A pivot connection with a locking member which includes a first body with a link with a pivot pin passage. A second body has a pair of arms with pivot pint apertures and the second body straddles the link on the first body. A polygonal boss is formed on one of the arms of the second body surrounding the pivot pin aperture. A third body is provided with a polygonal boss receiver, a pivot pin aperture and a shoulder that engages the first body to prevent relative rotation of the first and third bodies. A pivot pin extends through the pivot pin aperture of the third body, the aligned pivot pin apertures of the second body and the pivot pin passage of the first body. A pressure member engages the pivot pin to apply pressure upon the third body to maintain the polygonal boss in engagement with the boss receiver.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,013 (Hodgins) entitled "Pivot connection for a grapple", describes a pivot connection which has a tapered conical counter-bored brake surface. A threaded mechanical connection applies pressure to force a tapered brake core into engagement with the brake surface. The effectiveness of this pivot connection is dependent upon pressure applied by the mechanical connection. Unfortunately, vibration can result in a loosening of the mechanical connection, which diminishes the pressure applied to force the brake core into engagement with the brake surface.


The present invention discloses a solder paste laser induced forward transfer device and method. The device comprises a laser, a beam shaping module, an optical path adjustment module, a solder paste transfer module and a computer control system, wherein the laser is connected to the beam shaping module, followed by the optical path adjustment module, and the solder paste transfer module is located below the optical path adjustment module. The beam shaping module comprises a beam expanding lens, an aperture, a flat-top beam shaper and a spatial light modulator. The optical path adjustment module comprises a two-dimensional galvanometer and an f-θ lens. The solder paste transfer module consists of a transparent substrate, a solder paste film, a clamp, a Z-axis lifting table, a receiving substrate, and an XYZ precise moving platform. The computer control system consists of a computer and drivers of other devices. The device and method can achieve mask-free, non-contact and high-precision solder paste transfer, thereby greatly shortening the production cycle and reducing the production cost.

SMT (Surface Mount Technology) is a circuit mount and connection technology that mounts pin-free or short lead surface mount components such as resistors, capacitors, transistors, integrated circuits onto a printed circuit board and forms an electrical connection by reflow soldering. Solder paste printing is the first step of the entire SMT process. At present, the solder paste printing technology mainly adopts screen printing, and the screen printing often needs different screens for different PCBs, thus having a relatively high cost and a long cycle, so that the demand for small-scale rapid production cannot be met.
Laser induced forward transfer technology (LIFT technology) is a material deposition technology. In the LIFT technology, a target material is coated onto a transparent substrate in the form of a film in advance, the target material film faces downward to keep a certain distance away from a receiving substrate, and laser irradiates the target material through the transparent substrate to induce material transfer within a local region. Accordingly, the LIFT technology is a mask-free, non-contact and high-precision trace transfer technology.
Because the LIFT technology does not require the preparation of a mask, once applied to solder paste printing, the production cycle of small-scale production can be greatly shortened, the production cost can be reduced, and this technology is especially suitable for laboratory research and industrial small-scale trial production. The use of a laser galvanometer allows beams to scan at a speed far beyond mechanical motion, thereby meeting the demand for production speed in large-scale production.

Solder paste laser induced forward transfer device and method


A mounting apparatus for coupling a toilet seat to a toilet includes a bolt including a proximal end comprising an upper flange and a lower flange, the upper flange and lower flange defining a contact portion; and a threaded distal end; and a hinge including a first portion including a mechanism to rotatably couple the first portion to the toilet seat; and a second portion including a resilient member including a C-shaped engagement configured to be received by contact portion of the bolt via a snap fit in response to the application of a horizontal force to hinge.

The present invention relates generally to the field of mounting apparatuses for toilet seats. In particular, the present invention relates to a toilet seat mounting device that is configured to be releasable without the need of tools, to facilitate easy and effective cleaning The tool-free releasable mounting devices facilitate the removal of the toilet seat from the toilet and the cleaning of the toilet around the toilet seat mounting area.


A method of improving the loss ratio on a book of insurance including the use of a computer data base with a user interface display including questions for insured entities making up the book of insurance. Spaces are provided on the display for the input of answers from an insured. A survey is used to question the insured entity, the survey eliciting answers to the questions posed. Data is input from the answers received into the computer data base at the spaces provided for. The answers that are collected are compared with answers contained in written documents having information that was supplied by a third party insurance underwriter. Inconsistent answers are identified and the information obtained is reported to the underwriter who can determine whether or not the insurance premium of the insured should be adjusted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for improving the loss ratio on a book of insurance. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for improving the loss ratio on a book of insurance such as a worker's compensation, general liability, products liability, property, professional liability or the like.
2. General Background of the Invention
Traditionally, entities such as businesses purchase insurance from licensed insurance companies or underwriters through their insurance agent. Insurance agents typically have access to many insurance companies through their markets. The agent and the business seeking insurance typically complete a standardized application for insurance coverage (for example, that form provided by Accord).
The application is typically transmitted via fax or electronically to underwriters who then determine if the risk falls within the underwriters' acceptable underwriting guidelines. If so, they determine a rate for one or more types of coverages, possibly with variable limits, and produce a quote and send it back to the agent. The agent then presents the quotes obtained from the market to his client (the business owner).
When the business owner and the agent decide to accept the quote, the agent binds coverage which in effect tells the underwriter that they accept the quote and would like coverage to begin on a certain date and time. The underwriter then produces a policy and sends it to the agent or business owner who is now the insured. The underwriter also produces an invoice and sends it to the agent or the insured. Usually with the invoice comes loss reporting instructions and other materials to assist the insured with being compliant with applicable laws.
During the policy period each insured enjoys the comfort of knowing that certain losses will be covered by the policy in exchange for conforming with the policy terms (paying the premium and acting in good faith).
With worker's compensation and general liability coverages, the premiums are determined by amount of payroll, by job classification, and by gross revenues. When applying for insurance for one year terms, these figures are typically estimated on the insurance application, and from those estimates, the underwriter's rates are applied and premium determined. After policy expiration, under the policy terms the underwriter has the right to audit the insured's actual payroll, gross sales, and/or proper classification to determine whether additional premium or refund is due.
While certain novel features of the invention shown and described below are pointed out in the annexed claims, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details specified, since a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will understand that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the invention illustrated and in its operation may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. No feature of the invention is critical or essential unless it is expressly stated as being "critical" or "essential."

Method and apparatus for improving the loss ratio on an insurance program book


The present invention of a latching device includes a positioning portion and at least one retaining element. The positioning portion has at least one positioning post and at least one receiving groove. The receiving groove passes through the positioning portion and the positioning post. The retaining element is received in the receiving groove. The retaining element has at least one clamping portion. Because the clamping portion of the latching device passes through the hole of the card and buckles the card, the latching device can be disposed on the bottom of the card. Thereby, the object of the embodiment is achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a latching device, and in particular to a latching device having a clamping portion for buckling a card.
2. Description of Related Art
An interface card is used to connect a circuit board of a computer to a peripheral device. Since portable electronic devices are becoming continually thinner, interface cards are becoming smaller, too.
Until recently, for example, Mini PCI interface cards commonly used for notebook computers were designed to be inserted crossways. After the interface card was inserted in to the connector, the interface card was parallel with the main board for reducing the height of the used space.
Besides improving the structure of the connector, the main board provides a latching device that supports the interface card. The latching device prevents the interface card from detaching from the connector due to external forces or shaking. However, the latching device, such as China patent No. 200410001481.4, is very complex, difficult to produce, and expensive. The space required for the latching device is large because the latching device is disposed on the side of the interface card.
Thus, a new designed latching device is needed to overcome the defects above.


A method is provided for securely holding a spectacle lens. Without using screwing members such as a screw and a nut, and extra parts such as a bush, a cylindrical pin and a slip-off preventive pin, a spectacle lens can surely be held. A taper pin is provided projecting on a lens holding member for holding a spectacle lens, and a taper hole having approximately the same size as the taper pin is provided on the spectacle lens. The taper pin is directly press-fitted into the taper hole, thereby holding the spectacle lens by a press-contact between an inner circumferential surface of the taper hole and an outer circumferential surface of the taper pin. The taper pin is press-fitted in a thickness direction of the spectacle lens.

