A stabilized proteolytic solution has been developed which can be used to treat selected cells, especially red blood cells. A preferred stabilized solution of the invention comprises about 0.1% to about 0.3% ficin in a citrate-buffered saline solution containing mannitol, L-cysteine, dithiothrietol in an active concentration of less than about 10 mM, and EDTA. A kit for qualitatively identifying unexpected blood group antibodies comprising a series of untreated and ficin-treated red blood cells, a stabilized ficin reagent, a red blood cell diluent and an enzyme control is also provided.

Blood group serology requires the determination of blood cell compatibility between donor and patient before a transfusion or organ transplant. Blood cell compatibility is determined by the non-occurrence of an immunological reaction between antibodies contained in the blood serum of a patient and antigens present on blood cells from a donor. A patient whose red blood cells are group A, i.e. having "A" antigens on the red cells, will have Anti-B antibodies in his or her serum. Thus, if such a person is given type B blood, an immunological reaction will occur with possible serious clinical consequences.
Tests for blood cell typing and compatibility are generally of two types: (1) agglutination tests which determine whether a specific antibody added to the cells will cause their agglutination, and (2) cell lysis tests which determine whether a specific antibody added to the tested cells together with serum complement results in hemolysis.
In blood cell typing and compatibility test procedures commonly used, both agglutination and cell lysis tests are carried out either manually by a trained technician or using automated devices. However, these tests are occassionally not sensitive enough to detect some weakly reacting antibodies or to differentiate complex mixtures of antibodies.
Enzymes are catalytic proteins which accelerate certain biological reactions. In immunohematology, proteolytic enzymes such as ficin, bromelin, papain, and trypsin remove proteins from the red cell surface. Red cell agglutination may be observed after enzyme treatment due to the greater exposure of antigen sites and/or the reduced surface charge of the red cells. This may result in a decreased cell-cell repulsion, or, enhanced antibody uptake. Certain other antigen-antibody reactions may be depressed or eliminated, due to the removal of some antigen sites after this enzyme treatment.
Enzymes can be used in two different ways in blood group serology. An enzyme solution can be added directly to a serum-cell mixture (one stage method), or the red cells can be pretreated with enzyme before serum is added (two stage method). The one stage method is faster and more convenient, but is not as sensitive as the two stage method. An advantage of the latter is better modification of the red cell membrane due to the absence of serum proteins.
When an unexpected blood group antibody is detected in a patient or donor serum, it is important to determine its specificity. The use of enzyme treated cells can be of help in determining the identity and clinical significance of the antibody. This is especially true when there are multiple specificities or the antibody has weak reactivity. Enzyme techniques strengthen the reactions seen with many blood group antibodies, especially those in the Rh and Kidd systems. Antigens in the MNS and Duffy systems are usually destroyed, so reactivity of antibodies directed against these antigens will be depressed. Standard enzyme modification techniques are described in the American Association of Blood Banks 1985, Technical Manual, 9th Ed., Arlington, VA, pp. 560-587.
One example of a diagnostic application of enzyme-treated cells is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,053 (Rosenfield et al.). This patent discloses a solid-phase blood typing procedure based upon either agglutination or immune lysis. In this invention, a monolayer of cells is irreversibly bound to a solid matrix. A serum containing antibodies is brought into contact with the bound cell layer. Immuno-adsorption of antibodies by the bound cells occurs where the antigens of the cell membranes and the antibodies in the serum are complementary to each other. The antibody-sensitized monolayer of blood cells can either bind a second layer of blood cells carrying complementary antigen (solid-phase agglutination) or undergo lysis in the presence of serum lytic complement (solid-phase immune lysis). The results are evaluated quantitatively by such standard procedures as densitometric scanning or radioisotopic counting. It is taught at col. 12, lines 9-27 that the cells used in the Rosenfield et al. invention may be treated. For example, erythrocytes (red blood cells) may be treated with agents which potentiate agglutination such as colloids, proteases, polyelectrolytes, and buffer systems. The use of bromelin, a protease is disclosed. It is noted at col. 12, lines 35-41, that protease treatment may destroy the antigen to be assayed and "a very light treatment" is therefore taught.
Another example may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,246 (Bayer et al.). This patent discloses a method of testing the ABO forward blood grouping wherein a known antibody is attached directly to a solid surface and an unknown blood sample is activated by treating the sample with an effective quantity of a proteolytic enzyme. The activated sample is then contacted to the solid surface and any antigens specific for the known antibody will undergo immune reaction with the resulting adhered red color on the surface providing an indication of the presence of specific antigens. The invention also contemplates a method of testing applicable to reverse or serum ABO blood grouping. A solid surface capable of supporting an immunological reaction is provided and known antigens are adsorbed on the surface. The surface is then contacted with an unknown blood component which may contain unknown antibodies specific for the known antigen previously attached, in which case an immune reaction will occur. A solution of red blood cells containing the known antigen first attached to the solid surface is then activated by treating it with an effective quantity of a proteolytic enzyme. This known, activated solution is then brought into contact with the solid surface and the known antigens will undergo an immune reaction to the extent antibodies specific thereto were present in the blood component. Any resulting immunologically adhered red color on the surface will indicate the presence of these specific antibodies in the blood component. In carrying out the method of the Bayer et al. invention, it was found that considerable advantages resulted when the blood component is activated with a proteolytic enzyme which is characterized by the ability to modify red blood cells to enhance their serological activity. Examples of suitable proteolytic enzymes for this purpose include bromelin, papain, trypsin, ficin, proteinase K and pronase. A one step bromelin method is preferred.

Stabilized proteolytic solution and reagent kit


An image display apparatus includes: a display device for displaying an image; an operation receiving device for receiving a scroll operation for scrolling the image displayed on the display device in a specific direction; a processor; and a memory for storing instructions. When executed, the instructions cause the processor to: acquire a scroll-amount indicator value, that indicates an amount by which the image being displayed on the display device is to be scrolled by the current scroll operation, based on a current scroll operation received by the operation receiving device and on a display of the image on the display device by at least one previous scroll operation which is received by the operation receiving device in advance of the current scroll operation; and control the display device to display the image scrolled according to the acquired scroll-amount indicator value.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus including a display device, and a non-transitory storage medium configured to store a plurality of instructions executable by a processor of the image display apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
There is known an image display apparatus including a display device for displaying an image and capable of scrolling the image displayed on the display device. Such an image display apparatus includes an operation receiving device for receiving a scroll operation performed by a user to scroll the image.

Image display apparatus and non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable by image display apparatus


An imaging device includes a unit pixel cell including: a semiconductor substrate including a first region exposed to a surface of the semiconductor substrate in a first area, and a second region directly adjacent to the first region and exposed to the surface in a second area; a photoelectric converter; a contact plug connected to the second region; a first transistor including the second region as one of a source and a drain, a first electrode covering a first portion of the first area, and a first insulation layer between the first electrode and the semiconductor substrate; a second electrode covering a second portion of the first area; and a second insulation layer between the second electrode and the semiconductor substrate. When seen in a direction perpendicular to the surface, a contact between the second region and the contact plug is located between the first electrode and the second electrode.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an imaging device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital cameras and the like typically include charge coupled device (CCD) image sensors and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors. As is well known, these image sensors include photodiodes formed on a semiconductor substrate.
On the other hand, there is proposed a configuration in which a photoelectric converter including a photoelectric conversion layer is disposed above a semiconductor substrate (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-164604 and International Publication No. 2012/147302). An imaging device having such a configuration may be called a stacked imaging device. In a stacked imaging device, charge generated by photoelectric conversion is stored in a charge storage region (also referred to as floating diffusion). Signals in accordance with the amount of charge stored in the charge storage region are read out through a CCD circuit or a CMOS circuit formed on the semiconductor substrate.

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


Systems for cooling heat-generating components are provided. A representative embodiment of such a system includes a heat-generating component supported by a substrate. A microcompressor supported by the substrate compresses a cooling fluid. A heat exchanger supported by the substrate receives cooling fluid from the microcompressor and removes heat from the cooling fluid. A microexpander is thermally coupled to the heat-generating component and receives and expands the cooling fluid to remove heat from the heat-generating component. Methods and other systems also are provided.

