A method of texturing a wall or ceiling with non-acoustical joint compound by providing a collapsible bag having an opening at its top and is adapted to contain non-acoustical joint compound for forming a textured coating on the wall or ceiling and providing a spray nozzle having a low pressure input port, a joint compound suction port attached to the opening at the top of the collapsible bag, and an output port for spraying the non-acoustical joint compound. A low pressure stream of air from an air gun attached to the low pressure input port urges a small quantity of the non-acoustical joint compound to be sprayed out of the spray nozzle when the bottom of the collapsible disposable bag is raised above its top to either allow or force the joint compound to flow into the suction port and into the interior of the spray nozzle.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system and method of applying a textured finish to a wall and/or a ceiling and more specifically where the textured finish is a coating of non-acoustical joint compound which may be mixed with water and applied by spraying the non-acoustical joint compound onto a wall or ceiling with a low pressure air gun to obtain a textured finish.
Description of Related Art
Apparatus for spraying texture material is known in the prior art. More specifically by way of example U.S. PreGrant Publication No. 2010/0014908 to Campbell, et al. relates to a joint compound tool including a mixer, a hose, and an applicator. The mixer has a hopper and a beater positioned therein. The beater has a rotatable drive shaft journaled in opposed ends of the hopper. A number of first support rods radiate outwardly from the drive shaft remote from the hopper outlet and a pair of intertwined helical bands encircle and are affixed to the drive shaft by the first support rods. A number of second support rods radiate outwardly from the drive shaft adjacent the hopper outlet and are secured to the second support rods. A motor is connected to the drive shaft for rotating a beater. A pump is connected to the hopper outlet for pressurizing joint compound received from the hopper. A hose connects the pump to a joint compound applicator having a valve assembly for controlling the flow of joint compound received from the hose and a roller assembly for applying joint compound to drywall.
U.S. PreGrant Publication No. 2007/0246570 to Cataline relates to a handheld drywall joint compound and acoustic ceiling texture application device. An embodiment of the invention comprises an expansion bag within a tube. The tube also contains texture material, and as the bag is inflated in the tube, the texture material is forced into a spray device that is connected to the tube. The spray device allows the user to apply the texture material to the desired locations.
U.S. PreGrant Publication No. 2007/0108233 to Grayden relates to a spray texturing system having a reservoir; a cart structure to support the reservoir above the ground; at least one support to hold a spray texture gun and hopper in position adjacent to the reservoir; and a user controlled mechanism to selectively release an amount of spray texture compound from within the reservoir into the hopper.
U.S. PreGrant Publication No. 2004/0112982 to Dilley relates to a pressurized air canister and a drywall mud canister connected to a backpack that a user wears on his back. The user holds a spray gun in his hands. Pressurized air from the pressurized air canister provides pressure to both the spray gun and the drywall mud canister enabling the spray gun to spray the drywall mud.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,181 to Kreitzer, et al. relates to a wedge-shaped mud box with a mud outlet orifice in the bottom wall. An edge of the wedge-shaped box has a rectangularly shaped cover that is rotatable between a filling position and an operating position. The cover is biased toward a bottom wall of the box to force mud contained in the box toward the outlet orifice. A mud gun, including a hollow body with an inlet and an outlet orifice, is releasable attached to the outlet orifice of the box. When air under pressure is introduced into an air inlet of the gun, mud entering through the inlet orifice is forced out through the outlet orifice of the gun. A nozzle chassis is affixed to the gun with a plurality of different nozzles movably attached thereto, and each nozzle is movable between a stored and an aligned position so that only one nozzle of the plurality of nozzles is aligned with the outlet orifice of the gun at a time.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,801 to Smith relates to a manual tool for imparting a textured surface to a wall or ceiling. The tool has a rigid, flat, thin tool blade with a plurality of holes irregularly distributed thereon. The holes are preferably irregular in shape and have major dimension in the range 0.5 to 1.25 inch. A handle for grasping and manipulating the tool is attached to a first side of the tool blade. A rectangular blade version of the tool is used for texturing corner areas, and a circular blade version of the tool is used for non-corner areas. In use, joint compound is applied to a second, opposite side of the blade and then daubed onto a surface area. The tool is then repeatedly pressed against and withdrawn from the area until a desired surface texture is achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,402 to Woods relates to an aqueous quick dry sprayable drywall texture material in the form of a sprayable composition having an aqueous base, a filler and a polymer. The aqueous quick dry sprayable drywall texture is storable and dispensable from a pressurized dispenser having a delivery nozzle or other spray dispensing device. An aerosol system with a spray nozzle is included on the container for selective discharge of the textured material onto a prepared patch area or other substrate so as to match and blend with the surrounding drywall area to provide a continuous and unbroken coextensive surface texture of mechanically and visually matched material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,519 to Sandison, et al. relates to spraying single or multiple fluids onto a surface. The spray applicator utilizes a venturi effect to independently draw fluids from separate containers, atomize the fluids and spray the fluids in a desired pattern onto a surface. The atomized streams generally overlap so that the fluids mix prior to contacting the target surface. In one embodiment, the fluids are retained in flexible containers separately connected to a spray applicator by flexible tubes. The flexible containers include a fitting for receiving a fluid draw tube and a releasable closure for expelling excess pressure within the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,231 to Hebert relates to a texturing roller for applying drywall mud or plaster to a flat surface such as a wall or ceiling in a texturing pattern, which roller includes a roller cylinder fitted with random holes and multiple leather discs crowded onto the roller cylinder by rivets which extend through the discs and the holes and are expanded in place by a riveting tool. The roller cylinder is designed to mount on a conventional roller frame and handle normally fitted with a disposable paint cylinder used for painting flat or textured surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,263 to Woods relates to a pressurized dispenser having a container housing a quantity of drywall texture material mixed with a binder and a carrier such as aerosol. A manual pump or spray nozzle is included on the container for selective discharge of the drywall texture material onto a prepared patch which is a drywall sheet so as to match and blend in with the surrounding surface area.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,511 to Johnson, et al. relates to a liquid spray gun having a reusable air gun portion with a manually operable valve for controlling air flow; and a disposable container and spray nozzle assembly including a sheet of flexible material having portions attached together and to a central portion of a tube to form a container. A liquid in the chamber, and a spirating nozzle connected to the tube is adapted to be releasably coupled to the air gun portion so that upon movement of air through the nozzle, liquid in the chamber will be entrained in that air and sprayed from the nozzle. The assembly can include a coil comprising a strip disposed in a plurality of wraps about an axis and having a spring temper biasing the strip to an axially extended position to form a tube-like structure, with an end portion of the coil positioned around an end portion of the tube within the bag so that during spraying the tube-like structure will insure that most of the liquid can be dispensed from the chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,005 to Blunk relates to a squeeze-type container device for dispensing viscous acoustical texture material by a spraying action on a wall or ceiling surface. A spray head is attached to the container and connected with a source of air under pressure for spraying the viscous material through an orifice for repairing damaged areas of acoustic texture walls or ceilings.

Texturizing a wall or ceiling with non-acoustical joint compound


The invention comprises a ring-shaped support base comprising a first outer skirt portion supporting a second inner ring portion extending upwardly from the first outer skirt portion. The second inner ring portion is adapted to slidably engage a base ring attached to the bottom of a gas cylinder, and is provided with a chamfered lip adapted to supportably communicate with the bottom of the cylinder. The support base can be fixedly attached to the base ring through threaded fasteners extending through the second inner ring and the cylinder base ring or a plurality of detents.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to support structures for gas cylinders. In one aspect, the invention relates to a ring-shaped base attached to the bottom of a gas cylinder to provide a stable base for supporting the cylinder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional gas cylinders, such as propane cylinders used with campers and outdoor gas grills, are typically provided with a support ring integrally attached to the bottom of the cylinder and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the cylinder. Consequently, such support rings are unable to provide sufficient resistance to side forces tending to overturn the cylinder during transportation or use on uneven ground.
To prevent this undesirable overturning, users often place the gas cylinder in a container, such as a cardboard box or a plastic or wire milk basket, for transportation and use. However, such containers are not designed to accommodate a gas cylinder. Preferably, the container will be large enough to accommodate the cylinder but not so large as to allow the cylinder to move about the container. Even so, the container will take up more room than necessary, and can be misplaced or damaged. Alternatively, the cylinder user can simply allow the cylinder to roll about in an automobile trunk or a pickup truck bed during transportation. However, such cylinder abuse can damage the cylinder with consequent potential failure and injury to persons or property.
Supplemental support structures for gas cylinders have been developed but are unsatisfactory because the gas cylinder extends through the support base so that the weight of the gas cylinder is supported by the underlying support surface rather than the support base, the support base is not attached to the gas cylinder and will not remain with the cylinder when the cylinder is moved, or the support mechanism renders the support base difficult to remove from the tank. Other support structures enclose the cylinder or support the cylinder on a frame comprising multiple parts, including legs. Such support structures are unwieldy, complicated to use, or comprise parts that may be damaged or lost.


