A method and apparatus for maintaining a narrow thermocline in a thermal energy liquid storage tank in a cooling system for a commercial building in which the tank provides cooling liquid, e.g., water, during a peak electricity demand period to allow the building system to reduce its electric demand during such period. The tank incorporates a water distribution system including a generally centrally positioned, vertically oriented pipe extending from a bottom of the tank to about a top of the tank. A flange is positioned about mid-way of the pipe for separating an upper section of the pipe from a lower section. A water return line is coupled to the pipe above the flange and a water extraction line is connected to the pipe below the flange. A plurality of circumferentially spaced cool water conduits are connected to the pipe generally adjacent the bottom of the tank and a plurality of circumferentially spaced warm water conduits are connected to the pipe generally adjacent the top of the tank. Each of the conduits comprises a first section radially extending from the pipe, a 90.degree. elbow coupled to the first section and a bell-shaped diffuser coupled to the elbow. Apparatus is connected between each outlet and a tank support structure for supporting each of the upwardly turned outlets in a common horizontal plane. The support apparatus positions each of the outlets in a level plane such that water exiting the outlets flows uniformly from all edges of each outlet.

The present invention relates to thermal energy storage systems using liquids and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for establishing a relatively narrow thermocline in a cooling liquid thermal energy storage tank.
Commercial cooling systems such as are used in larger buildings typically employ a liquid, usually water, although the water may be adulterated with various chemical compounds, as a heat transfer medium. A typical cooling system 10 of this type is shown in FIG. 1. A building load, such as a heat exchanger 12, transfers heat from a building to water circulating through the heat exchanger. The water enters the heat exchanger 12 from conduit 14 at a temperature of about 42.degree. F. Water exits the heat exchanger 12 through conduit 16 at a temperature of about 58.degree. F. A variable speed pump 18 in conduit 14, pumps water through heat exchanger 12 at a flow rate which is adjustable to maintain the water exiting the heat exchanger at the desired temperature of 58.degree. F. At the opposite end of the system, the water in conduit 16 is pumped by pumps 20 and 22 through corresponding ones of a pair of chillers 24,26 of a type well known in the art. The pumps 20,22 are constant flow pumps for maximum efficiency. If the rate of flow required by the building load for maintaining the exiting water temperature at 58.degree. F. is less than the available volume from the pumps 20 and 22, the excess flow is directed into a thermal energy storage or water tank 28 which acts as a primary/secondary system decoupler, the pump 18 and building load 12 being the secondary system while the pumps 20,22 and chillers 24,26 constitute the primary system.
During the normal cooling cycle, i.e., when cool water is being produced by chillers 24,26, the excess flow is pumped into the lower portion of tank 28. Since the system has a constant flow rate, an equal volume of water is withdrawn from tank 28 and returned to conduit 16. However, the water is withdrawn from the top of tank 28. If the water within tank 28 is properly handled by the tank system, the water will stratify so that cooler water remains in the lower portion of the tank and warmer water collects in the upper portion of the tank. Preferably, the water in the upper portion of the tank is at the desired 58.degree. F. temperature of water exiting the building load. This temperature is generally established by use of the tank 28 as the primary source of cooling water for building load 12 during a period of time when the chillers 24,26 and pumps 20,22 are taken off-line.
It will be appreciated that providing cooled water for building load 12 represents a significant energy load for an electric utility power company. As the number of such buildings has increased and placed a strain on the capacity of utility power companies, the companies have offered incentives and penalties to induce users to reduce electric power requirements, at least during peak demand hours. For cooling systems, peak demand generally runs from about noon to six p.m. During these hours, commercial users rely on cooling water stored in tank 28. The cool water (42.degree. F.) is withdrawn from the bottom of tank 28 into conduit 14, circulated through building load 12 and returned to the top of tank 28. This cycle stores 58.degree. F. water in the top of tank 28, which water is pulled off the top during the previously described normal cooling cycle. Although the chillers 24,26 are most efficient when converting 58.degree. F. water to 42.degree. F. water, they can maintain the 42.degree. F. output flow for lower inlet water temperatures using a conventional throttling control.
Each tank 28 for a building cooling system is designed to have a volume which matches the cooling requirements of the associated building. For example, assuming that the system must operate for six hours from tank 28, the volume of the tank is selected to provide sufficient 42.degree. F. water for the building load 12 for a six hour period. The tank 28 may be forty feet tall with a diameter of thirty-six feet. When water is stored in this tank, it is important to maintain separation between the 42.degree. F. water and the 58.degree. F. water. Stratification of water to achieve this result is well known. The warmer water is separated from the cooler water by a thermocline, i.e., an intermediate layer of water separating the warmer and cooler water. The thinner the thermocline, the more water that can be stored at the desired temperature. Any turbulence within the tank promotes mixing and increases the thickness of the thermocline. In some instances, the thermocline may be three or more feet thick and substantially reduce the volume of usable cooling water in the tank 28. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system which reduces the thermocline thickness.

Thermal energy storage system for a cool water air conditioning system


A nonvolatile memory device with simultaneous read/write has a memory array formed by a plurality of cells organized into memory banks, and a plurality of first and second sense amplifiers. The device further has a plurality of R/W selectors associated to respective sets of cells and connecting the cells of the respective sets of cells alternately to the first sense amplifiers and to the second sense amplifiers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nonvolatile memory device with simultaneous read/write.
2. Description of the Related Art
To optimize read/write performance of nonvolatile memory devices, it is extremely important to be able to execute parallel read/write operations on more than one cell. Various solutions are known to the art which enable increase of the number of memory cells that are selected simultaneously to be read or written (page read/write or "burst mode"). The same type of operation, either read or write, is usually performed on all of the cells selected.
During reading, in practice, the selected cells are connected to respective sense amplifiers, which compare the threshold voltages of the cells with the threshold voltages of respective reference cells.
During writing, which may envisage programming or erasing of the selected cells, a cycle comprising two steps is executed at least once. Initially, the selected cells are biased with preset voltages and/or biasing currents so as to modify their threshold voltages. Then, reading is performed to verify the value actually reached by the threshold voltages. If this value is insufficient, the cycle is repeated. Moreover, in the case of multilevel memories, it is in any case necessary to execute more than one cycle.
Writing cannot in general be performed simultaneously with reading. In fact, during verifying of the threshold voltages, the cells must be connected to the sense amplifiers, which thus are not available for reading other cells. In addition, verifying is performed synchronously with an internal timing signal of the memory devices, while ordinary reading is asynchronous. It is consequently evident that also the driving signals and reference signals are different for verifying and reading.
To overcome the described drawbacks, architectures of nonvolatile memories have been proposed which enable simultaneous reading on a first set of cells and writing on a second set of cells (dual working). According to these solutions, in practice, the memory array is divided into sections, and associated to each section is a set or bank of sense amplifiers and a column decoder circuit. The banks of sense amplifiers are independent of one another and thus may be driven simultaneously in different ways. More precisely, while a first bank of sense amplifiers is driven in a synchronous way (verify), a second bank may be driven in an asynchronous way (read). In this way, it is therefore possible to perform simultaneously read and write operations, provided that cells are selected belonging to distinct sections of the memory.
Also this solution presents evident limits in so far as the memory array cannot be divided into a large number of sections. In fact, since each section should be associated to a respective bank of sense amplifiers, fractioning of the memory also entails an increase in the overall dimensions of the device; the more the memory is fractioned, the greater the overall dimensions. Consequently, the memory arrays normally comprise two or at the most four sections. On the other hand, the low fractioning of the memory causes simultaneous access to reading and writing to be relatively infrequent and thus far from effective. In any case, in fact, it is not possible to simultaneously read and write cells belonging to the same section.

