A release device for actuating a clamping device for tools has at least one release element and a drive drivingly connected to the at least one release element for moving the at least one release element from a rest position into a release position in which a draw bar of the clamping device is moved against a clamping force into a disengaged position. The drive is an electric motor. The axis of the electric motor can be aligned with the axis of the release device but an angled arrangement of the electric motor and of the release device relative to one another is also possible.

The present invention relates to a release device for actuating a clamping device for tools, the release device comprising at least one release element movable by a drive from a rest position into a release position in which it moves a draw bar of the clamping device against a clamping force into a disengaged position.
Clamping devices are used for clamping tools at an interface of a tool spindle. The tool spindle generally has a HSK ("Hohischaftkegel"=hollow shank taper) receptacle for the tools that are drawn by a collet chuck into the spindle and clamped with a high axial drawing force. By the axial movement of the draw bar, the collet chuck segments are forced outwardly by means of a conical member seated on the draw bar. The collet chuck elements engage a clamping surface of the tool that is drawn by the draw bar into the spindle and clamped. The axial movement of the draw bar in the clamping direction is mechanically realized very safely and reliably by a spring packet, for example, a disk spring or plate spring packet.
In order to release the tool, the draw bar must be moved forwardly against the spring force. The collet chuck segments are released such that they can pivot inwardly. The tool is then ejected out of the tool receptacle across the remainder of the travel path by the draw bar. For axially moving the draw bar for releasing the tool, a release device is provided that is configured as a hydraulically actuatable release device embodied similar to a hydraulic cylinder. In order to exert during release no force or only minimal force onto the spindle bearing, a part of the release device is axially movably arranged in a receptacle and is axially supported by a coupling ring on a coupling screw seated in the tool spindle. In this way, the flow of forces when releasing the tool is not passing through the bearing but through this support.
It is also known to pneumatically actuate similar release devices.
The solution based on hydraulics is complex and expensive because of the need for a hydraulic unit with pump, oil container, valve block and the required conduit system. Moreover, leakage can cause functional disruptions. When the tool spindle is driven by belts, the hydraulic lines must be separated for changing the belts; this is difficult even when using hydraulic quick couplings and partially leads to soiling by oil.
The solution based on pneumatics operates without the medium oil but has otherwise the same disadvantages as the solution based on hydraulics. Moreover, the pneumatically operating release device, as a result of the relatively low pressures, must either be constructed to be very large for providing the required great forces or expensive special solutions are required, for example, double cylinders or pressure transmitters.

Release device for actuating a clamping device for tools


A system and method are provided for intelligently incorporating a mmWave communication link in a heterogeneous cellular/Wi-Fi networking environment. The combination improves overall data transmission capacity of the heterogeneous networking environment, and also provides superior user Quality of Experience. The combination of the mmWave communication link with the cellular/Wi-Fi communication system is integrated in a synergistic manner that allows each of the individual communication technologies to complement the other. Using highly-directional beamforming antennas the mmWave communication link provides wide area network coverage by deploying a plurality of directional beams in sectors to complement the coverage area of the wide area network systems operating in other frequency bands.

This application is related to a co-pending U.S. patent application US 20140218236 A1 filed on the same day as this application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Disclosed Embodiments
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for integrating a mmWave communication link into a heterogeneous cellular/Wi-Fi communication system to provide users with the benefits of synergistic application of mmWave technology with the other communication technologies in a network environment.
2. Related Art
Commercial wireless telephony worldwide has undergone several generational changes since its introduction. The capabilities of the earliest mobile telephone devices were generally limited to making domestic telephone calls within limited coverage areas. As the capacity and coverage areas of commercial wireless telephone carriers increased, so too did the capacity and capability of the individual hand-held cellular telephone devices, even as the physical size of these devices decreased. These devices operated then, and continue to operate, in the licensed spectrum where service providers generally seek to provide a certain Quality of Experience (QoE) to their users.
Separately, wireless computing technologies have emerged and matured. Developments in this area of wireless communication technology have equally expanded well beyond the initial capacity to allow, for example, one computer to wirelessly communicate with another computer in a wireless local area network (WLAN) environment. The advancements in this wireless communication technology area have led to dramatic increases in the availability of wireless access points and application providers providing tremendously capable application for wireless devices accessing networks via the available wireless access points.
For a long time, each of the above commercial communication technology efforts were developed and refined separately, each directed at meeting a certain reasonably specific set of communicating requirements. In this regard, each of what are now generally viewed as closely-related technologies matured as largely separate homogeneous communication techniques.
More recently, with the extensive increase in the numbers and types of wireless client devices accessing all manner of wireless networks via various communication paths, the separate technologies that were developed in the general field of wireless communications have been merged to some extent. Current wireless client devices are loaded with far-reaching and increasingly capable libraries of individual applications that provide the wireless client devices with the capacity to undertake all manner of tasks in communication with wireless networks and commercial communication networks to which the wireless client devices gain access by the various paths communication paths or links.
Current commercially-available wireless hand-held client devices such as, for example, smartphones, tablets, PDAs and the like, are able to access commercially available wireless networks in the licensed spectrum for cellular telephone communication and other purposes, as well as accessing local wireless access points with integral wireless receivers in the wireless client devices for short range communication in the unlicensed Wi-Fi spectrum. A single wireless client device is able to employ separate radios to make use of separate and diverse communication paths or links as a heterogeneous communicating device combining the benefits of the communication technology in a seemingly integrated manner to benefit the user of the wireless client device.
The future of wireless network communication and electronic communication, in general, will likely take place in an increasingly heterogeneous communicating environment. Sample individual communication links to which heterogeneous wireless hand-held client devices currently gain access include wireless local/metropolitan access networks (WLANs/WMANs), cellular telephone networks, Bluetooth® networks and the like. Efforts to date have centered on developing individual wireless client devices that have capabilities to access these differing network technologies that include communications that are broadcast omnidirectionally. A drawback in these systems, as currently fielded, is their inability to cope with rapidly accelerating demands for increasing data throughput.
Millimeter Wave (mmWave) communication provides a currently-available communication technology available to address the above shortcoming. Transmitting, for example, in the 60 GHz wavelength range offers extremely high data throughputs as a result of the ultra-wide bandwidth available. A tradeoff is that communications in this frequency range are highly directional with directional antenna beam forming arrays being required to sustain reasonable transmission distances based on the atmospheric absorption of the transmitted RF energy. This is at once an advantage and a drawback of the use of mmWave technology for certain applications. An ability to provide secure, straight-line, high data rate communications is a significant plus. This is balanced by the need to constantly reshape the transmission beam through some manner of beamforming when communicating with a mobile receiver, as is generally the case when communicating with wireless hand-held client devices. The beamforming effort itself requires significant computing overhead.

Intelligent integration of mmWave technology in a heterogeneous wireless communication system


A sample card transport station moves a test sample card from an incubation station for the card to a transmittance and fluorescence optical station in a sample testing machine. The sample card transport station has a drive belt and an associated stepper motor. The belt supports the card from one side of the card. A ledge having a card slot is disposed above the belt. The card is snugly received within the card slot, and supported from below by the drive belt and rollers for the belt. When the motor turns the belt, the belt grips the card and slides the card along the slot to the optical stations, without any slippage between the belt and the card. This construction provides for precise control over the movement of the card.. The fluorescence station has a linear flash lamp that illuminates a column of the wells of the cards simultaneously. A reference detector and dichromatic beam splitter design is used to insure that the fluorescence measurements are independent of lamp output changes over time. A solid reference is mounted to an optical shuttle and moved into the optical path to calibrate the fluorescence photodiode detectors.

