An amorphous silicon film is formed on a glass substrate by a CVD method, and then the island regions of the amorphous silicon film is changed to a plurality of polycrystalline silicon regions which are arranged in a line and apart with each other in a predetermined distanced by intermittently irradiating laser pulses each having the same dimensions as those of the island region onto the amorphous silicon film, using a laser beam irradiating section. Switching elements including the island regions as semiconductor regions are formed by etching and film-forming process to constitute a driving circuit section. The section is divided to gate driving circuit sections and source driving circuit sections for driving thin film transistors formed in a pixel region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display substrate, and more particularly to a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display substrate having a drive circuit for driving switching elements, and apparatus and method for evaluating semiconductor crystals.
2. Description of the Related Art
LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays) having TFTs (Thin-Film Transistors) used as switching elements can display images of very high quality. Therefore, they are useful and attracting much attention.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the substrate of an LCD. As shown in the figure, TFTs 1b are formed on the center parts of a glass substrate 1a. Pixel electrodes 1c are formed on the center region of the substrate 1a, spaced apart from the TFTs 1b, and electrically connected to the drains of the TFTs 1b, respectively. Each TFT 1b and the pixel electrode associated with the TFT 1b constitute a square pixel unit U having sides of hundreds of microns. Hundreds of thousands of pixel units U are arranged on the glass substrate 1a.
The LCD substrate further comprises a transparent electrode 1d and a transparent substrate 1f. The transparent electrode 1d, which is used common to the pixel units U, is formed on the transparent substrate 1f. The substrate if is so positioned that the electrode 1d is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the center part of the glass substrate 1a, opposing the pixel units U. The gap between the transparent electrode 1d and the center part of the glass substrate 1a is filled with liquid crystal 1e. The center part of the glass substrate 1a, the pixel units U, the liquid crystal 1e, the transparent electrode 1d, and the transparent substrate if constitute a pixel section 10.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the LCD substrate. As shown in this figure, the LCD substrate further comprises packaged IC chips 11 on the exposed portion of the glass substrate 1a, and around the sides of the pixel section 10. The IC chips 11 form a gate driver. The terminals of the IC chips 11 are coupled to scanning electrode lines which in turn are connected to the gate and drain electrodes of the pixel units U.
How to manufacture the LCD substrate shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described. First, a film of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a--SiH) is formed on the glass substrate 1a by means of, for example, plasma CVD method. Then, various films and layers are formed on the amorphous silicon film and subjected to various processes (including etching), forming a number of TFTs 1b, pixel electrodes 1c connected to the TFTs 1b, and scanning electrode lines (not shown) connected to the pixel electrodes 1c. A number of pixel units U, forming a block, are thereby prepared. Next, packaged IC chips 11 are mounted on the glass substrate 1a, around the block of pixel units U. The IC chips 11 are aligned with the respective scanning electrode lines of the pixel units U and electrically connected thereto subsequently. Thereafter, the transparent substrate 1f, with the transparent electrode 1d formed on it, is positioned in place, so that the electrode 1d is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the center part of the glass substrate 1a, opposing the pixel units U. Liquid crystal 1e is applied into the gap between the electrode 1d and the center part of the glass substrate 1a. As a result, the pixel section 10 is fabricated.
There is a demand for a TFT-LCD which has a large display screen and which can display color images of high quality. To meet the demand, it is necessary to use a gate driver which has as many as 400 lines, and a source driver which has as many as 1920 lines. Inevitably it requires a large number of machine-hours to align these lines with the scanning electrode lines of the pixel units, respectively, before electrically connected to the scanning electrode lines. This is one factor of raising the price of the TFT-LCD.
To reduce the price of the TFT-LCD it is desirable that the lines for connecting the gate and source drivers to the pixel section be formed simultaneously with the switching elements of the pixel section. Once the lines of the drivers are so formed, the driver will be connected to the pixel section when they are formed on that portion of the glass plate which extends outside the pixel section. This method of forming the lines simultaneously with the switching elements of the pixel section would save many machine-hours and is a very useful method.
The TFTs of the pixel unit, which are used to display an image, need not operate at high speed. In contrast, it is required of the gate and source drivers, both used for switching the TFTs fast, should operate at much higher speed than the TFTs. In other words, the drivers must have the same operating speed as IC chips. The drivers must therefore comprises a semiconductor film of polycrystalline silicon which have higher field-effect mobility than amorphous silicon.
To form a polycrystalline silicon film on a glass substrate, it is necessary to perform pressure-reduced CVD method at 600.degree. C. or more, at which temperature a substrate of cheap glass will warp. Hence, the substrate must be made of expensive glass such as a quartz glass which would not warp at such high temperatures. This will ultimately raise the manufacturing cost of the TFT-LCD.
A method of forming a polycrystalline silicon film on a substrate of cheap glass, without warping the substrate, has been proposed to avoid an increase in the manufacturing cost of the TFT-LCD. The method comprises the step of forming a large film of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (hereinafter referred to as "a--Si:H") by, for example, plasma CVD in an atmosphere of about 300.degree. C., and the step of applying a laser beam onto the a--Si:H film, thereby raising the surface temperature thereof to about 1200.degree. C. and thus converting the surface region of the a--Si:H film to a polycrystalline silicon film. The polycrystalline silicon film, thus formed can be used as the semiconductor film of the gate and source drivers.
The a--Si:H film formed can be large and of high quality since it is formed at a temperature as low as about 300.degree. C. The application of a laser beam onto the a--Si:H film (i.e., laser annealing) lasts but an extremely short time, for example only 23 nsec in the case of a KrF laser beam and the heat does not reach the glass substrate. Hence, the substrate need not be so heat resistant and can be made of cheap glass. Furthermore, since the a--Si:H film is formed at low temperature and ever a large area, the polycrystalline silicon film is equally large because it is the region of the a--Si:H film, which has been crystallized with a laser beam. This helps to produce a large-screen LCD of transmission type.
When applied with a laser beam, the a--Si:H film generates hydrogen, which may damage the film. To prevent such a damage, many ideas have been propose in respect of methods of applying laser beams, the energy of each laser beam to apply, and the like. The present inventors has been studying a method of applying laser beam pulses onto a strip-shaped target region of a rectangular a--Si:H film, which extends along at least one side of the film, thereby crystallizing the target regions. (Drive circuit sections of an LC substrate may be formed in the strip-shaped region thus crystallized.) This method, however, has the following problems.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams, each illustrating the relationship between the positions of two adjacent laser beams applied to an a--Si:H film, on the one hand, and the field-effect mobility in the film, on the other. Each laser beam has an intensity which is uniformly distributed in the direction parallel to the a--Si:H film and which diverges toward the a--Si:H film.
In the case where the adjacent two laser beams do not overlap at all, as shown in FIG. 3A, no laser-beam energy is applied to that region of the film which lies between the regions thereof irradiated with the laser beams. This region therefore remains not crystallized, whereas the irradiated regions are crystallized. Polycrystalline silicon and a--Si:H and polycrystalline silicon have field-effect mobility of 30 to 600 cm.sup.2 /V s and 0.3 to 1 cm.sup.2 /V s, respectively. The field-effect mobility of polycrystalline silicon is two orders of magnitude greater than that of a--Si:H. An a--Si:H region is formed in the polycrystalline silicon region, the drive circuit sections formed in the strip-shaped region crystallized with laser beams successively applied to the a--Si:H film will greatly differ in their operating characteristic.
In the case where the adjacent two laser beams overlap at least in part, as shown in FIG. 3B, a portion of the a--Si:H film is irradiated two times to have field-effect mobility higher than the remaining portion of the a--Si:H film, despite that each laser beam has an intensity which is uniformly distributed in the direction parallel to the a--Si:H film. This is because polycrystalline silicon and a--Si:H have melting points of 1414.degree. C. and 1000.degree. C., respectively, so that the sizes of their grains vary. The polycrystalline silicon film cannot be uniform in terms of field-effect mobility (In FIG. 3B, the irregular portion has a higher mobility as shown by a projection curve, typically, but may has a lower mobility.)

Method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display substrate


A hybrid vehicle includes an electric control unit. A predictable condition may be a condition that the time period from beginning of a charging of a battery to beginning of a rapid decrease in charged electricity is predicted to be within a specified time period. The electronic control unit may be configured to control a first motor such that a motoring of an engine is performed at a first speed by the first motor. The electronic control unit may be configured to prevent motoring of the engine by the first motor when the predictable condition is not satisfied. The electronic control unit may be configured to control the first motor such that the motoring of the engine is performed at a second speed that is higher than the first speed by the first motor when the predictable condition is satisfied.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a hybrid vehicle.
Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-125078 (JP 2014-125078 A) discloses such a hybrid vehicle that is configured by including: an engine; a first motor; a planetary gear that includes a sun gear, a carrier, and a ring gear connected to the first motor, the engine, and a drive shaft that is coupled to an axle; a second motor that is connected to the drive shaft; and a battery that supplies/receives electricity to/from the first motor and the second motor, and applies a braking force to the vehicle by regenerative drive of the second motor and motoring of the engine, which is in a state where fuel injection is stopped, by the first motor when an accelerator is off. In this hybrid vehicle, excess charging of the battery may be suppressed by motoring of the engine by the first motor, so as to consume the electricity by the first motor when the accelerator is off.
Deterioration of the battery may be promoted when the battery is continuously charged with relatively high charge electricity (charge current). Accordingly, in order to suppress the deterioration of the battery from being promoted, when the battery is continuously charged, permissible charged electricity of the battery can be set such that a time period from beginning of the charging to beginning of a rapid decrease in the charged electricity is shortened, and a decrease amount per unit time (a decreased rate) at the beginning of the rapid decrease in the charged electricity is increased as the charged electricity of the battery is increased. When the charged electricity starts being rapidly decreased, an engine speed may have to be rapidly increased, and consumed electricity by the first motor may have to be rapidly increased. However, when an increase amount in the engine speed per unit time is relatively large, a driver possibly receives a sense of discomfort.


