Using a metal mold (20a) consisting of a convex mold part (21a) and a concave mold part (22a), a molding material (14) is placed between a pair of coating films (12), and after clamping, the molding material (14) and the coating film (12) are heated and molded to make a biodegradable expanded molded article, and at the same time, the coating film (12) is softened and pressure-bonded to a surface of the biodegradable expanded molded article. An exhaust hole (31a) and (32a) are provided on the convex mold part (21a) and the concave mold part (22a), respectively. At the time of heating and molding, gaseous matter existing between the coating film (12) and a surface of the metal mold (20a) is discharged out of the metal mold (20a) through the exhaust holes (31a) and (32a). Accordingly, it is possible to provide a method and a mold to manufacture a biodegradable expanded molded article easily and with excellent accuracy of dimension, having enough strength, enough water resistance, very excellent biodegradability and excellent surface smoothness even if the biodegradable molded article has a complicated shape.

As a disposal method for a molded article, a biodegradability disposal technique using microbe has been developed and is in the spotlight. Especially, in the biodegradability disposal method above, a method to utilize natural high polymers such as starch and protein has drawn attention in terms of its practicality. This is because the various biodegradable plastics have a problem that despite having fine quality almost comparable to conventional plastics (non-degradable or degradable-retardant), practically they cannot be decomposed quickly enough.
For instance, when a molded article made of the biodegradable plastic is thick, it takes a very long time until the molded article is completely decomposed, so practically it is not possible to produce the molded article having enough volume. Also, when the molded article made of the biodegradable plastic is used particularly as a disposable food container, composting the molded article together with food residues is the least harmful disposal method for the environment. However, actually it is difficult to compost them together since the biodegradable plastic above is decomposed much slower than the food residues. Furthermore, it is also difficult to crush the molded article to hasten the decomposition of the biodegradable plastic, because normally the molded article cannot be crushed easily when it has a certain thickness and strength. Thus it is almost impossible to compost the molded article made of the biodegradable plastic.
Whereas starch and protein, etc. are positively evaluated as the materials because of advantages such as:                with fine biodegradability, decomposition is quite easy even if the volume is large;        the resources can be acquired easily on account of availability of vegetable starch that is mass-produced by agriculture; and        a molded article with adequate thickness and thermal insulation can be acquired, since the molded article is usually used as an expanded molded article.
(1) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application. No. 5-320401/1993 (Tokukaihei 5-320401; published on Dec. 3, 1993, (2) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-224173/1995 (Tokukaihei 7-224173; published on Aug. 22, 1995), (3) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-10148/1995 (Tokukaihei 7-10148; published on Jan. 13, 1995), (4) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-142783 (Tokukai 2000-142783; published on May 23, 2000), and (5) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-97545/1995 (Tokukaihei 7-97545; published on Apr. 11, 1995) disclose biodegradable disposal technologies using starch, protein, etc.
First, a molded article derived from the technology (1) or (2) has the advantages that it has better decomposability than a molded article mainly made of the biodegradable plastic and is also superior to those derived from paper/pulps in its diversity of the molded shape, since natural starch is used as the main ingredient. However, at the same time the molded article derived from the technology (1) or (2) has the disadvantages that it can be used only for limited purposes and is required to barrier moisture during storage, due to its poor water and moisture resistance.
Second, a molded article derived from the technology (3) or (4) is mainly made of starch or similar polysaccharide, and to enhance its water resistance, a natural resin (dammar resin, shellac resin, etc.) is coated on the surface of the molded article to form a water-resistant coating film.
However, the surface of the molded article (including an expanded molded article) mainly made of starch cannot be completely smoothed, and generation of small irregularities cannot be avoided. Thus small pinholes are likely to be formed on the surface corresponding to the irregularities on the water-resistant coating film if it is simply coated. It could be possible to render the molded article water repellent but difficult to make the same completely water resistant. Particularly, if the molded article is required to be moisture-resistant, moisture is likely to be absorbed from the pinholes on the water-resistant coating film, and the molded article tends to become disfigured.
Furthermore, the dammar resin or the shellac resin must be dissolved in an organic solvent such as alcohol, etc., when applied to the surface. This causes problems in terms of a manufacturing facility. For instance, when the organic solvent is removed after the coating, large-scale equipment is required to prevent diffusion of the organic solvent in the air that causes air and environment pollution.
Now, on a surface of a molded article derived from the technology (5) that is made of poorly water-resistant biodegradable material such as starch, as in the cases of the molded articles derived from the technologies (3) and (4), a biodegradable coating agent composed of aliphatic polyester being dissolved in halogenated hydrocarbon is coated. In this case, using a dip method (dip coating method) for actual coating of the surface, an adequately water-resistant coating film can be formed even on a complicatedly-shaped molded article.
However, in this method, it is required to remove the halogenated hydrocarbon used to dissolve the coating agent, and as in the cases of the technologies (3) and (4), problems such as a requirement of equipment to prevent diffusion of halogenated hydrocarbon. Many halogenated hydrocarbons are often harmful for a human body and the environment, and the halogenated hydrocarbon that is specifically mentioned in the technology (5) contains CFC so that it should be released to the air as little as possible. On this account, a large-scale hermetic room and a reclaiming device are required as the equipment above.
In addition to the technologies introduced above, there is a technology in which wax or hydrophobic protein, prepared as a coating solution, is coated on the surface of the molded article. Generally speaking, it is difficult to coat a water-resistant coating film on the surface of the molded article evenly and entirely, while coating on a flat molded article such as a flat plate is relatively easy. However, small irregularities are likely to be formed on the surface of the molded article mainly made of starch as described above and obstruct the formation of an even film, and furthermore, the molded article or a coating device has to be rotated when the molded article is substantially circular in cross section, for instance, like a cup or a bowl. Therefore the coating becomes more difficult.
Besides, even if the coating agent can be applied evenly and entirely by using the dip method, the coating agent runs down before it solidifies and becomes a coating film, and unevenness is likely to show up on the coating film.
The wax has a problem of poor heat resistance due to its relatively low melting point. In the meantime, although the hydrophobic protein has better heat resistance and does not need the organic solvent, the molded article absorbs water and is softened/deformed in the coating process due to frequent uses of aqueous solvents.
So, a technology that has been proposed to laminate a water-resistant coating film instead of coating thereof, more specifically, (6) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-171238/1999 (Tokukaihei 11-171238; published on Jun. 29, 1999), (7) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-278738/1993 (Tokukaihei 5-278738; published on Oct. 26, 1993), (8) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-294332/1993 (Tokukaihei 5-294322; published on Nov. 9, 1993).
A container of the technology (6), made by a pulp molding method instead of molding starch, is coated by a water-impermeable or non-absorbing protective layer. This method has the advantage that the conventional plastic coating method can be applied almost without any change. However, at the same time the method has problems such as:                the pulp molding slowly biodegrades since it is mainly made of fiber so that the molded article cannot be disposed together with remaining foods, etc.; and        only limited types of molded articles can be produced because it is difficult to make the molded article thicker, and also the molded article is not suitable for a deep drawing.
