Primitive or progenitor hematologic cancer cells have been implicated in the early stages and development of leukemia and malignant lymphoproliferative disorders, including acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL). Interleukin-3 receptor alpha chain (IL-3Rα or CD123) is strongly expressed on progenitor hematologic cancer cells, but is virtually undetectable on normal bone marrow cells. The present invention provides methods of impairing progenitor hematologic cancer (e.g., leukemia and lymphomic) cells by selectively targeting cells expressing CD123. These methods are useful in the detection and treatment of leukemias and malignant lymphoproliferative disorders. Also provided are compounds useful for selectively binding to CD123 and impairing progenitor hematologic cancer cells. These compounds may include cytotoxic moieites such as, for example, radioisotopes or chemotherapeutics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to methods of impairing progenitor hematologic cancer cells or treating hematologic cancer by targeting a cell surface marker specific for progenitor hematologic cancer cells. The present invention is also related to a method for diagnosing hematologic cancer.
2. Background of the Invention
Stem cells are commonly found in a variety of mammalian tissue systems. While the criteria by which such cells are defined vary depending upon the specific context, two properties are generally regarded as central features of stem cell populations: (1) stem cells must exhibit some capacity for self-replication or self-renewal, and (2) stem cells must be capable of differentiating into appropriate lineages (Potten C S: Stem Cells. London, Academic Press, 1997). Cells of this nature have been described for a number of tissues including hematopoietic, embryonic, neural, muscle and hepatic systems (Lemischka I R. Clonal, in vivo behavior of the totipotent hematopoietic stem cell. Semin Immunol 1991, 3: 349-55; Morrison S J, et al., The biology of hematopoietic stem cells. Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 1995, 11: 35-71; Robertson E J., Using embryonic stem cells to introduce mutations into the mouse germ line. Biol Reprod 1991, 44: 23845; Gage F H., Mammalian neural stem cells. Science 2000, 287: 1433-8; and, Alison M, et al., Hepatic stem cells. J Hepatol 1998, 29: 676-82). Thus, it is perhaps not surprising that similar cells have recently been documented in the context of malignant populations (Bonnet D, et al., Human acute myeloid leukemia is organized as a hierarchy that originates from a primitive hematopoietic cell. Nat. Med. 1997, 3: 730-737; Blair A, et al., Most acute myeloid leukemia progenitor cells with long-term proliferative ability in vitro and in vivo have the phenotype CD34(+)/CD71(−)/HLA-DR-. Blood 1998, 92: 4325-35; Cobaleda C, et al., A primitive hematopoietic cell is the target for the leukemic transformation in human Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 2000, 95: 1007-13). Indeed, a stem cell is in some respects the ideal target for malignant transformation in that relatively little biological change is required. Since stem cells already possess the genetic programming necessary to be highly proliferative and developmentally plastic, one can imagine that relatively subtle perturbations might be sufficient to induce disease.
One example of neoplasia arising from malignant stem cells has recently been documented in the hematopoietic system in the case of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). This disease is characterized by premature arrest of myeloid development and the subsequent accumulation of large numbers of non-functional leukemic blasts. While leukemic blast cells are often of clonal origin and display relatively homogeneous features, it has been demonstrated that such populations are organized in a hierarchical fashion, analogous to normal hematopoietic progenitors. Thus, there is a phenotypically defined leukemic stem cell population that is sufficient to propagate leukemic blasts both in vitro and in vivo in xenogeneic mouse models of human AML (Bonnet D, et al., Human acute myeloid leukemia is organized as a hierarchy that originates from a primitive hematopoietic cell. Nat. Med. 1997, 3: 730-737; Blair A, et al., Most acute myeloid leukemia progenitor cells with long-term proliferative ability in vitro and in vivo have the phenotype CD34(+)/CD71(−)/HLA-DR-. Blood 1998, 92: 4325-35; Cobaleda C, et al., A primitive hematopoietic cell is the target for the leukemic transformation in human Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 2000, 95: 1007-13; Blair A, et al. Lack of expression of Thy-1 (CD90) on acute myeloid leukemia cells with long-term proliferative ability in vitro and in vivo. Blood 1997, 89: 3104-12). The concept of a leukemic stem cell (LSC) becomes critically important in considering the etiology of human disease. Clearly, in order to achieve durable remission, it will be necessary to specifically ablate the primitive or progenitor LSC population. However, previous studies (Terpstra W, et al., Fluorouracil selectively spares acute myeloid leukemia cells with long-term growth abilities in immunodeficient mice and in culture. Blood 1996, 88: 1944-50), as well as data from our group, suggest that LSC's are biologically distinct from more mature leukemic blasts and may not be responsive to conventional chemotherapeutic regimens. This observation is consistent with the clinical profile frequently seen for AML, wherein a majority of patients can achieve apparent complete remission, but in most cases will relapse (Schiller G J., Treatment of resistant disease. Leukemia 1998, 12 Suppl 1: S20-4; Paietta E., Classical multidrug resistance in acute myeloid leukemia. Med Oncol 1997, 14: 53-60). If LSC's are more refractile to chemotherapy than blasts, it is attractive to propose that surviving stem cells are a major contributing factor to leukemic relapse. Thus, strategies that specifically target progenitor leukemia cells may provide more effective treatment for leukemia patients. In 1997, Bonnet and Dick described the phenotype for LSC's as CD34+/CD38− (Bonnet D, et al., Human acute myeloid leukemia is organized as a hierarchy that originates from a primitive hematopoietic cell. Nat. Med. 1997, 3: 730-737). We report that the IL-3 receptor alpha chain (CD123) is highly expressed on leukemic but not normal CD34+/CD38− hematopoietic cells. In view of this state of the art, there is a need in the art to provide a diagnostic method for detecting leukemia at an early stage, as well as more effective methods of treating this disease.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods to impair hematologic cancer progenitor cells and compounds related thereto

University of Kentucky Research Foundation


Sector menus track a pointer's position as a pointing device is moved. Each sector menu is a geometric figure bounded by two radii and an included arc of a circle. Menu items are housed in segments formed from multiple radii cutting the sector menu. Users select menu items housed in segments by making a direction change from a trajectory course to pass over a desired menu item so as to invoke its operation. The sector menu lacks a segment, defining a devoid segment, which is oriented in a direction toward which the pointer is moving. Segments with different sizes are available to represent the likelihood that a user would choose a given operation in a corresponding menu item housed by a corresponding segment.