A composition for assaying nitrites comprising a diazotizable amine, an acid component and a coupling component, wherein the coupling component is a compound of the following formula I: ##STR1## wherein R represents a hydrogen atom or a straight-chain alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, such as a methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, n-butyl, n-pentyl or n-hexyl group and n represents an integer of 1 to 6, with the proviso that the sulfoalkyl group may be substituted with at least 1 hydroxyl group,. or a water-soluble salt thereof as well as test devices carrying the composition. This composition is far more sensitive than conventional compositions for assaying nitrites. With this composition, for example, a trace amount of as small as 0.02 mg/100 ml of a nitrite to be detected in urine in the diagnosis of a bacterial infection such as urinary tract infection can be detected surely.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composition for detecting nitrites or nitrite-forming bacteria in foods and body fluids, particularly urine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The frequency of occurrence of urinary tract infection is high. This disease is asymptomatic and the patients are women in most cases. When bacteriuria patients are left untreated, they suffer from manifest urinary tract infection frequently to cause various problems. However, an early diagnosis of the infection is possible by detecting bacteria excreted in the urine. When the diagnosis is to be effected biologically, urine is taken in such a manner that it is not contaminated with persistent bacteria. After a quantitative culture, at least 10.sup.5 /ml of the bacteria should be detected. However, the quantitative culture requires a complicated technique and a long time. Therefore, a chemical method has been employed for the rough quantitative determination of the bacteria more easily and rapidly.
Bacteria such as E. coli (the most common bacterium causing urinary tract infection), Proteus, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus and Enterococcus contain in their microbial bodies an enzyme which reduces nitrates into nitrites. Vesical urine of a healthy person is free from bacteria and, therefore, when a nitrite is detected in urine, it may be considered that a urinary tract such as renal pelvis or bladder is infected with one or more of the above-mentioned bacteria and that a nitrate in urine was reduced into a corresponding nitrite in the infected part.
A known, highly sensitive method of detecting bacteria in the urinary tract is based on the determination of the nitrite in excreted urine by a Griess test. A typical reagent for determining the nitrite by this test comprises an acidic solution of sulfanilic acid and 1-naphthylamine. In the Griess test, a nitrite contained in a sample diazotizes sulfanilic acid and a resulting diazonium salt is coupled with 1-naphthylamine to form a red dye. The concentration of this dye is proportional to the concentration of the nitrite. Therefore, the concentration of the nitrite can be determined by, for example, colorimetric analysis using a previously prepared calibration curve. This method had demerits in that the reagent solution is unstable and the operation is troublesome. To overcome these demerits, a method has been proposed wherein the Griess test is conducted on a carrier on which the reagent composition has been fixed.
In the field of so-called "dry chemistry" in which a reagent composition used for the assay of a body fluid composition is fixed on a carrier, a reagent composition comprising sulfanilic acid, 1-naphthylamine and a solid organic acid has been known (see Fischl & Pinto "Clin. Chim. Acta" 2, 527-533 (1957). Such a reagent mixture in dry state is far more stable than the solution so that it can be stored for a long time. Another example of the assaying agents is a reagent mixture comprising a diazotizable amine, an N,N-dialkyl-2-naphthylamine and a solid organic acid as disclosed in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 3,415,717. However, these known test pieces have a minimum detection limit of 0.1 to 1 mg/100 ml in terms of sodium nitrite. Such a low sensitivity is insufficient for detecting only a trace of the nitrite to be detected in the examination of bacterial infection. Under these circumstances, the development of highly sensitive and stable test pieces has been demanded.
After intensive investigations made for the purpose of overcoming the above-mentioned defects of the conventional methods, the inventors have completed the present invention.


Browser compatibility checking of a web page source document that generates one or more web page is implemented on one or more servers. The browser compatibility checking of a web page may involve receiving a script file that includes script commands for capturing the appearance of the web page following various dynamic interactions with one or more browsers. An interaction simulation engine may be directed to simulate an interaction with each web page based on an interaction script command included in the script file. Further, an image capture engine may be trigger by an image capture script command included in the script file to capture an image of the web page.

Web users may use different applications, such as web browsers, to view web content. Web browsers may be developed for different operating systems and hardware platforms, or may be released by different browser developers for the same operating system platform. Moreover, a particular web browser may exist in several different versions as features are added or updated by browser developers.
As a result, web content providers spend considerable amounts of time and effort to ensure that their web pages are rendered and displayed properly across a broad set of commonly used web browsers, regardless of the version numbers and/or developers of the web browsers. Failure to properly test the rendering of web pages by a particular web browser may cause web content to be displayed incorrectly, web-based functions to fail to execute, or may result in a loss of valuable data. In instances where a web content provider depends on the web content to conduct commerce activities, the failure of a particular version of web browser to properly render a web page may result in loss of productivity, damage to business reputation or relations, or loss of potential sales or profits.


A non-magnetic intermediate layer is provided between a reproductive layer and a recording layer. The reproductive layer is composed of a first reproductive layer and a second reproductive layer. When the first reproductive layer has a temperature that is higher than a first critical temperature, its stable magnetic domain width becomes smaller than a recording magnetic domain width so that the magnetization is reversed. When the second reproductive layer has a temperature that is higher than a second critical temperature, its stable magnetic domain width becomes larger than the recording magnetic domain width so that the reversed magnetic domain is collapsed. The first critical temperature is lower than the second critical temperature. A reproductive output having abrupt rising and falling can be obtained by the generation and the collapse of the reverse magnetic domain on the reproductive layer. For this reason, higher density recording required for larger capacity can be achieved.

As a rewritable optical recording medium, a magneto-optical recording medium has practical application, but a conventional magneto-optical recording medium has an disadvantage such that its reproducing characteristics become worse as its recording bit diameter and recording bit gap become smaller than a beam diameter of a light beam to be irradiated. Such a disadvantage is due to that an adjacent recording bit comes into a converged light beam spot and thus respective recording bits cannot be reproduced separately.
In order to eliminate the above disadvantage, some announcements about a magneto-optically reproducing technique utilizing a magnetic super resolution phenomenon were made at MORIS '94. The abstracts of the announcements include No. 29-K-04 "MSR Disks with three Magnetic Layers Using In-Plane Magnetization Films" (p.125) and No. 29-K-05 "Magnetically-Induced Super Resolution Using Magneto-Static Coupling" (p. 126). In these abstracts, a magneto-optical recording medium in which an intermediate layer having in-plane magnetization or a non-magnetic intermediate layer is provided between a reproductive layer that are in-plane magnetization state at room temperature and that are in a perpendicular magnetization state at a higher temperature and a recording layer is used. As a result, a front mask and a rear mask in the in-plane magnetization state are formed, and a signal shows an abrupt change due to the rear mask.
In addition, No. 29-K-06 "New Readout Technique Using Domain Collapse on Magnetic Multilayer" (p. 127) disclosed that when satisfactory Jitter characteristics are obtained in an abrupt change in a signal due to the rear mask and when a reproductive signal is differentiated, a position of recording bits can be accurately detected.
In addition, the inventor makes a suggestion in connection with the magneto-optical reproducing technique utilizing the magnetic super resolution phenomenon as follows. FIG. 25 shows a schematic arrangement of the magneto-optical recording medium. As shown in FIG. 25, a substrate 71, a transparent dielectric layer 72, a reproductive layer 73, a non-magnetic intermediate layer 79, a recording layer 74, a protective layer 75, and an over coat layer 76 are laminated on a disk main body 200 in this order. The substrate 71 is made of a transparent base material, such as polycarbonate, and the substrate 71 has a disk shape.
The recording layer 74 has recording bits 201 and 202 to which digital information is recorded in perpendicular magnetization directions that are antiparallel. The recording bits 201 and 202 are magnetic domains used for recording information.
The reproductive layer 73 is provided on the recording layer 74 so as to have a reproductive bit on which a magnetization direction is transferred from the recording bits 201 and 202. The reproductive layer 73 is formed such that a compensation temperature of a perpendicular magnetization film of the reproductive layer 73 becomes closer to room temperature, saturation magnetization becomes strong at a higher temperature so as to become maximal in the vicinity of a reproducing temperature and that lowering of coercive force becomes less compared to increase in the saturation magnetization as the temperature rises from room temperature to the reproducing temperature. More specifically, a width of a stable magnetic domain, which can stably exist, in a reproducing bit becomes larger than a magnetic domain width 74a of the recording bits 201 and 202 at room temperature. Meanwhile, when the temperature of the reproductive layer 73 rises up to the reproducing temperature by a light beam 78 for detecting a magnetization direction of the reproductive bit, the stable magnetic domain width becomes smaller as the temperature rises so as to become smaller than the magnetic domain width 74a.
The non-magnetic intermediate layer 79 blocks magnetic moment of two magnetic ions, namely, exchange interaction that is magnetic coupling force for determining a relative direction of spinning between the recording layer 74 and the reproductive layer 73.
In accordance with the above arrangement, since the stable magnetic domain width of the reproducing bit on the reproductive layer 73 is larger than the magnetic width 74a of the recording bits 201 and 202 at room temperature, the reproducing bits cannot be exist with them having the same width as of the recording bits 201 and 202. Moreover, since the exchange interaction between the reproductive layer 73 and the recording layer 74 is blocked by the intermediate layer 74, the magnetization direction of the reproducing bit does not become same as that of the recording bits. When the converged light beam 78 is irradiated onto the reproductive layer 73, the reproductive layer 73 and the recording layer 74 have the same temperature distribution according to intensity distribution of the light beam 78 (approx. Gauss distribution). As the temperature rises, the stable magnetic domain width of the reproducing bit becomes small, and when the reproducing bit having a size corresponding to the recording bit 201 can exist stably, the reproducing bit 73a whose magnetization was reversed by a stray magnetic field 207 generated from the recording layer 74 is formed. At this time, since the magnetic coupling force between a reproducing bit 73b other than the reproducing bit 73a and the recording layer 74 is small, the reproducing bit 73b is separated from the reproducing 73a, and its magnetization direction becomes same as that of the recording bit due to an external magnetic field and the like.
Therefore, when the reproductive layer 73 is suitably set, the magnetization of only one portion of the domain to which the light beam 78 was irradiated can be reversed. For this reason, even if a size and gap of the recording bits 201 and 202 are decreased, the reproducing bits can be separated independently, thereby improving recording density of a magneto-optical recording medium. However, in the magneto-optical recording medium announced in the MORIS '94, the falling of the reproductive signal becomes abrupt due to the rear mask formed at the time of the reproduction, but the rising of the reproductive signal becomes gentle as the light beam moves and as the temperature rises like the conventional one. For this reason, the recording density of the magneto-optical recording medium cannot be sufficiently improved.
In addition, in the magneto-optical recording medium suggested by the inventor of the present invention, just when the temperature of the reproductive layer 73 rises and the stable magnetic domain width becomes smaller than the magnetic domain width of the recording bits 201 and 202, the reversed magnetic domain is instantaneously formed on the reproductive layer 73, and thus the rising of the reproductive signal becomes abrupt. However, since the temperature of the reproductive layer 73 is comparatively gently lowered, the falling of the reproductive layer becomes gentle. Therefore, the recording density of the magneto-optical recording medium cannot be sufficiently improved.