Meanwhile, to make a biodegradable container, a thin film made of biodegradable plastic is coated on a surface of the biodegradable container of the technologies (7) or (8) made of either one of natural polysaccharide or protein, or either of the two materials that is chemically modified but still biodegradable.
In this technology, while the biodegradable plastic is provided as the thin water-resistant coating film, the container itself is made of natural polysaccharide or protein, etc. with enough thickness. On this account, the container is sufficiently water-resistant as well as biodegradable. Thus this technology is particularly promising among the disposal technologies by biodegradability using starch or protein, etc.
However, the technology (7) is an arrangement that the biodegradable plastic thin film simply coats the main body of the biodegradable container, and a concrete arrangement of the biodegradable container is hardly mentioned.
For instance, when the main body of the biodegradable container is mainly made of polysaccharide or protein, strength of the main body should be cared of, but the technology (7) does not explain about the strength at all, and also does not explain how the biodegradable plastic thin film is actually coated, for instance, by forming it by the coating method or by attaching preformed film, etc.
Moreover, the technology (7) does not stipulate the coating state of the biodegradable plastic thin film on the main body of the biodegradable container at all. The biodegradable plastic thin film coats the main body of the biodegradable container mainly made of polysaccharide or protein, to improve water resistance of the main body. But the technology (7) does not mention how the main body is coated, except that it is simply coated.
Even if the biodegradable container is used as a disposable one, the container should still have a stability and durability as a one-way container. So the biodegradable plastic thin film should not fall off from the main body of the biodegradable container. The coating state on the main body is an important factor, but no description with respect to this can be found in (7).
Furthermore, as already described, it is difficult to use biodegradable plastics for a thick molded article due to its slow biodegradability. The speed of the biodegradability also greatly depends on not only the thickness of the molded article but also a total amount of biodegradable plastics contained in the molded article. The technology (7) only describes that effectiveness of the biodegradability is improved if the main body of the biodegradable container is expanded, and there are no comments on a relationship between a degree of the expansion and the biodegradability, and a balance between the biodegradability of the biodegradable plastic and that of the main body of the biodegradable container. As a result, it is not possible to manage the biodegradability of the whole container favorably.
In the meantime, the technology (8) can be assumed to correspond to one of the manufacturing technologies of the biodegradable container disclosed in the technology (7). In this technology, a thermoplastic is dissolved in a solvent and coated on the surface of the main body of the biodegradable container. Then after the solvent is dried and volatilized, another coating thin film made of thermoplastic is laminated and bonded by thermo compression. That is to say, the technology (8) discloses that thermoplastic is used as an adhesive to bond the coating thin film (equivalent to the biodegradable plastic thin film) securely.
Now, as described in relation to technologies (3) to (5), when the thermoplastic dissolved in the solvent is used, problems than an equipment to prevent diffusion of the solvent is required. Moreover, an embodiment of the technology (8) uses chloroform as the solvent, which should be scattered in the air as little as possible. Thus, as in the case of the technology (5), a large-scale hermetic room and reclaiming device are required as the equipment above.
Also, the manufacturing process of the technology (8) acquires the main body of the biodegradable container by press-molding a sheet made of polysaccharide or protein that is preformed by a metal mold. Thus it is impossible to mold molded articles such as a container with deep drawing shape like a cup, or molded articles having irregular thickness like a food tray with partitions or a wrapping tray, and molded articles having complicated shape like cushioning materials for wrapping.
Other biodegradable containers or biodegradable molded articles are publicly known as follows;
(10) Japanese Translations of PCT International Laid-Open Patent Application No. WO-97/10293 (Tokuhyohei 11-512467; published on Mar. 20, 1997), (11) Japanese Translations of PCT International Laid-Open Patent Application No. WO-94/05492 (Tokuhyohei 8-500547; published on Mar. 17, 1994), and (12) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 6-125718/1994 (Tokukaihei 6-125718; published on May 10, 1994).
In addition, a method to fill polyurethane foam using a bag, that is, (13) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 63-54217/1988 (Tokukaisho 63-54217; published on Mar. 8, 1988), has been publicly known.
Also, it has been publicly known that depressure is carried out at vacuum molding of typical foamed plastic;
(14) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 52-134670/1977 (Tokukaisho 52-134670; published on Nov. 11, 1977), (15) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 54-127476/1979 (Tokukaisho 54-127476; published on Oct. 3, 1979), (16) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 55-73535/1980 (Tokukaisho 55-73535; published on Jun. 3, 1980), and (17) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 57-1712/1982 (Tokukaisho 57-1712; published on Jan. 6, 1982).
The present inventors have applied the invention relating to a method for manufacturing a biodegradable molded article including a simultaneous attaching process that a coating film is finally attached to a surface of the biodegradable molded article by using a slurry or dough molding material mainly made of starch or a derivative thereof and water added thereto and a coating film mainly made of biodegradable plastic and having at least hydrophobicity, heating the molding material and the coating film in the mold and molding the biodegradable expanded molded article into a specified shape through steam expansion, and at the same time heating, softening and press bonding the coating film (Refer to (9) Application No. WO 02/22353 A1 published on Mar. 21, 2002, PCT International Laid-Open Patent Application No. PCT/JP01/07903 dated Sep. 12, 2001, when was not published on the application date that is a basis of the priority claim of the present invention, and thereafter it was published.)
The above prior invention is an excellent one that can manufacture a biodegradable molded article having excellent biodegradability and water resistance and reduce manufacturing processes and time.
In the method of Patent (9), the molding material placed between the coating films is expanded inside a mold through steam expansion and presses the coating film against the mold. Steam occurring from the molding material is exhausted out of the mold through a canal-formed exhausting part formed at a joint part or a fitting part between mold halves of the mold from between the coating films. However, if an enclosed space is formed between the coating film and the mold, air is pooled and cannot be escaped. Therefore, pressing of the coating film against the mold stops when pressure by expansion of the molding material and the pressure of air pooled in the enclosed space is balanced. Moreover, the coating film is not expanded all over the mold and is not fit to the surface of the mold by air pooled in the enclosed space. Thus, the biodegradable molded article may not be shaped into the cavity of the mold by the air pooled in the enclosed space. Especially, this appears at a part where at least a certain area of both concave part and smooth surface continue. In the result, in the biodegradable molded article to be molded, desirable thickness was not obtained at the concave part of the mold or slight asperity appeared on a surface of the part where at least a certain area of smooth surface continues. Thus, the biodegradable molded article has insufficient strength and the biodegradable molded article having fine appearance and printability was not obtained.
In addition, in the invention of the reference (9), in case that the biodegradable molded article having a deep drawing shape such as a bowl-shaped container or a cup-shaped container is manufactured, the coating film is preformed in the substantially same shape as the outer shape of the biodegradable molded article or the coating film was divided into film pieces as the development elevation so that the it may be formed in the substantially same shape as the outer shape of the biodegradable molded article. Therefore, at least two processes were necessary to make the biodegradable molded article with deep drawing shape from the coating film.