A multipurpose box includes a receiving case having a space therein, an auxiliary plate extended upwardly from the receiving case, and a pair of cut portions spaced apart from each other on the auxiliary plate. The multipurpose box is capable of packaging a product and concurrently having a business card, a photograph, or the like, placed therein. The multipurpose box can be reused as a frame, or to store simple things such as office supplies and/or the like at a later time.

1. Field
The present invention relates to a multipurpose box having other uses in addition to packaging a product.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in order to introduce a product, various promotional materials such as pens, key rings, umbrellas, calendars, cups, and/or the like, are being produced and used. In order to more directly introduce a product, a box containing small samples is also being used.
However, because the box containing samples described above is discarded after a customer takes the samples out of it, the box does not continue to have promotional effect and primarily act as a container storing the product.
Therefore, for the promotion of their products, manufacturers typically advertise the products in addition to distributing boxes containing samples and/or the like. As a consequence, the manufacturers typically pay huge advertising costs.
A business card made of paper or an opaque or transparent synthetic resin is an object most commonly used to introduce oneself to others. A salesperson makes his or her business activities for the promotion of the product by directly transferring the business card or placing the business card in a product catalog when meeting a customer.
However, because a time and a place to store the business card are varied according to a customer's tendency and necessity and information on what product to sell cannot be immediately confirmed, a more effective or efficient business card transferring method may be desirable.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


In an ESD protection device and method, greater stability is achieved in a MOS device by replacing the thin gate oxide with a shallow trench isolation region, and breakdown voltages are reduced by providing for dynamic substrate control. In the case of NMOS, the dynamic substrate control also has the effect of reducing triggering voltage.

The invention relates to an ESD protection structure. In particular, it relates to a protection structure using a MOS device.
CMOS devices have traditionally been used for ESD protection. A typical CMOS device is illustrated in FIG. 1 in which the polygate can be used as a self-aligned mask to produce a small drain-source spacing between the drain 14 and the source 16. The gate 10 which is of the order of 0.18 xcexcm in the case of 0.18 xcexcm technology allows a drain-source spacing of the order of 0.1 xcexcm to be achieved. However the snapback triggering voltage is typically 2 to 3 times higher than the operating power supply voltage. Traditionally, in order to reduce the triggering voltage, gate potential has been appropriately controlled. However, this produces only about a 20% reduction.
A schematic representation of the structure of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 2 which defines the gap 12 in the p-well 18. The gap 12 extends between a lightly doped drain region 20 of the drain 14, and a lightly doped source region 22 of the source 16. As is shown in the electric field versus x-dimension graph in FIG. 2B, the electric field gradually increases from the source to the drain. Furthermore, the curves 24 become ever steeper as the voltage across the drain and source is increased. The effect of this is that hole concentration at the drain gradually increases with increasing electric field as shown in FIG. 2C. At the same time, the electron concentration at the source gradually increases. The breakdown voltage avalanche effect causes the holes to be swept across from the drain to the source and causes electron injection from the source to the drain. As can be seen in FIG. 2A, some of the holes are diverted into the gate 10 which is separated from the p-well only by a thin gate oxide 30. As mentioned above, the gate coupling effect can be adjusted by adjusting the voltage on the gate thereby allowing the triggering voltage to be further reduced by limiting the number of holes that are diverted into the gate. The snap back triggering characteristic of the NMOS device of FIGS. 1 and 2, is used to switch the device into a high conductivity state with avalanche injection at some critical level of drain-source breakdown.
The breakdown characteristics of the NMOS device described above are illustrated in FIG. 3 in which the drain current versus drain-source voltage characteristics are shown. As the drain-source voltage (Vds) increases, drain current (Id) remain substantially unchanged until the breakdown voltage (Vbr) 32 is reached. This causes rapid increase in Id. Eventually the hole concentration and electron concentration at the drain and source, respectively, is reversed, as defined by the triggering voltage (Vtr) 34. At this point, even with reduced Vds, the drain current continues to increase thus defining the snap back effect.
A drawback of these prior art devices, when used as ESD protection solutions, is that the gate oxide is too thin to provide reliable operation. One solution adopted is to split the gate voltage, thereby keeping the voltage below critical values. The present invention seeks to provide a more robust solution to the use of MOS devices used as ESD protection clamps.
According to the invention, there is provided an ESD protection clamp making use of a modified MOS device, and preferably making use of a modified NMOS snap back structure. The gate oxide is replaced by a composite-to-composite spacing in the form of a shallow trench isolation (STI) region which is used in conjunction with dynamic substrate control using a sub-circuit to adjust the substrate potential and thus reduce the triggering voltage. Without the dynamic substrate control, the modified NMOS structure would display high breakdown voltages due to the substantial spacing caused by the STI which would make the device unsuitable for ESD protection. By way of comparison, a conventional NMOS snap back structure making use of the polygate as a self-aligned mask which is separated from the p-well by a thin gate oxide, displays typical drain-source spacing of approximately 0.2 xcexcm for a 0.5 xcexcm gate. In contrast, a modified structure making use of STI would display an oxide isolation region between the drain and the source of approximately 0.35 xcexcm width.
The present invention therefore replaces the dynamic gate coupling effect of the prior art with a modified structure and the use of substrate coupling in order to reduce the breakdown and triggering voltages of the modified structure. The modified structure of the present invention has the advantage of avoiding gate oxide breakdown. It provides for better heat dissipation and reduces hot carrier degradation, an effect evident in NMOS devices over a long period of time. The effect of hot current degradation is that current drain-source voltage gradually increases due to degradation of the device.
Further according to the invention, there is provided a method of providing ESD protection comprising providing a modified MOS device in which the gate oxide has been eliminated and a STI region introduced to provide a composite-to-composite spacing, and increasing the substrate voltage to reduce the triggering voltage of the structure.
Still further according to the invention, there is provided a method of providing ESD protection comprising providing a modified MOS structure in which the gate oxide has been eliminated and a STI region introduced between the drain and the source of the structure, and injecting carriers into the substrate to reduce the breakdown voltage.
Further according to the invention, in a MOS device having a drain and a source separated by a STI region, triggering voltage is reduced by means of dynamic substrate control, which includes injecting carriers into the substrate or increasing the voltage of the substrate.

ESD protection CMOS structure with dynamic substrate control


A system and method for creating and/or rearranging musical content on a mobile device such as a cellphone or personal digital assistant (PDA), or on a computer for subsequent download and interactive playback on a mobile device. The method includes the creation and use of a digital music file, preferably consisting of MIDI sequence data, defining a musical composition having distinct musical parts, and the creation and use of a control file used in the rearrangement of the musical parts. The control file includes a plurality of control parameters for the musical composition, including which musical parts are active for each measure of the musical compositions. A user interface is included for allowing a user to alter one or more of the control parameters.

This invention relates generally to music software, and more particularly to music software that provides a method of creating, playing and rearranging musical songs on mobile devices.
With mobile devices becoming more personalized and integrated as multi-purpose communication, entertainment, data storage and other functional devices, and the continued broad based appeal of these devices across an ever more mobile human population, the desire for an entertaining musical game and musical composer that operates on and integrates effectively with cellphones and other mobile devices becomes apparent.
Previous inventions involving musical rearrangement (for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,952,598 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,962) focus on systems involving production and playback on a local personal computer or system and therefore do not solve the special needs of mobile devices and wireless communication. Furthermore these inventions differ in that they primarily involve automated methods of analyzing and rearrangement of musical data as opposed to creation and rearrangement of musical data either predetermined by the music composer themselves, or, more uniquely, by the end user via input commands on a mobile device in a real-time, game playing environment.

System and method for music creation and rearrangement


A method of creating a thermochromic artificial blood vessel includes physically cross-linking a polyvinyl alcohol solution in a mold shaped to mimic a blood vessel to create an artificial blood vessel. The artificial tissue is then chemically cross-linked with a solution including a chemical cross-linking reagent. A coagulation solution is then applied to the artificial blood vessel to both inhibit the chemical cross-linking and promote physical cross-linking of the artificial blood vessel. The artificial blood vessel can be used to test an ablation catheter. The vessel, when heated by the ablation catheter, changes color and/or transparency at locations where the temperature of artificial blood vessel increases.

Ablation of blood vessels to interrupt the conduction of nerve signals in the body is known in the art. For example, renal denervation systems have been employed to ablate sympathetic renal nerves, which lie mainly on the adventitia of the renal artery with some nerves lying within the arterial wall itself, to treat hypertension. One such renal denervation system, the EnligHTN™ Multi-Electrode Renal Denervation System by St. Jude Medical Inc., is generally in the form of a catheter with a basket at the tip of the catheter, the basket including electrodes. The electrodes are inserted into a blood vessel, for example the renal artery, contact the inside wall of the blood vessel, and are activated with low-level radiofrequency ("RF") energy to ablate nerves in the blood vessel. The applied energy results in an increased temperature in the tissue and forms lesions in the wall of the blood vessel, interrupting conduction pathways that traverse the lesions.
It would be desirable to have an experimental model to provide verification of RF ablation systems in a simulated biological environment prior to any preclinical and clinical studies. The experimental simulation of RF ablation can predict achievable ablation lesions, patterns, and penetration depth, thus providing useful information for treatment planning and device performance.