Magneto-optical recording medium having two reproduction layers and a method for reproducing thereof


In one embodiment, a method includes defining a plurality of virtual drives in a physical drive in communication with a plurality of servers, assigning virtualization parameters to each of the virtual drives, and communicating the virtualization parameters to a drive manager located at the physical drive and operable to configure the virtual drives on the physical drive. An apparatus is also disclosed.

Capacity of storage drives in computer systems, such as servers is often underutilized. Drive manufacturers tend to maintain the average selling price of a drive while increasing capacity through the use of technological advances. Therefore, it is often not practical to reduce the system cost, even if storage demands do not increase as offered capacity increases. In some applications, it is beneficial to share a drive across multiple servers. In conventional systems, a storage controller is used to implement volume management and carve out volumes from shared drives.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.


Mutant Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) nucleic acid sequences useful for a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic applications, kits for using the HBV nucleic acid sequences, HBV immunogenic particles, and a method for producing antibodies to HBV. Also provided are methods for producing antibodies, polyclonal or monoclonal, from the HBV nucleic acid sequences.

This invention relates generally to mutants of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and more particularly, relates to new mutants of HBV, their significance in clinical applications, their use as reagents in detection of HBV infection and immunity and their use in vaccines.
HBV is known to cause a variety of disease states, from mild subclinical infection to chronic active and fulminant hepatitis. The hepatitis B genome is a circular, partially double stranded DNA of approximately 3200 base pairs which code for seven viral proteins. P. Tiollais et al., Nature 317:489-495 (1985). The polymerase gene completely overlaps the viral envelope genes PreS1, PreS2 and S, and partially overlaps the X and core genes. The envelope of the hepatitis B virion consists of three proteins and their glycosylated derivatives. These proteins, termed small (S), middle (M) and large (L) hepatitis B surface (HBs) proteins contain the S gene sequence. W. H. Gerlich et al., in Viral Hepatitis and Liver Disease, F. B. Hollinger et al., eds. Williams-Wilkens, Baltimore, Md., pages 121-134 (1991). The MHBs contains the PreS2 sequence (55 amino acids [a.a]) and the L protein contains the Pros1 sequence (108 or 119 a.a., depending on subtype) plus the PreS2 sequence. Only a very small portion of the total hepatitis B surface antigen exists as complete virions or Dane particles. Two other morphological forms, 22 nm spherical particles and filaments of 22 nm diameter and variable length, lack capsid or DNA and are produced in high excess over HBV virions.
The core gene encodes the nucleocapsid protein (183 or 185 a.a.), hepatitis B core Antigen (HBcAg). Immediately upstream of the core gene is the precore region which consists of 87 nucleotides encoding 29 a.a. in phase with the core gene. The first 19 a.a. of the precore region serve as a signal for membrane translocation and eventual secretion of the precore gene product, termed HBe antigen (Ag). The function of HBe is enigmatic but may help the virus escape immune surveillance by inducing immune tolerance.
Because of the genomic compactness and the extensive functional overlaps, it is expected that significant constraints on DNA sequence divergence would occur in order to maintain a genome capable of efficient replication and transmission. The hepatitis B virus, however, shows greater mutability than previously appreciated. Similar to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), HBV uses reverse transcriptase (RT) as an essential step in the replication cycle. RT has poor proofreading ability, leading to a high rate of nucleotide misincorporation. Calculations suggest that this error-prone replication leads to one point replacement, deletion or insertion per 1000 to 100,000 nucleotides copied. W. Carman et al., Lancet 341:349-353 (1993). Variability in the virus was first discovered through classical subtyping studies of HBsAg. A. M. Courouce et al., Bibliotheca Haematologica 42:1 (1976).
Mutations may not be located randomly on the genome. Recent reports have documented the emergence of other mutations in the pre core, core and envelope protein genes, PreS and S, which presumably give these mutants a selective advantage over wild type (WT) in evading the immune system.
Evidence suggests that viral clearance and liver cell injury in HBV infection are mediated by a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response to one or more HBV-encoded antigens expressed at the hepatocyte surface. M. Peters et al., Hepatology 13:977-994 (1991). A strong T-cell response to HBcAg and HBeAg antigens, but not to envelope antigens, was found in acute hepatitis B. Persistence of viral replication correlated with a blunted T-cell response to HBcAg. Although T cell response to viral antigen may be abrogated in chronic HBV, CTL response may persist in chronic carriers.
Also, there is evidence of ongoing humoral response in both symptomatic and asymptomatic hepatitis B carders. High levels of anti-HBc are observed in almost all HBV carriers. Twenty percent of random HBsAg positive specimens have detectable HBeAg and anti-HBe, and 10-20% have detectable but low level anti-HBs. A recent report using very sensitive detection methods indicates that virtually all HBV patients with liver disease and about 50% of chronic hepatitis B patients without liver disease have demonstrable humoral immune responses specific for HBeAg and anti-HBsAg and PreS Ag. Much of the anti-HBs response, however, may exist because of the different fine specificities of HBsAg and anti-HBs and probably is not neutralizing. These data support the theory that there is ongoing immune surveillance of precore, core and envelope gene products in chronic HBV carriers which could provide selective pressure for the emergence of HBV variants.
The HBV envelope regions encompassing PreS1 and PreS2 and the region 120-160 a.a. of S are exposed on the surface of the viral particles, and thus would be expected to be targets of immune surveillance. W. H. Gerlich et al., supra. Some S mutants described to date have significantly affected the antigenicity of the "a" epitope(s) which is common or group-specific determinant(s) of SHBs. W. Carman et al., Gastroenterology 102:711-719 (1992). The "a" determinants are complex, conformational and dependent upon disulfide bonding among highly conserved cysteine residues. The "a" immunoreactivity can be partially mimmicked by cyclic synthetic peptides. Although the "a" epitope(s) traditionally had been defined by reactivity to polyclonal antisera, the use of monoclonal antibody has shown that the "a" region consists of at least five non-overlapping epitopes. D. Peterson et al., J. Immunol. 132:920-927 (1984). Genetic variation in the "a" determinant leading to immune escape has been described in vacinees in Italy and Japan and in liver transplant patients on monoclonal anti-a antibody therapy. See, for example, W. F. Carman et al., Lancet 336:325-329 (1990); H. Okamoto et al., Pediatric Research 32:264-268 (1992); G. McMahon et al., Hepatology 15:757-766 (1992); H. Fujii et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 184:1152-1157 (1992); and T. J. Harrison et al., J. of Hepatology 13:5105-5107 (1991). The most common mutant described to date is a single nucleotide substitution leading to replacement of a glycine with an arginine (G-R 145). This mutation destroys some but not all "a" epitopes. Detection of anti-HBs with monoclonal antibody has not been problematic.
Other mutations in the "a" region lead to loss of subtypic or type specific determinants, y/d and w/r. Several recent papers have documented the emergence of gross deletions and point mutations in the PreS1/PreS2 region suggesting that the production of these envelope gene products also are under immune selection in chronically infected individuals. HBV mutants which cannot replicate because of deletions in the env, C or P genes have been reported in plasma from HBV carriers. All coexist with HBV forms which are replication competent. Okamoto et al. (supra) demonstrated that mutant genomes with gross deletions in the PreS/S, C and P genes derived from plasma or asymptomatic carriers may be complemented in transient expressions system with hepatoma cells. Complementation was measured as the ability to secrete viral particles with mutant genomes into the culture media. Interestingly, all routants had an intact encapsidation signal. Complementation with predecessor WT viruses, other routants and even with HBV DNA sequences integrated into host chromosomes was demonstrated in this in vitro system. Thus, the suggestion that HBV mutants acting as defective interfering particles may attenuate WT virus replication and thereby help maintain persistence of infection has been made.
The detection of mutants of Hepatitis B surface antigen therefore is important. Mutants may develop over time due to such factors as vaccine administration or infection. The identification and detection of mutant Hepatitis B Virus(es) may lead to vaccine development and detection systems to determine the presence of these mutants in test samples. A need therefore exists not only to identify these mutant strains, but also to provide detection systems capable of determining the presence of the mutant in a test sample. A further need also exists for the development of a vaccine to such mutant swain(s).