Process for producing biodegradable molded item and molding dies therefor


A milking machine (1) comprises at least one teatcup (2) having a teatcup liner (4) and a pulsation chamber (5), a first pressure source (14) for generating a first pressure, a second pressure source (9) for generating a sub-atmospheric second pressure, which is lower than the first pressure, and conduit means (12, 15, 13) for transmitting the first pressure and the second pressure, respectively to the pulsation chamber (5). A pulsator (11) is provided for alternately connecting the first pressure source (14) and the second pressure source (9) to the pulsation chamber (5). Influencing means (26) is provided for influencing the transmission of at least one of the first pressure and the second pressure to the pulsation chamber (5) such that the efficiency of said pressure transmission is relatively high when the momentary pressure in the pulsation chamber (5) is higher than an intermediate pressure and is relatively low when the momentary pressure in the pulsation chamber equals to or is lower than said intermediate pressure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of milking an animal by a milking machine having a teatcup with a teatcup liner and a pulsation chamber, a first pressure source for generating a first pressure, and a second pressure source for generating a sub-atmospheric second pressure, which is lower than the first pressure, the method comprising connecting the second pressure source to the interior of the teatcup liner, and alternately transmitting the first pressure from the first pressure source and the second pressure from the second pressure source to the pulsation chamber, to generate a pulsating pressure in the pulsation chamber, whereby the teatcup liner cyclically moves with a decreasing opening rate to an essentially open position during the transmission of the second pressure and with a decreasing closing rate to an essentially closed position during the transmission of the first pressure. Moreover, the invention relates to a milking machine comprising at least one teatcup having a teatcup liner and a pulsation chamber, a first pressure source for generating a first pressure, a second pressure source for generating a sub-atmospheric second pressure, which is lower than the first pressure, conduit means for transmitting the first pressure and the second pressure, respectively, from the first pressure source and the second pressure source, respectively, to the pulsation chamber, and a pulsator for alternately connecting the first pressure source and the second pressure source to the pulsation chamber via the conduit means, such that the teatcup liner cyclically moves with a decreasing opening rate to an essentially open position during the transmision of the second pressure and with a decreasing closing rate to an essentially closed position during the transmission of the first pressure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional milking machine comprises a cluster having a claw and four teatcups, each teatcup having a shell and a teatcup liner provided in the shell to form a pulsation chamber between the teatcup liner and the shell. During milking the interior of the teatcup liner is subjected to a sub-atmospheric pressure, i.e. normally about 50 kPa under atmospheric pressure. There are also milking machines working under high-pressure conditions, wherein the low pressure might be above atmospheric pressure. The pulsation chamber is subjected to a cyclically pulsating pressure normally varying between atmospheric pressure, when the teatcup liner is collapsed or closed and a minimum pressure level when the teatcup liner is fully open. The minimum pressure level is normally equal to said sub-atmospheric pressure level, i.e. 50 kPa under atmospheric pressure. This means that the pressure difference across the wall of the teatcup liner is essentially equal to zero when the teatcup liner is fully open.
The pulsating pressure demonstrates a pulsation cycle which may be divided into four phases, i.e. (a) an opening phase during which the pulsating pressure decreases from atmospheric pressure to normally said sub-atmospheric pressure prevailing in the interior of the teatcup liner and during which the teatcup liner moves from an essentially closed position to an essentially open position, (b) an open phase during which the pulsating pressure has reached its minimum level and is essentially equal to said sub-atmospheric pressure and during which the teatcup liner is in an open position, (c) a closing phase during which the pulsating pressure increases from about said sub-atmospheric pressure to the atmospheric pressure and during which the teatcup liner moves from the open position to the closed position, and finally (d) a closed phase during which the pulsating pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure and the teatcup liner is in a closed position. The time relations between the open and closed positions are defined in the pulsator ratio. The opening and the closing of the teatcup liner during phase (a) and (c) respectively, comprises a very fast and abrupt movement of the teatcup liner. From a closed position, i.e. opposite wall portions of the teatcup liner touch each other, as the pulsating pressure decreases the teatcup liner remains essentially closed until it at a certain pulsating pressure level, the so called TPD-level (touch pressure difference), starts to open abruptly to the so called CCPD-level (critical collapse pressure difference) at which level the teatcup liner is fully open, i.e. said opposite wall portions of the teatcup liner are spaced apart from each other. From the point of time when the pulsating pressure is less than the CCPD-level the teatcup liner thus is essentially open and a further decrease of the pulsating pressure only results in an insignificant further opening of the teatcup liner.
Each milking may be divided into four periods, i.e. (I) the initial stimulation or massage period, (II) the main flow period, (III) the flow decreasing period, and (IV) the flow terminating period. During the initial, flow decreasing and flow terminating periods the milk flow is reduced in comparison with the main flow period.
Such conventional milking machines of today involve the following problems. During especially the flow decreasing and terminating period of each milking, when a small amount or no milk is flowing, the teats are fully subjected to the sub-atmospheric pressure prevailing in the interior of the teatcup liner. Additionally due to the opening and closing movements of the teatcup liner the volume beneath the teat will change. This volume change is compensated by air moving to the teat during the opening movement of the liner. The velocity of this moving air is very high (high jet flow). This air flow may carry milk droplets and bacteria. These droplets are accelerated and directed to the teat and are hit against the teat by the so called impact. Such high impact and high jet flow create a high risk for new infections, such as mastitis. It may happen that bacteria associated with one teat pass directly into the interior of another teat, and thereby increasing the risk of infection.
During high milk flow there appear cyclic pressure (vacuum) fluctuations beneath the teat tip due to the opening and closing movement of the teatcup liner. Such fluctuations can irritate the teats and stress the teat tissue, which negatively influences the udder health.
Moreover such pressure decrease (vacuum increase) due to the volume change in the interior of the teatcup liner during in particular the terminating period may also result in that the teatcup is crawling upwards on the teat. Such crawling at the end of the milking as the teat becomes slack leads to a throttling of the milk conducting interior of the teat, and consequently the milk flow may be interrupted although a considerable amount of rest milk remains in the udder.
These problems are all associated with the very fast and abrupt opening and closing movement of the teat cup liner. Therefore it has been proposed to slow down the opening and closing movement. However, slowing down the opening and closing movement of the teatcup liner also results in a time delay until the liner starts moving. Therefore, milk flow from the teats might be delayed in comparison to a teatcup liner working in the conventional manner. This problem which is of greatest significance during the main flow period, may lead to the milking operation as a whole being prolonged.
WO-A-9 212 625 discloses a method of milking an animal by using a milking machine having at least one teatcup with a teatcup liner and a pulsation chamber. The method of this document aims at a reduction of the rest milk and a more gentle treatment of the teats of the animal, and at the same time a rapid milk extraction should be maintained. To this end, the milking machine is operated to cyclically pressurize the pulsation chamber such that during each pulsation cycle the liner opens and/or closes at a slower rate during the initial and/or flow decreasing and terminating periods of the milking operation than during the main flow period of the milking operation. This method thus involves an extended a-phase or c-phase of each pulsation cycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,924 discloses a milking system in which the pulsator is replaced by a variable pressure source, in order to permit transmission of a controllably variable pressure to the pulsation chamber, i.e. it is possible to vary the rate of change of pressure supplied by the variable pressure source to the pulsation chamber. This document aims at a shorter transition time between the maximum pressure level and the minimum pressure level in the pulsation chamber. Thereby the liner movement is speeded up in comparison to conventional milking, such that this movement from a fully closed to a fully open liner and from a fully open to a fully closed liner, respectively, will occur within a very short time period of 0.05 seconds. Such a rapid transition movement is produced by an almost instantaneous pressure change in the pulsation chamber, followed by a somewhat slower rate of pressure change, which in turn is followed by a final almost instantaneous pressure change.