In recent years, spectacles of a rimless type attract attention as spectacles having such advantages as to assure the width of visual fields and attain weight reduction. In one of the holding structures of a spectacle lens of the above-described spectacles of a rimless type, a screw insertion hole is formed penetrating the spectacle lens, the screw formed on the lens holding member is inserted into the screw insertion hole, and a nut is tightened to the tip of the screw, thereby holding the spectacle lens so as to put the spectacle lens between the lens holding member and the nut from the front and rear sides of the lens.
(For example, see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).
However, when holding the spectacle lens by means of screwing members such as a screw and a nut, the problem is that the screw becomes loose easily. Therefore, the spectacle lens holding structure holding the spectacle lens by simply inserting a pin into the hole of the lens without using the screw is provided. The present invention relates to the spectacle lens holding structure designed to hold the spectacle lens by simply inserting the pin into the hole of the lens, without using the above-described screwing members such as a screw and a nut.
For example, in one of the holding structure of the spectacle lens for holding the spectacle lens by inserting the pin, a taper pin is inserted into a through hole formed on the spectacle lens through a bush, and by the inserting action of the taper pin, the bush is made expanded and by providing a pin slip-off preventive structure separately, the lens is held (For example, see Patent Document 3).
In another example of the above-described holding structure, a cylindrical pin having a slit and formed in the lens holding member is inserted into the through hole provided on the spectacle lens, and a slip-off preventive member is pushed into the cylindrical pin from the opposite side to expand the cylindrical pin by the slip-off preventive member, thereby bringing the cylindrical pin into press-contact with the hole to hold the lens (For example, see patent document 4).    [Patent document 1] Japanese Utility Model No. 04-63419    [Patent document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 63-6521    [Patent document 3] PCT Japanese Publication No. 2002-52976    [Patent document 4] Japanese Patent Laid open No. 2000-171758

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Holding structure of spectacle lens, repair method for the same, and spectacles


A method and a device for simplifying space data are provided, and the method includes: an original coordinate point of original space data is transformed into a view coordinate point of a view window according to predetermined view control parameters; the view coordinate point is analyzed that whether it accords with a simplification condition; the original coordinate point corresponding to the view coordinate point that accords with the simplification is simplified according to an analysis result. The method for simplifying space data transforms the original coordinate point of original space data into the view coordinate point of the view window and performs analysis processing, which can ensure that not only the space relation of each simplified space data of random complex itself is displayed correctly, but also the space relations between all the simplified space data are displayed correctly.

A spatial entity is abstraction for an entity or phenomenon that exists or is virtualized in the natural world, correlates with a spatial position or feature, and is the minimum unit that can not be divided in the natural world. There are four types of basic spatial entities, i.e., point, line, surface and space. Spatial data is used for representing the spatial position, form information and spatial relation of the spatial entity itself, such as the information of the topology relation. The spatial data structure of the spatial data includes a vector data structure and a raster data structure. The vector data structure describes a spatial entity by a spatial discrete point coordinate, and views the entire studied space as a spatial domain, and the spatial entity is distributed in this spatial domain as an independent object. The raster data structure divides the space into uniform grids to describe a spatial entity with the characteristic of continuous distribution in a specific space.
With rapid development of spatial information technology, the obtained spatial data with high resolution and high accuracy increases explosively, however it gives rise to a series of problems, of which the most significant one is the real-time rapid transmission and display of the vector data in the massive spatial data of a high resolution map, one of the key methods for solving this problem is to simply the vector data before being transmitted and displayed. Typically, the existing method for simplifying vector data is Douglas-Peucker method, the basic idea of which is: connecting the head point and the end point of a curve virtually, then calculating the distance from all the points to this straight line and finding the maximum distance value dmax, and comparing the dmax with a tolerance D, discarding all the middle points on this curve if dmax<D; and remaining the coordinate point corresponding to the dmax, dividing the curve into two parts by taking this point as boundary, and applying this method to those two parts, if dmax≧D. This method has the following disadvantages: 1. the distance valve D is generally selected experientially based on the complexity of the vector data judged artificially, thus the threshold of the distance based on the human experience determines the number of the remained point after the vector data is simplified; 2. the most significant default of this method is that the spatial relation between the vector data is not considered, and it can not be ensured that all spatial relations between the simplified vector data are displayed correctly; 3. the lossless display simplification can not be performed according to the amplification ratio of the vector which is displayed on the client, i.e., the self-adaptive simplification can not be performed; and 4. the amount of the calculation is huge, the efficiency is low, and it is difficult to simplify massive vector data in real time.

Method and device for simplifying space data

SUZHOU XINTU GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


An ultrafine fiber-based composite separator comprising a fibrous porous body which comprises ultrafine metal oxide/polymer composite fibers, or ultrafine metal oxide fibers and a polymer resin coating layer formed on the surface thereof, the ultrafine fibers being continuously randomly arranged and layered, and obtained by electrospinning a metal oxide precursor sol-gel solution or a mixture of a metal oxide precursor sol-gel solution and a polymer resin solution, wherein the surface of the metal oxide/polymer composite fibers has a uniform mixing composition of the metal oxide and the polymer resin, in which the separator has a heat shrinkage rate at 150˜250° C. of 10% or less and does not break down due to melting at a temperature of 200° C. or lower, has low heat shrinkage rate, and superior heat resistance and ionic conductivity, being capable of providing improved cycle and power properties when used in manufacturing a battery.

The current trend of requiring high performance, lightweight, and large battery for automobile power sources is accelerating demands on secondary batteries such as lithium ion secondary batteries, lithium ion polymer batteries and super-capacitors (including electric double-layer capacitors and pseudo-capacitors) having high energy density and high capacity.
However, conventional lithium ion secondary batteries using a polyolefin separator and a liquid electrolyte, as well as conventional lithium ion polymer batteries using a polymer electrolyte such as a gel polymer electrolyte membrane or a gel-coated polyolefin separator are very disqualified as high energy density and high capacity batteries in terms of heat resistance.
The separator, which is disposed between a cathode and an anode in a battery, functions to insulate these electrodes from each other, retains an electrolyte solution to provide a conduit for ionic conduction, and has a shutdown function, i.e., when the temperature of the battery increases excessively, the separator partially melts to close its pores, thereby blocking an electric current. When the temperature gets higher, the separator melts, and then a large hole is created, causing a short circuit between the cathode and the anode. This temperature is called a short circuit temperature. Generally, a separator should have a low shutdown temperature and a higher short circuit temperature. Further, a polyethylene separator shrinks at a temperature of 150° C. or higher, which results in exposure of parts of electrodes, undesirably causing a short circuit.
Therefore, in order to manufacture a high energy density and high capacity secondary battery, a separator is required, which exhibits a low heat shrinkage rate due to high heat resistance and also exhibits improved cycle performance due to high ionic conductivity.
As such a separator, US Patent Publication No. 2006/0019154 A1 discloses a polyolefin separator coated with a porous heat-resistant resin, which is manufactured by impregnating a polyolefin separator (air permeability of 200 sec/100 ml or less) in a solution of polyamide, polyimide or polyamideimide having a melting point of 180° C. or higher, and then immersing the resulting separator in a liquid coagulant, thereby removing a solvent therefrom by extraction.
Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2005-209570 discloses a polyolefin separator coated with a heat-resistant resin, which is manufactured by, in order to secure sufficient stability for high energy density and large battery with large capacity, coating both surfaces of a polyolefin separator with a heat-resistant resin solution such as an aromatic polyamide, polyimide, polyethersulfone, polyetherketone, and polyetherimide having a melting point of 200° C. or higher, and then subjecting the resulting separator to immersion in a liquid coagulant, water-washing and drying in order. Also, in this case, in order to reduce the deterioration of ionic conductivity, a phase separating agent for imparting porosity is added to the heat-resistant resin solution and the amount of coated heat-resistant resin is limited to 0.5˜6.0 g/d.
However, immersion in the heat-resistant resin or coating therewith blocks the pores of the polyolefin separator and thus restricts movement of lithium ions, undesirably deteriorating charge-discharge properties. Even when the pore structure of the polyolefin separator is not closed, a polyolefin separator which is typically used has a porosity of about 40% and a pore size of several tens nm, and thus manifests an ionic conductivity that is insufficient for large-capacity batteries.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,958 B1 discloses a method for preparing a heat-resistant separator by coating porous woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, paper, or a porous film made of materials such as polyolefin, rayon, vinylon, polyester, acryl, polystyrene, nylon, etc., with a liquid slurry comprising a ceramic powder and a heat-resistant nitrogen-containing aromatic polymer, and then immersing the resulting product in a liquid coagulant, thus removing the solvent therefrom by extraction. However, this method is problematic because a series of processes are considerably complicated, which leads to high manufacturing cost.
Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Nos. 2001-222988 and 2006-59717 disclose a method for preparing a heat-resistant electrolyte membrane which is manufactured by impregnating a support such as woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, cloth or a porous film of polyaramide or polyimide having a melting point of 150° C. or higher in a gel electrolyte of a polymer such as polyethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide, polyether and polyvinylidene, or by coating the support with the polymer gel electrolyte. In this case, however, movement of ions in the support or the heat-resistant aromatic polymer layer is still restricted as in the separator or the gel electrolyte of a conventional lithium ion battery.
International Publication No. WO 05/057700 A1 discloses a porous composite film manufactured by electrospinning a polymer solution containing solid particles including fine inorganic particles. However, non-uniformity of the polymer solution containing a high concentration of solid particles disadvantageously causes clogging of nozzles used in electrospinning and non-uniform distribution of agglomerated solid particles on the surface of ultrafine fibers generated by electrospinning, which brings out formation of defects in the composite film and lowering of a mechanical property. A battery comprising the porous composite film as a separator results in remarkably decreased electrochemical stability due to electrochemical instability of the exposed solid particles, as well as shows poor heat resistance.
As mentioned above, conventional separators or electrolyte membranes do not exhibit satisfactory heat resistance and ionic conductivity at the same time, and, therefore, they are difficult to be used in manufacturing a high energy density and high capacity battery.