Hepatitis B virus mutants, reagents and methods for detection


A measurement electrode head system is disclosed for connection to electrodes for electrochemical potential measurement. The head includes an electrode cap for connection with glass and plastic electrode rods. A coaxial cable having an outer shielding conductor and an inner conductor connects to the cap. A plastic jacket is integrally molded onto one end of the coaxial cable. The jacket has a continuous electrically conductive shielding layer adjacent an inside surface thereof and the inner conductor of the cable connects with a connection element supported within and surrounded by the electrode cap and conductive shielding layer.

The invention relates to an electrode head, for instance for electrochemical potential measurement electrodes. The head comprises an electrode cap for connection with an electrode rod generally consisting of glass or plastics. Contacts are located in the electrode cap for connection with discharge connections from the electrode rod and a coaxial cable having an external conductor which serves, in general, as a screen and which is insulated from one or more internal conductors in the cable. The invention also relates to a process for the production of such an electrode head.
Measuring electrodes usually have a high internal resistance (.about.10 M Ohms). The connecting cable is consequently formed as a coaxial cable to ensure electrostatic screening. The core of the cable is connected with the actual measuring system. The electrostatic screening concentrically surrounding the cable core usually takes the form of a copper mesh and is connected either with the electrostatic screening or shielding within the electrode concentrically around the measuring system or, in the case of single rod measuring circuits, together with the reference system, simultaneously serving as a screen.
In electrode heads of such electrodes, the internal conductor of the potential transmitting element is generally connected to the electrode cable. The electrostatically screened potential is transmitted to the measuring instrument by means of the electrode cable. In the case of single rod measuring circuits, the reference electrode signal is also transmitted by way of the screening mesh.
A number of such electrode head designs is already known.
In one such design, an outer electrode head is in the form of a metal or plastics sleeve to which a cable grommet or a water-tight bush is fitted. Assemblies are also known in which the electrodes are fitted by screwing them into the head. Other designs favor a cylindrical rubber cap through which the cable is introduced from the top and which is secured to the glass electrode body. The cap in such designs is connected to the glass electrode body either by bonding with epoxy resin, silicone resin or other adhesive or cement or by simple press-fitting. The cable at such an electrode is connected with the internal conductor of the electrode within the so-called electrode head. This connection or link cable is connected with the internal conductor by soldering or welding, or by press contacts. In other designs the cable core extends further into the electrode and contact is effected with a plug contact or by means of metal wool within the electrode. The reference electrode connection is then connected by pressing or by soldering with the screening, transmitting the reference electrode signal to the measuring instrument.
All designs known hitherto have one or more of the following disadvantages:
The screening, i.e. in a single rod measuring circuit of the reference electrode connection, is in the form of an external jacket which is not insulated from the environment. In the event of moisture or manual contact with the head of the electrode, the reference system is short-circuited by way of the resultant shunt resistor or there is a double grounding;
The electrode head is secured mechanically by a screw arrangement, but with sufficient moisture-protection, so that the insulation resistance required for measurement purposes is not maintained in the long term between the cable core and the screening of the coaxial cable;
The electrode head has no shielding protection at all in the case where a metal sleeve is used as the electrode head, and the metal sleeve is not connected to the screen system. Such electrode designs are hand-sensitive as a result of electrostatic discharges;
The cable core and screening are connected in each case by soldering to the internal contacts. The soldering is subject to the hazard of cold joints and is also highly costly.


An electrolyte for an electrolytic capacitor is disclosed, containing a carboxylic acid salt of a cationic nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound as solute within an aprotic solvent or a mixed solvent comprising major aprotic solvent and minor polyol solvent.

Conventionally, organic acids such as adipic acid or salts thereof being dissolved in polyols such as ethylene glycol are used for an electrolyte for an electrolytic capacitor.
The electrolyte is inserted between a dielectric layer of an anode electrode and a current collector cathode electrode to provide a series resistance of an electrolytic capacitor. Accordingly, when the conductivity of the electrolyte is low, an equivalent series resistance within an electrolytic capacitor is increased creating a high-frequency characteristic and a poor loss characteristic. The latest increase in demand for electrolytic capacitors having higher electric characteristics has not been satisfied with the conductivity of the presently available electrolytes. Especially in the case of the presently available electrolytes, a desired conductivity is difficult to obtain by using a solute in a sufficiently high concentration, thus the conductivity has been inevitably improved by intentionally adding water. The addition of water causes a decrease in the stability of the electric capacitor at high temperatures. Accordingly, an electrolyte having a high conductivity and stability is needed.

Heterocyclic electrolyte salts for electrolytic capacitors


A method and apparatus for authenticating a radar return signal include: generating an outgoing radar beam; generating a pair of entangled photons comprising a signal photon and an idler photon; combining the signal photon with the outgoing radar beam to generate a combined beam; sending the combined beam towards a target; receiving a return beam; detecting the signal photon from the return beam by a quantum illumination receiver; and making a joint detection with the idler photon.

Optical ranging and target detection have become an important capability for imaging systems, offering 3D reconstruction of standoff targets and enabling tasks such as, target identification, characterization and orientation. Optical ranging and target detection may be performed by laser or radar. Typically, laser ranging is performed using a short pulsed laser, and a high-speed photodetector, measuring time of flight of the optical pulse and then calculating the distance to the target, given the speed of optical pulse (light).
However, modern radar systems are susceptible to jamming techniques capable of "spoofing" the transmitted radar signals, before they are received back. Classical electromagnetic (EM) radiation can be measured, copied and modified (spoofed), unbeknownst to the receiver. For example, a digital RF (radio frequency) Memory (DRFM) may be used to spoof or jam a radar (return) signal. A DRFM is an electronic method for digitally capturing and retransmitting RF signal. DRFMs are typically used in radar jamming, among other applications. A typical DRFM system digitizes an incoming RF input signal at a given frequency and bandwidth to adequately represent the signal, and then reconstructs that RF signal when required. The most significant aspect of DRFM is that as a digital "duplicate" of the received signal, it is coherent with the source of the received signal. More relevantly, a DRFM may modify the signal before retransmitting it. This modification can alter the signature of a target by adjusting its apparent radar cross section, range, velocity, and/or angle. Accordingly, DRFMs present a significant obstacle for radar sensors.
Techniques in pulse shaping of classical radiation have typically been used to try to defeat DRFM, however, these techniques merely make it difficult for a target to spoof a radar or laser detection and ranging (ladar) signal and thus do not provide for the physical impossibility of spoofing.
The present invention capitalizes on the no-cloning theorem and the properties of quantum entanglement of quantum mechanics to detect any spoofing or jamming of a radar/ladar system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for authenticated interrogation of a target with quantum entanglement


A vehicle control device includes the following components. An action plan generating unit generates an action plan of a vehicle. An automated driving control unit carries out a first driving mode in which at least one of acceleration/deceleration and steering of the vehicle is automatically controlled based on the action plan. An operation device accepts an operation performed by an occupant of the vehicle. A handover control unit instructs shifting to a second driving mode, in which the degree of automated driving is lower than in the first driving mode, when the occupant operates the operation device to instruct one or both of acceleration/deceleration and steering in the first driving mode. A restraint control unit generates an estimated path of the vehicle to be taken based on the operation and restrains shifting to the second driving mode if the estimated path contradicts the action plan.

For example, there are vehicles that detect a distance to an obstacle such as a vehicle located ahead, calculate a dangerous distance on the basis of the detected distance and the speed thereof, and issue an alert when the distance to the obstacle becomes equal to the dangerous distance, and a technique for automatically braking such vehicles when the distance to the obstacle becomes equal to the dangerous distance is disclosed (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-242164).
Research on technologies for automatically controlling at least one of acceleration/deceleration and steering of a vehicle so that the vehicle travels along a route to a destination (hereinafter, referred to as "automated driving") has been conducted recently.

Vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program with restraining handover of driving mode


A modular hip implant is disclosed that includes a base member that is to be attached to a pelvic bone, and a cup for accommodating a hip joint prosthesis. The base member is provided with fasteners for mounting the base member on the pelvic bone as well as a concave accommodation portion for the cup. The cup has a convex outer shape which is complementary to the accommodation portion such that the radii of curvature determining the concave accommodation portion and the convex outer form essentially correspond to each other and the cup can be attached within the base member. The base member and/or the cup include adjustment means for adjusting the position of the cup relative to the base member. The invention allows the inclination and anteversion to be adjusted by arranging the cup in the base.