Nonvolatile memory device with simultaneous read/write


A respiratory mouthpiece for a toothless person comprising a conduit having an outside open end and an inside open end and adapted to pass untreated atmospheric air from the outside open end to the inside open end. A shield is connected to the conduit adjacent its outside open end to prevent the mouthpiece from being swallowed when the mouthpiece is inserted between the gums of a toothless person. A plurality of perforations in the outer surface of the conduit increase the distribution of inhaled air in the oral cavity. An air filter connected inside the conduit intermediate its open ends purifies the inhaled air from possible pollutants.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to respiratory mouthpieces, and more particularly to aerated respiratory mouthpieces for separating the gums of toothless persons so they can breath ambient air.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mouthpieces for controlling the flow of gases into the respiratory system are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,143, filed Dec. 21, 1987 and granted Jan. 23, 1990, discloses mouthpieces for controlling the communication of gas entering and leaving the respiratory system by sealing off gases in the ambient environment. However, such mouthpieces require teeth as part of the sealing mechanism and are not useful for toothless persons.
Other devices for controlling the flow of gases into the respiratory system are essentially hoods or gas masks. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,270 granted Jul. 4, 1978 for a Smoke Mask Apparatus; U.S. Pat. No. 3,020,911 granted Feb. 13, 1962 for a Mask; U.S. Pat. No. 2,385,938 granted Oct. 2, 1945 for a Gas Filter; U.S. Pat. No. 1,978,994 granted Oct. 30, 1934 for a Protective Helmet; U.S. Pat. No. 1,362,766 granted Dec. 21, 1920 for a Gas Mask; U.S. Pat. No. 893,213 granted Jul. 14, 1908 for a Respirator, and U.S. Pat. No. 838,434 granted Dec. 11, 1906 for a Respirator. The purpose of these masks is to prevent the inhalation of air or gases in the ambient environment rather than for breathing ambient air.
Other devices for controlling the flow of gases into the respiratory system are essentially inhalers for medicating respiratory passages with medicated ambient air. Examples of such devices are U.S. Pat. No. 1,476,194 granted Dec. 4, 1923 for an Inhaler; U.S. Pat. No. 1,418,182 granted May 30, 1922 for an Inhaler, and U.S. Pat. No. 770,013 granted Sep. 13, 1904 for an Inhaler. These devices are for changing the characteristics of inhaled air rather than for permitting inhalation of unmedicated ambient air.

Aerated respiratory mouthpiece (oral gum separator)


A high-resistance transparent electrode is bonded on the opposite surface of a first glass substrate from a second glass substrate, and a low-resistance transparent electrode is bonded on the opposite surface of the second glass substrate from the first glass substrate. A pair of deflecting angle control electrodes are fixed to the high-resistance transparent electrode in parallel. A liquid crystal orientation film covers the high-resistance transparent electrode and the deflecting angle control electrodes, and another liquid crystal orientation film covers the low-resistance transparent electrode. Spacers are disposed in parallel between the liquid crystal orientation films, and the cell formed by the liquid crystal orientation films and spacers is filled with a nematic liquid crystal. When the voltage impressed between the low-resistance transparent electrode and the high-resistance transparent electrode and to both ends of the high-resistance transparent electrode is varied, the potential gradient varies, and the refraction index gradient varies in the same way. When light passes through a liquid crystal having such a refraction index gradient, the light is deflected depending on the distribution of refraction indices. When the refraction index gradient is varied by varying the potential gradient, the angle of deflection varies.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a distributed index light deflector and a method of deflecting light, and in particular, to a distributed index light deflector which has no movable mechanical parts and can be used in the blur compensation mechanisms for laser printers, bar-code readers, television cameras, and the like.
2. Background Art
Although light deflectors have been used in various equipment, most of them deflect light with mechanical movement. In laser printers, a polyhedral mirror is rotated and reflected laser beams are deflected by continuously varying the direction of the mirror. In the tracking mechanism of photomagnetic disks, light is deflected by moving a lens horizontally or by changing the direction of the reflecting mirror. A recent blur compensating mechanism for television cameras uses a prism composed of a liquid, and the image is moved on the image pickup tube by changing the shape of the prism. However, these mechanisms are complicated and are difficult to assemble and adjust, and have low resistance to vibration. In addition, the speed of deflection is limited by the size and weight of the mechanical parts. Furthermore, as the deflection speed is increased, power consumption also increases.
To solve these disadvantages, a light deflector without mechanical movement, such as a variable diffraction lattice using surface elastic wave elements (SAW device), has been proposed (see Hiroshi Sunagawa, "A Waveguide Type Acoustic Optical Wide Angle Deflector," Kogaku, Vol. 19, No. 4, p. 232). This light deflector deflects light by varying the lattice spacing by forming a SAW device in the waveguide and varying the frequency of elastic waves. However, the efficiency of diffraction is poor and the utilization of light is low, and formation of the element is difficult.
For these reasons, light deflectors utilizing liquid crystals, which allow easy fabrication of devices and allow large variations in diffraction indices, have been proposed.
These include a light deflector having an extremely large number of transparent electrodes (S. T. Kowel, D. S. Clerverly, and P. G. Kornreich, "Focusing by electrical modulation of reflection in a liquid crystal cell," Applied Opt., 23, 278 (1984)); a light deflector for deflecting light by impressing a high voltage between two electrodes to change the orientation of liquid crystals (A. F. Fray, D. Jones, "Large-angle beam deflector using liquid crystal," Electro. Lett., 11, 358 (1975)); A. Sasaki, T. Ishibashi, "Liquid-crystal light deflector," Electro. Lett., 15, 293 (1979)); a variable diffraction lattice utilizing the William's domain formed by a DC current (Mitsuharu Okano, Shunsuke Kobayashi, "Liquid Crystals: Application," Baifu-kan, p. 213 (1989)); a light deflector using switching by total reflection (G. Labrunie and S. Valette, "Nematic Liquid Crystal Digital. Light Deflector," Appl. Oct., 13, 1802 (1974)); a light deflecting device using the total reflection effect in the interface of liquid crystals (R. A. Kashnow and C. R. Stein, "Total-Reflection Liquid Crystal Electrooptic Device," Appl. Opt., 12, 2309 (1973)); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Committee No. 142, "Liquid Crystal Device Handbook," Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun-sha, p. 617 (1989)).
However, since the first cited light deflector described above has a large number of transparent electrodes deflect light by forming the distribution of refractive indices in a liquid crystal by controlling the voltage impressed to each electrode, the distribution of electric fields in the liquid crystal does not vary uniformly but varies stepwise. Therefore, there is a problem in that the distribution of refractive indices also becomes stepwise, resulting in disturbance of the wave surface of deflected light. Although this tendency may be decreased by increasing the number of electrodes, such a large number of electrodes would be required to maintain the smooth wave surface of the light to be deflected, that this is practically impossible.
The second cited light deflector to which a high voltage is impressed deflects light by impressing a high voltage between two separate electrodes to gradually bend liquid crystal molecules between two glass sheets. Although a large deflecting angle may be obtained in this system, there is the problem that the wave surface of the deflected light is disturbed because the distribution of refraction indices of the liquid crystal cannot be varied uniformly. The pattern of the beam is also disturbed.
The cited variable diffraction lattice utilizing William's domain forms a diffraction lattice by applying a high-voltage direct current and producing a flow of ions in the liquid crystal, and varies the size of the domain by controlling the voltage. Thus, the lattice spacing varies and the deflecting angle of the primary diffracted light is controlled. In this system, there are the problems that the intensity of higher diffracted light such as primary and secondary cannot be controlled, and the efficiency of usage of light which can be deflected is low, as in SAW devices. The deflecting angle also varies according to the wavelength of the light.
The cited light deflecting device utilizing total reflection enables deflection to be switched in only two directions, and the deflecting angle cannot be controlled continuously or randomly. Therefore, there is the problem that this system cannot be applied to laser beam scanning devices such as laser printers or to display devices.