Thermochromic polyvinyl alcohol based hydrogel artery

St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.


Provided is a semiconductor device having first and second gate electrodes. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, an active region extending in a first direction on the substrate, a first gate electrode crossing the active region and extending in a second direction, and a second gate electrode extending in the second direction on the first gate electrode, wherein the first gate electrode has a first width in the first direction, and wherein the second gate electrode has a second width in the first direction, the second width being less than the first width.

1. Technical Field
Example embodiments of inventive concepts relate to semiconductor devices including first and second gate electrodes and methods of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, semiconductor devices having a plurality of gate electrodes have become highly integrated. Therefore, a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) having a three-dimensional structure has been researched and developed in order to reduce short channel effects.

Semiconductor device having first and second gate electrodes and method of manufacturing the same


Device for pollution control where a polluted stream of air or gas is purified from both oxidisable material and nitrogen oxides simultaneously by a combination of regenerative high temperature treatment and catalytic treatment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for pollution control. More specifically, the present invention relates to device for pollution control where a polluted stream of air or gas is purified from both oxidisable material and nitrogen oxides simultaneously by a combination of regenerative high temperature treatment and catalytic treatment.
2. Description of Related Art
Polluted air and other gases can be purified by heat treatment to such temperatures that the pollutants are oxidised or decomposed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,152 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,690 describes such processes where the polluted gases are fed through regenerative devices where the heating of a gas is immediately followed by cooling and recovery of the heat content of the gas. In this way heat treatment of the gas to a high temperature can be made in an economical way without a high expenditure of energy.
The incoming raw gas is in these processes successively heated to the high temperature by means of contact with a matrix of solid material capable of heat transfer to the gas. In the solid matrix there is a temperature gradient so that the gas is first successively heated to a maximum temperature. After attaining its maximum temperature the gas is then cooled in an analogous manner by means of contact with a solid matrix of successively lower temperature. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,152 the heating and the cooling matrices are separated from each other but used alternatively for heating and cooling purposes according to an alternating direction of gas flow through the matrices. The different matrices are alternatively used for heating and cooling of the gas. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,690 there is only one continuous matrix through which the gas flow is being fed. The temperature profile in this matrix is such however that when the gas passes through it is first successively heated to a maximum temperature and then successively cooled.
In both cases the operation is regenerative and the gas is fed in alternating directions through the equipment and is successively first heated to a maximum temperature and then cooled. The maximum temperature employed is such that it is at or above the temperature that is necessary for the intended oxidation or decomposition reaction to take place.
Processes and equipment like these are extensively used for the purification of ventilation air from painting and printing processes. It can also be used for the purification of exhaust gases from internal combustion engines. In this and other cases nitrogen oxides are a part of the pollution problem.
For diesel engines the concentration of nitrogen oxides in the exhaust can reach several thousands of ppm. Good reduction of these nitrogen oxides can be accomplished if the exhaust is first mixed with a corresponding amount of ammonia, urea or other amine compound before it is heat treated in the above described manner. During the heating the mixture will pass through the relevant temperature window for a selective non catalytic reduction (SNCR) reaction where the nitrogen oxides and the amines are transformed to elemental and harmless nitrogen.
Diesel engine exhaust for example can thus be purified in the above described process first during the heating phase when nitrogen oxides are removed and then at the high temperature when soot, aldehydes and other organic matter is oxidised. This way of operation of the equipment is described in European patent number EPC 609 288.
Experience has shown that when the original concentration of nitrogen oxides is more than 1000 ppm a good reduction can be achieved and the concentration nitrogen oxides brought down to a couple of hundred ppm. However when the original concentration already is in this low region as for example in the exhaust from lean burn natural gas engines reduction is very poor.


A method for monitoring a blocking member (12) of an electromechanical actuator (1). The monitoring method comprising the steps of: determining a value representative of a power supply current of a motor (11) during an off-load operating phase of the electromechanical actuator (1); comparing the value representative of the power supply current with a predetermined current threshold defined from nominal off-load operating characteristics of the electromechanical actuator (1); and detecting an accidental locking of the blocking member (12) when the value representative of the power supply current is above or equal to the predetermined current threshold. There also is an electromechanical actuator (1) comprising a blocking member (12) monitored by such a method.

An electromechanical aircraft brake generally comprises at least one electromechanical actuator comprising an electric motor and a plunger activated by the electric motor to selectively apply a pressing force on friction elements of the brake, for example a stack of carbon discs.
To produce the park brake function, that is to say the immobilisation of the aircraft without the pilot having to continually press on the brake pedals, the electromechanical actuator is provided with a blocking member which makes it possible to selectively immobilise the plunger of the actuator in position. In practice, the blocking member is, for example, a power-off brake which is powered in normal mode to allow the free displacement of the plunger of the electromechanical actuator under the action of the electric motor, but the power supply of which is cut to block the plunger in position upon the switchover to park mode.
There are few means for knowing the real state of the blocking member of the electromechanical actuator, and therefore for detecting any malfunction of this blocking member, for example an accidental locking thereof. Furthermore, the implementation of the existing means results in a not-inconsiderable increase in the weight of the electromechanical actuator.

Method for monitoring a blocking member, and electromechanical actuator


The axial line of an intake valve is inclined, and a gap between a piston crown surface and a valve head of the intake valve expands in accordance with the approach of the crankshaft axis. A relationship of G2>G1 is fulfilled, where G1 stands for a minimum gap between the lower surface of the cylinder head that is positioned between the intake valve and the exhaust valve facing the intake valve, with the crankshaft axis being interposed therebetween, and the piston crown surface in a top dead center, and G2 stands for a gap at a position that is the closest to the crankshaft axis, from among the gaps between the lower surface of the valve head of the intake valve and the piston crown surface at a center timing of a valve overlap period in which the intake valve and the exhaust valve are both open.

Engines using gasoline-based fuel typically employ a spark ignition system in which an air-fuel mixture is forcibly ignited using a sparkplug. Meanwhile, in order to improve significantly the fuel economy, it has recently been suggested to cause compressed self-ignition of the air-fuel mixture (pre-mixing compressed self-ignition) by increasing the geometric compression ratio of the engine to a high compression ratio equal to or higher than 15 while still using the gasoline-based fuel.
Patent Document 1 discloses an engine of a spark ignition system which is not of the compressed self-ignition system, but in which the geometric compression ratio is still increased to a high value equal to or higher than 13. This engine uses a pentroof combustion chamber. In this engine, where Si1 denotes cross-sectional areas of the combustion chamber in a plurality of mutually parallel virtual cut planes that are parallel to a linear reciprocating direction of the intake valve and pass through the valve head of the intake valve and Si2 denotes an effective opening area (curtain surface area) between the valve head and the valve seat, the shape of the parts of the combustion engine and the like is set such that a relationship Si1≧Si2 is fulfilled in any virtual cut plane at the center timing of the valve overlap period in which the intake valve and the exhaust valve are both open. As a result, the intake air supplied from the circumferential edge of the valve head into the combustion engine can smoothly pass along the lower surface of the valve head. Therefore, scavenging ability and filling efficiency can be increased.
Patent Document 2 discloses a two-cycle diesel engine in which intake air from an intake valve forms a loop flow along the inner wall surface of a cylinder because the axial line of the intake valve is inclined with respect to the cylinder axis.
In order to perform the compressed self-ignition, it is preferred that as homogeneous an air-fuel mixture as possible be formed inside the cylinder, and for this purpose, it is preferred that a fuel injection valve be disposed in the center of the cylinder and the fuel be uniformly injected from the fuel injection valve into the entire cylinder.
However, it is not easy to form a sufficient amount of a homogeneous air-fuel mixture inside the cylinder of an engine with a very high geometric compression ratio, such as described hereinabove. This is because in the engine with a high geometric compression ratio, a gap between the lower surface of the cylinder head and the piston crown surface is extremely small at the top dead center position of the piston and in the vicinity thereof, and scavenging in the overlap period in which the intake valve and exhaust valve are both open is degraded. In particular, where a cavity is formed in the piston crown surface, scavenging inside the cavity becomes insufficient and a sufficient amount of intake air is difficult to supply into the cavity. This is the major reason why the filling efficiency decreases and therefore the output decreases.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-162154    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H05-113120