The invention generally relates to hip implants, particularly to a modular hip implant comprising a base member in form of an acetabular support shell for being attached to a pelvic bone, and comprising a cup for receiving a hip joint prosthesis, wherein the base member can be attached at the pelvic bone and comprises an accommodation portion for the cup, wherein the cup has an outer shape complementary to the accommodation portion.
Artificial hip joints comprise a hip joint prosthesis insertable into the femur and an acetabular cup to be attached to the pelvic bone. The end of the hip joint prosthesis pointing away from the knee has a spherical shape to engage into the acetabular cup of a hip implant and to form a ball joint together with this cup.
If the pelvis does not offer sufficient osseous substance for safely fastening a simple acetabular cup, an additional support by ring or shell structures is required. These structures can particularly be used in hip joint exchange operations, in which the actual bone loss can only be determined during an operation and after the primary implants have been disassembled. The bone cement used to fix the cup in place also represents one reason for exchanging a cup. Also in the case of a successful cup revision, a later second revision should be expected. Other than the reconstruction of osseous defects by using transplants, an easily-handled, purely cement-free fastening therefore offers significant advantages.
Important aims in the placement of an artificial acetabular cup or revision cup are:
1. primary stable fastening of bone transplants,
2. primary stable fastening of the acetabular cup or support cup,
3. reconstruction of the anatomic hip rotation center, and
4. correct tilting of the cup in the so-called angles inclination and anteversion.
If the two centers of rotation of the two hip joints are connected by a first (horizontal) axis, the anteversion represents the angle of the cup axis with respect to the first (horizontal) axis in a (horizontal) plane through the first (horizontal) axis and a second anterioposterior (horizontal) axis. The inclination represents the angle of the cup axis with respect to the first (horizontal) axis in a (vertical) plane through the first (horizontal) axis and a craniocaudal (vertical) axis. In the human body, the inclination has values in the range between 30° and 50°, whereas values in the range of 5 to 25° are measured in anteversion.
The position of the hip rotation center determines the biomechanics of the hip joint and thus also the life of the implanted endoprosthesis. Additionally, the scope of movement and the transmission of power are defined by the anteversion and by the inclination. If the anteversion is incorrectly chosen, the neck of the femoral shaft prosthesis can abut at the cup edge or the support shell and lever the joint ball out of the cup/shell structure. In the case of an incorrect inclination with a lack of roofing of the joint ball by the acetabular cup, the risk of dislocating the hip joint exists.
When implanting an artificial hip joint, the surgeon should be prepared to take the individual anatomic conditions of the body to be treated into consideration, including the skeletal structure with osseous defects and the muscle/ligament situation of the supporting ligaments. The above-mentioned interrelationships, however, frequently force a compromise between primary stable fastening of support shells at the bone, optimum position of the hip rotation center and correct inclination and anteversion angles. Such difficult implant exchange situations make simple handling with a fully cement-free supply along with an extended adjustment possibility of the anteversion and inclination especially desirable.
Conventional hip implants for revisions are composed of a shell-shaped base member, which predominantly takes over a support function. These implants are usually fastened without cement in a primary stable manner on the pelvic bone. A cup-shaped insert can be inserted in cement-free or cemented manner into this cup by taking the correct inclination and anteversion angle into consideration. This insert accommodates the ball of the hip joint prosthesis.
The cemented fastening of the cup has the advantage that this cup can be adjusted autonomously within certain limits in the shell. The additional introduction of bone cement is, however, undesirable in many cases because of the known disadvantages, and it does not offer a durable support in the shell structure against oscillations occurring between the shell and the cup.
An acetabular socket support ring is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,778, which permits adjusting the anteversion and inclination of a cement-free cup. Therein, the joint ball is retained and held in position between an inner concavely shaped supporting ring and a second ring that can be screwed into the supporting ring, the ring also being shaped concavely on the section facing the joint ball. A disadvantage of this solution is that when the cup is tilted, it is submersed under the edge level of the supporting ring (U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,778: FIG. 2) and thus the neck of the shaft of the femur can abut against the edge of the supporting shell. This creates the risk that the joint ball can be levered out of the cup. Additionally, this risk cannot be avoided by providing recesses in the supporting ring, because they are connected with a loss of the internal thread in the same. Furthermore, it may occur that individual parts of the supporting ring after operation are twisted relative to each other as a result of heavy mechanic load so that an unfavorable anteversion and/or inclination results. Furthermore, it may be difficult to correctly adjust anteversion and inclination during an operation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a modular hip implant, which simplifies operation technique when inserting a hip implant into the body to be treated and which can better be adapted to the anatomic requirements of a patient.
A further object of the invention is to provide a shell structure that can be attached at the bone without using cement, in which the bearing insert of a hip joint prosthesis can be introduced (either cemented or cement-free), and which allows the safe adjustment of inclination and anteversion angles also when being attached without cement with a simplified operation technique.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a modular hip implant with an improved stability.


A bicycle wheel truing tool includes a middle and two outer elongated rigid segments having the same lengths and shapes. The segments are pivotally connected together to permit erecting of the tool from a storage condition in which the segments are retracted to a nested relationship to an operational condition in which the segments are extended to an end-to-end relationship. The tool has a length in the storage condition which is about one-third that in the operational condition. Each tool segment is similarly progressively twisted along its longitudinal extent such that the opposite end portions of the segment lie in respective planes oriented in a generally transverse relationship to one another. The truing tool also includes a pair of releasably adjustable clamping mechanism pivotally connecting opposite end portions of the middle segment with adjacent end portions of the two outer segments. In the operational condition of the tool, one outer segment at one end portion thereof can be temporarily fixedly mounted to an end of the wheel axle. The clamping mechanisms can be released and retightened to adjustably pivot the middle segment and other outer segment relative to one another and to the one outer segment to place an end portion of the other outer tool segment having a reference edge defined thereon at a desired stationary position adjacent to the wheel rim to aid in visually gauging the trueness thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to truing bicycle wheels and the like and, more particularly, to an universally-adjustable axle-mountable tool for aiding in truing a bicycle wheel and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Proper operation of a bicycle depends upon many factors. One of these factors is the degree of true of each wheel of the bicycle. While a bicycle is operated at low speeds, an out-of-true condition of a wheel will likely not cause a serious problem. However, at higher speeds, such a condition will cause vibration of the bicycle and impair caliper brake operation.
To correct an out-of-true condition it is necessary to adjust selected ones of the wheel spokes. Over the years, many different truing devices have been proposed in the prior patent art for use in conjunction with bicycle wheels as well as other kinds of spoked wheels to assist a person in carrying out this task. Prior patent art truing devices appear to fall in one of two categories. In the first category, the truing devices are mountable to the wheel axle. Representative of the first category are the truing devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 253,823 to Myers, U.S. Pat. No. 1,240,528 to Alsworth, U.S. Pat. No. 1,410,224 to Schwartz, and Italian Pat. No. 448,592 to Campagnolo. In the second category, the truing devices are mountable to the wheel mounting fork. Representative of the second category are the truing devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 621,153 to Schmidt, U.S. Pat. No. 640,607 to Wardwell, U.S. Pat. No. 1,073,042 to Heller, U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,829 to Moxon, German Pat. No. 605,953 to Preiber, and German Pat. No. 668,900 to Penn. While many of these prior art devices probably operated satisfactorily under the limited range of conditions for which they were designed, most devices appear to be rather cumbersome and tedious to adjust during use and too large and bulky to be carried by the person or in a tool kit.
Consequently, a need still exists for an improved wheel truing tool which will overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.

Universally-adjustable axle-mountable tool for truing a bicycle wheel


A continuously variable transmission and differential combination including an input shaft 36, a variable speed drive pulley 40 on the input shaft 36, a drive shaft 54, a variable speed driven pulley 500 on the driven shaft 54 and a v-belt 48 trained around the pulleys 40 and 50. A drive sprocket 64 driven by the drive shaft 54 and a driven sprocket 64 with a silent chain 66 trained around them provides a speed reduction drive. The driven sprocket 68 drives a sun gear 88 which drives planet gears 98 that mesh with a stationary ring gear 100. The planet carrier 102 is rotated at a reduced speed. The bevel gears 108 and 112 carried by the planet carrier 102 form a differential that drives axles 114 and 116. A reversing gear drive can be provided between the sun gear 78 and the sun gear 88 to reverse the direction of rotation of the axles 114 and 116.

