An elevating device for the worktable of a manual planer includes at least one base, one movable worktable and one elevating device. The elevating device comprises of a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a rotary base, a connecting rod base, a combining shaft and a spindle. When an operating member of the driving shaft is rotated, a driving gear of the driving shaft drives a first driven gear of the driven shaft to rotate, and a second driven gear of the driven shaft drives a third driven gear of the rotary base to rotate at the same time. Simultaneously, the rotary base is rotated to actuate the connecting rod base to operate, and the movable worktable positioned on the connecting rod base is moved upward or downward and is adjusted in its position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manual planer, particularly to one provided with an elevating which is a device simple in structure and able to be quickly and accurately adjusted for fixing the worktable in position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional planer is provided with an elevating device for adjusting the position of the worktable and so does the work piece on the worktable to be processed. The elevating device of the conventional planer comprises an elevating rod able to be actuated to move up and down for driving a support shaft to move and quickly adjust the position of the worktable of the planer. The elevating device comprises a micro-adjusting rod for carrying out micro-adjustment for the worktable. With this design of structure the elevating device of the conventional planer is able to carry out quick adjusting, micro-adjusting and positioning for the worktable of the planer. However, in adjusting the worktable, the elevating device has to carry out quick positioning first, and then micro-adjust and fixing the level of the worktable. Therefore, it is necessary to take much time to carry out such two-step adjusting and positioning. In addition, the elevating device is usually located under a movable worktable. users have to apply a lift force for carrying out adjusting of the movable worktable, this results in much inconvenience in the adjustment operation.

Elevating device for the worktable of a manual planer


An improved engine gear drive train arrangement is provided which effectively minimizes the crankshaft torsional vibrations at the location of the gear train, for engines with a front gear train. A flywheel is resiliently connected to the rear end portion of the crankshaft so as to resiliently connect a driven unit to the crankshaft. An extra inertial device is connected to the front end portion of the crankshaft and includes an inertia so selected as to cause a nodal point of the first torsional vibration mode of the crankshaft to be located in the vicinity of the crank gear to minimize the amplitude of torsional deflection of the crankshaft at the crank gear. Also, the device for resiliently connecting the flywheel to the rear end portion of the crankshaft may include resilient members positioned in cavities formed by engaging rings. The nodal point of the first torsional mode of the crankshaft is optimally positioned close to the crank gear by selecting an inertia for the rear mounted flywheel, an optimum inertia for the front mounted inertial device and a resilient material for the flywheel connecting device having the appropriate stiffness, so that the combination of these features achieves the desired nodal point positioning for a given engine or application.

In internal combustion engines, an engine crankshaft is the primary source of torsional load. A crank gear is typically mounted on one end of the crankshaft for driving the engine gear train which includes the cam gear and camshaft among other gear driven elements. Throughout operation of the engine, the torque applied to the crankshaft varies due to, for example, the periodic firing of the engine's cylinders, the engagement and disengagement of driven elements such as a transmission, and the starting, stopping and variations in the speed of rotation of the crankshaft. These torque variations create torsional vibrations which may be transmitted to the gear train of the engine often undesirably causing increased noise, premature engine wear and thus reduced gear life and possibly engine, failure. In addition, since the engine drive gear train is used to drive engine components which are critical to proper engine operation, torsional vibrations transmitted through the gear train may adversely affect engine operation, such as the accuracy of fuel injection timing.
In a conventional engine, a flywheel typically is attached to the rear end of the crankshaft adjacent a coupling/clutch assembly for connection to a driven unit while a damper is attached to the front end of the crankshaft. The flywheel functions to smooth out the power surges generated by the periodic firings in the cylinders thus assisting in minimizing torsional vibrations. Likewise, the damper functions to dampen out or reduce vibrations by dissipating energy. However, while flywheels and dampers achieve some success, torsional vibrations continue to be a significant problem. These torsional vibrations are especially evident in front gear train engines wherein the engine timing gear train is connected to a crank gear mounted on the free end, or front, portion of the crankshaft. For example, the applicant has noted that the inertia associated with the flywheels of prior art couplings tend to cause the node of the first mode of crankshaft torsional vibration to be located in the vicinity of the flywheel, near the rear portion of the crankshaft. The node point corresponds to zero torsional vibration induced motion of the crankshaft of a particular mode. Locating the node near the flywheel has the effect of maximizing the amplitude of the torsional vibration experienced by the front end portion of the crankshaft. Since the timing gear train, and perhaps accessory drives, are typically connected to the front end portion of the crankshaft, the relatively large amplitude of torsional movement of the front end portion of the crankshaft creates undesirable torsional vibrations in the timing gear train. The deleterious effects of torsional vibrations on the gear train are becoming an even greater concern as the demands on the timing gear train, such as higher injection pressure, are increased.
One possible solution to the node positioning problem is to attach the crank gear/timing gear arrangement to the rear end of the crankshaft instead of the front end, i.e. a rear gear train engine. However, a rear gear train mounting arrangement results in various significant drawbacks compared to the front gear train engine. For example, a rear gear train arrangement results in a larger engine incapable of installation in many applications thereby creating complex packaging issues. In addition, accessibility to the engine gear train connection and other engine components is substantially reduced thus increasing the costs and down time associated with engine service, including repair and maintenance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,884 to Allen discloses a torsional vibration isolator device including a flywheel resiliently mounted on the rear end of a crankshaft. The flywheel is thus effectively isolated from the crankshaft to create a natural frequency of torsional vibration of the system to a frequency well below a normal operating range of the engine. However, the assembly results in the node point of zero motion of the crankshaft being located on the rear portion of the crankshaft, an undesirable distance from a front-mounted timing gear train drive.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,681 to Crofts discloses a torsional tunable coupling for a diesel engine, including a flywheel connected to a crankshaft which effectively moves the node to the center of the crankshaft. However, the flywheel is rigidly connected to the crankshaft. Also, by using a flywheel having a very low inertia, this arrangement is unlikely to effectively control the rigid body motion of the crankshaft, thus failing to sufficiently prevent undesirable torsional vibration from being transmitted to the driven unit, i.e. transmission.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,880,626 to Nallinger discloses a crankshaft assembly including flywheel inertia mounted on the rear portion of the crankshaft, auxiliary flywheel inertia mounted on the front portion of the crankshaft and an oscillation absorber mounted on the front portion of the crankshaft. The auxiliary flywheel inertia and the oscillation absorber are designed to operate together to reduce the amplitude of torsional vibrations. However, this patent no where suggests shifting the nodal point of first torsional vibration toward a crank gear to minimize the amplitude of torsional vibration at the crank gear. Nallinger does not even appreciate the need to reduce the vibration transferred to the engine gear train. Therefore, Nallinger does not suggest that the inertia of the auxiliary flywheel should be selected to cause the nodal point to be located in the vicinity of the crank gear. In addition, the rear mounted flywheel is rigidly connected to the crankshaft and, therefore, this reference could not suggest selecting a resilient connection having a stiffness capable of optimally positioning the nodal point relative to the crank gear. U.S. Pat. No. 1,884,410 to Vincent discloses a crankshaft assembly including a flywheel rigidly mounted at the rear of the crankshaft. However, the Vincent assembly suffers the same drawbacks of discussed hereinabove with respect to Nallinger.
Another goal of engine designers is to effectively control gear rattle and noise. The gears are designed with looseness or backlash between the gear teeth to permit effective meshing, and prevent binding of the gears. This lash permits the gears to experience backlash and rattling in response to torsional vibrations and other effects, such as load changes, undesirably resulting in excessive gear noise and/or high loads on the gear teeth.
Consequently, there is a need for an engine drive train having a front mounted gear train which is capable of minimizing the torsional deflection experienced at the location of the connection of the gear train to the crankshaft.

Engine drive train having a front gear train with improved torsional dynamics


The invention provides methods for determining the MSI status of a patient by liquid biopsy with sample preparation using hybrid capture and non-unique barcodes. In certain aspects, the invention provides a method of detecting microsatellite instability (MSI). The method includes obtaining cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from a sample of blood or plasma from a patient and sequencing portions of the cfDNA to obtain sequences of a plurality of tracts of nucleotide repeats in the cfDNA. A report is provided describing an MSI status in the patient when a distribution of lengths of the plurality of tracts has peaks that deviate significantly from peaks in a reference distribution.

Cancer causes more than a half a million deaths each year in the United States alone. The success of current treatments depends on the type of cancer and the stage at which it is detected. Many treatments include costly and painful surgeries and chemotherapies, and are often unsuccessful. Early and accurate detection of mutations is essential for effective cancer therapy.
Many cancers involve the accumulation of mutations that results from failure of the DNA mismatch-repair (MMR). One important marker of MMR deficiency is microsatellite instability (MSI), a polymorphism of tandem nucleotide repeat lengths ubiquitously distributed throughout the genome. The presence of MMR-deficiency or MSI may serve as a marker for immunotherapy response with checkpoint inhibition. Knowledge of MSI status is thus important and valuable for the treatment of cancer. While it may be possible to determine MSI status by sequencing DNA from a tumor sample, such as a formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue specimen, there are patients for whom tumor material is not readily obtained.
Absent a fixed tissue specimen, a potential source for tumor information is through the analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). ctDNA is released from tumor tissue into the blood and can be analyzed by liquid biopsy. Liquid biopsies potentially allow for the detection and characterization of cancer. However, liquid biopsies present their own inherent challenges associated with low circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels as well as problems with faithfully amplifying and sequencing regions of DNA characterized by tracts of mononucleotide repeats.

Process for microsatellite instability detection


A hinge for recessed installation between a door frame and a door panel has two housings adapted for recessing in the door frame and an edge of the door panel, a link assembly extending between and pivotally interconnecting the two housings, and a multiconductor cable extending between the housings and having opposite ends each in a respective one of the housings. Respective connectors on the ends of the cable are fixed in the housings.

As described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,829,808, which is herewith incorporated by reference, a known door hinge for recessed installation between an edge of a door panel and a door jamb has first and second housings that each form a cavity and are recessed in the door-panel edge and in the door jamb. A pair of U-section links pivoted centrally together about a center axis each have a first end and a second end engaged in the cavities of the respective first and second housings. The first end of one of the links and the second end of the other link are pivoted about respective vertical axes fixed in the respective housings and the second end of the one link and the first end of the other link are pivotal about another respective vertical axis and horizontally shiftable in a respective guide of the respective housings. Thus when the assemblies are fitted to respective mortises in the jamb and door edge, when the door is closed the hinge is not visible.
By providing an electrical connection assembly extending between the two housings, such hinges fasten doors not only invisibly on a door frame but also can be set up to connect electrical loads and sensors on them without a visible cable. Possible areas of use are, for example, electrical door locks, alarm systems, access monitoring systems, illumination devices and fire alarm systems.
A hinge with the above-described features is known from DE 10 2007 041 816. In this known hinge a ribbon cable extends through between the links of the link assembly and exits through holes on the back walls of the housings.
In a hinge known from US 2001/0026204 a flexible electrical connection assembly is provided that comprises electrical connectors on both ends. The connectors are connected to each other by a cable.
The known measures are expensive to assemble. Furthermore, the cable that runs through the link assembly can be damaged by uncontrolled intrinsic movements during actuation of the hinge.
This represents a serious danger for the functionality of the attached devices.

Recessed hinge with electrical connection


Fatty acid esters of hydroxyalkylsulfonates and fatty acid amides of aminoalkylsulfonates are prepared by heating an excess of the fatty acids with the sulfonate until the water of condensation is removed. The excess fatty acid is removed by distillation and the isolated fatty acid ester or amide product is directly and rapidly cooled to minimize decomposition and color degradation.

The preparation of said esters by the direct esterification of the fatty acid with the hydroxyalkylsulfonate and said amides by the amidification of the fatty acid with the aminoalkylsulfonate has presented difficulties because of the high temperature required to obtain suitable conversion. At the temperatures required for the direct esterification and amidification reactions, usually in the range of 200.degree. to 250.degree. C., the hot reaction product rapidly loses activity and degrades in color. Various methods are taught in the art to avoid loss in activity and color degradation of the reaction product.
Several patents teach the desirability of accelerating the reaction. Sundberg in U.S. Pat. No. 2,857,370 teaches the use of a boron-containing compound as a catalyst at reduced pressure or in an inert atmosphere. Anderson et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 2,923,724 disclose the use of a phosphorus containing compound such as phosphoric acid or phosphate as an accelerator. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,136, Koczorowski et al. teach that quantitative yields may be obtained at relatively low temperatures by using hydroxyalkylsulfonic acid which is substantially free from its salts, while operating at reduced pressure. The reaction product in this case must be neutralized to obtain the desired metal salt, introducing a further step. Zinc and zirconium salts are disclosed as catalysts for the esterification reaction by Cahn in U.S. Pat. No. 3,320,292 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,396, respectively.
A number of prior art patents teach the use of modifications of the fatty acid to improve the reactivity. For example, Schenck in U.S. Pat. No. 2,898,352 teaches the use of a mixed borate-fatty acid anhydride. This patent further teaches that the resulting borax may be removed from the reaction product by filtration of the molten product or by solvent extraction, using either organic solvents such as hydrocarbons, alcohols or esters to remove the fatty acid isethionic acid esters or aqueous extractions to remove the borax and sodium isethionate. Wrigley et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,181 describe the use of isopropanol fatty esters to react with hydroxyalkylsulfonate salts.
Several of the patents already mentioned also teach the desirability of maintaining a nitrogen atmosphere in order to avoid oxidation of the reaction product and also the use of reduced pressure to permit the removal of water formed during condensation at a lower temperature.
A number of patents teach a method by which the reaction product is purified so as to remove the unreacted fatty acid, sulfonate or mixture thereof that is typically present. McCrimlisk in U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,858 teaches the removal of lower fatty acids by a two-stage vacuum stripping, in which higher fatty acids are added to the reaction mixture after some of the lower acids have been removed, in order to maintain fluidity and to make possible the further removal of the lower fatty acids. Molteni in U.S. Pat. No. Patent Re. 23,823 uses an excess of sodium isethionate in his reaction and removes the excess after the esterification has taken place by dispersing the product in water, evaporating and precipitating out the desired fatty acid ester. Russell et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 2,303,582, Potter in U.S. Pat. No. 2,307,953, and Russell in U.S. Pat. No. 2,316,719 all describe methods for separating inorganic salts from organic sulfonates or sulfates by forming two-phase liquid systems in which the inorganic salt is in aqueous solution and the organic compound is dissolved in an organic solvent, which may be an alcohol such as isopropanol. The aqueous layer is drawn off to remove the inorganic salt. Landy in U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,897 describes a process in which a hydroxyalkyl sulfonate is reacted with a fatty acid halide in anhydrous dialkyl ketone. When the reaction is complete, the mixture is cooled and the insoluble ester is filtered from the dialkyl ketone solvent, washed and dried.
Holt et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,429,136 teach that degradation of the hot reaction product may be avoided by injecting cold water into the hot crude condensate to cool the mass below a temperature at which rapid discoloration would occur. A disadvantage of this method is that the addition of water can lead to an undesirable hydrolysis side reaction. Login et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,721 describe immersion of hot crude fatty acid ester in a liquid such as an alcohol solvent that is at a temperature lower than the crude reaction mixture to effect cooling of the reaction mixture. Cooling by this method requires the use of a liquid in which the ester is substantially insoluble and the unreacted fatty acid is soluble. A slurry is formed in which the solid phase comprises relatively pure ester and the liquid phase comprises the cooling liquid and unreacted fatty acid. The solid phase is thereafter separated from the liquid phase of the slurry, typically by filtration or by centrifugation. The filtrate is typically distilled to recover free fatty acid and cooling liquid. Hence, a disadvantage of this method is that it requires several process steps to cool and isolate the reaction product.
Urban et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,338 describe the use of an alkaline quenching material to neutralize the acid catalyst, thereby reducing or eliminating darkening and deterioration of the reaction product caused by severe stripping conditions.
All of the above mentioned citations as well as any other citations noted hereinbelow are understood to be incorporated by reference in toto into this disclosure.

Process for preparing fatty acid esters and amides of sulfonic acid salts

Rhone-Poulenc Surfactants and Specialties, L.P.


File system restoration is made more flexible through the use of indicators of individual file restoration status throughout the restoration process. Such indicators are particularly useful in the restoration of large file systems where, for example, the number of files may range upwards of several hundred million. Since file system restoration for large systems takes such a relatively long time, the present invention provides various degrees of individual file access even as the restoration process is being carried out. During file system restoration times, file access may be full or limited to a file's attributes. Most advantageously, the present invention is capable of providing full, dynamically driven (on-demand) file access even during file system restoration operations.

The present invention is generally directed to the management of very large file systems. Such file systems are typically used in conjunction with large data processing systems. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a method and system for rapidly restoring a data file system such as might be present in a Storage Area Network (SAN) environment. Such environments are often used in conjunction with distributed data processing systems. However, the present invention is not limited to these environments.
The advent of SAN file systems and low cost storage have created the possibility of very large file systems with a very large numbers of files. In fact, file systems having capacities of several terabyte (1 terabyte=1012 bytes=1,000 gigabytes) exist today and larger ones are possible. Unfortunately, the time to completely restore a file system from a backup copy is proportional to the file system size. Assuming 20 megabyte/second tape speeds and ignoring tape handling time and any software overhead, the restoration of 1 terabyte of data from tape would require over 10 hours. The customer has the choice of manually restoring files of particular interest first and allowing access to the file system or delaying access until all data has been restored. The first option requires that the system administrator be able to first precisely identify the desired data, since applications that access unrestored data would otherwise fail. The second option involves the delay of restoration of business until all of the files have been restored from tape. Neither of these alternatives is wholly satisfactory.
The present invention employs data structures which are also found within a related invention presented in application Ser. No. 10602156 titled "Parallel High Speed Backup for a Storage Area Network (SAN) File System," which is being filed concurrently herewith. The present invention also employs techniques found within the parallel support aspects of Hierarchical Storage management features contained within GPFS (General Parallel File System), a product sold by International Business Machines Corporation, the assignee of the present invention, in support of its pSeries product line. However, the present invention also adds new features which provide the capability of accessing backed data on an on-demand basis while still continuing a normal restoration of the file system. The present invention allows applications (that is, application programs) to begin using the file system even immediately after a file system restoration process has just begun, thereby greatly reducing the time the file system and a customer's data is unavailable.
For a better understanding of the environment in which the present invention is employed, the following terms are employed in the art to refer to generally well understood concepts. The definitions provided below are supplied for convenience and for improved understanding of the problems involved and the solution proposed and are not intended as implying variations from generally understood meanings, as appreciated by those skilled in the file system arts. Since the present invention is closely involved with the concepts surrounding files and file systems, it is therefore useful to provide the reader with a brief description of at least some of the more pertinent terms. A more complete list is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,216 which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. This patent is hereby incorporated herein by reference. The following glossary of select terms from this patent is provided below since these terms are the ones that are most relevant in terms of providing a better appreciation and understanding of the present invention:
Data/File System Data: These are arbitrary strings of bits which have meaning only in the context of a specific application.
File: A named string of bits which can be accessed by a computer application. A file has certain standard attributes such as length, a modification time and a time of last access.
Metadata: These are the control structures created by the file system software to describe the structure of a file and the use of the disks which contain the file system. Specific types of metadata which apply to file systems of this type are more particularly characterized below and include directories, inodes, allocation maps and logs.
Directories: these are control structures which associate a name with a set of data represented by an inode.
Inode: a data structure which contains the attributes of the file plus a series of pointers to areas of disk (or other storage media) which contain the data which make up the file. An inode may be supplemented by indirect blocks which supplement the inode with additional pointers, say, if the file is large.
Allocation maps: these are control structures which indicate whether specific areas of the disk (or other control structures such as inodes) are in use or are available. This allows software to effectively assign available blocks and inodes to new files. This term is useful for a general understanding of file system operation, but is only peripherally involved with the operation of the present invention.
Logs: these are a set of records used to keep the other types of metadata in synchronization (that is, in consistent states) to guard against loss in failure situations. Logs contain single records which describe related updates to multiple structures. This term is also only peripherally useful, but is provided in the context of alternate solutions as described above.
File system: a software component which manages a defined set of disks (or other media) and provides access to data in ways to facilitate consistent addition, modification and deletion of data and data files. The term is also used to describe the set of data and metadata contained within a specific set of disks (or other media). While the present invention is typically used most frequently in conjunction with rotating magnetic disk storage systems, it is usable with any data storage medium which is capable of being accessed by name with data located in nonadjacent blocks; accordingly, where the terms "disk" or "disk storage" or the like are employed herein, this more general characterization of the storage medium is intended.
Snapshot: a file or set of files that capture the state of the file system at a given point in time.
Metadata controller: a node or processor in a networked computer system (such as the pSeries of scalable parallel systems offered by the assignee of the present invention) through which all access requests to a file are processed. This term is provided for completeness, but is not relevant to an understanding of the operation of the present invention.

Rapid restoration of file system usage in very large file systems


A kneaded sand property adjusting system including: a kneading device; a kneaded sand storage hopper that stores kneaded sand; a molding device that molds the sand conveyed from the sand storage hopper; a control device that controls water injection until a property of the sand meets a kneaded sand target property; and kneaded sand amount measuring instruments that measure the amount of sand stored in storage hopper, wherein the control device stores the batch number of each kneaded batch and the kneaded sand property measured at the time of kneading, calculates the batch number of the kneaded batch that corresponds to the molding sand being loaded into the molding device by the kneaded sand amount measuring instruments, associates the property of the molding sand with the property stored on by the batch number that was calculated, and corrects the target property on the basis of the values of the properties.

As seen in prior art, sand casting, which is a casting method that uses sand as molds, is widely practiced. In sand casting, molten metal cast in a sand mold solidifies and then the casting is shaken out, separating the sand used as the mold from the casting. The separated sand is recovered as recovered sand, subjected to foreign matter removal as well as sand cooling, kneaded and adjusted, and then reused for molding sand molds.
Green sand molds are mainly kneaded and adjusted by batch kneading machines, particularly in green sand mold molding. Additives such as bentonite that were added to green sand are consumed by pouring a high-temperature melt into a mold and bringing green sand into contact with the melt. In a kneading machine, consumed additives are replenished, water is added, and the sand is kneaded and adjusted so as to be green sand that is suitable for molding. Compactability (hereinafter referred to as "CB") values or sand moisture values are often used as indicators for green sand that is suitable for molding. CB controllers, moisture controllers and the like are used for the measurement and control of such indicators.
Kneaded sand that has been kneaded and adjusted using such controllers is conveyed to a molding machine. If the kneading machine and the molding machine are placed apart, kneaded sand discharged from the kneading machine is conveyed by a belt conveyor, stored inside a hopper, and then supplied as molding sand from the hopper to the molding machine. During such times as when kneaded sand is being conveyed and molding sand is being stored, the properties of green sand change due to the evaporation of moisture and the passing of time.
To deal with such property changes, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for setting kneading target CB values in accordance with the temperature of sand loaded into a kneading machine.
In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a sand property stabilization method as follows. First, the sand property measurement time and the sand property measured value at the time of discharge by a kneading machine, as well as the sand property measurement time and the sand property measured value before a molding machine, are measured and recorded. Next, from the previous sand property measurement time before the molding machine and the sand transportation time from the kneading machine to the molding machine, the kneading time of the sand corresponding thereto is calculated, and then the sand property measured value at the time of discharge by the kneading machine at the calculated kneading time is retrieved and read out. The amount of change in the sand property measured value due to the transportation route of sand is calculated from the sand property measured value at the time of discharge by the kneading machine at the calculated kneading time and the previous sand property measured value before the molding machine. The kneading machine is controlled on the basis of the amount of change.    [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-5841 A    [Patent Document 2] JP 4129728 B

Property adjusting system and property adjusting method for kneaded sand


The performance of a plasma processing apparatus which is disassembled, transferred, and reassembled is evaluated. The plasma processing apparatus has a plasma processing chamber having an electrode for exciting a plasma, a radiofrequency generator connected to the electrode, and an impedance matching circuit for performing the impedance matching between the plasma processing chamber and the radiofrequency generator. The performance of the apparatus is evaluated whether or not three times the first series resonant frequency of the plasma processing chamber is larger than the power frequency supplied to the plasma processing chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus and to an evaluation method, a performance management system, and a performance validation system for the plasma processing apparatus and a plasma processing system. More particularly, the present invention is suitable for continuously securing the performance of the plasma processing apparatus to be maintained at a required level even after the plasma processing apparatus or system is delivered to a customer site.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 22 illustrates an example of a conventional dual-frequency excitation plasma processing apparatus which performs a plasma process such as a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a sputtering process, a dry etching process, or an ashing process.
In the plasma processing apparatus shown in FIG. 22, a matching circuit 2A is inserted between a radiofrequency generator 1 and a plasma excitation electrode 4. The matching circuit 2A serves as a circuit that matches the impedance between the radiofrequency generator 1 and the excitation electrode 4.
Radiofrequency power from the radiofrequency generator 1 is fed to the plasma excitation electrode 4 via the matching circuit 2A and a feed plate 3. The matching circuit 2A is accommodated in a matching box 2 which is a housing composed of a conductive material. The plasma excitation electrode 4 and the feed plate 3 are covered by a chassis 21 made of a conductor.
The plasma excitation electrode 4 is provided with a projection 4a at the lower side thereof. A shower plate 5 having many holes 7 provided under the plasma excitation electrode 4 is in contact with the projection 4a. The plasma excitation electrode 4 and the shower plate 5 define a space 6. A gas feeding tube 17 comprising a conductor is connected to the space 6. The gas feeding tube 17 is provided with an insulator 17a at the middle thereof so as to insulate the plasma excitation electrode 4 and the gas source.
Gas from the gas feeding tube 17 is fed inside a chamber space 60 composed of a chamber wall 10, via the holes 7 in the shower plate 5. An insulator 9 is disposed between the chamber wall 10 and the plasma excitation electrode 4 (cathode) to provide insulation therebetween. The exhaust system is omitted from the drawing.
A wafer susceptor (susceptor electrode) 8 which receives a substrate 16 and also serves as a plasma excitation electrode is installed inside the chamber space 60. A susceptor shield 12 is disposed under the wafer susceptor 8.
The susceptor shield 12 comprises a shield supporting plate 12A for receiving the susceptor electrode 8 and a cylindrical supporting cylinder 12B extending downward from the center of the shield supporting plate 12A. The supporting cylinder 12B penetrates a chamber bottom 10A, and the lower portion of the supporting cylinder 12B and the chamber bottom 10A are hermetically sealed with bellows 11.
The shaft 13 and the susceptor electrode 8 are electrically isolated from the susceptor shield 12 by a gap between the susceptor shield 12 and the susceptor electrode 8 and by insulators 12C provided around the shaft 13. The insulators 12C also serve to maintain high vacuum in the chamber space 60. The susceptor electrode 8 and the susceptor shield 12 can be moved upward and downward by the bellows 11 in order to control the distance between plasma excitation electrodes 4 and 8.
The susceptor electrode 8 is connected to a second radiofrequency generator 15 via the shaft 13 and a matching circuit accommodated in a matching box 14. The chamber wall 10 and the susceptor shield 12 have equal DC potentials.
FIG. 23 illustrates another example of a conventional plasma processing apparatus. Unlike the plasma processing apparatus shown in FIG. 22, the plasma processing apparatus shown in FIG. 23 is of a single-frequency excitation type. In other words, a radiofrequency power is supplied only to the cathode electrode 4 and the susceptor electrode 8 is grounded. Moreover, the matching box 14 and the radiofrequency generator 15 shown in FIG. 18 are not provided. The susceptor electrode 8 and the chamber wall 10 have the same DC potential.
In these plasma processing apparatuses, power with a frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz is generally supplied in order to generate a plasma between the electrodes 4 and 8. A plasma process such as a plasma-enhanced CVD process, a sputtering process, a dry etching process, or an ashing process is then performed using the plasma.
The operation validation and the evaluation of the above-described plasma processing apparatuses have been conducted by actually performing the process such as deposition and then evaluating the deposition characteristics thereof as follows.
(1) Deposition Tate and In-plane Uniformity
The process of determining and evaluating deposition rates and planar uniformity includes the following.
Step 1: Depositing a desired layer on a 6-inch substrate by a plasma-enhanced CVD process.
Step 2: Patterning a resist layer.
Step 3: Dry-etching the layer.
Step 4: Separating the resist layer by ashing.
Step 5: Measuring step differences in the layer thickness using a contact-type displacement meter.
Step 6: Calculating the deposition rate from the deposition time and the layer thickness.
Step 7: Measuring the in-plane uniformity at 16 points.
(2) BHF Etching Rate
The process of determining etching rates includes the following.
A resist mask is patterned as in Steps 1 and 2 above.
Step 3: Immersing the substrate in a buffered hydrofluoric acid (BHF) solution for one minute.
Step 4: Rinsing the substrate with deionized water, drying the substrate, and separating the resist mask using a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide (H2SO4+H2O2)
Step 5: Measuring the step difference as in Step 5 above.
Step 6: Calculating the etching rate from the immersion time and the step differences.
(3) Isolation Voltage
The process of determining and evaluating the isolation voltage includes the following.
Step 1: Depositing a conductive layer on a glass substrate by a sputtering method and patterning the conductive layer to form a lower electrode.
Step 2: Depositing an insulation layer by a plasma-enhanced CVD method.
Step 3: Forming an upper electrode as in Step 1.
Step 4: Forming a contact hole for the lower electrode.
Step 5: Measuring the current-voltage characteristics (I–V characteristics) of the upper and lower electrodes by using probes while applying a voltage of approximately 200 V or less.
Step 6: Defining the isolation voltage as the voltage V at 100 pA corresponding 1 μA/cm2 in a 100 μm square electrode.
The plasma processing apparatus has been required to achieve a higher plasma processing rate (the deposition rate or the processing speed), increased productivity, and uniformity of the plasma processing in the in-plane direction of the substrates to be treated (uniformity in the distribution of the layer thickness in the in-plane direction and uniformity in the distribution of the process variation in the in-plane direction). As the size of substrates has been increasing in recent years, the requirement for uniformity in the in-plane direction is becoming tighter.
Moreover, as the size of the substrate is increased, the power required is also increased to the order of kilowatts, thus increasing the power consumption. Accordingly, as the capacity of the power supply increases, both the cost for developing the power supply and the power consumption during the operation of the apparatus are increased. In this respect, it is desirable to reduce the operation costs.
Furthermore, an increase in power consumption leads to an increase in emission of carbon dioxide which places a burden on the environment. Since the power consumption is increased by the combination of increase in the size of substrates and a low power consumption efficiency, there is a growing demand to reduce the carbon dioxide emission.
The density of the plasma generated can be improved by increasing the plasma excitation frequency. For example, a frequency in the VHF band of 30 MHz or more can be used instead of the conventional 13.56 MHz. Thus, one possible way to improve the deposition rate of a deposition apparatus such as a plasma-enhanced CVD apparatus is to employ a high plasma excitation frequency.
Another type of plasma processing apparatus is one having a plurality of plasma chambers (multi-chamber plasma processing apparatus). Such a plasma processing apparatus is also required to achieve a higher plasma processing rate (the deposition rate or the processing speed), increased productivity, and uniformity of the plasma processing in the in-plane direction of the substrates (uniformity in the distribution of the layer thickness in the in-plane direction and uniformity in the distribution of the process variation in the in-plane direction), even when the substrates are treated in different plasma chambers. There is also a demand to eliminate operational differences among the plurality of the plasma chambers, thus avoiding processing variations.
Moreover, the respective plasma chambers of the plasma processing apparatus having the plurality of plasma processing chambers are required to achieve substantially the same plasma processing results by using the same process recipe specifying external parameters such as the flow and pressure of the charged gasses, power supply, and treatment time.
At the time of initial installation or maintenance of the plasma processing apparatus, there is a demand to reduce the amount of time required for adjusting the apparatus to eliminate differences among the plural plasma chambers and processing variations, so that substantially the same process results can be achieved by using the same process recipe. Reduction of the cost required for such an adjustment is also required.
Furthermore, a plasma processing system equipped with a plurality of the above-described plasma processing apparatuses is also required to eliminate plasma processing variations among individual plasma chambers of the individual plasma processing apparatuses.
In the above-described conventional plasma processing apparatuses, the power consumption efficiency (the ratio of the power consumed in the plasma processing chamber to the power supplied from the radiofrequency generator 1 to the plasma excitation electrode 4) is not satisfactory. Especially as the frequency supplied from the radiofrequency generator is increased, the power consumption efficiency in the plasma processing apparatus becomes significantly lower. Moreover, the power consumption efficiency decreases as the substrate size becomes larger.
As a result, the effective power consumed in the plasma space is low due to the low power consumption efficiency, resulting in a lower deposition rate. Moreover, when applied to the deposition of insulating layers, it is difficult to form insulating layers of high isolation voltage.
While the plasma processing apparatus is required to achieve a desired performance level, the multi-chamber plasma processing apparatus having the plurality of plasma processing chambers and the plasma processing system are required to eliminate the differences in the performance of plasma process among the plurality of plasma processing chambers. Even when the plasma processing apparatus is optimized as above, the level of the performance may not be maintained at the desired level and the differences among the plasma processing chambers may occur after the plasma processing apparatus has repeated plasma processes. When adjustment works such as overhauling, parts replacement, assembly with alignment or the like are performed, it is possible that the performance is not maintained at the level maintained before the adjustment works. When the plasma processing apparatus is transferred, the plasma processing apparatus is disassembled first, transferred, and then reassembled at the customer site. In this case also it is possible that the performance is not maintained at the level maintained before the transfer due to the vibration during the transfer and inappropriate reassembly work.
When processes (1) to (3) described above are employed to evaluate whether the operation of the plasma processing apparatus and the difference among the plasma processing chambers are maintained within the required levels, it becomes necessary to actually operate the plasma processing apparatus and to examine the treated substrates using an ex-situ inspection method requiring a plurality of steps.
Such an evaluation takes several days to several weeks to yield evaluation results, and the characteristics of the substrates manufactured during that period, assuming that the manufacturing line is not stopped, remain unknown during that period. If the status of the plasma processing apparatus is not satisfactory, the resulting products will not meet predetermined standards. In this respect, a method that facilitates maintenance of the plasma processing apparatus has been demanded.
The conventional plasma processing apparatuses described above are designed to use a power having a frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz and is not suited for higher frequencies. To be more specific, the units to which the radiofrequency voltage is delivered, i.e., the chambers in which plasma processing is performed, are designed without taking into an account radiofrequency characteristics such as impedance and resonance frequency characteristics and thus have the following problems.
First, when a power having a frequency exceeding 13.56 MHz is delivered, no improvement is achieved in the deposition rate during the deposition process, but rather the deposition rate is decreased in some cases.
Second, although the density of a generated plasma increases as the frequency increases, the density starts to decrease once its peak value is reached, eventually reaching a level at which glow-discharge is no longer possible, thus rendering further increases in frequency pointless.
In addition to the disadvantages described above, the conventional plasma processing apparatuses have the following disadvantages.
The conventional multi-chamber type plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing system, both comprising a plurality of plasma chambers, are not designed to eliminate the differences in electrical radiofrequency characteristics such as impedance and resonant frequency characteristics among the plasma chambers. Thus, it is possible that the effective power consumed in each of plasma spaces and the density of the generated plasma differ between each of the plasma chambers.
Also, the same plasma processing results may not be obtained even when the same process recipe is applied to these plasma chambers.
Accordingly, in order to obtain the same plasma processing results, external parameters such as gas flow/pressure, power supply, process time, and the like must be compared with the process results according to evaluation methods (1) to (3) described above for each of the plasma chambers so as to determine the correlation between them. However, the amount of data is enormous and it is impossible to completely carry out the comparison.
When methods (1) to (3) described above are employed to validate and evaluate the operation of the plasma processing apparatus, it becomes necessary to actually operate the plasma processing apparatus and to examine the treated substrates using an ex-situ inspection method comprising a plurality of steps.
Since such an inspection requires several days to several weeks to yield evaluation results, it is desired that the time required for performance inspection of a plasma processing apparatus be reduced especially when the apparatus is in the development stage.
Moreover, when methods (1) to (3) described above are employed to inspect the plasma processing apparatus or system having a plurality of plasma chambers, the time required for adjusting the plasma processing chambers so as to eliminate the difference in performance and variation in processing among the plasma processing chambers to achieve the same processing results using the same process recipe may be months. The time required for such adjustment needs to be reduced. Also, the cost of substrates for inspection, the cost of processing the substrates for inspection, the labor cost for workers involved with the adjustment, and so forth are significantly high.
As described above, while the plasma processing apparatus is required to achieve a desired performance level, the multi-chamber plasma processing apparatus having the plurality of plasma processing chambers and the plasma processing system are required to eliminate the differences in the performance of plasma process among the plurality of plasma processing chambers.
Even when the plasma processing apparatus has been optimized as above, the plasma processing apparatus is generally disassembled before the transfer and then reassembled at the customer site. Thus, it is possible that the performance is not maintained at the level generated before the transfer due to the vibration during the transfer and inappropriate reassembly work.
When processes (1) to (3) described above are employed to evaluate whether the operation of the plasma processing apparatus and the difference among the plasma processing chambers are maintained within the required levels, it becomes necessary to actually operate the plasma processing apparatus and to examine the treated substrates using an ex-situ inspection method requiring a plurality of steps.
If the performance of the plasma processing apparatus does not satisfy the required levels, it is necessary to repeat long series of cycles of adjusting the plasma processing apparatus, performing a plasma process on a substrate, and evaluating the processed substrate, thereby extending the initialization process of the delivered plasma processing apparatus. The length of the time required to complete the initialization process of a production line directly effects the annual sales, and a prolonged initialization process leads to an opportunity loss since the products can not be made available for the market at a suitable time.
Thus, it is desired that the validation of the performance of the plasma processing apparatus be performed more easily and that the cycle of fault detection and performance of corrective action be performed in a shorter period of time, so as to shorten the initialization process of the plasma processing apparatus.

Performance evaluation method for plasma processing apparatus for continuously maintaining a desired performance level


One or more embodiments are directed to optical module assemblies, such as a camera module assembly, and methods of forming same. One embodiment is directed to an optical module assembly that includes a substrate having a first surface. An optical device is secured to the first surface of the substrate and electrically coupled to the substrate. A molded body is located on the first surface of the substrate outward of the optical device. The molded body includes a first recess. A lens assembly is secured to the molded body over the first recess by an adhesive material located in the first recess. In some embodiments, the molded body of the optical module assembly further includes a second recess spaced apart from the first recess. A transparent material is secured to the molded body over the second recess by an adhesive material located in the second recess.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to optical devices that include camera module assemblies.
2. Description of the Related Art
Camera module assemblies are used in various applications for capturing still images and videos. Such applications include smartphones, tablets, and cameras, which in general, have a consistent market demand for small and compact devices. In that regard, manufacturers are pressured to produce smaller electronic assemblies that are used in the various electronic devices.
Generally described, camera module assemblies include a lens assembly located over an image sensor that may be attached to a substrate. Typically, the lens assembly is also attached to a surface of the substrate using a curing process, such as an ultraviolet (UV) light curing process. During the lens assembly attachment process, an air vent through the lens assembly allows air to escape. The air vent prevents a lens element within the lens assembly from tilting, which can be caused by high pressure created during the curing process. Unfortunately, however, the air vent may also create an opening into a cavity that includes the image sensor, thereby exposing the image sensor to foreign material that can affect the reliability of the image sensor.


The present invention relates to the use of an oil enriched in docosahexaenoic acid, which is conjugated to triglyceride, for manufacturing a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of a tumorous disease, said oil being enriched in a concentration of up to 70% by weight in relation to the total weight of said pharmaceutical composition, and said docosahexaenoic acid being in a percentage of at least 50% in relation to the total fatty acids in said oil.

Various evidence from studies on animals and in vitro studies indicate that the omega-3 fatty acids, and especially the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), present in fish and in oils derived therefrom inhibit carcinogenesis and show potential anti-tumour activity. In vitro studies with human tumorous lines have shown convincingly that the omega-3 PUFAs, principally DHA, reduce the growth of various types of tumorous cells, including breast, bowel, pancreas, and in chronic myeloid leukaemia and melanoma. Epidemiological data on the association between fish consumption, as a marker for the take-up of omega-3 fatty acids, and the risk of cancer are nevertheless rather less consistent. It has only proved possible to establish that the ingestion of DHA and EPA reduces the growth of tumours in rodents, including tumours of the mammary gland, the colon, the prostate, the liver and the pancreas.
Moreover, various studies have shown that the omega-3 PUFAs selectively inhibit the proliferation of tumorous cells, being less toxic towards normal cells. This different sensitivity to the omega-3 PUFAs cannot be explained simply by differences in the take-up of fatty acids. Various mechanisms have been proposed by which the omega-3 fatty acids might alter the carcinogenic process, notably the following: suppression of biosynthesis of eicosanoids deriving from arachidonic acid (ARA); alterations in the activity of transcription factors, regulation of gene expression and intracellular marking; alteration of oestrogen metabolism; alteration of the generation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species and modifications in membrane fluidity.
The ARA-derived eicosanoids have been associated with tumour development. Various mechanisms exist by which the omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the biosynthesis of ARA-derived eicosanoids. Firstly, the omega-3 fatty acids are taken into the phospholipids of the membrane, where they partially replace the omega-6 fatty acids. Secondly, the omega-3 PUFAs compete with the omega-6 PUFAs as substrates of the desaturases and elongases, the omega-3 PUFAs having greater affinity for said enzymes. Finally, the omega-3 fatty acids inhibit cycloxygenase-2 at transcriptional level and compete with the omega-6 fatty acids as substrates of the cycloxygenases in formation of the eicosanoids.
Furthermore, the omega-3 PUFAs and their metabolytes can exercise some of their anti-tumour effects by affecting the expression of various genes or the activities of the signal-transmission molecules involved in controlling growth, differentiation, cellular apoptosis, angiogenesis and metastasis. The most important are the activated receptor of peroxysomal proliferation, that of nuclear transcription factor KB, the ras oncogene, protein kinase C, co-enzyme-A-3-hydroxyl-3-methylglutaril reductase, cycloxygenase-2, lipoxygenases and the nitric oxide synthase. It has been shown that the treatment of colon carcinoma cells with DHA alters the characteristics of the cellular membrane and reduce its metastasic capacity.
The generation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species appears to be involved in the initiation of apoptosis and in natural defences against the transformed cells. Thus the inhibitory effects of the long-chain omega-3 PUFAs on the growth of tumour cells can be explained, at least partly, by the formation of oxidation products, which leads to growth of the cell being halted and to the onset of the apoptosis process. It has been suggested that the tumour cells have a deficit of anti-oxidant defence systems in comparison with the healthy cells and are thus more susceptible to oxidation damage. The PUFAs are the main intracellular substrates in lipid peroxidation, whether it be by causing damage to the cell membranes, altering cellular composition or the assembly of the cytoskeleton, altering the membrane transport systems or the activity of their enzymes, or inhibiting the reactions of the polymerase. It is therefore reasonable to consider the DHA-enriched cells of the tumour as being more susceptible to oxidative damage.
There is a certain amount of evidence that the omega-3 fatty acids have an effect on the cell cycle. In vitro treatment with DHA leads to a stoppage in the G1/S or G2/M phase during the cell cycle in tumorous cells of breast and melanoma. In vivo, the administration of fish oil rich in omega-3 to rats implanted with a breast tumorous line can prolong replication of the DNA of the tumorous cells thereby delaying progression through the synthesis phase.
Preclinical studies have nevertheless shown that the omega-3 PUFAs can increase the cytotoxicity of several anti-neoplasic agents and the anti-carcinogenic effects of radiotherapy. These effects are possibly mediated by incorporation of the fatty acids into the tumour cell membranes, thus altering physical and functional characteristics.
On the other hand, the therapeutic efficacy achieved depends on several factors, such as the bioavailability of the fatty acid, which is in turn related with the chemical structure of which it forms part, the type of omega-3 PUFA used (ALA, EPA or DHA) and the interaction availability between the PUFA and the target cell.
Data resulting from a study in which the bloavailability of three concentrated omega-3 PUFAs in the form of ethyl esters, free fatty acids and triglycerides were compared following oral administration showed that the re-esterified triglycerides presented greater bioavailability than the other two preparations.
It was also shown in a multi-organ model of carcinogenesis that in a monotherapy treatment DHA is the omega-3 PUFA that provides most effective anti-tumour protection, exceeding that of EPA. This result has also been confirmed in combined EPA+DHA anti-tumour treatments, where the presence of EPA has been observed to diminish the efficacy of the DHA.
Finally, the administration route is an important aspect on which the efficacy of the system depends. For example, intratumour administration is the preferred route for the treatment of gliomas. It is essential in this respect that the PUFAs be administered to the patients in such a way as to be easily taken up by the tumorous cells. For parenteral administration, for example, which is suitable for the treatment of hepatomas, it is essential to have a carrier system such as an emulsion with the additional objective of limiting bonding of the PUFAs to the serum albumin that suppresses their tumour cytotoxicity. In the case of oral administration, suitable for the treatment of lymphomas, following processing and intestinal absorption the PUFAs are transported to the target tissue incorporated into the kilomicrons in the form of triglycerides.

Use of docosahexaenoic glycerides for the treatment of tumorous diseases


An apparatus includes a unit dividing a region into blocks having a predetermined bit length and generating addition data having the predetermined bit length corresponding to coordinate data, a unit storing storage data having the predetermined bit length, a unit generating composite data having a bit length twice the length of the predetermined bit length by connecting the addition data to the storage data, and storing the composite data, and a unit repeating an operation of designating the bit length of the composite data as the predetermined bit length, instructing to generate the addition data, and instructing to generate and store the composite data. The number of different bits between a bit string of a location corresponding to the input coordinate data and a bit string of a reference location tends to increase as a distance between the location corresponding to the coordinate data and the reference location increases.

Conventionally, a technology referred to as geohashing is known as a technology for converting coordinate data into codes (text data). First, in performing geohashing, values indicating latitude and longitude are input. Then, bit strings corresponding to the input values of latitude and longitude are obtained. Then, 1 bit is extracted from a bit string corresponding to longitude and 1 bit is extracted from a bit string corresponding to latitude, alternately. Then, by alternately combining the bits extracted from the bit strings corresponding to longitude and latitude, a composite bit string is obtained. Then, codes are derived by applying a predetermined table to the composite bit string. The geohash technology is suitably used for, for example, computer processing or storing location point information in a database by allocating the derived codes to location points.
Next, an example of a process performed in each stage of a geohash operation is described. Bit strings are obtained from latitude and longitude by using the following method. It is to be noted that, in the following, parentheses "(" and ")" represent an open section which indicate that a value is not included, and brackets "[" and "]" represent a closed section which indicate that a value is included. In this example, it is a premise that the input value of latitude assumes a value of [−90 to 90], and the input value of longitude assumes a value of [−180 to 180). Accordingly, in this example, the range of the input value of latitude includes −180 but does not include 180. In the following, in a case where a section is subdivided into upper and lower sections, it is assumed that the upper section is the open section, so that a median value can be located within either one of the sections.
For example, in a case where the input value of latitude is located on the right side with respect to a medium value of 0 in a section of [−90 to 90] (i.e. located in a section [0 to 90]), 1 is input as the highest bit to a storage device. In a case where the input value of latitude is located on the left side with respect to the medium value in the section of [−90 to 90] (i.e. located in a section [−90 to 0)), 0 is input as the highest bit to the storage device. Then, in the case where the input value of latitude is located on the right side with respect to the medium value of 0, the section of the right side (i.e. section [0 to 90]) is further subdivided. Accordingly, in a case where the input value of latitude is located on the right side with respect to a medium value of 45 in the section [0 to 90] (i.e. located in section [45 to 90]), 1 is input as the second bit to the storage device. In the case where the input value of latitude is located on the left side with respect to a medium value of 45, 0 is input as the second bit to the storage device. These processes are repeated until a sufficient accuracy can be attained.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for describing an example of generating a bit string pertaining to latitude (hereinafter also referred to as "latitude bit string") by using geohash technology. In the example of FIG. 1, it is assumed that the input value of latitude is 42.6. In determining the location of the input value with respect to the median value for the first time, 1 is input to the storage device because the input value is located on the right side of the median value of 0 in the section of [−90 to 90] as illustrated in FIG. 1. In determining the location of the input value with respect to the median value for the second time, 0 is input to the storage device because the input value is located on the left side of the median value of 45 in the section of [0 to 90]. Likewise, in determining the location of the input value with respect to the median value for the third time, 1 is input to the storage device because the input value is located on the right side of the median value of 22.5 in the section of [0 to 45]. In determining the location of the input value with respect to the median value for the fourth time, 1 is input to the storage device because the input value is located on the right side of the median value of 33.75 in the section of [22.5 to 45]. In determining the location of the input value with respect to the median value for the fifth time, 1 is input to the storage device because the input value is located on the right side of the median value of 39.38 in the section of [33.75 to 45]. By recursively dividing the sections (i.e. repeating subdivision of sections), a latitude bit string of "10111" is obtained.
Similarly, in a case where the input value of longitude is −5.6, a bit string pertaining to longitude (hereinafter also referred to as "longitude bit string") of "01111" is obtained.
After obtaining the latitude bit string and the longitude bit string, a composite bit string is generated by alternately arranging the bits of the latitude bit string and the bits of the longitude bit string one after another.
In this example, the bits of the latitude bit string and the bits of the longitude bit string are stored in an order starting from the highest bit of the longitude bit string "0" and followed by the highest bit of the latitude bit string "1", the second highest bit of the longitude bit string "1", the second highest bit of the latitude bit string "0", the third highest bit of the longitude bit string "1", . . . the sixth highest bit of the longitude bit string "1". As a result, a composite bit string in this example is "01101111111". FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of obtaining a composite bit string obtained by combining a longitude bit string and a latitude bit string.
After obtaining a composite bit string, the composite bit string is converted into text data (codes) by using a conversion method such as base 32. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a base 32 conversion table. With base 32, a bit value equivalent to 5 bits is associated to a numeral or an alphabet letter as illustrated in FIG. 3. With the above-described composite bit string "01101111111", "01101" corresponds to "e" and "11111" corresponds to "z". Accordingly, the composite bit string "01101111111" is converted into code "ez". The Geohash code can be expressed having a given accuracy. Geohash code has a characteristic in which its accuracy increases as the length of the Geohash code becomes longer and a characteristic in which its accuracy gradually decreases the more a tail end part of the Geohash code is omitted from the Geohash code.
For example, a code "u4pruydqqvj" can be derived from a set of coordinates {latitude: 57.64911, longitude: 10.40744}. In the current Internet, there is an available service that allows a corresponding location point of a map to be displayed by accessing a URL having a code added after "http://geohash.org/". By converting latitude coordinates and longitude coordinates into codes, the length of data can be shortened. Thereby, transmission/reception of data or storage of data can be easily performed.
In order to obtain coordinates from a code, a process can be performed backwards relative to the process described with FIG. 1. For example, first, data "0110111111" is obtained by performing inverse transformation on the above-described code "ez". Then, by reading the obtained data bit-by-bit, "01111" is recognized as a latitude bit string and "10111" is recognized as a longitude bit string.
It is to be noted that there are also other technology besides geohashing that can convert coordinates into codes (see, for example, U.S. Publication No. 2005/0023524).
Although geohashing technology satisfies an aspect of uniqueness in which codes and bit strings correspond to coordinates on a one on one basis, geohashing technology has a problem of not satisfying an aspect of distance retention. The aspect of distance retention is a property in which points (codes) that are located nearby are always indicated with bit strings that are close (similar) to each other. Thus, to not satisfy distance retention indicates being unable to consistently retain a distance between two points regardless of how the distance pertaining to codes or bit strings allocated to two points is defined. In a case where a target region is divided into blocks in correspondence with the accuracy of the code, a map or a set of coordinates can be expressed by identifying the block to which the coordinates belong. Thus, the term "block distance" indicates by how many blocks two points are separated. With this kind of coding technology, a block can be regarded substantially as an equivalent of a set of coordinates.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for describing a block distance RD where geohashing technology is used. FIG. 4 is also for describing that geohashing technology is unable to satisfy the aspect of distance retention. In the example illustrated in FIG. 4, a code is expressed having an accuracy of 3 bits in a longitude direction and 2 bits in the latitude direction. In order to perform inverse transformation, a composite bit string is expressed in two columns having an upper column to which longitude data is assigned and a lower column to which latitude data is assigned. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the number of different bit values of corresponding composite bit strings assigned to each one of two blocks (indicated with Hamming distance (HD)) may not always match the block distance between the two blocks. Thus, as a result, a pseudo-distance of the codes between the two blocks (e.g., "1" in a case of r and s, "3" in a case of r and u) do not indicate the block distance RD. Particularly, in a case where geohashing technology is used on the earth's surface, it is known that the relationship between the Hamming distance HD and the block distance RD significantly changes at the vicinity of, for example, the equator, the prime meridian, and the date line.
Without the aspect of distance retention, a block distance cannot be immediately derived even if codes or composite bit strings of two points (equivalent to two blocks) are provided. As a result, it would become necessary to perform inverse calculation of coordinates by using the provided codes or composite bit strings and then calculate the distance by using another arithmetic expression. Such calculation increases workload and delays process time.