A wire supply unit 30 is provided on which terminal connected wires TW can manually be loaded. The wire supply unit 30 includes retainers 20. Each retainer 20 positions the terminal connected wires TW such that the terminal connected wires TW can be transferred to the inserting unit 50. The terminal connected wires TW can be transferred directly to the inserting unit 50 so as to be inserted into connector housing C.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire assembly producing method and a terminal connected wire inserting apparatus and, particularly to a wire assembly producing method and a terminal connected wire inserting apparatus for the automatic insertion of terminals connected with wires which will construct a wiring harness and a sub-assembly of the wiring harness (hereinafter, "wire bundle assembly") of an automotive vehicle, a copier or other applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic production of a wire bundle assembly typically involves a terminal-connected wire producing process and a connecting process. The terminal connecting wire producing process includes a wire cutting step of measuring and cutting a wire, a peeling step of peeling an insulation coating at the opposite ends of the cut wire and a terminal mounting step of mounting terminals on the peeled opposite ends of the wire. The connecting process includes inserting the terminals of the terminal connected wires produced by the producing process into a connector housing.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. (SHO)57-170409, (SHO)58-25014, (HEI)5-234659 and (HEI)6-260260 disclose an automatic production system including all of a wire cutting station for performing the wire cutting step, a peeling station for performing the peeling step, a terminal mounting station for performing the terminal mounting step and a connecting station for performing the inserting or connecting process.
On the other hand, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. (HEI)6-223646 discloses a construction in which the producing process and the inserting or connecting process are separated. In this construction, the producing process is performed by an automatic production system to produce terminal connected wires, the produced terminal connected wires are placed on a stock carriage, and the inserting or connecting process is manually performed. Further, this production system has two separate lines: a line for mounting standardized terminals and a special mounting line (e.g. in the case that terminals of special sizes are mounted or the same terminal is mounted on a plurality of wires).
The aforementioned prior art production systems in which the producing process and the inserting or connecting process are performed in the same line have several problems. For example, the inserting or connecting process typically takes a longer time than the producing process. Thus the production performance of the wire bundle assembly is restricted by the inserting or connecting process. Further, the kinds of terminals to be mounted in the same line are limited. Therefore the insertion of a multitude of kinds of terminals into the connector housing cannot be met by simply replacing an apparatus used in the inserting or connecting process.
Prior art systems in which the producing process and the inserting connecting process are performed in separate lines also have problems. For example, it is difficult to transfer terminals to an inserting unit with the terminals of the terminal-connected wires already mounted. This makes it difficult to realize automation. Accordingly, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. (HEI)6-223646, an undesirable compromise of manually mounting the terminals into the connector housing needs to be made.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a wire assembly producing method and a terminal connected wire inserting apparatus which facilitate automation.

Wiring assembly producing method and a terminal connected wire inserting apparatus


A kit and a process for using it to impart wood grain appearances are provided. According to the method, an opaque, pigmented, water-based paint/stain emulsion is applied to a wood-grain textured substrate and dried. Then, a pigmented, water-based graining coat water-based graining coat (most preferably a self-crosslinked urethane/acrylic) is applied sparingly, preferably by spraying from a small bottle, in an amount sufficient to color at least a majority of texture recesses in the substrate and drying. According to the kit aspect of the invention, the kit will comprise: an opaque, pigmented, water-based paint/stain emulsion; a pigmented, water-based graining coat emulsion, packaged in a spray bottle. Optionally, the kit can include a surface cleaner, a scraper, brush and/or cloth.

The invention relates to a new process and a new kit for applying a natural appearing wood grain to a door, window or other item or component made of any suitable material having a wood grain texture.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,059, Green describes a method which includes a first step of compression molding fiber reinforced polyester door skins with closed areas dense with deep grains, open areas with a generally lesser concentration of deep grains and reduced depth grains adjacent steeply angled trim areas. The open areas have a predetermined roughness, which is provided by the mold half used in compression molding. In the subsequent steps, the molded door skin is sprayed with a mixture of artist's oil cut 1:1 with mineral spirits on a fluid ounce basis. After twenty minutes, the sprayed mixture is rubbed into the external surface, and the door skin is then placed vertically in a forced air oven for about one hour at about 120° F. As a final step, a standard urethane top coat may be applied to the dried stain finish. By providing deep grains of varying density over most of the door skin surface, but reduced grain depths adjacent to steeply embossed or bossed trim sections, the external surfaces of the panel door are said to more realistically simulate a wood grain appearance, while the reduced depth of the grains in steeply angled areas minimizes risk of deformation during mold release.
The prior art that relies upon the use of a transparent or translucent stain as a first coat requires the user to have a good sense of color selection and matching. This need is exaggerated by the fact that different manufacturers of doors and other trim parts provide their own substrate base colors. Even though two pieces might seem to be the same "white" color, they are often different in the way that they receive the stain. This makes it difficult for a homeowner to properly match colors. Also, distinctly different base colors will cause distinctly different stained colors.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,352 to Pittman, et al., describe a process for pre-finishing wood composite panels and/or structures having flat and contoured surfaces to result in a structure exhibiting the appearance of natural hard wood. The process includes a number of steps designed to facilitate industrial scale, machine production. To that end, they employ a ground coat in a first step, then a non-adherent "dry buffing glaze" which is selectively removed, and finally they apply a sealer to retain the remaining buffing glaze in textured ticks of the substrate. The dry buffing glaze is preferably a waterborne coating, applied to the substrate as a liquid and then flash dried to yield a dull powdery appearance. The true color of the glaze is not evident until it is wetted in a subsequent toning or top-coating step. The glaze has a high proportion (e.g. at least about 80 wt. %) of inert pigments so as to make it powdery and easily buffed from flat surfaces of the substrate.
The Pittman, et al., patent makes it clear that the product is not complete following the pre-finishing process, but is further prepared and finished or semi-finished. To emphasize that the process requires machine operation, they emphasize that, if the substrate were hand-rubbed during this step, the pressure of a glazing cloth could wipe the glaze out of the wood grain ticks—yielding a less realistic appearance. Following the buffing operation, a sealer is applied to bind the dry buffing glaze to the substrate and protect the panel finish during storage, shipping, and handling of the pre-finished substrate. The clear sealer, preferably a clear acrylic sealer, is sprayed on the substrate. The clear sealer also renders the substrate receptive to lacquer or solvent-based glazes and toners that may be applied to the substrate as a final finishing step.
One commercial form of wood graining kit, available from Pease Industries, Inc., of Fairfield, Ohio, is a solvent-based system comprising a wood stain and a clear topcoat. The literature on using the kit states that the stain is applied on a door using a lint-free cloth in a circular motion, working the stain into the embossed grain pattern. Next, a stain cloth is used to smooth the stain in the direction of the grain. The directions specifically say that excess stain should not be wiped off. Working the same area with a clean soft bristle brush to gently feather-out any streaks or lap marks follows this. If the stain color is not satisfactory, the stain can be cleaned off with mineral spirits before it dries, and applied again. If the first coat is too light, the literature suggests waiting 48 hours before a second coat is applied in the manner of the first coat. To complete the job, a Polyurethane topcoat is then applied. The stain must be thoroughly dry before top-coating—48 to 72 hours drying time is recommended.
Another type of commercial graining kit has been available with an opaque stain as one coat and a dark graining coat. The opaque coat would uniformly cover the surface being worked on and allowed to dry. Then, the dark graining coat would be applied with a brush or the like to paint on a grain pattern. Thus, the graining depended upon the artistic ability of the person doing the work.
In an attempt to directly coat synthetic molded doors, which are generally nonporous, U.S. Pat. No. 6,358,614 to Porter describes a weatherable coating based on a stain/topcoat system. The coating comprises a pigmented stain having substantially a single binder resin, which promotes adherence of a topcoat and a topcoat that is an aqueous dispersion of a film forming polymer and a curable organopolysiloxane microemulsion. The topcoat is said to display exceptional adhesion and weatherability to surfaces stained with the specially formulated pigmented stain. U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,852 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,849 are directly related.
The Porter coating is applied in two steps: a specially formulated pigmented stain coating and a compatible transparent topcoat. The stain is a solvent-based composition containing from 20 to 40% of a volatile solvent such as slowly evaporating solvents and solvents that exhibit fast to moderate evaporation, such as mineral spirits, naphtha, petroleum distillate, and the like. The topcoat is aqueous and includes from 25 to 55% of a water-dispersible non-polysiloxane film-forming polymer, 2 to 25% of a curable organopolysiloxane in the form of an emulsion and water superficial to the pigmented stain coating. The use of the curable organopolysiloxane emulsion is said to be necessary to make the topcoat compatible with the specially formulated stain. The use of solvents is, of course, less than desired, and the stain coat can provide a less than complete color treatment that must be preserved with a topcoat.
The Porter stain is applied directly to a non-porous thermoset and/or thermoplastic composite by conventional means, i.e., by brushing, spraying, sponging, rolling, wiping, and the like. The stain is specially formulated for these nonporous surfaces and excess stain is removed by wiping with a clean lint free rag, a china bristle brush or the like. The stain is generally allowed to dry for approximately 48 hours at room temperature under dry conditions. After the stain is dry, the topcoat is applied, preferably as two layers, with a total dry thickness of 10–100 μm. The topcoat is preferably with three hours between coats.
There remains a need for a process and a kit useful for imparting a wood-grained appearance to a wood-grain-textured substrate. There is particular need for a simple method and means for imparting a realistic, durable wood-grain appearance to molded doors, windows and other wood-simulating panels, composites or components, which have one or more surfaces textured to simulate the regular grain patterns of ticks associated with any of a variety of types of wood.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A process for producing a thermoelectric material comprises molding a material powder comprising two or more elements selected from the group consisting of bismuth, tellurium, antimony and selenium and having average diameter in the range from 0.05 to 100 .mu.m and sintering the molded material powder with or without hot isostatic pressing. The material powder may be calcinated before the molding. A process for producing a thermoelectric element comprises cutting out pieces of a pillar-like shape from each of a p-type thermoelectric material and a n-type thermoelectric material, connecting the pieces cut out from the p-type thermoelectric material and the pieces cut out from the n-type thermoelectric material alternately with electrodes at the upper faces or the lower faces of the pieces and attaching insulating base plates to the surfaces of the electrodes. The p-type thermoelectric material and the n-type thermoelectric material are respectively produced by the process described above. The thermoelectric element has improved thermoelectric property, excellent stability of the thermoelectric property and excellent mechanical strength.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel process for producing a thermoelectric material and a novel process for producing a thermoelectric element utilizing it. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for efficiently producing a thermoelectric material having excellent stability of thermoelectric property and excellent mechanical strength simultaneously by sintering a material powder with hot isostatic pressing, by calcining and then sintering the material powder or by calcining and then sintering the material powder with hot isostatic pressing.
The present invention also relates to a process for producing a thermoelectric element by utilizing the thermoelectric material produced above.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Thermoelectric elements are widely utilized as thermoelectric power generators, temperature sensors, thermoelectric coolers (poltier cooler) and the like. Various kinds of process have been proposed for producing the thermoelectric elements.
For example, a thermoelectric material comprising FeSi.sub.2 and a transition metal was disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Showa 52-47677. But, this thermoelectric material did not have the satisfactory property.
As another example, a thermoelectric material comprising lead-tellurium compounds and metals of manganese group was disclosed in Laid Open Japanese Patent Application Showa 59-143383. But, this thermoelectric element did not have the satisfactory property either.
In Laid Open Japanese Patent Application Showa 64-37456, a process of sintering solid solution powder of Bi.sub.2 Te.sub.3 -Bi.sub.2 Se.sub.3 was disclosed. But, this process had a problem that it was complicated and not practically advantageous. As a process for solving this problem, a process of copulverizing and mixing, molding and sintering Bi-Sb and Te-Se was disclosed in Laid Open Japanese Patent Application Heisei 2-256283. However, this process had problems that uniformity of the sintered particles between the surface parts and the inner parts was not satisfactory, that stability of the thermoelectric property was not sufficient and that mechanical strength was not good either. Thus, a process for efficiently producing thermoelectric material and elements having excellent stability of thermoelectric property, excellent mechanical property and excellent stability of quality with high productivity has been desired.
Extensive investigations were made by the present inventors with the object of developing a process for efficiently producing a thermoelectric material having the excellent thermoelectric property, mechanical strength and stability of quality and a process for producing a thermoelectric element utilizing it.
And then, it was discovered that the object can be achieved by molding and sintering a material with hot isostatic pressing, by presintering and then sintering the material or by presintering and sintering the material with hot isostatic pressing. The invention was completed on the basis of this discovery.