A graphical user interface is a visual computer environment that represents programs, files, and options with graphical images, such as icons, menus, and dialog boxes, on a computer screen. A user can select and activate these options by pointing and clicking with a mouse (such as a mouse 104) or often, with a keyboard. A particular item (such as a scroll bar) works the same way for the user in all applications because the graphical user interface provides standard software routines to handle these elements and report the user's actions (such as a mouse click on a particular icon or at a particular location in text, or a key press).
Menus are often used with a graphical user interface. A menu is a list of options from which a user can make a selection in order to perform a desired action, such as choosing a command or applying a particular format to part of a document. A choice on a menu is called a menu item, and is selectable by either the keyboard or a mouse. In some instances, a menu item that is not available (or that is not appropriate) for a given situation is "grayed" (dimmed in comparison to valid menu choices). Many application programs, especially those that operate in a graphical user interface environment, use menus as a means of providing the user with an easily learned, easy-to-use alternative to memorizing program commands and their appropriate usage.
Many different types of menus exist. A drop-down menu is a menu that drops from a menu bar, such as a menu bar 108, when requested and remains open without further action until a user closes it or chooses a menu item. A pull-down menu is a menu that is pulled down from the menu bar and that remains available as long as the user holds it open. A pop-up menu is a menu that appears on-screen when a user makes a certain selection with the mouse. Pop-up menus can appear anywhere on the screen and generally disappear when the user selects a menu item in the pop-up menu.
A species of the pop-up menu is a context menu. Context menus like other menus, hold commands grouped by a common theme. The usual theme of a context menu is to give the user access to a set of common operations (that a programmer thinks are frequently used by users). Context menus provide, upon user input, the set of common operations that may occur for a given computer screen location and application state (and typically "pop up" in response to a right-click of a mouse).
Usability studies have suggested that novice users often have difficulty locating context menus, undermining the potential usefulness of context menus to help these users gain confidence and trust in operating a complex computing environment. Novice users are often afraid of clicking on user interface elements they do not fully understand. Furthermore, present context menus require users to right-click nowhere in particular on the computer screen to cause context menus to appear which feels incongruous to novice users.
Even if a user figures out how to bring forth a context menu, its contents (namely, the menu items) never change and do not necessary represent the user desires. Menu items of a context menu are determined by the location at which a pointer is positioned in a graphical user interface. For example, menu items associated with a context menu that is invoked from a desktop (which is an on-screen work area that uses icons and menus to simulate the top of a desk in a graphical user interface) are different from menu items associated with a context menu invoked from a word processing application. These menu items are static. The educated guesses of a programmer who constructed the context menus may be useful for many users but are not suitable for users who have developed their own preferences over time as they have become proficient in operating a complex computing environment. This problem is illustrated in further detail by a system 100 shown in FIG. 1A and an application 106 shown in FIG. 1B.
The system 100 includes a personal computer 102, which is a computer designed for use by one person at a time. Personal computers do not need to share the processing, disk, and printer resources of another computer. IBM PC-compatible computers and Apple Macintoshes are both examples of personal computers. If the personal computer 102 employs a graphical user interface, the mouse 104 coupled to the personal computer 102 can be used to navigate a pointer in applications running on such a graphical user interface.
One application example is an application 106, which is a program designed to assist in the performance of a specific computing task, such as word processing, accounting, or inventory management. See FIG. 1B. As is typical with most applications, the application 106 includes a menu bar 108, which is a rectangular bar displayed in the on-screen window of the application 106, often at the top, from which menus can be selected by a user. Names of available menus, such as a "FILE" menu 110, an "EDIT" menu 112, and a "HELP" menu 114, are displayed in the menu bar; choosing one with a keyboard or with the mouse 104 causes the list of options in that menu to be displayed.
The application 106 includes a work area 116 which has a rectangular shape. Various user interface elements may appear in the work area 116, such as a context menu 117. A number of menu items, such as a "CUT" menu item 118, a "COPY" menu item 120, a "PASTE" menu item 122, and a "FORMAT" menu item 124, appear when the user actuates the mouse 104 to right-click at a certain location indicated by a pointer 128. The pointer 128 appears as an on-screen symbol, such as an arrowhead leaning slightly leftward or rightward, that can be controlled by the mouse 104 or other input devices and is used as a means of indicating (and selecting) locations or choices on the computer screen, such as menu items 118–124 of the context menu 117.
Menu items 118–122 (cut, copy, and paste) are operations in a procedure in which the personal computer 102 acts as an electronic combination of scissors and glue for reorganizing a piece of content (such as a document) or for compiling the document from different sources. The CUT menu item 118 has an on-screen symbol resembling a pair of scissors which is located to the left of the text "CUT." The CUT menu item 118 allows the user to remove part of the document, usually placing it temporarily in memory so that the cut portion can be inserted (pasted) elsewhere. The COPY menu item 120 has an on-screen symbol resembling a set of document copies which is located to the left of the text "COPY." The COPY menu item 120 allows information to be duplicated and reproduced in another part of the document, in a different file or memory location, or in a different medium. The copy operation being invoked by the COPY menu item 120 can affect the data ranging from a single character to large segments of text and graphics images. Text and graphics, for example, can be copied to another part of the document, to the computer's memory (by means of a temporary storage facility such as a clipboard), or to a different file. In most cases, the copy operation leaves the original information in place. An on-screen symbol resembling a clipboard is located to the left of the text "PASTE" of the PASTE menu item 122. The paste menu item 122 allows the insertion of text or a graphic that has been cut or copied from one document in a different location in the same or a different document. There is no on-screen symbol associated with the FORMAT menu item 124. The FORMAT menu item 124 allows a change in the appearance of a selected piece of content, such as text, graphics, or even a cell in a spreadsheet.
It is difficult for a novice user to discover the context menu 117 (especially if the user has a mouse with only one button) and thereby conveniently access menu items 118–124 without completely exploring multiple menus, such as menus 110–114 of the application 106. Moreover, the menu items 118–124 are static and will not respond to the changing preferences of a user. Uniformity in context menus helps increase standardization of the personal computer 102 and enables all users to share similar computing experiences in regard to invoking and using context menus. Without a solution that refocuses on the personal computing experience by helping each user discover context menus that are sensitive to the user's own preferences, users may eventually no longer trust the system 100 to provide a desired, personal computing experience, causing demand for the system 100 to diminish from the marketplace. Thus, there is a need for a method and a system for providing enhanced context menus while avoiding or reducing the foregoing and other problems associated with existing context menus.

Menus whose geometry is bounded by two radii and an arc


A grindstone is provided with a base (211) and a plurality of abrasive grains (210) aligned in a row and bonded on a surface (212) of the base (211). Each of the abrasive grains (210) has a relief surface (216) with a relief angle of a predetermined angle (β).

Various grindstones have been proposed as a tool for grinding a workpiece. As one of these grindstones, a grindstone with abrasive grains arranged on one surface of a base is known (e.g., see Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1 will be described on the basis of FIGS. 32(a) to 32(c).
As illustrated in FIG. 32(a), an upper surface 1102 of a base 1101 is covered by masks 1103 which are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance w. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 32(b), abrasive grains 1104 are disposed between the mask 1103 and the mask 1103, and are temporarily bonded to the base 1101 by a plating layer 1105. After temporary adhesion, the masks 1103 are removed, and then, as illustrated in FIG. 32(c), the base is again subjected to a plating process to mainly bond the abrasive grains 1104 to the base 1104, so that a grindstone 1110 is completed.
An outer diameter of the abrasive grain 1104 used for the grindstone 1110 is larger than the distance w of the masks 1103, as illustrated in FIG. 32(b). Since the outer diameter of the abrasive grains 1104 is larger than the predetermined distance w, the abrasive grains 1104 are temporarily bonded in a state in which vertexes 1111 protrude upward. The temporarily bonded abrasive grains 1104 are mainly bonded in the state in which the vertexes 1111 protrude upward, as illustrated in FIG. 32(c).
As the vertexes 1111 protrude upward, the workpiece to be ground by the grindstone 1110 comes in contact with the vertexes 1111. Two faces, between which the vertex 1111 is interposed, serve as a rake surface 1112 and a relief surface 1113 in an edged tool. As the two faces, between which the vertex 1111 is interposed, serve as the rake surface 1112 and the relief surface 1113, the workpiece can be effectively ground.
In order to manufacture the grindstone 1110, it is necessary to temporarily bond the abrasive grains in the state in which the masks 1103 are provided, and then, after the masks 1103 are removed, again mainly bond the abrasive grains. That is, since it is necessary to divide and provide the plating layers 1105 in two steps, the number of steps is increased.
In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a grindstone in which a plurality of abrasive grains are bonded to a surface of a base in a state of the grains are arranged in pieces. In order to set a height from the surface of the base to a vertex of the abrasive grain, a top of the abrasive grains is removed through truing.
FIG. 33(a) is a view illustrating one example of the abrasive grains. An abrasive grain 2101 is formed in a polygonal shape. The abrasive grain 2101 is displaced on a surface of a base 2102, and then is bonded thereto by a plating 2103, as illustrated in FIG. 33(b), thereby manufacturing a grindstone 2103.
As illustrated in FIG. 33(c), as the grindstone 2104 is moved in a direction indicated by an arrow (1), a surface of a workpiece 2015 can be ground.
In FIG. 33(b), a direction of the abrasive grain 2101 is not controlled. That is, an upper surface 2106 may be parallel with the surface of the base 2102, or may be inclined to the surface.
If the upper surface 2106 is parallel with the surface of the base 2102, the upper surface 2106 comes in contact with the surface 2107 of the workpiece 2105, and thus grinding resistance is increased.
As a result, machining precision or a lifetime of the grindstone is deteriorated.
Meanwhile, in a grindstone 3100 includes a base 3101 and abrasive grains 3103 and 3104 which are bonded to an upper surface of the base 3101 by a plating layer 3102, as illustrated in FIG. 34, as vertex portions 3105 and 3106 of the abrasive grains of the grindstone 3100 are ground at a predetermined angle, relief surfaces 3108 and 3109 can be formed. Since the abrasive grains have the relief surfaces 3108 and 3109, the grindstone 3100 can effectively grind the workpiece.
It is believed that the abrasive grains 3103 and 3104 bonded to the upper surface of the grindstone 3100 are dispersed in a longitudinal direction (front and rear direction of the drawing) of the grindstone 3100, in addition to a width direction (left and right direction of the drawing).
If the abrasive grains are dispersed in the longitudinal direction (front and rear direction of the drawing), as illustrated in FIG. 35, an abrasive grain 3111 indicated by an imaginary line exists in front of the abrasive grain 3104. As described above, the abrasive grains 3104 and 3111 are formed with relief surfaces 3109 and 3112 on the same surface by the grinding.
Focusing on rake surfaces, a rake surface 3114 of the abrasive grain 3104 and a rake surface 3115 of the abrasive grain 3111 are not aligned with each other. That is, since the size, shape or position of the abrasive grains 3104 and 3111 is different from each other, the rake surfaces 3114 and 3115 are not aligned with each other.
A position of an edge portion positioned between the rake surface and the relief surface is not aligned.
It is also considered a method of machining the relief surface, as illustrated in FIG. 36. The grindstone 4110 is secured to a cylindrical rotating tool 4112, with grindstone pockets 4111 for receiving the grindstone 4110 being provided on its circumference. The grindstone 4110 includes a base 4113 and an abrasive grain 4114 bonded to the base 4113, and the abrasive grain is placed on a center line 4115 of the rotating tool 4112. The plurality of abrasive grains 4114 are aligned and disposed on the plurality of bases 4113 provided on the circumference of the rotating tool 4112.
A truing grindstone 4116 is displaced at a position in which the truing grindstone 4116 comes in contact with the abrasive grain 4114.
The relief surface is formed on the abrasive grain 4114 by approaching and bringing the truing grindstone 4116 into contact with the rotating tool 4112, which is positioned and fixed, at a slope of a predetermined angle θ of a radial line 4118 of the truing grindstone 4116 to the center line 4115 of the rotating tool 4112, while the truing grindstone 4116 is rotated as indicated by an arrow (3). After that, the rotating tool 4112 is rotated at a predetermined angle (90° in FIG. 37) and then is again positioned and fixed, and the relief surface is sequentially formed on the abrasive grains 4114 arranged and displaced on all bases 4113 on the circumference of the rotating tool 4112.
According to the method, however, in order to uniformly form the relief surface on the abrasive grains 4114 arranged and displaced on all bases 4113 on the circumference of the rotating tool 4112 at high precision, it is necessary to constantly maintain a center distance between the truing grindstone 4116 and the rotating tool 4112 when the truing grindstone 4116 comes in contact with the abrasive grains at the predetermined angle θ. Since the truing stone 4116 or the rotating tool 4112 is significantly large relative to the abrasive grain 4114, even a slight slippage in the predetermined angle θ or the center distance is not allowed. As a result, it is not possible to actually form the uniform relief surface of the high precision.