Continuously variable transmissions and differential combinations for vehicles have been under development for several years. These units have a driven input shaft with a first variable drive pulley, a driven shaft with a second variable drive pulley and a v-belt trained around the two pulleys. The first variable drive pulley on the input shaft has a fixed sheave and an adjustable sheave. The adjustable sheave is moved axially along the input shaft toward or away from the fixed sheave to change the effective diameter of the first variable drive pulley. The second variable drive pulley on the driven shaft includes a fixed sheave and an adjustable sheave that is moved axially along the driven shaft to change the effective diameter of the second variable drive pulley. The adjustable sheave of the second variable drive pulley is spring biased and hydraulically biased toward the fixed sheave so that the second variable drive pulley changes its effective diameter in response to changes in the effective diameter of first variable drive pulley and so that tension on the v-belt is maintained.
The driven shaft drives a reversible gear train. The reversible gear train drives a differential through a speed reduction system. The speed reduction system can be reduction gears or a chain trained around a drive sprocket and a driven sprocket. The differential drives the axle shafts that the wheels are mounted on.
The transmission input shaft is driven by a power source at substantially higher speed than the speed at which the axle shafts turn. The v-belt and the first and second variable drive pulleys drive the output shaft at speeds that are slower than, equal to or higher than the input shaft speed. Due to the fact that the driven shaft may be driven faster than the input shaft substantial speed reduction is required between the driven shaft with the second variable drive pulley and the axle shafts.
The speed reduction systems used in the past have required substantial space which is not available in many vehicle applications. The single stage speed reduction also reduces the ability to change the fixed ratios.


Apparatus and methods for providing electronic coupons are provided. The apparatus and methods include a system that uses a plurality of coupon processors to pull coupon data from an electronic coupon platform upon the expiration of a predetermined time period. The apparatus and methods additionally include a system that uses an electronic coupon platform to pushes data to a plurality of coupon processors upon the expiration of a predetermined time period. The apparatus and methods also include a system that redeems electronic coupons by initiating a deposit of an amount of funds in a customer bank account at predetermined time intervals. The apparatus and methods further include an electronic coupon platform that sends an electronic notification to a plurality of coupon processors upon the receipt of data from a first coupon processor which relates to the receipt of customer payment card and/or loyalty card information.

One type of coupon is a discount offer. Such a coupon may function like cash and be applied toward payment for customer goods at a point of sale terminal.
For manufacturers and retailers, coupons are a tool for product marketing. However, a deterrent to conventional coupon use is the requirement that the customer physically obtain the coupon by either clipping or printing the coupon, carrying the coupon to a retail location and presenting the coupon at a point of sale terminal.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide apparatus and methods for applying electronic coupons at a point of sale terminal without requiring the physical presentation of the coupon at the point of sale terminal. Such systems and methods may include a coupon processor in electronic communication with a point of sale terminal. The coupon processor may store customer information that includes an electronic coupon electronically selected by a customer. In the event that the customer identifies himself at the point of sale terminal, the coupon processor may be configured to subsequently validate the coupon to the point of sale terminal or, alternatively, instruct the point of sale terminal to redeem the electronic coupon on behalf of the customer.
In the event that a system uses multiple coupon processors to store customer information, a first coupon processor may instruct a point of sale terminal associated with the first coupon processor to redeem an electronic coupon on behalf of the customer. A second coupon processor, however, may be unaware of the electronic coupon redemption. This is undesirable at least because the second coupon processor may subsequently authorize a point of sale terminal associated with the second coupon processor to redeem the electronic coupon that has already been redeemed at the first point of sale terminal.
Thus, it is further desirable to provide systems and methods to enhance a multi-coupon processor environment in order to avoid the double redemption of a single electronic coupon. Such systems and methods may include an electronic coupon platform. The electronic coupon platform may be in electronic communication with the multiple coupon processors and assist in avoiding the double redemption of a single electronic coupon.

Coupon deposit account fraud protection system


A jack plate for easily and effectively mounting a secondary motor to a pontoon boat. The mount comprises a horizontal supporting member affixable to a pontoon decking and a downward member rigidly and operably coupled to the horizontal supporting member and extending from the horizontal member downwardly, wherein the motor is operably coupled to the downward member. Optionally, the mount further comprises a supporting member operably coupled on a first end at an intermediate position to the downward member, wherein a second end of the supporting member is affixable to a pontoon hull extension.

Trolling motors are traditionally used to slowly and quietly hold the position of a boat or to gently propel a boat through water. However, on flat-bottomed pontoon boats, the pontoon hull structures that support the weight of the boat often extend beyond the plane of the stern, as well as the bow, and therefore obstruct the locations where a trolling motor would traditionally be placed. Further, the shape of the transom of most pontoon boats is not adapted to easily attach a secondary motor. Additionally, it is unwise to mount anything to the pontoon hull structures themselves because of the potential for destroying the integrity of the hull and, in turn, destroying the floatability properties of the hull. Thus, it is problematic to use trolling motors on pontoon boats.


In a cooling structure of a cylinder block, a cooling medium is supplied into the cylinder block in which a water jacket continuously extends around a bore wall, so as to uniform the bore wall temperature. The cooling structure sets a cooling characteristic of the water jacket based on at least one of variation in the bore wall temperature in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the borehole and variation in the temperature of the cooling medium flowing around the bore wall. The structure improves the cylinder bore cooling efficiency or the cooling uniformity.

The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2000-197733 filed on Jun. 30, 2000, 2000-209464 filed on Jul. 11, 2000 and 2000-213264 filed on Jul. 13, 2000 including the specification, drawings and abstract are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a cooling structure of a cylinder block.
2. Description of Related Art
In an engine cylinder block, a water jacket is formed around a cylinder bore wall. Engine-cooling water is circulated in the water jacket to cool the cylinder bore wall heated from the combustion chambers.
In this construction, the temperature of the cylinder bore wall is unlikely to become uniform. The reason for the temperature non-uniformity is as follows. With respect to the circumferential directions relative to the cylinder bore wall, the temperature of portions in contact with two side portions of the cylinder bores in the direction of alignment of the cylinder bores where the flow speed is great is lower than the temperature of inter-cylinder bore portions where the flow stagnates. With respect to the up-down direction relative to the cylinder bore walls, the temperature of upper portions of the cylinder bore walls closer to the combustion chambers is higher than the temperature of lower portions thereof. Furthermore, with respect to the directions of alignment of the cylinder bores, the temperature becomes higher toward a downstream side.
The non-uniformity of cylinder bore wall temperature gives rise to various problems including degraded fuel economy, increased emissions of unburned hydrocarbons (HC), etc. For example, if the cylinder bore wall temperature varies in the circumferential direction, the shape of a cylinder bore wall deviates from a circular shape, thus resulting in degraded follow-up characteristics of the piston and oil rings with respect to the bore wall internal surface. If the ring tension is increased in order to prevent degradation of the follow-up characteristics, the friction in sliding movements increases, resulting in degraded fuel economy. Furthermore, if the cylinder bore wall temperature varies in the up-down direction, the evaporation and combustion of fuel deposited on an intermediate portion of each bore wall in the up-down direction deteriorates in the case of, for example, a direct fuel injection gasoline engine or the like, thus resulting in degraded fuel economy, reduced torque, and increased emission of unburned hydrocarbons (HC).
To curb these drawbacks, a uniform cylinder bore wall temperature is desired. Although there have been various proposals of improvements made regarding a water jacket of a cylinder block itself for the purpose of improving the wall temperature distribution or the like, most of them cannot be easily applied to mass production in view of productivity, mold service life, strength, etc. Some proposals have been made for improving the cylinder bore wall temperature distribution by disposing, in the water jacket of a cylinder block, a spacer (a means for uniforming the bore wall temperature by partially filling a space of the water jacket) formed separately from the cylinder block.
For example, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. SHO 57-43338 discloses a cylinder block in which a water jacket is formed around a borehole, and a spacer whose shape is different from the shape of the water jacket in the direction of a borehole axis but is identical to the water jacket shape in the circumferential direction is disposed in the water jacket.
In this structure, a sufficient amount of cooling water is supplied around an upper portion of the borehole that is close to the combustion chamber and therefore is exposed to high temperature, and the spacer is disposed near a lower portion of the borehole that is remote from the combustion chamber and therefore is not exposed to high temperature so that supply of an unnecessary amount of cooling water is eliminated. Therefore, the structure advantageously improves the cooling water supplying efficiency.
However, the cylinder block cooling structure described in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. SHO 57-43338 and the like has the following drawbacks.
(1) Although the bore wall near the cooling water inlet is cooled by low-temperature cooling water, the cooling water temperature increases during the passage through the surrounding of the high-temperature bore wall, so that the cooling of the bore wall becomes insufficient near the cooling water outlet. Due to the different bore wall cooling efficiencies in the bore wall circumferential direction, the borehole non-uniformly deforms. As a result, the bore wall follow-up characteristic of the piston and the like deteriorates, and the friction increases, and the fuel economy deteriorates.
(2) In a cylinder block having an open structure in which a water jacket is formed continuously around a plurality of bores, inter-bore portions receive heat transferred from the adjacent bores, but are not supplied with sufficient amounts of cooling water. Therefore, the inter-bore portions tend to have higher wall temperature than other portions. Due to the different bore wall cooling efficiencies of the inter-bore portions and the other portions, the boreholes non-uniformly deform.
It is an object of the invention to provide a cooling structure of a cylinder block capable of improving the cylinder block cooling efficiency and the cooling uniformity.
A cooling structure of a cylinder block in accordance with a first mode of the invention includes a water jacket continuously extending around a cylinder bore wall so as to convey a cooling medium, and a mechanism that sets a cooling characteristic of the water jacket based on at least one of a variation in a temperature of a cylinder bore wall in a direction perpendicular to an axis of boreholes and a variation in a temperature of the cooling medium in the direction perpendicular to the axis of boreholes, passing around the bore wall.
The setting of the cooling characteristic of the water jacket may be accomplished by disposing a spacer in the water jacket.
In the first mode, the cooling characteristic of the water jacket is set based on at least one of variation in the bore wall temperature in the direction perpendicular to an axis of the cylinder borehole and variation in the temperature of the cooling medium temperature in the direction perpendicular to an axis of the cylinder borehol passing around the bore wall. Therefore, the cylinder bore wall temperature can be uniformed by enhancing the cooling at a site of high cylinder bore wall temperature and weakening the cooling at a site of low cylinder bore wall temperature. Hence, non-uniform deformation of a borehole can be reduced.
In a cooling structure of a cylinder block in accordance with a second mode of the invention, the position of cooling around the cylinder bore is changed in accordance with the state of engine load.
According to the second mode, since the cooling position around the cylinder bore is changed in accordance with the state of engine load, it is possible to prevent a lower portion of a cylinder bore-surrounding portion from having high temperature during a high-load engine operation, by cooling the lower portion of the cylinder bore-surrounding portion during the high-load engine operation.
In a still another mode of the invention, a portion of the spacer disposed in a cooling water inlet portion or a cooling water outlet portion of the cylinder block may have a structure for reducing the flow resistance.
According to this mode, since the portion of the spacer disposed in the cooling water inlet portion or the cooling water outlet portion of the cylinder block has a structure for reducing the flow resistance, the flow resistance of inflow and outflow of the cooling water with respect to the water jacket in the cylinder block is reduced, so that the drive efficiency of a water pump will improve. Furthermore, the inflow and outflow of the cooling water with respect to the water jacket becomes smooth and stable, thus giving good effect on the cooling uniformity.


