A heat retentive server adapted to be inductively heated comprises a central portion comprising a heat storage member comprising a material which is susceptible to being heated by induction; and an outer peripheral member connected to the central portion so that said outer peripheral member and the central portion are substantially thermally insulated from each other. Preferably, the server is provided with heat insulation constructed and arranged with respect to the heat storage member so that heat is caused to primarily flow upwardly from the heat storage member. Also preferably, the outer peripheral member and the central portion are substantially insulated from each other by means of a thermal break.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat storage dish, and particularly a heat retentive server which is adapted to be heated by electrical induction.
2. Description of Background Information
In environments where food is prepared and cooked in a central location and distributed and served to consumers who are remotely located, such as in hotels, in aircraft and in institutional settings such as hospitals and nursing homes, there is often a delay between the time that the food is prepared, cooked and subsequently placed on a plate or other serving dish, and the time that the food is eventually presented to the consumer for consumption at a remote location, such as a hotel room, hospital room, on aircraft, etc. Accordingly, by the time the food is presented to the consumer, the food can become cold unless special measures are taken to keep the food hot. Various approaches to such meal service problems encountered in such service environments, sometimes referred to as "satelliting" have been employed in the food service and container industries.
One approach to solving such problems associated with the service of meals involves the use of heat retentive servers, serving trays having insulated portions therein, and/or serving containers which retain heat. Such containers typically are adapted to receive a plate containing portions of a meal which are to be kept hot. Such servers typically include an insulated base portion and an insulated dome portion, which together cooperate to define an insulated enclosure which is adapted to receive a plate having such heated meal portions thereon, and maintain the plate and the meal portions in an insulated environment. In some instances, the heat retentive server can include a portion which acts as a heat storage "battery", or a heat sink.
One such heat retentive server is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,722, issued Jan. 8, 1991 to WYATT, and assigned to Aladdin Synergetics, Inc., of Nashville, Tenn. The entirety of this patent is hereby incorporated by reference, as though set forth in full herein.
Such heat retentive servers can be designed to support dishware, which in turn holds a portion of a meal which is to be kept hot. In such circumstances, such a base is commonly called a "pellet" base, and the entire system, i.e., the base, dome and plate, is referred to as a "pellet system". When a heat sink is incorporated into a server base and the base supports a food-carrying dish, such as a plate, the base can be referred to as a plate warmer.
The heat sinks in such systems can include, e.g., a phase-change core, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,722, incorporated by reference above. In other approaches, a solid heat sink can be employed.
In general, heat retentive servers employ convection or conduction heating in order to either heat a food service dish or heat a heat storage battery during food service operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,872 to KREIS et al., issued Nov. 4, 1975, discloses a heat storage dish comprising a central heat storage disk and an insulating member which surrounds the heat storage dish. The heat storage dish consists of a substantially circular metallic body member which may be equipped with a central opening. The heat storage dish may, in one embodiment, be heated by subjecting it to a high frequency field, thus inductively heating the heat storage dish. U.S. Pat. No. 3,557,774, issued Jan. 26, 1971 to KREIS discloses a heat storage dish having a heat storage plate enclosed between an interior wall and an exterior wall, secured at their edges to prevent the entry of any external substance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,386 to MEIER, issued Oct. 11, 1988, discloses an apparatus for cooling, storing and reheating food using induction heating. This system includes a tray distribution system wherein a tray, which may be adapted to support, e.g., a soup tureen, a dish for meat, a hot beverage cup, a salad plate, and/or a similar plate such as a fruit dish, as well as a trough for cutlery, may be provided. A meal, supported on such a tray can be stored in a refrigerated environment. In this system, the refrigerated cabinet in which the trays are stored includes induction coils. In practice, prior to serving, the cooling system of the refrigerator is turned off and the induction coils are activated to supply heat to the appropriate areas in the tray. U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,590 to MEIER, issued Nov. 21, 1989, discloses a similar system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,310 to SOUDER, Jr. et al., issued Apr. 26, 1977, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,587 to SOUDER, Jr. et al., issued Aug. 29, 1978, discloses containers which are specifically designed for induction heating.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,077 to MURDOUGH et al., issued May 22, 1973, discloses a server which includes a recess in order to receive a plate. The server comprises an upper shell, a lower shell, a heating pellet and a resilient pad. The pad occupies the space between the under surface of the pellet and the lower shell and performs an insulating function, in addition to directing heat from the pellet in an upward direction rather than downwardly or laterally.
Each of the forgoing systems suffers from disadvantages. For example, systems which employ convection or conduction heating to preheat a food service container prior to employing the food service container to support, e.g., a dish having a food portion which is to be kept hot, require long "lead times" prior to being capable of being effectively used. Thus, such systems require relatively long periods of time in order to preheat the convection systems or other ovens used with said systems and in order to store enough heat in a heat sink or other heat storage means before the container can be usefully employed to keep foods warm in food service environments. Such lead times are undesirable and are typically on the order of about 60 to about 90 minutes and sometimes even longer, prior to the start of delivery or serving of the food to individual consumers.
Such food service containers including heat retentive servers and the like, suffer from other disadvantages. For example, heat retentive servers possess the disadvantage that the entire server can become hot and difficult to handle safely.
Additional disadvantages include the fact that heat retentive servers which act as a heat sink, e.g., which employ a heat storage mass, tend to liberate heat in all directions. However, it is preferable to direct the heat which is liberated from the heat storage mass such that the heat is liberated substantially only within the heat retentive server itself, i.e., that portion of the heat retentive server which is enclosed by the bottom portion, side walls and dome or lid of the server. To achieve such an object, it is preferable to direct the heat given up by the heat storage mass such that the heat is directed upwardly.
The foregoing approaches have failed to provide a heat retentive server wherein the outer portion, e.g., the outer wall portion, is substantially insulated from the central portion, containing the heat storage mass. Additionally, the foregoing approaches have failed to provide a heat retentive server containing a heat sink or heat storage mass which can be rapidly "charged" with stored heat so that the charging operation can coincide with the food placement operation, negating the need for preheating of the heat retentive server. Moreover, the foregoing approaches have generally failed to provide heat retentive servers which can be rapidly heated and prepared for service as described above, but which also provides relatively safe handling characteristics by virtue of having one or more outer peripheral surfaces which remain cool to the touch, and therefore facilitate safe handling. Thus, the foregoing approaches have failed to provide a heat-on-demand pellet system, capable of sequential heating and food placement and food dish placement, and yet which is safe to handle even under sequential, assembly line type conditions.
The foregoing drawbacks all contribute to reduce efficiency and, in some instances, reduce safety, in mass production food service operations as described above.
Thus, the foregoing approaches have failed to satisfy one or more of these aspects, and there has been a continuing need for improvement.

Heat retentive server for induction heating


A user terminal is disclosed. The user terminal has a transmitter that transmits uplink control information (UCI) and a processor executes control to transmit at least a part of the UCI by using a specific Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) format (PF). When the UCI includes multiple periodic channel state information (P-CSI) and multiple Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest Acknowledgments (HARQ-ACKs), the processor controls to transmit the UCI by using a resource designated by downlink control information and a second PF having a greater capacity than PF.

In the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) network, the specifications of long term evolution (LTE) have been drafted for the purpose of further increasing high speed data rates, providing lower delays and so on (see non-patent literature 1). Also, the specifications of LTE-A (also referred to as LTE-advanced, LTE Rel. 10, 11 or 12) have been drafted for further broadbandization and increased speed beyond LTE (also referred to as LTE Rel. 8 or 9), and successor systems of LTE (also referred to as, for example, FRA (Future Radio Access), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), LTE Rel. 13 and so on) are under study.
Also, the specifications of LTE-A (also referred to as "LTE-advanced," "LTE Rel. 10," "LTE Rel. 11" or "LTE Rel. 12") have been drafted for further broadbandization and increased speed beyond LTE (also referred to as LTE Rel. 8 or 9), and successor systems of LTE (also referred to as, for example, "FRA" (Future Radio Access), "5G" (5th generation mobile communication system), "LTE Rel. 13" and so on) are under study. Carriers that constitute the fundamental units in carrier aggregation (CA) are referred to as "component carriers" (CCs), and are equivalent to the system band of LTE Rel. 8.
When CA is used, in a user terminal (UE: User Equipment), a primary cell (PCell: Primary Cell), which is a cell with high reliability to ensure connectivity, and a secondary cell (SCell: Secondary Cell) which is an adjunct cell, are configured.
The UE can first connect to the PCell and add the SCell if necessary. PCell is a single cell (standalone cell) that supports RLM (Radio Link Monitoring), SPS (Semi-Persistent Scheduling), and the like. SCell is a cell that is configured in UE in addition to PCell.
SCell is added and deleted by RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling. SCell is in a deactivated state immediately after being added to UE, and can only perform communication (scheduling) after being activated.
Also, the specifications of LTE Rel. 8 to 12 have been drafted assuming exclusive operations in frequency bands that are licensed to operators (licensed bands). As licensed bands, for example, the 800 MHz, 2 GHz and/or 1.7 GHz bands are used. Meanwhile, in LTE of Rel. 13 and later versions, operation in frequency bands where license is not required (unlicensed bands) is also a target of study. For unlicensed bands, for example, the 2.4 GHz and/or the 5 GHz band are used as in Wi-Fi (registered trademark).
Although carrier aggregation (LAA: license-assisted access) between licensed bands and unlicensed bands is placed under study in Rel. 13 LTE, there is a possibility that, in the future, dual connectivity (DC) and unlicensed-band stand-alone will becomes targets of study as well.