A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of optical systems that conduct analysis of biological test samples, and the mechanical systems that place the test samples into position for reading by the optical system. These systems are typically found in automated microbiology, immunoassay and biological sample testing machines, and related diagnostic or analytical machines such as found in infectious disease, immuno-chemistry and nucleic acid probe systems.
B. Description of Related Art
It is known in the art that biological samples can be subject to optical analysis using various techniques, two of which are transmittance and fluorescence optical analysis. The purpose of the analysis may be to identify an unknown biological agent in the sample, test the sample to determine the concentration of a substance in the sample, or determine whether the biological agent is susceptible to various antibiotics. The analysis may further identify the concentration of antibiotic that would be effective in treating an infection containing the agent.
A technique has been developed for conducting optical analysis of biological samples that involves the use of a sealed test sample card containing a plurality of small sample wells or reaction sites. During manufacture of the cards, e.g., for microbiological analysis of test samples, the sample wells are loaded with growth media for different biological agents, or else various concentrations of different antibiotics. Fluid containing the biological sample enters the card via an L-shaped transfer tube extending outwardly from a transfer tube port in the card. An internal fluid passageway structure allows the fluid to migrate from the transfer tube port to the wells of the card.
To load the card with fluid, the transfer tube is placed in a test tube containing a biological sample, and the card/transfer tube/test tube assembly is placed in a vacuum filling and sealing machine, such as the Vitek.RTM. Filler Sealer (from bioMerieux Vitek, Inc.). The filling and sealing machine generates a vacuum, the release of which causes the fluid in the test tube to be drawn into the wells of the sample card.
After the wells of the card are loaded with the sample, the transfer tube is cut off and melted, sealing the interior of the card, and the card is placed into a reading and incubation machine. The reading and incubating machine incubates the cards at a desired temperature. An optical reader is provided for conducting transmittance testing of the wells of the card. Basically, the cards are stacked in columns in the reading machine, and an optical system moves up and down the column of cards, pulling the cards into the transmittance optics one at a time, reading the cards, and placing the cards back in the column of cards. The Vitek.RTM. reading machine is described generally in the Charles et al. patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,280.
The ability of the optical reading system to take accurate reads of the sample wells is a function of several variables, such as the presence of air bubbles in the sample wells, the accurate placement of the growth or antibiotic medium in the sample wells, the number of reads obtained during the incubation of the cards, and the sophistication of the optics of the reading machine. Obviously, to improve the analytical capabilities of the machine, the performance of the optical reading system is critical.
In addition to the Charles et al. patent mentioned above, prior art patents relating to the general subject of optical systems for analysis of biological samples include U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,684 to Landa, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,747 to Eden. Other background references include U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,190; WIPO published patent application WO 84/00609 (Heller); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,783 to Lackie. The patent to Robinson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,395, discloses a diagnostic instrument in which a carousel holds test packs during incubation periods and rotates the test packs past an optical reader that senses the presence of an analyte in the sample. Prior art systems for transporting specimen carriers in diagnostic machines include the above-referenced Charles et al. patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,922 to Markin et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,825 to Gilford et al., and the above-referenced Robinson et al. patent.
An object of the invention is to provide an optical reading system for reading test sample cards that enables a rapid and precise identification and analysis of the specimens. The invention incorporates a unique fluorescence-based detection substation and an advanced multiwavelength transmittance testing substation, enabling both types of analysis to be performed automatically for the cards.
The fluorescence substation achieves a significant throughput by simultaneously analyzing multiple sample wells using a single fluorescence light source and multiple detector elements in a single assembly. Reliability, compactness, and repeatability in the fluorescence measurements are much improved over prior art systems.
Furthermore, prior art multiple channel fluorometers typically use a single light source that is split into multiple channels using optical fibers, which direct the light through sample wells onto a single multiplexed detector or separate individual detectors. These systems tend to be large and complex assemblies requiring precise positioning of optical fibers. In addition, energy and signal losses in the optical fibers reduce the efficiency of the system. The present system performs true simultaneous readings of multiple sample wells using a single excitation source and multiple emission detection devices without the need for separate optical fibers or excitation and emission pathways. The fluorescence substation further includes a lamp reference detector, enabling precise readings of the wells of the card independent of any changes in the output of the excitation light source.
The inventive fluorescence substation also includes an optical shuttle assembly and solid reference source that allows for automatic calibration of the photodiode detectors when the cards are not being read. To calibrate the system, the shuttle moves the solid reference into the optical path. The solid reference is illuminated by the lamp, and emits radiation at the wavelength of the fluorophores. The radiation is received by the photodetectors, and the outputs can be calibrated by adjusting moveable gain amplifiers, insuring accurate measurements of fluorescence from the wells of the card.
The present invention also provides for a sample card transport system for precisely moving the test sample card relative to the optical system so as to permit numerous data sets in each reading cycle. The sample card transport system moves the cards from an incubation chamber to the transmittance and/or fluorescence optics substations, where readings are taken of the card. At the transmittance substation, multiple reads of the wells are taken at several positions across the well, generating a large number of data sets. Once the test is complete, the sample card transport system moves the card to a card output tray. If more testing is needed, the card is moved back to the carousel. The precise movement features of the present test sample card transport system are believed to be unique.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention.

Optical reader and sample card transport stations for biological sample testing machine


A document stand to support paper (or other flexible sheet material) for use as a copy holder while typing or for use to display graphic matter. Using a form with a bent slot on the device's top surface, it allows the bottom edge of either a single or multiple sheets of paper to fit into it. The slot engages the paper in an arc which allows the paper to use its own inherent strength to support itself in an upright position. The flexible paper conforms to this slightly curved shape of the slot allowing it to remain upright without additional rear, side or top supports. This upright position of the paper is tilted slightly back to both increase stability and ease of viewing of the document.

Document stands typically use one of several types of support systems for the displayed sheet material. One type typically uses both base and rear supports against which the sheets can rest flatly, in an inclined position. This easel type of document stand is relatively bulky and takes up substantial desk space, both horizontally and vertically. The rear support upon which the sheets recline generally covers most or all of the length and width of the sheets.
Another type of document stand uses a top support from which it can clip the top of the sheets and hang them vertically. Though it may take up less desk space than the easel type device, it is often unsightly and generally requires two hands free to clip and un-clip sheets for viewing. When used as a copy holder for documents in an activity such as typing on a computer keyboard while viewing a monitor, it requires removing both hands from the keyboard in order to clip or un-clip a sheet. This forces the user to glance downwards and away from the documents while repositioning both hands back onto the keyboard.


A float valve device for a fuel tank of an automotive vehicle. The float valve device comprises a valve body installed to an upper wall of the fuel tank. The valve body is formed thereinside with a communication passage for establishing communication between inside and outside of the fuel tank. A valve mouth member is fixedly disposed inside the communication passage and includes a lower end section having a peripheral portion defining thereinside a valve opening which forms part of the communication passage. A float is disposed inside the valve body and movable relative to the valve opening in accordance with a level of the liquid in the fuel tank. A rubber member is securely disposed at an upper section of the float. The rubber member has a sealing face which is substantially flat and contactable with the peripheral portion of the valve mouth member to close the valve opening upon ascending of the float.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in a float valve device which is adapted to make gas venting in a container for a liquid and to stop the gas venting when the liquid level reaches to a predetermined level.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto float valve devices have been known to be used with a container for a liquid in order to make gas venting of the container for a liquid and to stop the gas venting when the liquid level reaches to a predetermined level. A typical one of them is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,244 and arranged as follows: A float valve device is installed to the upper wall section of a fuel tank. During supply of fuel into the fuel tank, air and fuel gas within the fuel tank is vented out of the fuel tank and introduced into a carbon canister. When the fuel level in the fuel tank has reached a predetermined level, a float ascends to close a valve opening thereby stopping gas venting, thereby maintaining the fuel level to the predetermined level while preventing fuel leak to the side of the carbon canister even under shaking of the fuel level during vehicle turning or the like.
However, drawbacks have been encountered in the above-discussed conventional float valve device which is arranged such that the valve opening is closed upon contacting of the upper section of the ascending float with a peripheral portion of the valve opening. The upper section of the float and the peripheral portion of the valve opening are made of plastic and therefore makes a rigid contact therebetween (at a contacting or sealing surface), thereby making it impossible to accomplish a sufficient liquid tight seal. Additionally, the sealing surface between the upper section of the float and the peripheral portion of the valve opening is generally spherical thereby providing the following shorcomings: It is difficult to obtain a high fitting precision at the sealing surface, and also difficult to maintain a right spherical surface after the sealing surface has been subjected to various loads during operation of the float valve device. Furthermore, the spherical sealing surface will wear and deform under repeated operations of the float valve device. Moreover, if there is a misalignment between the axes of the opposite faces constituting the sealing surface, no sufficient sealing at the sealing surface can be obtained.


Methods and formulations for removing a tattoo by using a cell disrupter in combination with a vasodilator, and optionally one or more of an osmotic modifying agent, a chelation agent, and an occlusive modifying agent. Embodiments optionally further include using one or more of an antibiotic, anesthetic, penetration enhancer, excipient, carrier and vehicle.

It is estimated that 50% of the 20 million people in the western world with tattoos are interested in having the tattoos removed. Methods of tattoo removal have been developed, but those methods are often ineffective, take a long period of time, and involve considerable pain.
Professional tattoos are created by injecting tattoo inks with a rapidly reciprocating needle that drives ink particles into the dermis to a depth of 0.6 mm to 2.2 mm. The inks used in tattooing are derived from exogenous pigments, most of unknown purity. Pigments in tattoo ink include iron oxides, chromium oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, barium sulfate, zinc oxide, sodium copper silicate, sodium aluminum silicate, copper carbonate, dioxazine and carbazole. Following injection, the ink pigment particles reside in the interstitial space between dermal cells where they form large aggregates of about 140 μm to 180 μm until fibroblasts or macrophages engulf the pigment particles and internalize the tattoo ink into the skin cells. The size of the ink particle aggregates and the collagen network surrounding the aggregates help keep the ink pigments within the skin making the tattoo permanent, thus the difficulty with removal of tattoos.
The most popular method for removing unwanted tattoos is the laser method, which delivers short pulses of intense light that pass through the epidermis to be selectively absorbed by the tattoo pigment in the dermis. The lasers developed specifically for use in tattoo removal use a technique known as Q-switching, which refers to the laser's short, high-energy pulses. The lasers typically used are a Q-switched frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser (532 nm) for red orange and purple pigment; a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) for black pigment; a Q-switched ruby laser (694 nm) for black pigment; and a Q-switched alexandrite laser (755 nm) for blue and green pigment.
The mechanism by which Q-switched lasers remove tattoos involves selective rupture of the skin cells, breakdown of tattoo ink particle aggregates, and ink removal by trans-epidermal elimination and/or lymphatic transport (Taylor et al., J. Invest. Dermatol., 97:131-136 (1991); Ferguson et al., Br. J. Dermatol., 137:405-410 (1997)). Although the human immune system is able to remove some of the pigment fragments, causing fading of the tattoo (Wheeland, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 16:2 23 (1995); Zelickson et al., Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 15:364 372 (1994)), most pigment fragments become re-phagocytosed by still intact dermal cells and so the tattoo remains visible (Ferguson et al., British Journal of Dermatology 137:405 410 (1997)).
Laser treatments must be spaced at least one month apart because the laser causes a painful burn to form on the skin. Laser treatments may not completely remove a mature tattoo, and are expensive, time consuming, and painful.