Metal oxide ultrafine fiber-based composite separator with heat resistance and secondary battery using same


An ultraviolet irradiating apparatus for emitting ultraviolet light toward a work piece. The work piece, e.g. a semiconductor wafer, is held by a ring-shaped frame through an ultraviolet sensitive adhesive tape applied to the back surface of the wafer. The apparatus includes an ultraviolet irradiating section having a regulating member disposed in a lower position of a support base. The regulating member is provided to limit a downward displacement of the wafer.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ultraviolet irradiating apparatus for emitting ultraviolet light toward a work piece such as a semiconductor wafer or electronic part and a frame holding the work piece through an ultraviolet sensitive adhesive tape applied to the back surface of the work piece.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In a conventional process of manufacturing semiconductor wafers (hereinafter simply called "wafers") or electronic parts, work pieces are processed as held with an ultraviolet sensitive adhesive tape applied thereto.
The semiconductor manufacturing process includes a dicing step for cutting a wafer into chips, for example. In this dicing step, the wafer is mounted centrally of a ring-shaped frame, and held (supported) with an ultraviolet sensitive adhesive tape applied to the back surface of the wafer in a way to cover the ring-shaped frame as well.
That is, a semiconductor wafer fixed to a wafer support structure is cut by a cutter, leaving the adhesive tape adhering to the wafer, to avoid fragmenting and scattering of chips. Further, an ultraviolet sensitive adhesive tape is used because it has strong adhesion for withstanding impacts occurring in time of cutting, and in order to allow cut chips to separate easily from the adhesive tape in a die-bonding step following the dicing step. That is, the adhesive strength of this tape is lowered when irradiated by ultraviolet light, and this property of the tape is utilized.
In a specific example of ultraviolet irradiating apparatus, a work piece is enclosed in a cover, and an inert gas is fed into its interior. A predetermined quantity of ultraviolet light is emitted by opening and closing a shutter disposed between an ultraviolet lamp and the wafer (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-204335).
However, the apparatus using the conventional ultraviolet irradiating method has the following drawbacks.
To meet the high-density packaging requirement today, a thinning process using wafers of large diameter (e.g. 300 mm) tends to result in an ever lessening strength of the wafers. Furthermore, due to the heat generated in time of ultraviolet irradiation, the adhesive tape tends to soften and become slack under the weight of such a large wafer. Consequently, there has arisen a problem of corners of adjoining diced chips rubbing against one another to be damaged.
When intervals between the chips or packages are reduced by slackening of the adhesive tape, an operating inconvenience will occur where, for example, individual chips cannot be recognized accurately in picking up the chips with a suction collet.
Moreover, the adhesive tape which has once slackened by heat cannot be restored. While a wafer with the adhesive tape in the slack state is transported to the bonding step, the chips could contact each other to be damaged. When sucking chips from a wafer joined with a ring-shaped frame with a suction collet for transport, the collet may fail to suck the chips accurately, thereby damaging the chips.

Ultraviolet irradiating method and an apparatus using the same


A method processes image data in a color separation to attenuate printing defects arising from misalignment of serially arranged printheads that eject ink for the color separation. The method includes processing image values of the color separation with a first rendering process that corresponds to one printhead in a plurality of serially arranged printheads for printing the color separation, processing the image values of the color separation with a second rendering process that differs from the first rendering process for at least one other printhead in the plurality of serially arranged printheads for printing the color separation, generating firing signals for the one printhead from the rendered image values generated by the first rendering process, and generating firing signals for the at least one other printhead from the rendered image values generated by the second rendering process.

Drop on demand inkjet technology for producing printed media has been employed in commercial products such as printers, plotters, and facsimile machines. Generally, an inkjet image is formed by selectively ejecting ink drops from a plurality of drop generators or inkjets, which are arranged in a printhead or a printhead assembly, onto an image substrate. For example, the printhead assembly and the image substrate are moved relative to one other and the inkjets are controlled to emit ink drops at appropriate times. The timing of the inkjet activation is performed by a printhead controller, which generates firing signals that activate the inkjets to eject ink. The image substrate may be an intermediate image member, such as a print drum or belt, from which the ink image is later transferred to a print medium, such as paper. The image substrate may also be a moving web of print medium or sheets of a print medium onto which the ink drops are directly ejected. The ink ejected from the inkjets may be liquid ink, such as aqueous, solvent, oil based, UV curable ink or the like, which is stored in containers installed in the printer. Alternatively, the ink may be loaded in a solid form that is delivered to a melting device, which heats the solid ink to its melting temperature to generate liquid ink that is supplied to a print head.
In some of these imaging devices, multiple printheads form an image as the image substrate passes the printheads only once. For example, a web of paper moving past a plurality of printheads receives the ink ejected from the printheads and then moves to a web heater and fixer for further treatment of the image. The multiple printheads may be arranged in a serial manner to provide an appropriate density of pixels per unit of linear measurement for a particular color. For example, two printheads may be arranged vertically in the direction of the web movement with each printhead having 300 inkjets per inch in each row of inkjets in the printhead. By offsetting the second printhead from the first printhead by a half-width of a single inkjet, the pair of printheads forms rows of printed pixels at a density of 600 dots per inch (dpi). In this arrangement, each printhead prints half of the pixels in each row of an image.
One issue affecting image quality in imaging devices having serially arranged printheads is misalignment of the printheads. Misalignment occurs when the two printheads are not precisely aligned either to provide the single inkjet offset between the printheads or in the direction of the web movement such that neighboring pixels from the two heads do not form a row of drops. In areas of an image that are comprised of pixels of the same color having approximately the same ink density, this misalignment can be detected by the human eye. In four color or CYMK systems, the imaging device may include a pair of serially aligned printheads for each color. Misalignments between printheads may be quite detectable by the human eye, especially in relatively uniform areas of the image. In previously known systems, various techniques have been developed to treat the image densities in a color separation to address such discrepancies, however, such systems have not necessarily been able to compensate for the lack of registration between serially arranged printheads for all image densities in a color separation.

System and method for distributing image values of a color separation


In a pipeline system having a plurality of pipe segments joining a fluid supply tank to a fluid dispenser, the invention includes a pipe coupling assembly for use on at least one terminal end of a fluid transfer pipe, where the transfer pipe has an inner tubular member for transferring fluid and an outer tubular member and an interstitial space there between. The coupling assembly comprises a transition coupling for attachment to the pipe segment to provide a first path for the fluid in the inner tubular member and a second path for the interstitial space. The coupling assembly further comprises a transition tube assembly for attachment to the transition coupling to provide separate paths for the transfer fluid and the interstitial space, where the interstitial space provides a means for performing leak detection or fitting integrity tests during application of either a vacuum condition or pressurized gas input via such selective access.

