A belt tensioner for an engine accessory drive is installed over a pulley such that rollers extend toward the engine. Due the belt being between the tensioner and the engine, installation of the belt on the pulley is difficult. To simplify installation, a removable belt guide is included in the belt tensioner. Two methods of installing the belt and tensioner are envisioned. In a first method, the belt is first installed on the pulley and the belt guide holds the belt toward the pulley radially as the tensioner is installed over the pulley. In a second method, the belt is first installed to the tensioner and the guide holds the belt radially away from the pulley as the tensioner is installed over the pulley. In both methods, the belt guide is removed after the belt and tensioner are installed.

It is common for an automotive engine to provide power to a number of accessory devices via a belt. The accessories may include alternators, air conditioning compressors, power steering pumps, etc. A common type of accessory drive system utilizes a flexible belt that is routed around a series of pulleys. One pulley is mounted to the crankshaft and other pulleys are mounted to each accessory device. Some portions of the belt are in tension as a result of the transmission of power. For portions of the belt that are not placed in tension by the transmission of power, a tensioner may be utilized. The tensioner exerts a normal force against the belt.
There are some types of accessories that generate power in some circumstances and consume power in other circumstances. As a result, the portion of the belt that requires tensioning may change from one operating condition to another. In such systems, the tensioner must be capable of exerting force on multiple belt portions.
To minimize parasitic drag, the normal force is typically applied via a roller that is supported to rotate with respect to a movable arm of the tensioner. Some tensioners utilize a roller that is supported from the end that is closest to the engine. Tensioners with outward facing rollers are installed before the belt is installed. In some conditions, there is not enough space to support the roller in this fashion, so inward facing rollers are used.


The present invention provides a cushioning carton, containing a plurality of cardboard materials, the cardboard materials include: a first cardboard layer; a second cardboard layer which is disposed in parallel with the first cardboard layer; at least one bubble bag layer which is disposed and bonded between the first cardboard layer and the second cardboard layer, to form cardboard materials. The cushioning carton of the present invention has a simple structure, easy installation, also can save costs, therefore solving the problem of the prior art cushioning carton having insufficient functionality on cushioning.

Packaging materials in general, such as corrugated cartons, are used as outer packages, since most of the corrugated cartons are uniformly rectangular in shape, so that there is an advantage that they are easy to be stacked, managed and stored. However, due to the characteristic of the cardboard material, it just can provide a limited cushioning function. When an external force of collision is too large, cartons can easily be damaged. As a result, it is difficult to use the corrugated carton alone to package goods. When packing fragile goods such as high-tech electronic products (especially LCD monitors), it is required to bother with the packaging more. Typically, before an article is put into a carton, it must be wrapped additionally by the cushioning materials such as a multi-layered plastic bag, bubble bags or styrofoam and the like, and usually two or more types of cushioning materials are used in order to enhance the protection of the article. Nevertheless, this also inevitably increases the complexity of the packaging process, as well as increases packaging materials and labor costs.
Therefore, it is necessary to provide an improved cushioning carton so as to solve the problem existing in the prior art.

SHENZHEN CHINA OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Embodiments of the invention disclose an array substrate, a liquid crystal display panel and a driving method for increasing aperture ratio of a pixel area, avoiding display horizontal stripes caused by difference in shape between black matrices in adjacent rows and improving display quality. The array substrate comprises: a plurality of data lines and a plurality of gate lines which are provided to intersect each other, and a plurality of pixel units, which are defined by enclosing by the plurality of data lines and the plurality of gate lines and are arranged in an array form, and each of which comprises a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode, the thin film transistor comprising a gate electrode, a source electrode connected to a corresponding data line and a drain electrode connected to the pixel electrode; two gate lines which are adjacent to each other are located between corresponding pixel units in two adjacent rows driven by the two gate lines, and for each of the pixel units in the two adjacent rows, a connection position of the drain electrode of the thin film transistor and the pixel electrode is between the two gate lines or over one corresponding gate line.

People has more and more needs for liquid crystal display products of Advanced Super Dimension Switch (ADS) technology, and have an increasingly high requirements of control on power consumption of products as well, and this requires that aperture ratio of pixel units should reach a higher level to reduce the power consumption. In addition to control on processes, improvement of design has become an important way to increase aperture ratio.
In a conventional ADS mode liquid crystal display product to which common electrodes are incorporated, the common electrodes are connected to common electrode lines (e.g. an ITO layer) periodically through via holes, which serves a function of connecting the common electrodes in parallel so as to decrease the resistance. Referring to FIG. 1, in the array substrate as shown, a pixel unit A is defined by enclosing of a gate line 101, two longitudinal data lines 102 and a common electrode line 103, and protrusive parts on the gate line 101 functioning as gate electrodes extend toward corresponding pixel units driven by the gate electrodes, which results in the result that space on the array substrate cannot be effectively utilized. Furthermore, a via hole B for connecting a source electrode of a thin film transistor to a pixel electrode for each of pixel units is located within a display area of the pixel unit. In order to prevent light leakage, a black matrix (BM, not shown in the drawing) is typically formed on a color filter substrate to provided shield, the color filter substrate is used in conjunction with the array substrate, and the configuration decreases aperture ratio of the pixel units to a great extent, and moreover, due to a precision problem encountered when the array substrate and the color filter substrate are disposed opposite to each other, light leakage at the via hole may be still incurred.
In addition, in the conventional ADS mode product to which common electrodes are incorporated, thin film transistors and a gate line are shielded by a row of black matrix on the color filter substrate over the gate line of the array substrate, this row of black matrix has an irregular shape and does not conform to the row of black matrix on the color filter substrate, which is located over the common electrode line of the array substrate and has a regular shape. As such, horizontal stripes will occur in a finally finished product, and in turn, luminance difference between adjacent rows leads to abnormal display on the whole screen.

Array substrate, liquid crystal display panel and driving method

Beijing BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


The invention relates to compositions used to relieve, improve, prevent and/or treat stretch marks and/or skin ulcers preferably of ischemic origin. The invention also relates to the composition, dosage form and uses thereof.