Grindstone, grindstone manufacturing method, boring tool, abrasive grain positioning jig, and relief surface forming method


Agents for coloring and/or matting keratinic fibers, in particular human hair, include in a cosmetic carrier at least one specific substituted 1,4-diaminoanthraquinone derivative of formula (I), wherein the residues (R2, R4) mutually independently denote a grouping of formula (II). The cosmetic method of using these agents can be for producing intense blue shades and for matting keratin fibers.

In general, it is either substantive dyes or oxidation dyes which are used for coloring keratinic fibers. Although intense and sustained colorings may be achieved with oxidation dyes, the color generally develops under the influence of oxidizing agents such as for example H2O2, which may in some cases result in damage to the fibers. Moreover, some oxidation dye precursors or certain mixtures of oxidation dye precursors may have a sensitizing effect in people with sensitive skin. Substantive dyes are applied under milder conditions. The disadvantage thereof, however, is that the colorings frequently are not sustained as long as those produced from oxidation dyes, in particular when the hair is washed, but also in relation to external influences, such as sunlight or reactive environmental chemicals, such as for example swimming pool water.
One particular challenge for hair coloring using substantive dyes is uniformly coloring frequently pretreated hair, such as for example bleached or permed hair, in which the fibers have highly variable levels of prior damage at different lengths or in differently treated areas. During the actual coloring, the coloring agent may exhibit uneven coloring behavior on hair suffering differing levels of prior damage, but repeated hair washing can also wash out the dyes to varying extents in the different areas of hair, leading to a non-uniform and thus unwanted coloring result.
It is therefore desirable to provide coloring agents for keratinic fibers, in particular human hair, which exhibit good applicational properties with regard to color depth and fastness characteristics, such as in particular light, abrasion and washing fastness as well as sweat and cold perming fastness. Finally, it is particularly desirable to provide coloring agents with a good equalizing capacity.
If keratinic fibers are to be oxidatively lightened or blonded, substantive dyes may also be used in combination with oxidizing agents. Hair is generally blonded by applying aqueous hydrogen peroxide solutions, either alone or in combination with further oxidizing agents acting as bleach activators such as for example persulfate salts, onto the keratin fibers. In order to achieve a sufficient blonding action, such agents are conventionally strongly alkalized, the pH generally being between 9 and 10.5. Under the action of the oxidizing agents, the melanins, the natural, color-imparting pigments of hair fibers, are oxidatively destroyed and the fibers are consequently decolorized or lightened. Melanins are located in the cortex of the hair fibers and may be divided into two classes of pigments. Eumelanins are the first, brownish-black class of pigments, while the reddish pigments with a higher sulfur content are known as pheomelanins. Due to the different levels of resistance of the various types of pigment to oxidizing agents, the pheomelanins and eumelanins are, however, not always uniformly decolorized. In addition, in darker hair with an elevated melanin content, the melanins may only be partially or incompletely broken down and therefore a residual proportion of the color-imparting pigments remains in the hair after blonding. In these cases, the residual content of melanins still present in the hair after the oxidative process results in a yellowish to reddish shift in shade. Therefore, in particular when blonding darker hair, a color shift towards warm tints occurs.
Users do not normally desire such color shifts towards warm tints. This color shift is therefore usually counteracted by tinting in the corresponding complementary color according to color theory. The aim here is to achieve a silvery cool appearance of the bleaching result. A person skilled in the art refers to this as matting. Blue substantive dyes may in particular be used for matting blond shades with an orange cast. In order to ensure the completest possible attenuation of the orange color appearance, it is advantageous for the blue dye itself to have no red content in its coloring. Dyes in pure blue and in particular in grayish blue shades are thus better suited to matting an orange blonding result than are blue dyes with a violet cast. However, despite the numerous blue dyes usable in hair coloring products, no dyes are known from the prior art which optimally meet all the above-stated requirements. There is accordingly still a major need for novel substantive dyes with corresponding coloring and matting properties.
GB 1 053 300 describes a process for coloring hair in which 1,4-diaminoanthraquinone derivatives may be used which bear one or two dialkylaminoalkyl substituents on the amino groups thereof. These dyes are intended to have a good coloring capacity, elevated water solubility and elevated lightfastness. The range of shades extends from intense blue via blue-violet to mauve, pink and blue-green. Blue colorings with a gray cast cannot, however, be obtained by means of these dyes. DE 1 644 306 discloses a method for producing 1,4-diaminoanthraquinone derivatives which bear an aminoalkylamino substituent on each of the two nitrogen atoms of the anthraquinone ring. The dyes produced in the context of this method are intended to have an elevated affinity for keratin fibers and good washing fastness. The range of shades achieved with the dyes extends from yellow to blue. Blue color shades with a gray shift cannot be achieved with these derivatives either.
It is particularly desirable to find novel matting dyes which meet the conventional fastness requirements placed on substantive dyes, have good storage stability and furthermore have a blue color shade tending strongly towards grayish without any red content. It is intended to be possible to use the dyes not only in the form of a post-treatment after the oxidative blonding process but, in single-stage methods, also simultaneously with the oxidizing agent, for which reason they must additionally have good stability towards the oxidizing agents.
Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

Means for dyeing and/or matting keratinic fibres containing novel 1,4 diaminoanthraquinone dyes


A method for forming an ultra hard material layer is provided. The method includes disposing a metallic liner inside the periphery of a refractory metal enclosure, introducing ultra hard material feed stock into the enclosure, and sintering using HPHT processing and cooling to form the ultra hard material layer, substantially free of peripheral cracking, chipping and fracturing.

Sintered ultra hard material cutting elements such as tips for metal machining inserts, for example, typically include an ultra hard cutting layer bonded to a substrate, forming what is often referred to as a compact. The ultra hard cutting layer is generally formed by a high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) sintering process and the cutting layer is typically bonded to the substrate during the sintering process.
The ultra hard sintered compact is generally formed from particles of ultra hard material that are compacted and solidified during the sintering process. The ultra hard particles may be in powder form prior to sintering. Ultra hard particles used to form sintered compacts include diamond and cubic boron nitride, which form polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN), respectively.
Sintered compacts are conventionally formed by placing ultra hard material particles within a refractory metal enclosure and sintering the enclosure and contents under HPHT conditions. A shortcoming associated with this conventional formation process is that the high-pressure, high temperature heating process and subsequent cooling process, produce an ultra hard material layer having a periphery that includes edge cracks, chips and fractures. These edge cracks, chips and fractures typically initiate at the enclosure and continue growing into to the compact ultra hard material layer. This cracking, chipping, fracturing, etc. renders the outer portion of the ultra hard material layer unusable. Fracturing, cracking, and chipping is especially prevalent when forming relatively large (more than 50 mm diameter) ultra hard material layers. To avoid sintered compacts being delivered to customers having peripheries that include the above-mentioned defects, a significant amount of the outer portions of the PCD or PCBN sintered compacts must be removed, therefore reducing the useable diameter of the sintered compacts. This results in higher raw material waste and costs, higher processing costs, and lower HPHT press capacity efficiency and utilization. For example, using conventional methods, a disk-shaped sintered compact formed to a diameter of 58 mm, may include edge fracturing and cracking that requires the formed sintered compact to have parts of the peripheral portion removed resulting in a useable diameter of only 50-52 mm or less. In particular, according to the prior art, most sintered compacts formed to a diameter of 58 millimeters, for example, are finished to a diameter less than 55 mm.
Accordingly, it would therefore be desirable to produce an ultra hard cutting layer in which the high quality, useable cutting area is maximized.