Methods and compositions for tattoo removal


Dimensionally stable resin impregnated laminates for printed wiring board applications are reinforced with from 43 to 57 weight percent of nonwoven aramid sheet having a coefficient of thermal expansion of less than 10 ppm per .degree. C, a basis weight of from 0.8 to 4.0 oz/yd.sup.2, a density of from 0.5 to 1.0 g/cc and a Gurley Hill Porosity of less than 10 sec.

To provide consumers with increasing functionality at lowest possible cost the electronics industry is driving towards products which are smarter, faster and smaller. This evolution is being promoted by advances in semiconductor materials and fabrication technology, such as multilayer IC (integrated circuits), submicron IC features and large scale integration. Packaging and interconnect technologies play a key supporting role in the evolution. Materials for packaging and interconnect technologies must support high yield fabrication, high density packaging, fast signal propagation and compatibility with surface mount and direct attach of components. To meet these requirements reinforcements with lower in-plane CTE (coefficient of expansion), greater dimensional stability, lower dielectric constant and smooth surfaces are needed.
CTE is an important property for the printed wiring board (PWB) substrate especially in the surface mount and direct attach chip applications. CTE mismatch between the chip (or chip carrier) and the board pose reliability problems due to potential solder joint cracking during thermal cycling. Various techniques were developed to insure some reliability of the solder joints, e.g., "J" leads, gull wing leads, leaded chip carriers and leadless chip carriers. However, the high (13-18 ppm/.degree. C) in-plane CTE of the standard epoxy/E-glass or polyimide/E-glass still resulted in some solder joint failures. In order for components to successfully survive environmental testing, in-plane CTE's of 8-10 ppm/.degree. C are necessary.
The successful production of multilayer PWBs also requires layer-to-layer pad registration and registration of through holes to pads. During fabrication of PWBs, laminate materials experience a number of thermal excursions, including bake cycles at 120.degree.-150.degree. C. and short exposures to temperatures as high as 280.degree. C. In general, these thermal exposures cause dimensional change in the laminate materials.
Normally, and especially in the case of p-aramid fibers, the fiber CTE is much lower than the resin CTE. It is possible to make low CTE laminates using very low resin contents (<40 wt. %), where the fiber properties dominate the composite properties. However, this laminate would have low peel strength, voids, etc. and would not meet all the property requirements for a reliable PWB, and is not a practical route to make PWBs.

Resin impregnated laminate for wiring board applications


An apparatus for centering a steerable wheel or wheels of a ground-travelling machine. The centering apparatus includes an electrically controlled hydraulic steering system for steering of a wheel or wheels which is operable in either a manual or automatic mode. A cam is mounted for pivotal movement in response to the steering direction of the wheel or wheels. A pair of switches are mounted adjacent the cam and are alternately actuated by the cam in response to pivotal movement of the wheel or wheels. When the automatic mode is selected, the corresponding one of the switches will act to control the hydraulic system so as to pivot the wheel or wheels to the centered position. Upon reaching the centered position, the cam will release the actuated switch thereby ceasing steering movement of the wheel or wheels.

The invention relates generally to ground-travelling machines and, more particularly, to an auto-center steering system for a steerable wheel of a ground-travelling machine which is operable to steer the wheel in alignment with a longitudinal axis of the machine.
Ground-travelling machines having steerable wheels are in common use. One type of such machines are ground-working machines for the creation of narrow ground trenches for a variety of purposes such as the laying of drainage tile, sewer lines, electrical lines, and similar applications. A common ground-working machine includes a four-wheeled tractor unit which supports at a rear end portion thereof an attachment, such as a trenching bar, that is pivotable about a transverse horizontal axis between an upwardly and rearwardly extended transport position and a downwardly and rearwardly extended trenching position. The mobility of the machines is substantially enhanced by providing that both the front and rear wheel or wheels of the tractor unit be independently steerable. The turning radius of the machine is decreased and the machine can be "crab-steered" when, for example, backfilling a trench that was previously dug. It is necessary to accurately return the wheels on-center, however, when the machine is transporting itself between projects or on the roadway. In such circumstances, it is important that the wheels be centered with respect to the machine so that they track accurately in the direction of travel.
Manual wheel or wheel steering systems are known wherein the wheel or wheels are returned to a roughly centered position by an operator who is guided by an indicator linked to a steering member of the steerable wheel or wheels. The mechanical systems are subject to inaccuracy in the centering of the wheel or wheels in that the linkage or other interconnecting device and indicator have a certain amount of hysteresis.

Apparatus for automatically centering a steerable wheel


A touch detecting circuit includes a discharging circuit, a detecting circuit, and a calibration circuit that is configured with a calibration capacitor connected to a terminal and a current source which is connected to the terminal and can be controlled so as to be on and off, that can be connected via the terminal to a sensing capacitor which is disposed on a touch panel, is provided. In the beginning, the sensing capacitor is charged to a predetermined voltage by the charging circuit, thereafter, in a process of discharging, a portion of charge amount that is discharged is used to charge the calibration capacitor, and another portion is discharged via the current source, and the rest is input to the detecting circuit. The detecting circuit measures the charge amount that is input.

Field of the Disclosure
The present invention relates to a touch detecting circuit and a semiconductor integrated circuit using the touch detecting circuit, and particularly to a touch detecting circuit and a semiconductor integrated circuit using the touch detecting circuit that can be appropriately used for a touch panel control circuit which is connected to a touch panel that is overlapped with and mounted over a display panel.
Description of the Related Art
A touch panel is overlapped with and mounted over a display panel that is used for a smart phone or a tablet terminal, and a user can operate an apparatus by touching (contacting or tracing) a display screen using a finger or the like. In order to detect the touched position, various types have been proposed. For example, in a capacitance type, the touched coordinates are detected by detecting a change of a capacitance value caused by a finger or the like approaching a sensing capacitor that is disposed on a touch panel in a matrix. The capacitance type includes a mutual capacitance type and a self-capacitance type. In a state where one of electrodes that form a sensing capacitor is set as a transmission side and the other one of the electrodes is set as a reception side, the mutual capacitance type uses a phenomenon in which a coupling capacitance value that is generated between the transmission side and the reception side is decreased by an approach of a finger or the like. In a state where one electrode of a sensing capacitor is set as a ground potential, the self-capacitance type uses a phenomenon in which capacitance that is generated by approach of a human finger or the like which is grounded is added to the sensing capacitor, and thereby a capacitance value of the sensing capacitor is increased.
In JP-A-2011-14527, a touch detecting circuit of a self-capacitance type is disclosed. Electrodes in an X direction and electrodes in a Y direction are respectively arranged in a lattice pattern, and a sensing capacitor is formed at an intersection. A charging operation and a subsequent discharging operation are performed with respect to a capacitor that is selected by a combination of the electrodes in the X direction and the Y direction, and then a change of a capacitance value is detected.
In JP-A-2013-242699, a touch detecting circuit in which a self-capacitance type and a mutual capacitance type are combined is disclosed. When a multi-touch state is detected by the self-capacitance type, touched coordinates are detected by focusing only electrodes which are found to be in the multi-touch state using the mutual capacitance type detection.