Because vehicle fueling facilities, like retail service stations, are becoming more environmentally conscious, a shift has occurred from the use of rigid underground piping to flexible piping. A primary reason for this shift from rigid to flexible piping is that flexible piping has fewer pipe connections than rigid systems since the flexible system can accommodate virtually any orientation or alignment of the pumps and tanks. With fewer pipe connections, the piping system is considered more environmentally safe. Movement of the underground storage tank due to the shifting underground tanks is also more easily accommodated by flexible piping.
Flexible underground piping systems have also gained popularity because these systems are more easily installed than rigid piping systems. Rigid systems require on-site measurements and cutting of each piece, along with the intensive labor involved in making two pipe connections every time the piping undergoes a change in direction. Flexible underground piping systems thus can be installed at a lower total cost than conventional rigid piping systems.
As part of the development of underground piping systems, it has been necessary to provide a means of secondary containment for both the primary piping and for the associated fittings in order to provide a margin of safety in case of leaks or damage to the system. The secondary containment pipe protects the primary supply pipe from the ambient environment and from inadvertent damage, and further, provides for a method of containing the fluid from the primary pipe in the event of a rupture or leak of the primary pipe.
Several types of double wall flexible piping systems are known. These include systems which have a small flexible pipe housed in a larger flexible containment pipe. One such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,477 (the '477 patent), wherein access chambers are separated by a secondary containment pipe which is sized to accept a primary pipe within the secondary containment pipe. This system, however, has a number of drawbacks, including the fact that the primary and secondary pipes are installed separately and that fittings are required for each of the two types of pipes. Moreover, because each of the pipes connects with an access chamber, a rapid and simple method of monitoring the condition of the primary piping may not be possible. Although the sumps in the '477 patent are capable of being monitored visually by an attendant, but the demand of other tasks to be performed by the attendant eventually leads to fewer and fewer inspections. Most important is that leaks may occur randomly, not only just prior to a visual inspection, and especially when inspections grow less frequent over time.
As taught in the '477 patent, the flexible piping and the secondary containment piping require a sump or access chamber each time that sections of the flexible pipe are joined together. Most other systems also require a sump at each location where sections of flexible pipe are joined together.
Other systems which have met with success using coaxial pipes and a secondary containment pipe are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,794 (the '794 patent), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,896 (the '896 patent) the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The advantages of flexible pipe systems are disclosed by these patents. Nevertheless, it is necessary to make individual connections each time sections of pipes are joined together.
The '794 and the '896 patents disclose various definitions that have become standard in the industry, for example, "tanks", "pumps", "dispensers" and the like. Also disclosed therein are descriptions of double wall piping systems that provide secondary containment. In a system that employs secondary containment, a primary pipe carries the petroleum product or other hazardous material from the underground tank to the aboveground dispenser. The primary pipe, also known as the supply pipe, is located inside a larger, outer secondary containment pipe, known also as the containment pipe. Access sumps and other containment components are located around the tank pump, underneath the dispenser and at various junctions of piping.
Recently, an effective system has become available and has met with substantial success in the industry. This pipe system's supply pipe is a flexible double wall pipe comprising an inner pipe and an outer pipe in radial communication with the outside surface of the inner pipe. Most preferred are pipes of this configuration that have internally facing longitudinal ribs on the inner surface of the outer pipe, or externally facing longitudinal ribs on the outer surface of the inner pipe. In either such design, a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs extend radially from one pipe member to the other pipe member such that the ribs have a surface that confronts and snugly engages the other pipe to define an interstitial space between the two pipes.
The flexible double wall pipe described immediately above is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,130 entitled Environmentally Safe Underground Piping System, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The co-axial pipes disclosed in the '130 patent are normally suited for use with hazardous material transfer pipe systems of the type described herein. The inner most layer is formed from a material such as nylon, PVDF, polyethylene or the like, which is highly resistant to the hazardous transfer fluid. The outer jacket of the double wall pipe which is exposed to the ambient underground environment is formed from a material such as nylon, PVDF, polyethylene or the like, which is highly resistant to the ambient underground environment and which does not degrade over time. Between the outer wall of the primary pipe and the inner wall of the containment pipe is an intermediate layer, either in the form of ribs projecting from one surface to the other, or in a standoff layer formed from a cylindrical portion having circumferentially spaced ribs that define the interstitial space between the two pipes. As noted in the '130 patent, other layers can be present in the design, such as intermediate layers formed from lower cost materials which do not directly contact either the hazardous material being transported or the ambient underground environment.
The environment for both surfaces of the pipe is an important design aspect, which needs to be considered. Product components which make up primary or secondary containment systems for hazardous liquids, and in underground applications particularly, must be designed, manufactured and individually tested to insure that they will not fail due to material deterioration.
The material employed are preferably resistant to hydrolysis, as it is expected that water and high moisture conditions will exist in underground burial applications both for contained and non-contained underground piping applications. Resistance to hydrolysis is important since some elastomers suffer an irreversible breakdown when exposed for lengthy periods to hot water, moisture vapor or tropical climates.
In addition to the tanks, pumps, pipes and dispensers used in underground piping systems, sumps are used as part of the secondary containment system. One sump surrounds the pump on the tank and another sump is generally positioned below each dispensing system. Sumps typically have a base portion, a riser and a lid and are provided with means for permitting piping to enter and exit the sump. One type of sump called a tank sump is located on top underground storage tank and under a surface access manhole. Contained within the tank sump is a dispensing pump whereby the fuel is directed upwardly from the tank to the dispensing pump and outwardly through the opposite side of the tank sump to the next part of the system. Each time the pipe sections are connected to one another, these pipe connections are typically contained within another sump that, of course, requires a pipe penetration seal to seal the pipe entry or exit through the sump.
As can readily be appreciated, every pipe must eventually end. It then becomes necessary to connect that end of the pipe to either a pump, to a fitting joining two or more other pipes or directly to a shear valve. Typically the inner, primary supply pipe is directly connected to fittings and the like, and another primary supply pipe is connected to the other end or ends of the fittings. Merely connecting the inner supply pipes, as in the past, has been no different than connecting a single pipe system. In the evolution of piping systems as discussed above, the relationship of the outer, secondary containment pipe to the system has become more complex.
Initially, non-flexible pipes functioning as a secondary containment pipe were attached to the sump or other chambers by enlarging the hole in the sump to permit entry or exit of the outer pipe from the sump, and later by various fastening and sealing methods and devices. Initially, the interstitial space between the inner and outer pipes served as a conduit for fluid leakage to flow downhill into the next sump in the piping system. Leaks could come from fuel from the inner pipe, or from the outer pipe as ambient environmental liquids, such as water, penetrate the outer pipe.
Leak detection initially consisted of opening the sump chamber and inspecting the bottom of the sump for fluid accumulation. Of course, whatever can be visually inspected can be monitored automatically. Systems were proposed for monitoring the liquid levels in the bottom of sumps. However, every sump had to have a monitoring device since each sump, by design, represented a low point where fluid could collect. The difficulty in such two pipe systems can easily be seen by viewing FIG. 2 of '477 patent where the outer pipe has a very limited, minor function of simply isolating the primary supply pipe from the ambient environment. Also shown in that Figure is the way that the interstitial space between the primary pipe and containment pipe merely opened into the larger sumps without any recognition that there may be other purposes for the interstitial space. As is shown in FIG. 3 of the '477 patent, the secondary containment pipe merely serves as a housing or conduit for sections of the primary supply pipe which may be inserted or removed as desired.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,976, I disclosed a connecting boot that substantially improves utilization of the interstitial space. The connecting boot, commonly known as a "test boot", comprises a device which fits onto one terminal end of a supply pipe, allowing the inner primary supply pipe to extend out from the connecting boot while the outer secondary containment pipe terminates inside the connecting boot. The exit end of the test boot where the primary supply pipe exits is clamped to, or otherwise sealingly engages, the outer surface of the primary pipe. The entrance end of the test boot that fits over the exterior of the secondary containment pipe is also clamped to, or is sealingly engaged with, the outer pipe surface. In between these two sealed ends of the test boot is a chamber, which communicates with the interstitial spaces of the two pipes and also communicates with a radially extending port. An elbow fitting and tube is usually provided which can be connected to the radially extending port and elbow fitting on the adjacent pipe, to which the primary pipe has been attached in a conventional manner.
Thus, for the first time, it was possible to connect not only the interstitial spaces of two adjacent pipes but also the interstitial spaces of an entire system, which are connected to a single monitoring device. Such a monitoring device could be a system whereby the entire interstitial space of all of the piping is filled with a liquid to a level, which registers in a predetermined range of the monitoring device to indicate a securely contained system. When the level of the fluid in the interstitial space either drops below a certain amount or rises above a certain amount, indicating a change in the system, an alarm will sound.
The test boot provided a substantial advance in the hazardous fluid piping system industry, primarily by permitting interconnection of all of the system wide interstitial spaces. The test boot, however, is not as structurally solid as an access sump, for example, and thus needs to be enclosed in a sump for protection.
There are several additional considerations that need to be addressed in designing the connections between sections of pipes, particularly between sections of flexible coaxial pipes. First, it is desirable to avoid plastic adhesion or plastic thermally bonded connections, since temperature conditions, chemical exposure, vibrations over time can cause piping joints to fail. A much better seal is achieved when metal and plastic are joined together by mechanical means. However, in such cases it is necessary to protect the metal from the environment by a coating or isolation to avoid a corrosive and unsafe condition. Coatings on metal parts, however, often peel off or become damaged during handling of the metal parts. Also, if the coatings are too thick, the necessary metal to plastic contact to establish an effective seal is not achieved.
As will be apparent from reviewing the above patents, there is an interstitial space between the inner primary supply pipe and the outer secondary containment pipe. This interstitial space has been used to transfer leaked fluid into the containment sump or access chamber. Typically, in early systems, the access chambers were inspected on a regular basis to see if quantities of fluid had collected. This, of course, does not provide a rapid response to a major leak of fluid such as fuel from the primary supply pipe.
As shown in the '794 and the '876 patents, the entire system is connected such that the primary pipe functions as a closed system, transporting fuel from the supply tank to the various dispensers. However, the interstitial space between the primary supply pipe and the secondary containment pipe is a conduit allowing leaked fluid to flow to an access chamber for observation. Although it is possible to monitor the conditions of one or all of the access chambers, for example by visual inspection, no simple method of monitoring the entire system is possible.
It is desirable to provide an underground piping system which employs coaxial pipe, such as those pipes described above, which include a inner primary supply pipe and a outer secondary containment pipe, in which the interstitial space between the two pipes can be connected to the interstitial spaces in other segments of piping to form a continuous closed system of interstitial space.
It is also desirable to provide a coupling assembly for use with coaxial pipes that permits coupling of the interstitial space between the coaxial pipes with corresponding interstitial spaces in other segments of pipe.
Such a system should also provide an effective monitoring system utilizing the interconnected interstitial space of the coupling assembly, particularly with the use of a constant vacuum or pressure applied to the interstitial space or monitoring the liquid level of a liquid filled interstice.