Method for forming ultra hard sintered compacts using metallic peripheral structures in the sintering cell


An infrared sensor includes a heat sensing element, the heat sensing element includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a dielectric film formed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The heat sensing element senses heat based on a change of a resistance value. The dielectric film includes at least Bi and Fe.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an infrared sensor and a heat sensing element.
2. Related Art
An infrared sensor is divided into a quantum type and a heat type by a detection principle. The heat type of the two types attracts attention from the viewpoint of exclusion of cooling for noise measures. For example, a bolometer type which is one of the heat types detects infrared light using temperature dependence of a resistance value, and is widely used in an uncooled type of infrared element. Such a bolometer type of infrared sensor includes a heat sensing element.
Recently, from the viewpoint of high sensitivity, a high response characteristic, or the like, the size of one pixel of a bolometer material in the infrared sensor has been considerably small, and the material has been desired to be formed as a thin film. Therefore, as the bolometer material, an infrared sensor which uses a vanadium oxide thin film has been proposed (refer to JP-A-9-257565).
However, there is a problem in that when a vanadium oxide thin film described in JP-A-9-257565 is used, it is difficult to realize good sensitivity of an infrared sensor.

Infrared sensor and heat sensing element


A paper composite includes activated carbon fibers and inorganic fibers bound together by an organic latex binder. Such a ceramic paper is useful in a variety of applications and is particularly useful as a filter media in the filter unit of an inflator in an automotive airbag. The filter media is particularly suitable for use with non-azide generants within an airbag inflator.

Ceramic paper generally refers to high temperature resistant, insulating inorganic sheet material having a thickness of up to about 1/4 of an inch and predominantly comprising ceramic fibers. Such materials are referred to as "paper" because of their resemblance to wood pulp papers and because they can be produced on conventional papermaking machines. Such paper is used for a wide variety of industrial applications. More recently, the automotive industry has become interested in ceramic paper for use in the inflator filter units of automotive airbags.
For several years, automotive airbag manufacturers have sought ways to reduce costs by making more efficient use of the very expensive propellant or generant contained therein. One way that automotive airbag manufacturers have attempted to do this is to design inflators which burn hotter. It has been found that the hotter the generant systems within the inflators burn, the more optimum the completion of the reaction which, in turn, allows the airbag manufacturer to use less propellant or generant in the inflator, thereby reducing cost.
For many years, azide generant systems which include an azide component, such as sodium azide, have been utilized. In conjunction therewith, compatible filtration media was developed which typically centered on the use of fiberglass and/or ceramic fiber papers. Such papers typically comprised refractory ceramic fibers bound together by a latex binder system. However, often the latex binder was "burned out" so as to minimize additional organic components. These ceramic papers served three main functions in the typical inflator containing azide generants. First, the papers had to filter out the unwanted solid and liquid by-products left over from the combustion reaction of the azide generants. This meant that the papers had to have the proper mechanical means for entrapping the solid metal waste and the proper chemical means for entrapping the liquid metal oxide waste. Second, the papers had to control the flow rate of the nitrogen gas as it exited the inflator so as to fill the airbag properly. In other words, the papers had to have the proper porosity. Third, the papers served as insulators. The nitrogen gas liberated from the combustion reaction with the inflator needed to be cooled from approximately 2000.degree. F. (1093.degree. C.) to about 200.degree. F. (93.degree. C.). These fibers, in conjunction with the wire mesh which served as a heat sink, enabled the paper to serve as a barrier to heat. Thus, these prior art papers perform effectively when azide generants are utilized.
Recently, however, non-azide generants have been introduced to the automotive airbag industry. The use of these non-azide generants in airbag inflators is seen as a technological improvement over prior azide generants since many of these new non-azide generant systems burn much hotter and at higher pressures than their azide predecessors. Furthermore, these non-azide generants, e.g., guanidine, are not mutagenic and have a low toxicity as compared to the sodium azide generant which is mutagenic and toxic.
As a result of this advancement in the use of non-azide generants in airbag inflators, the filter media requirements for these new generant systems have changed significantly as well. That is, current refractory ceramic filter media used with azide generant inflators do not work as well with the non-azide technology because the non-azide inflators generate less reactive and smaller particle size by-products than their azide predecessors and produce chemically different by-products, including gases. Moreover, the filter media tends to load up with particulate and rupture under the higher temperature and pressure conditions associated with their use. In other words, while the refractory ceramic papers which act as filter media for azide generant systems continue to perform the latter two functions adequately (i.e., to control the flow rate of the nitrogen gas and to act as an insulator) for non-azide generants systems, they do not as effectively filter out the resultant by-products of the combustion reaction. Thus, conventional refractory ceramic filter papers do not work as well in these non-azide applications.
Accordingly, the need exists for a paper composite suitable for use as a hot gas filter media with non-azide, as well as azide, generants.
Heretofore, the use of carbon fibers in filtration paper technology and, more particularly, airbag inflator filter technology has, upon information and belief, been extremely limited. It is believed that carbon fiber paper containing carbon polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and carbon pitch fibers has heretofore been used as one ply of a two-ply sandwich wherein refractory ceramic fibers comprised the ceramic paper used in the other ply. However, these carbon fibers are not surface activated, have relatively low surface area, and have high tensile properties associated with rigidity and strength, not flexibility and filtering. Moreover, it is possible that such carbon fibers could give off other undesirable by-products. No single-ply paper composite containing both activated carbon fibers and refractory ceramic fibers is believed known, particularly for use as the filter in the inflator unit of an automotive airbag.

Carbon fiber and ceramic fiber paper composites and uses therefor


A side sill structure can be used for a vehicle. The side sill structure includes a side sill extending along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and a front connection member connects a front side member located at a front side of the side sill to a front end of the side sill.

A vehicle includes a pair of side sills disposed on the left and right sides of a floor. Each side sill has an inner side sill coupled to the edge of the floor, an outer side sill facing the outside of the vehicle, and a plurality of reinforcing members interposed between the inner side sill and the outer side sill. The plurality of reinforcing members may be spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals in a longitudinal direction of the side sill.
A front end of each side sill may be coupled to a rear end of a front side member, and a rear end thereof may be coupled to a front end of a rear side member. The side sills serve to protect a passenger compartment from side collisions and frontal collisions of the vehicle.
However, existing side sills are relatively vulnerable to side collisions as the reinforcing members are spaced apart from each other.
In addition, the existing side sills have no structure for transmitting a force between the spaced reinforcing members in the event of a frontal collision, and thus an impact load generated in the frontal collision may not be transmitted properly in the longitudinal direction of the side seals.
In an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle in which a battery is mounted on the floor side, a connection portion between the front end of the side sill and the rear end of the front side member may easily be broken in the event of collisions, and thus the rear end of the front side member may hit the battery, increasing the probability of occurrence of fire, resulting in a disadvantage to passenger protection.
The above information described in this background section is provided to assist in understanding the background of the inventive concept, and may include any technical concept which is not considered as the prior art that is already known to those skilled in the art.


A crib mounted baby soothing device including a support bracket adjustably secured to the frame of the crib. A massaging hand is coupled with respect to the support bracket. The massaging hand is positioned over a baby laying down within the crib to providing a massaging motion to the back and backside of the baby.

The present invention relates to a crib mounted baby soothing device and more particularly pertains to patting and rubbing a baby""s back and bottom when the baby cries or moves.
Providing care to infants and babies is essentially a twenty-four hour a day job. The most difficult task that parents and care-givers have with respect to infants and babies involves keeping their child asleep, or getting their child to fall asleep. Usually, the parent or care-giver will either hold their child while rocking them in a chair or the like. Alternately, the child will be laid down in their crib while the parent or care-giver rubs or pats their back or bottom in order to soothe the child in a restful sleep. Sometimes, this latter task takes a significant amount of time that the parent or care-giver does not have. The parent or care-giver may be required to stay up to all hours of the night sacrificing their sleep in order to soothe their child into a sleeping state. What is needed is a way to soothe the child to sleep or soothe the child that is sleeping restlessly without having to tend to the child to all hours of the night.
The present invention attempts to solve the abovementioned problems by providing a device that will rub or pat a child""s back or backside automatically while allowing a parent or care-giver to tend to other things.
The use of infant care devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, infant care devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of providing care to infants are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,964 to Berman discloses a battery operated teething ring and bum massaging device for an infant. U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,343 to Wong discloses an automatic baby crib rocker device.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a crib mounted baby soothing device for patting and rubbing a baby""s back and bottom when the baby cries or moves.
In this respect, the crib mounted baby soothing device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of patting and rubbing a baby""s back and bottom when the baby cries or moves.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved crib mounted baby soothing device which can be used for patting and rubbing a baby""s back and bottom when the baby cries or moves. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In the view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of infant care devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved crib mounted baby soothing device. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved crib mounted baby soothing device which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a support bracket adjustably secured to the frame of the crib. The support bracket includes a telescoping horizontal segment extendable between two of the vertical rails of the frame of the crib. The telescoping horizontal segment includes opposed ends. The support bracket includes a pair of receiving collars secured to the opposed ends of the telescoping horizontal segment. The receiving collars are engagable with the two vertical rails of the frame of the crib whereby the telescoping horizontal segment is suspended between the two vertical rails. A massaging hand is coupled with respect to the support bracket. The massaging hand extends outwardly from the support bracket in an orthogonal relationship. The massaging hand includes a horizontal support extending outwardly from the telescoping horizontal segment of the support bracket. The horizontal support has a vertical handle extending downwardly therefrom. The horizontal support has a free outer end with a motorized ball socket secured thereto. The motorized ball socket has an open outer end. The massaging hand includes a synthetic hand portion coupled with the open outer end of the motorized ball socket.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved crib mounted baby soothing device which has all the advantages of the prior art infant care devices and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved crib mounted baby soothing device which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved crib mounted baby soothing device which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved crib mounted baby soothing device which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a crib mounted baby soothing device economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved crib mounted baby soothing device for patting and rubbing a baby""s back and bottom when the baby cries or moves.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved crib mounted baby soothing device including a support bracket adjustably secured to the frame of the crib. A massaging hand is coupled with respect to the support bracket.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.