The present invention generally relates to electronics. In particular, the invention relates to systems and methods for cooling substrate-supported heat-generating components of electronic devices.
There is a continuing demand for electronic devices to be made smaller and to operate faster and at higher levels of power. However, the reliability of small, fast-operating, high-power electronic devices oftentimes is limited by the heat produced by such devices. More specifically, the performance of an electronic device can be hindered if excess heat is not removed.
By way of example, excess heat can cause components of an electronic device to develop cracks. Typically, these cracks are caused by differences in the thermal coefficients of expansion of materials used in the components. Of particular interest, cracks can produce electrical discontinuities, such as by separating leads, and/or can result in mechanical failure of a substrate upon which another component is mounted. Additionally, excess heat can affect electrical properties, e.g., resistance, of electrical components.
In order to remove excess heat from an electronic device, some packaging techniques rely on conductive transport of heat to an internal heat sink of the device. As is known, such a technique oftentimes is inadequate for dissipating large, localized heat fluxes that can be associated with electronic components.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for improved systems and methods that address these and/or other perceived shortcomings of the prior art.
The present invention involves cooling of heat-generating components that are supported by substrates. In particular, the invention involves compressing a cooling fluid within a substrate and then expanding the cooling fluid to remove heat from components that are thermally coupled to the cooling fluid. By removing heat from a substrate and/or heat-generating components supported by the substrate, the tendency of an electronic device to exhibit heat-related failures is reduced.
A system in accordance with the invention includes a substrate and a heat-generating component supported by the substrate. The substrate supports a microcompressor that compresses a cooling fluid. A heat exchanger is supported by the substrate, receives cooling fluid from the microcompressor, and removes heat from the cooling fluid. A microexpander is arranged at least partially in the substrate and receives cooling fluid from the heat exchanger. The microexpander expands the cooling fluid and thermally couples the cooling fluid to the heat-generating component so that heat is removed from the heat-generating component.
Micromachined components can be used to facilitate cooling. For instance, micromachined compression stages of a microcompressor and/or micromachined expansion stages of a microexpander can be supported by, e.g., formed at least partially in, a substrate.
Based upon the requirements of the particular application, a microexpander can be sized and/or shaped for routing cooling fluid in various manners. For instance, the microexpander can be a serpentine-shaped structure that routes cooling fluid to multiple locations about a substrate.
Various cooling fluids can be used. For instance, a gas, such as air or nitrogen, or a liquid, such as water or liquid nitrogen, can be used depending upon the particular application. Note, a phase-change medium that changes state from a liquid to a gas and vice versa can be used.
A method in accordance with the invention for cooling a heat-generating component that is supported by a substrate includes compressing a cooling fluid within the substrate. The cooling fluid then is expanded to remove heat from the heat-generating component.
Clearly, some embodiments of the invention may not exhibit one or more of the advantages and/or properties set forth above. Additionally, other systems, methods, features and/or advantages of the present invention will be or may become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and/or advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

Cooling of substrate-supported heat-generating components


A combination of workflow management tools is utilized to implement a logical system that supports the needs of both simple and complex workflow environments. Team members may access a central database to collaborate on a project via user interfaces with work item functionality, such as creation, reporting, performance, updates, and communications. Select management of work items may be automated. Work items may represent server-oriented tasks and sub-tasks and may be ticketed and tracked. A knowledge base may provide help for the system application, such as online or live access to access helpful information. In an example embodiment, the workflow management tools are implemented to support the creation of a Video Hub Office project.

Multiple servers may be implemented into a project, each having associated with it multiple work items that need to be complete to complete a phase of the project. Work items may represent server-oriented tasks and sub-tasks. A project may be complete when all of the tasks and sub-tasks associated with each server are complete. Managing such a project may be in the form of a checklist of tasks and sub-tasks designated to each server. Each server may be remotely located with respect to each other, each having a database that maintains the status of the work items via the checklist, for example.
Current systems for managing project completion lack proper workflow management, interdepartmental communication, problem tracking, accurate accountability, automation, and proper storage. For example, a spreadsheet or use of email may collectively keep track of work items, requirements, and status of each. However, these are often inefficient forms of communicating minutiae in large projects, particularly where numerous people are involved. Some systems provide a project requirements checklist, but lacks proper work flow management, interdepartmental communication, problem tracking, and accurate accountability. A SharePoint/driver is utilized as a problem tracking tool, but often lacks a logical flow that accurately pinpoints causation and easy reference to previous solutions. With multiple clients/servers, tracking work items in the existing methods is extremely inefficient. Improper storage of problems and solutions results in often misplaced information or inaccessibility among multiple team members. And, existing automation of scripts running in a project require large amounts of manual intervention. To date, the combination of various aspects of workflow management into a logical system has been limited.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have an extensible workflow management tool capable of initiating, organizing, tracking, and expediting status, changes, and completion of work items to support the completion of a project or series of projects.

System of growth and automated migration


A method of providing a photolithography pattern can be provided by identifying at least one weak feature from among a plurality of features included in a photolithography pattern based on a feature parameter that is compared to a predetermined identification threshold value for the feature parameter. A first region of the weak feature can be classified as a first dosage region and a second region of the weak feature can be classified as a second dosage region. Related methods and apparatus are also disclosed.

In order to integrate as many devices as possible in a small area, the size of individual devices should be reduced, and, for this purpose, the pitch between the patterns should be reduced. Due to the resolution limitations of the related photolithography processes, there may be difficulties in forming patterns according to some design rules of the reduced pitch semiconductor devices.

Methods of providing photolithography patterns using feature parameters


A safety door entrance includes a door mounted for swinging movement on hinges connected to a door jamb and a finger protector for continuously bridging a gap formed between the door heel and adjacent jamb as the door swings open and closed. The protector prevents a person's fingers, toes or other objects from accidentally being inserted in the gap and subject to damage when the door swings closed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety door entrances and more particularly a safety device for swinging doors which are hingedly supported from a door jamb or frame element to open and close with respect thereto. The present invention relates to a safety device for discouraging or preventing a person's fingers, toes or other implements from inadvertently being inserted into a gap created between a corner edge of the door and the door jamb while the door is opened, which gap is then closed with crushing force as the door swings closed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various systems have been devised for protecting against damage or injury to the fingers, toes or other implements caused from the crushing action of swinging doors or hingedly attached closure members as they swing closed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,319,697 and 3,941,180 disclose guards or protecting devices for hinged garage doors and the like. An extruded hinge is shown in the window construction of U.S. Pat. No. 1,925,817 and an interlocking combination door is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,960,733.


An indexable cutting insert which presents a rake face and a flank face which intersect to form a generally circular cutting edge. At least one of the flank face and the rake face has a visually perceivable indicia thereon so as to indicate a plurality of discrete indexable positions of the cutting insert.

The invention pertains to an indexable cutting insert which presents visually perceivable indicia thereon which enables the operator to index the cutting insert to a pre-determined position thereby optimizing the use of the cutting insert.
Indexable cutting inserts of a generally cylindrical or frustoconical shape, i.e., so-called round cutting inserts (see American National Standard ANSI B212.4--1986), have many uses in material removal operations (e.g., machining). Because the cutting insert is of a generally cylindrical or frustoconical shape, it is difficult for the operator to ascertain exactly how far to rotate the cutting insert to index the same so as to present a completely unused cutting edge and still optimize the overall useful life of the cutting insert.
It is undesirable for a cutting insert to present a cutting edge that has a used portion. In order to make certain that the cutting insert presents an unused cutting edge, the operator typically indexes a round cutting insert more than the optimum extent because the operator wants to make certain that the cutting insert presents an unused cutting edge. However, when the operator indexes the cutting insert in such a fashion so as to avoid presenting a used cutting edge, it is typical that a certain portion or portions of the cutting edge will remain unused. Subsequent to the complete indexing of the cutting insert, it is impossible to use these unused portions of the cutting edge.
In many cases, indexable round cutting inserts are expensive in that they have an expensive substrate or use a hard coating of expensive material such as, for example, cubic boron nitride, polycrystalline diamond, diamond sheet, and the like. Because of the expense of the cutting insert, it would be desirable to provide a way by which the operator can index the cutting insert to as many indexable positions as practically possible while always presenting an unused cutting edge.

Indexable cutting insert with indexing marks


Parameters of a display may be adjusted in response to accessing a time value corresponding to an electronic device that includes the display. A brightness value of the display may be adjusted based on the time value to maintain a display characteristic value within a predefined range and below a threshold. The display characteristic value may be independently controllable by one of the brightness or the color temperature of the display. A set of red green blue (RGB) color values of the display may be adjusted independent of the adjustment to the brightness value to maintain the display characteristic value within the predefined range and below the threshold while maintaining the brightness value of the display. In some examples, the RGB color values of the display may be adjusted at approximately the same time as the adjustment of the set of RGB color values of the display is performed.

Many modern day electronic devices include electronic displays to output (and in some cases receive as input) visual information. The underlying display technology of these electronic displays may be various. For example, such display technologies may include light-emitting diode displays (LED), electroluminescent displays, plasma displays, liquid crystal displays (LCD), organic light-emitting diode displays (OLED), and others. The light output from these electronic displays can have various color temperatures ranging from warm, mostly yellow to cool, mostly blue temperatures, etc. The light may also be mixed.
Bright light with a rich amount of blue light (like daylight) serves as a trigger to the human body to be awake and alert, whereas the absence of bright and blue light during the evening triggers the human body to go into a more restful state, partly due to the release of sleep inducing (or soporific) hormone. Bright or blue light at night can block transition into a more restful state at night and can block the release of sleep inducing hormone.
As more time is spent viewing electronic displays, especially those that are relatively bright and have a rich amount of blue light, the release of a soporific hormone may be interrupted. For example, if a user is exposed to a bright display with a rich amount of blue light late into the evening, the user's body's release of a soporific hormone and transition into a more restful state might be compromised or fully blocked due to that light exposure. As a result, the user may have a difficult time falling asleep. This problem is compounded when the difference between the brightness level of the electronic display and the ambient light is high.


An extruder for thermoplastics having a directly motor-driven high-speed feed screw which mechanically force-feeds raw plastic pellets, pushing them forward under high pressure into a heat-transfer zone for melting, and finally through a static mixer, to deliver a pressurized homogeneous melt to an extrusion die. Melt pressurization results entirely from the mechanical force-feeding action of the screw rather than through the viscous shear action found in conventional screw extruders.