The invention provides a signal transmission device that transmits a signal applied to a pair of input terminals to a pair of output terminals insulated electrically from the pair of input terminals while reducing the influence of an external noise magnetic field. The signal transmission device has a pair of coils, a pair of magnetic sensors and a signal output section. Each of the coils is connected between the pair of input terminals. Each of the coils generates a magnetic field respectively in response to the input signal applied between the pair of input terminals. A direction of the magnetic field generated by one of the coils is opposite to a direction of the magnetic field generated by the other of the coils. Each of the magnetic sensors corresponds to one of the coils exclusively. Each of the magnetic sensors detects the magnetic field generated by the corresponding coil, and outputs a detection signal in response to the detected magnetic field. The signal output section outputs an output signal to the pair of output terminals. The output signal corresponds to a difference between the pair of detection signals outputted by the pair of magnetic sensors. In the difference, the signal component caused by an external noise magnetic field is canceled. On the other hand, in the difference, the signal component caused by the input signal applied between the pair of input terminals are doubled with respect to the input signal. Thereby, the signal output section outputs the output signal with high S/N ratio.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal transmission device that transmits an input signal from a pair of input terminals to a pair of output terminals that are electrically insulated from the pair of input terminals. Specifically, the present invention relates to a signal transmission device that can reduce the influence of an external noise magnetic field during signal transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
Signal transmission devices for transmitting a signal from a pair of input terminals to a pair of output terminals that are electrically insulated from the input terminals are known. One of such signal transmission devices is a device for transmitting a signal using a coil and a magnetic sensor which is insulated from the coil electrically but joined to the coil magnetically.
A representative example of such a device is a transformer. A transformer has an input side coil that is connected to a pair of input terminals and an output side coil that is connected to a pair of output terminals. The input side coil and the output side coil are electrically insulated from each other but magnetically joined with each other. Through electromagnetic induction of the transformer, a signal that is inputted from the pair of input terminals to the input side coil can be transmitted to the pair of output terminals without electrical connection between the pair on input terminals and the output terminals.
There are transformers in which the voltage level of an outputted signal is different from the voltage level of an inputted signal. There are also transformers, such as pulsing transformers, in which the voltage level of an outputted signal is same as the voltage level of an inputted signal.
A signal transmission device that transmits signal from the pair of input terminals to the pair of output terminals insulated electrically from the pair of input terminals can also be realized by using an element such as a hall element or a magnetoresistive element for outputting a signal in response to an acting magnetic field, instead of using the output side coil of the transformer.
In the present specification, the section in the signal transmission device that transmits a signal via a magnetic field in a state of electrical insulation is referred to as a "signal transmission section". A transformer is an example of a signal transmission section. Moreover, in the signal transmission device, the section that outputs a signal in response to an acting magnetic field is generically referred to as a "magnetic sensor". Examples of magnetic sensors are the output side coils and the hall elements or magnetoresistive elements that can be used in place of the output side coils. The output side coil may be referred as the "detection coil". A signal that is outputted by the magnetic sensor may be referred to as a "detection signal". In the signal transmission device, a section that outputs a signal in response to a signal inputted to the pair of input terminals, on the basis of the detection signal outputted by the magnetic sensor, is referred to as a "signal outputting section".
Even a signal transmission section alone, such as a transformer, can transmit signal from the pair of input terminals to the output terminals that are electrically insulated from the pair of input terminals. However, when the device transmits a signal via a magnetic field, the magnetic sensor detects not only the magnetic field generated by the input side coil but also an external noise magnetic field. An external noise magnetic field is, for example, the magnetic field generated by other equipments or circuits, or the magnetic field caused by the earth magnetism. The detection signal that is outputted by the magnetic sensor of the signal transmission section includes the signal (that should be transmitted) that results from the magnetic field generated by the input side coil, and a signal (that should not be transmitted) that is caused by an external noise magnetic field. In a signal transmission device in which signal is transmitted using a coil and a magnetic sensor that both are magnetically joined with each other but electrically insulated from each other, it is important to reduce noise signals caused by an external noise magnetic field.
In the present specification, "a signal that should be transmitted essentially", which is included in the detection signal outputted by the magnetic sensor of the signal transmission section, is referred to as "an essential signal" hereinafter. "A signal that should not be transmitted", which is included in the detection signal and is caused by a noise magnetic field, is referred to as "a noise signal" hereinafter.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-51021 discloses an example of a signal transmission device that reduces a noise signal included in a detection signal outputted from an output side coil of a transformer. In this signal transmission device, a dummy coil is arranged in the vicinity of the output side coil of the transformer. In the detection signal that is outputted from the output side coil of the transformer, a noise signal is added to an essential signal. The dummy coil outputs only the noise signal generated by a noise magnetic field. By determining the difference between a detection signal outputted from the output side coil of the transformer and the noise signal outputted by the dummy coil, the noise signal can be reduced from the detection signal outputted from the output side coil of the transformer.