Touch detecting circuit and semiconductor integrated circuit using the same


There is disclosed a method for making a field oxide, by which wafer warpage is minimized when a local oxidation of silicon process is applied for a large wafer. A material layer having a compressive stress and a nitride are laminated over the back side of a wafer, so that the compressive stress of the material layer complementarily interacts with the tensile stress of the nitride.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a method for making a field oxide of a semiconductor device and, more particularly, to a local oxidation of silicon (hereinafter referred to as "LOCOS") process by which the wafer warpage of a large wafer is minimized.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A LOCOS process is one of the typical methods for making a field oxide. According to the process, a pad oxide and a silicon nitride are sequentially laminated over a substrate, a predetermined region of the nitiride is removed and the substrate is oxidized at the predetermined region, to form a field oxide.
Since such LOCOS process is simple and is found to cause much fewer defects compared with other processes, it is the most widely used for mass production. However, the LOCOS process cannot be directly applied for highly integrated devices because it has the significant problem of a long bird's beak. To avoid this bird's beak problem, a modified LOCOS process has been recently developed, in which the substrate is etched at the nitride-removed region to a predetermined thickness to form a trench or groove at which a subsequent oxidation process is proceeded.
Today, wafers with large diameters are employed in order to increase productivity. However, new problems other than the bird's beak occur in the LOCOS process when using a wafer 200 mm (8 inches) or greater in size. One of the most representative examples is wafer warpage (an index indicating crookedness). Wafer warpage is not problematic at all for the wafers as small as 150 mm (6 inches), but arises for large-sized wafers.
In FIG. 1, wafer warpage which is generated while a field oxide is formed on a wafer 200 mm or greater in diameter is shown. In the course of forming a field oxide in a LOCOS process, pad oxides 2 and 2' are thermally grown on the front and the back sides of a wafer 1 and nitrides 3 and 3', resistant to oxidation, are deposited in a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) technique. These LPCVD nitrides are formed on the front side F and the back side B, at once. Subsequently, the nitride 3 on the front side is locally removed at predetermined field regions by an etching process. As seen, the nitride 3 on the front side F is partly removed and separated like islands whereas the nitride on the back side B remains continuous. At this time, this continuous nitride strongly exerts its tensile stress on the back side of the wafer, making the wafer bend (wafer warpage). This wafer warpage is more serious as the diameter of the wafer is larger.
To solve such wafer warpage as occurs owing to the above-mentioned mechanism, a plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD) technique was developed by which a nitride was deposited on the front side only. However, a PECVD nitride cannot be used in practical element-isolation processes because it is far inferior to an LPCVD nitride in various film properties including oxidation resistance.
With reference to FIG. 2, there are data of an experiment in which wafer warpage is measured according to the thicknesses of a nitride used as an element-isolating mask in a wafer 200 mm in diameter. From the data, wafer warpage is found to be largely modulated by the diameter of a wafer as well as the thickness of the nitride deposited. Just after the deposition of nitride (B), there is a valence between the stresses on the front and the back sides, so that slight warpage forms and is little changed with the thickness of nitride. However, after the nitride at the field regions on the front side is removed (A), warpage is 2-3 folds increased and is aggravated by the thickness of nitride. In particular, when the deposited nitride is thicker than 1,500 Angstrom, warpage is abruptly raised.
The following are the problems of large wafer warpage.
First, if a wafer is bent, a significant misalignment in the photo processes which proceed after the element isolation process occurs and the uniformity in critical dimension (CD) is lowered among the dies within the wafer.
In addition, when a gate oxide is formed after the element isolation process, a bent wafer gives poor properties to the gate oxide.
FIG. 3, shows a bar graph. It is obtained from an experiment in which a property of the gate oxide formed on a 200 mm wafer following the element-isolation process is investigated while the nitride to be used in the element-isolation process is changed in thickness from 1000 to 2500 Angstrom. The Y axis shows the percentage ratio of the die number of good gate oxide to the total die number. The data demonstrated that the die number of good gate oxide is reduced as the nitride is thicker. This is attributed to the fact that the wafer warpage increases with the thickness of the nitride.
As apparent from the data, the thickness of the nitride should be not more than 1500 Angstrom in order to improve the reliability of the gate oxide. In this case, however, another problem occurs in practice. One of the most important requirements for the element isolation process is to shorten the bird's beak. The length of the bird's beak of field oxide formed in LOCOS process is sensitively affected by the thickness of the nitride. That is, the reduction of the thickness of the nitride into a critical value is disadvantageous in the aspect of the bird's beak.

Method for making field oxide of semiconductor device

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


A vehicle convenience system comprising a wireless transmitter, having at least one switch therein, for communicating multiple channel commands to an expander, the expander responsive to activation of the transmitter and said expander having at least one expander output responsive to the channel commands received from the transmitter; the expander outputs being programmable to at least one user selectable mode.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems having the capability of remotely operating electronic functions of a vehicle. The device of the present invention allows the operator to control a number of functions in a system exceeding a limited number of control outputs of said system.
2. Description of Prior Art
Some of the features of the automotive security and convenience systems include the ability to lock and unlock doors, fully or partially roll down windows, turn on lights of the vehicle and the like. The automotive security and convenience systems presently sold have a limited number of remotely controlled outputs (output channels). However, some applications require more output channels than available in the chosen security and convenience system. Therefore, these applications employ channel expanders that allow one output channel to expand and control multiple outputs.
Channel expanders haven been known and used in the industry. Generally they allow one output channel to be expanded to control a number of channels. However, the channel expanders of the prior art are not user friendly. As an example, in a six-channel expander of the prior art, the unit resets to expander output one after its function is performed. Therefore, if the user commonly used expander output three, he/she would have to access that output by pressing buttons on his/her remote control multiple times. This is tedious and at times involves misapplication and operation of an undesired output or function such as rolling windows down while it is raining. Another undesirable feature of the prior art expanders is that the user must scroll through the unused expander outputs prior to reaching the desired channel. More particularly, if the channel expander has ten outputs, only three of which are utilized, then to control output two, immediately after controlling output three, the user must scroll or loop through eight outputs, i.e. outputs four through one.
The device of the present invention overcomes the abovedescribed deficiencies in the prior art. The device of the present invention has a selectable "memory-mode" such that the device does not reset to channel one automatically. Instead, it remembers the last expander output called by the remote transmitter and thereafter it defaults and operates that output again unless another output is selected. Furthermore, the device of the present invention has an "off-mode". This mode allows the user to delete the unused expander outputs from its loop. Therefore, in a ten-output expander, where only three outputs are used, the loop consists of scrolling from output one to output two to output three and back to output one. The user is not compelled to scroll through inactive and unassigned expander outputs four through ten just to get to channel one. Another novel aspect of the present invention is that each of the channel expander outputs is programmable to one of multiple states/modes. One of the modes is an "off-mode". The "off-mode" makes that output unused and the user thereafter does not have to scroll through it to reach another output. The next mode is a "latch-mode". "Latch-mode" turns outputs on and off and remains in the assigned on or off state until changed again. The next mode is the "timed-mode". This mode turns an output on for a period of time such as thirty-seconds timed, sixty-seconds timed and/or ninety-seconds timed although it can be any period of time. This state is useful for activating lights or any other device for a period of time. Another mode is "latch-reset-with-ignition-mode". This mode is an on/off switch. When this type of output is used, it will turn on if it was off, or off if it was on. It will only change states if it is accessed again. Another mode is "validity-mode". This mode provides a signal as long as the button(s) of the remote control is being activated or pressed. Finally the last mode is a "pulse-mode". This mode operates a function upon depression and release of a button on the remote control transmitter. The result is a control signal for a period of one second. The pulse and validity modes are default modes of the present invention.

Channel expander for remotely controlled automotive security and convenience systems


A method and at least two devices demonstrate improvements to energy extraction from a compressible working fluid in a liquid ring heat engine, which has a rotor mounted in a case. A space in the case is occupied by a liquid that establishes a liquid ring piston for the rotor. The rotor defines at least a first and a second operating zone. In the first zone, the working fluid is expanded against the liquid and, in the second zone, the working fluid is re-compressed. Between the two zones, the working fluid is cooled. In one device, the cooling step occurs on the rotor in a third zone. In another device, the cooling occurs outside of the case.

The liquid ring device is known in the prior art, with the concept existing in the patent art at least as early as U.S. Pat. No. 1,094,919 to Nash in 1914. In the Nash '919 device, a combustible gas is introduced into the device, compressed and ignited, with the expansion being used to provide mechanical energy.
In some situations in the prior art, the liquid ring device is used to compress gases at the expenditure of mechanical energy, while, in another type of operation, it is used as an expander to extract thermal energy from a working fluid as practical mechanical work. One application is the recuperation of the energy carried out by the exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine or a gas turbine.
Many other applications are envisioned, in which different working fluids are used. These include, but are certainly not limited to, recuperation processes involving furnace gases, foundry gases, residual industrial steam or geothermal gases, such as from a volcano. In yet other applications, the liquid ring device can be used as a prime mover or stand alone heat engine in conjunction with a hot gas generator of a suitable type. In general, the device is able to operate effectively, once the mode of operation and the energy source has been selected.
It is, however, not known in the prior art to perform more than one thermodynamic transformation in a single liquid ring device.


An apparatus for limiting the temperature of a body associated with a heating system in which the heat exchange between a first heated body comprising a part of the heating system and a second body, upon exceeding a particular temperature, is to be decreased. A chamber is built between the first heated body and the second body and filled with a liquid. The chamber is impermeably connected with a flexible equalization vessel. If the temperature of the first heated body or second body, or the temperature within the chamber, exceeds the boiling temperature of the filling liquid, the filling liquid vaporizes and condenses in the connected equalization vessel. In this manner, heat conduction through the liquid between the first heated body and the second body is substantially prevented or in any case is significantly less than in the case of the filled chamber. If the chamber temperature decreases below the boiling point of the liquid, the filling liquid flows back again into the chamber and restores the advantageous heat conduction.