Successful treatment of striae distensae (SD or stretch marks) has always been a challenge. Nardelli offered the first morphologically correct description of these lesions in 1936, when said author classified them as striae atrophicae. The exact origin of stretch marks is still unknown, and the factors responsible for the development thereof are still not understood. While the causes of SD are not clear, several theories have been proposed (Elsaie et al., 2009. Dermatol Surg 35: 563-573).
High-resolution epiluminescence colorimetric assessment of SD has identified four different types: striae alba, striae rubra, striae caerulea, and striae nigra. The direct and indirect influences of melanocyte mechanobiology seem to have a significant effect on the different colors of SD (Pierard & Hermans 2006. JEADV 20: 282-7). The histology of stretch marks is that of a scar, and the development of SD has been likened to that of wound healing or scar formation. In the early stages, inflammatory changes may be conspicuous, but later the epidermis is thin and flattened. Recent SD show a deep and superficial perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate around the venules.
Collagen bands on the upper third of the reticular dermis are stretched and aligned parallel to the surface of the skin. In the latter stages, there is thinning of the epidermis due to flattening of the rete ridges and loss of collagen and elastin.
Some of the different hypotheses in the literature on the development of SD include:
1. Infection leads to the release of striatoxin which damages tissues by way of a microbial toxin.
2. The mechanical effect of stretching, which can lead to the rupture of connective tissue structure (for example, pregnancy, obesity, weightlifting).
3. Normal growth as seen in adolescence and stretching during puberty which leads to an increase in size of particular regions of the body.
4. The increase in the levels of steroid hormones of the body; Cushing's syndrome, local or systemic steroid therapy which have a catabolic effect on fibroblasts.
5. Genetic factors (lack of stretch marks during pregnancy in people who have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and their presence as one of the diagnostic criteria of lesser importance for Marfan syndrome suggest that genetics play an important role).
6. Stages of immunosuppression associated with pregnancies, medicinal products for pregnancy-induced hypertension, human immunodeficiency virus, or diseases such as tuberculosis and typhoid fever.
7. Associated with chronic liver disease.
Several treatments have been proposed, but none has been consistent. Some authors have suggested that time is the only treatment for SD and that it will return to a normal state in time, which does not seem to be true. It was also suggested some time ago that the most effective stage of treatment for SD is during the active stage, before the scarring process is complete. The first reliable treatment method involved the use of tretinoin cream. Later methods were reported, with variable results, such as Verum (with a preventive effect), Alphastria (with a preventive effect), massages with oils (with a preventive effect), peeling with glycolic and trichloroacetic acid. Laser treatment has recently emerged as an alternative, with 585-nm flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser (PDL) being the most widely used type of laser treatment.
With respect to ulcers, ulcerations usually occur in the lower limbs, with an overall prevalence of between 0.18 and 2%, and in patients over 65 years of age, the prevalence is 5%. Most ulcerations in the lower limbs, around 70%, are of the venous type. Arterial-type ulcers of ischemic origin generally make up between 10 and 30%. According to other sources, the prevalence of arterial ulcers in people over 65 years of age is comprised between 8 and 11%. In subjects under 60 years of age, the prevalence is around 2%.
The onset of ulcers of ischemic origin may be due to several factors: they may occur as the result of a cutaneous vasculature condition, which may in turn be due to another underlying disease (chronic venous insufficiency, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, vasculitis, thrombophilia, systemic sclerosis, etc.); on other occasions, they may the result of a medical or surgical treatment. When the ulcer of ischemic origin occurs at the same time as a treatment applied for treating another disease in the patient, physicians may have to decide whether to interrupt the treatment of this other underlying disease to prevent ulcers, with all the risks and problems this entails.
More general wound care, primarily administered by oral route, are being used for the treatment of ulcers of ischemic origin. Medicinal products for blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes, together with aspirin or other anticoagulant or antiplatelet medicinal products, are normally prescribed. In some cases, an angiogram, which is a test consisting of the injection of a contrast dye into the blood vessels, can be performed and special x-rays are taken to identify blockages. In other cases, bypass surgery may be needed to restore blood flow. It should be pointed out that the onset of ulcers of ischemic origin may occur in more common and widespread pathologies with a higher prevalence (as in the case of perniosis), as well as in more serious pathologies (for example, complications arising from diabetes). Some examples are presented below.                Perniosis (erythema pernio, more commonly chilblain), for example, may lead to ulcers of ischemic origin. Perniosis consists of the development of inflammatory, erythematous, and often pruritic lesions, found in acral locations, after contact with the cold. Complications may be local in the form of painful cracking, superinfection, or the formation of real ulcers. There is not a lot of epidemiological data concerning perniosis, but it is very common during seasons with low temperatures and in areas with cold climates. Some papers refer to an incidence of 10% every year in England. In general, it usually affects young women more frequently. Treatment for perniosis primarily focuses on measures for minimizing exposure to cold, reserving pharmacological therapy for those patients who do not improve with these measures. Patients with perniosis are advised to keep the involved area warm using properly insulated clothing, gloves, or footwear, and to avoid exposure to the cold without suitable protection. They are also encouraged to quit smoking due to the harmful effect of tobacco addiction on vascular disease. Data concerning the efficacy of other measures for the perniosis are limited. Topical corticosteroids and nifedipine (indicated for cardiovascular disease) are among the most widely used pharmacological therapies. In clinical practice, medium- to high-potency topical corticosteroids are prescribed in an attempt to accelerate the resolution of lesions caused by perniosis, although no tests have been found to confirm the efficacy of local therapy with corticosteroids. Skin atrophy is a potential adverse effect of this treatment. There have been isolated reports about the use of other therapies, such as the intralesional injection of corticosteroids, oral prednisone, prazosin, pentoxifylline, nicotinamide, topical minoxidil, nitroglycerin paste, and topical tacrolimus. However, more additional studies are needed to determine the efficacy of these therapies.        Diabetes mellitus is another disease in which ulcers may occur, such as diabetic foot ulcers. Some estimates predict that the number of diabetics will increase to over 500 million people in 2035, according to the International Diabetes Federation. Susceptibility to foot ulcers for diabetics varies with age, sex, health, and social factors. Estimates of the annual incidence of diabetic foot ulcers range from 2.5 to 10.7 percent of diabetic patients in developed economies. The incidence may be higher in poor countries due to the lack of education, advanced therapies, or integral healthcare infrastructures. More serious ulcers of the lower limbs may require amputations of the extremities. Amputations arising from complications and inappropriate handling are expensive. In the United States, limb amputations cost about 70,000 $ on average, 30,000 M$ every year for the entire healthcare system. In the EU, amputations may increase the cost of treatment of diabetic foot ulcers to more than 50,000 € (56,687 $) per case.        Systemic sclerosis (or scleroderma) is an autoimmune disease consisting of the accumulation of tissue similar to scar tissue in the skin and in other parts of the body. It also damages the cells covering small artery walls. The global prevalence of this disease is estimated to be 242 cases per million inhabitants per year, and its incidence ranges between 0.6 and 19 cases per million inhabitants per year, and it affects about three times more women as it does men.
As for the main products on the market used to treat skin ulcers, the following are included:                Alprostadil (injections for intravenous administration)        Ketanserin+Benzocaine (gel)        Catalase+Gentamicin sulfate (gel)        Chloramphenicol+Deoxyribonuclease+Fibrinolysin (ointment)        Chlorhexidine hydrochloride+Diphenhydramine+Hydrocortisone acetate (cream)        Clostebol+Neomycin sulfate (cream for topical/vaginal route)        Allantoin (ointment)        Collagenase (ointment)        Clostridium histolyticum collagenase+Neomycin sulfate (ointment)        Bendazac (solution for ophthalmic route, tablets for oral route, cream and ointment for topical application)        Bromelain (ointment)        Bucladesine (ointment)        Lysozyme hydrochloride (ointment and patch for topical application)        Nepidermin (ointment)        Polydeoxyribonucleotide (ointment, solution for topical use, intramuscular injection, subcutaneous injection, and solution for ophthalmic administration)        Sodium acexamate (ointment)        Trafermin (spray)        Tretinoin (ointment)        Bovine fibrinolysin+Bovine deoxyribonuclease (ointment)        Trolamine+Sulfacetamide sodium (ointment)
In addition to these products, most of the products sold for this indication are antibiotics and antimicrobials for fighting against potential infections resulting from ulcers. Therefore, they are better described as symptomatic treatments that do not target the causes of the disease. In relation to products being developed for skin ulcers, there are four products in phase II of clinical development, in addition to another eight more products that are still in the pre-clinical phase. Nevertheless, most of them are being developed for pressure ulcers.
Specifically, the following products indicated in the treatment of perniosis (chilblain) have been identified:                Betamethasone valerate+gentamicin sulfate (cream)        Hydrocortisone acetate (cream and emulsion for topical application, aerosol foam for rectal administration)        Pentosan polysulfate sodium (ointment)        Sodium chondroitin sulfate (gel, cream, ointment, and lotion)        Triamcinolone acetonide (cream and ointment)
There are a large number of therapeutic strategies for the aforementioned diseases (stretch marks and skin ulcers), and not any one method has been much more consistent than the rest. Further research and clinical trials are required to define effective new alternatives for these problems and the problems derived from them.