User terminal, radio base station and radio communication method


An acceleration detecting device includes a hollow housing having a side wall, a bottom wall and an opening and a cover closing the opening of the hollow housing. A weight is pivotally mounted in the hollow housing to be rotated about a locus in response to an applied acceleration. Also positioned within the housing is a contact assembly to be electrically-closed by the rotated weight. A plastic main body is held in the hollow housing along the side wall to support the contact assembly and keep the contact assembly spaced from the locus of the weight during the rotation of the weight. The plastic main body which supports the contact assembly may have a wider support along the side wall of the hollow housing, which is independent from fixture of the cover. Therefore, the contact assembly may be supported by the hollow housing through the main body in a more reliable manner. Further, the weight may rotate without any interference to the contact assembly because the contact assembly is kept off the locus of the weight.

Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 08-264088 published on Oct. 11, 1996 discloses an acceleration detecting device, that includes a hollow housing having a closed end and an open end, a weight pivotally supported in the hollow housing to be rotated in response to an applied acceleration, and a contact assembly electrically closed by the rotation of the weight. The open end of the hollow housing is closed by a cover that is pressed into the open end. The weight and the contact assembly are both supported by the cover.
However, in this known acceleration detecting device, the weight and the contact assembly may prevent the cover from sufficiently overlapping with the hollow housing. Accordingly, the cover may be inclined with respect to the hollow housing when a clearance is generated as a result of dimensional errors between the hollow housing and the cover. By virtue of such inclination, the weight and the contact assembly may interfere with the hollow housing. Although the cover may be thickened to enlarge the overlapping area between the hollow housing and the cover, this undesirably increases the size of the acceleration detecting device.
Accordingly, a need exists for an acceleration detecting device that is not susceptible of the same disadvantages and drawbacks noted above.
Thus, a need exists for an acceleration detecting device that is able to support the contact assembly in a more reliable manner.
Also, a need exists for an acceleration detecting device that permits the housing to be hermetically sealed with the cover.


A direct carbon fuel cell having an anode electrode of carbon particles pre-wetted with carbonate, a cathode electrode, and an electrolyte layer disposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode and containing a molten carbonate. The fuel cell includes a wicking feature whereby excess carbonate produced during the operation of the fuel cell is removed. The use of carbonate pre-wetted carbon particles as the anode provides a network of empty voids, facilitating the removal of CO2 gas from the cell, thereby enhancing fuel cell performance.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fuel cells and, in particular, to fuel cells which directly convert solid carbon fuels such as coal, petroleum coke, pyrolyzed biomass, and organic wastes into electricity. This invention further relates to fuel cells which utilize molten carbonate as an electrolyte.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Whereas a conventional fuel cell converts gaseous hydrogen-based fuels into electricity, a direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) uses solid carbon fuel to electrochemically generate electricity. The reactions involved are:Anodic reaction: C+2CO3==3CO2+4e−Cathodic reaction: O2+2CO2+4e−=2CO3=Overall reaction: C+O2═CO2
Like any fuel cell, direct carbon fuel cells are not limited by the Carnot cycle efficiency. The direct conversion of carbon to electricity is governed by the free energy change of the reaction. The conversion efficiency is the ratio of the free energy of the reaction at the operating temperature to the standard enthalpy:Thermodynamic efficiency=ΔGT/ΔH°298=ΔH−TΔS Since ΔS for the carbon oxidation reaction is nearly zero, the thermodynamic efficiency is nearly 100% and is nearly independent of temperature.
Another feature of the direct carbon fuel cell is that the activity of carbon, because it is solid, and the CO2 product, because it is undiluted, is unity and invariant. This allows complete utilization of the fuel. Furthermore, the CO2 product in the anode exhaust gas is pure and, therefore, may be readily disposed of or recovered.
Molten carbonate fuel cells are fuel cells comprising an anode electrode, a cathode electrode and a molten carbonate electrolyte, typically a combination of alkali carbonates, which is usually retained within a porous electrolyte matrix such as LiAlO2, disposed between the anode and cathode electrodes. These fuel cells operate at temperatures in the range of about 600° C. to about 700° C. at which temperatures the alkali carbonates form a highly conductive molten salt, with carbonate ions providing ionic conduction. At the high operating temperatures of molten carbonate fuel cells, Ni (anode) and nickel oxide (cathode) catalysts are adequate to promote reaction.
The Boudouard reaction is the redox reaction of a chemical equilibrium mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in a given temperature. It is the disproportionation of carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and graphite or its reverse2CO═CO2+CThe Boudouard reaction implies that at lower temperatures the equilibrium is on the exothermic carbon dioxide side and at higher temperatures the endothermic formation of carbon monoxide is the dominant product. For instance, in the high-temperature, reducing environment of a smokestack, carbon monoxide is the stable product. When the carbon monoxide reaches the cooler air at the top of the smokestack, the Boudouard reaction takes place, oxidizing the carbon monoxide to form carbon dioxide, and precipitating (reducing) the graphite to produce soot.
The use of molten carbonate fuel cells to directly convert carbon to electricity is known. See, for example, Cooper, J. F., "Direct Conversion of Coal-Derived Carbon in Fuel Cells", Recent Trends in Fuel Science and Technology, ed. S. Basu, Springer, 2007, pp 248-266, and Cooper, J. F., "Direct Conversion of Coal-Derived Carbon in Fuel Cells", UCRL-PROC-202196, 2004, pp 1-38. In these known fuel cells, CO2 gas is used to pneumatically introduce coal or other carbon material into the fuel cell. The CO2 is maintained at temperatures less than about 500° C. so that it does not react with the carbon fuel. The fuel cell is oriented in a slanting position and the carbon is immersed in molten carbonate. However, because the molten carbonate fuel cell matrix and cathode performance depend on an optimal carbonate filling based upon their pore structures and carbonate inventory, immersing the coal in a carbonate bath as taught by the Cooper reference would flood the matrix and the cathode, and, thus, yield poor performance. In addition, because the carbon is immersed in carbonate melt, the CO2 product in the anode must bubble through the melt to exit the fuel cell.