An apparatus for inspecting surfaces of spheres such steel balls, on which sequentiality of cleaning and screening steps is attained without danger of rusting, and inspection accuracy and efficiency are enhanced, comprises a cleaning device for cleaning the spheres on a rotary disc with rotating brushes, a mechanism for inspecting and screening the cleaned spheres in oil in terms of non-defective and defective, and a removal device for removing both spheres separately. The mechanism includes a driving roller revolving and carrying thereon each sphere, a set of control rollers making tangential contact with the sphere thrusted along the outer circumference of the driving roller, a sensor for inspecting the surface of sphere while imparting a twist toward the sensor to the sphere by rotations of the driving roller and control rollers, and an oil tank holding therein the elements above.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an inspection apparatus for inspecting surfaces of spheres or spherical bodies such as steel balls to detect flaws thereby screening out.
2. Description of Related Art
With conventional inspection apparatus for surfaces of spheres, for example, steel balls for use in ball bearings, it has been a common practice to inspect the spheres in air. This inspection method is advantageous in that it is easy to handle the spheres, but the surfaces of spheres must beforehand be degreased cleanly and dried. The greasy contents, if not completely degreased, remained as stain, as a result of which not only were the stained spheres culled as rejects, but also the greasy contents were accumulated at the passageway of the inspection station, and further attached to another spheres, thus being responsible for rejects.
A complete degreasing method has been therefore investigated and for example, an attempt has been made to conduct ultrasonic cleaning with an organic solvent. According to the cleaning method in the solvent, however, aside from the fact that the substance itself may be toxic or not friendly to the earth environment, an extra device for recovery of the solvent to reduce the running cost is necessitated, thus making the overall apparatus larger. Currently, the situation is improved to some degree since several less toxic and environmentally-friendly substances have been developed, and yet the circumstances still do not change seeing that the apparatus as a whole is large-sized.
In particular, the spheres made of a metal susceptible to rusting are required to be treated as quickly as possible after degreasing lest those allowed to stand for a long time in the degreased state should not be rusted. Otherwise installation of an extra air conditioning facility is neccesitated.
In order to cope with the present situation and to overcome the problems above, the invention is designed to provide an inspection apparatus or surfaces of spheres by adopting a new approach of inspecting in an oil without causing the foregoing problems with greasy staining. Accordingly, important objects of this invention are to eliminate the necessity of degreasing, to get rid of any danger of rusting even with a metal liable to rusting, to dispense with any air-conditioning even during a long-time treatment, to enable compactization, making the installation space smaller, and to make the steps of cleaning and screening continuous thereby enhancing the workability. Another object is to heighten the efficiency and accuracy of inspection of the apparatus.
The present invention for accomplishing the aforesaid objects resides in the construction of an inspection apparatus for surfaces of spheres which comprises a combination of: a supply device for supplying the spheres to be inspected; a cleaning device for the spheres so supplied; an inspection and screening mechanism for the spheres thus cleaned and delivered through a tubing; and a removal device for removing the spheres thus inspected separately according to the screening class and housing them in separate containers. And the apparatus is characterized in that the inspection and screening mechanism includes a driving roller; alignment fingers, provided upstream of the driving roller, for putting the spheres supplied in a line one by one onto the driving roller under rotation; a feeding roller for thrusting each sphere carried on the driving roller toward the rotational direction of the driving roller; a set of conical control rollers disposed to tangentially contact with the surface of the sphere thus thrusted with an outer periphery of the driving roller, a support roller, disposed adjacent to and downstream of the control rollers, for supporting the sphere; a sensor for insecting the surface of the sphere supported on the driving roller, the set of controllers, and the support roller; a discriminating gate disposed at the output side of the support roller; and an oil tank holding therein the driving roller, the feeding roller, the set of control rollers, the support roller, the sensor and the discriminating gate so that the surfaces of the spheres can be inspected in the oil thereby to discriminate and screen the spheres in terms of non-defective and defective.
According to another embodiment, the apparatus is further characterized in that the cleaning device includes a rotary disc and a fixed disc which are superposed on each other at the surface side and reverse side, respectively of the device and held in a slanting manner, the rotary disc being defined concentrically with holes for placing therein every one of the spheres in the same pitch radially and circumferentially, the fixed disc being defined partly with a cutout for delivery of the spheres therefrom; cleaning brushes provided on and in contact with the rotary disc at a predetermined position in the rotational direction thereof so that the spheres supplied in the holes can be cleaned with the cleaning brushes with the rotation of the rotary disc and the cleaned spheres can be delivered in sequence from the cutout downwardly.
According to the apparatus of this invention stated above, the spheres loaded on the supply device are supplied to the cleaning device in a definite number and then cleaned one by one in mutually discrete state by the rotation of the cleaning brushes. The cleaned spheres are transferred in a line to the screening mechanism. The inspection station of the screening mechanism is located in oil where the spheres are inspected at their surfaces one by one by means of the sensor and automatically screened between good or non-defective spheres and rejects or defective spheres.
The spheres thus screened are lifted up out of the oil, and those non-defective are coated with a rust-proof oil and then recovered into a container of the removal device while the rejects are recovered to another container.
More specifically stated, in the cleaning device constructed above, the spheres supplied quantitatively roll by their own weights thereby to enter into the holes of the rotary disc under revolution. Here, being apertured concentrically in the same pitch radially and circumferentially the spheres are guided through a chute, which is provided with guide grooves so as to adapt to the radial pitch of the spheres, into the holes. The spheres entering into the holes of the rotary disc under revolution are conveyed sequentially to the position of the brushes and cleaned, while being rotated neary one turn, with the brushes under rotation.
The cleaned spheres are withdrawn out of the cutout of the fixed disc downwardly, aligned in a line with the aid of the alignment device, and delivered in a line toward the next inspection station.
At the inspection and screening mechanism, the spheres thus traded in a line from the cleaning device are supplied, at the top of a chute, through alignment fingers for aligning the flow of spheres and feed rollers one by one to an inspection spot.
Here, the operation is conducted in the following manner: When the alignment fingers ascend, one sphere passes. And the alignment fingers revert to the original position, thus stopping another sphere next to the sphere from flowing. The sphere being carried on the driving roller is forced into the inspection spot with the aid of the feed roller revolving concentrically with the driving roller. At the inspection spot, the sphere is supported by four points of the driving roller, the set of control rollers and the support roller.
The driving roller revolves in the progress direction, whose rotation force is transmitted to the sphere and further rotates the set of control rollers making in tangential contact with the sphere. The control rollers assume a conical form and are provided, at their tops opposite to their conical sides, with gears so that their movement may be transmitted to the sphere to be inspected. The control rollers are needed to revolve lightly and silently, and to that end, the gears are of eccentric helical gears having an eccentricity of the same magnitude. The eccentricity imparts a twist to the sphere and the sphere imparted with the twist moves to the sensor, which serves, in turn, to inspect the front surface of the sphere.
After inspection, the sphere is discriminated in terms of non-defective or defective on an electric circuit, which moves the support roller so as to discharge the sphere from the inspection spot and screens out with the discriminating gate.

Inspection apparatus for surfaces of spheres


A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises: a memory cell region having a memory cell disposed therein; a peripheral region including a first stepped structure in which an end of a lower first layer is further from the memory cell region than is an end of an upper first layer; and a second stepped structure disposed on the first stepped structure, in which an end of a lower third layer is disposed further from the memory cell region than is an end of an upper third layer, a length in a second direction being shorter than a length in the second direction of the first layer or the second layer contacted by the second stepped structure, and a length in a third direction of the second stepped structure being shorter than a length in the third direction of the first layer or the second layer contacted by the second stepped structure.

In the field of NAND type flash memory, a stacked type (three-dimensional type) NAND type flash memory has been attracting attention in recent years as a device which allows a high level of integration to be achieved without being restricted by a limit of resolution of lithography technology. This kind of three-dimensional type NAND type flash memory comprises a stacked body having alternately stacked therein a plurality of conductive films. Moreover, formed in a periphery of the stacked body so as to surround the stacked body is a peripheral region configured from a stepped structure.

Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, method of manufacturing the same, and method of measuring the same


A modular heat exchanging element including a frame, vertical plates and ribs. The individual heat exchanging elements can be coupled together and/or layered on top of each other and can be manufactured by one single thermal fusion process.

1. Field of the Invention
2. Description of the Related Art
Two types of heat exchangers currently exist.
The first uses the "splash"-process as shown in FIG. 1 provides grids or such like that enable the splitting of water drops during their downfall in the evaporation tower. The split water drops hit a stream of air and are cooled due to the forced evaporation of the water.
The second type of heat exchanger uses the "film"-process as shown in FIG. 2 which provides differently shaped plastic plates that are stuck together. During its descent covers the plates as a "film". The stream of air sweeping over the water-"film" causes the evaporation of the water and thus cools the water.
The "film"-process is disadvantageous in that it uses the entire space while being transported and is susceptible to blockage caused by small foreign particles. The "splash"-process is disadvantageous in that manpower is needed for its installation at the operational site and due to the fact that it is operationally inefficient.

Modules for mass transfer and other applications and methods of use


A variable magnet system for manipulating a magnetic catheter is described. In one embodiment, a cluster of electromagnets is configured to generate a desired magnetic field. In one embodiment, one or more poles of the cluster are moveable with respect to other poles in the cluster to allow shaping of the magnetic field. In one embodiment, one or more magnetic poles can be extended or retracted to shape the magnetic field. In one embodiment, the electromagnets can be positioned to generate magnetic fields that exert a desired torque and/or movement force on the catheter. In one embodiment, the catheter guidance system includes a closed-loop servo feedback system. In one embodiment, a radar system is used to determine the location of the distal end of the catheter inside the body, thus, minimizing or eliminating the use of ionizing radiation such as X-rays. The catheter guidance system can also be used in combination with an X-ray system (or other imaging systems) to provide additional imagery to the operator. The magnetic system used in the magnetic catheter guidance system can also be used to locate the catheter tip to provide location feedback to the operator and the control system. In one embodiment, a magnetic field source is used to create a magnetic field of sufficient strength and orientation to move a magnetically-responsive catheter tip in a desired direction by a desired amount.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to magnetic guiding, steering, and advancing invasive medical devices such as catheters and catheter-type devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Catheterization is typically performed by inserting an invasive device into an incision or a body orifice. These procedures rely on manually advancing the distal end of the invasive device by pushing, rotating, or otherwise manipulating the proximal end that remains outside of the body. Real-time X-ray imaging is a common method for determining the position of the distal end of the invasive device during the procedure. The manipulation continues until the distal end reaches the destination area where the diagnostic or therapeutic procedure is to be performed. This technique requires great skills on the part of the surgeon/operator. Such skill can only be achieved after a protracted training period and extended practice. A relatively high degree of manual dexterity is also required.
Recently, magnetic systems have been proposed, wherein magnetic fields produced by one or more electromagnets are used to guide and advance a magnetically-tipped catheter. The electromagnets in such systems produce large magnetic fields that are potentially dangerous to medical personnel and that can be disruptive to other equipment.
Therefore, there is a great and still unsatisfied need for an apparatus and method for guiding, steering, and advancing invasive devices and for accurately controlling their positions for providing positioning of magnetic fields and field gradient, for providing a fields configured to push/pull, bend/rotate, and by further enabling apparatus to align the distal end of the catheter tip so as to achieve controlled movement in 3D space and ability of apparatus to control the magnetic field characteristics without the customary power and field intensities seen in the prior art.

Apparatus and method for shaped magnetic field control for catheter, guidance, control, and imaging


The present invention includes a device and method to create a light beam having substantially uniform far-field intensity. Light from a laser source is directed to at least one multimode optical fiber configured produce an intensity profile approximated by a Bessel function.