Compositions for the treatment of ischemic ulcers and stretch marks


Provided are, a liquid-jet head capable of enhancing durability thereof when it is driven, and of making an arrangement density of piezoelectric elements high-density, a method of manufacturing the same, and a liquid-jet apparatus. The liquid-jet head includes: piezoelectric elements which are provided on a passage-forming substrate with a vibration plate interposed therebetween, and are respectively configured of a lower electrode, piezoelectric layers and upper electrodes, the passage-forming substrate having pressure generating chambers, which communicate with nozzle orifices for ejecting liquid droplets, formed therein, in which, while the lower electrode is continuously provided across plural piezoelectric elements, near-end portions of the lower electrode at least in regions of the lower electrode between adjacent ones of the piezoelectric elements are formed into thin-thickness portions thinner than portions of the lower electrode in other regions of the lower electrode.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid-jet head which ejects liquid from nozzle orifices, a method of manufacturing the same, and a liquid-jet apparatus. Particularly, the invention relates to: an ink-jet recording head, in which a part of pressure generating chambers communicating with nozzle orifices ejecting ink droplets is constructed of a vibration plate, piezoelectric elements are formed on a surface of this vibration plate, and displacement of the piezoelectric elements allows ink to be ejected; a method of manufacturing the same; and an ink-jet recording apparatus.
2. Related Art
As an inkjet recording head, in which a part of each of pressure generating chambers communicating with nozzle orifices ejecting ink droplets is constructed of a vibration plate, and this vibration plate is deformed by piezoelectric elements to apply pressure to ink in the pressure generating chambers, and thereby ink droplets are ejected from the nozzle orifices, two types have been put to practical use. One of these two types uses a piezoelectric actuator of a longitudinal vibration mode, which extends and contracts in an axial direction of a piezoelectric element. The other uses a piezoelectric actuator of a flexural vibration mode.
The former type is capable of changing a volume of each pressure generating chamber by having end faces of piezoelectric elements abut a vibration plate, and therefore can be manufactured as a head suitable for high-density printing. On the other hand, this type requires: a difficult process of cutting the piezoelectric elements into a comb-tooth shape while aligning the piezoelectric elements with arrangement pitches of the nozzle orifices; and an operation of positioning and fixing the cut piezoelectric elements with the pressure generating chambers. Accordingly, this type has a problem that a manufacturing process is complicated.
To the contrary, in the latter type, the piezoelectric elements can be built into the vibration plate by a relatively simple process where a green sheet of a piezoelectric material is attached to the vibration plate in accordance with a shape of the pressure generating chamber, and then baked. Nevertheless, a certain area is required for the use of flexure vibration, whereby this type has a problem that high-density arrangement is difficult.
Meanwhile, in order to eliminate the inconvenience of a recording head of the latter type, there has been proposed a recording head in which: a uniform piezoelectric material layer is formed on an entire surface of a vibration plate by use of a deposition technology; and by cutting this piezoelectric material layer into shapes corresponding to pressure generating chambers by use of a lithography method, piezoelectric elements are formed to be independent from one another in a manner respectively corresponding to the pressure generating chambers.
In the piezoelectric elements thus formed, a lower electrode is provided continuously across plural piezoelectric elements, and is set as a common electrode, and upper electrodes are set as individual electrodes of the respective piezoelectric elements. By selectively applying a voltage between this lower electrode and each of the upper electrodes, the desired piezoelectric elements are driven. Each of the piezoelectric elements thus formed assumes a structure where the piezoelectric layer and the upper electrode are provided so as to extend, in a longitudinal direction of that piezoelectric element, from that piezoelectric element to areas outside of regions facing the pressure generating chamber.
However, this recoding head has a problem that an electric discharge occurs between each of the upper electrodes and the lower electrode, and eventually causes dielectric breakdown of the piezoelectric layer, because electric field concentration occurs in end portions of the piezoelectric layers and the upper electrodes in a lead-out side thereof.
For this reason, there has been proposed a structure where narrow-width portions in the lower electrode, which are narrower than the other portions thereof, are formed so that dielectric breakdown of the piezoelectric layers is prevented by these narrow width portions (refer to, for example, JP-A-2000-246892 (pp. 5 to 6, FIGS. 5 to 6)).
In such a configuration where the narrow-width portion is thus formed in the lower electrode, the narrow-width portion has to be formed by patterning when the lower electrode is patterned, whereby pattern formation for this configuration is complicated. In addition, alignment of the narrow-width portion with the piezoelectric layer and the upper electrode is required, whereby, if an arrangement density of the piezoelectric elements becomes high-density, there arises a problem that the alignment is difficult.
Note that, obviously, the aforementioned problems exist not only with an ink-jet recording head, but also with other liquid-jet heads which eject liquid other than ink in like manner.
JP-A-2000-246892 (pp. 5 to 6, FIGS. 5 to 6) is an example of related art.
In consideration of the situation as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide: a liquid-jet head capable of enhancing durability thereof when it is driven, and making an arrangement density of piezoelectric elements high-density; a method of manufacturing the same; and a liquid-jet apparatus.

Liquid-jet head, method of manufacturing the same, and liquid-jet apparatus


A method of manufacturing photopolymer marking structures is disclosed. The improved method results in a substantially tack-free marking structure.