As is known in the art, thermal coupling for heating or cooling, in practice, takes place either through flowing media, such as air or liquid, through heat radiation, or through mechanical contact.
When using flowing media, the heat flow from a first body to a second body can be controlled by changing the quantity of flowing medium. However, to accomplish this purpose, a relatively expensive pump structure or thermosiphon structure is required. In addition, it is very difficult to control the high temperatures of the flowing medium through the structure.
The application of heat radiation is very limited as the low heat transport in the heat radiation procedure of thermal coupling functions only in the case of relatively high temperature differences. Moreover, a regulated control of the heat flow is very difficult to realize.
Mechanical contact leads to the lowest heat losses and devices based on mechanical contact are easily constructed. However, the disadvantage of a mechanical contact type of thermal coupling is the loss of the possibility of controlling the heat flow. This is because it is only possible to change the heat flow through a mechanical change of the contact.
A thermal coupling between two parts is very often necessary in which the maximum temperature of one of the two bodies is not to be exceeded, for instance in the construction of technical measuring instruments and apparatus, and also in industrial installations. The coupling can take place either through mechanical contact or through flowing media. In the case of mechanical contact, the problem of constant heat conduction exists even with high temperatures whereby one of the two parts involved in the coupling can be damaged due to its limited temperature stability. A decrease of the thermal contact is required in applications of this type when exceeding a given temperature limit. However, a decrease of the thermal contact is practically only possible through mechanical separation of the two connecting surfaces.
One application of such thermal coupling is the regulation of the temperature of a body. If this body is thermally well insulated, the regulation functions very well at high temperatures due to the heat radiation. If the body is to be rapidly cooled again, a good heat conduction to a cooling body is required. However, a permanent heat conduction to the cooling body would prevent heating to high temperatures.
Another example of an application of such thermal coupling where a maximum temperature limit cannot be exceeded is the use of thermoelectric elements, for instance Peltier elements, for heating and cooling of apparatuses and installation parts. Another possible application is for using these Peltier elements for the direct conversion of electrical energy from heat.
A significant disadvantage of commercially available Peltier elements is that the temperature range is limited at the high end. This high end limit is determined primarily through the usable alloys of the Peltier elements and through the soldering material used most often, soldering tin. Thus, the temperature range which can be reached with Peltier elements is limited to a maximum of about 250.degree. C. Additional heating to a higher temperature leads to the destruction of the Peltier elements.

Method and device for limiting the temperature of a body


A connection apparatus for securing a facing to a soil reinforcing element wherein the soil reinforcing element has a pair of adjacent longitudinal wires with horizontally extended converging portions, a stud having a first end attached to the horizontally extended converging portions, and a second end bent upwards and terminating at a head, a facing anchor having a pair of vertically disposed loops adjacently extending from the facing and having an opening for receiving a vertical portion of the stud, and a device configured to secure the vertical portion of the stud against separation from the opening between the vertically disposed loops, wherein the stud and the attached soil reinforcing element are capable of swiveling in the horizontal and vertical directions.

Retaining wall structures that use horizontally positioned soil inclusions to reinforce an earth mass in combination with a facing element are referred to as Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) structures. MSE structures can be used for various applications including retaining walls, bridge abutments, dams, seawalls, and dikes.
The basic MSE technology is a repetitive process where layers of backfill and horizontally placed soil reinforcing elements are positioned one atop the other until a desired height of the earthen structure is achieved. Typically, grid-like steel mats or welded wire mesh are used as earthen reinforcement elements. In most applications, the reinforcing mats consist of parallel transversely extending wires welded to parallel longitudinally extending wires, thus forming a grid-like mat or structure. Backfill material and the soil reinforcing mats are combined and compacted in series to form a solid earthen structure, taking the form of a standing earthen wall.
In some instances, a substantially vertical concrete wall may then be constructed a short distance from the standing earthen wall. The concrete wall not only serves as decorative architecture, but also prevents erosion at the face of the earthen wall. The soil reinforcing mats extending from the compacted backfill may then be attached directly to the back face of the vertical concrete wall. To facilitate the connection to the earthen formation, the concrete wall will frequently include a plurality of "facing anchors" either cast into or attached somehow to the back face of the concrete at predetermined and spaced-apart locations. Each facing anchor is typically positioned so as to correspond with and couple directly to an end of a soil reinforcing mat.
Via this attachment, outward movement and shifting of the concrete wall is significantly reduced. However, in cases were substantial shifting of the concrete facing occurs, facing anchors may be subject to shear stresses that result in anchor failure. Although there are several methods of attaching the soil reinforcing elements to the facing anchors, it remains desirable to find improved apparatus and methods offering less expensive alternatives and greater resistance to shear forces inherent in such structures.

Retaining wall soil reinforcing connector and method


The present invention relates to ceiling grid runners and associated assembly details that utilize metal reinforcement of thermoplastic compounds in order to obtain the necessary stiffness required to meet load/deflection standards for suspended ceiling systems. The metal is strategically positioned at the areas of highest stress, the top and bottom of the runner cross-section in what is analogous to the bulb and flange of traditional all metal grid.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ceiling grid runners and associated assembly details for suspended ceiling grid systems. More specifically the runners utilize a composite structure comprising an appropriately compounded thermoplastic polymer reinforced by strategically placed steel members. The product is corrosion free and upgraded visuals can be produced.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The I-beam principle for efficiently utilizing materials has been known for many years. A recent example is a wooden I-beam fabricated from reconstituted wood in such a way to maximize strength to weight ratio at the same time being able to use secondary quality wood that is unfit for use in more traditional wood construction products.
The traditional all metal suspended grid products use the I-beam principle to the greatest extent possible within the constraints of the existing manufacturing process. The entire profile of the grid must be all steel or some other metal. Therefore, the excellent tensile and compression strengths of steel are only partially employed in the regions closest to the neutral axis. Attempts have been made to increase material efficiency by adding loops of steel in the bulb and to otherwise increase the amount of steel farthest from the neutral axis. All these efforts still employ steel in regions where the bending tensile or compression stresses approach zero psi.
Products based on composite technology have long been known in the art. More recently much attention has been given the use of fibers of a variety of sorts such as fiberglass, carbon, aramid, and boron in the reinforcement of polymers and polymer blends. The result has been a class of products that provide the highest strength to weight ratios. Pultrusion is a specific process developed to produce composite products using low viscosity polymers, usually thermosets, and continuous fiber strands. The fibers are immersed in a liquid polymer tank and then pulled through a die to generate a desired profile, hence, the name pul (PULl) trusion (exTRUSION). The resin is then cured. The result is a product with high strength in the machine direction and an overall high strength to weight ratio. Such technology has been used to produce suspension grid runners. These products have the additional advantage of being corrosion free when compared to those using steel. However, the cost premium is quite high reaching into that incurred when either aluminum or stainless steel is used to achieve corrosion free performance within the metal family of materials.


A display arrangement for displaying an image for a viewer on the basis of at least two variables for each picture element such as a picture element position and picture element information includes a first and a separate second display element arranged at a distance from one another in the optical viewing range of the viewer and an element for mutual synchronization therebetween with each display element of the display arrangement reproducing at least one variable. The first and second display elements are arranged along a line creating a viewing direction for the viewer, which essentially coincides with the direction from the viewer to the first display element and the second display element is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the viewer and is carried by the viewer to follow his movements whereby viewing is invariant in space.

An image is viewed in connection with above display arrangements as being built up of a number of least resolution elements for the viewer, called picture elements. The image can be considered to consist of a distribution of these picture elements in two dimensions. Thus, the image can be viewed as a number of picture elements which are in each case defined by a picture element position given by two angle coordinates V.sub.1 and V.sub.2 relative to a reference direction from the viewer, and information in the form of intensity, color, polarization and so forth at each point in time, belonging to each picture element.
A system in which all picture elements synchronously emit picture information within a time interval which is shorter than the integration time .tau. of the human eye is perceived as a non-flickering image by the viewer. Such an image can be static, for example a photograph, or sequentially generated within the time .tau. by one or several picture elements emitting at the same time at a suitably high repetition rate, for example TV, to be perceived as a complete image by the eye.
Examples of such display arrangements already known are monitors, TV sets and PPI screens.,It is common to all these display arrangements that all the image information items, that is to say two angle distributions and picture element information items, which can subsequently contain information on intensity distribution, color, polarization and so forth, are generated in a display element arranged at one and the same place. The viewer is located at a distance from the display element which, depending on the type of display element, can vary between a distance of 0.5 meters and tens of meters and possibly even a greater distance.
In another type of display arrangement according to the first part, the display element is mounted in the immediate vicinity of the viewer. An example of the last-mentioned type of display arrangement is disclosed in SE B 8403706-8. In this case, the display element is mounted on a helmet carried by the viewer. The image is introduced into the view of the viewer with the aid of a semi-reflecting screen. In this case, too, all the picture information items are generated in a display element arranged at one and the same place.