Distributed index light deflector and method of light deflection

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention relates to a deck for a magnetic tape cassette apparatus comprising a capstan drive motor and an axially movable servo rod which is driven by a servo motor via a servo drive. The movement of the servo rod controls functional parts of the apparatus such as a head-mounting plate, a loading mechanism, and a switching mechanism, with the aid of a microprocessor which receives switching signals, and a control device for the servo motor. The micrprocessor derives the positions of a servo rod, a mechanical switching member, and an electrical switch and generates control commands for the apparatus based on the position of these elements.

The invention relates to a deck for a magnetic tape cassette apparatus comprising a capstan drive motor and an axially movable servo rod which is driven by a servo motor via a servo mechanism. The movement of the servo rod controls functional parts of the apparatus, such as a head-mounting plate, a loading mechanism and a switching mechanism, a microprocessor, which receives switching signals, and a control device for the servo motor.
In magnetic-tape-apparatuses intended for playing tape cassettes, in particular Compact Cassettes, it is known to change the position of the magnetic head relative to the magnetic tape in the cassette. This is effected by moving a head-mounting plate carrying the magnetic head. It is also common practice to provide a loading mechanism adapted to receive a Compact Cassette and to bring the inserted Compact Cassette into a play position. For this purpose a lifting device is employed. In apparatuses of the auto-reverse type, having two playing directions, the tape-transport direction typically depends on the direction of rotation of the motor, pressure rollers being pressed against a first or a second capstan and the turntables for the magnetic tape being driven alternately in one direction or the other.
Moreover, DE 33 15 882.3 CS describes a magnetic-tape apparatus in which a servo-rod can be driven in each of its axial directions by means of a motor in order to perform loading functions, and switching functions between the transport directions. To perform these functions the servo rod must always be set to a reference position to which the various functions are referred. This is both mechanically and electrically intricate and requires much time between the instant at which a play function is stopped and another function is started.
It is also known to drive the turntables of the deck directly by means of a motor for the purpose of winding or rewinding the tape in the cassette. Such a device system enables friction couplings to be dispensed with, but as a separate drive unit, it constitutes an intricate construction.

Magnetic tape cassette apparatus having a microprocessor controlled servo rod and tape device


A BiMIS logic circuit includes a first bipolar junction transistor (BJT), a second BJT, a P-channel MIS transistor (PMIS), and an N-channel NMIS transistor (NMIS). A node between the first and second BJTs is connected to a first output terminal, and a node between the PMIS and the NMIS is connected to a second output terminal. When the potentials which cause the PMIS to turn ON and the NMIS to turn OFF are applied, a potential at the second output terminal rises to the power supply potential. The potential at the first output terminal assumes a potential lower than the power supply potential by a turn-on voltage (V.sub.F) of the BJT. When the potentials which cause the NMIS to turn ON and the PMIS to turn OFF are applied, the second output terminal and a node between the NMIS and the second BJT are caused to become conductive whereby the potential at the second output terminal falls and the potential at the node rises and both the potentials are equalized. Here, the second BJT turns ON and the potential at the first output terminal falls. The base current supplied to the second BJT gradually ceases and the second BJT turns OFF accordingly. Since the base potential of the BJT at an output stage is always in the neighborhood of V.sub.F, it is possible to cause the second BJT to turn ON or OFF by a minute change in the base current. Thus, a high speed performance is ensured even under a low power supply voltage.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bipolar-MIS logic circuit in which bipolar transistors and MIS transistors are combined, and more particularly to a bipolar complementary MIS static logic circuit (hereinafter referred to as "BiCMIS logic circuit"), a dynamic logic circuit and a semiconductor integrated circuit, which are suited to an ultra high-speed operation where a power supply voltage is low.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A logic circuit which utilizes a combination of bipolar transistors and CMIS transistors and which is the so-called a BiCMIS logic circuit is disclosed, for example, in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,558,234; 4,616,146; 4,638,186; and 4,769,561.
FIG. 1 shows a BiCMIS logic circuit disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,561. The circuit is formed by two output bipolar transistors 11, 12 and four MIS transistors 13, 14, 15 and 16. This circuit is advantageous in view of low input capacitance, high output driving capability, high speed operation and low power consumption, and is widely used for memories in LSIs which require high performance. However, a problem in this circuit is that, although it can enjoy the above advantages at a power supply voltage in the neighborhood of 5 V, the high speed capability is suddenly lost at the power supply voltage in the neighborhood of 3 V. The deterioration of the high speed capability caused by the lowering of the power supply voltage is, as shown in FIG. 2, due especially to a remarkable increase in the falling delay of an output signal S.sub.OUT with respect to an input signal S.sub.IN. FIG. 3 shows the power supply voltage dependency of such falling delay, in which a solid line represents the power supply voltage dependency of the CMIS logic circuit and a dotted line represents that of the BiCMIS logic circuit (inverter). As apparent from these graphs, in the conventional BiCMIS logic circuit, the advantage as a high speed logic is lost at supply voltages lower than 4.0 V.
The deterioration of the high speed capability, which is unique to the BiCMIS circuit, is mainly due to the fact that the base current of a bipolar junction transistor (hereinafter referred to as "BJT") suddenly decreases for such reason that a drain-source voltage V.sub.ds of the N-channel MIS transistor (hereinafter referred to as "NMIS") 15 is lowered due to a base-emitter voltage V.sub.be.
FIG. 4 shows a circuit diagram disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,234. This circuit is formed by one bipolar transistor 21 and three MIS transistors 22, 23 and 24. This circuit utilizes the BJT 21 for an output pulling-up and the NMIS 22 for an output pulling-down. Since this circuit does not use a BJT as a pull-down transistor, there is no sudden speed deterioration even at a power supply voltage in the neighborhood of 3 V. However, since the NMIS 22 is employed for a pull-down transistor, the falling time of an output is greatly delayed when a heavy load capacitance is driven. If an attempt is made to improve the driving capability by increasing the conductance of the NMIS, the gate capacitance becomes large resulting in a deterioration of operation speed of a circuit of a previous stage. There is also a disadvantage in that a self-delay increases due to the transistor's own drain junction capacitance.
A trend today is that, for the power supply voltages in LSIs, the lowering of such voltages is inevitable in order to cope with the decrease in element resistance due to furtherance of miniaturization of semiconductor devices and to solve the problem brought about by a need for speeding up of systems or by an increase in power consumption due to higher integration in semiconductor devices. Thus, there is a strong desire for realization of a BiCMIS logic circuit which has the same high performance as the conventional circuit even when the power supply voltage is low.
With the conventional BiCMOS logic circuit explained above, a switching speed suddenly and largely deteriorates when the power supply voltage is lowered near to 3 V and this renders the circuit unsuited to a high speed logic circuit of the next generation.

Composite logic circuit with bipolar transistor-complementary field effect transistor


The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of the 2-n.butyl-3-[[2'-(tetrazol-5-yl)biphenyl-4-yl]methyl]-1,3-diazaspiro [4.4]-non-1-en-4-one by reaction of the corresponding nitrile with an alkaline azide and triethylamine hydrochloride, recovering the 2-n.butyl-3-[[2'-(tetrazol-5-yl)biphenyl-4-yl]methyl]-1,3-diazaspiro[4.4]n on-1-en-4-one in form of one of its alkaline salts in aqueous solution, by neutralization of said alkaline salt and crystallization of the 2-n.butyl-3-[[2'-(tetrazol-5-yl)-biphenyl-4-yl]methyl]-1,3-diazaspiro[4.4] non-1-en-4-one thus precipitated either in a solvent containing less than 10% of water or in a solvent containing more than 10% of water in order to obtain two differents crystalline forms. Furthermore a novel crystalline form of 2-n.butyl-3-[[2'-(tetrazol-5-yl)biphenyl-4-yl]methyl]-1,3-diazaspiro[4.4] non-1-en-4-one and pharmaceutical compositions containing it are described.