The present invention relates to methods of manufacturing marking structures. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods of manufacturing photopolymer marking structures.
It is known to manufacture photopolymer printing plates by exposing a photosensitive material to ultraviolet (xe2x80x9cUVxe2x80x9d) light. It is also known to use a negative film having transparent areas corresponding to a desired image pattern, where the UV light will pass through and cure the photopolymer to produce relief image areas of a desired photopolymer printing plate. The purpose of UV light is to cure, or at least partially cure, exposed areas of the photopolymer material. Other methods of curing desired areas of photopolymer printing plates have been used to manufacture marking devices and other devices made of photopolymer materials.
After the relief image areas are created through the use of negative film and UV light exposure, or other means, it is known to develop the exposed image areas by removing the photopolymer from the non-image areas (corresponding to black, nontransparent areas of the negative film). This can be done by washing the newly created photopolymer plate in a water/surfactant medium. Optionally, an air knife can be used as part of a polymer recovery step prior to washing the photopolymer printing plate.
It is common to then subject the partially manufactured photopolymer printing plate to a post exposure process which involves submerging it in a water based solution and then irradiating it with UV light.
A substantial problem with known methods of manufacturing photopolymer printing plates is that the finished product often has too much surface tack. This problem is particularly prevalent for photopolymer printing plates prepared from liquid resins. The surface tack problem is due, in part, to the inhibition by oxygen of the acrylate polymerization process at the plate surface. It is believed that all commercially available photopolymer printing plates rely on an acrylate polymerization mechanism to create the plate relief and characters.
Efforts have been made to overcome the problem of unwanted surface tack on photopolymer plates. However, all such efforts have been largely unsuccessful or suffer from additional problems.
For example, it is known to incorporate hydrogen abstracting photoinitiators, such as benzophenone, into the photopolymer formulation. It is also known to incorporate amine synergists into the photopolymer material. There are at least two problems associated with the incorporation of such compositions into the photopolymer material. First, photoinitiators are powerful absorbers of UV light especially at the surface of the photopolymer printing plate. This often results in undercutting of the plate characters. A second problem is that the addition of a hydrogen abstracting type photoinitiator can render the plate more susceptible to attack and subsequent degradation by stray UV light (e.g., daylight).
Long-chain fatty acids, such as myristic and palmitic acids, have also been added to photopolymer formulations in an attempt to manufacture a product free of surface tack. Such long chained fatty acids tend to bloom to the surface of the printing plate where a waxy layer is formed thereby rendering the surface substantially tack free. Although the incorporation of long-chain fatty acids may be effective to cover up and substantially eliminate surface tack, such approach has a substantial disadvantage in that it reduces the plate wetting tension and thus, results in poor pick up and transfer of ink.
Another way that the prior art has attempted to reduce surface tack is through the use of germicidal lamps at the post exposure stage as well as standard actinic lamps. This approach also has disadvantages. Namely, it is necessary to use an additional machine which adds substantial costs to the process. Further, the germicidal lamps emit short wave UV radiation that is harmful to the bulk physical properties of the photopolymer printing plate.
Other approaches at the post exposure stage include the incorporation of sodium sulfite, a salt, into a water solution to facilitate the removal of oxygen from the water. The intent of this approach is to again reduce the surface tack. However, the water/sodium sulfite solution has proven to be only marginally successful at reducing surface tack of the manufacturing photopolymer printing plate.
Another post exposure approach has been to add a surfactant into the post exposure water solution in an effort to reduce surface tack. It has been observed that this approach is successful when long-chain fatty acids are also added to the photopolymer formulation itself as discussed above. However, the use of surfactants in a water based solution have proven to be only marginally successful in reducing surface tack of the manufactured photopolymer printing plates.
A new method of manufacturing photopolymer marking structures is needed where the manufactured marking structure has a substantially tack-free surface but nonetheless has desirable ink pick up and transfer qualities.
The present invention overcomes the problems associated with prior art methods by providing new methods of manufacturing photopolymer marking structures that have a substantially tack-free surface while retaining desirable ink pick-up and transfer qualities.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing marking structures is provided. The method comprises forming a marking structure from a photopolymer material and subsequently placing the marking structure in a solution comprising water, a reducing agent and a surfactant.
It is preferable to expose the marking structure to UV light when the marking structure is immersed within the solution.
It is preferable for the reducing agent to comprises a salt such as sodium sulfite. However, various other reducing agents may be used in accordance with the scope of the present method.
The surfactant preferably comprises an alcohol sulfate such as sodium lauryl sulfate. One commercially manufactured alcohol sulfate is marketed under the trademark EMPICOL LXV. The surfactants used in the present invention presumably suspend or otherwise dissolve the uncured polymer into the aqueous phase, thus making it possible to clean the marking structure leaving it substantially free of uncured photopolymer.
In accordance with a preferred step of the present method, the solution in which the photopolymer marking structure is placed may comprise between about 70%-99.9% of water by weight. The solution may also comprise between about 0.01%-15% of the reducing agent by weight. It is also preferable for the solution to comprise between about 0.01%-15% of the surfactant by weight. The marking structure is preferably at least partially cured in the solution by exposure to UV light, other irradiation sources or other curing means such as chemical catalysis. It is a desired quality of the solution to substantially reduce or eliminate surface tack that would otherwise exist on the marking structure.
In a preferred embodiment, the solution may comprise between about 1%-5% of the reducing agent by weight and between about 1%-5% of the surfactant by weight.
In accordance with a preferred method of manufacturing marking structures, a desired amount of a photopolymer material is placed into a marking structure manufacturing device when the photopolymer material is in an uncured liquid state. The marking structure manufacturing device in which the photopolymer material is cured may include identified desired image areas while other areas are shielded. It is also preferable to expose the photopolymer material arranged at the desired identified image areas to an irradiation source whereby the exposed image areas become partially cured. Preferably, the irradiation source is a UV light source. However, in an embodiment where a light source is required, irradiation sources other than an UV light source may be used. It is also preferred to remove uncured portions of the photopolymer material after the photopolymer material has been exposed to the light source so that the partially cured image areas remain. The partially cured photopolymer marking structure are then placed in a solution comprising water, a reducing agent and a surfactant to remove surface tack. UV light or other curing means is preferably applied to the marking structure when it is in the solution to further cure it.
In a preferred and important aspect of the present invention, a solution comprising a reducing agent such as sodium sulfite, a surfactant and water is used as a post exposure solution in which the partially cured photopolymer marking structure is placed after such marking structure is at least partially cured through exposure to UV light or other curing means. Such a solution is significant for its contribution through the manufacturing process of creating a photopolymer marking structure having a substantially tack-free surface.
The present invention will be more fully understood when the following claims are considered in conjunction with the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and associated drawings.

Method of manufacturing photopolymer plates


A high-quality tunnel oxide, suitable for EEPROM devices, is formed upon a surface region of a semiconductor body over a heavily-doped N+ layer by first oxidizing the semiconductor body to form an oxide upon the surface region of the semiconductor body over the heavily-doped N+ layer. Next, the semiconductor body is annealed, under a gettering ambient, to densify the oxide and to dope the oxide at its surface and for a portion thereinto near its surface with a gettering agent. The semiconductor body is then oxidized, under an oxidizing ambient, to thicken the oxide, after which it is annealed for a second time, this time under an oxidizing ambient containing nitrogen, to further thicken the oxide and to form a surface layer therein containing a concentration of nitrogen. Tunnel oxides thus fabricated exhibit dramatically improved time-to-breakdown characteristics compared to tunnel oxides processed without such a nitrogen anneal. Furthermore, gate oxides formed earlier in a process sequence, but receiving the same nitrogen anneal, also exhibit markedly improved time-to-breakdown characteristics, as well as substantially improved threshold stability in response to a fixed current passed through the gate oxide.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the fabrication of semiconductor devices, and more specifically, to methods for achieving a high quality oxide on the surface of a semiconductor substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
The importance of high quality oxides in the fabrication of semiconductor devices cannot be overemphasized. Many broad categories of commercial devices, such as Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memories (EEPROMS), Dynamic Random Access Memories (DRAMs), and more recently, even high-speed basic logic functions, owe their commercialization to the reproducibility of high quality, very thin oxide layers.
Major improvements in gate oxide quality have been achieved by improved cleaning techniques, the addition of HCL/TCA to the gate oxidation process, and higher purity gasses and chemicals. RCA cleaning techniques are described in "Dependence of Thin Oxide Quality on Surface Micro-Roughness" by T. Ohmi, et. al., IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 39, Number 3, March 1992. Other techniques have incorporated different gas (NH.sub.3, ONO, WET O.sub.2) schemes in the gate oxidation cycle other than the conventional O.sub.2 with HCL or TCA. Also considerable progress has been made with single wafer RTA gate processing, as is described in "Effect of Rapid Thermal Reoxidation on the Electrical Properties of Rapid Thermally Nitrided Thin-Gate Oxides", by A. Joshi, et. al., IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 39, Number 4, April 1992.
These techniques refer to "gate oxides" as in the gate of an MOS transistor, but are usually applicable to any thin (usually less than 300 .ANG.) oxide. The "tunnel" oxide of an EEPROM process technology is a very thin gate oxide (usually less than 100 .ANG.), with the somewhat unusual requirement that it be grown above a very heavily doped N+ layer. Oxides grown from heavily doped substrate surfaces are generally considered to be lower in quality than those grown from more lightly doped surfaces, as would be the case for the transistor channel region of most MOS transistor processes.
Despite the care taken in forming thin oxides, further quality improvement is desirable.

Method for achieving an ultra-reliable thin oxide using a nitrogen anneal


A telephone unit has a housing with a stand pivot mount on a bottom side and with an interaction surface at a top side. A single piece stand is provided with a first end connected to the housing via the pivot mount to allow pivoting relative to the housing about the pivot mount through a range of angular positions. The stand also has a second end with surface engagement areas for engagement with a support surface. A latch arrangement is provided for setting the stand in an angular position relative to the housing to set an angular position of the interaction surface relative to the support surface. The latch arrangement is provided as a resilient engagement member at the stand with an engagement surface and a fixing surface at the housing. The resilient engagement member has an engagement surface normal position and is flexible to move the engagement surface out of the normal position. The resilient engagement surface engages the fixing surface in the normal position to set the stand at an angular position relative to the housing and is movable to adjust the angular position of the stand relative to the housing. The fixing surface and the engagement surface may be directional allowing the stand to pivot in one direction of movement relative to the housing with less flexing of the resilient engagement member than movement of the stand in an opposite direction. A finger catch release may be provided for flexing the resilient engagement member to move the engagement surface out of the normal position to move the stand relative to the housing in the opposite direction. The housing may have a first wall mount and the stand may have a second wall mount. The stand may be pivoted into a wall mount position to provide a two point engagement wall mount.