The new variety ‘TH-917’ is provided. The new and distinct variety ripens around mid May in southern Georgia and late May in middle Georgia. The fruit of the new variety ‘TH-917’ are large, firm, have good flavor and scar. The new variety ‘TH-917’ is vigorous with an estimated chilling requirement of about 500 to 550 hours at or below approximately 7° C. The asexually reproduced variety is reliably propagated vegetatively.

The present invention relates to the discovery of a new and distinct cultivar of southern highbush blueberry plant botanically known as a Vaccinium corymbosum and herein referred to as 'TH-917', as herein described and illustrated.
The new blueberry plant variety 'TH-917' was selected in Griffin, Ga., in 2005. The new variety 'TH-917' ripens around mid-May in southern Georgia to late May in middle Georgia. The fruit of the new variety 'TH-917' are firm with good flavor and favorable scar. The new variety 'TH-917' has good yield and is vigorous with an estimated chilling requirement of about 500-550 hours at or below 7° C.
Pedigree and history: 'TH-917' was selected in 2005 at the Georgia Experiment Station in Griffin, Ga., originating from a cross of 'TH-653'בMillennia' made by Dr. D. Scott NeSmith in 2002. The maternal parent ('TH-653') is a non-patented UGA breeding line derived from a cross of 'Legacy'בTH-454'. Both 'Legacy' and 'TH-454' are not patented. The paternal parent, 'Millennia', is the subject of U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,816. The selection 'TH-917' has been tested in asexually propagated (by vegetative cuttings) plantings at UGA Blueberry Research Farms in Alapaha and Griffin, Ga. since 2007.

Southern highbush blueberry plant named ‘TH-917’

University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.


Multi-point confocal microscopy, bright field microscope imaging, computer-controlled positioning stages, and an algorithm for automated leveling are the basis for a powerful but simple tool for aligning stamps used in precise pattern transfer to substrates. The system is relatively inexpensive and brings a capability similar to that of a photolithographic mask aligner to the world of elastomeric-stamp-based lithography. Alignment of the stamp and substrate is possible without contact between the two before printing.

Microlithography refers generally to any of several processes by which patterns with small features are copied from a master image to an object such as a silicon wafer. One type of microlithography, called photolithography, is often used in semiconductor manufacturing to define a layer of an integrated circuit. In projection photolithography the image of a glass photomask is projected on a silicon wafer that is coated with a photographic emulsion or photoresist. The exposure of photoresist in a mask aligner is analogous to the exposure of photographic film in a camera.
A glass photomask has patterns of thin metal on its surface. These patterns are usually created by electron beam lithography in which a precisely controlled electron beam traces out shapes under computer control. The electron beam illuminates an electron beam resist which has been applied to a glass mask substrate coated with a thin layer of metal. After the resist is developed, the metal layer is etched away to form the desired pattern.
In contact photolithography, instead of projecting the image of a mask onto a wafer (or other substrate), one presses the mask itself onto the wafer. The wafer is then exposed through the mask by illumination from a bright light source. In general, contact photolithography is not capable of reproducing as small features as projection photolithography, but it is considerably less expensive.
One of the main reasons that photolithography is so important in integrated circuit manufacturing is that patterns representing transistors and other circuit elements with very small features may be printed over and over on silicon wafers. State of the art photolithography systems now print with better than 100 nanometer resolution.
Recently, researchers have taken advantage of microlithography techniques to create very small mechanical devices instead of electronic circuits. These devices, sometimes known as "micro-electro-mechanical systems" or MEMS have found applications in devices as diverse as movie projectors and accelerometers. MEMS are often created using surplus microlithography equipment procured from integrated circuit manufacturers. MEMS technology is still relatively new and normally does not require state of the art lithography tools.
Even more recently, researchers in chemistry and biology have realized the value of printing very small patterns for their experiments. For example, biologists have created DNA array chips which enable them to perform thousands or even millions of simple DNA experiments simultaneously. Chemists and biologists have found great value in printing thin layers of chemical and biological materials. The simplest and least expensive method of printing these materials is simply to stamp them using a method very similar to stamping ink patterns on paper with a rubber stamp. The new method is variously called "microcontact printing", "soft lithography" or simply "precise pattern transfer."
One of the innovations inherent in precise pattern transfer was the discovery that elastomeric stamps, especially those made from poly-dimethylsiloxane ("PDMS") are capable of stamping patterns with feature sizes less than one micron. Precise pattern transfer by PDMS stamping has become a very popular research tool in chemical, biological and MEMS research. Typically a PDMS stamp is created by molding liquid PDMS on an etched mold originally defined photolithographically. After the PDMS cures into a rubbery state it may be peeled off the mold, wetted with various "inks" and stamped on flat or even a curved substrates.
Precise pattern transfer brought the power of microlithography to researchers in diverse disciplines. However, precise pattern transfer as currently practiced has critical limitations compared to photolithography. For example, it's hard to line up the stamp with pre-existing patterns on the substrate.
Alignment of the stamp with substrate features is critical to all but the simplest applications of precise pattern transfer. Without alignment capability stamped patterns can only be roughly located on the substrate and aligning subsequent patterns to previously created patterns is difficult. Crude alignment is currently done by hand. It would be highly desirable to have at least a semi-automatic alignment system for precise pattern transfer by stamping.
Another limitation of stamping techniques is that it is nearly impossible to orient the surface of the stamp relative to the substrate surface with precision. When a stamp is applied by hand, or even with the aid of simple mechanical devices, one part of the stamp tends to touch the substrate surface before the rest. In other words, the stamp is tilted with respect to the substrate.
A tilted stamp leads to at least two problems. First, the stamp may be distorted when only one part of it is touching the printing surface while other parts do not. Second, a tilt will lead to uneven pressure over the surface of the stamp when the stamp is in contact with the substrate. Uneven pressure leads to uneven printing and distortion of printed features. It might seem that slight tilts and variations in stamping pressure would not matter, but in fact control of these parameters is critical when stamped feature sizes are in the micron range.
The limitations of precise pattern transfer are widely known and have inspired several researchers to try to improve stamping techniques. Schueller (see US Patent Application Publication 2003/0047535, incorporated herein by reference), for example, recognizes some of the limitations of current stamping techniques and presents a list of conventional methods to solve current problems.
Kendale (see US Patent Application Publication 2003/0213382, incorporated herein by reference), proposes a system in which a spring-supported stamp is brought into contact with a test substrate for purposes of determining the proper orientation of the stamp in subsequent printing operations.
Hougham (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,308, incorporated herein by reference) teaches a process for making elastomeric stamps flatter and less prone to distortion when released from their molds. This method improves the quality of stamped patterns and is a step toward making microcontact printing useful in microcircuit applications.
Despite the progress made by these and other researchers in the field there is a strong need for a simple system for precise pattern transfer by stamping. Ideally such a system would both level a stamp with respect to a substrate and allow the stamp to be aligned to features on the substrate prior to coming in contact with the substrate. It would also be desirable for leveling and aligning procedures to be carried out automatically or under an operator's supervision.