Method of milking an animal and a milking machine


A burner includes separate fuel and oxidant conduits. The fuel conduit has inlet, transitional, and outlet sections, and the oxidant conduit has inlet and outlet sections. The cross sectional flow area of the fuel transitional section varies from an initial cross sectional flow area at the fuel intake to a different cross sectional flow area at the fuel outtake, and the cross sectional flow area of the fuel outlet section is substantially uniform. At least some of the oxidant inlet section is spaced around substantially all of at least a portion of at least one of the fuel inlet, transitional, and outlet sections. The cross sectional flow area of the oxidant outlet section is less than or equal to the cross sectional flow area of the oxidant inlet section and is substantially uniform, and at least some of it is spaced around substantially all of at least a portion of the fuel outlet section.

The present invention relates to fuel burners and methods for combusting gaseous fuels with oxidants, such as oxygen or oxygen enriched air, and in particular to such burners and methods for producing elevated temperatures in industrial melting furnaces for glass, ceramic materials, metals, etc.
Although the invention is discussed within the context of oxy/gas burners and methods of combustion for glass melting, the invention is not limited to use with glass melting or industrial melting furnaces. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that the burner and method of the present invention may be used in many other fired process heating applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,171 (Yap) discloses a burner for burning fuel in an oxidant having a fuel nozzle sandwiched between upper and lower oxidant nozzles, which are separate and distinct from one another. The burner produces fuel and oxidant jets of an outwardly divergent, fan-shaped configuration to provide a wide flame. The oxidant jets have a lower velocity than the fuel jets such that the oxidant is aspirated into the fuel. Upper and lower secondary oxidant nozzles can be provided for staged combustion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,031 (Joshi, et al.) discloses a method and apparatus for discharging fuel and oxidant from a nozzle in a fashion that forms a fishtail or fan-shaped flame. In a preferred embodiment, a fuel manifold is positioned within an oxidant manifold. Both the fuel manifold and the oxidant manifold preferably have a rectangular cross section at an exit plane. In one preferred embodiment, both of the manifolds have a generally square-shaped cross section in an upstream location, which converges in a generally vertical direction and diverges in a generally horizontal direction to form the generally rectangular cross section at the exit plane. The combined converging and diverging effect produces a net momentum transfer of the fluid from a generally vertical plane to a generally horizontal plane so that the fuel and oxidant are discharged from the nozzle in a relatively wide fashion which produces the fishtail or fan-shaped flame configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,682 (Slavejkov, et al.) discloses a staged oxy-fuel burner for producing a generally flat fuel-rich flame overlying a highly radiative fuel-lean flame. The burner has a fuel passage terminating in a nozzle, a housing surrounding the fuel passage with a space between the housing and the fuel passage, the space forming an oxidizer passage. When fuel is introduced into the fuel passage and an oxidizer is introduced into the oxidizer passage, a generally flat fuel-rich flame is produced at the nozzle end of the fuel conduit. A staging nozzle is also provided for introducing a portion of the oxidizer underneath the fuel-rich flame, which is entrained into the underside of the fuel-rich flame to produce a highly radiative fuel-lean flame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,637 (Slavejkov, et al.) discloses an oxy-fuel burner similar to that in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,682 (Slavejkov, et al.), except that this burner does not include a passage for a staging oxidizer and does not utilize staging.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,635 (Coppin) discloses a high-temperature burner assembly having an oxygen-containing nozzle body which has a gas conduit insert disposed therein. The gas conduit insert includes a gas conduit insert tip having a substantially flat exterior tip face with a frusto-conical shaped prominence disposed thereon and protruding from the tip face. The gas conduit insert tip includes a centrally disposed gas channel terminating at the proximal end of the frusto-conical shaped prominence to form a knife edge. An oxygen expelling orifice is concentrically disposed about the frusto-conical shaped prominence for directing oxygen therefrom to mix with the gaseous fuel for combustion within a refractory burner block.
Despite the advances made by the various designs of prior art burners, many problems still exist, including but not limited to:                reactant flow non-uniformity leading to non-uniformity in flame properties;        high levels of turbulence in the reactant streams leading to higher than desired rates of mixing and combustion;        accumulation and growth of solid carbon on the fuel nozzle tip leading to flame distortion.
These performance related problems frequently lead to burner and process related problems, such as:                Hotter, shorter flames that result in mal-distribution of heat transfer and temperature within the process furnace. Such effects generally shorten furnace refractory life and reduce product yield.        Limitations in the percentage of oxidant that can be diverted (staged) away from the primary fuel/oxidant mixture. This limitation occurs in burners that discharge a portion of the fuel and oxidizer into a refractory burner block (sometimes referred to as a precombustor) that separates the burner assembly from the process furnace. The principal consequences of this limitation are lower rates of radiant heat transfer, lower fuel efficiency and higher NOx emissions.        Premature high-temperature failure of burner components.        Limited range of burner firing rate (fuel flow rate).
In view of these and many other problems pertaining to prior art burners and methods for combustion, it is desired to have a burner and a method for combustion which overcome the difficulties, problems, limitations, disadvantages, and deficiencies of the prior art to provide better and more advantageous results.