Telephone units are typically used in a surface for desk mount configuration or a wall mount configuration for mounting on posts. Manufacturers have attempted to accommodate users by providing single telephone units with both wall mount and desk mount capabilities. For desk mount situations differing users have different requirements as to viewing angle based on the angular orientation of the telephone unit relative to the desk surface.
Various and complicated constructions have been proposed to provide the adjustment in the angular orientation of the telephone unit to the desk surface. These typically have limitations either as to the degree of angular adjustability or present a complicated design which adds cost to manufacturing and adds complexity with regard to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,130,944 discloses a multiposition telephone unit with a single piece stand. The stand can be oriented in one of three positions. In one position the telephone unit is set at a small angular position a relative to the desk surface and in a second position of the stand the telephone unit is set in a greater angular position β relative to the desk surface. The stand may be connected in a third position which is adapted for mounting the unit for a wall mount situations. Although the arrangement is simple to use, the arrangement is limited with regard to a finer adjustment of the angular orientation of the telephone to the desk. Further as the stand must be disconnected and reconnected to change the angular orientation, some effort is involved in making the change from the greater angle to the smaller angle and vice verse.
Various manufacturers provide more complex designs to change the angle of the telephone unit (viewing angle). Typically several parts are involved increasing the cost of manufacturing the overall telephone unit. Some arrangements provide for only desk mount adjustment or wall mount adjustment but not both.


An example developer tools system provided by a messaging system includes a software development kit (SKD) engagement monitor that permits capturing app open events in third party resources (e.g., third party apps) that use the developer tools system. The SKD engagement monitor is configured to operate in a manner that preserves privacy of the third party developers and avoids conveying to the messaging system backend environment personally identifiable information (PII) about the third party resource usage.

The popularity of computer-implemented programs that permit users to access and interact with content and other users online continues to grow. Various computer-implemented applications exist that permit users to share content with other users through messaging clients. Some of such computer-implemented applications, termed apps, can be designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, a tablet, or a wearable device, while having a backend service provided on a server computer system to perform operations that may require resources greater than is reasonable to perform at a client device (e.g., storing large amounts of data or performing computationally expensive processing). For example, a messaging system may provide various tools for modifying or augmenting content, to utilize a camera of a mobile device together with the content augmentation tools, and to share the captured content via a network communication. Selected functionality of a computer-implemented application may be made available to developers of third party apps by means of one or more SDKs.

Software development kit engagement monitor


An improved portable mobile phone is disclosed wherein the mobile phone comprises two modules and the mobile phone can function properly when the two modules are physically connected as well as when the two modules are detached, and wherein the mobile phone has two modes of operation, one of which is the communication mode of operation and another one of which is the entertainment mode of operation.

Presently, consumer mobile phones have displays, key pads, microprocessors all built into one connected unit. Sometimes there are two modules of this one connected unit. One module comprises a display, anther module comprises a keypad, a microprocessor, and a battery. These two modules are hinged together so that they can be closed and opened in a clam shell configuration, or the display module can slide up and down relative to the keypad module to expose or conceal the keypad.
These current configurations of the mobile phones need the two modules to be physically connected together to function properly. The two modules can not be taken apart, otherwise the mobile phone is broken and can not perform its normal functions properly such as taking and receiving phone calls.
Certain functions can be better achieved when one module is taken apart from another module. Therefore, there is a need for an improved mobile phone that can be taken apart and still functions properly as a mobile phone, and one module of the mobile phone is used to remotely control another module of the mobile phone when they are detached from each other. There is also a need for an improved mobile phone that can be used more flexibly.


The present invention is a method of manufacturing rubber wheels and composition therefor used on a portable vehicle adhesive remover for removing pinstripes, decals, side moldings and other items adhering to a vehicle without damaging the original paint of the vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of manufacturing rubber products. More particularly the present invention relates to the field of manufacturing rubber wheels used for removing vehicle adhesives.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In automobile and other vehicle manufacture and service industries, people often need to remove pinstripes, decals, side moldings and other adhered items from the bodies of vehicles such as trucks or automobiles. Traditionally this is done by peeling, scratching or sanding off the pinstripes, decals, side moldings, etc. However, these traditional methods usually cause damage to the original paint of the bodies of the vehicles.
A new method of removing pinstripes, decals, side moldings and other adhered items from a vehicle utilizes a portable vehicle adhesive remover. Referring to FIG. 1, the portable vehicle adhesive remover 10 has a rubber wheel 12 driven by an air die grinder 14. When high pressure compressed air is sent into the air die grinder 14, it drives the rubber wheel 12 to rotate at a high speed. As the high speed rotating rubber wheel 12 is engaged to the pinstripes, decals, side moldings and other adhered items, it may generate heat to cause the adhesive to lose its adhesion and thus release the pinstripes, decals, side moldings and other adhered items, so the pinstripes, decals, side moldings and other adhered items can be removed without damaging the original paint on the vehicle.
A critical aspect of this new method of removing pinstripes, decals, side moldings and other adhered items from a vehicle is the hardness of the rubber wheel of the portable vehicle adhesive remover. On one hand, if the rubber wheel is too soft, it may not generate adequate heat, or take too long to generate adequate heat, as it is applied to pinstripes, decals, side moldings and other adhered items to cause the adhesive to lose adhesion. On the other hand, if the rubber wheel is too hard, it may leave permanent damage on the original paint of the vehicle. Unfortunately, there is no suitable product available on today's market which has the required critical feature to allow it to be used as the rubber wheel for the new portable vehicle adhesive remover.
It is desirable to manufacture rubber wheels used on the new portable vehicle adhesive remover for removing pinstripes, decals, side moldings and other adhered items from a vehicle, which rubber wheels are firm enough to effectively generate adequate heat when being applied to pinstripes, decals, side moldings and other adhered items to cause the adhesive to lose adhesion, yet soft enough so as not to damage the paint of the vehicle.

Rubber wheels suitable for use on a portable vehicle adhesive remover


A method for fast multiple reference frame motion estimation, which is used to perform motion estimation between a current frame and reference frames Fn−1, Fn−2, . . . , Fn−k. The method performs a special block matching to find a plurality of motion vectors for blocks of each frame with respective to a previous frame and then composes motion vector(s) of the current frame referring to the reference frame Fn−(k−1) and a motion vector of the reference frame Fn−(k−1) referring to the reference frame Fn−k into composed motion vectors of the current frame referring to the reference frame Fn−k for the block in the current frame. The method selects a composed motion vector with a minimum of cost function from the composed motion vectors produced when composing the motion vectors and then finely adjusts the composed motion vector selected, thereby obtaining an adjusted motion vector.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the technical field of motion estimation and, more particularly, to a method for fast multiple reference frame motion estimation (fast MRF-ME).
2. Description of Related Art
Current video coding standards essentially use motion estimation (ME) to remove the redundancies from an image sequence, thereby obtaining higher image compression performance. In the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video coding standard, multiple reference frame motion compensation and variable blocksize motion compensation are used to achieve such a high image compression performance.
When multiple reference frame motion estimation (MRF-ME) is used, a picture can be predicted from multiple reference frames. Because each reference frame is used for motion estimation, the computation for MRF-ME is increased rapidly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,782,052 granted to Shijun, et al. for a "Reference frame prediction and block mode prediction for fast motion searching in advanced video coding" discloses a method of reference frame prediction to determine reference frames. As shown in FIG. 1, reference frames 12, 14 . . . 22 are sequentially arranged along a time axis, wherein the frame 22 is current frame. In FIG. 2, block 26 indicates a target for motion estimation in a current frame, and blocks 28, 30, 32 and 34 are adjacent to the block 26 in the current frame. A predictive reference frame fp has p reference frames away from the current frame, wherein p is determined by an equation p=min(n−1, p0+max(a,b,c,d)). That is, even the number of searched frames is reduced from n to p, the computation is still huge for the MRF-ME to be performed on each of the reference frames from zero to p.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved MRF-ME to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.