This invention is related in various aspects to the Extruder of my U.S. Pat. No. 3,305,893 which disclosed a slow-speed screw in an unheated bore force-feeding plastic pellets forward under high pressure into and through a heat-transfer zone for melting and thence to an extrusion die. Melt pressure in that extruder resulted entirely from the mechanical force-feeding action of the screw, with no component of viscous shear build-up pressure. In the present invention, a primary distinguishing feature is the use of a directly motor-driven high-speed screw of relatively small diameter. Other distinguishing features should become apparent from the following detailed disclosure.
Conventional screw extruders in present wide usage employ motors, gear reducers, screws, and thrust bearings which are relatively large, costly in first and maintenance costs, and often lacking in efficiency. Also, in many cases excessive shear working in such extruders results in hot spots and molecular breakdown in the melt. Usually most of the melting heat enters as mechanical shaft power through the screw, and in many cases where intensive mixing is desired, excess shaft power must actually be dissipated as wasted heat energy by auxilliary cooling means. Furthermore, conventional extruders can be somewhat difficult to control because output is sensitive simultaeously to both melt temperature and back pressure. Also, screw changes must often be made to accomodate materials with different characteristics. Related to this is the need to employ complicated screw design theories based on non-Newtonian flow, melt counter-flow in the screw, residence time, and the like.


Ungelled, stable aqueous dispersions of acrylic polymers, containing carboxyl and epoxy functionality, and their method of preparation are disclosed. The dispersions are useful in water-based coating compositions. As long as the polymeric product remains dispersed in aqueous medium, stable, curable, one-package coating compositions result. However, when the dispersions are applied to a substrate as a film and the water evaporated, a curing reaction occurs as evidenced by the film becoming harder and more solvent resistant with the passage of time.

The present invention relates to aqueous dispersions of polymeric products. More particularly, this invention relates to ungelled polymeric products which are dispersed in aqueous medium and are stable in this condition but undergo a crosslinking reaction upon removal of the water.
In the field of acrylic polymers, it is known to polymerize alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated acids such as acrylic acid or methacrylic acid with other copolymerizable acrylic monomers such as styrene and methyl methacrylate to form polymers with unreacted carboxylic acid groups. These polymers can be treated with bases such as amines to form the polymeric salt which can be dispersed in water.
In preparing ungelled polymers, epoxy group-containing acrylic monomers such as glycidyl acrylate and glycidyl methacrylate are not employed because the epoxy group is reactive with the carboxyl group, particularly in the presence of amine, and gelling or crosslinking of the reactants will occur. This is shown in British Pat. No. 1,538,151 where crosslinked or gelled acrylic polymer articles are formed when alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated monocarboxylic acids such as methacrylic acid and epoxy group-containing compounds such as glycidyl methacrylate are copolymerized in a hydrocarbon diluent.
In the present invention, however, alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated acids such as acrylic acid and methacrylic acid and epoxy group-containing compounds which contain alpha, beta-ethylenic unsaturation such as glycidyl acrylate and methacrylate are polymerized in a fashion that gelation is avoided.


A MIS diode sensor having a Pd/Cu alloy electrode is sensitive to and can detect CO, H.sub.2, C.sub.2 H.sub.2 and C.sub.2 H.sub.4. An array of MIS diode sensors having varying electrode compositions can indicate a fault in an electrical transformer by the detection of at least one of the key fault gases CO, H.sub.2, C.sub.2 H.sub.2 and C.sub.2 H.sub.4.

Methods for industrial gas and vapor analysis have evolved along two separate paths. The first involves complex instruments for example infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry. The development of microcontrollers and microcomputers has led to smaller and more rugged versions of these analytical instruments that were once only found in laboratories. These instruments are very powerful, but they have disadvantages. They are costly and maintenance-intensive. They are usually located far from the gas or vapor source in climate controlled enclosures. The gas or vapor sample is usually transported to the analyzer in a heated tube. This process delay will not provide real time information. These instruments are not likely to be affordable candidates for real-time, in-situ applications such as combustion gas analysis or chemical process analysis. The second evolutionary path is the development of emerging chemical sensor technology.
There are many industrial applications for gas and vapor sensor technology. For example, there is the detection of hazardous gas in the workplace for worker safety, the analysis of products in the combustion of fuel for better control of the air-fuel mixture and the analysis of feed and product streams for the optimization of product yield and waste reduction.
The use of sensors in workplace gas detection instruments is routine. The technologies used are individual sensors which are installed to detect a single gas or vapor whose concentration, in the local environment, may approach a hazardous level. The examples of these gases include hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, chlorine, ammonia, hydrogen, methane and many others.
The development of sensors is ongoing for use in aerospace applications where weight and size are critical issues. For example, the magnitude and location of hydrogen leaks in liquid fueled rockets is important in launch readiness applications.
The use of gas sensors in combustion analysis to control fuel air mixtures began with the use of a solid state electrochemical sensor for oxygen. The sensor was designed to detect the precise air-fuel mixture in automobiles that would not be too rich or too lean. Additional sensors to analyze the mixture for carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen are important in fine tuning the mixture.
The use of chemical sensors in chemical process streams has the potential of improving process efficiency and the resulting yield. A direct result of process improvement is the potential to reduce the amount of waste. For example, the water concentration in a silicone process feed stream is an important parameter in the final product quality.
The degree to which these sensors can uniquely identify the gas or vapor they were designed to detect depends on the sensitivity of the sensor to other interfering species and the concentration of those species. The ability to resolve the target gas or vapor is called the selectivity. There are very few examples of sensors which are highly selective (e.g. greater than a ten fold difference in relative sensitivity), and even these do not work ideally. For example, a sensor whose target gas will give an incorrect indication of the target gas when the concentration of the interferant is high enough. In reality, this limitation is relieved by using the sensor in a situation where the situation described above is unlikely.
An additional way to improve the quality of the information provided by a sensor is to process information from an array of sensors.
One application for chemical sensors is in the detection of particular gases in mineral oil-filled electrical transformers.
Faults such as arcing, corona discharge, low energy sparking, severely overloading, pump motor failure and overheating in the insulation system can generate hydrogen (H.sub.2), acetylene (C.sub.2 H.sub.2), ethylene (C.sub.2 H.sub.4), and carbon monoxide (CO) in oil-filled electrical transformers. These conditions can result in transformer malfunction and may eventually lead to failure if not corrected. The detection of the presence of these four transformer fault gases is frequently the first available indication of a possible malfunction. There is a statistical correlation between transformer malfunction conditions and the fault gases they generate. This correlation has enable the evaluation of possible fault types with which by a key gas method.
The significant gases (key gases) and the four general fault types with which they are associated are as follows:
a.) Thermal-Oil--C.sub.2 H.sub.4, PA1 b.) Thermal-Cellulose--CO.sub.2, CO PA1 c.) Electrical Corona--H.sub.2 PA1 d.) Electrical-Arcing--H.sub.2, C.sub.2 H.sub.2
Because of this correlation, the possible type of fault in a transformer can be evaluated by the analysis of the gases generated in that transformer.
The utility industry has developed various diagnostic theories that employ ratios of certain key gases. The existence of such "gas ratios" makes it possible to improve the reliability of transformers. However, in order to evaluate the possible fault types using the various gas ratios (e.g. Rogers Ratio Method, Doernenburg Ratio), the gases must be distinguished and analyzed.
Currently gas chromatography is used to identify and quantify gases dissolved in oil having a viscosity of 20 centistokes or less at 40.degree. C. (104.degree. F.). A significant disadvantage, to the user, is the lack of real-time analytical information.
For gas chromatography to be effective, the quantity and composition of gases dissolved in oil samples must remain unchanged during transport to the laboratory. Sampling necessarily involves the risk of exposing the oil to air and the concomitant loss of dissolved gases.
An alternative would be a chemical sensor immersed directly into the oil environment of the electrical transformer, operating on a real-time basis to indicate the presence of an incipient fault, and which would not require sampling the oil and subsequent analysis in a laboratory.
Selective sensors capable of distinguishing and analyzing particular components would exhibit a sensitivity (output/concentration unit) to a particular component that is different in magnitude than the sensitivity to a different component giving a signal.
The sensor response in a mixture of two components should ideally be a simple sum of the response (i.e. voltage) in the individual components. In this linear case, the effects can be resolved conventionally with an analytical algorithm such as one based on matrix algebra as taught by L. W. Potts for chemical analysis in Quantitative Analysis: Theory and Practice, Harper and Row, New York 1987, Chapter 13.
Chemically sensitive field-effect transistors (CHEMFETs) have been developed for the detection of specific compounds in liquid and gaseous environments, such as the ion sensitive CHEMFETs disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,830 to Johnson, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,802 to Koshiishi.
Other CHEMFETs have been produced that measure the concentrations of components in a gaseous state, as for example the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,719,564 to Lilly, Jr., et al. and described by Shimada, et al. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,218,298 and 4,354,308, and the suspended gate field-effect transistors (SGFETs) described by Jiri Janata in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,411,741 and 4,514,263. These devices are relatively complex and costly to manufacture due to their multiple junctions and diffusion regions.
CHEMFETs in general, and SGFETs in particular are also not well suited to detection of combination of specific compounds or specific compounds in the presence of other potentially interfering chemical species. Combinations of discrete SGFETs with sensitivities to different compounds have been proposed in efforts to address such deficiencies. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,480 to Senturia multiplexed CHEMFETs provide logic elements with varying on-off duty cycles. Nevertheless, such combinations are even more difficult and costly to manufacture than individual sensors.
A device and method for detection of fluid concentration utilizing charge storage in a MIS diode is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,104 to Pyke. MIS sensors detect and amplify the change in the work function of its metal electrode when gas adsorbs on its surface. A MIS sensor for hydrogen was described with a palladium metal electrode by M. S. Shiveraman et al., Electron Lett., 12,483 (1976) and Z. Li et al., IEEE/IEDM-85,125 (1985). MIS sensors with Ni and Pt electrodes for methane and carbon monoxide have been reported by T. L. Poteat, et al. J. Electron. Matl., 12,181 (1983).
The MIS tunnel junction was developed with a palladium electrode for hydrogen detection as reported by R. C. Hughes et al., J. Appl. Phys. 62(3), Aug. 1, 1987 (pp 1074-1083). Operated in reverse bias with an oxide layer thin enough for a measurable reverse current, this sensor is much more sensitive to hydrogen. In this example, the work function change is due to a layer of Pd-H dipoles at the metal insulator interface and due to a change in the composition of the metal on adsorbing hydrogen.
It is therefore desirable to provide methods and devices for detecting and analyzing specific gases in a mixture. It is further desirable to provide methods and devices to indicate the presence of the key fault gases in mineral oil, predict their generation rate, and alert the substation operator accordingly.