It is further desired to have a more efficient burner and method of combustion for combusting a fuel with an oxidant.
It is still further desired to reduce the non-uniformity of velocities in fuel and oxidant streams at the point of initial mixing.
It is still further desired to minimize carbon buildup on fuel nozzles.
It is still further desired to achieve streamlined flow with a high degree of velocity uniformity and low turbulence levels.
It is still further desired to minimize the mean velocity differential between the fuel stream and the oxidant stream at the point of initial mixing.
It is still further desired to reduce non-uniformity in reactant flow distribution at the burner nozzle, while also reducing burner inlet gas pressure and turbulence.
It is still further desired to improve furnace performance by operating burners with higher momentum and more staging, which will lead to longer, more stable, fuel-rich flames with lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
It is still further desired to improve furnace performance with longer, more stable flames delivering higher overall rates of heat transfer to loads in the furnace.
It is still further desired to further improve glass furnace performance by providing higher rates of heat transfer from flame to glass, thereby increasing glass bottom temperatures, enhancing recirculation of glass from refiner to tank, and reducing glass defects (increasing yield).
It is also desired to extend the range of burner firing rates.


A method and a system for indicating more than three different fluid levels in a fluid reservoir is described for a system that includes a fluid level sensor having only two output levels. In one example, the more than three different fluid levels are determined via output of the fluid level sensor and output of one or more sensors that indicate acceleration or orientation of a vehicle.

An amount of fluid that is stored in a fluid reservoir may be determined via a fluid level sensor that outputs an analog signal that has a level that varies with an amount of fluid that is stored in the fluid reservoir. By measuring a level that is output by the sensor and inputting the measured level into a transfer function, a level of fluid in the fluid reservoir may be determined. The level of fluid in the reservoir maybe one of nearly an infinite number of fluid levels that may be determined from output of the sensor. For example, the sensor may output a voltage or current that is indicative of 1/16 of the volume of the reservoir, ⅛ the volume of the reservoir, ¾ of the volume of the reservoir, the volume of the reservoir, 1/100 of the volume of the reservoir, of any volume in between the previously mentioned volumes. However, fluid level sensors that output a plurality of fluid levels greater than two levels may be cost prohibitive for some applications. Therefore, a fluid level sensor that outputs one of two available states may be applied in place of a sensor that outputs more than two levels to reduce system cost. The fluid level sensor that outputs two states (e.g., fluid present, fluid not present) may be applied to indicate when the fluid reservoir should be filled (e.g., a low fluid level indication is provided via the two state fluid level sensor). However, a two state fluid level sensor that outputs only two different levels may supply insufficient information to indicate when fluid in the fluid reservoir is being consumed before a low fluid level is displayed. Consequently, the owner of the vehicle may have less time to schedule maintenance to replenish the fluid level. Further, it may be difficult to determine under what operating conditions, greater amounts of the fluid are being consumed. For these reasons, a two state fluid level sensor may be inadequate even though it costs less to deploy.
The inventors herein have recognized the above-mentioned issues and have developed a method for determining a fluid level in a fluid reservoir, comprising: receiving output of a fluid level sensor having only two discrete output levels to a controller; receiving vehicle acceleration data to the controller; and adjusting an indication of a fluid level of a fluid reservoir in response to the output of the fluid level sensor and the vehicle acceleration data.
By combining vehicle acceleration data and an output state of a fluid level sensor that outputs one of only two output states at a time, it may be possible to determine three or more fluid levels of a fluid storage reservoir. In particular, the level of vehicle longitudinal and/or lateral acceleration and the output state of the two state fluid level sensor may be the basis for providing a plurality of inferred fluid levels of fluid stored in a fluid storage reservoir. In one example, a vehicle acceleration level that causes the two state fluid level sensor to change state may be the basis for inferring a level of fluid in a fluid storage reservoir. The vehicle acceleration may cause fluid that is stored in the fluid reservoir to move or slosh such that output of the two state fluid level sensor changes. If the level of fluid stored in the fluid storage reservoir is lower, then a change in the operating state of the two state fluid level sensor may be indicated at lower vehicle acceleration rates as compared to if a higher fluid level were in the fluid storage reservoir. Consequently, output of the two state fluid sensor and vehicle acceleration data may be the basis for inferring more than two fluid reservoir levels. For example, fluid reservoir levels of ⅛ of fluid reservoir full capacity, ¼ of fluid reservoir full capacity, ½ of fluid reservoir full capacity, ¾ of fluid reservoir full capacity, full fluid reservoir capacity, and levels in between these values may be determined from output of the two state fluid level sensor and vehicle acceleration data.
The present description may provide several advantages. Specifically, the approach may provide increased resolution of an amount of fluid that is stored in a fluid reservoir as compared to output of a two state fluid level sensor. Further, the approach may reduce system cost and complexity by use of a two state fluid level sensor to determine more than three fluid levels of a fluid that is stored in a fluid reservoir. In addition, the approach may be implemented with different types of sensors that indicate vehicle position and/or acceleration.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Method and system for determining a level of a fluid