Method for fast multiple reference frame motion estimation


The invention relates to a contact assembly mounted on a preselector of a step switch, where the fixed preselector contact has a contacting ring that can be interconnected. The appropriate design of the contact and of the openings in an insulating material housing, in which said contact should be fixed, as well as an additional positioning part enable a simple mounting and a reliable fixing which simultaneously prevents turning.

The invention relates to a contact arrangement for a preselector of a step switch.
It has long been standard practice to provide a step switch with a preselector to enlarge the effective setting range. It serves either as a coarse selector for connecting or cross connecting the step windings or as converter for controlling the step winding at the start or the end of a coarse-adjustment step. Such a known preselector normally is comprised for each phase of the three fixed preselector contacts with one of the two fixed contacts, the plus or the minus contact, being connected with the third contact, the null contact.
The Bulgarian product literature xe2x80x9cOn-load Tap changer Type RS 12xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cOn-load Tap Changer Type 16xe2x80x9d describe a preselect or that extends longitudinally outside the insulating cylinder of the step switch. The fixed preselector contacts are arrayed in a line, have a ball-shaped contact surface, and are switched in the above-described manner by a longitudinally shiftable switching rod with a contact bridge.
German 93 08 492 describes a preselector that is set up as a multistage coarse selector and that has a separate housing. Actuation of this preselector takes place through a rotatable switching shaft. The fixed preselector contacts here also have a ball-shaped contact surface that is switchable by means of movable contacts mounted on and pivotal with the rotatable switching shaft.
Finally German 198 36 463 proposes a preselector that is mounted as a subassembly separate from the step switch in a separate insulating housing that holds a longitudinally shiftable switching rod. The fixed preselector contacts here are circular and concentrically arrayed around the switching rod in separate planes inside the insulating housing. Mounting such circular concentrically fixed preselector contacts inside such a tubular insulating housing has shown itself to be extraordinarily difficult. It is necessary to take care that for electrical reasons the entire tubular insulating housing of the preselector be made of one piece and also have no large openings, e.g. interruptions of the insulation, while however such openings are necessary in order to get the preselector contacts inside and secure them there.
It is an object of the invention to overcome this problem and provide a contact arrangement according to the invention where the circularly shaped fixed preselector contacts can be mounted in a simple manner in a tubular insulating housing that holds the preselector.
This object is achieved with the contact according to the invention having the features of the first claim. The dependent claims relate to particularly advantageous further embodiments of the invention.
The contact arrangement according to the invention has many advantages: First the fixed preselector contacts itself forms by its shape an ideal electrode and optimally uses the available inside diameter of the insulating sleeve in which it is mounted. It is mounted from inside by being as described more closely below engaged into the interior and there mounted such that its connection means extends outward through a respective hole. The entire contact arrangement is equally usable for vertical or horizontal connections outside the insulating sleeve. Furthermore the contact arrangement according to the invention makes possible a rotationally fixed and tolerance-equalizing mounting of the preselector contacts and finally makes possible the mounting of additional shielding or shield rings for voltage protection.


An anti-theft bolt guard is shown having a cylindrical body (65) for placing over a nut (60) of an installed bolt (30). Third washer (45) engages bolt (30) and the body (65) is affixed to the bolt (30) with a threaded circular guard nut (85). The guard nut (85) is tightened with a special key (120). A fourth washer (46) engages the guard nut (85) and an adhesive (57) material may be inserted. The guard nut (85) is then sealed off with the insertion of a press fit seal cover (95) thus providing a device that prevents easy access to the nut (60) and removal of the bolt (30).. Protection for the exposed head (32) of a bolt can be obtained by inserting the bolt (30) through a head guard (35) where a press fit head cover (25) is inserted in the first end (36). An adhesive (57) can be inserted to increase the difficulty of removal of the protection device.

Boating has become a tremendously popular sport and more and more individuals have purchased larger and more expensive marine vessels. These expensive vessels have a motor and transmission engaging an out drive, which extends from the rear of the boat, to which the propeller is affixed which in turn drives the boat. The out drive is generally bolted to the transmission through the rear of the vessel. This allows for removal of the out drives for service or maintenance and a relative ease of removal for theft. When vessels are in storage, it is quite easy to steal the out drive by removing the attachment bolts with common tools. Thefts of out drives while the vessels have been docked have also occurred. Thefts of components can be extremely costly, in the tens of thousands of dollars.
In addition, thieves have removed motors and other drive components, with common tools, from vessels that can relatively easily be resold in this country or foreign countries. Other prior art devices do exist, but these are of poor quality materials and can be and have been defeated rather easily resulting in equipment losses. Prior art devices also corrode and can fail from corrosion.
Consequently, there is a need for a device that will exponentially increase the difficulty of unauthorized removal of components from a vessel. Ideally, this device will be relatively inexpensive, relatively easy to manufacture, not affected by salt or fresh water exposure yet allow authorized service and maintenance personnel to service the components with the proper tools.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an Anti-theft Bolt Guard.


An architecture for a specialized electronic computer for high-speed data lookup employs a set of tiles each with independent logic elements lookup memory portions. The tiles may each comprise gate-array-like functional units that may be wired together by a multi-way switch for extremely low latency.