Alignment tool for precise pattern transfer


An image forming apparatus includes an opening-closing lid for opening and closing an opening portion formed in an apparatus main body; a detection unit for detecting an open state of the opening-closing lid; an execution unit for executing a specific operation; a main power source for supplying power to the execution unit; a retaining unit for retaining an open history indicating the open state of the opening-closing lid when the detection unit detects the open state of the opening-closing lid during a period of time when the main power source does not supply power to the execution unit; and a determining unit for determining whether the execution unit executes the specific operation according to the open history retained in the retaining unit when the main power source starts supplying power to the execution unit.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming a color image with an electro-photography method.
In an image forming apparatus such as a color printer, a color copier, a color multi-function product, and the likes for forming a color image with an electro-photography method, a plurality of image forming units is detachably disposed along a transport belt for transporting a recording medium. Each of the image forming units includes a photosensitive drum. A toner image in each color is formed on the photosensitive drum, so that the toner image is sequentially overlapped and transferred to the recording medium, thereby forming a color image (refer to Patent Reference).    Patent Reference: Japan Patent Publication No. 2001-66843
In the conventional image forming apparatus, when the image forming unit has a dimensional variance, or is disposed at a shifted position, a toner image in each color is formed at a shifted position or color shift occurs, thereby deteriorating image quality.
In order to securely prevent the color shift, in the conventional image forming apparatus, when it is detected that the image forming unit is disposed at a shifted position, a color shift detection process is performed as follows.
After an image pattern formed of a toner image in each color is formed on the transport belt, the conventional image forming apparatus detects a positional relationship of the image pattern of the toner image in each color, so that the conventional image forming apparatus determines a color shift amount in advance upon forming a color image. The color shift amount is stored as a color shift correction amount.
Accordingly, when the conventional image forming apparatus forms a color image, the toner image in each color is transferred to a position shifted by the color shift correction amount thus stored, thereby preventing the color shift in a color image.
When the image forming unit is attached or detached during power off, the color shift correction amount tends to change. Accordingly, in the conventional image forming apparatus, the color shift detection process is performed when power is turned on, in addition to when it is detected that the image forming unit is attached or detached.
In the conventional image forming apparatus, even when the image forming unit is not attached or detached during power off, the color shift detection process is performed, thereby wasting toner. Further, it takes a long period of time to start up the conventional image forming apparatus.
In view of the problem described above, an object of the invention is to provide an image forming device, in which it is possible to solve the problems of the conventional developing device. In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to securely correct the color shift. Further, it is possible to eliminate an unnecessary color shift detection process.
Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.

Image forming apparatus with retaining unit and determining unit


A communication system 10 is comprised of a communication device 11 and a relay device 12 that is connected to the communication device 11 by radio at close range and an other communication device 15 via a network and that relays a communication between the first device 11 and the other communication device 15. Such communication system 10 comprises local communicating units 112 and 121 and a network communicating unit 123 that detect a disconnection of a radio channel between the communication device 11 and the relay device 12 and a disconnection of a radio channel between the relay device 12 and the other communication device 15. The communication device 11 includes a notifying unit 113 that notifies a user of that a disconnection of which radio channel of a plurality of the radio channels is detected.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system enabling a communication device on one end and a communication device on the other end to communicate with each other via a relay device, and particularly to a communication system capable of notifying a communication device user of the fact that one of two or more radio channels is disconnected and restoring such disconnected radio channel in an optimal manner.
(2) Description of the Related Art
There is a conventional technology to automatically restore a communication line at the time of an abrupt disconnection of such communication line in a communication system in which communication devices connected via radio communicate with each other (See the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. S61-21666).
The following explains such prior art with reference figures.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional communication system. In FIG. 1, a communication system 90 is comprised of a communication device 91, a radio base station 14, a cellular network 13, an other communication device 15 and others.
The communication device 91 includes a displaying unit 191, an input unit 192, a central controlling unit 193, a network communicating unit 194, a number memory unit 195 and others, and a voice signal is inputted/outputted through a microphone 196 and a speaker 197. Furthermore, the communication device 91 is connected to the other communication device 15 via the radio base station 14 and the cellular network 13. Note that the internal configuration of the other communication device 15 is analogous to that of the communication device 91, and a voice signal is inputted/outputted through a microphone 151 and a speaker 152.
Next, an explanation is given for operations in the communication system 90 which is a conventional communication system with the above configuration.
FIG. 2 is a communication sequence diagram illustrating sequences in the communication system 90 shown in FIG. 1 from when a call starts to when a communication line is disconnected and restored.
First, an explanation is provided for an operation performed before a call starts between the communication device 91 and the other communication device 15. As shown in FIG. 2 a usual communication sequence before a call starts is that after a subscriber's number of the other communication device 15 is dialed by a user of the communication device 91 via the input unit 192 (See FIG. 1), an outgoing call request is transmitted to the radio base station 14, which is delivered to the other communication device 15 over the cellular network 13. When detecting a call from the communication device 91, the other communication device 15 outputs a call-accepted signal which is transmitted to the radio base station 14 over the cellular network 13, and the communication device 91 is notified of the completion of the connection. A call starts after the above-described sequence.
When there occurs a line failure in the middle of the call due to, for example, the communication device 91 moving out of the radio area covered by the radio base station 14, and it is detected that the line between the communication device 91 and the other communication device 15 is disconnected, the communication device 91 handles such disconnection by automatically re-calling the subscriber's number of other communication device 15 stored in the number memory unit 195. While the communication line is being restored, the displaying unit 191 of the communication device 91 shows the user that the line failure is being restored.
The communication system 90 explained hereinbefore is a conventional communication system intended only for a single radio channel. If such communication system is multi-connected via a relay device, that is to say, if a communication device on one end and a communication device on the other end are connected to each other via a plurality of radio channels, a line disconnection causes a problem described below.
Upon detection of the line disconnection, the user tries to perform an operation to restore a disconnected channel. However, since there exist two or more radio networks used for the communication, the user has trouble identifying which channel is disconnected and performs a wrong operation, trying to restore the channel as quickly as possible. In other words, such user, who hastily tires to perform a plurality of restoration operations which differ according to the type of a channel, conducts a wrong operation. This makes a problem especially in the case where a communication device used in such a situation is a hands-free device equipped in a car. In a radio hands-free system in which a communication device is a hands-free device and a relay device is a mobile phone, a call between such devices is conducted with the hands-free device and the mobile phone being connected to each other via such a local channel as Bluetooth, and with the mobile phone being connected to a radio base station via a cellular network. If there occurs an abrupt disconnection of one of the two channels, the user who is driving starts an operation to restore such disconnected channel. However, since it is difficult to identify which channel is disconnected, such user hastily tries to perform a plurality of restoration operations which differ depending on the type of a channel. As a result, the user's attention in driving is scattered, which affects his/her ability to drive safely.
In addition to the above, there is another technology which is as follows: in a communication system in which a plurality of subscribers' terminals are connected to a switchboard via an access device, if a breakdown occurs to the access device and such access device is initialized, causing all communication paths to be disconnected, the disconnected communication paths between the plurality of subscribers' terminals and the switchboard are restored to the state before the breakdown, on the basis of data stored in such switchboard (See the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. H10-229420). This technology, however, is not intended for a disconnection of each channel in a plurality of multi-connected radio channels. Therefore, when one of such plurality of the channels is disconnected, it is difficult to identify the disconnected channel, which consequently results in an operating error of the user who is in haste to restore the channel as soon as possible, just like the above-mentioned case.

Communication system and communication device

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A semiconductor device includes an identification information generation circuit having a power supply control circuit whose output voltage is controlled by a control signal, and a memory array having a first cell power line and a second cell power line. The power supply control circuit outputs a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage to a first cell power line and a second power line, respectively, when the control signal is in a first state, and outputs an intermediate voltage to the first cell power line and the second cell power line when the control signal is in a second state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly to a semiconductor device having an identification information generation circuit that generates identification information (ID) specific to a chip and an identification information generation method for a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Background Art
As a countermeasure against imitation semiconductor devices and frauds in electronic commerce service over the Internet, specific identification information is assigned to each semiconductor chip. For example, a system is known in which, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor chip, different data per semiconductor chip is written into a fuse or a nonvolatile memory. Another system is known in which random data held by a SRAM cell after power-on is utilized as a "fingerprint" of a semiconductor chip.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-278934 discloses an invention of a security protection system for a handy terminal. The handy terminal generates device identification information based on positional information on a defective block held by a built-in NAND chip.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-101083 discloses an invention in which a defective address of a semiconductor memory is used as a key. A server device holding contents receives a key transmitted from a client device and transmits the contents with the key inserted therein to the client device. H. Fujiwara, M. Yabuuchi, H. Nakano, H. Kawai, K. Nii, and K. Arimoto, "A Chip-ID Generating Circuit for Dependable LSI using Random Address Errors on Embedded SRAM and On-Chip Memory BIST", 2011 Symposium on VLSI Circuits Digest of Technical Papers, Jun. 15-17, 2011, pp. 76-77 (Non-Patent Document 1) discloses a configuration in which chip ID of LSI (semiconductor integrated circuit) is generated based on a defective cell address of an embedded SRAM and an I/O bit position to which the defective cell belongs.
Y. Su, J. Holleman, B. Otis, "A 1.6 pJ/bit 96% Stable Chip-ID Generating Circuit using Process Variations", 2007 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, pp. 406-407 and p. 611 (Non-Patent Document 2) discloses a configuration in which an original identification number (ID) is generated for each f chip using a latch circuit in which NOR logic gates are cross coupled.
In Non-Patent Document 2, an exclusive latch circuit for generating an original identification number for each chip is provided on a chip. In order to generate an identification number having a sufficient bit length, it is necessary to provide a plurality of latch circuits accordingly, thus resulting in a problem of increased chip area.