An article of manufacture is provided comprising a vial having (a) a first chamber that is substantially filled with an injectable pharmaceutical formulation; (b) a second chamber that is substantially empty but for a gaseous medium; (c) a septum, impermeable to the gaseous medium, separating the first and second chambers; and (d) actuating means effective to bring the formulation and the gaseous medium into contact by breach of the septum such that the gaseous medium acts as an effective headspace for agitation of the formulation. The formulation comprises an aqueous medium, a drug in solid particulate form in a therapeutically effective amount suspended in the medium, and one or more wetting and/or suspending agents in an amount effective to provide controlled flocculation of the drug, at least one ingredient of the formulation being susceptible to oxidative degradation.

A well-known approach to stabilizing an aqueous suspension formulation of a drug, particularly a poorly soluble drug, is by the principle of controlled flocculation. According to such an approach, an aqueous medium or vehicle for the drug is provided that permits aggregation of particles of the drug to form a floc. A desirable floc is one that tends to settle but is readily resuspended with slight agitation and remains in uniform suspension during a period of time long enough to permit administration, for example parenterally, to a subject. Controlled flocculation of a poorly soluble drug generally requires presence in the aqueous medium of one or more wetting agents and one or more suspending agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,457,348 to Nash & Haeger, incorporated herein by reference, discloses that polyoxyethylene nonionic surfactants, for example polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate, are suitable wetting agents for this purpose. A formulation of sulfadiazine comprising polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate and polyethylene glycol (PEG) of molecular weight 4000 is specifically described therein.
Polysorbates such as polysorbate 80 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate) and PEGs of molecular weight from about 1000 to about 20,000 such as PEG 3350 are known wetting and suspending agents for use in injectable aqueous injection formulations. For example, Depo-Provera® contraceptive injection of Pharmacia & Upjohn is an aqueous suspension formulation of the steroidal drug medroxyprogesterone acetate containing:
medroxyprogesterone acetate150mgPEG 335028.9mgpolysorbate 802.41mgsodium chloride8.68mgmethylparaben1.37mgpropylparaben0.15mgwater for injectionq.s. to 1mlSee Physicians' Desk Reference, 56th ed. (2002), pp. 2798-2801.
It has been found that where an aqueous suspension of a hydrophobic drug includes, for provision of stability through controlled flocculation, compounds such as polysorbates and/or PEGs having polyoxyethylene chains, the suspension tends to show a decline in such stability with time. This decline in stability can be manifested, for example, in thickening of the formulation and/or poor resuspendability of a solid deposit, and, especially in unbuffered or weakly buffered formulations, can be accompanied or mediated by a drift in pH with time, usually a downward drift. Excessive drift in pH of an injectable formulation is undesirable not only for its impact on physical stability of the formulation but also because of the risk of carrying the formulation outside a biocompatible pH range.
Polyoxyethylene chains are susceptible, in presence of oxygen over time, to oxidation of C—H groups to C—O—O—H (hydroperoxy) groups. This oxidative degradation process is known to occur, for example, in polysorbates. See Donbrow et al. (1978), J. Pharm. Sci. 67, 1676-1681. The hydroperoxy groups are susceptible to further degradation by a variety of mechanisms, leading to cleavage of the polyoxyethylene chains and, at least in some situations, formation of formic acid and/or other compounds as degradation products with a concomitant lowering of pH. Presence and quantitation of degradation products and/or measurement of pH can provide an indication of the degree of oxidative degradation, if any, that has occurred in a sample of a formulation.
Oxidative degradation can also affect formulation ingredients other than those comprising polyoxyethylene chains, with a variety of undesirable effects, including, in addition to decline in physical stability and pH drift, accumulation of degradation products that can be toxic or otherwise deleterious if administered by injection, and, where the ingredient subject to oxidative degradation is an active ingredient, loss of potency.
By reducing or minimizing exposure of the formulation to oxygen, problems of oxidative degradation can be substantially overcome. For example, if an injectable formulation is packaged in an airtight container such as a vial having little or no headspace acting as a reservoir of gaseous oxygen, i.e., if the container is substantially filled with the formulation, oxidative degradation is likely to be minimized. This can be an acceptable way to package a formulation that does not require agitation to homogenize the formulation prior to use, for example a formulation in the form of an aqueous solution. However, the lack of headspace becomes a serious problem in the case of an aqueous suspension formulation exhibiting controlled flocculation, because it greatly impedes ability to agitate the formulation, for example by shaking the container, to resuspend a settled floc and provide a fine homogeneous suspension for parenteral injection. Where the formulation is packaged in a unit-dose container such as a vial, it is particularly important to be able to resuspend substantially all of a drug deposit so that the full dose can be administered.
One approach to reducing exposure of an aqueous suspension formulation to oxygen yet providing a sufficient headspace for agitation is to provide an oxygen-depleted atmosphere in the headspace, for example an atmosphere enriched in nitrogen or a noble gas. This approach is not always convenient, and it can be difficult and expensive in practice to displace substantially all of the oxygen from headspace atmosphere.
It would be of benefit in the art to provide an alternative means of reducing exposure to oxygen of an injectable aqueous suspension formulation, that permits resuspension by agitation immediately prior to use.