Processes for producing a thermoelectric material and a thermoelectric element

Director-General, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Ministry of International Trade and Industry


Methods and systems for creating three-dimensional video sequences of a scene are disclosed. An example method can include receiving multiple frames of a scene. The method may include selecting a target frame from among the multiple frames; selecting a first subset of frames, N, from among the multiple frames that are associated with the target frame that is representative of a large stereo baseline; and analyzing the first frame subset to identify two images for forming a stereoscopic pair of frames. Further, the method includes extracting depth data of static objects in the stereoscopic pair. The method includes selecting a second subset of frames that are associated with the target frame that is representative of a smaller stereo baseline than that represented by N; and utilizing the second frame subset to calculate depth of moving objects. The method includes generating a three-dimensional video frame based on the depth data.

Stereoscopic, or three-dimensional, video is based on the principle of human vision. Video is a sequence of captured images (or frames), each of which, when combined with camera displacement, can record the same object(s) or new objects from slightly different angles. In such case, the captured sequence can then be transferred to a processor that may assign the captured sequence as the view for one eye (i.e., left or right eye), may analyze the individual frames and possibly interpolate additional frames/frame views, and may, for each frame generate a corresponding view for the other eye. The two resulting video sequences may then be combined to create a three-dimensional video sequence. The resulting three-dimensional video sequence can further be encoded using, but not limited, to one of the popular video encoding formats such as motion JPEG, MPEG, H.264, and the like. The video sequence can further be stored with audio to a digital media using a format such as, but not limited to, .avi, .mpg, and the like.
Many techniques of viewing stereoscopic video have been developed and include the use of colored or polarizing filters to separate the two views, temporal selection by successive transmission of video using a shutter arrangement, or physical separation of the two views in the viewer and projecting them separately to each eye of a viewer. In addition, display devices have recently been developed that are well-suited for displaying stereoscopic images and videos. For example, such display devices include, but are not limited to, digital still cameras, personal computers, digital picture frames, set-top boxes, high-definition televisions (HDTVs), and the like.
The use of digital image capture devices, such as, but not limited to, digital still cameras, digital camcorders (or video cameras), and phones with built-in cameras, for use in capturing digital images has become widespread and popular. Because video sequenced captured using these devices are stored in a digital format, such video can be easily distributed and edited. For example, the videos can be easily distributed over networks, such as the Internet. In addition, the videos can be edited by use of suitable software on the image capture device or a personal computer.
Video sequences captured using conventional single lens, single sensor image capture devices are inherently two-dimensional. While dual lens/sensor combinations can be used to create three-dimensional content, it is desirable to provide methods and systems for using these conventional devices for generating three-dimensional videos.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for creating three-dimensional video sequences


To obtain a lithium ion secondary battery having excellent charge and discharge characteristics in which electric connection between active material layers and a separator can be maintained without requiring a strong armor metal case, so that it can be made into thin forms having large energy density. Convex parts and concave parts are formed on at least two surfaces among surfaces of a positive electrode active material layer 7 and a negative electrode active material layer 9 both adjacent to a separator 4 and surfaces of the separator 4 facing both of the active material layers 7, 9, and these three means are bonded and closely adhered by an adhesive resin layer 11 and electrically connected by keeping a lithium ion-containing electrolytic solution in the separator 4 and voids 12 formed by a bonded surface 11a of the convex parts and the concave parts.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lithium ion secondary battery in which a separator which keeps electrolytes is sandwiched between facing positive and negative electrodes, more particularly to a battery structure in which electric connection between positive and negative electrodes and separator is improved so that it can be made into thin form and the like optional forms without requiring a strong armor metal case and to a production method for the formation of said structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a growing demand for the miniaturization and lightening of portable electronic instruments, and it is essential to improve performance of batteries to meet such a demand. Because of this, development and improvement of various batteries have been attempted in recent years with the aim of improving the battery performance. Expected characteristics of batteries to be improved include high voltage, high energy density, tolerance for high load resistance, optional shaping, safety and the like. Particularly, lithium ion battery is a secondary battery which can realize the highest voltage, highest energy density and tolerance for highest load resistance among existing batteries, and its improvement is still being made actively.
As its main composing elements, the lithium ion secondary battery has a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an ion conducting layer inserted between these electrodes. In the lithium ion secondary batteries which have been put into practical use, a plate-shaped material prepared by mixing powder of a lithium-cobalt oxide or the like active material with powder of an electron conducting substance and a binder resin and coating the mixture on an aluminum collector is used as the positive electrode, and another plate-shaped material prepared by mixing powder of a carbonaceous active material with a binder resin and coating the mixture on a copper collector is used as the negative electrode. Also, a porous film such as of polyethylene, polypropylene or the like filled with a lithium ion-containing non-aqueous solution is used as the ion conducting layer.
For example, FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing the structure of a prior art cylindrical lithium ion secondary battery disclosed in JP-A-8-83608 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"). In FIG. 11, 1 is an armor case made of stainless steel or the like which also serves as a negative electrode terminal, 2 is an electrode body contained in the armor case 1, and the electrode body 2 has a structure in which a positive electrode 3, a separator 4 and a negative electrode 5 are coiled in a spiral shape. In order to maintain electric connection among respective surfaces of the positive electrode 3, separator 4 and negative electrode 5, it is necessary to apply external pressure to the electrode body 2. Because of this, the aforementioned contact among respective surfaces is maintained by pressurizing the electrode body 2 inserted into the strong armor case 1. In the case of a square battery, strips of electrode body are tied up into a bundle and put into a square metal case, thereby pressing them with external force.
As described in the foregoing, in the currently available lithium ion secondary batteries, strong armor cases made of metals and the like are used as a means to closely adhere positive and negative electrodes. Without the armor case, surfaces of the electrode body 2 are peeled off, so that the electric connection becomes difficult to maintain and the battery characteristics are deteriorated. On the other hand, not only the energy density of the battery itself is reduced, because the weight and volume of the armor case occupying the entire portion of the battery are large, but also shapes of the battery are limited due to rigidity of the armor case itself, thus causing a difficulty in making optional shapes.
In view of such backgrounds, development of a lithium ion secondary battery which does not require a strong armor case has been attempted with the aim of achieving lightening and thinning the battery. The point of the development of such a armor case-free battery is how to maintain electric connection of a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an ion conducting layer (separator) which is sandwiched by them, without applying external force. As such a connecting means which does not require external force, a method has been proposed in which the positive electrode and negative electrode are closely adhered to the separator making use of a resin or the like.
For example, JP-A-5-159802 discloses a production method in which an ion conductive solid electrolyte layer and positive and negative electrodes are integrated into one body by their heat treatment using a thermoplastic resin binder. In this case, the electrodes are closely adhered to each other by integrating the positive and negative electrodes and the solid electrolyte layer into one body, so that electric connection among the positive and negative electrodes and the solid electrolyte layer is maintained and the integrated body functions as a battery without applying external force.
Since the prior art lithium ion secondary batteries are constructed in the aforementioned manners, a battery which uses a strong armor case to ensure adhesiveness and electric connection between positive and negative electrodes and a separator is disadvantageous in producing a battery having high energy density, because the ratio of volume and weight of the non-electricity generating part armor case to the entire battery portion becomes large. Also, though a method in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are closely adhered to a separator via an adhesive resin has been proposed, it causes a problem in that ionic conduction resistance inside the battery cell increases and the battery characteristics are reduced due to large resistance of the adhesive resin layer, when a solid electrolyte layer (corresponds to the separator) is closely adhered to the positive and negative electrodes simply via the adhesive resin.
In addition, in the case of the battery of JP-A-5-159802, positive and negative electrodes are bonded to a solid electrolytic layer with a binder, but since the interfaces of the positive and negative electrodes and the solid electrolyte layer are covered with the binder, it is disadvantageous in terms of ion conductivity when compared for example with a case in which liquid electrolytes are used. Even if a binder having ion conductivity is used, a material having an ion conductivity equal to or larger than that of liquid electrolytes is not generally known, so that it causes a problem in that battery performance similar to that of a battery in which liquid electrolytes are used cannot be obtained easily.