This invention is a process for fabricating ultra-large-scale integration CMOS circuits using a single polysilicon gate layer for both N-channel and P-channel devices, a single mask step for defining the gates of both N-channel and P-channel devices, the fabrication of one set of disposable spacers for N-channel implants, and the fabrication of another set of disposable spacers for P-channel source/drain implants. The set of spacers used for P-channel implants also comprises material deposited to fabricate the spacers for the N-channel implants. The process is adaptable to LDD structures for both N-channel and P-channel devices or for only N-channel devices. The process is also compatible with anti-punchthrough implants for both types of devices.

As integration levels have moved up scale, it has been necessary to decrease channel lengths and thin gate oxide layers for insulated-gate field-effect transistors. The reduction of device dimensions results in a number of short-channel effects which readily manifest themselves in simple devices. One short-channel effect is punchthrough, which results in significant current leakage during transistor "off" states. Effectively, when punchthrough is present, there is no true "off" state. This effect has been mitigated by the use of anti-punchthrough implants in the channel region. For N-channel devices, a low-dosage boron implant is commonly used; for P-channel devices, a low-dosage phosphorus or arsenic implant is used. Another short-channel effect is hot electron injection into the gate oxide layer. This phenomenon results in a reduction of threshold voltage over time. The cause is generally recognized to be a combination of high electric field at the transistor drain and collisions between electrons flowing through the channel with the silicon crystal lattice. Hot electron injection can be reduced by oxidizing the gate edge near the drain. This not only increases gate oxide layer thickness at the gate edge, but also tends to round the gate edge. In addition, lightly-doped drain (LDD) structures have been almost universally adopted for devices at the VLSI level and beyond. An LDD device has a lightly-doped drain region adjacent the channel and a heavily-doped drain region adjacent the lightly-doped drain region, but set back from the channel.
Transistors having LDD structures are generally fabricated using permanent dielectric spacers which are formed on the sidewalls of the device gates. N.sup.- and P.sup.- implants are performed before spacer formation; N.sup.+ and P.sup.+ implants are performed after spacer formation. As spacers are designed to have sufficient height and density to trap ions which are being implanted directly above them, a spacer will result in ions being implanted in a region of the substrate that is offset from the gate edge a distance that is equal to the width of the spacer.
Within the past several years, the fabrication of LDD structures has been described using disposable spacers. By reversing the order of the LDD N.sup.- and P.sup.- implantation steps with respect to the N.sup.+ and P.sup.30 implantation steps, respectively, a reduction in process complexity can be achieved.

Process for fabricating ULSI CMOS circuits using a single polysilicon gate layer and disposable spacers


The present invention provides methods for distinguishing the fractions of polynucleotide sequences which hybridize to any given probe, including probes on microarrays such as those described herein. In particular, the present invention enables users to identify the fraction of sequences which are perfectly complementary to a probe, thereby correcting for effects of cross hybridization in a hybridization assay. The methods of the invention work by monitoring the kinetics of dissociation of sequences from the probe so that a resulting "dissociation curve" may be compared to a combination of the individual "dissociation profiles" for each sequence which hybridizes. In alternative embodiments, the invention also provides computer systems for performing the present methods, as well as databases of the dissociation profiles.

The ability to distinguish and compare nucleic acid molecules having varying levels of sequence similarity is a matter of great interest to many researchers. Presently, assays involving hybridization of nucleic acid molecules to a complementary probe are the only way to detect the presence of a particular sequence or sequences in a complex sample comprising several different nucleic acid sequences. For example, the nucleic acid sequence similarity of a pair of nucleic acid molecules can be distinguished by allowing the nucleic acid molecules to hybridize, and following the kinetic and equilibrium properties of duplex formation (see, e.g., Sambrook, J. et al., eds., 1989, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd Ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., at pp. 9.47-9.51 and 11.55-11.61; Ausubel et al., eds., 1989, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Vol I, Green Publishing Associates, Inc., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, at pp. 2.10.1-2.10.16; Wetmur, J. G., 1991, Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 26:227-259; Persson, B. et al., 1997, Analytical Biochemistry 246:34-44; Albretsen, C. et al., 1988, Analytical Biochemistry 170:193-202; Kajimura, Y. et al., 1990, GATA 7:71-79; Young, S. and Wagner, R. W., 1991, Nucleic Acids Research 19:2463-2470; Guo, Z. et al., 1997, Nature Biotechnology 15:331-335; Wang, S. et al., 1995, Biochemistry 34:9774-9784; Niemeyer, C. M. et al., 1998, Bioconjugate Chemistry 9:168-175).
In particular, many assays for detecting nucleic acid sequences in a sample comprise binding a set of nucleic acid probes to a solid support, permitting a labeled nucleic acid species to bind to the immobilized nucleic acid, washing off any unbound material, and detecting the bound, labeled sequence. For example, in blotting assays, such as dot or Southern Blotting, nucleic acid molecules may be first separated, e.g., according to size by gel electrophoresis, transferred and bound to a membrane filter such as a nitrocellulose or nylon membrane, and allowed to hybridize to a single labeled sequence (see, e.g., Nicoloso, M. et al., 1989, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 159:1233-1241; Vernier, P. et al., 1996, Analytical Biochemistry 235:11-19). Other assays have been developed to study the hybridization kinetics of polynucleotides immobilized in agarose or polyacrylamide gels (see, e.g., Ikuta S. et al., 1987, Nucleic Acids Research 15:797-811; Kunitsyn, A. et al., 1996, Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics 14:239-244; Day, I. N. M. et al., 1995, Nucleic Acids Research 23:2404-2412), as well as hybridization to polynucleotide probes immobilized on glass plates (Beattie, W. G. et al., 1995, Molecular Biotechnology 4:213-225) including oligonucleotide microarrays (Stimpson, D. I. et al., 1995, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92:6379-6383).
In DNA microarray expression assays, a complex mixture of labeled, soluble sequences, derived, e.g., from expressed genes in a population of cells, is analyzed by hybridization to another complex set of sequences which are separated into individual species, each bound separately to a solid support. The amount of labeled sequence bound to each sequence on the support is used as a measure of the level of expression of that species in the cells (see, e.g., Schena et al., 1995, Science 270:467-470; Lockhart et al., 1996, Nature Biotechnology 14:1675-1680; Blanchard et al., 1996, Nature Biotechnology 14:1649; Ashby et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,588;).
Equilibrium binding during hybridization of nucleic acids with complementary strands is related to (a) the similarity of the hybridizing sequences, (b) the concentration of the nucleic acid sequences, (c) the temperature, and (d) the salt concentration. Accordingly, it is well known that, depending on the temperature and salt conditions (i.e., the "stringency") of the hybridization or post-hybridization washing conditions, detection of bound labeled nucleic acid species can be limited to sequences which are nearly identical to the labeled sequence, or can be extended to include many related sequences. For example, "highly stringent" wash conditions may be employed so as to destabilize all mismatched heteroduplexes such that hybridization signals are obtained only from sequences that are perfectly homologous to the probe. Exemplary highly stringent conditions comprise, e.g., hybridization to filter-bound DNA in 5.times.SSC, 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 1 mM EDTA at 65.degree. C., and washing in 0.1.times.SSC/0.1% SDS at 68.degree. C. (Ausubel et al., eds., 1989, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Vol. I, Green Publishing Associates, Inc., and John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y., at p. 2.10.3). Alternatively, "moderate-" or "low-stringency" wash conditions may be used to identify sequences which are related, not just identical, to the probe, such as members of a multi-gene family, or homologous genes in a different organism. Such conditions are well known in the art (see, e.g., Sambrook et al., supra; Ausubel, F. M. et al., supra). Exemplary moderately stringent wash conditions comprise, e.g., washing in 0.2.times.SSC/0.1% SDS at 42.degree. C. (Ausubel et al., 1989, supra). Exemplary low-stringency washing conditions include, e.g., washing in 0.2.times.SSC/0.1% SDS at room temperature (Ausubel et al., 1989, supra).
However, the exact wash conditions that are optimal for any given assay will depend on the exact nucleic acid sequence or sequences of interest, and, in general, must be empirically determined. There is no single hybridization or washing condition which is optimal for all nucleic acid preparations and sequences. Even the most optimized conditions can only partially distinguish between competing sequences, especially when the competing sequences are quite similar, or when some of the competing sequences are present in excess amounts, or at high total or local concentrations.
Consequently, in assays such as those utilizing DNA microarrays, wherein both the immobilized nucleic acid probes and the labeled nucleic acid samples are complex mixtures of sequences, it is difficult to differentiate between true hybridization by identical sequences and cross-hybridization by partially related sequences. For example, the high concentration of some common sequences increases their rate of hybridization, as well as the fraction of such sequences which are bound to any other sequence. The high local concentration of probe at the surface of a microarry may also trap mismatch binding partners. Further, the overwhelming variety of possible binding partners to a given probe sequence reduces both the rate and extent of true match binding by sequences of average or less than average abundance.
In such situations, it is usually impossible to obtain hybridization conditions which limit binding to true matches for all, or even the majority of sequences. As a result, it is not possible to determine the fraction of true match binding for any particular gene by hybridization alone, and, consequently, the measurement of moderately or poorly expressed nucleic acid sequences by hybridization assays such as DNA microarray analysis can be unreliable.
Discussion or citation of a reference herein shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is prior art to the present invention.