A low viscosity, high softening point heavy hydrocarbon material having a viscosity reducing amount of at least one dihydric alcohol dissolved therein, and a method for producing such heavy hydrocarbon material, are disclosed.

Petroleum pitch competes with coal tar pitch in many applications where the pitch is used as a carbon source and/or as a binder. The critical properties that are evaluated when deciding what type of pitch to use include: (a) flow properties, as measured by softening point and/or viscosity, and (b) carbon yield, as measured by ASTM D 2488, Coking Value by Modified Conradson Carbon.
Another pitch property that is also becoming of increasing interest is the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,906 patent describes a coal tar pitch having a low polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content and a method of making such pitch where a high softening point coal tar pitch (softening point of 120–175° C.) was mixed with a low softening point petroleum pitch to make a binder pitch having a softening point of 107–114° C. and a PAH content slightly above 15,000 ppm.
In the manufacture of coal tar pitch, if more low boiling point materials are left in the pitch product, the resulting product has a lower softening point and a lower viscosity. In the case of petroleum pitch manufacturing, a high softening point petroleum bitch can be "cut back" with a hydrocarbon liquid material to produce a petroleum pitch having a lower softening point and a lower viscosity at a given temperature. It has long been understood in the industry, until the present invention, that this relationship between the softening point and viscosity was unchangeable (i.e., if one were lowered, the other would be lowered also).
Generally speaking, for a given softening point/viscosity, a petroleum pitch will have a lower carbon yield than a coal tar pitch. However, despite a potentially lower carbon yield, petroleum pitch offers certain advantages over coal tar pitch. One advantage that petroleum pitch has over coal tar pitch is the increased solids content of the petroleum pitch material. Therefore, it is desired in the industry to fine a way to improve the other critical property (i.e., the "flow" or viscosity) of petroleum pitch.
In the past, many types of materials have been used to modify the flow properties of such petroleum products as pitch and asphalt. Historically, these have been petroleum based, non-oxygenated hydrocarbons such as diesel fuel or various types of fuel oils, kerosene or various cutback oils. However, the use of these solvent "cutback" materials often causes problems with flash point and volatility if too much solvent is used.
Examples of viscosity modification of bituminous materials include the use of a fluoro or chlorofluoro derivative of lower alkanes, such as disclosed in Smith et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,003.
Still other methods include reducing the viscosity of heavy hydrocarbon oils by preheating a stream of heavy carbon hydrocarbon oil in a stream of gas, mixing under pressure, and passing through a nozzle to form fine oil droplets such that a strong shearing action is created as the heavy oil and gas are forced through an orifice, as described in Dawson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,566.
Various other viscosity modified emulsions are also described. For example, the Schilling U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,671 describes mixing a bituminous emulsion aggregate slurry with a cationic emulsifier prepared as a reaction process of a polyamine with polycarboxylic acid hydrides and a kraft lignin. Other emulsions are described in the Schilling U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,505, Holleran, U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,607, and Krivohlavek, U.S. Pat. No. 5,834,359.
Still other dispersant/emulsions are described in Wallace, U.S. Pat. No. 2,686,728; Ljusberg-Wahren, U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,511; McDonald, U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,078; Haire et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,513 (also generally described in the abstract Haire, B. UNITAR 5th International Conference (Caracas 8/4-9/91) Proceedings V2, 121–126 (1991)); and Ohzeki et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,012.
Another viscosity modifier is dibasic ester (DBE) which is a solvent that is used for certain coal tar pitch and tars that are pourable at room temperature. However, the dibasic esters are expensive and are limited in their applicability to less viscous coal tars. Also, the dibasic esters do not adequately modify the viscosity of more viscous pitches such as petroleum pitches.
Therefore, there is a need to produce a viscosity modifier that is useful with pitches, and in particular, petroleum pitches, but does not have the above described drawbacks associated with the viscosity modifiers currently in use.
In particular, there is a need for a viscosity modifier that provides improved characteristics to the pitch and the pitch end product.
There is a further need for a viscosity modifier useful with heavy hydrocarbons that provide improved safety features such as low volatility and low toxicity.
In the past, ethylene glycol has been used as a lubricant for coal tar pitches. U.S. Pat. No. 2,686,728 taught mixing 98 parts pulverized coal tar pitch with 2 parts, by, weight, of diethylene glycol and 5 parts, by with, water. The water helped to distribute the glycol over the pitch particles. Until the present invention, however, no one had thought to use dihydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol as a viscosity reduction agent for pitches, and, in particular, petroleum pitch.

Viscosity modification of heavy hydrocarbons using dihydric alcohols


A method of manufacturing a ball valve element includes a recess forming step in which a press die is used to form two stem recesses in an outer peripheral surface of pipe material cut to a prescribed size, the stem recesses being formed at positions that are symmetrical with respect to the center axis of the pipe material, and a ball-shaped element forming step in which the pipe material in which the stem recesses have been formed is placed in a split die having substantially spherical forming surfaces, with the openings in the pipe material facing the spherical forming surfaces of the split die, and pressure is exerted by the split die to uniformly and symmetrically deform the pipe material into a sphere.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an element for a ball valve provided in a fluid circuit for switching between a state in which a fluid can flow and a state in which a fluid is prevented from flowing, and to a method of manufacturing a ball valve element.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A ball valve element is a ball-shaped member that has a through-hole for passage of a hydraulic fluid. The element also has a recess formed on the outside surface of the element into which a stem fits for rotating the element. A ball valve element is usually produced by shearing off a piece of round bar, machining the sheared piece to the required ball shape, and drilling a hole through the valve element. Alternatively, the valve element can be cast or forged, then machined to shape and drilled.
In recent years, methods have been proposed for reducing the time it takes to manufacture ball valve elements, and for making the elements at a lower cost. In one such method disclosed by JP-B-6-21670, a press die is used to form pipe into a ball shape. This conventional method comprises a step in which a recess is formed for the valve stem, which is followed by a step in which the outer surface is formed into a spherical shape. However, in the latter step, the pipe has to be formed into the spherical shape with a spacer inserted into the recess. For this, the workpiece (the pipe) to be shaped has to be aligned precisely in the direction from which the spacer is inserted into the recess. This positioning of the workpiece is a time-consuming task that makes it difficult to raise operational efficiency. Another drawback is that the need to provide spacer material increases the structural complexity of the press die, and an error in positioning the workpiece can result in a defectively formed product or a damaged die.
Moreover, if in an effort to facilitate the positioning of the workpiece the spherical surface is formed without using a spacer, the result is a major difference in deformation resistance between the side where the recess has been formed and the opposite side where no recess has been formed. This can give rise to eccentrically formed recesses, the need to include a large machining tolerance since a precise spherical surface cannot be achieved, and other such problems.
An object of the present invention is to provide a ball valve element and a method of manufacturing a ball valve element that prevents the formation of eccentric recesses and eliminates the need to position the ball valve element workpiece material.

Ball valve element and method of manufacturing a ball valve element


A method for treating a disease associated with the estrogen receptor-β, comprising the step of administiering a therapeutically-effective amount of a compound that satifies the equation: KiαA/KiβA>25, optionally having general structure (I).

Estrogen-replacement therapy ("ERT") reduces the incidence of Alzheimer's disease and improves cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease patients (Nikolov et al. Drugs of Today, 34(11), 927–933 (1998)). ERT also exhibits beneficial effects in osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, and may have anxiolytic and anti-depressant therapeutic properties. However, ERT shows detrimental uterine and breast side effects that limit its use.
The beneficial effects of ERT in post-menopausal human women is echoed by beneficial effects of estrogen in models relevant to cognitive function, anxiety, depression, bone loss, and cardiovascular damage in ovariectomized rats. Estrogen also produces uterine and breast hypertrophy in animal models reminiscent of its mitogenic effects on these tissues in humans.
The beneficial effects of ERT in post-menopausal human women is echoed by beneficial effects of estrogen in models relevant to cognitive function, anxiety, depression, bone loss, and cardiovascular damage in ovariectomized rats. Specifically, experimental studies have demonstrated that estrogen effects the central nervous system ("CNS") by increasing cholinergic function, increasing neurotrophin/neurotrophin receptor expression, altering amyloid precursor protein processing, providing neuroprotection against a variety of insults, and increasing glutamatergic synaptic transmission, among other effects. The overall CNS profile of estrogen effects in pre-clinical studies is consistent with its clinical utility in improving cognitive function and delaying Alzheiner's disease progression. Estrogen also produces mitogenic effects in uterine and breast tissue indicative of its detrimental side effects on these tissues in humans.
The estrogen receptor ("ER") in humans, rats, and mice exists as two subtypes, ER-α and ER-β, which share about a 50% identity in the ligand-binding domain (Kuiper et al. Endocrinology 139(10) 4252–4263 (1998)). The difference in the identity of the subtypes accounts for the fact that some small compounds have been shown to bind preferentially to one subtype over the other (Kuiper et al.).
In rats, ER-β is strongly expressed in brain, bone and vascular epithelium, but weakly expressed in uterus and breast, relative to ER-α. Furthermore, ER-α knockout (ERKO-α) mice are sterile and exhibit little or no evidence of hormone responsiveness of reproductive tissues. In contrast, ER-β knockout (ERKO-β) mice are fertile, and exhibit normal development and function of breast and uterine tissue. These observations suggest that selectively targeting ER-β over ER-α could confer beneficial effects in several important human diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease without the liability of reproductive system side effects. Selective effects on ER-β-expressing tissues (CNS, bone, etc.) over uterus and breast could be achieved by agents that selectively interact with ER-β over ER-α.
It is a purpose of this invention to identify ER-β-selective ligands that are useful in treating diseases in which ERT has therapeutic benefits.
It is another purpose of this invention to identify ER-β-selective ligands that mimic the beneficial effects of ERT on brain, bone and cardiovascular function.
It is another purpose of this invention to identify ER-β-selective ligands that increase cognitive function and delay Alzheimer's disease progression.