Lithium ion secondary battery and method of fabricating thereof


The invention provides a ceramic conveyor belt assembly including a plurality of first conveyor belt parts, each comprising front and rear transverse bars and left and right longitudinal bars connecting the transverse bars, and pins located on the front and rear transverse bars and extending laterally therefrom. Further, there exists a plurality of second conveyor belt parts in the shape of a columnar member, each having a keyhole shaped so as to conform with the corresponding portion of the transverse bars. This ceramic conveyor belt is excellent in heat resistance and chemical resistance, unlikely to form rust and less likely to undergo loss in strength even at high temperature. In case some parts fail, they can be easily replaced by new parts.

Most conventional conveyor belts have heretofore been made of such materials as leather, cloth, rubber or metal, e.g., stainless steel.
However, conveyor belts made as of leather, cloth, or rubber are susceptible to undesirably high rate of abrasion wear and unable in the least to be employed at high temperature conditions,
On the other hand it is possible that metallic belts may be used at a temperature up to 1150.degree. C., but at temperatures higher than 1000.degree. C., care should be given to the provision for prevention of oxidization of the metal material. In addition, not only their strength is greatly reduced, but also the rate of elongation at high temperatures is increased to an extent that their mechanical deformation or abrasion cannot be negligible.
Additional problems with metallic belts are that they are less resistant to chemicals such as acids and alkalis, inferior in chemical stability, and apt to rust.
In an attempt to overcome the aforesaid problems with the conventional conveyor belts, researches have been conducted to develop ceramic conveyor belts, and various patent applications have been made. For example, JP-A-62- 93108 (laid open for public inspection) discloses a ceramic conveyor belt comprising an endless array of ceramic links connected with each other at their front and rear ends. Each one of adjacent ceramic link is provided with a mating groove at a first end opposing a second end of the adjacent other link, said groove being open along the end edge and of an arcuate shape in cross-section having a diameter larger than the width of the opening, while the other link is provided with a mating columnar bead portion at the second end opposing the first end of the one link, said bead portion being fitted in the associated groove so that the adjacent links are interconnected pivotably relative to each other in a thickness-wise direction.
JP-A-62-153011 (laid open for public inspection) discloses another type of ceramic conveyor belt comprising ceramic link plates connected with each other by means of ceramic rollers and ceramic long joint shafts extending through the rollers, wherein a ceramic transverse split pin is inserted in a pin hole provided through each of the ceramic joint shafts adjacent one end thereof to prevent axial withdrawal of the associated joint shaft from the rollers.
It has been found that the ceramic conveyor belt disclosed in JP-A-62-93108 has a problem with respect to the strength, especially at the grooves under conditions of high temperature. Particularly, there is a problem in reliability in operation because tensile stresses are concentrated on the grooves at all times during the operation of the belt.
In addition, especially in the case of a belt having an increased width, it is not easy to replace individual belt elements. Should one or more belt parts located in the middle of the belt fail, for example, it would be required to disassemble substantially all of the belt parts one by one from the end of the conveyor belt before the damaged parts could be replaced. It is thus quite troublesome to repair the belt.
The ceramic conveyor belt disclosed in JP-A-62-153011 is likely to fail because of the long joint shafts and split pins being used. It is again not easy to replace the parts such as the link plates.


A high-frequency treatment device includes a tubular body having a front end portion and a rear end portion; an operating handle having a high-frequency port and a main push rod extending through the body, the operating handle slidably fitted to the body; a front tube having a rear end portion connected to the front end portion of the body; an auxiliary push rod rotatably connected to the main push rod, the auxiliary push rod extending into the front tube; a wire fixed to the auxiliary push rod, the wire extending through the front tube; a rotary knob rotatably attached to the body, the rotary knob configured to rotate together with the auxiliary push rod and the wire; and an arc-shaped knife fixed to the wire and connected to the high-frequency port of the operating handle via the wire, the auxiliary push rod and the main push rod.

In the past, a treatment for excising a living tissue such as mucosa or the like has been performed by inserting an endoscope into a body and putting a treatment tool into the body through a channel of the endoscope. In this excising treatment, use is made of, e.g., a high-frequency treatment device as disclosed in JP Publication No. 4-329944 (JP4-329944A).
The high-frequency treatment device disclosed in JP4-329944A includes an elongated insertion portion and a front operation portion. The insertion portion is inserted into a body through a channel of an endoscope. The operation portion is connected to a base end of the insertion portion. The insertion portion includes a flexible tube and an operating wire. The operating wire is inserted into the flexible tube in an axially movable manner. A needle-shaped knife portion (an electrode portion) extending in an axial direction is provided in the tip end portion of the operating wire. The operation portion is provided with an operating handle. The operating wire is axially moved by the operation of the operating handle. A high-frequency current can be supplied to the knife portion.
The operating wire is axially moved during the operation of the operating handle. By way of the operating wire, the knife portion is displaced from a storage position in which the knife portion stays within the flexible tube to a use position in which the knife portion protrudes out of the flexible tube. In a state that the knife portion protrudes from the flexible tube into the use position, a high-frequency current is supplied to the knife portion, thereby cauterizing and excising a living tissue with the knife portion.
The high-frequency treatment device as disclosed in JP4-329944A includes a liquid supply means installed in the base end portion of the insertion portion to supply a liquid chemical or the like. The liquid chemical is supplied from the liquid supply means to the tip end of the flexible tube through the flexible tube and can be discharged to the outside from a tip end opening of the flexible tube.
Another high-frequency treatment device includes a bent section formed by bending a tip end of a needle-shaped knife portion (an electrode portion). In this high-frequency treatment device, a living tissue is cauterized and excised while hooking and lifting the living tissue with the bent section of the knife portion.
Another high-frequency treatment device includes a disc-like electrode section arranged at a tip end of a needle-shaped knife portion (an electrode portion). In this high-frequency treatment device, a living tissue is cauterized and excised while hooking and lifting the living tissue with the disc-like electrode section.
If a living tissue is excised through the use of the high-frequency treatment devices referred to above, it is sometimes the case that an incised region bleeds during incision. In this case, the following countermeasures are taken in the respective high-frequency treatment devices.
In case of the high-frequency treatment device disclosed in JP4-329944A, the high-frequency treatment device currently in use is first taken out from a channel of an endoscope. Then, a hemostatic treatment is carried out by inserting a blood-stanching implement into the channel of the endoscope. Once the bleeding is stopped, the blood-stanching implement is replaced by the high-frequency treatment device.
In case of the high-frequency treatment device, the bent section of the tip end of the knife portion or the tip end surface of the disc is pressed against a bleeding point and is supplied with a high-frequency current. As a consequence, blood is coagulated and stanched.
In the event that a large amount of blood is bled from an incised region when a living tissue is incised with a high-frequency treatment device, the bleeding point becomes unclear, making it difficult to perform a hemostatic treatment. In this case, there is a need to wash a bleeding region to clarify the bleeding point. In a high-frequency treatment device having no liquid supply function, however, the treatment device should be first recovered from a channel of an endoscope. Then, a washing solution should be supplied through the channel of the endoscope to wash the bleeding region. Alternatively, a washing liquid should be supplied by replacing a washing catheter arranged within the channel of the endoscope. For that reason, the operation is hard to perform and the time required for high-frequency treatments may possibly become longer.
In case of the high-frequency treatment device of JP4-329944A in which the liquid supply means is arranged in the base end portion of the insertion portion and in which the flexible tube of the insertion portion is opened at the tip end thereof. It is possible to supply a liquid chemical through the flexible tube. However, if the tip end of the flexible tube is opened into a large size, the knife portion is unstably supported and may possibly wobble.
In the high-frequency treatment device having the bent portion or the disc installed at the tip end of the knife portion, if the knife portion is unstably supported, there is likelihood that the bent portion or the disc partially protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the flexible tube when the knife portion is introduced into the flexible tube. The portion protruding outward from the outer circumferential surface of the flexible tube may possibly injure a channel wall when the knife portion is inserted into the endoscope.
According to a technology of JP Patent Application No. 2003-113164 (JP Patent No. 4315725) entitled "high-frequency knife" rod-shaped portion extending in an axial direction of a flexible sheath is installed in an electrode portion. A sliding hole into which the rod-shaped portion is inserted to move forward and backward in the axial direction of the flexible sheath and a liquid supply opening into which the rod-shaped portion cannot be inserted are formed in an insulating chip closing the tip end portion of the flexible sheath.
However, the conventional high-frequency knife is formed into a triangular shape. This poses a problem in that the high-frequency knife has a difficulty in marking a cut region and cannot cleanly scrape out a cut surface.
According to a technology of JP Patent Application No. 2003-146476 UP Publication No. 2005-007161) entitled "EMR treatment implement and EMR device." a peeling and lifting member is provided in an EMR treatment implement and an EMR device for excising a lesion while alleviating complications and patient's burdens in endoscopic mucosal resection. A target excision portion including a lesion is peeled and separated by the peeling and lifting member. Then, the lesion is lifted up. This helps shorten the time required for operations.
However, the conventional EMR treatment implement and the conventional EMR device are not capable of keeping the lesion in a peeled state during an incising operation. Since the knife is formed into a needle shape, the excision region becomes narrow. This leads to a prolonged operation time. Inasmuch as the tube is not transparent, there is posed a problem in that it is difficult to clearly determine the inward and outward movement of the knife.
According to a technology of JP Patent Application No. 2005-278473 (JP Patent No. 4794564) entitled "treatment implement for endoscopes," ridge portions and valley portions are formed in the tip end portion and the base end portion of the treatment implement. A plurality of cutters is installed in the valley portions. There is also installed a selector means for selecting one cutter to be used from the plurality of cutters.
In this conventional treatment implement for endoscopes, however, each of the cutters is formed into a shape similar to an irregular elliptical sphere. Therefore, an excision area is unnecessarily increased when excising a lesion. This poses a problem in that the pain felt by a patient is increased and a normal tissue is removed together with a lesion.
According to a technology of JP Patent Application No. 2010-018130 (JP Publication No. 2012-120881) entitled "treatment implement for endoscopes," a triangular electrode portion includes a first electrode having a triangular chip radially extending from a distal end toward a proximal end.
Since the electrode portion is formed into a triangular shape in this conventional treatment implement for endoscopes, the tube should be laid down when excising a lesion. Another problem lies in that the pointed vertex may make contact with a normal tissue and may injure the normal tissue.
With the conventional technologies referred to above, the lesion is not cleanly cut but is irregularly excised. This poses a problem in that an extended period of time is required for the cut surface to restore after the excising operation.