Direct carbon fuel cell with pre-wetted carbon particles


Temperatures in a Dr side air-conditioning zone and a Pa side air-conditioning zone are controlled highly independently of each other without temperature interference between each zone. A room internal air temperature sensor and a room external air temperature sensor are provided. Dr side and Pa side temperature setters separately set room setpoint temperatures (Tset(Dr), Tset(Pa)) in each zone. First and second target blow-out temperature calculating portions, which include neural network, input the room setpoint temperatures and the temperature data. Then it calculates Dr side and Pa side target blow-out temperatures (TAO(Dr), TAO(Pa)) relative to each air-conditioning zones by using a neural network. Air-mixing doors separately adjusts the temperatures of conditioned air blown out from Dr side air passage and Pa side air passage to be the first and second target blow-out temperatures. Here, the neural network has the learning function, which adjusts its output to be desired data (teacher signal). Therefore, the output at a specific input condition can be adjusted without temperature interference between each zone.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air-conditioning device for automatically controlling the temperature in a room such as a passenger component of a vehicle or a room in a building.
2. Description of Related Art
Some air-conditioning devices for controlling two or more different air-conditioning zones independently of each other have heretofore been proposed in an air-conditioning device for automobile field. When the temperatures, in a driver seat (Dr) side air-conditioning zone and in a passenger seat (Pa) side air-conditioning zone, are controlled independently, since there is no partition wall between two air-conditioning zones, temperature interference between the two air-conditioning zones may occur.
As an air-conditioning device for automobiles, which is capable of controlling independently between the two air-conditioning zones, Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 7-32854 has proposed. In this air-conditioning device, when a Dr side target blow-out temperature and a Pa side target blow-out temperature are calculated, a calculation term of difference between a Dr side setpoint temperature and a Pa side setpoint temperature are corrected by correction gain, which is decided based on an external temperature, so as to realize desired temperatures in each of the Dr side and Pa side air-conditioning zones.
This air-conditioning device aims to prevent practical temperatures of each zones from deviating from predetermined setpoint temperatures due to an influence of the external temperature, by the correction described the above.
However, the temperature interference between the two air-conditioning zones can not be conjectured only based on the external temperature and the difference between the two setpoint temperatures. Actually, the temperature interference is related to an internal temperature, a blow-out temperature, and an amount of air or the like at every timing. Therefore, the independent temperature controlling can not be operated accurately by only the correction described above.
FIGS. 12A, 12B are temperature characteristics of the independent controlling, which are experimentally confirmed. FIG. 12A shows a characteristic of a temperature of area in which surrounding passengers when the Pa side setpoint temperature is set to constant and the Dr side setpoint temperature varies from 22.degree. C. to 28.degree. C. FIG. 12B shows a characteristic of opposite relation.
As shown in FIG. 12A, during a varying of the setpoint temperature of Dr side, the temperature interference, which is a phenomenon, that the temperature of area surrounding passengers in Pa side is dragged by temperature changes of Dr side. Hence, a controllability of temperature of both Dr side and Pa side has no inconvenient.
However, as shown in FIG. 12B, when the setpoint temperature of the Pa side is varied, the temperature of area surrounding passengers in Pa side is decreased slightly with respect to normal temperature increasing due to an influence on Dr side. Specifically, when the Pa side setpoint temperature (Tset(Pa))=28.degree. C., the temperature of area surrounding passengers in Pa side reaches only around 25.5.degree. C.
In the Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 7-32854, for the purpose of offsetting the temperature interference, a correction value is calculated by multiplying the difference between two setpoint temperatures, and is added to the target blow-out temperature. FIGS. 13A, 13B are temperature characteristics when this correction is adopted. As shown in FIG. 13B, when the Pa side setpoint temperature varies, the control characteristic at the condition where Tset(Pa)=28.degree. C. is improved, however, the correction term influences other conditions to the contrary. This is because the correction term depends on the difference between two setpoint temperatures.
In other words, from the temperature difference point of view, both the condition of which the characteristic should be improved (Dr side setpoint temperature Tset(Dr)=25.degree. C., Pa side setpoint temperature Tset(Pa)=28.degree. C.) and the condition of which the characteristic should be maintained (Tset(Dr)=25.degree. C., Tset(Dr)=22.degree. C.) are the identical (each of them is 3.degree. C.). Therefore, the correction is adapted to other condition.
Then, a disadvantage occurs because the temperature of area surrounding passengers in Pa side is decreased below 22.degree. C., as shown in FIG. 13B, in the condition of which the characteristic should be maintained (Tset(Dr)=25.degree. C., Tset(Dr)=22.degree. C.) may occur.
Similarly, as shown in FIG. 13A, a disadvantage occurs because the temperature of area surrounding passengers in Pa side is deviated from 25.degree. C. due to temperature varying in Dr side may occur.
FIG. 14A shows a characteristic of a Dr side correction gain KDr according to the related art described the above. When the external temperature rises from T1 to T2, KDr decreases from K1 to K2. A Pa side correction gain Kpa has a similar characteristic. If the Pa side correction gain Kpa is changed from K3 to K4 at external temperature=10.degree. C., since the relation Kpa=K4 is adopted to other condition during external temperature=10.degree. C., the disadvantage shown in FIGS. 13A, 13B may occur.
Therefore, in order to eliminate the disadvantage, it is necessary to change the Pa side correction gain Kpa to K4 in only a particular condition, and to maintain the Pa side correction gain with K3 without change in the other conditions.
In other words, a control logic, which can change the correction gain in only the particular condition, is needed. However, environment conditions, of which the air-conditioning device for automobiles faces, include a wide variety of parameters such as the external temperature, an amount of solar radiation (hereinafter, radiation amount), a speed of the automobile and the like. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to investigate a relationship of factors at which these environment conditions influence to the temperature control characteristic one by one, to quantify the influence of the relationship, and to decide the blow-out temperature control logic corresponds to the influence, because it needs huge processes.
On the other hand, in another conventional automatically control air-conditioning device for vehicles, as shown in Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 6-195323, calculates an air amount by using a neural network based on an internal air temperature and an external air temperature of the vehicle, a setpoint temperature, and a radiation amount.
In this kind of air-conditioning device, during a normal operation after the internal air temperature reaches the setpoint temperature, when a blow-out port mode is either in a FACE mode or in a BI-LEVEL (B/L) mode, the air amount is increased in proportion to the radiation amount so as to increase a cooled air feeling (felt by a driver or a passenger), during high solar radiation.
Here, when the blow-out port mode is in a FOOT mode, since the temperature in a passenger component rises due to the radiation, an increase of amount of conditioned air (hereinafter, air amount) is not needed. Therefore, the air amount is not increased in proportion to the radiation amount.
According to the above-mentioned conventional device, when the air amount is changed in proportion to radiation during a normal operation, the following disadvantage may occur.
The number of output of the air amount, which is calculated by the neural network, is only one independent of the blow-out port mode. Therefore, when the blow-out port mode is switched among the FACE mode, the B/L mode and the FOOT mode, the air amount needs to be changed step by step during high radiation.
This disadvantage will be explained in detail with reference to FIG. 25. In FIG. 25, the ordinate represents a blower voltage which determines the air amount to the passenger component, the abscissa represents a difference TD (=Tr-Tset) between the internal air temperature Tr in the passenger compartment and the setpoint temperature Tset. This difference TD is zero around center of an area A on the abscissa, and is in a plus at the right side on the abscissa and in a minus at the left side on the abscissa.
In the FOOT mode, when the difference TD is in around zero in the normal operation area A, the blower voltage is set to the minimum voltage E.sub.2 independent of radiation. On the other hand, in the FACE mode or the B/L mode, the blower voltage is increased from E.sub.2 to E.sub.4 in proportion to radiation. Since this changes (increasing), which is an amount of changes .DELTA.E of the blower voltage due to mode switching, does not have continuously (step by step changes), a learning of the neural network becomes difficult.
Further the conventional device inputs data such as the internal air temperature, the external temperature, the setpoint temperature and the radiation amount to the neural network. The total number of data is desired to reduce so as to reduce the number of intermediate layers and neurons in the neural network, and to reduce the total calculation time of the neural network enough to converge the learning of link coefficients between the neurons.
A further conventional automatically control air-conditioning device for vehicles, as shown in Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 56-86815, calculates a target blow-out temperature TAO, which is used for maintaining a temperature in a passenger component. Then it controls a temperature adjuster (e.g., air-mixing door or hot water valve) so that a temperature of air blown to the passenger compartment approaches the target blow-out temperature TAO. The target blow-out temperature TAO is calculated as follows: EQU TAO=Kset.times.Tset-Kr.times.Tr-Kam.times.Tam-Ks.times.Ts+C
Here, Tr is an internal air temperature, Tam is an external air temperature, Ts is a radiation amount to the passenger compartment, Kset is a temperature set gain, Kr is an internal air temperature gain, Kam is an external air temperature gain, Ks is a radiation amount gain, and C is an correction constant value.
One of a Face mode for blowing air to a face area of the passenger, a FOOT mode for blowing air to a foot area of the passenger, and bi-level (B/L) mode for blowing air to both the face area and the foot area of the passenger, is selected based on the target blow-out temperature TAO.
FIGS. 46A-46C show blow-out port control based on the TAO. The blow-out port mode is changed to the FACE mode.fwdarw.the B/L mode.fwdarw.the FOOT mode, in proportion to a rising of TAO.
According to this conventional device, if heat load conditions for the vehicle are same, the TAO will be same value. Therefore, in this case, the blow-out port mode will be set to be same mode. However, a heat feeling of the passenger due to surrounding condition is different from the heat load condition. Hence, a uniform switching of the blow-out port mode based on the TAO may make an air-conditioning feeling worse.
These air-conditioning feeling will be explained with reference to FIGS. 46A-46C. FIG. 46A shows a condition of the external air temperature Tam is 10.degree. C. (rather warm), and cloudiness (less solar radiation). FIG. 46B shows a condition of the external air temperature Tam is 0.degree. C. (rather cold), and fairy (much solar radiation). In these two conditions, both of the TAO will be the same value "a", therefore, the FOOT mode is selected uniformly.
However, in the case of FIG. 46B, the passenger will feel hot due to the radiation to the upper body, even if the external air temperature is rather low, and will want more cooled air to the upper body. That is, in this case, it is desired to select the B/L mode to improve the air-conditioning feeling. Therefore, the conventional device could not control the blow-out port mode in view of the radiation.
Furthermore, the external air temperature and a temperature of hot water to a heat exchanger also influence the air-conditioning feeling. However, the conventional device also could not control the blow-out port mode in view of these factors.
In order to resolve the above-mentioned inconvenience, it can be thought the following structure as shown in FIGS. 47A, 47B. That is, two maps including a no radiation map (FIG. 47A) and a radiation map (FIG. 47B) are provided as a characteristic switching map between the blow-out port mode and the TAO. when it is in the radiated condition, as shown in FIG. 47B, a switching point of the B/L mode will be changed to a high temperature side. Similarly, the same method can be adopted for the external temperature, and the hot water temperature.
However, the structure in FIGS. 47A, 47B may increase memory portion (ROM) of an air-conditioning electrical control unit, because it needs additional maps.
Further, environment conditions, of which the air-conditioning device for automobiles faces, include a wide variety of parameters such as the external temperature, an amount of solar radiation, a speed of the automobile and the like. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to investigate a relationship of factor at which these environment conditions influence the temperature control characteristic one by one, to quantify the influence of the relationship, and to decide the blow-out temperature control logic corresponds to the influence, because it needs huge processes.
Then, another disadvantage of Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 56-86815 will be explained. In this conventional device, the amount radiation Ts is included as a calculation term in the equation of the target blow-out temperature TAO. Therefore, even if it is at the timing just after the air-conditioning device starts in winter (warm-up), TAO is calculated as low temperature. Then, a warm-up time may be long time. The warm-up time corresponds to a period between the temperature adjuster is adjusted from maximum heating position to temperature region and a room temperature rises to the setpoint temperature.
In order to solve the above-mentioned disadvantage, Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 4-163223 is proposed. In this device, when a temperature difference (Tr-Tset) between the internal air temperature Tr of the passengers component and the setpoint temperature Tset is minus, the radiation amount Ts as the calculation term (amount on radiation correction) is decreased in proportion to an increasing of the absolute value of the temperature difference.
According to an investigation, it is found the following facts. That is, when the radiation amount correction is decided only based on the temperature difference (Tr-Tset), it may be impossible to calculate the radiation amount correction for various surrounding conditions. That is, even if the temperature difference is equal, the TAO is desired to be high temperature by decreasing the radiation amount correction when the external air temperature is extremely low like in winter, so as to shorten the warm-up time.
Similarly, even if the temperature difference is equal, the TAO is desired to be low temperature by decreasing the radiation amount correction when there is little solar radiation, so as to shorten the warm-up time.
In winter, since an angle of the sun is rather small, the solar radiation is likely to be radiated to upper body of the passenger. In such a case, when the internal air temperature reaches the setpoint temperature (Tr-Tset.apprxeq.0) as the result of heating, an operation of will be normal operation. Then, the passenger may feel hot due to the radiation. Therefore, it is desired to set TAO low temperature by increasing the radiation amount correction during much radiation in the normal operation so as to set the blow-out port mode to B/L mode to blow cooled air from a face blow-out port.