Detection of fluids with metal-insulator-semiconductor sensors


Vacuum filterbelt apparatus has a continuous belt moved by driving means along a continuous path which includes an operative portion at which filtering of material lying on the belt occurs. Apertures in the belt communicate with a slot in the top of a vacuum chamber beneath the belt, to apply suction to the material. At the operative portion, the belt is supported by plates whose upper surfaces have grooves extending in the direction of movement of the belt. Passages through the plates for the supply of lubricant open into these grooves.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vacuum filterbelt apparatus of the type having a continuous belt of resilient material movable by driving means along a continuous path which includes an operative path portion at which the upper face of the belt is concave. Apertures in the belt communicate at the operative path portion with a vacuum chamber beneath the belt, so that suction filtering is effected.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the art, vacuum filters are often used for displacing liquid from slurry mixtures. A typical example is the production of H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 from a mixture of phosphate-bearing rock an sulphuric acid. The slurry produced from this reaction consists of gypsum and phosphoric acid, and the phosphoric acid is concentrated and separated from the gypsum by means of the vacuum filter. This technique is known and requires no further explanation, and is mentioned as only one possible application of vacuum filter equipment in general.
The vacuum filterbelt apparatus described above is itself an improvement over the so-called "pan-filters" which consist of a series of separate pans which are each connected to a vacuum equipment, and which are carried round a horizontal circular path like a roundabout (or merry-go-round). Successively the pans, equipped with filters, are filled, evacuated, flushed and emptied by tilting them.
Compared with panfilters, the vacuum filterbelt is an improvement because it does not require periodic tilting movements of pans and consequently runs more smoothly and can be of a lighter construction. Furthermore, access to the filter is better and the undesirable consequences of scaling within the filter are less severe. The belt is at its top surface provided with ribs and grooves. The filtercloth rests on the ribs in the horizontal operative path portion of the belt but is deflected to travel separately from the belt outside the operative path portion, so that it is easily possible to clean the filtercloth and if necessary to remove any solid incrustation from the belt.
In the known apparatus, the belt is supported in the operative path portion by stationary support plates. The belt's own weight presses it against these support plates, so that the belt is guided in a fixed path. The belt also rests on a fixed flange at the top of the vacuum chamber. Passages in the support plates open at the top surface of the support plates. These passages allow water or air to be forced between the moving belt and the support plates, to form a layer of lubricating material or air, which considerably reduces the friction between the belt and the support plates. Thus the drag force on the belt is reduced which permits the driving system and the belt to be lighter in construction. At the same time, energy required for operation of the apparatus is saved.


The fire mitigation and moderating agent includes by weight one percent (1%) to five percent (5%) potassium hydroxide, two percent (2%) to seven percent (7%) citric acid, four percent (4%) to thirty six percent (36%) diammonium phosphate, four percent (4%) to twenty percent (20%) carbamide, and point five percent (0.5%) to four percent (4%) surface tension reducing component which comprises by weight twenty percent (20%) to fifty five percent (55%) octyldimethylamine oxide, fifteen percent (15%) to thirty five percent (35%) modified polyether organosiloxane, five percent (5%) to twenty percent (20%) sugar based surfactant, three percent (3%) to twelve percent (12%) 1,4-Bis(ethylhexyl)sodium sulfosuccinate, point zero one percent (0.01%) to point one percent (0.1%) anionic phosphate fluorosurfactant, and point one percent (0.1%) to two point five percent (2.5%) polymer adhesive mixture. The polymer adhesive mixture comprises seventy percent (70%) water and thirty percent (30%) polymer adhesive.

Three elements are required for a fire to exist and flourish; fuel, heat, and oxygen. Fuel is something that will burn in the presence of heat. When combined with oxygen, the fire thereby releases more heat and, as a result, reduces itself to other chemical compounds. Heat can be considered the catalyst that accelerates the combining of oxygen with fuel, which in turn, releases more heat. The action of oxygen combining chemically with other substances through the process of oxidation accompanied by a noticeable release of heat and light, is called combustion or burning. Remove any one of these necessary elements and the fire goes out.
The National Fire Protection Association has classified fires into three basic types; Class A, Class B, and Class C fires. Class A fires include all ordinary combustible materials such as wood, cloth, paper, upholstery materials, etc. Class B fires include all flammable petroleum products or other flammable or combustible liquids, greases, solvents, paints, etc. Class C fires include energized electrical equipment. There are various forms of extinguishing media suitable for each class of fire. In Class C fires the electrical non conductivity of the extinguishing media is of importance. In most cases, where electrical equipment involved in a Class C fire is de-energized, extinguishers suitable for use on Class A or B fires may be employed effectively.
A fourth class of fire, Class D fire, is defined as fire in flammable metal. Class D fires are not considered a basic type of fire since they are generally caused by a Class A, B or C fire. Usually, Class D fires involve magnesium.
It is known that each combustible material, whether it be a solid, liquid, or gas, has a flame or self-ignition point. When the combustible material is maintained at a temperature below this flame point, it will not burn. Thereby, most prior art methods for extinguishing fires attempt to cool the burning material below the flame point. Class A fires respond best to water or water-type extinguishers that cool the fuel below combustion temperatures. Class B and Class C extinguishers are also effective, but are not equal to the wetting/cooling action of a class A extinguisher.
Class B fires respond to carbon dioxide (CO2), halogenated hydrocarbons (halons) and dry chemicals, all of which displace the oxygen in the air and thereby make combustion impossible. Foam is effective, especially when used in large quantities. Water is ineffective on Class B fires because of the immiscibility of oil and water and may even cause the fire to spread.
Class C fires involving electrical wiring and equipment respond best to CO2, which displaces the oxygen in the atmosphere, making combustion difficult. Dry chemicals are also effective on Class C fires but have the disadvantage of contaminating the local area with powder. Also, if used on wet and energized electrical equipment, dry chemicals may aggravate electrical current leakage. Water or foam are not acceptable agents for use on electrical equipment fires.
Class D fires respond to the application of dry powder, which prevents oxidation and the resulting flame. The application of water on a metal fire is to be avoided because it will cause the fire to burn more violently and can cause explosions.
The most common fire fighting agents are thus water and water-based agents, dry chemicals, and gas. Water and water-based agents are typically used on carbonaceous fires. Water extinguishes a fire by cooling the fuel below the flame point or combustion temperature. The disadvantage of water and water-based agents is that water is not effective on all combustible materials. In addition, large quantities of water are not always available. While dry chemicals offer the advantage of being nonconductors of electricity, they tend to be environmentally unfriendly and hazardous to fire fighters. Gases such as carbon dioxide and halons are toxic and, thus, environmentally unfriendly.
Extinguishing Class B liquid fires presents unique difficulties to fire fighters. With respect to pools of burning liquid, combustion takes place adjacent to the surface of the liquid due to evaporation of the liquid into the air. While foam has been used in the past to smother the flame on liquid fires, it has the disadvantage of requiring substantial amounts of foam material to completely extinguish the fire. Another method gaining rapid commercial acceptance utilizes a chemical that causes a film and foam layer on top of the liquid pool to interrupt evaporation. This chemical is commonly known as aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). The disadvantages of AFFF are that it requires a special nozzle to apply the agent, the agent takes a substantial amount of time to build a foam layer sufficiently thick to extinguish the flames, and it does not lower the temperature of the liquid pool, presenting the danger of reignition when the liquid fuel is agitated. Self-propelled, three-dimensional liquid fires, such as oil and gas wellhead fires, are not extinguishable using foam because the liquid is expelled into the air at a high rate from the wellhead, with the residue forming burning liquid pools on the ground. This type of fire is extremely hot and requires very large amounts of fire fighting agent to permanently extinguish the fire. One method for extinguishing oil and gas wellhead fires uses an explosive charge that is detonated immediately above the wellhead to force the flame front away from the wellhead area. This temporarily creates a vacuum that deprives the fire of oxygen. If the liquid fuel is not immediately doused and cooled with a fire fighting agent, the returning air rushing in to fill the vacuum can cause the hot liquid fuel to reignite. This particular method is extremely dangerous and also requires substantial amounts of fire fighting agent.
Fighting wildfires also has its difficulties, due to uncontrollable winds which can easily spread a fire and due to the potentially large amount of dry and combustible vegetation. Currently, one of the common fire fighting products used today is Phos-Chek. Phos-Chek fire retardants are manufactured as dry powders or as concentrated liquids and diluted with water prior to use. The retardant is applied directly to or ahead of wildfires and to homes and vegetation by ground crews and aerial firefighting units, using either fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft. It is a very common site to watch on the television news reports of the various colored Phos-chek mixtures being selectively dropped upon various fires and other targeted areas.
Phos-chek is currently produced in several colors, including an off-white color, a red iron oxide, and a fugitive mixture that is colored red when dispersed but gradually fades to an earth-tone when exposed to sunlight. The red color aids aircrews in targeting drops of retardant.
Some of the main components of Phos-Chek retardants include ammonium polyphosphate, diammonium phosphate, diammonium sulfate, monoammonium phosphate, attapulgus clay, guar gum (or a derivative of guar gum), and various trade secret performance additives. Fire retardants are manufactured as several different formulations with varying proportions of the above components. The phosphate and sulfate salts act as fire retardants and prevent combustion of cellulosic materials. Guar gum and clay are thickening agents to prevent dispersal of the retardant after it is dropped from the plane. Other ingredients include corrosion inhibitors and flow conditioners such as Silica. Phos-Chek WD-881 is mixture of anionic surfactants, foam stabilizers, and solvents including hexylene glycol. As fire-fighting foam, it is used as a class B short-term fire suppressant.
Unfortunately, Phos-chek has major drawbacks. It is only a short-term fire suppressant and is not applied well before a fire starts. The effectiveness of Phos-chek quickly deteriorates over time and cannot be used in a purely preventative measure before a fire is even anticipated. Phos-chek also stains the ground and surfaces it is placed upon. Phos-chek also when dry becomes the consistency of concrete and is extremely difficult to clean thereafter. Finally, Phos-chek when mixed with water can not be stored for short or prolonged periods and must be used or discarded immediately. Accordingly, it is not used by residents who want to take proactive steps to protect their residences even before a fire has started.
As can be seen, fighting fires correctly is extremely difficult. It is therefore desired that the fire never starts in the first place. Accordingly, there is a need for a fire suppression mixture that can be applied as a preventative measure to prevent a fire from occurring. Furthermore, there is a need for this mixture to be clear and free from color staining the surfaces it is applied to. Additionally, it would be desirous for the mixture to be environmental friendly and simply breakdown chemically and wash away the next time it rains. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.


