plate) screws—therefore a non-positive connection of bone screw and plate—the load on the plate is highest on the level of the first bone screw, which is adjacent to the instable bone portion. Thereafter, the load transmission decays further from through hole to through hole. Approximately, the bone screw in the first through hole transmits about 50 to 60% of the forces, the second bone screw about 20 to 30% and the third bone screw about 10 to 20%.
In order to take this fact into account, the solidity of the plate has been changed by adapted broadenings or thickenings of the plate on the level of the individual holes. This is described in WO 01/19264 A, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. This solution compensates the enfeeblement of the plate by the through hole. However, there is a demand to further improve the solidity of the plate.
Further, plates without broadenings or thickenings are continued to be used. In particular, in the context of the surgical repair of smaller bones, in the region of the hand skeleton for instance, such reinforcements of the plates in the region of the particularly stressed through holes are not advantageous, for reasons of the anatomic conditions. Therefore there is a demand to increase the solidity of plates otherwise, without broadenings or thickenings.
The same is correspondingly valid for other fixation systems, marrow nails for instance.
Departing from this, the present invention is based on the objective to provide or to make possible a fixation system with further or otherwise improved solidity.

Bone-fixation system and filler element for bone-fixation


A cover latch for a portable electronic device includes a housing member forming two latching protrusions, a cover member, a mounting panel secured to the cover member, two latching members pivotally positioned on the mounting panel, and a contact member slidably positioned on the mounting panel. Each of the latching members includes a latching portion for interlocking with one of the latching protrusions. The contact member slides relative to the mounting panel to pivot the latching members to release the interlocking of the latching portions and the latching protrusions.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to cover latch mechanisms used in portable electronic devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Portable electronic devices often include latches for securing battery covers thereof. The latch mechanisms must withstand numerous installations and removals of batteries.
A typical cover latch mechanism includes at least one spring to facilitate its operation. However, the spring wears out with repeated operation and, thus the cover latch mechanism may fail.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

Cover latch mechanism, latch, and portable electronic device using same

Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd.


An expandable collecting bag is provided. The collecting bag can be used in an ostomy appliance and has a cap portion and an expandable portion. The expandable portion is folded inside the cap portion with the outer surfaces facing each other. The cap portion is folded over and envelopes the expandable portion with the inner surfaces facing each other. A method for producing a collecting bag is also provided.

In connection with surgery for a number of diseases in the gastro-intestinal tract, one of the consequences in many cases is that the patient is left with an abdominal stoma, such as a colostomy, an ileostomy or a urostomy in the abdominal wall for the discharge of visceral contents. The discharge of visceral contents cannot be regulated at will. For that purpose, the user will have to rely on an appliance to collect the material emerging from such opening in a bag, which is later emptied and/or discarded at a suitable time.
An ostomy appliance may be in the form of a one-piece appliance for which a collecting bag for human body wastes is permanently, or fixedly, secured to an adhesive base plate for attachment to the human skin. Alternatively, the ostomy appliance may be a two-piece appliance comprising a base plate and a collecting bag which may be coupled to and uncoupled from each other through a coupling means. This has the effect that the base plate does not need to be separated from the skin of the user as often as exchange of the collecting bag requires. The base plate may need only to be changed every third or fourth day depending on the user, whereas the collecting bag may be changed more than once per day. Typically, it is desirable to need as few exchanges of the base plate as possible in order to reduce the risk of skin complications.
Collecting bags may be provided in different sizes depending on the desired use. For example, larger bags may be used at night, whereas smaller bags may be used when discretion is needed. In some situations—e.g. during exercise—the use of so-called stoma caps may be preferred. Stoma caps are small collecting bags just covering the base plate and the stoma. However, since the discharge from the stoma cannot be regulated at will, a user wearing a stoma cap may need a collecting volume of a size exceeding the volume of the cap.

Expandable collecting bag for an ostomy appliance


A steam spray tube with an inlet line (16) for steam, a nozzle arrangement (33) and a valve (19) positioned between the inlet line and the nozzle arrangement is described. With such a steam spray tube, adequate moistening of a web to be moistened can be assured even at high web velocities. To do so, an essentially straight acceleration channel (35) is arranged downstream from valve (19) in the direction of flow of the steam and a nozzle channel (36) to the nozzle arrangement (33) branches off from the acceleration channel at a predetermined distance from the end (37) of the acceleration channel (35).

U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,232 discloses a steam spray tube and a process for controlling the amount of steam dispensed by the steam spray tube. The steam spray tube here is arranged beneath a web of material passing through a calender where at least one roller has a highly polished surface. The steam spray tube dispenses steam through its nozzle arrangement and the steam then condenses in the air and is precipitated in the form of a cloud or mist on the web of paper passing by. The resulting increase in moisture content of the paper web has the effect that the paper web can be smoothed better in the downstream roller gap and/or has a higher gloss. The gloss and/or smoothness of the paper web are measured at the end of the calender and the measured values are sent to a control device that controls the valves of the steam spray tube. The valves are designed as digital valves so only a limited precision is possible with regard to the amount of steam dispensed. In order to improve the precision, the pressure to all the steam tubes is readjusted according to given mathematical methods.
One problem with such a moistening process is that a rather thick film of air adheres to the web of material, moving along with it and preventing or at least greatly interfering with the penetration of the steam or the cloud formed by the steam on the web of material. This effect is greater as the speed of travel of the web of material increases. At the same time a web of material traveling at a high speed requires considerably more steam applied per unit of time in order to maintain the same moisture load as a web of material traveling at a slower speed. Furthermore increasing the steam pressure in order to increase the outlet velocity of the steam is not without hazards. At a high steam pressure and a resulting higher steam outlet velocity from the nozzle arrangement, the steam may entrain droplets of water that have formed somewhere in the inlet line or in the steam spray tube itself and may throw them at a high velocity against the web of material where these droplets of water act like projectiles that can perforate the web of material and thus greatly reduce its quality.
Therefore, one object of the present invention is to ensure adequate moistening of the web of material at high processing velocities.

Steam spray tube with linear acceleration channel