A device supports a motorized flying instrument in a wind tunnel. To carry out tests in a wind tunnel on a motorized flying instrument (10), with the motor on, under different attitudes hands off, the instrument is connected to the fixed structure (15) of the wind tunnel (11) by a mounting device (12) at least one of the supports (14, 16) of which is fitted with a length adjustment system, such as a hydraulic jack (28). This jack (28) is remote controlled, in real time, by a control system (42).

1. Technical field
The invention relates to a device designed to support a flying instrument such as a prototype or a missile model in a wind tunnel, so as to study the behavior of this instrument under different attitudes, with its motor on.
The invention applies to wind tunnel tests carried out on any type of motorized flying instrument and particularly a prototype or a scale one model, fitted with a motor, of a missile of which it is desired to study the behavior in real time in a supersonic tunnel, hands off, by reconstructing the changes in dynamics representative of the flight attitudes of the instrument.
2. Prior art
As shown in documents FR-A-2 159 548 and FR-A2 641 378, there is a known technique of wind tunnel testing the aerodynamic behavior of a model of a flying instrument such as an aeroplane by mounting this model on a boom connected to the fixed structure of the wind tunnel by a set of mechanisms allowing the attitude of the model being tested to be varied in real time. When this technique is used, the rear end of the model is connected to the front end of the boom and the latter extends backwards approximately in the extension of the model.
Support devices of this type make it possible to study, hands off, the aerodynamic behavior of the flying instrument surfaces which are in contact with the ambient air, when the attitude of the instrument changes in time.
On the other hand, such support devices cannot be used to study the behavior of a flying instrument whose motor or motors are switched on. Indeed, the presence of a boom approximately in the extension of the model, to its rear, does not allow a motor located in the longitudinal axis of the instrument to be switched on and greatly disturbs the airflow leaving a motor offset relative to this axis.
At the present time, when flying instruments are wind tunnel tested with their motors on, support devices of a different design are used. These support devices include several articulated supports connecting the instrument to the fixed structure of the wind tunnel. The articulated supports are presented usually in the form of arms or pylons at least one of which comprises length adjustment means. Most often, three or four articulated supports are used.
In such a support device, the articulated supports are offset towards the rear relative to the front part of the instrument, so as not to disturb the airflow in this zone. Moreover, to allow the behavior of the instrument to be studied while the motor is on, the articulated supports are also located clearly outside the airflow zones located upstream and downstream of the motor.
When such a support device is used to study the behavior of an instrument the motor of which is on, operators adjust the required configuration and flight attitude (sideslip value, incidence angle, etc.) by acting on the length adjustment means, before proceeding to a test. When another configuration and another flight attitude are to be tested, it is necessary to stop the instrument motor and to intervene again manually on the length adjustment means before proceeding to a new test.
This conventional technology is particularly long and tedious to implement. Moreover, it does not allow the dynamic behavior, in real time, of an instrument with its motor on to be studied. In particular, existing support devices are ineffectual for studying the behavior of an instrument with its motor on when it describes a pre-set trajectory or trajectory fraction.
The exact object of the invention is a support device designed to allow the study of the behavior of a motorized flying instrument in a wind tunnel when the instrument motor is on, by enabling a modification in real time of the attitude of the instrument for the articular purpose of simulating a trajectory or rajectory fraction followed by the latter.
In accordance with the invention, this result is obtained by means of a device able to support a motorized flying instrument in a wind tunnel, so as to study the behavior of said instrument, with its motor on, under different attitudes, said device including several articulated supports able to connect the instrument to a fixed structure of the wind tunnel, at places offset relative to airflow zones located around a front part of the instrument and upstream and downstream of the motor, at least one of said supports comprising length adjustment means, the device being characterised in that the length adjustment means are connected to remote control means able to modify in real time the instrument attitude.
Since the length adjustment means are remote controlled, the instrument attitude may be modified in real time, hands off. It thus becomes possible, particularly, to study the behavior of a flying instrument with its motor on, by simulating a trajectory or trajectory fraction followed by this instrument.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the supports include a front support, of invariable length, incorporating articulation means to at least two degrees of freedom of rotation around two axes oriented along two directions orthogonal to each other and to a longitudinal axis of the instrument, and two rear supports each incorporating length adjustment means and pivot connections.
To advantage, the front support is oriented approximately radially relative to the longitudinal axis of the instrument and arranged in a vertical plane passing through this axis. The rear supports are then oriented radially relative to the longitudinal axis of the instrument and arranged symmetrically relative to the aforementioned vertical plane, when the two rear supports are in an initial state corresponding in particular to a zero sideslip value and to a zero incidence angle.
In this same initial state, the rear supports preferably form with the vertical plane an angle such that the mounting of the instrument on the device is isostatic. This angle is for example approximately equal to 45xc2x0.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the rear supports are offset towards the rear by about one meter relative to the front support, along the longitudinal axis of the instrument.
Furthermore, the length adjustment means are constituted preferably by hydraulic jacks servo-controlled lengthwise.
To reduce as far as possible the airflow disturbance induced by the front and rear supports, each of these supports is generally placed inside a streamlined casing. This casing also provides thermal protection for the supports and contributes to their mechanical strength.
To provide control in real time of the configuration and flight attitudes of the instrument, angular measurement means such as resolvers are to advantage associated with the articulation means.
To take account of the significant increases in temperature which occur in the wind tunnel, in the vicinity of the instrument (about 350xc2x0 C.), cooling means are additionally provided to cool the pivot connections and the angular measurement means located in the immediate vicinity of the instrument.