A centrifugal frictional clutch is constituted by a rotary housing supporting for rotation a weight lever actuated by the centrifugal force and being biased by a spring against the latter. The weight lever pivotably supports a coupling jaw which cooperates with a frictional surface of a coupling disk. The resultant normal frictional force F.sub.N forms with the line connecting pivot points of the jaw and of the lever a design angle .gamma. which corresponds to the angle of the static friction. The biasing spring, the jaw and the weight lever are arranged within the range of the coupling disk. Preferably, the clutch includes an additional disk having a smaller diameter and coupled via a free-wheel coupling to the first coupling disk to act as a double speed clutch.

This invention relates generally to centrifugal clutches, and more particularly it relates to a centrifugal frictional clutch of the type which is actuated by a swing lever acting as a centrifugal weight rotatable about an axle arranged on the housing of the clutch, the lever cooperating with a spring acting against the direction of the centrifugal force, and supporting for rotation a coupling jaw which is normally pressed against a frictional ring surface on a rotatable clutch disk and disengaged from the latter when the force of the spring is overcome by the centrifugal force.
In conventional centrifugal clutches of this type the centrifugal weight lever, the frictional surfaces and the coupling jaw are arranged outside the clutch disk and, consequently, an excessively spacious structure of the clutch results.


An integrated apparatus is disclosed that can directly connect to a portable digital video camera and can record uncompressed video and audio data, along with associated metadata, in the field and elsewhere. Most preferably, the integrated apparatus includes a removable, recordable, reusable digital magazine that may be mounted. Most preferably, the integrated apparatus also supports a variety of input and output formats, and the apparatus may be easily connected to other computing systems, either directly or through network connections, wired or wireless. The digital magazine can be mounted in a variety of docking stations and can be directly connected to a network, allowing the video and audio data to be easily stored and transferred.

The professional movie making industry has long been seeking to record audio and high definition video in digital format in the field and then transfer the recorded digital format audio and high definition video to production and post-productions systems. One long-sought goal of the professional movie making industry has been to record the digital audio and high definition video in what is commonly referred to as "analog" format—without compressing the digital audio and video. Compressing audio or video when recorded in the field not only results in loss of digital information that may be required to preserve the highest quality digital recording possible but also renders subsequent editing and production more difficult or even impossible with any acceptable degree of quality in the resulting audio and video product.
One digital audio and video recording solution used in the industry utilizes one or more large trucks loaded with racks of computing systems and digital storage disk arrays. The user must drive the truck to the location of a video shoot, connect a digital camera and microphones to the truck-based system in the field, record and store digital audio and video on the truck-based system, move the truck-based system around in the field as required to record the desired audio and video, drive the truck-based system back to the production studio when recording is concluded, connect the truck-based system to a network at the production studio, and then transfer the recorded audio and video over the network connection for use of the recorded audio and video in production and post-production systems. This common prior art system is expensive, awkward, labor intensive, and inefficient.
One prior art system requires at least two large and heavy boxes of equipment. One box contains computing equipment for use in the field, and the second box contains disk drives. The two boxes are typically mounted and truck transported to the field location for a video shoot, and interconnected by input/output cables in the field in order to record and store digital audio and video in the field. This box-based system is quite heavy, usually truck-based, difficult to transport from location to location, expensive, and awkward.
One solution has provided digital audio and video storage disk drives connected to a conventional, bulky computing system by low insertion force (LIF) connectors. A user can thereby record and store compressed digital audio and video on the drives, remove the drives, transport the drives, and re-connect the drives to the same or another conventional computing system. These systems have been largely used only in connection with compressed digital audio and video and the large size makes them impractical for field use.
Although the laptop computing systems have long utilized LIF connectors to connect with laptop docking stations, laptop-based systems are limited in their capabilities. They are not capable of providing the power, storage capacity, and feature set required to accomplish professional field recording of digital audio and video.

Digital audio and video recording and storage system and method


The present invention provides a fine cellulose fiber sheet, of which various properties and functions such as paper making ability, solvent resistance, adhesion, functionalization agent immobilization, surface zeta potential, hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, and air permeation resistance are finely controlled, through a process having low environmental impact. A fine cellulose fiber sheet according to the present invention fulfills all of the following requirements (1) to (3): (1) comprises fine cellulose fibers having an average fiber diameter of 2 nm or greater and 1000 nm or less; (2) the weight ratio of the fine cellulose fibers is 50 wt % or greater and 99 wt % or less; and (3) the block polyisocyanate aggregate content as a weight ratio is 1 to 100 wt % of the weight of the fine cellulose fibers.

Attention is currently being focused on fine cellulose fibers in which cellulose-based fibers are beaten and crushed at a high level to increase their fineness (fibrillate) to a fiber diameter of 1 μm or less. Sheets composed of fine cellulose fibers produced in a process consisting of forming a papermaking slurry of these fine cellulose fibers into paper followed by drying are expected to be applied to a wide range of applications in addition to conventional paper. For example, sheets controlled to be porous can be used as filters or membranes having extremely fine pores of 1 μm or less, enabling them to efficiently capture fine particles in a liquid or gas with low pressure loss, and can be used in fine filtration filters or virus removal filters and the like. Moreover, the pores of a porous sheet can be filled in with resin and compounded, enabling it to be used as a flexible, transparent resin sheet having a low coefficient of thermal expansion. On the other hand, transparent, highly dense sheets free of pores can be used as flexible electronic paper or gas barrier membranes and the like.
The water resistance of this fine cellulose fiber sheet is an important technical factor in terms of using in a wide range of applications. Since fine cellulose fiber sheets conventionally retain a sheet structure by hydrogen bonding between fine cellulose short fibers, the hydrogen bonds are easily cleaved and the sheet structure easily collapses as a result of contact with water. Thus, making these fine cellulose fiber sheets water resistant is essential for their use as water treatment filters and in other environments involving contact with water.
Two methods have been reported thus far as techniques used to enhance water resistance, consisting of i) post-processing and ii) internal addition of a water resistance agent.
The post-processing method is a method consisting of impregnating a deposited fine cellulose fiber sheet with an organic solvent containing a crosslinking agent followed by heat treatment. In the following Patent Document 1 according to the present applicant, water resistance is imparted by impregnating with a toluene solution containing 1,6′-hexamethylene diisocyanate or 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate. However, this technique is extremely disadvantageous from the viewpoints of industrial production and environmental issues since it uses an organic solvent. Even if a water-soluble or water-dispersible water resistance agent is used as a way of solving the aforementioned problems associated with organic solvents, there is an extremely high likelihood of the sheet tearing during treatment due to inadequate wet paper strength. Moreover, it is theoretically difficult to uniformly distribute the water resistance agent in the sheet, making this technique disadvantageous in terms of improving water resistance and other properties.
On the other hand, the internal addition method is a technique by which a water-soluble or water-dispersible water resistance agent is added to a cellulose fiber slurry to prepare a mixed liquid followed by forming into paper, drying and subjecting to heat treatment. In comparison with the post-processing method, the internal addition method is superior in terms of i) having fewer steps, (ii) not using an organic solvent, and (iii) allowing the water resistance agent to be more uniformly dispersed.
Patent Document 2 indicated below discloses a technique for imparting water resistance by using an aqueous emulsion of a polymer having a low glass transition point as a water resistance agent to form a polymer coating on the surface of fine cellulose fibers having a fiber width of 2 nm to 1000 nm followed by compounding with a resin.
In addition, Patent Document 3 indicated below discloses a technique for imparting water resistance in the production of paper using ordinary pulp in the form of needle bleached kraft pulp (NBKP) by using a thermal reaction type, water-soluble urethane prepolymer as a water resistance agent and chemically crosslinking cellulose fibers with the thermal reaction type, water-soluble urethane prepolymer. Differing from the polymer coating having a melting point of Patent Document 2, the use of chemical crosslinking makes it possible to prevent elution into organic solvent while also enabling use in an environment at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the polymer.
Fine cellulose fiber sheets that contribute to industrial use are required to be sheets in which not only water resistance, but also various other properties and functions (such as papermaking ability, solvent resistance, adhesion, functionalization agent immobilization, surface zeta potential, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity or air permeability resistance) are simultaneously controlled. However, although the aforementioned patent documents contain descriptions regarding imparting water resistance, there is no mention made regarding other properties and functions. Namely, there is currently no technology for producing a fine cellulose fiber sheet in which multiple properties and functions, including water resistance, are controlled.
Moreover, in the case of considering industrial productivity as well as environmental considerations that have come to be required in recent years, there has been a desire to achieve a technique for precisely controlling the aforementioned properties and functions that employs a labor-saving process while having a low impact on the environment.