Injectable pharmaceutical suspension in a two-chamber vial


An image processing apparatus is provided, including a user input interface to input biometric information of at least one user, a processor to process image data to be displayed as an image and to provide a preset service to authenticate a personal identification (ID) and the group ID of a user group including users corresponding to personal IDs, and a controller to specify a personal ID corresponding to biometric information of an input through the user input interface, and to select and authenticate the group ID corresponding to specified personal IDs from the storage when multiple personal IDs are specified. The controller derives interest of the multiple users corresponding to the respective specified personal IDs in the image and selects the group ID corresponding to a personal ID of a user determined to have a high interest.

Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the exemplary embodiments relate to an image processing apparatus to process image data to be displayed as an image and a control method thereof, more particularly to an image processing apparatus configured to specify at least one user and to provide a particular recommendation service to the specified user and a control method thereof.
Description of the Related Art
An image processing apparatus processes image signals/image data externally received according to various image processing processes. The image processing apparatus may display an image based on the processed image signal on its own display panel or output the processed image signal to a separate display apparatus including a panel so that an image is displayed on the display apparatus. That is, the image processing apparatus may include any device capable of processing an image signal, regardless of whether it includes a panel to display an image or does not. An image processing apparatus having a display panel is a TV, while an image processing apparatus having no display panel is a set-top box.
A variety of additional and extended functions are continuously added to the image processing apparatus as technology develops. For example, a user may register at least one user account in the image processing apparatus, and the image processing apparatus may provide a specialized service for each, such as a login account when the user logs in to the account. The image processing apparatus allows the user to designate an ID and a password for login to the user account in advance. When the user inputs the ID and password using character or number buttons installed on a remote controller, login to the user account corresponding to the input information may be carried out.
However, the account of the image processing apparatus is arranged corresponding to each individual user. In the case that the image processing apparatus is available to a plurality of users at the same time, like a home TV, when a service is provided to suit an account of one user among a plurality of users, the service does not consider the other users. Thus, when a plurality of users uses the image processing apparatus at the same time, the image processing apparatus may need to provide a service in view of not only one user but the plurality of users.

Image processing apparatus and control method thereof


Techniques in fabricating a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) include providing a substrate having a fin structure and forming an isolation region having a top surface with a first surface profile. A dopant species is implanted using a tilt angle to edge portions of the top surface. The edge portions are then removed using an etch process. In this respect, the isolation region is modified to have a second surface profile based on an etching rate that is greater than an etching rate used at other portions of the top surface. The second surface profile has a step height that is smaller than a step height corresponding to the first surface profile. The tilt implantation and etching process can be performed before a gate structure is formed, after the gate structure is formed but before the fin structure is recessed, or after the fin structure is recessed.

With increasing down-scaling of integrated circuits and increasingly demanding requirements to speed of integrated circuits, transistors need to have higher drive currents with increasingly smaller dimensions. Fin Field-Effect Transistors (FinFET) were thus developed. FinFETs include vertical semiconductor fins above a substrate. The semiconductor fins are used to form source and drain regions, and channel regions between the source and drain regions. Shallow Trench Isolation (STI) regions are formed to define the semiconductor fins. The FinFETs also include gate stacks, which are formed on the sidewalls and the top surfaces of the semiconductor fins.
In the formation of the STI regions, various clean steps are performed. These steps cause recess of the top surfaces of STI regions. As a result of the clean steps, the center portions of the top surfaces of the STI regions are lower than edge portions of the top surfaces of the STI regions. The STI regions with such a surface profile can impact the performance of the FinFET.

Tilt implantation for STI formation in FinFET structures

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


A circuit for controlling the loading of write data in a semiconductor memory device includes a global bus; a data block configured to selectively load data of a predetermined first burst length or data of a second burst length, which is a half of the first burst length, for writing on the global bus in response to a control signal; and a memory bank configured to write the data of the first burst length or the data of the second burst length.

The present invention relates to a write operation of a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly, to a circuit and method for controlling loading of data to be written.
In general, a semiconductor memory device such as a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) is divided into a core region for processing data and a data input/output region for transceiving data with other semiconductor devices. A data block is provided in the data input/output region to buffer external data and transmit the buffered data to the core region.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional circuit for a write operation including a data block for transmitting external data to a core region. The circuit illustrates an example applied to a Dual Data Rate 3 (DDR3) Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM) according to Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) specifications.
As shown, a data write operation is performed in such a manner that write drivers 32 and 34 of a memory bank 30 select data on a global bus 20 when a data block 10 receives data for writing and loads the data for writing on the global bus 20.
However, the data write operation increases power consumption by unnecessarily charging and discharging a Global Input/Output (GIO) bus which is the longest metal line in a semiconductor chip. The data write operation also causes coupling to a signal line adjacent to the GIO bus since the data block 10 writes data in the same way as a burst length is 8 even when a burst length of the data for writing is 4 and so unnecessarily occupies the GIO bus corresponding to the burst length 4. For example, according to the JEDEC specifications, in case of a burst length 4 (BL4) mode or a burst chop 4 (BC4) mode, the data block 10 loads four data on two GIO buses GIO_O<0:3> and GIO_O<4:7>, each of which can receive the four data by two using Input Output Sense Amplifiers (IOSA) 14 and 18 of a global input/output transmitting unit, and the write drivers 32 and 34 in an octet of the memory bank 30 select the data on the corresponding GIO buses and drive the data for writing.
Therefore, a new data write method is required to reduce power consumption due to unnecessary charging and discharging of the GIO bus in the semiconductor memory device and remove coupling caused in the signal line adjacent to the GIO bus.