Existing fiber optic transmission media have employed single mode fiber coupled to free space. Standard single mode fiber produces a Gaussian field radiation profile and a Gaussian far-field beam.
Applications of transmitted optical beams include infrared countermeasures (IRCM), free space optical communications (FSO Com) and laser cutting and drilling for manufacturing.
In the cases of IRCM and FSO Com, a transmitted laser beam is directed to a distant position. The imperfect accuracy of directing the beam requires distributing the transmitted energy across a large enough solid angle that the extent of the receiver will be illuminated. The link budgets which describe the systems require a minimum power level at the receiver. If that power level is exceeded, the additional power is unnecessary and wasted. At present, beam profiles are Gaussian. This is the result of using a single mode fiber (SMF) in the transmit path—the mode within SMF is Gaussian. The width of the far-field Gaussian beams are such that at the edge of the required solid angle, the power must exceed a required amount. The result is excess power being transmitted on bore sight and unused power being transmitted outside the region of interest.
Known applications require that light directed into the optical fiber not fill it; the numerical aperture is smaller than the intrinsic numerical aperture of the optical fiber. They also rely on pure silica cores and require two optical fibers. Fiber lengths are also between 0.2 and 10 meters. Some applications employ graded and step index fiber optic cores or include mode mixers.
In laser beam welding and drilling, a spot is focused on the surface of the work piece. Melting begins and the light energy is converted into thermal energy. For welding, the surface melts and the beam energy is held below the vaporization point of the material. Vaporization is employed for drilling and cutting. Energy distribution across the beam is typically determined by the design of the resonant cavity. This includes mirror curvature, shape and arrangement. It results in photon oscillation within the cavity, creating Transverse Energy Modes (TEMs). Gaussian mode is designated as TEM00. Focusing lenses are important in delivering energy to the work material. References such as Joining Technologies' technical article "Laser Beam Welding", found at http://www.joiningtech.com/news/laserbeamwelding—24/, specify that beam profiles should have a Gaussian peak energy at the beam center.
Each application exhibits inefficient energy delivery to the target. Disadvantages are that the Gaussian profile wastes power for infrared countermeasures (IRCM) and free space optical (FSO) communications and limits accuracy for laser drilling and cutting.
What is needed, therefore, are techniques for more efficient transmission systems to more closely match application needs.

Optical beam flattening using multi-mode fiber

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.


A method and system for classifying display pages based on automatically generated summaries of display pages. A web page classification system uses a web page summarization system to generate summaries of web pages. The summary of a web page may include the sentences of the web page that are most closely related to the primary topic of the web page. The summarization system may combine the benefits of multiple summarization techniques to identify the sentences of a web page that represent the primary topic of the web page. Once the summary is generated, the classification system may apply conventional classification techniques to the summary to classify the web page. The classification system may use conventional classification techniques such as a Naïve Bayesian classifier or a support vector machine to identify the classifications of a web page based on the summary generated by the summarization system.

Many search engine services, such as Google and Overture, provide for searching for information that is accessible via the Internet. These search engine services allow users to search for display pages, such as web pages, that may be of interest to users. After a user submits a search request that includes search terms, the search engine service identifies web pages that may be related to those search terms. To quickly identify related web pages, the search engine services may maintain a mapping of keywords to web pages. This mapping may be generated by "crawling" the web (i.e., the World Wide Web) to identify the keywords of each web page. To crawl the web, a search engine service may use a list of root web pages to identify all web pages that are accessible through those root web pages. The keywords of any particular web page can be identified using various well-known information retrieval techniques, such as identifying the words of a headline, the words supplied in the metadata of the web page, the words that are highlighted, and so on. The search engine service may generate a relevance score to indicate how relevant the information of the web page may be to the search request based on the closeness of each match, web page popularity (e.g., Google's PageRank), and so on. The search engine service then displays to the user links to those web pages in an order that is based on their rankings.
Although search engine services may return many web pages as a search result, the presenting of the web pages in rank order may make it difficult for a user to actually find those web pages of particular interest to the user. Since the web pages that are presented first may be directed to popular topics, a user who is interested in an obscure topic may need to scan many pages of the search result to find a web page of interest. To make it easier for a user to find web pages of interest, the web pages of a search result could be presented in a hierarchical organization based on some classification or categorization of the web pages. For example, if a user submits a search request of "court battles," the search result may contain web pages that can be classified as sports-related or legal-related. The user may prefer to be presented initially with a list of classifications of the web pages so that the user can select the classification of web pages that is of interest. For example, the user might be first presented with an indication that the web pages of the search result have been classified as sports-related and legal-related. The user can then select the legal-related classification to view web pages that are legal-related. In contrast, since sports web pages are more popular than legal web pages, a user might have to scan many pages to find legal-related web pages if the most popular web pages are presented first.
It would be impractical to manually classify the millions of web pages that are currently available. Although automated classification techniques have been used to classify text-based content, those techniques are not generally applicable to the classification of web pages. Web pages have an organization that includes noisy content, such as an advertisement or a navigation bar, that is not directly related to the primary topic of the web page. Because conventional text-based classification techniques would use such noisy content when classifying a web page, these techniques would tend to produce incorrect classifications of web pages.
It would be desirable to have a classification technique for web pages that would base the classification of a web page on the primary topic of the web page and give little weight to noisy content of the web page.

Method and system for classifying display pages using summaries


In a video signal processing apparatus for restoring a signal which has been bandwidth-compressed by offset sub-sampling after restoring an image from sample points of a same field of a sub-sampled signal, a first adder performs an inter-field averaging process from inter-field signals before or after three adjacent fields. A second adder performs an inter-frame averaging process from inter-frame signals. One field difference and one frame difference are detected from the three adjacent inter-field signals thereby switching an output signal of the first adder and an output signal of the second adder in accordance with the magnitudes of the differences thus detected. In this way, aliasing interferences accompanied with bandwidth compression can be detected. By selecting an optimum eliminating filter, aliasing interference due to interfield sub-sampling and aliasing interference due to inter-frame sub-sampling can be eliminated.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a video signal processing apparatus for restoring a high definition television signal which has been subjected to bandwidth compression using a sub-Nyquist sub-sampling method and transmitted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A high definition television (HDTV) signal has a frequency bandwidth exceeding 20 MHz and must be subjected to bandwidth compression when transmitted using a satellite or the like. As an effective method for broadly compressing a frequency bandwidth of an HDTV signal, a sub-Nyquist sub-sampling method is known. For which, a multiple sub-Nyquist sampling encoding (MUSE) system, a high definition-multiple analog component (HD-MAC) system and the like have been proposed. (See Y. Ninomiya, et. al., "An HDTV Broadcasting System Utilizing a Bandwidth Compression Technique--MUSE", IEEE Trans. Vol.BC-33, No.4, pp.130, 1987, and F. W. P. Vreeswijk, et. al., "HD-MAC Coding for Compatible Broadcasting of HDTV Signals", Symposium record Broadcast Session 1989, pp.37 to 53.)
With these methods, as shown in FIG. 11 , an offset sub-sampling is carried out in an inter-field and inter-frame manner to transmit a quarter of the sample points of an original signal and as a result, the perfect picture is transmitted in a four-field mode, so that the bandwidth of the original signal is compressed to 1/4 of its original bandwidth. On the receiving side, an untransmitted sample point (non-sample point) is interpolated from the transmitted sample point, thus restoring the original signal. For example, for the stationary area, interpolation is effected using all sample points of the present field and three past fields. On the other hand, for the moving area, interpolation is effected using only an intra-field sample point that has been transmitted.
As explained above, the stationary area and moving area have different interpolating methods. As a result, on the receiving side, the motion of an image is detected and an image interpolated for the stationary area and an image interpolated for the moving area are mixed with each other in accordance with the motion of an image thus detected, thus restoring the image.
Since such processings as explained above are effected on both the transmitting and receiving sides, one can enjoy high definition television broadcasts at home. However, the above-mentioned signal processing circuit (decoder) is extremely expensive and it is estimated that it will take a considerably long period of time for make it popular to home-use. Under such a circumstance, in order to make it possible to display and reproduce an image with any standard type television set and video tape recorder (VCR) currently popular to home-use, there is a known apparatus for converting that high definition television signals of the MUSE system into current standard type television signals using a TV signal standard converter, namely, MUSE-NTSC converter and, a video signal processing apparatus for performing interpolation in order to restore an image with a simple structure has been proposed.
As a conventional video signal processing apparatus for this purpose, see, for example, "MUSE/NTSC Converter for EDTV", Technical Report of the Institute of Television Engineers of Japan 1990 BCS90-3 pp.13 to 18.
With a conventional video signal processing apparatus as shown in FIG. 9, an inputted MUSE signal is fed to an interpolating circuit to interpolate a non-sample point from an intra-field sample point in order to restore a bandwidth-compressed signal. The signal subjected to an intra-field interpolating process, which is equivalent to the moving image processing of an MUSE decoder, in the interpolating circuit has the signal transmission characteristics as shown in a frequency characteristics chart of FIG. 12(a). As a result, for the stationary area, the high resolution component of a high definition television signal by offset sub-sampling of the MUSE system, as shown in a frequency characteristics chart of FIG. 12(b), is reproduced as an aliasing interference, resulting in a degradation of the in image quality. Then, the signal thus which has been processed through the interpolating circuit is fed to a frame memory to delay it one frame period and then, the signal thus which has been one-frame delayed and the signal which has been interpolation processed are subjected to an inter-frame averaging process through an adder, thereby producing a signal in which aliasing interference due to inter-frame offset sub-sampling has been eliminated. In this case, however, with the moving image, the inter-frame averaging process makes it possible for a double image to occur, resulting in a degradation in image quality. As a result, a motion detection circuit detects a motion of an image, and the inter-frame averaged signal and the signal which has been only intra-field interpolated through the interpolating circuit are mixed with other in a mixing circuit in accordance with the motion of the thus detected image, so that even with the moving image, such a signal can be obtained which has no degradation in image quality as well as eliminating aliasing interference due to inter-frame offset sub-sampling.
With the structure as above, however, by performing the inter-frame averaging process, aliasing interference due to inter-frame offset sub-sampling can be eliminated thereby causing a flicker component of 15 Hz to disappear, but the bandwidth-compressed MUSE signal also contains aliasing interference due to inter-field offset sub-sampling. As a result, a high frequency band component exceeding a horizontal frequency of 12 MHz is reproduced as a flicker component of 30 Hz while being aliased to a vertical high frequency band, so that a problem arises in that the interference incompatibly visibly appears in a notched pattern in the vertical line area of an image so as to be attached thereto.
In addition, another video signal processing apparatus is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.02-328707, "Video Signal Standard Converting Apparatus".
With a conventional video signal processing apparatus as shown in FIG. 10, similar to the apparatus shown in FIG. 9, an inputted MUSE signal is subjected to interpolation of a non-sample point from an intra-field sample point in an interpolating circuit in order to restore a bandwidth-compressed signal. The thus interpolated signal is fed field memories connected in series thereto, and then, a median-value signal of three adjacent inter-field signals is output by a median-value signal selector. An output signal from the median-value signal selector and output signals from the field memories are averaged by an adder to obtain an average-value signal of the signals which are in an inter-field correlation with each other, thus making it possible to obtain a signal in which the aliasing interference due to inter-field offset sub-sampling is eliminated. Here, the averaging process of highly correlated inter-field signals between three adjacent signals is carried out adaptively, so that the aliasing interference due to inter-field offset sub-sampling of the MUSE system can be eliminated without giving any effect to the moving image.
With the structure as above, however, by performing an optimum inter-field averaging process between three adjacent fields, the aliasing interference due to inter-field offset sub-sampling can be eliminated and as a result, the flicker component of 30 Hz which visibly appears in a notched pattern in the vertical line area of an image so as to be attached thereto can be eliminated. However, the bandwidth-compressed MUSE signal still contains the aliasing interference due to inter-frame offset sub-sampling thus creating a problem in that a flicker component of 15 Hz remains in the oblique component of the image.