A catheter assembly especially adapted for injecting therapeutic liquids such as DNA solutions to a patient's myocardium comprises an elongated guiding catheter for insertion through a patient's artery to the vicinity of the myocardium, a reservoir for therapeutic liquid at the distal end of the guiding catheter, one or more injection needles protruding from the distal end of the guiding catheter and in fluid communication with the reservoir, the extent of needle protrusion being appropriate for penetration of but not passage through the myocardial wall, and an operating device for delivering a predetermined quantity of therapeutic liquid from the reservoir through the needles.

Catheters are, essentially, elongated flexible narrow-bore tubes used to gain access to body organs from the exterior of the body, through the body's natural ducts. They may be inserted, for example, through a patient's urethra to enter the bladder, to drain fluids therefrom or to deliver fluids thereto. They may be inserted into a major artery, and fed through the artery a considerable distance, e.g. to the vicinity of the heart. Instead of being used for the delivery or collection of fluids, they may be equipped with medical devices so that a specific medical procedure can be performed at a particular location of the artery, such as an angioplasty to relieve an occluded or partially occluded artery.
Accordingly, catheters have a number of very demanding technical criteria to meet. They must be flexible enough and thin enough to accommodate the contours of the body duct, without causing internal damage. They must provide reliable fluid communication over substantial distances. They must exhibit a high degree of biocompatibility. Their distal ends must be equipped with appropriate apparatus to perform their intended function. Commonly, such apparatus must be arranged so as to be operable from outside the patient's body, after insertion of the catheter to its correct location.
There are instances where, for critical therapeutic purposes, it is necessary to inject a patient's myocardium with a therapeutic fluid, such as a DNA solution, in very small amounts and at a precise location. The myocardium is the middle, cardiac muscle portion of the heart wall, surrounding the heart chambers. It is the thickest part of the heart wall, having a maximum thickness, in the ventricle walls, of about 2.5 cm. Blood vessels permeate the myocardium. The capillary beds therein are so extensive that more oxygen is released in the myocardium by the circulating blood than in any other organ of the body. Localized treatment of the myocardium to treat muscular damage thereto, e.g. with therapeutic substances, is sometimes needed. Very precise control over the location and delivery of such therapeutic substances is accordingly necessary. Very small amounts of very expensive therapeutic substances such as up to 0.05 ml of DNA solution are often required to be delivered, with precise control over location and quantity.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel catheter for fluid delivery to internal organs of a mammalian body.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a catheter specifically adapted for delivering fluids to the myocardium.


A gas sensor element including: a solid electrolyte layer having a first surface and a second surface; a first electrode formed on the first surface of the solid electrolyte layer; a second electrode formed on the second surface of the solid electrolyte layer; and an insulating layer provided between the first electrode and the first surface of the solid electrolyte layer. The insulating layer covers an outer edge of the first electrode and has an opening through which a portion of the first electrode is exposed. The opening has an area that is smaller than that of the second electrode, and is provided at a position opposite the second electrode to form a detection portion constituted by the portion of the first electrode exposed through the opening, the second electrode and the solid electrolyte layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas sensor element and a gas sensor for detecting the concentration of a specific gas component in a gas to be measured.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known gas sensors include those for detecting the concentration of a specific gas component in a measured gas such as exhaust gas discharged from an automobile. This type of gas sensor employs a gas sensor element, the electrical characteristics of which change with the concentration of the specific gas component in the measured gas. This gas sensor element is provided with a solid electrolyte member, which is composed mainly of zirconia, for example. Such known gas sensor elements have an overall plate-like outer shape made by laminating one or more solid electrolyte members, electrodes, an insulating layer, a heater and the like. The heater is constituted by laminating an insulating layer, e.g., a ceramic layer composed mainly of alumina, a heating resistor and the like.
In the gas sensor element described above, one end portion (or the leading end portion) in the longitudinal direction of the plate shape is provided as a detecting portion for exposure to the gas to be measured, and the other end portion (or the rear end portion) is fixed on the main fitting. As such, known gas sensor elements (as described in JP-A-2003-294687, for example) have a reference electrode and a detecting electrode disposed on the two faces of the leading end side of the solid electrolyte member formed in a plate shape, and lead portions connected to those electrode portions which are individually formed along the longitudinal direction of the solid electrolyte member.
It is also known (as described in JP-A-2002-202280, for example) that the activation time of the gas sensor element (i.e., the time period required for the sensor to become active after starting the supply of electric power) can be shortened by setting the area of the detecting electrode 1.25 times or more than that of the reference electrode.
3. Problems to be Solved by the Invention
In the gas sensor element described above, however, due to tolerances or the like in the manufacturing process, a pair of electrode portions (e.g., the reference electrode and the detecting electrode), as formed on the surface and back of the solid electrolyte member, may be formed with a slight deviation in position from one another. If the reference electrode and the detecting electrode are formed such that their relative positions deviate, the effective area of the electrode portions which contribute to the detection of the specific gas (that is, the area of the respective electrode portions which directly oppose one another) differs for each gas sensor thus manufactured. Thus, a problem arises in that the gas sensors vary in performance from one another.


This invention relates to the delivery of heterologous peptides or proteins such as therapeutic peptides, therapeutic proteins or antigens to mucosal sites using vesicles derived from the outer membrane of commensal bacteria, recombinant bacteria capable of producing such vesicles, and methods for the production of such vesicles. The invention further relates to an inducible expression system for use in recombinant bacteria.