This invention provides a reel 1 for a fine metal wire comprising a drum 2, two flange bodies 3, and two flange reinforcing members 4 each of them made of thin steel metal. Each flange reinforcing members 4 is bent into L-shape in cross-section such that a flange side portion 4a is placed at a tilt angle θ of 4 +3/−3 degrees with respect to a vertical line. The flange side portion 4a of the flange reinforcing member 4 is brought into intimate contact with a flange 3b of the flange body to be fixed thereto by spot welding. As a result, a tensile stress is previously produced at the bent portion P, thereby substantially improving the strength and the repetitive usability.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a reel on which a fine metal wire is wound. In particular, the present invention relates to a reel for a fine metal wire (hereinafter referred to as just "reel") designed to wind thereon a fine metal wire, including a wire for a wire saw (hereinafter referred to as "saw wire") to cut hard material such as artificial crystal, silicon, ceramic, or the like, and a wire for a rubber hose for reinforcement (hereinafter referred to as "hose wire").
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional reel 11 as shown in FIG. 5, has a drum 12, and flanges 13, 13 disposed at the ends of the drum. The drum 12 and the flanges 13 are made of thick steel sheets such as carbon steels for machine structural use (for example, S45C/JIS), or the like. Depending on manufacturing method, some kinds of reels have been known, including an integral reel which is made by cutting out the drum and the flange as one piece, and a welded reel into which three divided parts, namely, the drum and both flanges are welded together.
A fine metal wire to be wound on the above-mentioned reel is, for example, a fine metal wire having a diameter of 0.12 to 0.16 mm or less and serving as a saw wire, or a fine metal wire having a diameter of about 0.20 to 0.80 mm and serving as a hose wire. Also, the fine metal wire, which is to be wound on the described reel, may be, for example, a fine metal wire having a diameter of about 0.15 to 0.40 mm and serving as a wire of a twisting steel cord (namely, a tire cord) for reinforcing rubber products, which contains a steel cord functioning as a metal twisting wire in some cases. In a case where the above-mentioned fine metal wire is wound on the reel under a predetermined tension (for example, a tension of 0.4 kg to 1.5 kg), the winding tension causes a high tightening tension to the drum, thus resulting in applying to the flanges a big force pushing them apart. And this force for pushing apart (hereinafter referred to as "side pressure") causes the flanges at both ends to be pushed away in a direction that they separate from each other.
As the diameter of the metal wire becomes smaller, or as the winding tension becomes larger, or as the reciprocating number of turns of the wire becomes larger, the side pressure generated becomes larger. For example, in a case where the above-mentioned extra fine metal wire is a saw wire, weight of 40 kg to 60 kg or more is applied to the reel. In this case, the side pressure thereof sometimes reaches several tons or several tens of tons.
To provide sufficient strength and rigidity to withstand such side pressure, the conventional reel 11 utilizes the thick steel sheet having a thickness of about 20 to 50 mm. Accordingly, the conventional reel is so heavy that the operability thereof becomes very poor, and that the reel suffers from the high cost of transportation. Also, the conventional reel suffers from the high cost of materials and treatments.
Additionally, even this mechanically strong reel, since the generated side pressure is excessively large, cannot avoid plastic deformation of the flanges and the drum. After repeated use of several times, or 10 times or more, the deformation of the reel is proceeding, or the reel is broken to become unusable. That is, the conventional reel has a disadvantage that it fails to ensure durability appropriate to the high costs.

Reel for fine metal wire and method of manufacturing same


There is provided a method of driving an image sensor which can remove FPN resulting from inter-chip variations without requiring any dark correction. A semiconductor photosensor chip has a plurality of sensor modules mounted on a mounting substrate, and a semiconductor device in which at least an N signal input buffer circuit for receiving N signals, an S signal input buffer circuit for receiving S signals, a differential circuit for calculating any difference between the outputs from the N and S signal input buffer circuits, and a voltage clamping circuit for clamping the output from the differential circuit are formed on a single semiconductor substrate, and the voltage clamping circuit clamps the reset state of S and N signal common output line.