Support device for a motorized flying instrument in a wind tunnel


A station (ST) of a multi-station ring communications network (RN), wherein data are transmitted in a predetermined direction includes a frame receiving device (DRX) for frames received from the ring, and a frame transmission device (DTX) for transmission of frames to the ring. The station (ST) further includes a FIFO repetition memory (ERPT), disposed in series between the reception and transmission devices, wherein the reception device (DRX) decides whether the frames coming from the ring should be either destroyed or repeated and subsequently sent to the repetition memory (ERPT). The transmission device (DTX) transmits the frames contained in the repetition memory or the frames proper to the station, by deciding whether the station has the right to transmit as a function of the contents of the repetition memory.

The present invention relates to a station belonging to a communications network in the form of a ring. More particularly, it is applicable to a network where various stations are connected to one another in series by means of a transmission medium or carrier, forming the ring, and the data are transmitted in a predetermined direction in the form of symbols (sets of bits).
Communications or data transmission networks are constituted by a plurality of units, generally called data terminal equipment, abbreviated as DTE, or "station" for the sake of linguistic simplicity. These stations communicate among one another by way of a transmission carrier, also called a transmission medium. In a network, data are transmitted over the medium as a series of frames. A frame is structured and includes beginning and end messages, synchronization signals from which a clock is derived, the address of the transmitting station, the address of the receiving station, the length of the data, the useful data, and so forth.
Among the data transmission networks most often used at present are ring networks, where the transmission carriers may be either coaxial cables or pairs of telephone wires, or increasingly frequently, optical fibers.
Regardless of the type of transmission carrier used in the ring network, a station connected to such a network has three essential functionalities:
Frame repetition: As a function of certain rules, the frames received are re-transmitted, which allows a frame to reach its destination after having passed through several stations;
Frame destruction: After having made one complete tour of the ring, the frame is destroyed by its transmitters, which avoids endless rotation of the frame over the ring;
Frame transmission: To transmit frames, some mechanism that authorizes or prohibits frame transmission at a given instant must be defined.
The operation of a network is defined by a set of rules and arrangements that make up what is commonly known as a protocol. In ring networks (also known as ring topology networks), the access protocols most commonly employed at present use the concept of a token. The token is a right to transmit. At a given instant, there is only one token on the ring. Any station that captures the circulating token accordingly keeps the right to transmit frames, preventing the others from doing so, and in that case does not repeat any frames it might receive. The right to transmit, that is, the time during which a station holds the token, is limited by a set of rules specific to the various protocols that use a token (for example, the FDDI token, an optical fiber network defined by ANSI Committee X3T9-5). At the end of transmission, the station that had captured the token lets it go. It accordingly gives up its right to transmit, thus leaving open the possibility for other stations to capture the token.
Consequently, the characteristics of a token protocol are as follows:
At a given instant, at most one station can transmit frames, or in other words gain access to the ring;
in the event that there is no exchange of data over the ring, or in other words on the condition of a zero load on it, a station must await the passage of the token before it can gain access to the ring;
the propagation time of the token on the ring is lost. In fact, during the transmit of the token from one station to another, it is impossible for a station to gain access to the ring, since this access requires capture of the token.
The consequences of the above characteristics are as follows:
Let us consider, for example, a ring having a latency (the propagation time necessary for any datum to make the complete tour of the ring) on the order of 5 ms, which for an FDDI optical fiber network corresponds to 1000 km of fiber. It is assumed that a station captures the token, transmits the frame, and then releases the token. From that time, it must then wait 5 ms before it can have the token again, even if there is no traffic whatever on the ring. This demonstrates the essential flow of token rings; The latency of the ring directly controls the frequency of access to it.
Instead of using the token concept, the station according to the invention and the ring network constituted by a set of such stations have the following qualities:
More than one of the stations according to the invention can simultaneously gain access to the ring, without collision.
In the case of a zero load, a station can gain access to the ring continuously.
Under a heavy load, the passband is distributed among the various stations, by a scheme determined in advance. This sharing may be equitable or not, depending on the users of the stations.
The ring access time is predetermined; that is, it has a maximum predetermined value.


A electrical flame-off (EFO) wand 200 for emitting an electrical discharge to form a length of bonding wire into a ball comprising a stainless steel tube mounting section 305 for mounting, a platinum rod electrode 315 inserted partially into the tube 305 and secured with electrically conductive epoxy 310. The dimensions of EFO wand 200 allows the capillary 110 to be positioned close to the die-lead frame assembly, improving the productivity of the bonding process and providing economical, good quality and more reliable wire bonding.

In semiconductor integrated circuit packaging, the process of electrically coupling a length of wire to a bond pad of a semiconductor die mounted on a lead frame to a lead of the lead frame is commonly known as wire bonding. For each connection between die and lead frame two bonds are required. A ball bond bonds one end of a length of wire to the die, and a stitch bond bonds the length of wire to a lead of the lead frame. Conventionally, the ball bond entails forming a ball on one end of a spool of wire, typically gold wire, prior to bonding the ball to a bond pad on a semiconductor integrated circuit using non-thermo compression, thermo compression or ultrasonic thermo compression. After the ball bond, a measured length of wire is provided from the spool of wire before the stitch bond is formed on a lead of the lead frame. The stitch bond also severs the length of wire from the spool, thereby freeing the end of the spool of wire on which a ball for the next connection is subsequently formed.
Bonding wire to the die and the lead frame is accomplished using a bond head having a capillary with a hardened tip, through which the wire from the spool is threaded. The bond head moves vertically along the z-axis above the die-lead frame assembly. The die-lead frame assembly is mounted on an x-y table which moves along the x and y axis to align the bonding locations on the die-lead frame assembly below the bond head. The movement of the bond head and the x-y table are co-ordinated and controlled manually or by a computer program during the bonding process.
Conventionally, the ball on the end of the spool of wire is formed by placing what is commonly known as an electrical flame-off (EFO) wand a predetermined distance from the end of the spool of wire. An electrical arc is then emitted between the end of the spool of wire and the EFO wand, forming a ball on the end of the spool of bonding wire. By varying the intensity and the duration of the electrical arc, the size of the ball that is formed can be adjusted to specific dimensions. To apply the electrical arc, a high voltage circuit generates a large potential difference between two terminals. One terminal is coupled to the; spool of wire, such that the wire forms an electrode, and the other terminal is connected to the EFO wand forming another electrode.
A conventional EFO wand is a hockey stick shaped stainless steel rod, the lower portion of which is positioned between the bond head and the die-lead frame assembly when forming a ball. Due to the size of the lower portion of the conventional EFO wand, and consequently the large clearance required between the bond head and the die-lead frame assembly, several disadvantages occur. A first disadvantage is the bond head must travel a long distance to the die which takes a significant period of time. Although the duration of one bond may not be significant, it should be noted that integrated circuits today have pin outs numbering in the hundreds. Hence, when viewing the duration of one bond from this perspective it becomes apparent that a minor change in the duration for one bond can have a considerable impact on the productivity of the wire bond process. A second disadvantage is the wide process variation in ball formation which affects the reliability of the ball bonds that are subsequently formed. A third disadvantage is the economic impact of the relatively shod life and high cost of replacement of the conventional EFO wand.
Hence, there exists a need for an EFO wand that is more economical to use in the wire bonding process, reduces process variation and improves the productivity of the wire bonding process.


An improved system and process for growing crystal fibers comprising a means for creating a laser beam having a substantially constant intensity profile through its cross sectional area, means for directing the laser beam at a portion of solid feed material located within a fiber growth chamber to form molten feed material, means to support a seed fiber above the molten feed material, means to translate the seed fiber towards and away from the molten feed material so that the seed fiber can make contact with the molten feed material, fuse to the molten feed material and then be withdrawn away from the molten feed material whereby the molten feed material is drawn off in the form of a crystal fiber. The means for creating a laser beam having a substantially constant intensity profile through its cross sectional area includes transforming a previously generated laser beam having a conventional gaussian intensity profile through its cross sectional area into a laser beam having a substantially constant intensity profile through its cross sectional area by passing the previously generated laser beam through a graded reflectivity mirror. The means for directing the laser beam at a portion of solid feed material is configured to direct the laser beam at a target zone which contains the molten feed material and a portion of crystal fiber drawn off the molten feed material by the seed fiber. The means to support the seed fiber above the molten feed material is positioned at a predetermined height above the molten feed material. This predetermined height provides the seed fiber with sufficient length and sufficient resiliency so that surface tension in the molten feed material can move the seed fiber to the center of the molten feed material irrespective of where the seed fiber makes contact with the molten feed material. The internal atmosphere of the fiber growth chamber is composed substantially of Helium gas.