Video signal processing apparatus for reducing aliasing interference

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Provided is a display apparatus which has a sufficient luminance even when viewed at a large viewing angle, and which can overcome a problem of color change. The display apparatus is a display apparatus including a display device showing a color change in accordance with viewer's viewing angle, and an anisotropic optical film having a diffusing property changed in accordance with the incident angle of light radiated thereinto. The anisotropic optical film has at least one scattering central axis, and an angle made between the scattering central axis and a direction along which the display device shows a minimum color change is from 20 to 65°, or −20 to −65°.

About almost all of display apparatuses, the displaying performance thereof is changed in accordance with viewer's viewing angle. A typical example of the apparatuses is a liquid crystal display apparatus, a typical mode of which is a twisted nematic (TN) mode.
The wording "being changed in accordance with viewer's viewing angle" means that between the case of observing a display apparatus from the front surface direction (in the direction of a normal line (normal direction) of an observing surface of the display apparatus, i.e., a direction of a viewing angle of 0°) and the case of observing the display apparatus from an oblique direction (in a direction of a viewing angle more than or less than 0°), a difference is generated in displaying performances such as contrast ratio, gradation property, and chromaticity. It is known that these displaying performances are generally poorer when the display apparatus is observed in the oblique direction than when observed from the front surface direction.
Display apparatuses are required to have various displaying performances, for example, such a performance that the viewing angle is enlarged while the apparatuses maintain a bright display, and such a performance that the apparatuses are decreased in color change with the enlargement in the viewing angle.
The wording "viewing angle" denotes the following angle when the front surface direction of a display apparatus (normal direction of an observing surface of the display apparatus, or a direction of a viewing angle of 0°) is regarded as 0°: an angle, within a range of −90 to 0° and one of 0 to +90°, at which an viewer or observer views the display apparatus. The reason why the value of the viewing angle may be minus is that when any value in one of the ranges is regarded merely as a plus value, any value in the other is regarded as a minus value. Thus, the reason is a convenient reason. As the absolute value of this viewing angle increases, the display apparatus is generally decreased in luminance. In a flat panel display (FPD) such as a liquid crystal display apparatus, for a structural reason thereof, as well as for a nature that light diffuses more easily as the wavelength thereof is made shorter, a problem remains that when the absolute value of the viewing angle is increased, the resultant image is disturbed in balance between colors to be more easily changed in color.
However, in conventional techniques, neither an effect against the problem that the luminance is lowered as the absolute value of the viewing angle is increased, nor an effect of decreasing the color change with an increase in the absolute value of the viewing angle is sufficient.
In one of the conventional techniques, it is conceived that a member having an isotropic light-diffusing property (for example, see Patent Literature 1) is used in a display apparatus. A mechanism that this light diffusion member expresses light diffusion is classified into light scattering based on irregularities formed in a surface (light surface scattering), light scattering based on a difference in refractive index between a matrix resin and fine particles dispersed therein (light internal scattering), and light scattering based on both of light surface scattering and light internal scattering.
However, the light diffusion film described in Patent Literature 1 is used in a plane light source; thus, when this film is used for an observing surface of a display apparatus, viewer's viewing angle is somewhat enlarged, but it is very difficult that the display apparatus is increased in viewing angle absolute value while maintaining a bright display. Thus, a difficult problem remains in order to decrease a color change with the increase in the viewing angle absolute value. Moreover, the above-mentioned light diffusion member is merely a member having a property of isotropic diffusion, and has a problem that a blurred image is easily generated.
In the meantime, as a member different in optical property from the light diffusion member, known is a light control plate or an anisotropic diffusion medium, which intensely diffuses incident light having an angle in a predetermined angle range but transmits incident light having an angle out of the range. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the light control plate has therein tabular structures (for example, Patent Literature 1). As illustrated in FIG. 7, the anisotropic diffusion medium has therein columnar structures (for example, Patent Literature 2).
It can be checked by a method illustrated in FIG. 8 that such a member is varied in diffusing property (indicates anisotropy) in accordance with the incident angle (of light thereto). As illustrated in FIG. 8, a sample is arranged between a light source not illustrated, and a light receiving unit 3. While the angle of the sample is varied around a central axis that is a straight line L on the surface of the sample, light is straightly transmitted through the sample. The linear transmittance of the light radiated into the light receiving unit 3 is measurable.
FIG. 9 shows the incident angle dependency of the scattering property that the light control plate 50 illustrated in FIG. 6 has, the dependency being measured using the method illustrated in FIG. 8. Its vertical axis represents the linear transmittance (of the film) (i.e., at the time that parallel rays having a predetermined light quantity are incident, light quantity of emitted-out parallel rays in a direction identical with the incident direction), the linear transmittance being an index showing the degree of scattering (on the sample). Its horizontal axis represents the incident angle of the rays. In FIG. 9, a solid line and a broken line show cases of rotating the light control plate 50, respectively, around the center of an axis A-A (penetrating the tabular structures) and around the center of an axis B-B (parallel with the tabular structures) in FIG. 6. It is understood that by changing the axis of the light control plate 50, the plate 50 is changed in properties, as illustrated in FIG. 9.
FIG. 10 shows the incident angle dependency of the scattering property that the anisotropic diffusion medium illustrated in FIG. 7 has, the dependency being measured using the method illustrated in FIG. 8. It is understood that even when changing the axis of the anisotropic diffusion medium, the properties of the medium 1 are not changed very much, as illustrated in FIG. 10.