Methods for determining cross-hybridization


Disclosed are a method and device for processing a voltage drop, a grid interconnection method and device for processing an electrical apparatus, and a system. The method includes: acquiring a drop amplitude of a first voltage for each phase in a three-phase alternating current (S204); and under a condition in which the first voltage for any phase in the three-phase alternating current drops, performing reactive power compensation according to a drop amplitude of the first voltage for a phase in which the first voltage drops (S206). Therefore, the electrical apparatus has a low voltage ride-through function, thereby solving the technical problem of a large deviation of voltage drop amplitude determination arising from an asymmetrical drop of three phases.

At present, when a voltage of a power grid works normally, an electrical apparatus (e.g., an air conditioner) having a grid interconnection function may accurately calculate an angle of the voltage of the power grid. However, in a condition in which the voltage of the power grid drops instantaneously, the calculation on the angle of the voltage of the power grid has a large deviation. A low voltage ride-through function is an important index to internationally determine the performance of a grid interconnection device. In the related art, an electrical apparatus designed with a traditional inverter as a rudiment does not possess the low voltage ride-through function. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a photovoltaic air-conditioning system according to the related art. As shown in FIG. 1, a line voltage is collected for control. When three phases drop symmetrically, the three phases have already been asymmetric, the line voltage has large negative-sequence and zero-sequence components and then a certain limitation is formed to determine a drop amplitude of the voltage. A three-phase three-wire system is adopted by a working electrical apparatus, and a switching power supply is directly originated from a direct current and is controlled by using an inter-wire voltage. When three phases drop asymmetrically, a line voltage has large negative-sequence and zero-sequence components, and thus a large deviation is occurred to determine a drop amplitude of a voltage.
Concerning the above problems, an effective solution hasn't been proposed yet till now.

Method and device for processing voltage drop, grid interconnection processing method and device for electrical apparatus, and system

GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCES, INC. OF ZHUHAI


A water-based or solvent-based, or combinations thereof, aerosol insecticide is provided. Dimethylether (DME) is used both as a solvent and a propellant. The DME holds the ingredients of the aerosol in a homogenous liquid solution while it is in an aerosol bomb. Upon release of the aerosol, the DME flashes off and the remaining ingredients separate into two phases: a liquid phase, and a solid or oil phase having the active insecticidal ingredients.

This invention relates to insecticides, and, in particular, to novel formulations for the efficacious delivery of pesticides, water or solvent based insecticides which will not harm the ozone layer of the atmosphere when released.
Halogenated solvents, such as methylene chloride and 1,1,1-trichloroethane are common carriers, diluents and solvents for aerosol sprays. However, they have been restricted due to health and environmental concerns. To alleviate these concerns, many aerosol manufacturers shifted from solvent-based aerosols to water-based aerosols. Many of these aerosols used water as a carrier, dimethylether (DME) as a propellant, and a solvent. The use of DME as a propellant is well known. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 2,358,986 to McGovran et al. Because the insecticide is emulsified in the water, the prior art water-based aerosol insecticides do not have a sustaining good knock-down effect, and when sprayed on a porous surface, such as wood or drywall, the insecticide is significantly absorbed by the surface. As a result, the remaining solvent has a tendency to dilute the insecticide. Thus, consequently, there is not enough insecticide on the surface in sufficient toxic amount to be available for insects to receive in the required amount to effectively kill the same. None of the prior art insecticides disclose a formula wherein the active insecticidal agents are separated from the water or diluent upon release from the aerosol can in order to avoid the problem of dilution, absorbtion and slow knockdown. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 2,358,986 to McGovran et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,342; U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,343; U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,344; U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,783; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,674, all to Albanese; U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,334 to Werding; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,066 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,661, both to Page et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,204 to Howard; U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,575 to Rapaport et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,253 to Suk; U.S. Pat. No. 3,207,386 to Presant et al.; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,148 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,607, both to Simons et al.


A process for full-automatic and synchronous quick thermoprinting of stereoscopic color film and apparatus adopting the process uses the internationally accepted nontoxic oil ink to design patterns on a transfer medium, which medium is in turn absorbed by a special thin film so as to be attached to a printing stock, whereupon the thus prepared printing stock is put into the apparatus. By gas pressure a pressure column of an inclined surface is pushed downward so as to contact and press a sliding mold jig of the inclined surface to synchronously move toward the center, so that each outer mold thermocompresses onto the outer surface of the printing stock from upper, left, right, front and rear directions simultaneously. After a predetermined period at predetermined temperature, the mold automatically returns to its original position. The disadvantages of manual operation which is of lower efficiency and unstable quality are thus overcome.

The present invention relates to a process for thermoprinting of color film and an apparatus adopting the process, in particular, to a process for full-automatic and synchronous quick thermoprinting of stereoscopic color film and apparatus adopting the process.
Currently, the processes of decorating the surfaces of articles with color pattern are classified into screen-printing, transfer printing, gold stamping and heat embossing and the like The above processes have a common disadvantage, that is, for an article with irregular and uneven three-dimensional surface, the surface can only be decorated with color pattern manually, and the pattern is not delicate and vivid enough.
An object of the present invention is aimed to solve the problems mentioned-above, and to provide an apparatus for full-automatic and synchronous quick thermoprinting of stereoscopic color film, which can automatically and quickly thermoprint the whole external surface of a stereoscopic printing stock with the color pattern at low temperature at a single step.
To achieve the object of the invention, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for full-automatic and synchronous quick thermoprinting of stereoscopic color film, the apparatus comprising:
a driving device provided at the upper portion of a frame;
a pressure rod which is driven by the driving device, the lower end of the pressure rod being connected with an upper form board;
a number of guide columns mounted on the top surface of the upper form board for guiding the movement of the upper form board;
an upper mold jig provided at the center of the bottom surface of the upper form board;
a lower form board provided at the lower portion of the frame;
a lower mold jig mounted at the center of the top surface of the lower form board,
a number of sliding mold jigs provided on the top surface of the lower form board around the lower mold jig, said sliding jigs being mounted movably so as to be able to slide radially; each of said sliding mold jigs being provided with a position restorating device;
means for synchronously moving said sliding mold jigs inwards toward a printing stock;
outer molds respectively fitted to the upper mold jig and the sliding mold jigs, each of the outer molds being provided with a heating wire and a temperature probe;
inner molds, which are made of heat-resistant rubber material, respectively fitted to said outer molds, each of said inner molds having a shape corresponding to the shape of a corresponding part of the printing stock;
a lower mold fitted to the lower mold jig, the external shape of the lower mold corresponding to the internal shape of the printing stock, and the lower mold being provided with an heating wire and a temperature probe.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a process for thermoprinting of stereoscopic color film, comprising the steps of:
injecting, coating or printing the internationally recognized nontoxic oil ink onto a transfer media to obtain a desired pattern or characters;
putting a special film onto the transfer media to overlap the nontoxic ink pattern or characters, so as for the pattern or characters to adhere to the special thin film temporarily;
soaking the transfer media together with the film;
taking the whole transfer media together with the film when the film with the pattern adhered thereto starts to separate from the transfer media and applying it on a desired position of the printing stock;
pushing the film with hand so that the film shifts slightly relative to the transfer media, and then pulling out the transfer media slowly while holding the film in position;
positioning the film at a desired position on the printing stock, and flattening the film while squeezing out the water;
air-drying the film;
putting the printing stock on a lower mold of an apparatus for thermoprinting of stereoscopic color film which has been heated to a predetermined temperature, the external shape of the lower mold corresponding to the internal shape of the printing stock;
thermocompressing the outer surface of the printing stock with a number of molds at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time period, the shape of each of the molds corresponding to the shape of a corresponding part of the printing stock.
With the present invention, the whole external surface of a stereoscopic printing stock can be thermoprinted with color pattern quickly at low temperature at a single step, improving the efficiency and quality as compared with the conventional process and apparatus.

Process for full-automatic and synchronous quick thermoprinting of stereoscopic color film and apparatus adopting the process