Because of their inherent physical properties and waveguiding capability, single crystal fibers have been shown to have utility in a wide range of optical devices. For example, such fibers can be used in lasers or as sensors in corrosive or high temperature environments where traditional fiber sensors would be inoperative. In the medical field they can be used as a vehicle for delivering radiation to minute target areas. Sapphire (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3) crystal fiber is extremely useful in such applications due to its unique physical properties. Specifically, it has a high melting point, a very low solubility in water, can transmit radiation possessing a wide range of wavelengths (300 nm-4 um), and is strongly resistant to any chemical interaction with its environment.
A known system for growing sapphire fibers was developed at Stanford University and is known as a Laser Heated Pedestal Growth system (hereinafter referred to as the "Stanford System"). This Stanford System is believed to be similar to the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,721. The operation of the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,721 involves the initial transformation of a previously generated laser beam having a conventional gaussian intensity profile through its cross sectional area into a laser beam having an annular intensity profile through its cross sectional area via a refraxicon. This laser beam is then focused onto the tip of a solid feed material producing molten feed material. A seed fiber is translated towards this molten feed material and makes contact with this molten feed material. Upon contact, the seed fiber fuses with the molten feed material. The seed fiber fused to the molten feed material is then withdrawn from the molten feed material whereby molten feed material is drawn off in the form of a crystal fiber. However, prior to its translation towards and ultimate fusion with the molten feed material, the seed fiber must be concentrically aligned with the solid feed material in order to produce a high quality crystal fiber. If this alignment is off, the resulting crystal fiber produced will have a non-uniform diameter and hence poor transmission quality. Since the diameters of both the seed fiber and the molten feed material typically range from 100 um to 300 um, this concentric alignment requires great skill on the part of the system's operator. The production of crystal fibers with this system occurs in an air atmosphere at standard atmospheric pressure.
An article co-authored by one of the joint inventors of U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,721 entitled "Characterization of single crystal sapphire fibers for optical power delivery systems" (Appl. Phys. Lett. 55(21), 20 Nov. 1989) provides information regarding the speed at which the Stanford System can grow good optical quality sapphire fibers and their potential application in the medical field. Specifically, the article states the Stanford System "typically" grows good optical quality sapphire crystal fibers at a rate on the order of 4 mm/minute. The article also explained medical applications for sapphire crystal fibers require a crystal fiber with a length of 4 meters. Hence the duration of time needed to grow such crystal fibers with the Stanford System would be approximately 16.7 hours. In applicants' opinion this protracted growth makes the cost of such sapphire crystal fibers prohibitively expensive and ultimately limits their application in medical and other fields.

Growing crystalline sapphire fibers by laser heated pedestal techiques


To provide a POS terminal or the like which enables adjustment of white balance of an object to be sufficiently accurate even in the change of external light illuminating the object. The POS terminal includes: an image capture unit which captures an object including a plurality of respectively different reference colors and generates an image; a comparison unit which compares a portion of the image relating to each of the reference colors with a standard image which is a standard of the reference colors; and an adjustment unit which adjusts white balance based on a result of the comparison.

PTL 1 discloses a technique in which an image of a product carried on a belt conveyor within a casing for blocking external light is captured by a color image capture camera at a predetermined time interval while the product is being illuminated by an illumination device and white balance is adjusted based on the captured image. Adjusting white balance refers to a function of color correction to make a white object look white and corrects a color difference in a white material caused by different light sources (e.g., sunlight and an electric lamp).

POS terminal, information processing device, white balance adjustment method, and recording medium


This invention is directed to a method for eliminating or reducing pinhole defects in cataphoretically deposited films without interfering with the electrolysis of water needed for electrodeposition. This method comprises decreasing the evolution of hydrogen gas at the cathode by adding a compound to the emulsion. This compound is reduced by the hydrogen produced at the cathode during the electrodeposition. The hydrogen reacts with the this non-gaseous compound rather than becoming hydrogen gas and forming bubbles which lead to pinhole defects.

Electrodeposition of polymeric films from aqueous dispersions onto conductive surfaces is an attractive method for producing adherent films of uniform thickness. My U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,816 describes such a process for electrodepositing a photosensitive film which can be used as a aqueously developable, negative acting photoresist to transfer an image pattern onto a conductive surface such as a printed circuit board. The photosensitive composition used in my prior invention is an aqueous dispersion containing at least one polymer free of ethylenic unsaturation and having charged carrier groups, a photoinitiator and an unsaturated crosslinking monomer. The electrodeposited photosensitive film can be selectively exposed to a source of actinic radiation to create a crosslinked polymer image on the surface corresponding to the image pattern described on a photomask, while the unexposed portion can be removed from the surface using an aqueous developer solution. Any defect, however small, such as for example a pinhole, in the imaged film can leave the conductive surface exposed and result in an incomplete circuit.
Electrodeposition of polymers (electrophoretic coating) generally produces good quality films of uniform thickness. The self limiting nature of the process assures that all conductive surfaces are coated with an even thickness of the film. In principal, this process produces films free of pinholes. A pinhole in the film leaves the conductive surface of the substrate exposed, allowing the passage of current which would initiate the deposition of material in the pinhole. In practice, however, pinholes are observed in films applied by electrodeposition.
The coalescence of the emulsion particles into a film on the conductive surface depends on hydroxide ions produced at the cathode surface by the electrolysis of water. Hydrogen evolution is also a product of the electrolysis of water occurring during the electrodeposition and can lead to pinholes in the film deposited by cationic electrodeposition (cataphoretic coating).
The emulsion particles in most emulsions for cationic electrodeposition are stabilized by the presence of protonated amines on the surface of the particles. These form a hydrophilic shell around the hydrophobic interior of the stabilized particles in the aqueous matrix. The low pH of the bath keeps the amines protonated. During the electrodeposition, these charged particles migrate to the surface of the cathode under the influence of the potential applied across the electrodes. The pH at the cathode surface is much higher than the pH of the bulk of the emulsion due to the hydroxide ions produced during the electrolysis of the water. The protonated amines are deprotonated and the particle becomes hydrophobic. The emulsion particle is no longer stable in the aqueous medium because the hydrophilic shell of protonated amines has been destroyed. These deprotonated particles coalesce to form a film on the surface of the cathode.
The hydrogen, a product of the electrolysis of water, is necessary to implement the electrodeposition of the polymer. Eliminating the electrolysis of water would eliminate the hydrogen bubbles which produce pinholes, but the polymer film would not be electrodeposited since no hydroxide would be produced.
The hydrogen gas produced at the cathode can produce defects at various stages of the film formation. A hydrogen bubble formed on the surface of the substrate before the film has begun to deposit displaces the emulsion and prevents deposition in the area covered by the bubble. This results in a pinhole in the final film. A bubble can also form under the film after the film deposition has started. This bubble can grow, lifting the film from the surface of the substrate (cathode), forming a void under the thin layer film. No further deposition takes place since the bubble has excluded the emulsion and acts as an electrical insulator. This can occur before the film has reached its full thickness. The final film suffers voids covered with only a thin film of the polymeric material. These defects are unsightly and reduce the protection provided electrodeposited coating. The thin film over the void can also break on drying or baking to produce a pinhole.
The problem of pinholes is usually addressed by formulating compositions used to form a film which lead to few pinholes. However, few principles are known for the formulation of compositions producing few pinholes, and trial and error is usually used. The deposition conditions can also be optimized to produce the fewest pinholes. Pinholes in the film can be eliminated by baking the film. This softens the film so that it flows into the pinholes.
Japanese Patent 56069836-A describes the use of unsaturated compounds to absorb hydrogen gas during the electrodeposition of a glass dispersion onto a silicon surface to prevent pinholes in coating. This Japanese patent describes only the use of unsaturated compounds with electron withdrawing groups attached to the alpha position, such as acrylic acid and its esters, methacrylic acid and its esters, acrylonitrile, and styrene. The electrodeposition was carried out at high voltages (450 V). No example of depositing an organic film is given. The compounds described in this Japanese patent showed little or no utility for eliminating hydrogen evolution in the deposition of organic films from emulsions.
The reduction of compounds with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, known as catalytic hydrogenation, is well known and widely used. Catalytic hydrogenation is usually carried out by sealing hydrogen gas, the compound to be reduced and the catalyst in a vessel. The reaction mixture is agitated until the reaction is complete. Heat and pressure are frequently needed to complete the reaction in a reasonable amount of time. Noble metals (and compounds of noble metals) are generally the most effective catalysts although base metals are also used. The catalyst is necessary because the addition of the hydrogen to the compound does not take place directly. The hydrogen is first adsorbed onto the surface of the catalyst, and it is this adsorbed hydrogen that reduces the compound.
A similar technique for reducing compounds that has received much less attention is electrocatalytic hydrogenation (electrohydrogenation). Usually, the catalyst in this technique also acts as a cathode in an electrolytic cell. In some cases the catalyst is coated onto a cathode which is not catalytic. The hydrogen produced by the electrolysis is adsorbed onto the catalyst surface. Reducible compounds dissolved in the electrolyte are then reduced by the hydrogen adsorbed on the surface of the cathode/catalyst. The objective of electrocatalytic hydrogenation is to prepare the reduced product. The process of the present invention uses a similar technique but the objective is to consume the hydrogen before it forms gas bubbles which cause defects in the film during electrodeposition.
It is the object of the present invention to eliminate or reduce the pinhole defects in cataphoretically deposited films. It is a further object of the present invention to incorporate a compound into a cataphoretically deposited photosensitive composition to decrease hydrogen gas evolution without interfering with the cataphoretically deposited films.