The present invention relates to a method of driving an image sensor (for example, a linear contact image sensor) for reading images in a facsimile, image scanner, digital copying machine, X-ray imaging apparatus, or the like and, more particularly, to removal of fixed pattern noise (FPN) arising from inter-chip differences or deviations in a contact image sensor in which a plurality of semiconductor photosensor chips are mounted on a mounting substrate.
In recent years, in the field of linear photo-electric conversion devices, an equal-magnification (magnification=1) contact image sensor in which a plurality of semiconductor photosensors are mounted has been extensively developed in addition to CCDs using reducing optics.
FIG. 1A is a partial block diagram showing the arrangement of a conventional contact image sensor having an amplifier element, which is disclosed in Journal of Television Society Vol. 47, No. 9 (1993), pp. 1180. In this contact image sensor, a plurality of amplifier type semiconductor photosensor chips having amplifier elements in units of pixels are mounted. Especially, FIG. 1A shows the arrangement of a single sensor chip.
The output from one sensor module is externally output via an analog switch 37. FIG. 1B shows a state wherein a plurality of sensor chips are connected. In order to enable the output of a specific chip, the analog switch 37 of that chip is energized.
As shown in FIG. 1A, one sensor chip comprises a plurality of sensor elements (phototransistors 9), an output line 3 (4) which commonly receive the outputs from these transistors 9, differential amplifier 33, clamping circuit 204, and buffer amplifier 36, the above-mentioned analog switch 37, and the like.
In the image sensor, since fixed pattern noise (FPN) resulting from variations of the amplifier elements used for a plurality of pixels is produced, FPN produced in the chip is removed by calculating the difference between a light signal (S signal) and noise signal (N signal) in a dark state (to be referred to as an "S-N method" hereinafter for the sake of simplicity) in the prior art shown in FIG. 1A.
FPN removal using the S-N method in the image sensor shown in FIG. 1A will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1A and 2 (timing chart).
In FIG. 1A, the bipolar transistor 9 constructs a sensor portion of a photo-electric conversion element. Each transistor 9 is connected to a MOS transistor 27 (28), MOS transistor 31 (32), capacitances CTS1 and CTN 2 which are reset by the reset signal φCR, and MOS transistor 25 (26), and the MOS transistors 25 and 26 of the respective bits are connected to the common output lines 3 and 4. Reference symbols CHS and CHN denote capacitances for the output lines 3 and 4. The output lines 3 and 4 are connected to the differential amplifier 33 via voltage-follower amplifiers 13a and 13b.
Upon irradiation of light onto the sensor 9 of the photo-electric conversion element, a light signal (i.e., a charge) corresponding to its light amount hν (h is a Planck constant, and ν is the frequency of the light) is accumulated on the PN junction of the emitter-follower transistor 9. Upon completion of accumulation, the transistor 9 is set in a floating state (by turning off φERS), and φTS is turned on to transfer the charge accumulated on the PN junction to the light signal holding capacitance CTS1. Subsequently, a reset pulse φERS is turned on to reset the sensor (transistor 9). At this time, the charge transferred to the capacitance CTS1 contains noise components. After that, φTN is turned on to transfer a noise (N) signal of the sensor to the noise signal holding capacitance CTN2. Again, a reset pulse φBRS is turned on to enable a MOS transistor 29, and the reset pulse φERS is turned on to enable a MOS transistor 30. Since the MOS transistors 29 and 30 are ON, the sensor transistor 9 is reset and then starts the next accumulation.
Some components of the charges accumulated on the CTS1 and CTN2 are respectively shifted to the output line capacitances CHS and CHN during the next accumulation. This operation is called "capacitive division" for the sake of simplicity since the original charges accumulated on CTS1 and CTN2 are divided as a result of movement of the charges between the two capacitances. The "capacitive division" is activated by the MOS transistors 25 and 26 when a control timing signal φN is ON. The "capacitive division" will be explained below.
In order to reset holding capacitances CHS 7 and CHN 8, MOS transistors 5 and 6 are turned on by a signal φHC. After these capacitances are reset, the MOS transistors 25 and 26 are turned on by the timing signal φN output from a shift register (not shown). When the MOS transistors 25 and 26 are ON, data in the light signal holding capacitance CTS1 and noise signal holding capacitance CTN2 (some components of charges) are respectively transferred to the capacitances CHS7 and CHN 8, connected to the common output lines 3 and 4. Consequently, the potential that appears on the output line 3 (4) is determined by the ratio between the capacitances CHS 7 and CTS 1 (the ratio between CHN 8 and CTN 2). The potential on the output line 3 (4) is amplified by the differential amplifier 33 via an amplifier 13a (13b).
Although not shown in FIG. 1A, as described above, one sensor chip has sensor elements 9 for a plurality of bits. In order to read out the sensor output of the next bit, the capacitances CHS 7 and CHN 8 are reset by turning on the MOS transistors 5 and 6, and a drive signal φN for that bit is then supplied to read out data accumulated on the capacitances CTS and CTN to the common capacitances CHS 7 and CHN 8.
By repeating such shift operation, the charges accumulated on the sensors (transistors 9) of the respective bits are read out to the capacitances CHS 7 and CHN 8. Voltages induced on the capacitances CHS 7 and CHN 8 are input to the differential amplifier 33 via the voltage-follower amplifiers 13a and 13b.
Fixed pattern noise FPN in the sensor IC mainly arises from variations of hFE or the like of the bipolar transistors 9 of the respective pixels (bits). Such variations are reflected in the charges accumulated on the holding capacitances CTS and CTN. FPN removal using the S-N method removes noise resulting from hFE variations of the bipolar transistors 9 in units of pixels by detecting any level differences between the signal lines by the differential amplifier 33 upon reading out the charges accumulated on the holding capacitances CTS and CTN onto the common signal lines 3 and 4.
The S-N method using the differential amplifier 33 is effective for removing FPN produced in the sensor chip.
However, in case of the equal-magnification contact image sensor in which a plurality of photosensors are mounted, since a plurality of linear line sensor chips are cascade-connected, as shown in FIG. 1B, as it is of contact type, the differential amplifiers 33 and buffer amplifiers 36 are arranged in units of chips. Among the differential amplifiers 33 (or buffer amplifiers 36) of the different chips, the DC components of the output voltages vary due to variations of offset potentials. Such variations of the DC offset voltages among chips will be referred to as "FPN resulting from inter-chip differences (inter-chip FPN)" in contrast to "FPN produced in the chip (intra-chip FPN)" in this specification.
The above-mentioned S-N method is not effective for inter-chip FPN.
In the image sensor shown in FIG. 1A, the clamping circuit 204 copes with inter-chip FPN resulting from the differential amplifier 33. That is, the clamping circuit 204 is constructed by a capacitance 34 for cutting DC components from the output from the amplifier 33, and a MOS transistor 35 for fixing to earth level the potential between this capacitance 34 and the input portion of the amplifier 36, that shifts to the minus side. With this arrangement, the clamping circuit 204 can prevent inter-chip FPN attributed to the differential amplifier 33.
However, the present inventors found that it is difficult to remove inter-chip FPN arising from the offsets of the output buffer amplifier 36 even by the prior art technique shown in FIG. 1A.
Especially, when the initial stage of the output buffer amplifier 36 adopts a MOS top arrangement (in which the MOS transistor is located on the input side), since threshold value unbalance of that MOS influences the offsets, offset variations of, e.g., around 10 mV are produced among the output buffer amplifiers 36 of different chips. Even after a plurality of sensor chips are mounted, as shown in FIG. 1B, FPN of around 10 mV is produced.
Hence, when a high-gradation image is to be obtained using the conventional image sensor, dark correction is required in units of chips to assure its dynamic range, and the cost required for system design and manufacture increases.
In the prior art, each sensor chip includes a large-scale analog circuit such as a sensor, holding capacitances, and the like, and 10 to 20 chips are mounted. For this reason, the chip area for the analog circuit portion increases, and it is hard to reduce cost.
Furthermore, each sensor chip includes both a digital circuit such as MOS transistors for light signal read and reset, and the aforementioned analog circuit, and the sensor output is readily influenced by noise produced by the digital circuit.

Image sensor and method for driving an image sensor for reducing fixed pattern noise


An approach is provided to detect pronouns that are included in textual posts that are found in an online discussion. The textual posts are analyzed using a natural language processing speech classification technique, that results in an identification of a noun to which the detected pronoun refers. The system then displays, on a display device, the noun to which the pronoun refers.

With the increasing usage of group messaging apps, it can be increasingly difficult for users to understand the person to which other users are referring. In a real-time conversation with ten users, during which any number of conversations could be taking place, users without full contextual understanding of the overall conversation can easily become confused. If these users are far enough removed from the initial segment of the conversation, it might be impossible for such users to understand which users are being referred to when personal pronouns are used in the conversation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Pronoun mapping for sub-context rendering

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention relates to methods and devices for mitigating and/or minimizing effects of hand jitter or shaking during an auto-focusing process of an image-capturing device. In order to more accurately focus a lens for capturing a digital image, the lens is moved between a minimum and maximum position (along an axis) while capturing sample image frames using a focus window at various lens positions. Improved auto-focusing is achieved by dynamically adjusting the relative position of the focus window for each image frame to cover substantially the same image portion of the target image. By adjusting the focus window for each image frame to cover substantially the same image portion of the target image, variations from shaking may be minimized, thereby improving auto-focusing.

1. Field
Various examples relate generally to image-capturing devices and, more particularly, to an auto-focusing method for devices such as digital cameras.
2. Background
In typical digital cameras, auto-focusing involves moving a lens in and out to hunt for the greatest contrast levels within a focus window. During this auto-focusing process, photosensors for the digital camera are "on" continuously to capture contrast levels. The lens position where the greatest contrast levels are captured is selected as the in-focus position. Such auto-focusing process may take a few seconds to complete. During such time, the camera may move, shake, or jitter as a result of movement of the user's hand when holding a camera. Even if the user is unaware of the movement, the hand is continually moving. When this occurs, the focus window may capture slightly different image areas at different points in the focusing process. Because slightly different image areas may be used to make the contrast determinations, with each image having potentially different objects therein, an optimal focus position may not be achieved. That is, a particular lens position may be falsely identified as providing the greatest contrast levels.

Dynamic auto-focus window selection that compensates for hand jitter


A vehicle door handle assembly is mounted on a support panel for operating a door latch. The door handle assembly has a D-shaped door handle that includes an integral pivot pin. A lock button has a part cylindrical socket that receives the pivot pin to mount the lock button pivotally on the door handle. The pivot pin is shaped to provide a cross section that has a minimum thickness to facilitate lateral insertion of the pivot pin into the part cylindrical socket via a loading slot. The door handle also includes integral trunnions for mounting the door handle pivotally on the support panel.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,590 granted to Yukio Isomura Jun. 13, 1989 discloses an inside handle device that comprises a bezel that acts as a bracket, a D-shaped handle pivotally mounted on the bezel, and a lock button disposed inside the D-shaped handle, and pivotally mounted on the D-shaped handle at one end. The inside handle device also includes a separate hinge pin or pins for pivotally mounting the handle and the lock button for pivotal movement about the same axis. The handle is connected to a latch mechanism of a door latch (not shown) by a control rod. The lock button is connected to a lock mechanism of the door latch by a second control rod. A coil spring biases the door handle to the latched position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,202 granted to Yuichi Kato and Masazumi Miyagawa Apr. 30, 1991 discloses a similar arrangement. The handle devices disclosed in these two patents provide the advantage of a D-shaped handle for unlatching a vehicle door that is strong and easy to operate while also providing a lock button for locking the vehicle door. However, the handle devices comprise many parts and are difficult to assemble.


Provided herein are isoparaffins derived from hydrocarbon terpenes such as myrcene, ocimene and farnesene, and methods for making the same. In certain variations, the isoparaffins have utility as lubricant base stocks.

Polyalpha-olefins (PAOs) make up an important class of hydrocarbon lubricating oils. PAOs are typically produced by the polymerization of alpha-olefins in the presence of a catalyst such as AlCl3, BF3, or a BF3 complex. For example, ethylene, propylene, 1-octene, 1-decene, 1-dodecene, and 1-tetradecene have been used to manufacture PAOs. Oligomerization of the alpha-olefins is typically followed by fractionation and hydrogenation to remove any remaining unsaturated moieties.
It is known to carry out alkylation reactions between isobutane and C3-C5 olefins using H2SO4 or HF as a catalyst to obtain a mixture of alkylates. The mixture of alkylates can have a high octane number, and is a preferred blendstock for reformulated gasolines.
PAOs are commonly categorized by kinematic viscosity (KV) in centistokes (cSt), measured at 100° C. according to ASTM D445. For example, 2 cSt, 2.5 cSt, 4 cSt, 5 cSt, 6 cSt, 7 cSt, 8 cSt, and 9 cSt PAOs comprising various combinations of oligomers and homopolymers of 1-decene and 1-dodecene are known. PAOs are being developed as high performance functional lubricating oils that have improved performance, e.g., over a wide operational temperature range.
Large quantities of PAOs are used in a variety of lubricating applications. However, PAOs existing in the market today are derived from fossil fuels, and hence are not renewable.
There is a continuing need for improved base oils, e.g. base oils that have a wide operational temperature range, and a continuing need for base oils derived from renewable feedstock.