Greater than 90% of infections occur in mucosal sites of the body although only a handful of mucosal vaccines are currently licensed including FluMist and NASOVAC (influenza virus), RotaTeq (rotavirus), Vivotif (Salmonella typhi) and Dukoral (Vibrio cholera) with the standout success being the oral polio vaccine. The limited availability of mucosal vaccines is principally related to the lack of effective delivery systems able to preserve vaccine antigen (Ag) integrity, and strong adjuvanticity.
Currently available vaccines are delivered by injection, with the associated problems of safety, patient compliance, morbidity and high cost. Injected vaccines also provide only partial or no protection at the (mucosal) sites of the body through which the vast majority (90%) of pathogens gain entry and in particular, via the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. The lack of effective vaccines is particularly acute in farming and in protecting against major enteric infections such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, which via contamination of the food supply is a major source and route of infection in humans. Further compounding the situation is increasing drug and antibiotic resistance that limits treatment options for intestinal infectious disease in both farm animals and humans, emphasizing the need to develop more effective vaccines.
Mucosal vaccination could overcome the major limitations of current injection-based vaccines and address the need for new vaccines to protect against gut infections. However, at present only a handful of mucosal (oral and nasal) vaccines are licensed. This limited availability closely related to the lack of an effective delivery system able to preserve vaccine integrity particularly in the gut.
In the absence of effective treatments the incidence of intestinal infectious disease (IID) is increasing with 25% of the UK population suffering from an episode of IID each year resulting in 11 million days lost in people of working age. The impact of IID is also apparent in farming where the lack of effective vaccines for major enteric infections has serious consequences for livestock health and for food safety and protecting against food borne infections in humans, which is further compounded by increasing multi-drug and antibiotic resistance. Vaccination is an efficient and cost-effective form of preventing infectious disease although only a handful of mucosal vaccines are currently licensed, in large part due to a lack of effective mucosal vaccine delivery systems able to preserve antigen integrity during transit through the harsh environments of the upper GI tract.
Various controlled Ag release strategies have been developed for oral delivery including polymer microparticles, liposomes and immune-stimulating complexes that can require the inclusion of adjuvants to increase their immunogenicity. The complex manufacturing steps required to purify and encapsulate Ag into these particulate delivery systems can however render these approaches economically nonviable (Ulmer et al., 2006).
Another strategy is to exploit attenuated, avirulent pathogens that retain their invasiveness as vectors for oral delivery of vaccine Ag. Recombinant avirulent Salmonella vaccines have proven successful in providing protection against virulent forms of the pathogen in various model systems (Wang et al., 2013) although this promise has yet to be substantiated in human clinical trials. Also, the use of live attenuated pathogens in any vaccine formulation includes the risk of residual reversion and environmental contamination.
There therefore remains a need for improved antigen delivery systems.
The delivery of therapeutic peptides or proteins to mucosal sites by injection is similarly problematic. Delivery by injection negatively impacts cost, safety, patient compliance and also therefore treatment outcome. Furthermore, systemic delivery such as injection does not provide targeted delivery to mucosal sites for medical conditions where this is therapeutically advantageous. Oral or other non-invasive administration obviates the negative impact of injection, but presents other issues such as the potential for degradation of the peptide or protein by the proteolytic enzymes and acidic environment encountered in the digestive system. There therefore remains a need for improved delivery systems for therapeutic peptides or proteins.

Engineering gut commensal bacteria to express heterologous proteins in their outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) for delivery to the GI-tract


Apparatus for mobile communication includes a switch and a plurality of access points, which are arranged in a wireless local area network (WLAN) to communicate over the air on a common frequency channel with a mobile station using a common basic service set identification (BSSID) for all the access points. The access points are coupled by a LAN to the switch so that upon receiving at one or more of the access points an uplink signal transmitted over the WLAN by the mobile station on the common frequency channel, the one or more of the access points convey messages responsively to the uplink signal over the LAN to the switch. A manager node is coupled to the switch so as to receive the messages and is adapted to process the messages so as to select one of the access points to respond to the uplink signal.

Wireless local area networks (WLANs) are gaining in popularity, and new wireless applications are being developed. The original WLAN standards, such as "Bluetooth" and IEEE 802.11, were designed to enable communications at 1-2 Mbps in a band around 2.4 GHz. More recently, IEEE working groups have defined the 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g extensions to the original standard, in order to enable higher data rates. The 802.11a standard, for example, envisions data rates up to 54 Mbps over short distances in a 5 GHz band, while 802.11b defines data rates up to 22 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band. In the context of the present patent application and in the claims, the term "802.11" is used to refer collectively to the original IEEE 802.11 standard and all its variants and extensions, unless specifically noted otherwise.
The theoretical capability of new WLAN technologies to offer high communication bandwidth to mobile users is severely hampered by the practical limitations of wireless communications. Indoor propagation of radio frequencies is not isotropic, because radio waves are influenced by building layout and furnishings. Therefore, even when wireless access points are carefully positioned throughout a building, some "black holes" generally remain—areas with little or no radio reception. Furthermore, 802.11 wireless links can operate at full speed only under conditions of high signal/noise ratio. Signal strength scales inversely with the distance of the mobile station from its access point, and therefore so does communication speed. A single mobile station with poor reception due to distance or radio propagation problems can slow down WLAN access for all other users in its basic service set (BSS—the group of mobile stations communicating with the same access point in a conventional 802.11 WLAN).
The natural response to these practical difficulties would be to distribute a greater number of access points within the area to be served. If a WLAN receiver receives signals simultaneously from two sources of similar strength on the same frequency channel, however, it is generally unable to decipher either signal. The 802.11 standard provides a mechanism for collision avoidance known as clear channel assessment (CCA), which requires a station to refrain from transmitting when it senses other transmissions on its frequency channel. In practice, this mechanism is of limited utility and can place a heavy burden on different BSSs operating on the same frequency channel.
Therefore, in 802.11 WLANs known in the art, access points in mutual proximity must use different frequency channels. Theoretically, the 802.11b and 802.11g standards define 14 frequency channels in the 2.4 GHz band, but because of bandwidth and regulatory limitations, WLANs operating according to these standards in the United States actually have only three different frequency channels from which to choose. (In other countries, such as Spain, France and Japan, only one channel is available.) As a result, in complex, indoor environments, it becomes practically impossible to distribute wireless access points closely enough to give strong signals throughout the environment without substantial overlap in the coverage areas of different access points operating on the same frequency channel.
U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2003/0133422 A1, to Bims, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a communication system in which packets transmitted over the air by a mobile station are received by multiple repeaters. The repeaters are coupled to a switch via a wired connection. In a disclosed embodiment, the repeaters are connected to the switch via an Ethernet LAN and exchange packets with mobile stations using the 802.11 protocol. Some of the MAC (medium access control) functionality that is typically associated with access points in a 802.11 WLAN is taken out of the repeaters and centralized in the switch. Specifically, the MAC layer is split to enable transfer of messages over wiring such as CAT5 LAN cabling.
Each repeater that receives a packet from a mobile station without error determines the received signal strength, and forwards the packet along with a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) to the switch. The RSSI is used in determining which repeater should send an acknowledgment to the mobile station. This architecture is said to allow for overlapping coverage between cells supported by the repeaters.

Wireless LAN control over a wired network


The invention herein relates to a kind of safety pin with an attached multi-function thermometer which consists mainly of a temperature display and pulse tone emitting integrated circuit board. The enclosure of the aforesaid integrated circuit board can be fabricated in the shape of various animals or cartoon characters. A safety pin is mounted on the rear side of the enclosure for fastening the device onto the clothing of an infant. Extending from the integrated circuit board is a coiled conductor connected to a threaded seat that is fastened in screw-on fashion to a heat sensor rod contained in a pacifier nipple. As an infant sucks the pacifier nipple, the oral temperature of the infant is measured by the heat sensor rod and the temperature reading is shown via a liquid crystal display on the integrated circuit board. The integrated circuit board also has specially designed temperature setting functions. When the measured temperature exceeds the set temperature, a pulsing tone is produced to indicate that the temperature of the infant is abnormal. Other important objectives include the possibility of connecting the coiled conductor to a thermometer or ear piece to enable temperature reading at a larger number of points on the body, while widening the scope of applications, increasing the multi-function range and raising the added-value of this product--a key secondary objective of the invention herein.

In addition to excellent quality, reasonable price and other related factors, perhaps the most important factor that determines the commercial success of a marketed product is whether the product is practical and has the added-value capacity instrumental to the continual raising of its product competitiveness. When certain products are introduced, since their new application competitiveness relative to other products in the same category is often minimal and therefore are incapable of attaining a leading position in the market, as the number of products in a given category increases, if the product itself is not improved, its competitiveness is lost and the product may even be eliminated from the market.
In reference to the aforementioned situation, the pacifier nipple is a good example. When pacifier nipple were first introduced in the market, nearly all of them lacked major changes in form. After a certain period of time, the number of manufacturers and marketers increased. In order to widen sales capabilities in the market, many kinds of different animals and illustrations were adapted as modifications, with drawing and other cosmetic embellishment designed to stimulate consumer purchases and selection. However, this sort of passive solution could not raise market competitiveness and the main reason was that the pacifier nipple still had only one function, that of being a pacifier nipple. Thus, without the offering of additional applications, the products lost its competitiveness.
With further regard to the inability to integrate additional product functions to pacifier nipples, the inventor herein has thought of improvements, initially thinking that besides the essential function of pacifier nipples to comfort an infant by providing a means of oral gratification, temperature measuring and mesmerizing sound functions could be included and thus attain a degree of multi-function-based added value which could strengthen competitiveness in the pacifier nipple market.
Based on this innovative concept, the inventor herein has continuously devoted serious effort in research and development, an undertaking that involved constant improvements in design before finally completing the prototype product of the invention herein.

Safety pin with attached multi-function thermometer