A self-contained viscous liquid dispenser having an improved vent valve is provided. The vent valve includes a plug member having a sealing ridge at its perimeter. The vent valve is activated at reduced pressure differentials between the inside and outside of the dispenser. The vent valve also provides redundant sealing capability.

Various configurations and models of liquid dispensers, particularly liquid soap dispensers, are well known in the art. Conventional dispensers typically employed in public restrooms and the like are wall-mounted units that typically include a housing or structure that contains the liquid to be dispensed. The dispensers typically include a delivery device, such as a dosing pump, and a device such as a lever or button for actuating the dosing pump.
Many dispensers have a vent valve. The vent valve serves to allow air to enter the reservoir as the liquid in the reservoir is dispensed. When the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the dispenser reaches a prescribed level, the vent valve opens and allows air to enter and replace the liquid that was dispensed. The opening in the dispenser through which the air flows is desirably small so as to be inconspicuous and help prevent leaks. Therefore it often takes an undesirably high pressure differential to activate the vent. There is therefore a need for a vent that activates at reduced pressure differentials.
Additionally, because many dispensers are single use dispensers that are discarded when empty, the components of the dispensers are often produced from inexpensive plastics. The plastic parts can often warp or deform to the point that the sealing ability of the vent becomes deficient. Therefore, there is a need for a vent that provides improved sealing capability.
The present invention is an improvement over existing systems in that it provides a disposable self-contained dispenser that is activated at reduced pressure differentials between the inside and outside of the dispenser. The present invention also provides a disposable self-contained dispenser having a vent that provides improved and redundant sealing capability.

Vent plug for self-contained viscous liquid dispenser


A memory system is provided in which at least one memory chip and a memory controller chip are mounted in a side-by-side relationship on an interposer. The memory chip is connected to the interposer via a Wide I/O interface to enable the memory chip and the memory controller chip to communicate with each other via the Wide I/O interface. The memory controller chip has an interface for communicating with an interface of an integrated circuit (IC) chip of the memory system.

Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chips are used to store instructions and data that are used by processors to perform operations in computer systems. In a typical computer system, a processor, such as a microprocessor, communicates with a memory controller that reads and writes the DRAM cells of one or more DRAM chips in order to retrieve information stored in the DRAM chips and store information in the DRAM chips.
DRAM technology is continuously evolving in ways that increase the storage density of the DRAM chips, decrease the latency associated with writing and reading the DRAM chips, increase the bandwidth associated with memory accesses, decrease the power consumption of the DRAM chips, decrease the weight and form factor of the DRAM chips, and decrease the costs of the DRAM chips.
Joint Electron Devices Engineering Council (JEDEC) is a trade and standardization organization that develops standards for semiconductor devices, including DRAM chips. Over the years, JEDEC has developed many standards for DRAM chips including various double data rate (DDR) standards that improve performance, decrease power consumption, and improve packaging.
Recently, JEDEC developed a DRAM standard for a technology known as Wide I/O, which purportedly is a breakthrough technology that will greatly improve performance, bandwidth, latency, power consumption, packaging, and form factor. The Wide I/O standard calls for stacking DRAM chips and using Through-Silicon Via (STV) technology to interconnect the SDRAM chips with each other and with logic on which the chips are stacked. The resulting memory stack has a 512-bit wide interface.
While the proposed Wide I/O stacked configuration has many advantages, it also has some disadvantages. The logic on which the DRAM chips are stacked comprises a system on a chip (SOC). The SOC generates a relatively large amount of heat that needs to be dissipated so that its performance is not detrimentally impacted. With current Wide I/O proposals, the heat sink structure is disposed on top of the uppermost DRAM chip of the stack. In such cases, the DRAM chips will act as insulators that prevent heat from being efficiently conducted from the SOC into the heat sink structure.
A need exists for a memory system that utilizes certain features of Wide I/O in order to obtain the associated benefits, but that also overcomes the aforementioned heat dissipation problems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Memory system that utilizes a wide input/output (I/O) interface to interface memory storage with an interposer

Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


One embodiment relates to an automatic system comprising a plurality of subscribers which are connected to a common communication channel, whereby each of the subscribers automatically provides the diagnosis information associated therewith on the communication channel, another conversion station is connected to the communication channel and comprises a web server which converts the diagnosis information available in the communication channel into a single web-enabled format, the conversion station is connected to a service station via a network and the service station has a web browser and a display connected to the web browser, whereby the web browser converts the diagnosis information transmitted via the network into a single display format and the display is provided in order to display diagnosis information provided by the web browser.

Automation systems featuring a plurality of subscribers which are connected to a common communication channel are already known.
Furthermore the manual creation and storage of diagnostic information within the framework of project planning for the system is already known as regards the subscribers of these types of automation systems. This manual creation of the diagnostic information is very time-consuming. Any errors detected are rectified locally using programs which depend on the subscriber concerned.
A device and a method for data communication are known from US 2002/0120671, especially for parametrization and remote supervision of heating plants. With this known device a plurality of subscribers are connected to a common bus. The bus subscribers can transmit messages for diagnostic purposes. A protocol converter is also connected to the bus which is connected via a modem to the Internet. Furthermore a system computer which features a database is connected via a further modem to the Internet. If an error occurs in one of the subscribers the occurrence of this error is notified via the Internet and/or another data connection to the operator.
A system and a method for accessing information of a remotely arranged device and for transmission of this information to a client workstation are known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,246 A. In this known method a micro server is integrated in each case into the subscriber connected via a bus or the Ethernet which allows access to the data of the subscriber, using Web pages for example. The data of the subscriber is transmitted on demand or cyclically to a remotely arranged client. The micro server converts the data of the relevant subscriber such that it corresponds to a communication protocol.
A method is known from EP 0964 325 A1 in which diagnostic data of plug-in devices of a process automation system is collected via a field communication interface using a field communication protocol. Furthermore status data of the field devices is transmitted to another application of the automation system, for example to the control room software or management software. This occurs independently of the type of field device.
A Web-based tool check in conjunction with semiconductor fabrication is known from US 2002/0095644 A1. The invention described there discloses a system for connection of semiconductor fabrication tools using a data network and a microprocessor-based interface which is assigned to each process tool. The data network and the Interface look after communication in accordance with known standards over Intranet or Internet connections to one or more remotely arranged browsers. The data arising during the process is available in realtime on the network and can be retrieved by an operator at any point of the network.

Automation system with simplified diagnosis and rectification of errors


Provided are a link capacity adjustment method and device. The method includes: a node device obtains a latency of a Physical Layer (PHY) for link capacity adjustment of a Flex Ethernet (FlexE) group; and clock offsets of all the PHYs in the FlexE group are aligned according to the obtained latency. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the clock offsets of all the PHYs in the FlexE group are aligned, thereby preventing data loss caused by the clock offsets of the PHYs in the FlexE group during link capacity adjustment.

Flex Ethernet (FlexE) is an interface technology for a bearer network to realize service isolation bearing and network sharding. A FlexE group is a group obtained by binding one or more than one Ethernet Physical Layer (PHY) together.
When link capacity of the FlexE group is adjusted, calendar configuration is inevitable, and when the calendar configuration is performed, data transmitted by PHYs will be lost due to the wrong service flow, the wrong switching order of nodes, the improper time slot configuration of nodes, and the clock offsets of multiple PHYs in the FlexE group with link capacity adjustment.
Therefore, to achieve a lossless calendar configuration, these problems that may cause data loss need to be solved. There are corresponding solutions in related technologies for the problems of the wrong service flow, the wrong switching order of nodes and the improper time slot configuration of nodes. For the problem of the clock offsets of multiple PHYs in the FlexE group with the link capacity adjustment, the solution is to realign the clock offsets of all the PHYs in the FlexE group with the link capacity adjustment, that is, the order of arrival of data flows transmitted by all the PHYs is readjusted to meet service requirements, but there is a lack of corresponding technical means in the related technologies.