The 2-n.butyl-4-spirocyclopentane-1-[[2'-(tetrazol-5-yl)-biphenyl-4-yl]methyl] -2-imidazolin-5-one, or 2-n.butyl-3-[[2'-(tetrazol-5-yl)biphenyl-4-yl]methyl]-1,3-diazaspiro[4.4]n on-1-en-4-one, is a powerful angiotensin II receptor antagonist prepared by reaction of 2-n.butyl-1-[(2'-cyanobiphenyl-4-yl)methyl]-4-spirocyclopentane-2-imidazol in-5-one, or 2-n.butyl-3-[(2'-cyanobiphenyl-4-yl)methyl]-1,3-diazaspiro-[4.4]non-1-en-4 -one, either with tributyltin azide and triphenylchloromethane in xylene at reflux, by elimination of the triphenylmethyl protecting group and by isolation from a solution in ethyl acetate, duly dried (EP-A-0 454 511), or directly with tributyltin azide, in xylene at reflux and isolation from a solution in dichloromethane, duly dried (C. A. Bernhart et al., J. Med. Chem., 1993, 36, 3371-3380). The compound thus prepared, to which the formula (A) ##STR1## has been attributed, is presented in the form of stable, non-hygroscopic needles which can be stored and formulated without any degradation. However, it has been observed that the 2-n.butyl-3-[[2'-(tetrazol-5-yl)biphenyl-4-yl]methyl]-1,3-diazaspiro[4.4]n on-1-en-4-one obtained according to the above described processes, must be formulated with much care because the powder tends to remain attached to the apparatus, for example to the sieves, to the punches or to the mixer walls, due to its high electrostaticity.

Process for the preparation of a tetrazole derivative in two crystalline forms and novel the crystalline forms thereof


Digital circuitry comprising multiple read-only-memory (ROM) units that store predetermined data sequences are utilized to generate a digital representation of a composite signal that represents overlapping Nyquist pulses derived from input data bits. The generated signal exhibits relatively fast ON/OFF transitions. At the same time, control signals applied to the outputs of the ROMs insure that the representation preserves prespecified tail portions that minimize spectral spreading in a time-division multiple-access (TDMA) system. Once version of the circuitry generates a digital representation of a baseband signal derived from a single stream of input data bits. Another version of the circuitry generates a digital representation of a quadrature-phase-modulated carrier derived from two independent input data streams.

This invention relates to signal processing and, more particularly, to digital circuitry for converting digital data to signal sequences suitable for linear time-division-multiple-access (TDMA) systems.
In a typical TDMA radio system, multiple users are respectively assigned time slots in a specified channel. During each time slot, the assigned user generates a burst of signals for transmission. To minimize the extent of so-called guard time between adjacent slots, it is desirable to control each burst to turn ON and OFF in a relatively rapid manner. At the same time, the ON/OFF control of each burst in a channel must be done in a manner that does not result in spectral spreading that can interfere with other channels that are nearby in frequency.
In theory, signaling pulses such as square-root Nyquist pulses or Nyquist pulses are well suited for representing signals in a TDMA burst. By means of such a representation of overlapping pulses, a burst characterized by zero interpulse interference within the burst can be realized. By preserving the Nyquist pulse shape at the beginning and end of each burst, transition times between adjacent bursts can be minimized while causing no additional spectral spreading.
Various approaches have heretofore been suggested for generating bursts that consist of overlapping Nyquist pulses. Some of these approaches require the use of relatively complicated and expensive filters. Other approaches have attempted to utilize digital circuitry to generate the requisite pulses. But these latter approaches have not resulted in relatively simple implementations that represent the beginning and end portions of each burst in a manner that addresses the spectral spreading problem.
Accordingly, efforts have continued by workers skilled in the art directed at trying to devise relatively simple and inexpensive ways of accurately generating bursts that consist of overlapping Nyquist pulses without distortion in the ON/OFF periods. It was recognized that these efforts if successful would contribute importantly to the design of improved TDMA systems.
Various aspects of TDMA have been treated in prior art patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,991, entitled "Method and Circuitry for Determining Symbol Timing for Time Division Multiple Access Radio Systems," issued Jul. 18, 1989 to the inventors herein; U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,841, entitled "Method and Circuitry for Carrier Recovery for Time Division Multiple Access Radio Systems," issued Jun. 16, 1990 to J. C. Chuang and N. R. Sollenberger, the latter an inventor herein; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,155, entitled "Method and Circuitry for Symbol Timing and Frequency Offset Estimation in Time Division Multiple Access Radio Systems," issued Jul. 10, 1990, also to J. C. Chuang and N. R. Sollenberger. A technique for jointly performing burst synchronization and error detection in a TDM/TDMA system is described in co-pending commonly assigned patent application Ser. No. 404,946, filed Sep. 9, 1989. Also, a technique for assigning up-link frequencies to the portables in a TDM/TDMA system is described in co-pending commonly assigned patent application Ser. No. 619,059, filed Nov. 28, 1990.

Digital circuits for generating signal sequences for linear TDMA systems


A method of manufacturing a selected spacing folded, pleated media by preparing a pre-pleated sheet of filter media having pleats with peaks and troughs throughout its length applying an at least one adhesive element along the pre-pleated sheet of filter media; advancing and cutting the pre-pleated sheet of material; compressing the cut length of pre-pleated sheet of filter material, resulting in folding of the pleats and adherence of the pleats into a folded, pleated filter media stack that is selectively separable; selectively separating the media stack and selecting a pleat spacing for a selected pleat spacing section application of an at least one spacing support element at the peaks of each pleat and refolding and recompressing into a selected spacing folded, pleated media stack wherein the media stack is adhered and can be selectively removed to extend from a compacted state to a deployed state with the selected pleat spacing.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a method of adhering a pleated filtration media so that the media has a specified pleat spacing and can be selectively deployed from a folded, stored state and placed in an operational state. The invention is further directed to an article of manufacture being a filtration media stack having adhered pleats at a specific spacing such that the filter media in the stack may be selectively removed from the stack and deployed in as part of a filtration operation.
2. Background of the Invention
Filtration as a field is broadening daily. The need for effective filtration in everything from the air we breathe to the water we drink to the electronics we use daily, all these systems require filtration of a gas or liquid. Dirty filters result in lower flow rates which translate to lower efficiency in air filtration. It is often the case that the used filters require cleaning and/or replacement. A lack of maintenance of such filters means the equipment must run longer to accomplish the intended goals, resulting in increased energy usage. The timing for replacing or renewing these filtration mechanisms is therefore important in both improving efficiency and maintaining operational output in most filtration applications. Longer operational life is an important design parameter.
In addition, another important component in almost all filtration operations is balancing flow through the filter and effective removal of contaminants. To increase surface area while maintaining flow, many filters and filter media have adapted a pleated design to filter the flow. This maximizes the surface area for a given dimension. In providing an effective pleated filter media for a filtration operation, it is often the case that a specific density of pleats or pleat spacing or pleats per inch is desired.
In existing filter designs, for instance in, but certainly not limited to, the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) product space, a filter media is typically laid out and then hot glued to a static frame to fix the spacing. The static media remains adhered in the presence of the inflowing air and filters the particulates. Once the filter becomes sufficiently clogged with contaminants, it is replaced. In other non-limiting HVAC examples, methods exist to adhere media, especially high loft media which does not retain a "memory" to allow for easy pleating, in static application in a manner similar to the non-high loft media. The high loft material uses a wire mesh, plastic lattice or similar structure across the entirety of the material, giving it the ability to be shaped or formed. Similarly in other non-limiting examples, in water filtration for instance, a majority of pool filters have highly compact pleat spacing media for filtering contaminants and often have irregular filter shapes. These are often statically adhered to rubberized frames using non-reactive glues. The static designs are convenient, but the static media his results in shorter operational lifespans.
Examples of such static devices include a number of filters from major manufacturers like 3M, CLARCOR and similar producers. For example, 3M and CLARCOR produce a number of residential and commercial filters with pleated filter media. Such as 3M's FILTRETE or CLARCOR's FRESH AIR SPUPRE AND EXTREME AIR PLUS filters. In most, in these filtration operations these filters are and remain static in nature. Extended lengths of operation for filters, which would reduce maintenance visits and thereby improve efficiency in the deployed filter, can be provided through non-static operation, e.g. movement of the filter media.
There does exist some non-static filters and designs, however these have been extremely limited and typically do not allow for the use of pleated media. Some examples of these types of non-static filters and filter operations include for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,186,290, 6,152,998, 6,632,269, 6,491,735, 6,402,822, 6,743,282, 6,632,269, 4,331,576, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,998. However, these typically do not utilize a pleated filter media, since movement of the media is difficult to accomplish in a consistent manner. Those that do are larger and more specialized, requiring machinery to complete changes and/or special installations which require additional costs and or maintenance and typically change an entire filter in frame. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,186,290, a stack of filters is cycled through the device. While potentially convenient, the space taken up by this operation is prohibitive in most instances of filtration processes. A need exists for a more effective system of extending the life of a filter media and using the more efficient pleated filter media.
As noted, most existing filtration applications use a static pleated filter media due to difficulties in handling and moving the media, especially in moving the pleated media and maintaining pleat spacing. When forming a non-static media or when a method of manufacture might benefit from compaction of the pleated filter media, special problems arise in the maintenance of the desired spacing. Additionally, due to the movement of non-static media in a filtration operation it is often also desirable to be able to afford some sealing of the sides of the filtration media to prevent leakage of the flow of gas or liquid being filtered that moves with the media. Further, any solution for securing a specific spacing while providing a means of sealing must also allow for the required selective engagement and movement from a stored to a deployed state in a non-static filtration operation.
To date no such pleated, adhered, spaced filter media is available. As such, a need exists for a method of adhering a pleated filter media to secure a desired spacing, provide sealing, and allow, in the cases of non-static applications, for movement of the media in a non-static filtration operation while providing the aforementioned sealing and spacing.
A further need exists for a device and article of manufacture wherein a length of media is adhered in such a fashion as to provide filtration media in a filtration operation that allows for the filter or filter media stack to secure a desired spacing in the pleated filter media, provide for sealing when the pleated filter media is deployed, and allow, in the cases of non-static applications, for movement of the media in a filtration operation.

Method of adhering a pleated filtration media and filter and media filter stack using same


An imaging system such as an image recorder or scanner is provided with a rearview cathode ray tube. A transparent viewport of optical quality is provided along an optical axis of the CRT which is perpendicular to the CRT faceplate and generally centered with respect to the image area. The electron beam used for scanning the images is placed off-axis with respect to the CRT screen. A deflection control system compensates for spherical distortion and for the keystone effect that results from the off-axis placement of the electron gun. The structure of the present invention eliminates halation, thereby improving the dynamic range and contrast achievable for imaging and/or scanning purposes. The phosphor layer used in the CRT is made substantially thicker than in conventional CRTs, thereby reducing blemishes and improving uniformity, resolution and light output. The partial sharing of electron beam and optical paths enables more compact imaging and scanning systems to be provided.

The present invention relates to image recorders for recording images on a substrate, such as photographic film, and more particularly to a rearview cathode ray tube (CRT) that is useful in providing images for recordal with improved dynamic range, higher resolution and fewer errors.
CRTs are well known devices for the electronic display of images. For example, television sets use CRTs to display video images.
CRTs are also used for image generation and scanning purposes in connection with the recordal and reading of text and/or graphic images. Such devices are in widespread use because of the ease with which electron beams can be scanned and converted into visible energy on phosphor screens.
One type of image recorder that utilizes a CRT is known as a film recorder. In such devices, a light beam from a CRT is controlled by a deflection system to scan across a stationary frame of photographic film to expose the film with an image. Typically, the images are generated by a computer for the production of slides, transparencies, photographs or the like. Alternatively, the images can comprise natural images acquired by a scanner or television camera for subsequent processing by a computer.
Known film recorders, such as those sold under the trademarks "SOLITAIRE" and "SAPPHIRE" by Management Graphics, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minn., U.S.A., typically include a CRT for producing a beam, a deflection system for scanning the beam across the face of the CRT, a system control and central processor unit ("CPU") for controlling the deflection system, and a camera (i.e., "film transport"). The latter component may include a film transport body, lens, lens mounting assembly, aperture plate, film plate, and film transport mechanism. The film may be provided in rolls or strips, or in individual sheets.
When used for very high quality imaging functions, such as in film recorders, conventional CRTs exhibit various limitations. One of the most significant limitations is in achieving the dynamic range that exists in photographic film. Typically, CRT images display a 100:1 contrast range between white and black. Film images and film exposure ranges can exceed 1000:1. The primary reason that CRTs do not reach this level is due to the optics of the glass-phosphor interface in the CRT.
Conventional CRTs which are viewed from the front are made of material which is transparent, so that the phosphor screen deposited on the interior of the faceplate can be seen. The material must also hold a vacuum. Glass is typically used for this purpose. However, since glass has an index of refraction different from that of air, internal reflections occur within the glass. These reflections result in an undesirable property known as halation, causing a halo effect around the point at which the electron beam impinges the phosphor. Because phosphor is typically white, the resultant visual flare reduces the overall contrast achievable in the image.
Another limitation in the use of CRTs for producing high quality images is the difficulty of achieving a blemish-free and uniformly bright phosphor screen over the entire image area. Even extremely small blemishes in the phosphor deposition, for example on the order of less than 0.001" can be enough to show as a defect in a recorded or scanned image.
Perfect screens are extremely difficult to fabricate for numerous reasons. One reason is that the phosphor layer must be very thin so that the electrons can penetrate it and the light generated by the phosphor can make it through the remainder of the phosphor and through the glass faceplate for viewing from outside the CRT. The uniform deposition of such a thin layer over a large image area is very difficult. Another significant factor in screen blemishes is the need for a metallic (e.g., aluminum), layer below the phosphor to serve as an anode. The metallic back layer must also be very thin. Known processes for providing such a back layer are very sensitive to contaminants.
It would be advantageous to provide a high resolution imaging display for use in film recorders and the like. Such a display should provide sharper spots and higher light output levels than conventional CRTs. It would be further advantageous to provide such a display that provides the image in a substantially centered relationship with an optical axis thereof, where the axis is substantially perpendicular to the plane in which the image resides. Such a construction should provide for the uniform viewing of an image for recordal by an image recordal or for scanning in an optical scanning apparatus.
The present invention provides a rearview CRT having the aforementioned advantages. Although rearview CRTs have been proposed in the past, they have not been successfully used for high quality image recorders. This is primarily due to the fact that the image viewing port was necessarily offset from the center of the CRT, since the electron gun portion of the CRT and the deflection yoke mounted to the CRT were always placed along the central CRT axis. An example of such a prior art design is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,800 for "Cathode Ray Tube Having Independent Front and Rear Displays." The CRT disclosed in the prior art patent was proposed for use in monitoring the image on the front of the CRT faceplate, and not to provide high quality image recording.

Image recording apparatus and rearview CRT therefor


A white thermosetting silicone resin composition for molding an optical semiconductor case and a case for an optical semiconductor such as LED are provided. The composition comprises (A) a thermosetting organopolysiloxane, (B) a white pigment, (C) an inorganic filler (excluding the white pigment), (D) a condensation catalyst, and (E) a coupling agent represented by the following formula: R3dSi(OR2)e wherein R3 represents an organic group containing a mercapto group, a glycidyl group, or an amino group, R2 represents a C1-4 organic group, d represents 1 or 2, and e represents 2 or 3; wherein content of the white pigment (B) is 1 to 50% by weight in the entire composition, and total content of the white pigment (B) and the inorganic filler (C) is 70 to 93% by weight in the entire composition. When cured, it has excellent whiteness, consistency, and resistance to heat, light, yellowing, and warping.

Optical semiconductor devices such as LED (Light Emitting Diode) have merits such as reduced size, high efficiency, bright color, long life without burning out, high performance, and resistance to vibration and repeated ON/OFF switching, and therefore, these devices are widely used as various indicators and light sources. The material which has been widely used for producing the case of the optical semiconductor apparatus using such optical semiconductor device is polyphthalamide resin (PPA).
However, with the dramatic advance in the optical semiconductor technology, optical semiconductor apparatus has experienced rapid increase in the power and use of shorter wavelength. Encapsulation of the optical semiconductor device and the case produced by using the conventional PPA resin experiences severe deterioration in the prolonged use as well as color inconsistency, peeling, and loss of mechanical strength. There is a request for solving such problems in an efficient manner.
More specifically, Japanese Patent No. 2656336 discloses an optical semiconductor apparatus in which the resin used for the encapsulation is a B-stage epoxy resin for encapsulating an optical semiconductor comprising an epoxy resin, a curing agent, and a curing aid, and such components are homogeneously mixed at the molecular level. The epoxy resin used is mainly bisphenol A epoxy resin or bisphenol F epoxy resin, and use of triglycidllyl isocyanate and the like is also indicated. However, in the Examples, a small amount of triglycidyl isocyanate is used by adding to the bisphenol A or the bisphenol F epoxy resin. In the investigation by the inventors of the present invention, this B stage epoxy resin composition for encapsulating an optical semiconductor has been found to experience yellowing when left at high temperature for a long time.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2000-196151, 2003-224305, and 2005-306952 discloses use of a triazine derivative epoxy resin in an epoxy resin composition for encapsulating LED light-emitting device. However, the problem of yellowing after leaving at an elevated temperature or after using a prolonged period was not fully obviated by these resin compositions.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-77234 discloses a resin composition for encapsulating an LED device containing an organopolysiloxane having a weight average molecular weight of at least 5×103 and a condensation catalyst. However, this organopolysiloxane needs to be a transparent organopolysiloxane which is liquid at room temperature, and such organopolysiloxane is inadequate for use in transfer molding or compression molding.
In addition to the publications as mentioned above, the prior art publications which may be relevant with the present invention include the following documents:
Japanese Patent No. 3512732,
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-234032,
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-302533,
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-310007, and
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-316591.
In addition, size of the molded package has recently become increasingly large as in the case of MAP (matrix array package), and this has resulted in the severer warpage after curing and invited various troubles in the course of package transportation and cutting into individual units.

White thermosetting silicone resin composition for molding an optical semiconductor case and optical semiconductor case


A worm pump has an eccentric worm rotor rotatable in a stator to compress tubes which thus carry respective flowable media so that these media are forced through the tubes. The tubes are received in recesses in the stator wall which preferably is composed of a rubber with a shore A hardness of 90 to 95.

Worm pumps using rotors which have the configuration of a helix, i.e. a screw configuration and of a uniform circular cross section over the pumping length of the worm with the circular cross section being offset from the axis of rotation of the eccentric worm rotor by a certain eccentricity, are known. The rotor is displaceable in a stator chamber and generally the pump medium flows directly through this chamber being displaced by the rotation of the pump. Worm pumps of this type are described by Hartinger, Taschenbuch der Abwasserbehandlung, Band 2, Carl Hanser Verlag, 1977 (Handbook of Sewage Treatment, Volume 2, Carl Hanser Publishing, 1977). In such pumps the stator generally has screw-like recesses with twice the pitch and number of helices as the eccentric worm rotor. The rotation axis of the eccentric worm rotor and the longitudinal axis of the stator chamber are offset by the eccentricity of the eccentric worm rotor.
This pump has been found to be expensive to fabricate and the drive system for the pump is relatively complex and expensive as well. Since the motion is relatively complex, reliability is often in question. The pump stator, against which the rotor must seal directly, is subject to considerable wear. The materials from which the pump stator and the rotor are made must be determined based upon resistance to attack by the material pumped. The prior art pump, moreover, can be traversed by only one liquid stream, i.e. per rotor/stator pair only a single flowable substance can be displaced.


A data storage device is inserted in an information handling apparatus, and is prevented from being accidentally disconnected from the information handling apparatus by a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a frame receiving the data storage device, and a retainer mounted to the frame. The retainer includes two resilient arms extending out of the frame to be correspondingly secured in two retaining holes defined in the information handling apparatus.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to locking mechanisms, and particularly to a locking mechanism for preventing a data storage device from being accidentally disconnected form an information handling apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
A data storage device, such as a universal serial bus disk, is often inserted into a peripheral port of an information handling apparatus, such as a server, for data transmission. However, there may be a risk of the data storage device being accidentally disengaged from the information handling apparatus, thereby interrupting the data transmission.

Locking mechanism and information handling system using the same

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


A touch panel is realized that is able to decrease the amount of dead space at the periphery of the touch panel and that has highly accurate touch panel sensitivity. In a touch panel, Y direction conductive patterns are arranged so as to be separated from wiring patterns in Y direction conductive pattern regions between electrode units of X direction conductive patterns. As a result, in this conductive sheet, it is possible to appropriately prevent the occurrence of parasitic capacitance resulting from the Y direction conductive patterns and the wiring patterns. Therefore, in a touch panel device or the like that uses such a touch panel, it is possible to effectively prevent the generation of noise that overlaps sense signals as a result of the above-mentioned parasitic capacitance, thereby making it possible to realize highly accurate touch panel sensitivity.

A touch panel device is a device in which information can be input into an instrument as a result of a finger or pen touching the touch panel surface. In recent years, capacitive touch panel devices, which have good detection sensitivity and excellent operability, have been used in various types of devices. In particular, capacitive touch panel devices, which can accurately detect the coordinates at which a finger or pen contacts the touch panel surface, are widely used.
Capacitive touch panel devices include a plurality of drive lines and a plurality of sense lines. A plurality of X axis direction sense electrodes are provided on the respective drive lines, and a plurality of Y axis direction sense electrodes are provided on the respective sense lines. In a capacitive touch panel device, driving pulse signals are output to the drive lines in a sequential manner, and changes in an electric field between the X axis direction sense electrodes and the Y axis direction sense electrodes are detected. In other words, by detecting signals in the sense lines that correspond to changes in the electric field between the X axis direction sense electrodes and the Y axis direction sense electrodes, the coordinates at which the finger or pen contacted the touch panel surface are detected in the capacitive touch panel device.
In a touch panel display device, colored regions that have been colored black or the like are provided to the periphery of the region in which the touch panel is disposed in order to ensure that wiring patterns, which electrically connect to the sense electrodes of the touch panel in order to output driving pulses to the sense electrodes of the touch panel, are less visible. By disposing the wiring patterns for electrically connecting to the sense electrodes of the touch panel below the regions that have been painted black or the like, it is possible to realize a touch panel display device in which the wiring patterns are less visible and that has an excellent appearance.
In such a touch panel display device, it is necessary to provide the regions painted in black or the like to the periphery of the touch panel in order to decrease the visibility of the wiring patterns that connect to the sense electrodes of the touch panel. In other words, in a touch panel display device such as that described above, there is dead space at the periphery of the touch panel, and it is difficult to realize a touch panel display device with a narrow frame.
In order to decrease the dead space at the periphery of the touch panel, in the touch panel device disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2012-150782), for example, the wiring patterns that electrically connect to the sense electrodes of the touch panel are provided inside the touch panel. FIG. 15 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a touch panel device 900 realized by using the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 15, an X axis and a Y axis are set.
As shown in FIG. 15, the touch panel device 900 includes: a substrate 901; a touch panel TP9; and a terminal group 902. X axis direction sense electrodes X91 to X94 and Y axis direction sense electrodes Y91 to Y94 are provided on the touch panel TP9.
As shown in FIG. 15, the terminal group 902 includes: X axis direction sense electrode terminals Tx91 to Tx94 that are respectively connected to the X axis direction sense electrodes X91 to X94; and Y axis direction sense electrode terminals Ty91 to Ty94 that are respectively connected to the Y axis direction sense electrodes Y91 to Y94.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 15, wiring patterns (a wiring pattern extending from a connecting point Cx91 to a connecting point Ce91, a wiring pattern extending from a connecting point Cx92 to a connecting point Ce92, a wiring pattern extending from a connecting point Cx93 to a connecting point Ce93, and a wiring pattern extending from a connecting point Cx94 to a connecting point Ce94) for connecting the X axis direction sense electrodes X91 to X94 and the X axis direction sense electrode terminals Tx91 to Tx94 are provided in the touch panel device 900.
The wiring pattern extending from the connecting point Cx91 to the connecting point Ce91 is electrically connected to the X axis direction sense electrode X91 at the connecting point Cx91, and is connected to the X axis direction sense electrode terminal Tx91 at the connecting point Ce91 via wiring provided on the substrate 901.
The wiring pattern extending from the connecting point Cx92 to the connecting point Ce92 is electrically connected to the X axis direction sense electrode X92 at the connecting point Cx92, and is connected to the X axis direction sense electrode terminal Tx92 at the connecting point Ce92 via wiring provided on the substrate 901.
The wiring pattern extending from the connecting point Cx93 to the connecting point Ce93 is electrically connected to the X axis direction sense electrode X93 at the connecting point Cx93, and is connected to the X axis direction sense electrode terminal Tx93 at the connecting point Ce93 via wiring provided on the substrate 901.
The wiring pattern extending from the connecting point Cx94 to the connecting point Ce94 is electrically connected to the X axis direction sense electrode X94 at the connecting point Cx94, and is connected to the X axis direction sense electrode terminal Tx94 at the connecting point Ce94 via wiring provided on the substrate 901.
As can be seen from FIG. 15, the wiring pattern extending from the connecting point Cx91 to the connecting point Ce91 is provided such that the wiring pattern is substantially parallel to the border on the wiring pattern side of the Y axis direction sense electrode Y91 in a region near the Y axis direction sense electrode Y91. In other words, the wiring pattern extending from the connecting point Cx91 to the connecting point Ce91 and the Y axis direction sense electrode Y91 are provided so as to extend substantially parallel to and near each other (sandwiching a region formed of an insulator (or a dielectric)); thus, there is an increase in the parasitic capacitance generated between the Y axis direction sense electrode Y91 and the wiring pattern extending from the connecting point Cx91 to the connecting point Ce91.
In addition, parasitic capacitance is generated for the same reason for each of the following: (1) the Y axis direction sense electrode Y92 and the wiring pattern extending from the connecting point Cx92 to the connecting point Ce92; (2) the Y axis direction sense electrode Y93 and the wiring pattern extending from the connecting point Cx93 to the connecting point Ce93; and (3) the Y axis direction sense electrode Y94 and the wiring pattern extending from the connecting point Cx94 to the connecting point Ce94.
In this manner, in the touch panel device 900, it is possible to decrease the amount of dead space at the periphery of the touch panel since the wiring patterns for connecting to the X axis direction sense electrodes are provided inside the touch panel TP9.

Conductive sheet, touch panel device, and display device


A process is disclosed for the production of olefins including ethylene, propylene, and butanes from methyl amine. The process comprises a reaction whereby methyl amine produces the olefin and ammonia by pyrolysis. The reaction is carried out in the gas phase at a temperature in the range of 400° C. to 700° C.

New technology has been reported for the synthesis of olefins from methanol. (Chemical Engineering, January 1996, p. 17.) As described in the literature, this process converts methanol in a fluidized-bed reactor at a pressure between 1 and 5 atmospheres and a temperature in the range of 350° C. to 500° C. A zeolite-type catalyst consisting of silicon-aluminum-phosphorous oxide is used to promote the reaction.
The process is capable of converting at best about 80 percent of the methanol to ethylene and propylene in varying proportions of these olefins. With methanol selling as a premium over hydrocarbon feed-stocks, the relatively low yield of products is a drawback. Furthermore, the process is disadvantaged by the fact that heterogeneous catalysts generally undergo deactivation during usage.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to offer an improved method for the manufacture of olefins. This object, as well as other features and advantages, will be apparent from the following description and the figure that is included.
Other applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A method for producing a low thermal expansion Ni-base superalloy including the steps of subjecting the alloy to a solution heat treatment under the condition of at a temperature of 1000 to 1200° C. and subjecting the alloy to either a carbide stabilizing treatment for making aggregated carbides on grain boundaries and stabilizing the carbides under the conditions of at a temperature of not less than 850° C. and less than 1000° C. and for 1 to 50 hours, or a carbide stabilizing treatment for making aggregated carbides on grain boundaries and stabilizing the carbides by cooling from the temperature in the solution heat treatment to 850° C. at a cooling rate of 100° C. or less per hour. The method also including the steps of subjecting the alloy to a first aging treatment for precipitating y′ phase under the conditions of at a temperature of 720 to 900° C. and for 1 to 50 hours, and subjecting the alloy to a second aging treatment for precipitating A2B phase under the conditions of at a temperature of 550 to 700° C. and for 5 to 100 hours.

As the casing of a steam turbine or a gas turbine, 12 Cr ferritic steel having low thermal expansion coefficient compared with Ni-based alloys has been mainly used.
However, in recent years, for the improvement of the thermal efficiency, for example, a development has been pursued so that the steam temperature is increased to 650° C. or more in a steam turbine.
As the steam temperature thus becomes higher, the heat-resisting strength required of the casing also increases accordingly. However, for such a casing, it is possible for example to meet the requirement by increasing its thickness.
As the joint bolt for joining the casing, 12 Cr ferritic steel has been used as in the case of the casing. In the case of the joint bolt of the casing, the bolt can meet the requirement by increasing in size with an increase in temperature. However, this approach has a limitation, which necessitates the use of the one having a high heat-resisting strength at a higher temperature in terms of the material.
Examples of the materials therefore include austenitic Ni-base superalloys (e.g., Refractaloy 26 (trade name of Westinghouse So.)) having more excellent corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance, and higher high-temperature strength than those of the 12 Cr ferritic steels.
However, these have excellent high-temperature strength, but have a high thermal expansion coefficient. For this reason, the difference in thermal expansion from the casing of 12 Cr ferritic steels causes loosening of the bolt at high temperature, which may cause steam leakage.
The following references 1 and 2 each relate to a low thermal expansion Ni-base superalloy developed from such a viewpoint.
The Ni-base superalloy has been developed with the aim of making a superalloy having a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of the 12 Cr ferritic steel while keeping the high-temperature strength.    [Reference 1] JP 2003-13161 A    [Reference 2] JP 2000-256770 A
The present invention has been completed for the purpose of providing a method for producing a low thermal expansion Ni-base superalloy which has been further improved in creep fracture strength than the low thermal expansion Ni-base superalloys in the references 1 and 2, and which has a higher creep fracture strength under a high temperature atmosphere that is required for the joint bolt of a steam turbine etc.

Method for producing low thermal expansion Ni-base superalloy


A nickel tungsten-containing coating is electrodeposited onto a substrate from an electrodeposition bath having in solution from about 0.034 to about 0.047 moles per liter of nickel, from about 0.15 to about 0.28 moles per liter of tungsten, from about 0.13 to about 0.43 moles per liter of hydroxycarboxylic acid, and 0 or from about 0.077 to about 0.15 moles per liter of boron. The bath has a pH of from about 6 to about 9, and the electrodeposition is preferably accomplished at a temperature of from about 100.degree. F. to about 140.degree. F.