Base oils and methods for making the same


An amount-of-air detecting time period Ti is preset based on an intake time period Tr during which intake air is actually drawn into a cylinder chamber. An intake air amount average value Qa during a time period, other than the time period Ti, between intake strokes is calculated. After confirmation that one half or more of an amount-of-air detecting time period Ti(n+1) has elapsed, an integrated value of the intake air amount is multiplied by a correcting coefficient Ka, and divided by the amount-of-air detecting time period Ti(n+1), thereby calculating an intake air amount Qin during the amount-of-air detecting time period Ti(n+1). The average value Qa of the intake air amount is subtracted from the amount Qin during the amount-of-air detecting time period Ti(n+1), thereby calculating an estimated amount Qp of intake air introduced into the cylinder chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of controlling operation of an internal combustion engine by detecting an amount of intake air introduced into the internal combustion engine and controlling the internal combustion engine based on the detected amount of intake air.
2. Description of the Related Art
Internal combustion engines that have been used on motor vehicles or the like have intake pipes for introducing intake air into the cylinders, which provide combustion chambers and intake valves mounted in respective intake ports, and to which the respective intake pipes are connected, for selectively bringing the cylinders into and out of communication with the respective intake pipes. When the intake valves are opened, intake air is introduced through the intake pipes into the cylinders.
The intake pipes are connected to a throttle valve for regulating the rate of intake air (amount of intake air) flowing through the intake pipes. The throttle valve has a valve opening thereof adjusted to regulate the amount of intake air being introduced into the cylinders. An air flow sensor for measuring or detecting the amount of intake air flowing through the intake pipes is disposed upstream of the throttle valve. A surge tank is connected to the intake pipes downstream of the throttle valve and has a pressure sensor for detecting the air pressure in the intake pipes.
A detected signal from the air flow sensor is output to a control circuit, which calculates the amount (mass or volume) of intake air being introduced into the cylinders from the detected signal from the air flow sensor. Then, the control circuit calculates an optimum amount of fuel to be injected into the cylinders depending on the operating state of the internal combustion engine based on the calculated amount of intake air. The control circuit then outputs a control signal representing the calculated optimum amount of fuel to a fuel injector, thereby controlling operation of the fuel injector. For further details, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-190591, for example.
According to the conventional control system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-190591, when the throttle valve is quickly opened to accelerate the motor vehicle quickly, intake air for filling the surge tank connected to the intake pipes is introduced into the intake pipes, in addition to the intake air that is actually introduced into the cylinders. Therefore, the amount of intake air that is detected by the air flow sensor is the sum of intake air actually introduced into the cylinders and a portion of the intake air filling the intake pipes.
The pressure sensor, which is disposed downstream of the throttle valve separately from the air flow sensor, detects the pressure of intake air filling the intake pipes, and the control circuit estimates the amount of intake air filling the intake pipes. The control circuit is required to subtract the estimated amount of intake air from the total amount of intake air detected by the air flow sensor, thereby estimating the amount of intake air that is actually drawn into the cylinders, for controlling the internal combustion engine.
With the above conventional control system, however, the amount of intake air drawn into the cylinders is estimated based on the amount of intake air detected by the air flow sensor disposed upstream of the throttle valve and the pressure detected by the pressure sensor. Consequently, the control system fails to accurately recognize the amount of intake air actually introduced into the cylinders, which makes it difficult to accurately control the amount of fuel injected into the cylinders based on the amount of intake air.

Method of controlling operation of internal combustion engine


A method for forming images including the steps of: developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent image carrying member with a liquid developer including a carrier liquid; and bringing a toner image thus formed into contact with an oil absorbent selected from the group consisting of a network-forming oil-absorbent material and a gel-swelling oil-absorbent material, to remove the carrier liquid.

As a wet developing system in electrophotography, a process is generally known which comprises giving charges and image exposure on a photosensitive member to form electrostatic latent images, developing the images with a liquid developer comprising, for example, an aliphatic hydrocarbon carrier and toner particles dispersed therein which contains a resin and a colorant as main components, transferring the resulting toner images to a transfer paper sheet, and fixing them, thereby forming images. FIG. 1 shows a schematic construction of an example of an apparatus for conducting such a process. Referring to FIG. 1, a photosensitive member 101 is uniformly charged by use of charging corotrons 102, and an exposure device 103 provides image exposure thereon to form latent images, followed by contact with a liquid developer contained in a developing unit 104, thereby developing the latent images. The toner images thus formed are then transferred to a transfer paper sheet 106 with a transfer corotron 107, and fixed with fixing unit 108. Charges and toner particles remaining on the photosensitive member 101 are removed by means of an eraser lamp 109, a cleaning roll 110 and a cleaning blade 111, making preparations for the next cycle. The reference numeral 105 indicates a metering roll.
When photosensitive paper or a photosensitive film coated with a photoconductive material such as zinc oxide or titanium oxide is used as the photosensitive member, the transfer procedure in the above-described process may be omitted to directly fix the formed toner images on the photosensitive member after development.
Also when a liquid developer is used as a developing means in an electrostatic recording system in which electrostatic latent images are formed on a dielectric member by electric input without using the photosensitive member, the latent images are transferred and fixed in a manner similar to the above.
In a wet developing system, fine toner particles having a size of submicrons to several microns are dispersed in a carrier liquid having a high electric resistance such as an aliphatic hydrocarbon compound, and electrostatic latent images are developed mainly based on the principle of electrophoresis. This system therefore has the feature that high resolution image quality is easily obtained rather than in a dry developing system in which toner particles having a size of more than several microns are used. Two early literatures introduced by K. A. Metcalfe (J. Sci. Instrum., vol. 32, 74 (1955), and ibid., vol. 33, 194 (1956)) disclose that a number of organic and inorganic pigments, including carbon black and magnesium oxide, can be used as pigments (toners) in liquid developers, and that gasoline, kerosine, carbon tetrachloride, etc. can be used as carrier liquids.
Metcalfe's early patents also disclose that halogen-containing hydrocarbons (as described in JP-B-35-5511, the term "JP-B" as used herein means as "examined Japanese patent publication), polysiloxanes (as described in JP-B-36-14872), and ligroin and mixtures thereof with petroleum hydrocarbons (as described in JP-B-38-22343 and JP-B-43-13519) can be used as carrier liquids. Many descriptions of carrier liquids are found in patents relating to toner producing methods (as described, e.g., in JP-B-40-19186, JP-B-45-14545 and JP-B-56-9189). These literatures describe that aromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene, xylene and benzene, and aliphatic hydrocarbons such as esters, alcohols, n-hexane, isododecane and Isopar H, G, L and V manufactured by Exxon Chemical Co. can be used as carrier liquids which sometimes act as dispersing media for polymerization of toner particles. However, these carrier liquids previously proposed are organic solvents having a high vapor pressure, and therefore have the problems in that: (i) vapor of the carrier liquids discharged on fixing is liable to cause environmental pollution, and (ii) the carrier liquids are flammable.
In order to solve these problems, for example, it is proposed to use hydrocarbon-series petroleum solvents that are low in vapor pressure for preventing vapor of the carrier liquids from being generated. However, an increase in the molecular weight of the hydrocarbons for the purpose of lowering the vapor pressure generally causes an increase in the viscosity of the carrier liquids, which results in an adverse effect on the rate of development. Further, the melting point of the carrier liquids is elevated to near room temperature, which requires continuous heating for using them in the liquid developers. This is unfavorable in terms of energy saving, heat pollution and deterioration of the developers.
Furthermore, the use of the carrier liquids having a low vapor pressure in the liquid developers causes penetration of excess carrier liquids into transfer paper. Accordingly, the problems of image quality arise that non-image parts become transparent and that stains due to the carrier liquids are liable to be produced.
In order to solve these problems, a liquid developer is proposed in which an oil coagulating agent is added to the insides of toner particles to adsorb a carrier liquid by heat on fixing (as described in JP-A-62-49363, the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application). In this case, however, the carrier liquid can only be absorbed in the vicinity of toner images, and can not be satisfactorily absorbed over the whole region on a transfer paper sheet. Furthermore, the oil coagulating agent described in JP-A-62-49363 does not generally dissolve in a toner binder, resulting in a decrease in the strength of fixed toner images or exertion of an adverse effect on toner electrification. In addition, the problem is also encountered that the resolution is decreased by absorption of the carrier liquid. Thus, satisfactory results have not been obtained yet.
As described above, with respect to the carrier liquids for liquid developers previously proposed, no means which can fully meet recent environmental regulations, or which fundamentally reduces the amount of carrier liquids discharged from copying machines or printers using liquid developers has been obtained yet.

Apparatus and method for forming images which are treated with an oil absorbent