Elimination of film defects due to hydrogen evolution during cathodic electrodeposition


The inventive device includes a cylindrical container having an open top, a closed bottom and a cylindrical side wall therebetween. A submersible pump is secured to an interior surface of the closed bottom of the container. The pump has an inlet and an outlet. The outlet has a supply pipe extending outwardly therefrom. The supply pipe extends upwardly along the cylindrical side wall. The supply pipe has an open free end extending outwardly of the open top of the container. The pump has a power cord extending outwardly thereof and extending outwardly of the container. A length of hose is provided having a first end and a second end. The first end is dimensioned for coupling with the open free end of the supply pipe. A plurality of attachments each have an open lower end for selective coupling with the second end of the length of hose.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS and more particularly pertains to a new PORTABLE POWER CLEANING SYSTEM for CLEANING HOUSEHOLD FIXTURES QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS is known in the prior art. More specifically, SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS include U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,157 to Arakawa; U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,052 to Schneider et al.; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 316,099 to Hartz; U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,848 to Powers; U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,086 to Kranzle; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,306 to Schneider et al.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new PORTABLE POWER CLEANING SYSTEM. The inventive device includes a cylindrical container having an open top, a closed bottom and a cylindrical side wall therebetween. A submersible pump is secured to an interior surface of the closed bottom of the container. The pump has an inlet and an outlet. The outlet has a supply pipe extending outwardly therefrom. The supply pipe extends upwardly alone the cylindrical side wall. The supply pipe has an open free end extending outwardly of the open top of the container. The pump has a power cord extending outwardly thereof and extending outwardly of the container. A length of hose is provided having a first end and a second end. The first end is dimensioned for coupling with the open free end of the supply pipe. A plurality of attachments each have an open lower end for selective coupling with the second end of the length of hose.
In these respects, the PORTABLE POWER CLEANING SYSTEM according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of CLEANING HOUSEHOLD FIXTURES QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY.


A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named xe2x80x98Kiadimexe2x80x99, characterized by its rounded, upright and compact plant habit; freely branching growth habit; bushy appearance; variegated foliage; freely flowering habit with flowers held above and beyond the foliage; and red purple-colored flowers.

Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Kiadime.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Kiadime.
The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program Inventor in Gensingen, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new Impatiens cultivars with interesting and unique flower and foliage colors.
The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in October, 1998 of a proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selection identified as 97-283, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selection identified as 97-515, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The cultivar Kiadime was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany in March, 1999.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Gensingen, Germany, since May, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Kiadimexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Kiadimexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Impatiens cultivar:
1. Rounded, upright and compact plant habit.
2. Freely branching growth habit; bushy appearance.
3. Variegated foliage.
4. Freely flowering habit with flowers held above and beyond the foliage.
5. Red purple-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Impatiens differ from plants of the female parent, the selection 97-283, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Impatiens and plants of the selection 97-283 differ in leaf coloration.
2. Plants of the new Impatiens have more rounded flowers than plants of the selection 97-283.
Plants of the new Impatiens differ from plants of the male parent, the selection 97-515, primarily in leaf coloration as plants of the selection 97-515 do not have variegated leaves.
Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the cultivar Kinoc, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,433. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar Kinoc primarily in leaf coloration as plants of the cultivar Kinoc did not have variegated leaves.


A method and system are provided for look data definition and transmission over a high definition multi-media interface (HDMI). The method includes generating metadata for video content. The metadata is used for altering the video content before display thereof by accounting for variations between different display devices and variations between different creative intents by a content creator. The method further includes preparing the video content and the metadata for transmission over a high definition multimedia interface.

Currently, when delivering a video content product either for home use or for professional use, there is one singular color decision made for that video delivery product, which is typically representative of the video content creator's intent. However, different usage practices of the content may occur so that the content's color decision may have to be altered. For instance, such different usage practices may involve different display types such as a front projection display, a direct view display, or a portable display, each requiring some change to the color decision to provide an optimal display of such video content.

Method and system for look data definition and transmission over a high definition multimedia interface


A method of designing a mask for imaging an integrated circuit (IC) design layout is provided to efficiently configure subresolution assist features (SRAFs) corresponding to an optimally configured annular illumination source of a lithographic projection system. A critical pitch is identified for the IC design, and optimal inner and outer radial coordinates of an annular illumination source are determined so that the resulting image projected through the mask will be optimized for the full range of pitches in the design layout. A relationship is provided for determining an optimal inner radius and outer radius for the annular illumination source. The number and placement of SRAFs are added to the mask design so that the resulting range of pitches substantially correspond to the critical pitch. The method of configuring SRAFs so that the image will have optimal characteristics, such as good contrast and good depth of focus, is fast.