Link capacity adjustment method and device


An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a developer replenishment device. In addition, a control portion executes a first mode of detecting a first toner image for control by a sensor and controlling an operation of the replenishment device so that a detection result from the sensor attains a first target value, a second mode of detecting a second toner image for control by the sensor and setting a development contrast of a maximum image density so that a detection result attains a second target value, and a third mode of detecting a third toner image for control by the sensor and changing, based on the detection result, at least one of the first target value and a development contrast of the first toner image for control, wherein the control portion executes the third mode according to a timing at which the second mode is executed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for controlling a replenishment quantity of a developer for a developing device based on a detection result of a toner borne-on quantity of a toner image for control, and more particularly, to control for replacing a part of control for ensuring reproducibility of an image density by adjustment of a toner charge with adjustment of a development contrast.
2. Description of the Related Art
In widely-used image forming apparatus, charged toner adheres to an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member to develop into a toner image, the toner image is transferred to a recording material directly or through intermediation of an intermediate transfer member, and the recording material onto which the toner image has been transferred is heated and pressurized to fix an image on the recording material. As illustrated in FIG. 6B, in the image forming apparatus, the toner image is developed so that a development contrast VcontG1 being a potential difference between a potential of a developer carrying member and a potential of the electrostatic image is compensated with a total electricity amount of the charged toner.
Therefore, as a toner charge amount Q/M of the developer inside a developing device becomes higher, a toner borne-on quantity of the toner image obtained by developing a predetermined electrostatic image becomes smaller, and an image density becomes lower. On the other hand, as the toner charge amount Q/M of the developer inside the developing device becomes lower, the toner borne-on quantity of the toner image obtained by developing the predetermined electrostatic image becomes larger, and the image density becomes higher.
Accordingly, in the conventional image forming apparatus, control for maintaining the toner charge amount Q/M of the developer inside the developing device at a fixed level at all times is executed in order to enhance reproducibility of the image density (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-039608 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-274789).
In the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-039608, a fixed first development contrast is set for each image formation of a predetermined number of sheets to form a first toner image for measurement (ATR patch), and the ATR patch is detected by an optical sensor to measure the toner borne-on quantity. Then, a developer replenishment quantity for each image formation obtained by a video count method is adjusted based on output information from the optical sensor.
In the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-274789, the adjustment of a development contrast at a time of image formation which uses a second toner image for measurement (Dmax patch) is performed at a frequency lower than that of the adjustment of the developer replenishment quantity which uses the first toner image for measurement. A so-called Dmax control for forming a Dmax patch having the highest density level (image ratio of 100%; solid image) and adjusting a second development contrast used for the image formation is executed. Then, in order to reduce an error in the developer replenishment quantity due to a change in temperature/humidity, the first development contrast used for developer replenishment quantity adjustment is corrected based on a relationship between the toner borne-on quantity and the development contrast obtained in the Dmax control.
In the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-039608 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-274789, a replenishment quantity of a replenishment developer is adjusted so that a toner charge amount of the developer is maintained at a fixed level from beginning to end. If the toner borne-on quantity of a patch toner image is small, the toner charge amount Q/M is lowered by increasing a toner replenishment quantity for the developing device and reducing a friction opportunity of the toner for a carrier, to thereby increase the toner borne-on quantity of the image. On the other hand, if the toner borne-on quantity of the patch toner image is large, the toner charge amount Q/M is increased by reducing the toner replenishment quantity for the developing device and increasing the friction opportunity of the toner for the carrier, to thereby reduce the toner borne-on quantity of the image.
If the image formation exhibiting extremely small toner consumption is continuously performed, the number of times of causing friction of the toner for the carrier increases, and hence the toner charge amount Q/M rises, while the toner borne-on quantity of the patch toner image decreases. If the toner continues to be supplied excessively in order to ensure the reproducibility of the image density by lowering the toner charge amount Q/M, a toner concentration of the developer (weight ratio of the toner to the developer) exceeds an upper limit value (for example, 11%). If the toner concentration exceeds the upper limit value, a normal operation of the developing device can no longer be continued.
On the other hand, if the image formation exhibiting extremely high toner consumption is continuously performed, the number of times of causing friction of the toner for the carrier decreases, and hence the toner charge amount Q/M decreases, while the toner borne-on quantity of the patch toner image increases. If toner replenishment continues to be stopped in order to ensure the reproducibility of the image density by raising the toner charge amount Q/M, the toner concentration of the developer drops below a lower limit value (for example, 5%). If the toner concentration drops below the lower limit value, the normal operation of the developing device can no longer be continued.
In recent years, the developing device is downsized along with a downsizing of the image forming apparatus, and the developer quantity being a denominator becomes smaller, while a maximum replenishment quantity per unit time of the replenishment developer being a numerator increases along with an increase in productivity of the image forming apparatus. Therefore, the toner charge amount Q/M of the developer inside the developing device becomes easy to fluctuate, and the toner concentration becomes easy to fluctuate along with the toner replenishment and toner replenishment restriction. Therefore, if the image formation exhibiting extremely small toner consumption is continuously performed, the toner concentration of the developer inside the developing device reaches the upper limit value in an extremely short period of time. If the image formation exhibiting extremely large toner consumption is continuously performed, the toner concentration of the developer reaches the lower limit value in an extremely short period of time.

Image forming apparatus having developer replenishment control


A magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus includes: a magnetic recording medium in which portions corresponding to track portions serve as recording areas and in which portions between the recording areas serve as non-recording areas; and a magnetic head having a main pole and a side shield disposed on both sides of the main pole in a cross-track direction. In the magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus, following inequality (I) is satisfied:S>Tw/2+Gw  (I)where Tw is a track width, Gw is a gap width, and S is a distance between the center of the main pole of the magnetic head and an edge on the main pole side of each of the side shields.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic head for recording data on a magnetic recording medium in which portions corresponding to track portions or parts thereof serve as recording areas having a width substantially the same as a track width and in which portions between the recording areas serve as non-recording areas. The invention also relates to a magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus provided with the magnetic recording medium and the magnetic head.
2. Description of the Related Art
A significant improvement in the areal density of conventional magnetic recording media such as hard disks has been achieved by, for example, reducing the size of magnetic particles constituting a recording layer, changing materials, and improving the precision of head processing. Also, magnetic recording media of a perpendicular recording-type are becoming practical. In this type of magnetic recording media, the areal density is improved by providing a recording layer that is to be magnetized in a direction perpendicular to its surface and a soft magnetic layer below the recording layer. Hence, a further improvement in the areal density is expected in the future.
However, problems such as recording of data on an incorrect track portion adjacent to a target track portion and crosstalk during reproduction, which are caused by the limit of head processing and magnetic field broadening, have become apparent. Hence, the improvement of the areal density by conventional improvement techniques has reached its limit.
As the areal density increases, the track width decreases. However, it has been suggested that the magnitude of a magnetic field leaking from a recording head in the cross-track direction is not reduced even when the width of the recording head is reduced along with the reduction in the track width. Therefore, as the areal density increases, a magnetic signal is more likely to be recorded incorrectly on a track portion adjacent to a target recording track portion.
In view of the above, a number of magnetic recording media have been proposed as candidates for a magnetic recording medium capable of realizing a further improvement in the areal density. In such magnetic recording media, portions corresponding to track portions or parts thereof serve as recording areas having a width that is substantially the same as the track width, and portions between the recording areas serve as non-recording areas.
For example, magnetic recording media such as discrete track media and patterned media have been proposed (see for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-048860). In discrete track media, a recording layer is formed in a concavo-convex pattern corresponding to a track pattern, and convex portions of the recording layer are each formed in the shape of a track portion. Hence, the shape of each recording area corresponds to the shape of a track portion. In patterned media, convex portions of a recording layer are each formed in a shape formed by circumferentially dividing up a track portion, and hence the shape of each recording area is the shape formed by circumferentially dividing up a track portion.
Moreover, other magnetic recording media have been proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2006-286085 and 2002-359138. Specifically, for example, ion injection treatment or treatment using a reaction gas is performed on portions corresponding to either recording areas or non-recording areas in a recording layer in order to form the non-recording areas in which the saturation magnetization is made to substantially disappear and the recording areas in which the saturation magnetization remains.
It is expected that the presence of non-recording areas between recording areas, as described above, suppresses incorrect recording of information on a track portion adjacent to a target recording track portion, crosstalk between adjacent track portions, and the like.
However, problems such as incorrect recording of magnetic signals on a track portion adjacent to a target recording track portion are affected not only by the configuration of a magnetic recording medium, such as the shape of recording areas formed in track portions, but also by the configuration of a magnetic head. Hence, problems such as incorrect recording of magnetic signals on a track portion adjacent to a target recording track portion may occur even in a magnetic recording medium in which portions corresponding to track portions or parts thereof serve as recording areas and in which portions between the recording areas serve as non-recording areas.

Magnetic head and magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus