An ice making assembly and method utilizes a housing having an upper fluid chamber, a plurality of distinct, substantially vertical fluid channels, and at least one drain aperture in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir. Ice forming members extend from an ice forming evaporator into respective fluid channels. During an ice making event, fluid continuously supplied to the upper fluid chamber flows into each of the fluid channels and out through at least one drain aperture into a fluid reservoir below. The ice forming members are cooled such that fluid flowing across the fluid channels freezes on the ice forming members over time, forming clear ice pieces. The ice pieces are subsequently released from the ice forming members and transferred for storage and/or dispensing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to ice makers for producing clear ice pieces.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, ice pieces produced with standard ice makers tend to include air bubbles or other imperfections that lend a cloudy or impure appearance to the ice. Therefore, there has been an interest in constructing ice makers which produce clear ice pieces. One approach to preventing the formation of cloudy ice is to agitate or move water in an ice tray during the freezing process. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,956 teaches an ice making method wherein a plurality of freezing elements are immersed in a pan of water which is agitated by a plurality of paddles during a freezing process. This type of ice maker requires water to be added to the pan every new freezing cycle, and may lead to minerals or other impurities concentrating or collecting in the pan over time. Another approach utilizes the continuous flow of water over a vertical ice-forming plate in a refrigerator compartment to produce ice having a higher purity then that of the original tap water. Specifically, multiple spaced points located on the vertical ice-forming plate are in contact with an evaporator line such that water flowing over the spaced points freezes in layers over time, gradually forming a plurality of ice pieces. In order to harvest the ice pieces, hot refrigerant gas flows into the evaporator line, the warming effect detaches the ice pieces from the ice-forming plate, and the ice pieces fall into an ice bin within the refrigerator compartment. However, large spaces must be left between the contact points of the evaporator in order to prevent ice bridges from developing between ice pieces, thus requiring either relatively large quantities of water to flow over the multiple spaced points, or fewer spaced points. Additionally, this system utilizes the refrigerator's main evaporator, thus requiring the icemaker system to be configured around the location of the main evaporator. Further, ice pieces collected in the ice bin melt over time, which results in diminished ice quality.
Regardless of these known prior art arrangements, there is seen to be a need in the art for an improved ice maker that can be utilized with various refrigerator configurations and produce high quality clear ice pieces utilizing minimal amounts of water.

Vertical ice maker producing clear ice pieces


Systems and processes for controlling and/or preventing fouling of marine vessel hulls and fixed structures are disclosed. The systems and processes deliver an anti-fouling composition through a dispersing means, such as dispersion tubing, to the surface of a vessel hull or fixed structure below the water line. Also disclosed are methods of controlling the delivery of an anti-fouling composition to the surface of a vessel hull or fixed structure below the waterline, including the steps of generating signals representative of parameters such as current flow direction and speed and water temperature, to identify and control the proper volume release rate of the anti-fouling solution.

Fouling of marine vessel hulls and other structures in a marine environment has always been a serious problem. The formation of incrustations of barnacles, tunicates, and like fouling organisms, will increase the vessel's weight, thereby decreasing the available storage space, slow a vessel underway, increase its fuel consumption, and make it difficult to handle, thus reducing the vessel's performance and efficiency. On fixed structures, fouling increases weight, and thus structural loading. Fouling also damages the vessel hull base paint, thereby exposing the hull to corrosion.
Vessel hull fouling can be removed while the vessel is in place or in dry-dock using mechanical and/or chemical means. However, these alternatives are frequently unavailable, or are available only after a long wait. When a vessel hull or structure is cleaned in place, it is common practice to use divers, however there are inherent dangers whenever a diver enters the water. Additionally, damage may occur whenever a diver cleans a hull or structure. When a vessel hull is cleaned in dry-dock, the vessel must be taken out of service to the nearest available dry-dock, which usually results in substantial adverse financial consequences due to the costs, not only for the required work, but also for the off-hire time. Furthermore, removal of incrustations of marine organisms while at dock can raise significant regulatory and environmental concerns. It is impractical to remove fixed structures from site for cleaning.
Remedies that have previously been tried include using toxic paints that slowly release such marine growth inhibitors such as copper or tin salts, or using silicone based paints, which are ultra-smooth, making it difficult for fouling organisms to adhere to the surface of the vessel hull. These methods are effective until the inhibitors are leached from the paint, or the paint is damaged, and fouling takes place again, requiring dry-docking of the vessel to remove the fouling material and to repaint the hull. Also, these anti-fouling agents remain in the marine environment for a long period of time. Therefore, the most toxic of the anti-fouling coatings are being banned worldwide and are being replaced by less toxic, but also less effective coatings. For structures and vessels expected to operate in a marine environment for a long period of time, such as FSOs or FPSOs, fouling is an even greater problem.
Another approach for controlling and preventing marine fouling involves using an anti-fouling system that includes a pair of electrodes positioned on opposite sides of the keel of a vessel, and a means for supplying an electrical current to the electrodes. The electrolysis of sea water produces toxic agents such as chlorine and sodium hypochlorite adjacent the vessel hull that remove barnacles, algae, fungi and other marine growths.
However, such systems do not provide predictable control of the concentration of anti-fouling composition delivered to the hull. In addition, the electrodes require regular maintenance, which may be difficult since the electrodes are positioned on the outside of the vessel hull adjacent the keel.

Active anti-fouling systems and processes for marine vessels


A retort for a fluidized bed is disclosed having a retort wall including an outer wall segment and an inner wall segment. The inner wall segment includes a plurality of plate segments. A support mechanism is provided for securing the plurality of plate segments to an inner side of the outer wall. The plate segments are disposed spaced from the outer wall. The plate segments are further disposed in sliding overlapping relation to permit independent thermal expansion and contraction of the plate segments.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to retorts for fluidized beds. More particularly, this invention pertains to a novel construction of a retort wall.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, fluidized bed heat treatment is well known. Such heat treatment consists of fluidizing a bed of particulate material within a retort. The retort is commonly a vessel of stainless steel or the like.
One design of a retort is shown in commonly assigned and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/924,399. That patent application shows a stainless steel retort with infrared heating assemblies extending between the retort walls and submerged within a bed of fluidized particles. The infrared heating element assemblies of the prior art apparatus included a quartz tube which extends through opposing side walls of the retort. An infrared lamp is positioned concentrically within the tube.
Fluidized beds are also shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,340,433 and 4,392,814 as reference items 10 in the drawings of those patents. As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,433, the retort 10 has an inner container which includes a corrugated side wall 12.
In practice, construction of a retort for a fluidized bed presents substantial fabrication problems. For example, during heat-up and operation of a fluidized bed, substantial temperatures are reached within the bed. This can result in significant thermal stresses and deformation in the retort wall. Further, in the aforementioned prior art apparatus quartz tubes are passed through the corrugated wall or other nonflat surfaces. The quartz tubes would pass through the corrugated wall. It is difficult to seal a quartz tube against such a nonflat surface.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a retort wall construction which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.


A door closer comprises a cylinder with an extensible and retractable rod. The cylinder has a first end adapted to be secured to a door frame, while the rod has an outer end adapted to be connected to the door. The rod has a series of grooves along the length. A pawl is mounted in a housing on one end of the cylinder and is adapted for movement between an engaged position engaging one of the grooves of the rod and a disengaged position. A button on the housing is adapted to be depressed to move the pawl to the engaged position, whereby the pawl holds the door open in a selected position. The pawl can be disengaged from the rod merely by opening the door slightly, after which the spring-biased rod automatically pulls the door to the closed position.

Door closers having a cylinder with a spring biased arm or rod have been known for many years for use on screen doors and storm doors. The closer normally biases the door to a closed position so that the door will automatically shut after being opened. Various mechanisms have been provided on door closers so as to hold the door in an open position.
One example of a door closer with a mechanism for holding the door open is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,562. This closer uses a cylinder with a spring biased rod extending through a washer in the cylinder. A button on the cylinder moves the washer to a canted position relative to the rod so as to frictionally retain the rod in an extended position so as to hold the door open. This structure relies solely upon the friction between canted washer and the rod to hold the door open. Thus, wind forces on the outside of the door may overcome the friction so as to wholly or partially close the door.
Another example of a closer with a mechanism to retain the door in an open position is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,969, which utilizes a plurality of notches in the rod and a pawl which engages one of the notches to maintain the door in an open position. A problem with this mechanism is that the pawl must be manually lifted from engagement with the rod so as to allow the door to close.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved door closer with a mechanism to retain the door in an open position.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a door closer having a mechanical lock to hold the door in a selected one of multiple open positions.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a door closer having a button-actuated mechanism to retain the door in an opened position.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a door closer having a mechanism to hold the door in an open position which can be de-actuated quickly and easily.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved door closer having a mechanism to retain the door in an open position, with the mechanism being released simply by opening the door slightly further, so that the door will close.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved door closer having a mechanism to retain the door in a selected open position and which is economical to manufacture and durable and safe in use.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.


A vehicular lamp fitting, comprising: a lamp case having an opening edge; a light guide that is disposed in the lamp case; and a light source that emits light which is guided inside the light guide, wherein the light guide includes a bar light-guiding unit and a plate light-guiding unit, the bar light-guiding unit includes a front face disposed on the front side and a rear face disposed on the rear side, the plate light-guiding unit includes a front face disposed on the front side and a rear face disposed on the rear side, and includes one edge connected to an outer peripheral surface of the bar light-guiding unit, and the other edge which is on the opposite side of the one edge, the other edge of the plate light-guiding unit extends along the opening edge in the front view.

FIG. 13 is a front view of a conventional light guide which includes a bar light-guiding unit and a plate light-guiding unit. FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 are front views of a lamp case 130 which includes an irregular-shaped opening edge 132 (e.g. T-shaped opening edge) in which the light guide illustrated in FIG. 13 is disposed.
As illustrated in FIG. 13, a vehicular lamp fitting including a light guide 100 which has two bar light-guiding units 110A and 110B, which are disposed in parallel with a space, and a plate light-guiding unit 120 which connects the side faces (outer peripheral surfaces) of the two bar light-guiding units 110A and 110B facing each other has been proposed (e.g. see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-116142 (FIG. 1, FIG. 2)).
In the vehicular lamp fitting according to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-116142, light from a light source (not illustrated), which entered the light guide 100 via one edge portion 111A or 111B of each of the bar light-guiding units 110A and 110B, is guided inside the light guide 100, and is emitted from a front face 112A or 112B (front face of outer peripheral surface) of each of the bar light-guiding units 110A and 110B and a front face 121 of the plate light-guiding unit 120. Thereby each bar light-guiding unit 110A and 110B and the plate light-guiding unit 120 emit light.
The present inventors considered disposing the light guide 100 of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-116142 in a lamp case 130 as illustrated in FIG. 14, where the rear face side is closed by the bottom part 131, and the front face side has an irregular-shaped (e.g. T-shaped) opening edge 132 including a curved portion 132a, so as to implement a vehicular lamp fitting having a new appearance.


The present invention is a replacement for petroleum jelly as a base for products suitable for application to the skin. It is comprised of vegetable oil and silica. The vegetable oil is preferably a canola oil and more preferably a high oleic acid/low linolenic acid canola oil. The silica is preferably untreated fumed silica powder. The vegetable oil is preferably present in the range of 50-90% and most preferably 80%. The silica is present in the range of 5-15% and most preferably 10%. Other ingredients which may be added include vitamin E, margarine or butter, starch, and sunscreen. The base of the present invention has a significantly higher melting temperature than petroleum jelly.

Products which are applied to the skin such as cosmetics or lotions often use petroleum jelly as a base. Petroleum jelly is inexpensive, abundant, and can be smoothly applied to the skin. However, petroleum jelly has a number of disadvantages. In particular, petroleum jelly has a low melting temperature and begins to liquify at approximately 38.degree. C.(100.degree. F.). When petroleum jelly-based products are placed in the sun particularly during the summer months, they can reach temperatures which causes the petroleum jelly to liquify or "melt". Temperatures in the summer may reach 100.degree. F. or higher in some areas of North America or in such locations as in a car or a window. When the petroleum jelly-base liquifies, the remaining ingredients will separate out from the base and thus drastically reduce the shelf life of the product.
In recent years, more skin care products are available which utilize natural oils and ingredients in place of petroleum jelly. Examples of such products are disclosed in Canadian Patent 1,244,350 issued Nov. 8, 1988 for a skin care and shaving composition; Canadian patent application 2,161,285 published Apr. 26, 1996 disclosing a cosmetic composition; and Canadian Patent Application 2,130,450 published Sep. 2, 1993 disclosing insect repellent. Each of these references is directed towards products adapted for application to the skin and incorporate natural oils. However, these natural oils are not suitable as a general replacements for petroleum jelly but rather are disclosed in specific mixtures in products applied to skin. These products also do not overcome the disadvantages of a petroleum jelly base such as a low melting temperature and resulting reduced shelf life.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,361 issued Oct. 21, 1997 and discloses a solid or pasty make-up composition. The composition is comprised of a fatty phase and a pulverulent phase. The fatty phase is 20-70% by weight of the total weight of the composition. The pulverulent phase is a light powder which is present in an amount of 5-30% by weight of the total composition. This patent is directed towards a process for preparing the make-up composition. In this process, the powder is used for the processing and pressing of the composition and reacts with the other ingredients in the make-up to form a final product. The fatty phase may incorporate a vegetable oil. This composition provides a product with an improved feel on application but it does not provide for a product with a raised melting point or a product which will not separate out on heating.
There therefore is a need for a general replacement for petroleum jelly as a base for products for application to skin which has a higher melting point and which does not cause the skin care product to separate out into its constituent ingredients on minimal heating.
There is also a need for a replacement for petroleum jelly suitable for use in a variety of products. Further, there is a need for a replacement which is derived from natural ingredients such as plant products including vegetable oils.

Vegetable derived petroleum jelly replacement


A head cleaning device includes: a wiper member formed in an elongate shape and having a wiper anchoring portion anchored so as not to move in a tape width direction; and a support member that includes a wiper entrainment portion about which the wiper member is entrained so as to double back, that causes the wiper entrainment portion to move in the tape width direction so that a surface of the wiper member at an opposite side of the wiper entrainment portion from the wiper anchoring portion wipes a head that performs at least one of writing information to, or reading information from, a recording tape.

A head cleaning device configured to clean a head while separating a tape from the head has conventionally been proposed (e.g., see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (JP-A) No. H11-296827). Furthermore, a head cleaning device configured to clean a head by means of a mechanism that is driven when a tape cassette is loaded has also conventionally been proposed (e.g., see JP-A No. H9-330507).


An optical display in which at least one pixel is selectively controlled to shutter light out of a light guidance substrate by violating the light guidance conditions of the medium, and in which a full color palette is provided by multiplexing the three additive primaries in relation to the inherent limitations of the human eye.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates primarily to the field of color, flat-panel display devices.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art contains various approaches to the problem of providing color, flat-panel displays. A common approach is to form a pixel of a plurality of color cells. One such approach, using liquid crystal, utilizes three color cells--one red, one green, and one blue--to form an RGB (red-green-blue) pixel. This is sometimes modified to include a fourth cell for control purposes. Another similar approach includes a color plasma pixel comprised of nine color cells. The bottom three cells are blanks inserted to prevent smearing of the image due to locally intense electrical effects native to the plasma approach.
The underlying principle of such conventional color pixels relies on the physiological fact that the color cells making up the respective pixels are too small to be individually resolved am a spatial matrix of separate colors. This optical limitation of human vision means that the eye integrates each of the separate colors from a pixel and perceives them as a mixture. Thus such prior art pixels exploit the eye's tendency to integrate details on a sufficiently small spatial scale. However, human vision is limited not only with respect to spatial resolution, but also with respect to temporal resolution. The limited temporal resolution of human vision (which gives rise to the effect known as persistence of vision) allows humans to see motion pictures as continuous moving images rather than as the consecutive still images they actually are. This temporal-integrative attribute of human vision is utilized in the present invention. It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved pixel which, in conjunction with other aspects of the present invention, is yet able to provide color as well as black-and-white display.
Generally the prior art approaches utilize one of the following types of pixels: color liquid crystal; color gas plasma; color electroluminescent; and electrochromic. Each of these approaches exhibits serious disadvantages. For instance, liquid crystal display screens often exhibit the following disadvantages: directionality limits off-axis viewing; demands considerable backlighting power; sustains optical losses due to color filtering intrinsic to the approach; flexible backlights hove short product lives (less than 5000 hours); environmentally limited by the liquid crystal freeze point. Color plasma screens often exhibit these disadvantages: uses secondary emission process (excitation of neon causes color phosphor to radiate); containment of noble gas presents packaging constraints (rigid glass screens are required); unlike black-and-white plasma, color pixel life is short; extremely high manufacturing costs; very high power drain, especially when energized to sunlight-readable viewing levels. Finally, electroluminescent and other approaches often exhibit these disadvantages: key colors are presently elusive in electroluminescent technology, and display life is unacceptably short; certain electroluminescent embodiments are power-hungry; electrochromic and similar organic approaches have been discredited in the information display community.
Particularly when considering military or environmentally difficult applications, the foregoing prior art approaches quickly manifest their deficiencies. They are lacking chiefly the following characteristics which are necessary for these applications: no susceptibility to thermal environmental factors (this rules out liquid crystals); long display life (this rules out phosphors and electroluminescence); lower power consumption (a likely consequence of a low optical loss design); attains theoretical limits for pixel color generation and electronic control; intrinsically easy to ruggedize.
Thus, among the objects of the present invention, are the following: avoid filtration to prevent optical losses; avoid secondary emissive effects to prevent additional loss of efficiency; avoid existing light-generative means employed by prior art flat panel technologies; and to provide an improved pixel.
Among specific prior art display devices are the following. Simpson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,370 discloses a display device wherein electrostatic force is used to position a flexible member in relation to a stator member in order to achieve an array of binary elements suitable for alphanumeric or graphic displays. Veenvliet et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,967 discloses a device wherein a movable electrode is propelled between two stationary electrodes by (at least in part) electrostatic force and (in at least one embodiment) a mechanical spring force. An opaque, non-conductive liquid disposed between the stationary electrodes provides the optical characters depending on the position of the movable electrode. Todd et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,245 discloses an arrangement wherein a bimorph element comprised of ceramic piezoelectric material is electrostatically bent between first and second positions in order to shutter light. Generally the prior art devices, as the foregoing, to the extent they may be relevant to the instant area of invention, are undesirably slow and lacking in optical resolution.


A method of initiating a scan in a medical imaging device includes detecting a patient-ready signal from a magnetically and radiographically inert communication device and automatically initiating the scan upon detecting the patient-ready signal.

This disclosure relates to a communication device for use in a medical imaging system.
During magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scanning procedures, it is often necessary to provide the patient in an MRI or CT machine with instructions or information regarding a scan procedure. For example, in certain circumstances, it is desirable to instruct a patient to hold their breath and remain still so that acceptable scans can be obtained. To facilitate this, some machines utilize software driven voice command systems which audibly instruct patients to hold their breath for precisely timed periods in preparation for one or more scans. Following delivery of the instruction, the automated system initializes the scan. However, it is often the case that a patient is not ready once the scan begins. Subsequently, motion artifacts may appear in the resulting scan image, thus requiring the scan to be repeated. Repeating scans is time-consuming and results in increased hospital costs as well as increased patient stress.

Initiating a scan in a medical imaging system


A detected DC voltage value estimation mechanism samples detected DC voltage values at specific intervals of a period T, stores detected DC voltage values Vn to Vn−m detected at a present time tn up to a sampling time tn−m which is m sampling cycles (m≧1) before the present time tn, and calculates a DC voltage estimation value Vn+1 at a next time tn+1 using the detected DC voltage values Vn to Vn−m, expressing a curve connecting the voltage values Vn to Vn−m by a specific function. An output voltage control into which the DC voltage estimation value Vn+1 is input corrects an output voltage command value and outputs the corrected output voltage command value to a power converter.

It is a conventional practice to reduce pulsation of torque produced by a load like an AC motor, for example, connected to a power converter (inverter) by detecting a DC voltage of rectification means for rectifying AC power, correcting an output voltage of the inverter using information on this DC voltage, and suppressing pulsation of the output voltage of the inverter caused by periodic pulsation of the aforementioned DC voltage. As a result of recent advance in technology, it is now required that torque output by this kind of AC motor, for example, using an inverter be controlled more and more precisely.
To cope with such a requirement, the prior art discloses an inverter output voltage correcting apparatus for suppressing output voltage pulsation of an inverter caused by DC voltage pulsation due to an imbalance of phase-to-phase voltages of a three-phase AC power supply or a reduction in capacity of a capacitor of rectification means, for instance. This inverter output voltage correcting apparatus corrects an output voltage command value according to variations in DC voltage by using a microcomputer and controls the inverter by using the output voltage command value thus corrected, the inverter output voltage correcting apparatus including detected DC voltage value estimation means for estimating a detected DC voltage value at a waveform output timing from a detected DC voltage value obtained at a point of a preceding carrier interrupt and that obtained at a point of a present carrier interrupt (Patent Document 1, for example).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2004-147433


A device for removing static charges from a moving paper web includes two grounded and shielded permanent magnets with means to support each magnet on opposite sides of the moving web with the polarities of each magnet so oriented that the charge-neutral center plane of the magnet is perpendicular to the path of the web. The device removes static charges by exposing the paper web to a grounded magnetic field first of one polarity and then to a grounded magnetic field of the opposite polarity.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for removing static electricity by use of a grounded magnetic field.
2. Description of the Related Art
Static electricity as is generated by the passage of webs of electrically non-conductive material over industrial equipment, creates substantial problems in many industries, for example the printing industry. Thus, charges caused by friction of paper passing against the dissimilar material of a printing press, conveyer or other machine may interfere with downline processes such as folding or stacking.
Methods heretofore used in dealing with static electricity include the use of powder sprays, silicon, etc. Such methods in reducing friction may increase maintenance problems, as those due to spray build-up, and may be unsuitable for use with many types of materials.
"Static bars" have been designed to discharge a constant current from a high voltage source to the paper to neutralize static build-up. These have been generally ineffective because of the continual variations in charge and in the location of the static charge build-up.

Grounded magnetic device for removing static charges


A method of production non grain-oriented Fe—Si steel sheet is provided. The method includes the steps of melting a steel composition that contains in weight percentage: C≤0.006, 2.0≤Si≤5.0, 0.1≤Al≤3.0, 0.1≤Mn≤3.0, N≤0.006, 0.04≤Sn≤0.2, S≤0.005, P≤0.2, Ti≤0.01, the balance being Fe and other inevitable impurities, casting said melt into a slab, reheating said slab, hot rolling said slab, coiling said hot rolled steel, optionally annealing the hot rolled steel, cold rolling, annealing and cooling the cold rolled steel down to room temperature.

Imparting magnetic properties to Fe—Si steel is the most economical source of magnetic induction. From a chemical composition standpoint, adding silicon to iron is a very common way to increase electrical resistivity, hence improving magnetic properties, and reducing at the same time the total power losses. Two families presently co-exist for the construction of steels for electrical equipment: grain-oriented and non grain-oriented steels.
Non grain-oriented steels have the advantage of possessing magnetic properties that are nearly equivalent in all the magnetizing directions. As a consequence, such material is more adapted for applications that require rotative movements such as motors or generators for instance.
The following properties are used to evaluate the efficiency of electrical steels when it comes to magnetic properties:                the magnetic induction, expressed in Tesla. This induction is obtained under specific magnetic field expressed in A/m. The higher the induction, the better.        the core power loss, expressed in W/kg, is measured at a specific polarization expressed in Tesla (T) using a frequency expressed in Hertz. The lower the total losses, the better.
Many metallurgical parameters may influence the above mentioned properties, the most common ones being: the alloying content, material texture, the ferritic grain size, precipitates size and distribution, and the material thickness. Henceforth, the thermo-mechanical processing from the cast to the final cold rolled steel annealing is essential to reach the targeted specifications.
JP201391837 discloses a method for producing an electromagnetic steel sheet which comprises 0.0030% or less of C, 2.0-3.5% of Si, 0.20-2.5% of Al, 0.10-1.0% of Mn, and 0.03-0.10% of Sn, wherein Si+Al+Sn≤4.5%. Such steel is subjected to hot rolling, and then primary cold rolling with a rolling rate of 60-70% to produce a steel sheet with a middle thickness. Then, the steel sheet is subjected to process annealing, then secondary cold rolling with a rolling rate of 55-70%, and further final annealing at 950° C. or more for 20-90 seconds. Such method is rather energy consuming and involves a long production route.
JP2008127612 relates to a non grain-oriented electromagnetic steel sheet having a chemical composition comprising, by mass %, 0.005% or less C, 2 to 4% Si, 1% or less Mn, 0.2 to 2% Al, 0.003 to 0.2% Sn, and the balance Fe with unavoidable impurities. The non grain-oriented electromagnetic steel sheet with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.3 mm is manufactured by the steps of: cold-rolling the hot-rolled plate before and after an intermediate annealing step and subsequently recrystallization-annealing the sheet. Such processing route is as for the first application detrimental to productivity since it involves a long production route.

Method of production of tin containing non grain-oriented silicon steel sheet, steel sheet obtained and use thereof


A covering element for an air inlet opening and/or air outlet opening in a motor vehicle body. A covering element lamella or a design element spans the opening and has a translucent surface in the direction towards the outside of the vehicle at least in a sub-region or the sub-region is designed to be translucent such that light from a light source which lies behind the sub-region and which is arranged in the interior of the lamella or the design element can exit.

German Patent Publication No. DE 10 2007 018 678 A1 makes known a covering element in the form of a radiator grille for a motor vehicle, consisting of lamellae which extend substantially parallel to one another, at least one of the lamellae including a light device or is realized as a light device. The light devices can provide the beam by means of optical waveguides or can also be realized directly as self-illuminating elements, e.g., in the form of a luminous film. LEDs are also provided as light sources.
Illumination of an opening which serves for air inlet and/or air outlet in a vehicle body is described in German Patent Publication No. DE 103 37 617 B4. The elements surrounding the opening are realized at least in portions as light sources. Light-conducting elements are also provided.


A thermal barrier configured to be rolled and unrolled while providing a thermal value of greater than about R=3. The thermal barrier comprises multiple layers including a first layer comprising a fiber mesh core and material selected from the group comprising: polyurethane, rubber, and polyvinylchloride, a second layer bonded to the first layer, the second layer comprising material selected from the group comprising: polyolefin foam, polyurethane foam and rubber based foam, and a third layer bonded to the second layer, the third layer comprising a thin film or fabric material selected from the group comprising: polyester, polyolefin, polyurethane and nylon, wherein the composite material maintains a consistent linear dimension within about 1% of total length in a coiled configuration compared with a linear configuration.

1.0. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a composite material and, more particularly, a composite material capable of rolling and unrolling from spiral to flat shape while providing substantial insulating value, among other benefits.
2.0. Related Art
Various materials are available that may be used for thermal barriers such as used in buildings, roll-up doors, doors, freezer doors, and similar applications. For applications such as configured as roll-up type doors, many of these thermal barrier products suffer from deficiencies that include cracking of the surfaces, limited insulating properties, need for replacement of the door panels on a regular basis. Moreover, these roll-up type doors often do not perform well in very cold weather, resisting unrolling and/or rolling.
Many thermal barriers are made as a symmetric type construction, where the layers are symmetrically layered in relation to a central layer. For example, a central core layer of strong material may be layered systematically on either side with insulating material such as foam insulation. However, these types of arrangements tend to fail rather quickly when placed into service.
A new composite material that overcomes these deficiencies would have substantial contribution to the thermal barrier industry.


The preferred form of the present invention is directed to systems and methods used to test objects including but not limited to filters, respirator cartridges and filter media. The object to be tested is subjected to an aerosol challenge while the penetration percentage and resistance at a given flow are monitored to ensure that the object will function as desired. Preferably, the test object is challenged with a salt aerosol. However, any suitable aerosol may be used. A replenishment member is provided for automatically and continuously replenishing the reservoir of an aerosol generator. The replenishment member is configured such that there is no need for an operator to monitor the liquid level in the aerosol generator reservoir either during replenishment or at anytime while the apparatus is operated. The replenishment member of the preferred form of the present invention does not require interruption of the filter testing process to replenish the aerosol generator reservoir. The preferred form of the present invention supplies heated air to the aerosol generator reservoir to significantly reduce the liquid needed to be collected in the drip jar of the impactor. This feature prolongs the run time of the test system. A control device is operably associated with the heater to activate and deactivate the heater depending upon detection of pressurized gas supplied to the aerosol generator. This feature prevents the heater from irreparably damaging the test unit and/or the surrounding environment.

Automated filter testers for testing filters, respirator cartridges and filter media have been previously developed. One such automated filter tester is the CERTITEST® filter tester manufactured by TSI incorporated. According to TSI, the CERTITEST® Models 8127 and 8130 are automated filter testers designed to test filters, respirator cartridges and filter media. Model 8127 uses an oil aerosol while Model 8130 uses either an oil aerosol or a salt aerosol. The Model 8127 and 8130 monitor filter penetration and resistance over a range of filter flows. Models 8127 and 8130 have significant limitations. Specifically, the aerosol generator in each of Models 8127 and 8130 must be manually replenished with liquid used to create the test aerosol. This requires that the liquid level in the aerosol generator be monitored. Further, the filter tester must be shutdown while the liquid in the aerosol generator is replenished, i.e., the filter tester cannot be used to test filters or any other device while the liquid supply for the aerosol generator is being replenished. Another limitation on Models 8127 and 8130 concerns the drip jar or collector that is associated with the impactor. More specifically, once a pressurized gas is introduced in the liquid solution (either oil or salt) in the aerosol generator, the test aerosol is created. The test aerosol is subjected to an impactor to refine the test aerosol in an effort to provide an optimum test aerosol to challenge the object to be tested. A drip jar is associated with the impactor to collect liquid particles descending downwardly after the test aerosol strikes the impactor. The drip jar or collector must be frequently emptied. Once again, the filter tester cannot be used to test filters or any other device while the drip jar or collector is being emptied. Models 8127 and 8130 also require a separate mixing chamber downstream of the aerosol generator for mixing the test aerosol with heated dilution air downstream of the aerosol generator.
Other automated filter testers include the TDA-100 series testers manufactured by Air Techniques International, a division of Hamilton Associates, Inc. The TDA-100 series testers use a salt aerosol and an oil aerosol depending upon the model to challenge a test object. The liquid reservoir of the aerosol is visible from the exterior of the cabinet housing through a window. The reservoir of the aerosol generator includes a pair of lines that indicate the maximum and minimum levels of liquid (i.e., oil solution or salt solution) to be maintained in the reservoir. Accordingly, the operator must continuously monitor the liquid level of the reservoir. When the liquid needs to be replenished, the pressurized gas normally used to create the test aerosol is diverted to a supply reservoir to direct a liquid to the reservoir of the aerosol generator to maintain the proper liquid level in the reservoir of the aerosol generator. While the refilling process is initiated by an operator pressing an external button on the test unit, the operator must continuously monitor the liquid level while the reservoir of the aerosol generator is being refilled or replenished with liquid. The TDA-100 series testers cannot test any objects while the reservoir of the aerosol is being refilled. In addition, the operator must monitor the aerosol generator reservoir during filtering to determine when to refill the reservoir.

Method and apparatus for testing an object


A limited slip differential device has differential gears, a clutch to limit the differential function of the differential gears, and a electromagnetic solenoid including a plunger and a coil. The plunger is set to move forward to engage the clutch by electromagnetic force of the coil in a differential limit state and move backward by a return spring to disengage said clutch in a differential limitless state. The plunger contacts with a contacting member in at least one state of the differential limit state and the differential limitless state, and their contact area is set smaller than a facing area between them in at least the one state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a limited slip differential device that is capable of limiting its differential function by using an electromagnetic solenoid.
2. Description of the Related Art
A limited slip differential device of this kind is disclosed in Japanese utility model laying-open publication No. (Hei) 05-29833. This differential device has differential gears consisting of a planetary gear set, a differential limit mechanism to limit differential function of the differential gears, and a housing containing the differential gears and the limit slip differential mechanism. The differential limit mechanism includes a multi-plate clutch and an electromagnetic clutch mechanism having a magnet plate, an electromagnetic solenoid to attract the magnet plate, and a clutch disposed between the magnet plate and the electromagnet solenoid. In this differential device, the solenoid controls a slip-limit state of the differential gears by changing the amount of coupling force applied to the multi-plate clutch according to the amount of electric current supplied to the solenoid.
The above known conventional limited slip differential device, however, encounters a problem that the differential device keeps the slip-limit state at times due to remanent magnetization in a yoke of the electromagnetic clutch mechanism despite of de-energizing the solenoid.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a limited slip differential device which overcomes the foregoing drawbacks and can ensure to disengage a clutch for limiting a differential function of differential gears when an electromagnetic solenoid is de-energized.


Herein disclosed is a surveillance system, comprises: a plurality of imaging units for respectively taking images of specific objects to transform the images into image signals; a plurality of terminal units for respectively displaying thereon the images and producing command signals each indicative of requiring one of the images to be taken by imaging units; an image signal processing apparatus for processing the image signals transformed by the imaging units and operating the terminal units to have the terminal units display the images from the imaging units with the command signals respectively produced by the terminal units; and the image signal processing apparatus including image signal selecting means for selecting one of the image signals from among the image signals respectively transformed by the imaging units; controlling means for controlling the image signal selecting means to allow the image signals to be sequentially selected by the image signal selecting means; image signal encoding means for encoding the image signals sequentially selected by the image signal selecting means to image data; image data compressing means for compressing the image data encoded by the image signal encoding means into compression data; compression data storing means for storing therein the compression data compressed by the image data compressing means; and transmitting means for transmitting to the terminal units the compression data stored by the compression data storing means with the command signals respectively produced by the terminal units.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surveillance system, and more particularly to a surveillance system comprising a plurality of imaging units for respectively taking images of specific images and a plurality of terminal units for respectively displaying thereon the images to be taken by the imaging units to ensure that the specific objects are respectively surveilled through the images respectively displayed by the terminal units.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up until now, there have been proposed a wide variety of surveillance system of this type two typical examples of which are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
The first typical example of the conventional surveillance system 300 is shown in FIG. 5 as comprising a plurality of imaging units 310a to 310d for respectively taking images of specific objects to transform the images into image signals, an image signal processing unit 320 for processing the image signals transformed by the imaging units 310a to 310d, and a plurality of terminal units 330a to 330c for respectively displaying the images thereon.
The image signal processing unit 320 includes image signal selecting means 321 for selecting one of the image signals from among the image signals respectively transformed by the imaging units 310a to 310d, image signal encoding means 322 for encoding the image signal selected by the image signal selecting means 321 to an image data, image data compressing means 323 for compressing the image data encoded by the image signal encoding means 322 into a compression data; transmitting means 324 for transmitting the compression data compressed by the image data compressing means 323 to the terminal units 330a to 330c through a network, a central processing unit 325 for controlling the image signal selecting means 321 and the transmitting means 324 to allow each of the terminal units 330a to 330c to receive the compression data.
In the operation of the first typical example of the conventional surveillance system 300, the image signal selected by the image signal selecting means 321 is firstly encoded to the image data by the image signal encoding means 322. The image data encoded by the image signal encoding means 322 is then compressed into the compression data by the image data compressing means 323. The compression data compressed by the image data compressing means 323 is then transmitted by the transmitting means 324 to each of the terminal units 330a to 330c.
The first typical example of the conventional surveillance system 300 thus constructed as previously mentioned, however, encounters such a problem that the terminal units 330a to 330c cannot simultaneously require two or more different images from among the images taken by the imaging units 310a to 310d, and cannot simultaneously display on thereon the two or more different images by reason that the image signal processing unit 320 is operative to transmit to each of the terminal units 330a to 330c the compression data in association with one of the image to be taken by the imaging units 310a to 310d.
The second typical example of the conventional surveillance system is shown in FIG. 6 as comprising a plurality of imaging units 410a to 410d for respectively taking images of specific objects to transform the images into image signals, an image signal processing unit 420 for processing the image signals transformed by the imaging units 410a to 410d, and a plurality of terminal units 430a to 430c for respectively displaying the images thereon.
The image signal processing unit 420 includes first image signal selecting means 421a for selecting one of the image signals from among the image signals respectively transformed by the imaging units 410a to 410d, second image signal selecting means 421b for selecting one of the image signals from among the image signals respectively transformed by the imaging units 410a to 410d, first image signal encoding means 422a for encoding the image signal selected by the first image signal selecting means 421a to an image data, second image signal encoding means 422b for encoding the image signal selected by the second image signal selecting means 421b to an image data, first image data compressing means 423a for compressing the image data encoded by the first image signal encoding means 422a into a compression data, second image data compressing means 423b for compressing the image data encoded by the second image signal encoding means 422b into a compression data, compression data recording means 424 for recording the compression data compressed by the first image data compressing means 423a and the compression data compressed by the second image data compressing means 423b, transmitting means 425 for transmitting the compression data to the terminal units 430a to 430c through a network, and a central processing unit 426 for controlling each of the first image signal selecting means 421a, the second image signal selecting means 421b, compression data recording means 424, and the transmitting means 425.
In the operation of the second typical example of the conventional surveillance system 400, the first image signal encoding means 422a is firstly operated to encode the image signal selected by the first image signal selecting means 421a to the image data. The image data encoded by the first image signal encoding means 422a is then compressed into the compression data by the first image data compressing means 423a. The compression data compressed by the first image data compressing means 423a is then recorded by the compression data recording means 424. The image signal selected by the second image signal selecting means 421b is, on the other hand, encoded to the image data by the second image signal encoding means 422b. The image data encoded by the second image signal encoding means 422b is then compressed into the compression data by the second image data compressing means 423b. The compression data compressed by the second image data compressing means 423b is then transmitted by the transmitting means 425 to the terminal units 430a to 430c through the network.
The second typical example of the conventional surveillance system 400 thus constructed as previously mentioned, however, encounters such a problem that the conventional surveillance system 400 is complicated in assembly and thus expensive in production cost, resulting from the fact that the image signal processing unit 420 includes two image signal encoding means and two image data compressing means to have the compression data recording means 424 record the compression data, and to have transmitting means 324 transmit the compression data to the terminal units 430a to 430c.

Surveillance system and image signal processing apparatus

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method are provided which, when printing small ink droplets at high resolution, can make white lines caused by an “end dot deflection” less visually conspicuous. To that end, an ink jet print head used has a plurality of nozzle substrates arranged that an overlapping region in which the printable areas of respective nozzle substrates partly overlap is formed. According to a print density to be achieved, each of the nozzles corresponding to the overlapping region is controlled for ejection/non-ejection of ink. With this method, it is possible to print as many dots as most match the intensity of the “end dot deflection” phenomenon that varies according to the print density. This enables a blank line to be filled with an appropriate number of dots at all times, regardless of the width of the blank line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet printing apparatus that forms an image on a print medium using an ink jet print head having arrays of print elements or ink ejection nozzles. The invention also relates to a printing method for the ink jet printing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
As technologies associated with copying machines, information processing devices such as word processors and computers, and communication devices advance, an ink jet printing apparatus that forms digital images on a print medium from information input from these devices by using an ink jet print head are becoming increasingly widespread. To increase a printing speed the ink jet printing apparatus employs nozzle columns made up of many arrayed print elements, each having an ink ejection opening and an ink path. Further, to enable color image printing, it is general practice to use a print head formed with multiple nozzle columns.
The ink jet printing apparatus can be grouped largely into two types: serial type and line type. The serial type printing apparatus uses a print head having a plurality of print elements arrayed in a direction of a print medium feed. An image is progressively formed by repetitively alternating a main scan operation, in which a print head is moved in a direction crossing the print medium feeding direction as it prints, and a sub-scan operation, in which the print medium is fed a predetermined distance equal to a width of a strip of area printed by the main scan. The serial type ink jet printing apparatus is characterized by its relatively small size and low cost.
The line type printing apparatus uses an elongate print head (line type elongate print head) having print elements or nozzles arrayed in line longer than a width of an image to be formed. A print medium is moved relative to the print head only once in a direction crossing the nozzle array direction to form an image. Therefore, compared with the serial type printing apparatus that performs the printing scan operation many times, the line type printing apparatus can form an image much faster. There are increasing demands on the ink jet printing apparatus for higher image quality and faster printing speed and, to meet these requirements, efforts are being made to develop a technology for integrally fabricating nozzles in the print head at high density. Under these circumstances expectations are growing for a printing apparatus equipped with such a line type elongate print head.
In recent years, demands are growing for further improving the printing speed and resolution by making an ink volume of each dot smaller. To meet these demands, one type of ink jet printing system currently in wide use generates thermal energy in each nozzle to cause film boiling in ink to form and expand a bubble and thereby eject an ink droplet. This system has many advantages, including a relative ease with which to reduce the volume of each ink ejection and integrally form nozzles in arrays at high density and an excellent response to the print signal.
Reference 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-025693 (1996)
Reference 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-096455
The printing apparatus using small-volume ink dots, however, may encounter new problems, such as variations in dot landing positions and unstable ejections. For example, when an image is formed by using a print head that has many nozzles arrayed at high density, each ejecting small droplets of 10 pl or less, a phenomenon is observed in which ink droplets ejected from those nozzles at ends of the print head deviate greatly inwardly from their intended landing positions. This phenomenon is referred to as an "end dot deflection."
FIG. 1 illustrates the "end dot deflection" phenomenon. Here are shown dots formed on a print medium by print elements or nozzles located at the ends of a print head that has one column of nozzles. For simplicity only those dots formed by the end nozzles are shown in the form of solid black circles. In reality, however, all nozzles perform a 100% printing. In this example, a serial type printing apparatus is applied and a line shown as "paper feed boundary" in the figure represents a boundary between two printing scans. An upper row of dots shown above this line represents a row of dots printed by the lowermost nozzle in a first printing scan and a lower row of dots below this line represents a row of dots printed by the uppermost nozzle in a second printing scan. The print head forms dots on a print medium by ejecting ink onto the print medium at a predetermined drive frequency as it moves from left to right in the figure.
As can be seen from the figure, dots printed by the end nozzles, i.e., those dots printed by the uppermost end nozzle and the lowermost end nozzle in two scans, are shown to have landed at proper positions close together at the beginning of the printing scan. However, as the scan proceeds, the upper dot row and the lower dot row gradually part from each other, forming a blank or white line on the image.
FIG. 2 schematically shows trajectories of ink droplets ejected from the print head during the scan. In FIG. 2, as it moves in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the drawing, the print head ejects ink droplets from its nozzles toward the print medium as indicated by arrows. As shown in the figure, the ink droplets ejected from the end nozzles of the print head deflect toward the central part of the head. This tendency has been observed to become conspicuous when an image is formed using very small ink droplets and when a printing density is high. However, if a print head with a high nozzle density and small ink droplets is used, this phenomenon does not occur as long as the printing density is not high enough.
While the above explanation concerns a case of the serial type printing apparatus, the "end dot deflection" phenomenon of course occurs with the line type print head, too. In the line type print head, it is common that a plurality of nozzle substrates each having a plurality of nozzles arrayed at high density are arranged in a direction of print width, as shown in FIG. 6. Thus, the "and dot deflection" occurs with the nozzles situated at the ends of each nozzle substrate, with a blank line formed at a position between the nozzle substrates. It is noted that the method of arranging a plurality of these nozzle substrates as described above and the phenomenon of blank line produced between the nozzle substrates are not peculiar to the line type printing apparatus. Also in the serial type, this arrangement is adopted when an elongate print head is used and therefore the blank line phenomenon results.
FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 schematically show printed dots in an area on a print medium between two nozzle substrates, formed by an elongate print head of the line type or serial type printing apparatus. FIG. 3 represents a case in which the print density of the print head is low (25%) and FIG. 4 a case in which the print density is high (100%).
In FIG. 3, H1100A and H1100B represent nozzle substrates arranged close together. In each of the nozzle substrates, nozzle openings H1105 for ejecting ink are arranged at a pitch of Pn. Of these nozzle openings, the shaded ones are nozzle openings that are activated and represent the print density of 25%. 301 represents a state of dots printed by the shaded nozzle openings while moving the print medium in a vertical direction of the drawing. Right-inclined shade lines and left-inclined shade lines indicate from which nozzle substrates the dots of interest have been ejected. In 301, the printed dots are arranged uniformly at the same pitch as the nozzle pitch Pn.
As in FIG. 3, dots printed at a print density of 100% are shown in FIG. 4. In the printed dot array indicated by 401, a gap is produced between a dot group of right-inclined shade lines and a dot group of left-inclined shade lines. That is, ink droplets ejected from the nozzles at the right end of the nozzle substrate H1100A deflect toward left as they land on the print medium and ink droplets ejected from the nozzles at the left end of the nozzle substrate H1100B deflect toward right.
As described above, in ink jet printing apparatus of recent years that eject small ink droplets at a high resolution, the "end dot deflection" poses a serious problem.
Some countermeasures, though not limited to the "end dot deflection," have already been proposed to improve image impairments that occur at a boundary between nozzle substrates. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-025693 (1996) discloses a method which overlaps an image printed by the print head in one printing scan and an image printed in the next scan by a predetermined amount. According to this method, of the image data printed in the preceding scan, image data in an area that is to be overlapped in the next scan is masked with a random mask pattern. Further, of the image data that is to be printed in the next scan, image data in an area that overlaps the previous scan is masked with an inverted pattern of the previously applied random mask pattern. With this arrangement, the image impairment characteristic of the boundary between the succeeding printing scans is dispersed in an area of a predetermined width, making a boundary line on the image less conspicuous.
This method can be applied also to the line type print head. That is, the ends of the two nozzle substrates are overlapped, with the nozzles in the overlapped portion printing image data masked with the random mask pattern.
However, since the method of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No 8-025693 (1996) is not intended specifically for the "end dot deflection," this method may give rise to another problem where the "end dot deflection" phenomenon does not exist. For example, as described in connection with FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the "end dot deflection" varies in its intensity depending on the print density of the print head. The method of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-025693 (1996), however, performs the above-described processing on the boundary portion irrespective of the print density. That is, the boundary portion is always subjected to the processing different than that applied to other areas. Where the "end dot deflection" does not occur, this method may make the boundary portion more distinguished in the form of different texture or dark line. Further, since in the serial type printing apparatus, the greater the overlapping area the lower the printing speed, a problem arises that even a simple image that can be formed with a low print density takes unduly long to print.
There are some printing methods proposed specifically for solving the "end dot deflection" problem. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-096455 discloses a method which, when performing a multipass printing in a serial printing apparatus, involves dividing a nozzle column into a plurality of sub-columns at a predetermined pitch and setting different thinning factors for the different divided sub-columns. With this method, the print density of the nozzles situated at the ends of an area printed in one scan can be set small beforehand. Since the number of dots whose landing positions are deviated from intended positions can be minimized, a blank line such as described in connection with FIG. 1 is rendered indistinguishable.
It is noted, however, that since the method of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-096455 uses a multipass printing as a precondition, it can only be applied to the serial type printing apparatus. Further, since this printing method is intended to print a high-quality image such as photograph using a multipass printing and taking a prolonged time, it cannot be applied to an ink jet printing apparatus that performs a fast printing for industrial applications that this invention is intended to achieve. Further, the method of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-096455 produces differences in the number of ejections or ejection frequency among a plurality of nozzles arrayed in the print head. Those nozzles whose ejection frequencies are high deteriorate in ejection characteristic faster than other nozzles. A print head is determined as not usable when even a single nozzle fails. Thus, the method described in the cited reference, which causes a local portion of the nozzles to print at high frequency, results in a shorter life of the print head.
As described above, in ink jet printing apparatus that perform a high-resolution printing using small droplets, particularly those ink jet printing apparatus that form an image at high speed without performing a multipass printing, the image impairments caused by the "end dot deflection" is not yet resolved.

Ink jet printing apparatus and ink jet printing method


A table image processing device processes a table image and a memory medium stores a processing program. The table image processing device processes precisely a table image containing a round corner and includes a device extracting a line extracting a longitudinal line and lateral line out of an input image, a device finding a potential match of a round corner region extracting an oblique line which commences from a terminal of a line found by the line extracting device, and finding the potential match of the round corner region, a device extracting a cell containing the potential match of the round corner found by the potential match of the round corner region finding device, and a device deciding the round corner part deciding the round corner from the cells found by the device extracting the cells.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device processing a table image and to a memory medium storing a processing program, and particularly, to a device processing a table image and a memory medium storing the processing program which processes exactly a table image containing round corners, and decides whether a potential match of a ruled line is a true ruled line.
2. Description of the Related Art
A character recognition device or optical character recognition (OCR) device, is generally used as an input device for a computer. The character recognition device recognizes characters by a very high recognition rate if the characters are written clearly in directed regions of a sheet etc., of a document, on which the region for writing letters is specified. The document is that which the color and color density of a ruled line like the frame, etc. are the same as letters and are black and do not drop out color.
But, for the letters being written even a little out of the directed region, the recognition rate is much lower. For example, it happens in the case that the letter contacts the frame (or the ruled line) defining the region of the table with the ruled line of the table, or is written out of the region of the table defined by the ruled lines.
Therefore, the technique by which frames in table form are exactly extracted even if the position and format etc, are unknown on a sheet, and letter regions are exactly extracted even if the frame is in contact with a letter or a letter is written out of the frame.
There are many kinds of sheets, and in these sheets, there is a sheet in table form having round corners like an arc (hereafter referred to as a round corner or a round corner part), which is not different from a right angle corner of two lines. An example of the table form of the round corner is known in FIGS. 19A and 19B. The sheet having this form is used widely at the present time. The device processing a table like the character recognition device which cannot recognize the round corner causes troubles in the sheet processing therefore. There are many proposals for processing precisely the sheet having the round corners of table form.
It has been proposed as a technique that, after extracting a longitudinal ruled line and a horizontal ruled line or, a longitudinal and a lateral ruled line, and in the case that the longitudinal and lateral ruled line are arranged within a constant space without crossing each other, a part is recognized as a round corner (for example, refer to Japanese Laid Open Patent Application 282191/7 etc.). But, first, by this technique it happens frequently not to recognize precisely the round corner part in the case of the image being dulled. Particularly in case of the round corner part being dulled, it cannot process precisely. Second, on a condition applying the technique, both of the longitudinal ruled line and the lateral ruled line should be extracted. This technique can be applied to a sheet form shown in FIG. 19(A), but it cannot be applied to a sheet shown in FIG. 19(B) in which a longitudinal ruled line does not exist in itself, therefore.
It has also been proposed as a technique which, after extracting a longitudinal ruled line and a lateral ruled line (longitudinal and lateral ruled line), in the case that the longitudinal and the lateral ruled lines are arranged within a fixed space without crossing each other, decides the shape of the corner (round corner) by finding a pattern of the part matching with a previously prepared pattern, (for example, as disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application 14000/7). But, first it needs many patterns prepared in advance and consequently the memory size requirements become very great. Second, on a condition applying the technique, both of the longitudinal ruled line and the lateral ruled line should be extracted. This technique can be applied to the sheet form shown in FIG. 19(A), but it cannot be applied to a sheet shown in FIG. 19(B) in which a longitudinal ruled line does not exist in itself, therefore.
Further it has been proposed as a technique of, after extracting longitudinal and lateral ruled lines, finding a region or cell of which four sides are enclosed by the four ruled lines, and deciding whether the corner is a round corner or not by investigating the direction change in searching the inner side of the outline of the region (for example, refer to Japanese Laid Open Patent Application 212292/8). But in this technique, first in the case that a letter is in contact with the ruled line, the part is decided wrongly as a round corner by changing the search direction at the contact part of the letter, it cannot be exactly processed. As the contact of a character with a ruled line happens many times, the problem of wrong recognition caused by the contact should not be disregarded. Second, in a case of the existence of unclearness in the image, because the search direction is changed at the part, the part is wrongly recognized as a round corner, and it cannot be processed precisely. That is, when a ruled line which is a line in itself is not clear, the search direction is changed to 180° at the unclear part, so that the part is wrongly recognizes as a round corner. Further a ruled line of dotted line cannot be extracted.
As mentioned above, in the prior art device for processing a table image like a character recognition device, etc., the round corner cannot be processed exactly in case of existence of an unclear ruled line, round part of letters, contact between a ruled line and a letter, etc., even if the importance of recognizing the round corner is known fairly.
On the other hand, as another technique, within a potential match of ruled lines obtained by result of various kinds of extraction of the ruled lines, a potential match of the ruled lines of low possibility are neglected by finding the low potential match of ruled lines. That is, various techniques which abstract exactly the ruled line even on conditions like existence of contact of a letter and a frame, or existence of a letter over line are proposed.
For example, a technique has been proposed which calculates roughness of an image pattern (such as a degree of roughness in a region of the image pattern) by searching the extracted image pattern as a potential match of a ruled line, and decides it as a pattern not being a ruled line (that is a letter) in case of the roughness more than a fixed value (threshold), and decides it as ruled line in case of the roughness less than the fixed (refer to, for example, Japanese Laid Open Patent Application 334185/10). The technique is based on the roughness of an image pattern of a letter being great, and roughness of an image pattern of a ruled line being small. But, the technique uses rigidly fixed threshold in advance to decide the above mentioned decision, it happens for a case impossible for deciding ruled line or patterns except the ruled line, therefore.
FIGS. 24(A)-24(D) show examples of characters written in sheet, using Japanese characters. Examples of FIGS. 24(A)-24(D) are used to the explanation deciding roughness of ruled lines recognized by the prior art technique and present invention.
FIG. 24(A) shows a part of a line segment of letter A extracted as a potential match of a ruled line, and that which a part of an image pattern of a horizontal line of plural letters written very close is decided as a region of a potential match of a ruled line (the rectangular region marked off in the Figure) 131. In a region of the potential match of the ruled line 131, the pixel density of the line segment of letter A is greater degree than that of a line drawn accidentally, and therefore shows a line form. It is extracted as a ruled line therefore. Though the roughness of the line segment of the letter A is high in itself, it is shown fairly low. FIG. 24(B) shows a part of line B extracted as a potential match of a ruled line, and in a region of the potential match of the ruled line 132 (the rectangular region marked off in the Figure), the position of the image pattern fluctuates fairly up and down in view of the pixel. The line B is disordered greatly, but it is a line in itself, so that it needs to be extracted as a line. Though the roughness of the line B is low in and of itself, it is high in the example shown, so that both of the roughness shown in FIG. 24(A) and (B) are same value. In the above mentioned technique, the threshold is set so as the ruled line to be extracted exactly. As the result of the above mentioned decision, a line segment of letter A having the fairly low roughness same as the line B is found as the potential match of the ruled line. That is, in the case of the line segment of the letter A, the pattern decision whether a ruled line or a pattern except a ruled line is impossible.
FIGS. 25(A)-25(D) show examples of characters written in sheet, using Japanese characters. Examples of FIGS. 25(A)-25(D) are used to the explanation deciding roughness of ruled lines recognized by the prior art technique and present invention.
Especially, FIGS. 25(A)-(D) show an example in which a letter is recognized as a ruled line, and FIGS. 26(A)-(D) show an example in which a ruled line is recognized as a letter. As an original image (input image) of FIG. 25(c), there is a case that letter 152 exists between the ruled lines and the letter is crushed. When the image is read by a scanner, the image data shown in FIG. 25(B), which is crushed to the degree of unclearness in the character part 151, is formed. If the character part 151 is not crushed, a roughness of the character is high, but, in this case, the roughness of the part 151 is low, because of the crush. In the prior art of the above mentioned Japanese Laid Open Patent Application, the threshold is fixed high, so that part of the letter is decided as a potential match of the ruled line.
FIGS. 26(A)-26(D) show examples of characters written in sheet, using Japanese characters. Examples of FIGS. 26(A)-2(D) are used to the explanation deciding roughness of ruled lines recognized by the prior art technique and present invention.
On the contrary, in an original image of FIG. 26(C), there is a case that the intermediate part 144,145 of the line is unclear. When the image is read by a scanner, an image data shown in FIG. 26(B) is formed, and the unclear part does not show any line in view of the pixel. If the part 144,145 is not unclear, a roughness of the part is low, but, in the case, the roughness of the part is high, because of the unclearness. Therefor, by the above mentioned technique, the unclear part is decided as a narrower ruled line than in it self, or a letter having a great roughness and it is rejected from the potential match of the ruled line. In this case, also, it is impossible to decide a ruled line or a pattern other than the ruled line.
As mentioned above, in the prior art of the device for processing table image like the character recognition device etc., it cannot decide the potential match of a ruled line because of the continuation of a line part of a letter, a disturbance of a line (ruled line), a crush of a letter, unclearness of a ruled line etc., even if the process for finding the round corner is so important and is fairly well-known.

Device processing a table image, a memory medium storing a processing program, and a table management processing method


Disclosed are a system and method for supplying chemical during a semiconductor device fabrication process. The system includes a tank to store the chemical, a dispensing unit to hold the chemical, a refill line connected between the tank and the dispensing unit to supply the chemical from the tank to the chemical liquid dispensing unit, and a dispensing line connected between the chemical dispensing unit and a semiconductor substrate to supply the chemical from the chemical dispensing unit to the semiconductor substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a system and method to provide chemicals for use in a semiconductor device fabrication process. More particularly, the present invention generally relates to a system and method for efficiently providing a viscous liquid chemical onto a semiconductor substrate during a semiconductor device fabrication process.
A claim of priority is made to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2004-0009935 filed on Feb. 16, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Storage capabilities and operating speeds of semiconductor devices have increased to keep pace with the rapid development of information technology. In accordance with recent trends in the semiconductor field, semiconductor fabrication technology has progressed towards enhanced integration, reliability, and response speed.
Conventionally, integrated circuit patterns are formed on a semiconductor device by selectively performing process steps such as photolithography, etching, diffusion, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), ion implantation, and metallization.
Various chemicals are used during these manufacturing processes. However, there are numerous supply parameters associated with the chemicals, such as quantity or concentration, as well as the pressure and temperature of the chemicals.
The photolithography process uses a photoresist to form an etching mask to selectively etch a semiconductor substrate. Alternatively, the photoresist is used as an ion implantation mask to selectively implant ions on the semiconductor substrate. The conventional photoresist system has a filter to remove gas bubbles trapped in the photoresist. However, when a highly viscous photoresist is used, gas bubbles trapped in the photoresist cannot easily be removed. Also, it takes additional time for the highly viscous photoresist to pass through the filter. As a result, supply time increases, which in turn, increases overall processing time and total manufacturing cost.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-195510, published on Jul. 9, 2003, discloses a chemical supply system for use in a semiconductor device fabrication process. However, the chemical supply system described in this document includes a filter for removing air bubbles. Therefore, the disclosed system has the same problems as above. Furthermore, because the chemical is directly supplied onto a semiconductor substrate from a tank, the amount of the chemical supplied varies depending on the amount of chemical stored in the tank.

System and method to supply chemical during semiconductor device fabrication


A cooking device includes a cylindrical cooking surface mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis proximate to a heat source. The cooking surface defines a sidewall bounding an interior. Rotation of the cooking surface engenders relative movement between the cooking surface and food applied to the interior and maintains direct contact between the cooking surface and the food so as to cook the food with thermal conduction.

There are numerous ways of preparing food for consumption. From drying beef on a rack to microwaving a frozen dinner, methods of preparation are as varied as the needs, tools, and technology of the cook doing the preparation. Some cooks may prefer food that can be cooked quickly, such as with a microwave, so that the food can be consumed as soon as possible. Other cooks may prefer equipment that allows them to cook food in a communal and festive atmosphere, like a luau pit or a campfire. Some cooks may choose cooking equipment that keeps food under pressure to cook it faster, such as a dutch oven, while others may prefer a machine that places the food on display, such as a rotisserie. Still other cooks may desire food that is dried and crunchy, such as jerky, while others may want food that has been simmered and marinated in juice.
Different cooking devices were developed to meet different cooking needs. For instance, a shallow cooking pan is an essential kitchen item, because it can be used to cook a wide variety of foods. A shallow cooking pan can be used to prepare foods such as eggs, sauces, pancakes, meats, and other foods. Meats can sometimes be difficult to cook in a pan, however, because the temperature and time required to cook a piece of meat—depending on the thickness of the cut—can sometimes cause the meat to dry out. Juices added to the pan, or juices which are let off by the meat, can boil or evaporate from the pan. Fortunately, pans can be covered with a lid, which traps moisture, helps the meat retain its own juices, and prevents the loss of the juices which provide so much flavor to the meat.
Similarly, many food items can be difficult to cook because of the difficulty in judging the balance between adequately cooking the food for safety and palatability, and not overly cooking the food to the point of drying or burning it. This is primarily caused by the difficulty in determining an appropriate temperature and time of cooking. One method many cooks use to avoid over cooking a food item is stirring or constantly moving the food. Many cooks will swirl a food around a pan, or stir a food with a ladle or whisk. This movement allows the cook to expose all parts of the food to higher heat than would be possible without such movement.
For instance, in cooking a sauce, a small pot is often used. Heat is provided by a burner or an inductive or electrical element underneath the pot. The pot, made of metal, will become warm, and will become warm over all its surfaces. However, the bottom of the pot will often times be slightly hotter than the walls of the pot. When the sauce is not stirred, heat will, to an extent, be distributed throughout the sauce in the pot, but the sauce laying near the bottom of the pot will often be the hottest. If left to sit on the bottom of the pot, that sauce can cook faster, or even burn. However, by stirring the sauce frequently, the cook accomplishes two things: first, he distributes the heat from the pot more evenly throughout the sauce by convection (actually moving the hotter portions of the sauce and diffusing them to the cooler portions of the sauce); and second, he prevents any sauce from burning against the bottom of the pot. In this way, by stirring the sauce, the cook can prepare a sauce faster than he would be able to without stirring, he can prevent burning of the sauce, and he can likely use higher heat to cook the sauce more quickly.
A cook's careful attention is often required to create such movement in the food. Continuous attention is not always possible, however, and devices such as microwave ovens or rotisseries were developed to cook food without constant monitoring. Microwave ovens provide relative movement between food and a heat source, but many people are adverse to cooking larger meals through microwave ovens, the idea of "nuking" one's food being a turn-off. Further, microwave ovens can often cook a food unevenly. A rotisserie also provides relative movement between food and a heat source, but rotisserie foods can generally take quite a long time to cook because of the relatively low heat used for cooking. Accordingly, there is a need for a device which quickly cooks food without drying or overcooking that food.


A computer-implemented method for determining whether a target text-string is correctly spelled is provided. The target text-string is compared to a corpus to determine a set of contexts which each include an occurrence of the target text-string. Using heuristics, each context of the set is characterized based on occurrences in the corpus of the target text-string and a reference text-string. Contexts are characterized as including a correct spelling of the target text-string, an incorrect spelling of the reference text-string, or including an indeterminate usage of the target text-string. A likelihood that the target text-string is a misspelling of the reference text-string is computed as a function of the quantity of contexts including a correct spelling of the target text-string and the quantity of contexts including an incorrect spelling of a reference text-string. In one application, the target text-string is received in a search query, the search executed following a spell-check.

The World Wide Web (or "Web") contains a vast amount of information in the form of hyperlinked documents (e.g., web pages) loosely-organized and accessed through a data communication network (or "Internet"). One of the reasons for the virtually explosive growth in the number of hyperlinked documents on the Web is that just about anyone can upload hyperlinked documents, which can include links to other hyperlinked documents. The unstructured nature and sheer volume of web pages available via the Internet makes it difficult to efficiently find and navigate through related information while avoiding unrelated information.
One conventional way to cull information on a computer network (e.g., the Internet) is through use of a search engine. A user typically begins a search for relevant information using a search engine. A search engine attempts to return relevant information in response to a request from a user. This request usually comes in the form of a query (e.g., a set of words that are related to a desired topic). Search engines typically return a number of links to web pages, with a brief description of those pages. Because the vast number of pages on the Web, ensuring that the returned pages are relevant to the topic the user had in mind is a central problem in web searching. Possibly the simplest and most prevalent way of searching the web is to search for web pages which have a relation to, or containing, all or many of the words included in the query. Such a method is typically referred to as text-based searching. Text-based searching over the Web can be notoriously imprecise and several problems can arise in the process.
The process of searching the Internet for narrowly-defined relevant information is akin to finding a "needle" of relevant information in a "haystack" of all the possible information available through the data network. The efficiency of the search process is greatly dependant on the quality of the search. Often a large number of web pages match a user's query. Typically, presentation of query results are ranked according to a predefined method or criteria thereby directing a user to what is believed to be the most-relevant information first. Poor quality queries tend to misdirect the search process, interfere with ranking algorithms and generally, produce poorer search results. In the aggregate, inefficient Internet search methods tend to slow the data network, occupying web page servers with request for irrelevant web pages, and clogging data network paths with transmissions of irrelevant web page information.
As the size of the Internet continues to increase, it becomes increasingly more desirable to have innovative techniques for efficiently searching hyperlinked documents.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


White point is corrected without degrading luminance on a display device. A white point manager modifies the balance between red, green and blue according to a target white point up to a threshold gray value. As the gray scale approaches white from the threshold gray value, the white point manager blends the balance between red, green and blue from the target white point substantially towards the native white point for the display device, so as not to degrade luminance as the gray scale approaches white.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to display device color correction, and specifically to correcting white point without degrading luminance.
2. Background of Invention
It is often desirable to adjust the native white point of a display device to a target white point, in order to achieve an optimal display of images on the specific display device. Applications typically assume that the native white point will display correctly, and write to the display device accordingly. In practice, the display of native white is not optimal on many display devices. Therefore, it is necessary to modify the displayed white point for the device at a system level, so as to output optimal images. Prior art techniques for white point adjustment modify the balance between red, green and blue for the entire range of gray scale, from black to white. Such techniques succeed in correcting the white point from the native to the target, but have the pronounced, undesirable side effect of noticeably reducing the luminance of the display, particularly as the gray scale approaches white. By adjusting the balance to achieve the target white point, the prior art techniques lower red, green and/or blue values as the gray scale approaches white, thereby undesirably reducing the brightness of the output.
Although it is desirable to correct white point to target white, the resulting decrease in luminance in the prior art techniques is very noticeable to the users, and is thus highly undesirable. What is needed are methods, systems and computer program products for correcting white point without degrading luminance on a display device.

Luminance point correction without luminance degradation