There is a continuing effort to reduce the dimensions of integrated circuit (IC) devices, and this has required greater precision in the tools used to manufacture IC devices. IC devices are designed using computer-aided design (CAD) or technology-computer-aided design (TCAD) layout tools which allow designers and manufacturers to plan the layout of circuits on a semiconductor wafer. The finished designs must be transferred to the wafer in a manner that allows device features to be produced by various processes of etching, depositing, implanting, and the like. This is done by applying a photoresist (also known as resist) layer to the surface of the wafer and then exposing the photoresist to radiation transmitted through a mask or reticle having patterns of transparent and opaque areas according to the feature or features to be formed. The exposed photoresist is developed to provide openings in the photoresist layer through which the surface of the wafer is exposed for the process desired. This process of transferring the pattern to the wafer is generally referred to as photolithography. The finished product typically includes a number of patterned layers formed on the wafer, in which the patterns in different layers (or levels) are aligned to allow the formation of IC devices and circuit interconnection. Each patterned level or layer is typically formed using a separate mask or reticle layout pattern designed to form the desired pattern for that patterned level or layer.
The overall resolution of a photolithographic process refers to the minimum feature size (i.e., typically a critical dimension, or CD) that can be adequately printed, or "resolved," within specifications such as line-width variation (e.g. typically within about 10%), resist wall angle (e.g.≧85°) and minimum resist thickness after develop. This overall resolution limit depends on the resolution of the optical lithographic system, the properties of the resist as well as the subsequent etch processes. The resolution of the lithography (optical) system, that is, the ability to form a resolvable image pattern on the wafer, is critical to the overall process, and can be improved by resolution enhancement techniques (RETs), including modifications of the mask or reticle, as discussed in more detail below.
The resolution R of an optical lithography system is conventionally quoted in terms of the smallest half-pitch of a grating that is resolvable as a function of illumination wavelength λ and a numerical aperture NA, as expressed by Rayleigh's equation, R=k1λ/NA, where k1 is the Rayleigh constant. For conventional optical lithography, the ultimate resolution limit is reached at k1=0.5, the state at which only one set of diffracted orders can pass through the imaging optical system. Even as exposure wavelengths decrease from 248 nm to 157 nm, and numerical apertures increase from 0.5 to 0.85, conventional optical lithography is still challenged by resolution below k1=0.5. Approaching k1=0.5 imposes formidable problems due to image quality degradation associated with the loss of increasing numbers of diffracted orders.
At low k1 imaging, significant modifications to mask designs are required to print features in the desired fashion on the wafer. Due to the extreme sensitivity of many of these features to errors on the mask, in the stepper lens or in the lithography process (e.g. focus and dose), it is critical that these mask design modifications, or resolution enhancement techniques (RETs), be done properly. Resolution enhancement techniques such as optical proximity correction (OPC), subresolution-assist-feature-enhancement (SRAF) lithography and phase-shifted-mask-enhanced (PSM) lithography have become increasingly important as resolution has increased beyond the quarter-micron level. In addition, RETs have been combined with the use of off-axis illumination (OAI) and advanced resist processing to bring the k1 value closer to 0.25.
Off-axis illumination (OAI) provides resolution enhancement by modifying the illumination direction incident on the mask so as to eliminate or reduce on-axis illumination. For on-axis (i.e., propagation along the optical axis) light incident on a grating having pitch P, the. mth diffracted order will propagate at an angle θm=sin−1(mλ/P). However, only non-zero diffracted orders contain information about the grating, so at least one non-zero order must be collected in order to form an image. In other words, the projection lens must be large enough to collect at least the first order diffracted beams as well as the zero order beam. For the case of on-axis illumination, the first order diffracted beams m=−1 and m=+1 will propagate at an angles θ1=±sin−1(λ/P) relative to the optical axis, and thus the smallest pitch will be limited by the ability of the optical system to collect at least 3 beams (i.e., m=−1, 0, and +1), that is, a projection lens capable of collecting orders subtending an angle 2θ1. For a grating having equal lines and spaces having pitch P and line widths (CD) equal to P/2, the minimum feature size resolvable by such a lithographic system is d=0.5λ/NA, where sin(θ1)=NA, and thus k1=0.5 as discussed above.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an optical projection lithographic system in which illumination light (actinic energy) is provided through the aperture of pupil 110, and collected by a condenser lens 120. An illumination beam 130 is directed to a mask or reticle 140. The light is diffracted by the mask 140, creating diffracted orders m=0,±1,±2, . . . , which are then collected by a projection lens 150, and then projected to the wafer 160. In the case of off-axis illumination (OAI), the zeroth order beam will propagate undiffracted at an angle θ0 from the optical axis 101, as illustrated in FIG. 1, but only one of the +1 or −1 diffracted orders, propagating at angle θ1, need be collected in order to form an image on the wafer 160. Thus, OAI provides resolution enhancement because the angle collected by the lithographic system will allow a correspondingly smaller grating pitch P to be used. The angle of propagation can be optimized for a primary or target pitch. In addition, if the angle of off-axis illumination is chosen so that zero order and one of the first orders are at the same distance from the center of the pupil of the projection lens 150, the relative phase difference between the zeroth order and that first order will be zero, making the image less subject to defocus, and thus increasing the depth of focus (DOF) for an associated pitch.
The drawback of OAI is that,pitches other than the primary pitch will print with degraded process windows. In addition, since there are no discrete diffracted orders for isolated lines, there is little improvement of resolution for isolated lines as compared to densely pitched lines and spaces. The use of sub-resolution assist features provides a means of recovering the process window for pitches that are not enhanced by the OAI. By creating nonprinting (non-resolved or sub-resolution) supplementary patterns next to the primary patterns in such a way that the combined layout approximately reproduces the primary pitch, thus producing the required interference effects, the overall process window can be improved.
Sub-resolution assist features (SRAFs), also known as scattering bars or intensity leveling bars, that are incorporated in photomask layouts, can provide significant lithographic benefit (e.g. improved process window) in the imaging of very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuit patterns when used in conjunction with OAI (e.g. annular illumination). Methods for selecting size and placement of SRAFs have been discussed in the prior art.
One method for placing assist features (SRAFs) is to simply provide for placement of a small, finite number (e.g. one or two) of assist features having fixed (sub-resolution) width. Referring to FIG. 2A, adjacent critical features 11 (e.g. lines) may have variable spacing, but a primary pitch P0 for patterns of lines 11 that are periodic (in FIG. 2A, the direction of periodicity is assumed to be in the x-direction, but for convenience, only two of the repeating features 11 are shown). The primary pitch is often one that is deemed to be critical, for example, to ensure good overlay of features with features formed in an underlying layer. Industry standard practice is to use place a maximum of SRAFs 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 between two lines 11, where the widths and placements of the SRAFs are fixed. The resulting pitches P1, P2, P3, and P4 will not typically match the primary pitch P0, and will often result in less than optimal lithographic process windows. Referring to FIG. 2B, the case of an isolated line 15 is illustrated, in which only one assist feature 24, 26 is provide per edge of the isolated line 15. (A feature is deemed lithographically "isolated" if the distance from the feature to a nearest neighbor effectively exceeds the range of significant optical interaction.) However, even though the placement of assist features 24 and 26 may correspond to P0, using only two SRAFs is typically inadequate to reproduce the interference effect required to obtain an optimal process window.
The assignment of assist feature width, number and location is preferably optimized to yield the best through-pitch linewidth control or overall process window. The size of assist features must be chosen so that they are large enough to have the desired process window enhancement but small enough not to resolve as actual patterns on an exposed wafer. In addition, decisions must be made regarding where to place assist features, and how many must be added. Such optimization, however, requires very costly and time-consuming theoretical and experimental processes. For example, FIG. 2C illustrates a more preferred placement of assist features in which as many as 4 assist features (20, 23, 25, 22) may be placed, and where assist feature positions P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 and P6 are determined empirically to provide improved process windows. Similarly, for the case of isolated features 15, assist features 28, 30 are provided in addition to assist features 24, 26 at locations P7, P8 as illustrated in FIG. 2D. The locations P7, P8 of assist features 24, 26, 28 and 30 are determined empirically to provide good process window parameters, which can be a costly and time-consuming process. For example, for critical feature pitches that require 4 SRAFs (20, 23, 25, 22), there are at least 4 parameters (P5, P6, w1, w2) that can be varied. Thus, evaluating only three values for each of those 4 variable dimensions results in 34 (3 to the fourth power), or 81 possible combinations of parameters. Since a typical layout may have several tens or hundreds of possible pitches to evaluate, the empirical evaluation of all combinations quickly becomes impractical. Furthermore, there are many more possibilities for each parameter, and even this impractically large number of data points represents a sparse sampling for realistic layout configurations.
Thus, there remains a need to provide for a method for implementing sub-resolution assist features in lithographic mask or reticle designs that maximizes process window in a fast, cost-effective manner.

Pitch-based subresolution assist feature design

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides a sash profile having a first channel that opens toward and receives a glass panel and a second channel that opens toward and is covered by the glass panel. The second channel and the glass panel cooperate to define a continuous passage about the perimeter of the sash.

Many technological improvements in window and door design have been made available over the last several years. For instance, the insulating properties of newer window constructions are greatly improved over older window constructions, which can often provide significant energy cost savings to property owners. Consequently, a significant need has developed for replacing windows and doors during remodeling of older homes and buildings with newer, more efficient components.
However, most conventional windows, doors, patio doors, etc. are currently built to standardized dimensions. Since different sizes of windows and doors require differently sized components, it is common practice for manufacturers to offer only a limited number of standardized sizes of windows and doors, which reduces the overall manufacturing complexity and cost of these structures based upon the efficiencies obtained through economies of scale.
Many older windows and doors do not conform to standard sizings, and often it is difficult to find replacement windows which exactly fit the rough-in dimensions of a window or door to be replaced. Therefore, since standard sizes of windows and doors are often not acceptable substitutes as replacement windows, some replacement applications may require custom built windows or doors, which typically require individual components to be separately manufactured to size. Consequently, custom window construction often does not obtain the benefits of economies of scale, e.g., high volume production of structures using standardized parts. Thus, many custom windows and doors are significantly more expensive than their standardized counterparts.
Therefore, a need exists for a modular system for manufacturing windows and doors of custom sizes and shapes which offers less complex and expensive manufacture of structures such as windows and doors. In particular, such a need exists for replacement applications where standardized components are often not compatible.
One solution to the need for mass produced custom size windows is extrusion. For any given window dimensions, a sash profile is simply extruded to desired lengths to provide a suitably dimensioned sash. Such a sash should be cost effective to manufacture yet sturdy and reliable in use. Together with the glass panel it supports, the extruded sash should function as adequate insulation against the elements and should cooperate with the glass panel to provide an adequate seal therebetween. Such a sash should also be designed to support and/or cooperate with other window components and associated structure in ideal a manner as possible.