This invention relates to electrodeposited coatings, and, more particularly, to such a coating incorporating nickel, tungsten, and boron and that has high hardness but low residual stress.
Coatings are widely used to protect substrates in wear-inducing and/or corrosive environments. A substrate is formed to the required shape and dimensions, and a coating is placed onto the substrate. The material of the substrate is chosen to provide the required combination of strength, toughness, ductility and other properties for the structure, and the coating is chosen to protect the surface of the substrate against hostile environments. The coating must also adhere well to the substrate, and accordingly should have a low residual internal stress that does not cause the coating to delaminate from the substrate.
Amorphous and microcrystalline materials offer promise for use as protective coatings. An amorphous material has no long-range or short-range crystallographic order, and, and therefore, no grain boundaries that can preferentially erode or corrode. Microcrystalline (including nanocrystalline) materials have very small grains, but have been observed to have excellent erosion and corrosion resistance. Certain types of amorphous and microcrystalline materials also exhibit extremely high hardnesses, making them ideal candidates for protective coatings.
To utilize amorphous and microcrystalline materials as protective coatings, techniques must be available to apply the coatings to the surfaces to be protected. It has been known, for example, to deposit molten metals, which naturally have no long-range or short-range order, against a surface so that they solidify rapidly and, in some cases, remain in the disordered state. This rapid solidification approach is practiced for some applications, but not for others such as the coating, of the insides of tubes. High rate solidification also is, by its nature, somewhat uncontrolled, and can lead to variations in thickness and structure. High rate solidification can be accomplished by splatting a molten metal against a surface or by melting a solid surface coating and causing it to freeze rapidly.
Another approach offers the capability to form amorphous and microcrystalline coatings in a more controlled fashion, which can also be used for applications such as the coating of interior regions. In this technique, an electrodeposition bath is prepared from compounds of the elements to be codeposited. A metal is electrodeposited from this bath onto a cathode, depositing as a thin protective coating.
One such electrodeposition approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,668. According to this process, a boron-containing amorphous alloy is deposited from a bath containing, for example, ions of tungsten, cobalt, and boron. The resulting tungsten-cobalt-boron compound is amorphous with a high hardness and wear resistance. It may be deposited on exterior and interior surfaces, uniformly and with great control.
One important consideration of any candidate for use in production operations is its economics, and in particular the cost of depositing coatings of preselected thicknesses. When coatings are deposited, the economics can often be expressed in terms of the rate of coating deposition. The slower the rate, the longer the time to deposit a coating of some preselected thickness. The process of the '668 patent deposits its amorphous coating at a rate of about 0.001-0.003 inches in eight hours of deposition. This rate is fully acceptable for many applications. However, this deposition rate may be too slow for other coating requirements.
Thus, there is always an ongoing need for techniques to produce desirable coatings at higher deposition rates. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.

Electrodeposition of nickel-tungsten amorphous and microcrystalline coatings

Amorphous Technologies International, Inc.


Methods and apparatuses for coating materials, and the products and compositions produced thereby. Substances, such as diamond or diamond-like carbon, are deposited onto materials, such as a filament or a plurality of filaments simultaneously, using one or more cylindrical, inductively coupled, resonator plasma reactors.

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for coating materials, and the products and compositions produced thereby, including filaments coated with diamond (D) and diamond-like carbon (DLC).
2. Background Art
The present invention permits the making of advanced composites by the deposition of diamond (D) and/or diamond-like carbon (DLC) on the surface of filaments of materials such as graphite and Kevlar. The D/DLC coating gives enhanced properties to the filaments and to composites formed from the filaments. Enhanced properties include improved compressive strength and improved thermal conductivity.
The deposition of D/DLC from plasmas containing carbon and hydrogen (e.g., H.sub.2 +CH.sub.4) onto flat surfaces is well known. Enhanced properties are known to result when the plasma bombards the workpiece with high-energy (e.g., 200 ev) ions during DLC deposition. DLC depositions are usually performed at low pressures (less than 0.1 Torr) to enhance ion bombardment. In contrast, D deposition is usually performed at higher pressures (many Torr) without ion bombardment, either using microwaves or radio-frequency power. Rudder et al, "Direct Deposition of Polycrystalline Diamond Films on Si(100) Without Surface Pretreatment," Appl. Phys. Letters 59:791 (1991).
What has not heretofore been known is the manufacture of composites fabricated from filaments coated uniformly with D/DLC. To be economical, the deposition should take place rapidly in a continuous-flow reactor that processes many filaments simultaneously. Filaments are fragile and normally are not handled individually, but are produced in bundles called tows consisting of 1,000 to 10,000 filaments. To achieve deposition on all sides of the filaments in a tow, the filaments must be spread apart during the deposition. The deposition rate of DLC is fast compared to D, but the economical production of DLC-coated tows still requires optimization of a production line with regard to deposition rate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,993, entitled "Process for Coating Optical Fibers," to Aisenberg, et al., discloses the deposition of a diamond-like carbon film onto a single optical fiber. The purpose of the thin carbon film in the patent is to enable further deposition of a hermetically-sealed coating to protect optical fibers from contact with the atmosphere, not to apply a thicker carbon layer to achieve enhanced strength and thermal conductivity of structural filaments to be used to form composite structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,750, entitled "Apparatus for Coating Optical Fibers," to Aisenberg, et al., is substantially identical to the '993 patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,031, entitled "Processes Depending on Plasma Generation Using a Helical Resonator", to Flamm, et al., describes the use of helical resonators to generate plasmas for processing of semiconductor devices. The authors cite previous use of helical resonators for isotropic semiconductor etching pressures above 0.1 Torr. Flamm, et al., is restricted to semiconductor processing or related applications such as making multi-layer dielectric mirrors.

Method for simultaneously coating a plurality of filaments


A hand-held power driven cultivator incorporating a pair of ground working implements or tillers mounted on a pair of laterally spaced vertical shafts depending from a motor and drive train enclosing housing. The tillers are counter-rotated and include interdigitating tines which engage and move the earth forwardly. A barrier freely surrounds each tiller supporting and driving shaft, and completely encloses the shaft between the tiller and the overlying housing. A scraper blade is associated with each barrier and includes a scraping edge spaced slightly from the barrier so as to enhance the ability of the barrier to repel or prevent the accumulation of weeds, roots, debris, and the like. Support and manipulation of the housing is provided for by an elongated handle including an upper fixed hand grip and power switch, and a lower adjustable hand grip.

The present invention is generally concerned with home garden tools, and more specifically, relates to powered hand-held devices particularly adapted for soil cultivation.
Such ground working tools, known by a variety of descriptive names, including cultivator, weeder, hoeing machine, and the like, have been the subject of patents for a substantial number of years as will be recognized from the following patents, a number of which are specifically directed to powered hand-held devices: U.S. Pat. Nos. 369,600, Hicks, September 1887; 1,592,825, Gardner et al, July 1926; 2,625,867, Hands, Jr., January 1953; 3,616,862, Van Der Lely, November 1971; 4,003,436, Foster et al., January 1977; 4,133,389, Ruhl et al, January 1979; 1,800,229, Germany, May 1970; 530,635, Italy, July 1955; 379,225, U.S.S.R., June 1973; 386,596, U.S.S.R., August 1973.
The patent to Ruhl et al presents a hand-held power driven cultivator wherein a pair of angled tillers are mounted below the housing on a pair of exposed shafts. The individual blades or tines of the tillers may pass alternately across the center line of the cultivator as the tillers move in a counter-rotational direction tending to pull the cultivator forwardly. No provision is made for preventing the winding of weeds, roots, or other debris about the exposed tiller shafts, nor does there appear to be any particular concern with any problems which might arise with regard to a clogging of the tillers, particularly in those instances wherein they may pass across the center line of the cultivator. The two Russian patents, as well as the patent to Gardner et al, also disclose inclined tillers and tiller shafts, while the remainder of the patents present devices with vertical shafts. In each instance, there appears to be little or no provision for preventing debris accumulation around the shaft. The only suggestion of this problem is in the patent to Foster et al wherein specific provision is made to oscillate the tilling members through a relatively small angle to prevent the wrapping of roots and growth around the tines. It is doubtful whether this oscillating movement will provide the superior cultivating action achieved by rotating tillers, and in particular tillers presented in pairs and driven in counter-rotational directions.

Power cultivator with debris excluding barrier and scraper