Semiconductor device having identification information generating function and identification information generation method for semiconductor device


A method and apparatus for providing substantially pure hydrogen gas from a mixture of hydrogen and gaseous contaminants includes passing a gaseous mixture containing hydrogen gas and gaseous impurities through a purifier to form substantially pure hydrogen gas which is stored in a porous storage material including a getter material. The substantially pure hydrogen gas can be released from the porous storage matrix as desired. Preferably the purifier and porous storage matrix are separated by a thermally insulating matrix. The apparatuses can be combined in a serial configuration to provide a stream of substantially pure hydrogen gas at a substantially constant pressure.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for purifying and storing gases. More particularly, the present invention is related to methods and apparatus for purifying and storing hydrogen gas.
2. The Relevant Art
Hydrogen is one of the most ubiquitous elements in the universe as well as the most reactive, forming more compounds than any element in the periodic table including carbon. Hydrogen gas of high purity, having contaminants at part-per-billion concentrations, is used commonly in semiconductor fabrication and other "high-tech" applications.
High purity hydrogen gas is produced on an industrial scale by one of several techniques. The most common method of manufacture is the catalytic steam-hydrocarbon reforming process in which hydrocarbons from natural gas or refinery feedstock are reacted catalytically with water at elevated temperatures to form carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen gas (H.sub.2), as illustrated below where propane (C.sub.3 H.sub.8) is the feedstock hydrocarbon: EQU C.sub.3 H.sub.8 +3H.sub.2 O.fwdarw.3CO+7H.sub.2.
The carbon monoxide can be further converted to carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) and hydrogen.
An alternative method involves the production of hydrogen as a by-product of the production of chlorine and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) by the well known brine electrolytic process in which the chloride ion present in aqueous sodium chloride is oxidized to form chlorine gas (Cl.sub.2) in addition to H.sub.2 and NaOH. In another method, useful for small scale generation of hydrogen, an equimolar mixture of methanol (CH.sub.3 OH) and water (H.sub.2 O) is vaporized and passed over a "base-metal chromite" type catalyst at 400.degree. C. wherein the mixture is cracked into hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide subsequently reacts with the steam to produce carbon dioxide and more hydrogen.
Regardless of the method of production, the hydrogen gas typically must be purified to remove gaseous impurities such as nitrogen (N.sub.2). Nitrogen is especially prevalent in hydrogen produced by electrochemical methods. Commonly, a technique known as cryogenic absorption is used to remove nitrogen residues from hydrogen gas by precipitating the nitrogen and other gas impurities from the impure hydrogen gas mixture. In the cryogenic absorption process, the contaminated hydrogen gas is passed over charcoal immersed in a bath of liquid nitrogen. Although this method provides hydrogen gas having impurities on the order of parts-per-billion (ppb), the method is very complex and expensive to operate.
Other methods have focused on applying "getters" to purify hydrogen gas. As used herein, the terms "getter" and "scavenger" refer to substances that bind gas molecules by a "sorption" process, i.e., by adsorption or absorption. Unfortunately, using getters to sorb nitrogen and other impurities is impractical for nitrogen concentrations greater than about 20 parts-per-million (ppm) to 50 ppm due to depletion of the getter materials. In particular, oxygen (O.sub.2) N.sub.2, and H.sub.2 O contaminants commonly found in hydrogen feedstocks quickly contaminate the getter materials and degrade their performance.
Attempts to store hydrogen in getters or other hydride forming materials and "flush" the non-sorbed impurities have also proved inefficient as such systems must be capable of absorbing large amounts of energy released during the sorption process and yet retain the capability to produce the elevated temperatures required to release the hydrogen from the getters after the impurities have been expelled from the system. Such systems are therefore highly inefficient in terms of energy use.
Additional factors complicating this process include difficulties in ensuring that the "void volume" remaining after sorption of the hydrogen is sufficiently free of residual impurities, and the loss of hydrogen gas due to leaks in the system. Purging the void volume is critical to producing purified gas, as the degree of gas purity is limited by the amount of impurities remaining in the void volume when the purified gas is released from the getter material for use. Thus, the void volume must be rigorously purged with gas that is at least as pure as the gas of desired purity. The purge gas must then either be itself purified again, or released from the system. Thus, it will be seen that present getter purification methodologies waste purified gas. For example, as much as 10-20% of purified hydrogen may be lost through purging to achieve gas purities on the order of 10-50 ppb. Still more purified hydrogen gas would be lost in achieving purification levels on the order of 1 ppb. The result of this limitation is that present methods of purification employing getters can provide only limited purification economically, and are used to reduce impurity concentrations to between about 500 ppb-100 ppb. These methods are not capable of providing hydrogen gas having impurity concentrations of less than about 10 ppb economically. Furthermore, getter purification technologies are also not economical for hydrogen gas having large concentrations of nitrogen, as exposure to nitrogen exhausts getter capacity quickly. These limitations with existing getter methodologies are especially difficult for third world countries that are attempting to develop modern electronics industries that require sources of highly purified hydrogen gas but cannot afford the expense associated with cryogenic methods of hydrogen purification.
Still another method for purifying hydrogen gas uses a palladium or palladium alloy diffuser separator to separate hydrogen preferentially from mixtures of gases, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,368,329 and 3,534,531 to Eguchi, et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Generally, impure hydrogen gas is passed through a palladium or palladium alloy membrane (ie., a continuous walled metal matrix structure that functions as a diffusion barrier to selectively allow the diffusion of hydrogen through the metal matrix), or packed small-diameter, thin-walled tubes of palladium or palladium alloy, to purify the hydrogen gas. Unfortunately, such methods require the use of high pressures (about 6 Bar) to provide flow rates which are economical for use in semiconductor fabrication processes or other processes where a steady flow of hydrogen gas is required. Furthermore, the need to maintain a large pressure differential across the metal purifier requires the use of pumps which introduce additional sources of leakage and contamination. Because of the high pressure requirement, palladium and palladium alloy methods of purification are practical only for point-of-use purification, e.g., in the laboratory, or for applications where high flow rate is not a requirement.
Thus, there remains a need for economical and reliable methods and apparatus for purifying hydrogen gas on a large scale and at a flow rate which is adequate for modern industrial requirements.

Method and apparatus for purifying hydrogen gas


Aspects according to the invention relate to a catalytic combustor system for a turbine engine and an associated method. Catalytic combustors are used in connection with turbine engines because they can minimize the formation of oxides of nitrogen during combustion. Despite this emissions advantage, catalytic combustion systems can increase the level of CO in the turbine exhaust. According to aspects of the invention, vortex formation devices includes vortex generators, swirlers and mixers can be placed downstream of each catalytic module surrounding the pilot nozzle so as to form one or more vortices in the otherwise substantially laminar flow exiting the modules. The vortices can create a suction so that a portion of the flow exiting the pilot nozzles is mixed with the flow exiting the catalyst modules. The introduction of the higher temperature pilot flow can accelerate the catalytic reaction time, promoting burnout of the CO formed during combustion.

Turbine engines can include a variety of systems to minimize undesired emissions, such as oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO), generated during combustion. For example, some turbine engines use catalytic combustors to reduce the generation of NOx because catalytic combustion occurs at temperatures well below the temperature necessary for NOx production (above about 2700 degrees Fahrenheit). Catalytic combustion can occur at temperatures up to about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit to about 1400 degrees Fahrenheit. In contrast, conventional combustion temperatures can range from about 2500 to about 2900 degrees Fahrenheit.
While successful in combating NOx emissions, catalytic combustors can result in higher CO output from the engine, even at desired operating points such as base load. The increase in CO levels can be partly attributed to the lack of flame propagation in the relatively laminar or quiescent flow exiting the catalytic modules. The higher CO emissions are also a symptom of the relatively cold temperatures at which catalytic combustion occurs. The amount of time needed for CO burnout is largely a function of temperature. Because the temperature of the catalytic combustion reaction is relatively low, catalytic systems typically need more time to burn the CO. The longer burnout time in turn requires a combustion system having a sufficiently long travel path for the combustion gases to provide the requisite time for burnout before the gases leave the combustion system; however, due to packaging issues and economic feasibility, many engines cannot accommodate extra physical length. Thus, burnout takes longer than the distance (and travel time) available. Further, once they impinge on the first row of vanes in the turbine section, the combustion gases are quenched to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit, below the temperature needed to achieve CO burnout. Consequently, the unburned CO is passed in the engine exhaust.
The above problems can arise in almost any type of catalytic combustor system, including both lean and rich catalytic systems. Thus, there is a need for a turbine engine having a catalytic combustor system that is configured to reduce CO emissions.