Apparatus and method for coordinate coding, and method and apparatus for distance calculation


A fire extinguishing system for a residential cookstove or range includes a fire extinguisher mounted above a hood in a cabinet positioned over the cookstove or range. The fire extinguisher is connected by flexible hoses and/or adjustable pipes to a pair of nozzles within the hood to dispense fire suppressant over the cookstove or range. The fire extinguisher includes an operator normally biased to the operable position, but held in the inoperable position by a cable system having a plurality of fusible or reusable, heat-activated links distributed therein. The cable system is held in tension adjacent the inner periphery of the hood and includes a section of chain to facilitate installation. Upon the occurrence of a fire, at least one of the links separates, releasing the cable system and allowing the operator to move to the operating position whereby the fire extinguisher releases the fire suppressant. Upon the fire extinguisher's releasing the fire suppressant, a hose connected to a pneumatically operated valve in the gas supply line is pressurized. When the hose is pressurized, the valve closes, shutting off the supply of gas to the stove. The valve includes a reset button to restart the flow of gas once the system is reactivated.

This invention relates to an automatically operated fire extinguishing system usable for both electrical and gas residential cookstoves or ranges. More particularly, the invention concerns such a system which is mounted in a hood positioned over a residential stove or range.
Until relatively recently, automatic fire extinguishing systems for use with residential cookstoves and ranges have generally been concerned with extinguishing fires caused by fat burning in a commercial grease pot or kettle. Generally, the systems were solely concerned with extinguishing the fire. No provision was made for turning off electrical and gas burners of the stove. Consequently, the fire extinguishing system would extinguish the lighted burners of a gas stove while allowing the gas to continue flowing. This created the very hazardous condition of allowing unburned gas to flow from the burners, resulting in a situation in which a residence could fill with gas to dangerous levels and then explode. Or perhaps, on the other hand, the residents were exposed to the hazard of being asphyxiated by gas fumes. If the system is used with an electric stove, the burners could reignite spilled grease and fat once the fire extinguishing foam had dissipated. Moreover, these arrangements had no provision for sounding an alarm or deenergizing associated exhaust equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,443 recognized the aforementioned difficulties with the prior art and provided a system for shutting off the stove, operating an alarm and deenergize exhaust fans. To the knowledge of the instant inventor, the concepts set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,443 have never been commercialized. The particular arrangement set forth in this patent has apparently not been commercialized because of the expense and difficulty in combining the concept of this patent with existing residential hood configurations. In other words, the particular structure disclosed in this patent is not readily retrofittable on existing residential stoves and stove hoods.
The prior art discloses numerous arrangements for automatically extinguishing stove fires. U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,181 discloses a fire extinguisher in combination with a hood. However, this patent requires a tube for conducting heat from the stove to a mechanism for operating the fire extinguisher. The operating mechanism includes a flammable fuel which generates heat in a hood above the stove making the operating system itself a fire hazard. The foam from the extinguisher is dispensed on the stove.
Other patents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,580,638; 3,584,688; 3,448,808; and 3,824,374, each disclose arrangements of cables and fusible links. However, these arrangements are not configured in a fashion which is readily adaptable to retrofitting in existing residential stove hoods or existing residential stove configurations. These arrangements are suitable for commercial kitchens rather than residential kitchens.
In order for an automatic fire extinguishing system to be widely used in residential kitchens, it is necessary for the system to be configured so that any home owner or resident with minimal mechanical skills can install the system. Ordinarily, household fire warning equipment designed to be installed by other than a qualified electrician cannot be powered from a source having a voltage in excess of 30 volts. Accordingly, in order to avoid the need for a qualified electrician, stove fire extinguishing systems must operate on less than 30 volts. None of the systems currently available meet this requirement, since they all require house line current.
If a range utilizes gas as a fuel and electric power to the house is interrupted, the systems currently available will not function properly during a power outage, since there is no power available to control the flow of gas to the gas burners. Accordingly, a very dangerous situation arises if there is a power outage during which a stove fire is extinguished, but gas continues to flow through the burners. The gas in and of itself can asphyxiate people in the house or can accumulate and explode when the electricity comes back on and generates a miscellaneous spark at a location in the house where gas has accumulated. The systems of the prior art do not protect residences in this particular situation.
This is not a problem unique to residential systems. As is set forth in the background discussion of U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,791, which the instant applicant's invention precedes, industrial systems have similar problems. According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,791, with industrial processes that involve hazardous or combustible substances, there is always a risk that a malfunction may result in damage of injury. To minimize the damage caused by such a malfunction, it is desirable to shut off the flow of hazardous substances as soon as the emergency is detected. This is particularly true in industrial operations that employ combustible fuels such as natural gas for heating in a furnace or oven. It is desirable to shut off the flow of combustible gas as soon as the fire condition is sensed.
Industrial furnaces and ovens are often equipped with automatic fire detection and extinguishing systems. Such systems are designed to sense a fire or an overheated condition and to spray CO.sub.2, dry chemical, foam or another type of fire extinguishing agent on the fire. When the fire extinguishing system is triggered, it is almost always desirable to shut off the flow of fuel to the furnace or oven. Of course, when the emergency condition is corrected, it is necessary to reinstitute the flow of gas to that the process may be restarted.
Various types of systems have been devised which use conventional valves to shut off the flow of combustible material to a furnace or oven when a fire occurs. Such systems involve components such as sensors, relays, solenoids, transformers, and other items which may malfunction. A malfunction could result in the fuel continuing to be delivered even after the fire extinguishing system is tripped. This may defeat the fire extinguishing system.
Thus, there exists a need for a device which will shut off the flow of combustible fuel to an industrial furnace or oven or other type of heating device when a fire extinguishing system is tripped. There further exists a need for a device that is less costly and has greater reliability than prior devices and systems.
In view of the aforementioned deficiencies in previously existing fire-suppressing systems when applied to residential cookstoves, the assignee of the instant invention developed the fire-suppressing systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,773,485 and 4,834,188. The systems disclosed in these patents have achieved acceptance in the field and have been installed in combination with hundreds of cookstoves. However, there is a need to configure the systems, as basically disclosed in these two patents, in such a way to further facilitate the ease with which householders can readily install the systems. Moreover, configuring the system for relatively easy installation allows skilled installers to proceed more rapidly and less expensively.

Fire extinguishing system for cookstoves and ranges