The present invention relates to specialized electronic devices for looking up data such as may be used in high-speed network routers and switches and, in particular, to a device that may optimize its memory topology for different lookup tasks.
Computer networks allow the exchange of data among spatially separated computers connected by "links", the latter physically implemented as electrical conductors, fiber optics, and radio waves. The dominant network protocols work by dividing a data message into data packets, each of which contains a destination address. The destination address attached to the packets permits the packets to navigate through complex and dynamically changing networks to the destination. When particular links used by a message become crowded or disabled, packets of that message, guided by the destination address, may be routed through different links to reach their destination in a manner invisible to the sender.
A key element in implementing a network using addressed packets is a device called a router (or sometimes a switch) which reads packets' addresses and steers them according to the addresses among the different links joined by the router. For this purpose, the router employs a "routing table" matching packet addresses with ports leading to the different links. The data in the router table maybe manually programmed or may be "learned" using various router heuristics.
Routers may also perform other tasks such as address translation where the packet addresses change for another packet address, or the management of white or blacklists where certain packets may be blocked, for example, to prevent denial of service attacks where the network is flooded with spurious packets from a given address.
All of these functions of a router require the router to look up packet addresses or other packet features in memory, and to perform these operations repeatedly and rapidly. The effectiveness of a router is largely a function of how quickly these memory lookups may be completed.
The memory lookup function may be implemented by a conventional processor reading a table implemented in random access memory. Such memories allow data to be read from identified memory addresses when the address is provided. Finding data with such an architecture requires searching through multiple addresses, a generally time-consuming process. For this reason, high performance routers may use so-called ternary content addressable memories (TCAM) which allow the entire memory to be searched in parallel for the data of interest. These memories substantially reduce the time taken for the memory lookups but are costly and consume considerable power and concomitantly generate greater amounts of heat. Both electrical usage and heat generation can be problems in large data centers.
A possible solution to the problems attendant to rapid memory lookup is the creation of specialized electrical hardware for this purpose. This task, however, is complicated by the variety of different lookup tasks that may be required in a modern router and the need to employ the router in an evolving set of network tasks. For example, currently routers may need to respond to both Internet Protocol (IP) address lookups and local area network (Ethernet-type) lookups. An IP address lookup deals with addresses that have topological significance, that is, different portions of the address represent different networks and sub networks. For IP address lookups, a tree structure may be preferred as the tree allows successively parsing the network address in a manner that reflects the network topology. In contrast, for Ethernet-type lookups the address will typically have no topological significance, representing simply an arbitrary unique number assigned to each device. In this case, the memory lookups are better implemented using a hash table which encodes no topological information about the addresses stored and allows a simpler lookup operation.
As networks grow more complicated and routers are called upon to execute additional tasks, it is likely that current methods for processing packets will prove sub-optimal and changes to the data structures used by routers during packet processing will be needed. Current methods of packet processing may also be sub-optimal for new protocols, extensions to existing protocols, or the introduction of new features for packet processing.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,940,755 entitled "Lookup Engine with Programmable Memory Topology" assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and hereby incorporated by reference, describes a novel computer architecture that flexibly addresses the conflicting goals of high-speed memory operations and the flexibility inherent in reprogrammable hardware. In this design multiple inter-communicating "tiles" are each associated with portions of lookup memory. A variety of different types of lookup tasks may be implemented by programming the individual tiles and a path of intercommunication data among the tiles. This latter programmability allows different architectural topologies to be created that are optimized for different types of lookup tasks.
Each of the tiles may be associated with a von Neumann type processor that may implement a multistep program for processing the data it receives from other tiles (or from a general-purpose processor) and then may pass that data after processing to another tile (or back to the general-purpose processor). In a typical program, data will be passed in a chain between multiple tiles before returning to the general-purpose processor.

Lookup engine with reconfigurable low latency computational tiles


A combined detection element (6) of the present invention includes an acceleration detection element (2) and an angular velocity detection element (4) stacked on the acceleration detection element (2) in such a manner as to avoid contacting with the weight parts (12) of the acceleration detection element (2). The angular velocity detection element (4) includes a recess (26) in a surface thereof facing the weight parts (12) of the acceleration detection element (2) so as to avoid contacting with the weight parts (12). At least part of the recess (26) has a depth not exceeding the vertical range of motion of weight parts (12), thereby suppressing the upward movement of weight parts (12).

Conventional combined sensors for detecting angular velocity and acceleration are generally formed of angular velocity sensors for detecting angular velocity and acceleration sensors for detecting acceleration.
Therefore, in order to detect angular velocity and acceleration at the same time, an electronic device is required to have a plurality of angular velocity sensors and a plurality of acceleration sensors mounted on the substrate.
In general, an angular velocity sensor detects angular velocity by vibrating a detection element that can be formed in different shapes such as tuning-fork-shaped, H-shaped, or T-shaped, and by electrically detecting distortion of the angular velocity detection element caused by the Coriolis force. An acceleration sensor has weight parts and detects acceleration by making an acceleration detection element compare the acceleration before and after the movement of the weight parts. A combined sensor includes, for example, an angular velocity sensor and an acceleration sensor so as to detect angular velocity and acceleration at the same time.
These angular velocity sensors, acceleration sensors, and combined sensors are positioned along the respective axes of an attitude control system or a navigation system used in motor vehicles or other mobile objects.
Such a conventional technique related to the present invention is shown, for example, in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below.
In the aforementioned structure, the angular velocity sensors and the acceleration sensors are individually mounted on the substrate in such a manner as to be positioned along the respective axes for detecting angular velocity or acceleration. This requires a large mounting area, thus preventing the miniaturization of the combined sensor.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2001-208546
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2001-74767


Apparatus adapted to prevent or eliminate the attachment of marine organisms to surfaces of marine craft through the use of localized heating of the protected surfaces.

Intakes of various water related power plants such as hydroelectric and nuclear electric generating plants, water supply and treatment plants, inboard, outboard or inboard/outboard boat motors, water jet motors, jet ski equipment, submarines, etc. generally operate in large bodies of water such as rivers and lakes. These power plants typically circulate the contents of the body of water about which they are operating in throughout their power mechanisms or engine. Frequently, these bodies of water contain elements that are undesirable to optimum performance of the power plant. For example, the water may contain algae, barnacles and other marine growth. In particular, a very detrimental organism that is increasingly troublesome throughout the world, most recently found in the Great Lakes of the United States, but historically also found in the waters in Central and Eastern Europe, is the Dreissena polymorpha, commonly referred to as a zebra mussel. This fresh water invader and its implications is described in a Cornell University publication, Sea Grant Fact Sheet 11-1989 which is herein incorporated by reference. Copies are available from New York Sea Grant Extension Program, State University College, Brockport, N.Y. 14420.
The zebra mussel is a serious problem because it attaches itself to the interior wall of intake pipes of power plants, boat motors, etc. These intake pipes generally bring cool water from the river into the plants and motors for the purpose of cooling. In the case of boat motors, the water is circulated around the engine to cool it and then ejected back into the river through a separate discharge channel. Colonies of these bivalve mollusks gather in the intake pipes. In fact, they have been known to stack themselves 8" thick or more. Once they are attached, they restrict the flow through the intake pipes, seriously affecting the efficiency and cooling capacity of electric plants and boat motors. In addition, zebra mussel larvae travels up into the intake pump itself, further affecting the cooling capacity. Ultimately, this reduced cooling capacity results in engine failure.
The zebra mussel spreads extremely rapidly to uninfested waters by unknowing fishermen and recreational boaters. The mussels attach themselves to boat hulls and engines, and as the boats travel, the population spreads. Unfortunately, the mussel has no significant predators, so there is no natural population control. Alternately, to exterminate them with known methods would kill most every life form in a given body of water. Therefore, chemical extermination is not an attractive solution to the zebra mussel problem. One option is to introduce a chemical in the area of concern; pipe, intake, etc. and meter the flow. This is viable to protect equipment, but is detrimental to the environment if sufficient quantities are used.
As a minimum control measure, it is desirable to prevent significant population of the mussels attached to places where they can cause the damage described above. A further, more stringent control measure is to prevent the zebra mussels from attaching themselves to these places at all. Namely, anywhere that water is being taken from the river or lake for any reason, it is desirable to prevent mussels form attaching to the transporting hardware. For example, in the case of power plants, the large pipes drawing water from the lake should be kept mussel-free. In the case of boat motors, the cooling water intake should be kept mussel-free. Equivalent examples exist for many other instances where water is drawn from a body of water.
Traditionally, special paints have been used to control the growth of marine life, especially on boat hulls. Bottom anti-fouling paints typically contain heavy concentrations of tin or copper. These paints are relatively effective in controlling the growth of algae, etc. when they are newly applied. Eventually, the paint wears off, contaminating the water, and is of limited effectiveness. For this reason, the boat owner must reapply the paint yearly. One possible solution to the mussel problem would be to plate the interior of all pipes prior to manufacture of a boat motor. Eventually, however, the preventative coat would wear off and the mussels would attach themselves. Another solution would be to make the pipes from copper or tin. While this would last longer, it will still cause hazardous metals to be deposited into the water supply.
Another possible preventative measure would be to place a screen over the intake pipe. This would prevent organisms, including adult mussels, from entering the pipe and attaching to the interior wall. However, the larvae are very small and it would be very difficult to utilize a small enough mesh to exclude the larvae without subsequently affecting the flow rate. Therefore, this is also a very limited solution. Yet another solution is to utilize centrifugal separation, but the larvae density is very close to that of water, and would pass through.