Emulsion-polymerization of electrically conductive polyaniline salts is disclosed. The process comprises combining water, a water-solubilizing organic solvent, an organic acid that is soluble in the organic solvent, an aniline monomer, and a radical initiator. An organic phase forms which contains the polyaniline salt of the organic acid wherein the organic phase is separable from an aqueous phase. The polyaniline salt so formed is soluble in organic carrier solvents at a concentration of 25 w/w % or greater.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an emulsion-polymerization process and to processible, electrically conductive polyaniline salts, and more particularly to an emulsion-polymerization process for producing a polyaniline salt of an organic acid wherein the polyaniline salt is soluble in organic carrier solvents.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Polyaniline is recognized as being chemically stable and electrically conductive in the protonated form. Nevertheless, use of polyaniline has been limited because it has been considered intractable or unprocessible.
Synthesis of polyaniline is commonly performed by the method of chemical oxidative polymerization based upon an aqueous solution polymerization system. (see Cao et al., Polymer, 30:2305, 1989). This method involves combining water, a protonic acid, aniline and an oxidizing agent and allowing the mixture to react while maintaining the reaction mixture at constant temperature. After a period of several hours, the precipitated polyaniline is separated from the reaction mixture and washed. Material synthesized by this approach is insoluble in organic solvents and predominantly amorphous. (Annis et al., Synth. Met. 22:191 et seq., 1986).
A second step after polymerization has been utilized to improve processibility consisting of doping the polyaniline to the conducting form with acids and dissolving in organic solvents. Tzou and Gregory (Synth. Met., 53:365f-377, 1993) used this approach and reported that polyaniline salts containing carboxyl and amino substituents were soluble in the polar solvents, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone and dimethylsulfoxide. In contrast, in the same solvents the polyaniline salts of dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid, 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonic acid and p-toluenesulfonic acid were insoluble or were unstable and precipitated.
Cao et al. reported on use of this method to prepare polyaniline salts of a number of protonic acids including 4-dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid and dinonylnaphthalene sulfonic acid. (Cao et al., Synthetic Metals 48:91-97, 1993; Cao et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,631, 1993). The polyaniline salts were reported to be soluble in nonpolar solvents such as xylene, however, the solubility appeared to be very low. For example the maximal solubility of the dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid salt of polyaniline was less than 0.5%.
In one variation of this process, the polyaniline was doped with one material predominantly at core of the particles and with a second material predominantly at the surface. The surface dopants were identified to be a number of possible protonic acids including dinonylnaphthalenesulfonic acid.(Shacklette et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,363). It is disclosed that use of the surface dopant is to achieve increased compatibility between the conductive polymer particles dispersed in a matrix polymer of lower surface energy and lesser polar character.
Emulsion polymerization processes for preparing a polyaniline salt of a protonic acid have been reported. (Cao et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,631, Example 6B, 1993; Cao and Jan-Erik, WO94/03528, 1994 I; Cao and Jan-Erik, U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,453, 1994 II; see also, Osterholm et al., P. Synth Met 55:1034-9, 1993). In these disclosures aniline, a protonic acid, and an oxidant were combined with a mixture of a polar liquid, typically water, and a non-polar or weakly polar liquid, e.g. xylene, chloroform, toluene, decahydronaphthalene and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, all of which are either sparingly soluble or insoluble in water. There was, however, no disclosure in the examples of the use of any non-polar or weakly-polar liquid having a solubility in water greater than one part in 200 parts water. Furthermore, because this group used organic solvents that were insoluble in water, the protonic acid was required to have substantial emulsifying properties. Moreover, the solvents used by this group are considered hazardous materials such that the polyaniline formed could not be used in coatings, finishes, paints, inks and the like, or in blends with other components without first separating the polyaniline from the solvent.

Emulsion-polymerization process and electrically-conductive polyaniline salts


The invention provides isolated nucleic acid sequences encoding polypeptides having nucleoside phosphoramidase activity, and methods of screening for nucleoside phosphoramidate compounds that are cleaved by a phosphoramidase or for phosphoramidases that are able to cleave phosphoramidate compounds. The invention also provides methods of delivering a nucleoside monophosphate.

Nucleoside phosphoramidates have a demonstrated utility as pro-drugs of antiviral and anticancer nucleoside monophosphates. In general, there is a requirement that therapeutic nucleosides be converted to at least the corresponding monophosphate before demonstrating biological activity. Nevertheless, many nucleosides are not substrates for the requisite nucleoside kinase. To overcome this hurdle, several approaches have been investigated, including the delivery of nucleoside monophosphoramidates. Although, the nature of the enzyme responsible for phosphoramidate hydrolysis has not been determined, direct evidence of intracellular P—N bond hydrolysis has been demonstrated. Therefore, the identification and characterization of phosphoramidases may facilitate the design of tissue- and species-specific nucleoside phosphoramidates having therapeutic utility.

Nucleoside phosphoramidates and nucleoside phosphoramidases


A display device, having a microcontroller, a graphics controller, and a pointer driven by a stepper motor. The graphics controller does not have an arithmetic logic unit and can be controlled by the microcontroller and by command sequences of a command sequencer contained in the graphics controller. The graphics controller has a stepper motor controller and the command sequencer has a watchdog timer. The watchdog timer is designed to monitor a connection signal between the microcontroller and the graphics controller and to start a first command sequence if the connection signal is overdue. The first command sequence is designed to use an internal cyclical signal to repeatedly start a second command sequence designed to move the stepper motor one step in the direction of a stop or a home position by the stepper motor controller.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a display device having a microcontroller, a graphics controller, and a pointer driven by means of a stepper motor. The graphics controller does not have an arithmetic logic unit and can be controlled by the microcontroller and by command sequences of a command sequencer contained in the graphics controller. In this arrangement, the graphics controller contains one or more stepper motor controllers and the command sequencer contains a watchdog timer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Special graphics controllers are used especially in displays in motor vehicles for reducing the workload of the microcontrollers and, nevertheless, being able to control complex, displays. In this context, the microcontroller controls the graphics controller that drive one or more electrooptical displays and one or more pointer instruments driven via a stepper motor. Such a graphics controller is known, for example, as the graphics controller MB88F332 by the company Fujitsu.
When the microcontroller and the graphics controller, due to a special construction of the display device, are not arranged on a common circuit board but on different circuit boards, the physical and logical connection of the microcontroller and the graphics controller is monitored. In the case of a fault, a user of the display device is provided with a clear indication that the display device exhibits a fault. In the case of a combined instrument of a motor vehicle, for example, this is intended to occur due to the fact that the pointers of an existing tachometer and a speedometer are moved into a home position, for example a zero position, so that a corresponding user of the display device is clearly presented with the fault case. The aforementioned graphics controller does not contain an arithmetic logic unit to move the existing pointer instrument into a home position in the case of a fault.

Display device having a stepper motor and a watchdog timer


In a radial minute gap between a substantially columnar shaft and an inner peripheral face of a substantially cylindrical sleeve, oil is retained and a radial dynamic pressure bearing is formed. A plurality of recessed portions are arranged in a circumferential direction on at least one of an outer peripheral face of the shaft and the inner peripheral face of the sleeve and a first hill portion is provided to an axial end portion of each the recessed portion. Thus, it is possible to achieve a dynamic pressure bearing with which sufficient radial shaft support can be obtained in spite of a short axial length.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a small and thin dynamic pressure bearing, a spindle motor formed by using the dynamic pressure bearing, and a recording disk drive device formed by using the spindle motor.
2. Background Art
Efforts are being made to miniaturize recording disk drive devices, such as hard disk drives, for use in computer equipment, home audiovisual equipment and portable equipment. As such, it has become necessary to reduce the size and thickness of the spindle motor used to rotate the recording disk within the disk drive device.
In the spindle motor for rotating the recording disk, a fluid dynamic pressure bearing is used to meet demands for quietness and long life. In order to support radial loads, substantially V-shaped herringbone grooves are formed in general. By arranging herringbone grooves in two rows in an axial direction, moment stiffness is obtained. However, if the motor is made thin and a radial length of the radial dynamic pressure bearing is reduced, it is difficult to arrange the herringbone grooves in a plurality of rows in the radial direction because of working constraints. However, with a row of grooves, the moment stiffness is insufficient and it is difficult to support the shaft stably.
On the other hand, so-called stepped grooves are employed widely, in which a bearing pitch of the radial bearing is varied in a circumferential direction to thereby support the shaft. With the stepped groove, however, the dynamic pressure is increased in a wide range in an axial direction and therefore sufficient moment stiffness cannot be obtained. For sufficient stiffness, rotational resistance due to generation of dynamic pressure increases and power consumption also increases.
It is an object of the present invention to provide the dynamic pressure bearing with which sufficient radial support of the shaft can be obtained in spite of a short axial length.

Fluid dynamic pressure bearing and recording disk drive device comprising the same