Method and apparatus for keeping surfaces organism free


An airtight wrapper having an assembly wrapped by a wrapping sheet made of a weldable material creating a group of smoking articles obtained by:

Smoking articles are traditionally packed in rigid or semi-rigid packets, inside which the smoking articles are wrapped in an internal wrapper, generally made of tinfoil.
Normally, a reinforcement insert or collar is present in cooperation with the internal wrapper.
This form of wrapper represents a compromise solution between production costs and the need to maintain unaltered the organoleptic characteristics of the tobacco present in the smoking articles.
In order to better preserve the qualities of the smoking articles, the need is increasingly felt to make a sealed internal wrapper, that is, obtained with a sheet of material that does not allow air to pass, suitably welded and sealed around the group of smoking articles contained in it.
It is difficult to make the welds which generate the seal, since the smoking articles located inside the wrapper can be subjected to mechanical and thermal stresses which could deform them or deteriorate the tobacco inside them.
Moreover, if not well executed, the seal can leave even minimal apertures.
To overcome some of these problems, at least partly, it is known to use a reinforcement insert made of cardboard. The reinforcement insert is disposed inside the internal wrapper and at least partly surrounds the group of smoking articles, so as to maintain the correct configuration of the internal wrapper and to protect the smoking articles.
In order to perform welds coherent with the seal it is necessary to fold the wrapping sheet in advance, so as to completely wrap the group of smoking articles associated with the respective reinforcement insert.
Solutions are known that provide to position the U-shaped wrapping sheet around a structured assembly given by the combination of a reinforcement insert partly wrapped around a group of smoking articles and then to fold the wrapping sheet around the structured assembly in such a way as to wrap it completely.
In particular, document US-A-2011/084120 is known, which describes a method to make a wrapper for a cigarette packet having an airtight sealed internal wrapper, with a stiffening reinforcement. This document provides to position a wrapping sheet, folded in a U shape, with respect to a structured assembly comprising the cigarettes, in such a way as to define a first larger panel and a second larger panel of the wrapping sheet in contact with respective larger walls, front and rear, of the structured assembly, and a first smaller panel of the wrapping sheet in contact with a smaller head wall of the structured assembly. In this prior art document, the wrapping sheet, once positioned with respect to the structured assembly, has respectively: an upper flap connected to the first larger panel and a lower flap connected to the second larger panel, with the lower flap protruding beyond a smaller bottom wall of the structured assembly, upper transverse flaps connected to the first smaller panel, and protruding laterally from the smaller head wall, rear and front longitudinal flaps, respectively connected laterally to the first larger panel and to the second larger panel and protruding beyond respective smaller lateral walls of the structured assembly.
Documents WO-A-2009/130227, WO-A-2011/032625 and WO-A-2016/087828, which describe methods for making wrappers for cigarette packets are also known.
One disadvantage of known solutions is that, during the wrapping of the wrapping sheet around the structured assembly, unwanted folds can form which, besides making the aesthetic appearance of the wrapper aesthetically unpleasant, can give an incorrect watertight welding of the wrapper.
One purpose of the present invention is to perfect a method to make a wrapper which at least partly overcomes the disadvantages of the state of the art.
Another purpose of the present invention is to perfect a method to make a wrapper with ordered and uniform folds and which is aesthetically pleasing.
Another purpose of the present invention is to perfect a method for producing, precisely and quickly, an airtight wrapper around a structured assembly consisting of a group of smoking articles partly wrapped by a reinforcement insert, obtaining high productivity.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

Method for making an airtight wrapper and airtight wrapper thus obtained

Abstract: positioning the folded wrapping sheet to contact walls, front rear and head wall of the assembly, with flaps protruding beyond bottom and lateral walls;

Abstract: welding lower and upper flaps, and defining a transverse edge;

Abstract: folding the welded transverse edge rotating it by 180° toward the front wall;

Abstract: folding the upper and lower transverse flaps;

Abstract: folding the rear and front longitudinal flaps, and partly also the transverse edge, toward the lower lateral walls, overlapping one on top of the other above the transverse flaps, and finally welding them to seal the airtight wrapper.

I.M.A. INDUSTRIA MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE S.P.A.


The invention includes an apparatus for modulating an optical signal. The apparatus includes a modulating mechanism comprising a plurality of modulating component arrays, each modulating component array comprising a plurality of modulating components, wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of modulating components in each modulating component array are separated by gaps, and wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of modulating component arrays are offset along a dispersion direction of an incident optical signal such that the gaps associated with the adjacent ones of the plurality of modulating component arrays are offset. In one embodiment, rows of the modulating components in the modulating component arrays are offset along the dispersion direction of the incident optical signal by a fraction of the modulating component pitch.

In general, optical components for switching or attenuating selected channels in wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) systems are useful in optical network elements, such as reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs). A spatial dispersion module is typically employed in such devices for spatially dispersing optical signals and projecting the spatially dispersed optical signals on a spatial light modulator.
A spatial light modulator for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) applications is typically comprised of a one-dimensional pixel array for modulating incident optical signals, where each pixel is assigned to a different wavelength channel and the operation of each pixel varies according to the application of the spatial light modulator. For example, a pixel may attenuate an optical signal (e.g., for an optical channel blocker) or switch an optical signal between optical fibers (e.g., for a wavelength selective switch).
In existing spatial light modulators, the one-dimensional pixel array is configured such that there is a finite pixel gap between each pair of adjacent pixels in the one-dimensional pixel array. Furthermore, the one-dimensional pixel array is configured such that each pixel in the one-dimensional pixel array has an associated pixel pitch that matches the system channel spacing (e.g., 100 GHz).
Disadvantageously, however, pixel gaps between pixels in the pixel array produce spectral transmission dips. As such, optical transmission systems utilizing dynamic bandwidth allocation would incur substantial transmission penalties from such spectral transmission dips. Specifically, any signal component present at the location of an inter-pixel gap is distorted from the cumulative effects of amplitude and phase variations at the resulting transmission drops.

Apparatus for reducing drops in a transmission spectrum due to inter-pixel gaps


Disclosed herein is a method and sensor for easily detecting the thermal history (or the change in state by heat) of a specimen. The sensor is made up of a pair of electrodes 1, 1, a diffusion layer 2 of insulating material disposed between the electrodes, and an electrically conductive metal 3. The electrodes are electrically isolated from each other in the beginning. As the sensor experiences heat history, the electrically conductive metal diffuses into the diffusion layer 2, thereby changing the resistance of the diffusion layer. When in use, the sensor is placed in or near the atmosphere to which the specimen is exposed. In response to the change of the specimen by heat, the electrically conductive metal 3 diffuses into the diffusion layer 2 to such an extent that the electrical resistance across the electrodes extremely decreases after a certain period of time. Thus it is possible to detect the deterioration or life of the specimen by monitoring the change in electrical resistance of the sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and sensor for detection of thermal history which are designed to examine for the deterioration in such specimens as exhaust gas purification catalysts, and inner walls in blast furnaces, boilers and incinerators.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 212956/1994 a method of examining the automotive exhaust gas purification catalyst for deterioration. This method consists of monitoring cerium oxide CeO.sub.2 (constituting the catalyst) for its ability of oxygen storage and release by means of oxygen sensors placed at the inlet and outlet of the exhaust gas passage. The disadvantage of detection in this way is low sensitivity due to a very small change in the ability of oxygen storage and release of cerium oxide accompanied by catalyst deterioration. Another disadvantage is the necessity of using at least two oxygen sensors and comparing their outputs with reference values. Thus the above-mentioned technology needs a complex method and apparatus and is not satisfactory for the detection of catalyst deterioration.

Method and sensor for detecting thermal history