Circuit and method for controlling loading of write data in semiconductor memory device


A parameter estimation apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a model reduction processor and a parameter estimator. The model reduction processor generates reduced order models by reducing order of a simulation model on the basis of measurement data sets and conditions for model order reduction possibility. The parameter estimator estimates values of parameters of the reduced order models on the basis of the reduced order models and the measurement data sets corresponding to the reduced order models. Further, after estimating a first value for a first parameter of a first reduced order model based on a first measurement data set, the parameter estimator applies the first value to the first parameter of a second reduced order model based on a second measurement data set.

A method is known in which comparative evaluation is performed by simulation for update or operation change of air-conditioning equipment of a building in order to cope with energy saving of the building. In order to perform the simulation with a high accuracy, it is necessary to identify a lot of parameters included in a simulation model on the basis of variety pieces of measurement data actually measured in the building.
When the number of parameters is large, there is a problem that the number of times of iterative calculation required for identification of the parameters, and time required for identification increases. In order to avoid this problem, a method of reducing the number of parameters is adopted. For example, a method of reducing the number of parameters by identifying parameters that do not influence equipment by multiple regression analysis of measurement data is known. Further, a method of reducing the number of parameters by identifying parameters after classifying measurement data according to classification conditions that influence the parameters is known.
There is, however, a problem that, even for such a parameter that should be constant independently of conditions, for example, a coefficient of heat transmissibility of a wall surface, an individual value is identified for the parameter for each classification condition, and simulation accuracy decreases.

Parameter estimation apparatus, air-conditioning system evaluation apparatus, parameter estimation method, and non-transitory computer readable medium


A pusher-type prize dispensing device in which each of two support plates on which a bonus prize is placed is pivotally supported on one end on an axis of which the axial direction coincides with the horizontal and depth direction, and is locked almost horizontally by allowing the other end to be suspended on a locking member. A suspended string is tied to a bent upper portion, and the other end of the support plate is suspended on the top surface of a lower portion, whereby the locking member locks the support plate. When a weight member falls from a stationary table, the locking member moves rotationally due to the fall of the weight member so that the upper portion moves downward, whereby the support plate falls downward, causing the prize P placed on the top surface of the support plate to fall toward a prize receiving port.

The present invention relates to a pusher-type game device and a prize dispensing mechanism used for the game device.
A pusher-type prize dispensing game machine has been known as one type of game device. The pusher-type prize dispensing game machine includes a shovel which picks up a prize placed on a rotating turntable, a stationary table, and a slide table which moves on the stationary table to approach or move away from a prize receiving port. When the player inputs start instructions, the shovel automatically picks up the prize from the turntable. When the player inputs drop instructions, the shovel drops the picked-up prize onto the stationary table. The prize dropped onto the stationary table is pushed by other prizes by being pushed by the slide table, and finally falls from the stationary table. When the fallen prize successfully enters the prize receiving port, the player can acquire the prize. The pusher-type prize dispensing game machine is particularly popular among women and children as a game which allows everyone to enjoy it due to the simple rule.
A pusher-type prize dispensing game machine has been known which includes a prize storage section inclinably provided above the prize receiving port and a weight member coupled to the prize storage section and placed on the stationary table. In more detail, the opening of a bucket, which stores the prize and is suspended above the prize receiving port, and the weight member on the stationary table are connected with a string. In this case, when the weight member is pushed and falls in the same manner as the prize on the stationary table, the storage section coupled to the weight member is inclined due to the fall of the weight member, whereby the prize which has been stored falls into the prize receiving port. The above configuration, in which the bonus prize is separately stored and dispensed when specific conditions have been satisfied, improves the player's fondness for speculation that a large number of prizes can be acquired at one time, whereby the interest in the game can be improved (see Japanese Patent No. 3372508, for example).
Since the above mechanism, in which the prize which has been stored is dropped into the outlet and dispensed when specific conditions have been satisfied, becomes familiar with time, the player loses interest in the mechanism, whereby the objective of increasing the motivation to play cannot be achieved. Therefore, a novel mechanism is always demanded.

Prize dispensing mechanism and game device


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor laser element includes forming an etching end point detection layer on part of a substrate, forming an substrate exposed portion and forming a lower cladding layer, an active layer, and an upper cladding layer on the etching end point detection layer and on the exposed portion, forming an insulating film pattern at a distance corresponding to a clearance region, from directly above a boundary between the substrate exposed portion and the etching end point detection layer, etching the upper clad layer, the active layer, and the lower cladding layer using the insulating film pattern as a mask and stopping etching at a time when the etching end point detection layer is exposed or after a predetermined time duration after the time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor laser element used for optical communication, for example.
2. Background Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 64-73726 discloses a technique for detecting an etching end point through an etching end point detection layer formed beforehand when etching an object to be processed.
In dry etching, ridge etching that forms a ridge of a semiconductor laser element involves a problem that a stable etching depth cannot be achieved due to a variation in capability of an etching apparatus. When a ridge height is not stable, a problem may occur that a leak path is formed in a current block layer in which the ridge is embedded.
An etching end point detection layer may be used to make an etching depth stable. However, since the method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.64-73726 forms an etching end point detection layer on the entire surface of a substrate, the etching end point detection layer exists in the current path of the semiconductor laser element. In this case, carriers may be trapped at a level of the etching end point detection layer, resulting in a problem of adversely affecting characteristics of the semiconductor laser element.

Method for manufacturing semiconductor laser element


A method for manufacturing a patterned thin-film layer according to one preferred embodiment includes the steps of: providing a substrate with a plurality of banks thereon, the plurality of banks defining a plurality of spaces therein for receiving ink therein, each of the banks having a top surface and a plurality of side surfaces adjacent to the top surface; irradiating the plurality of banks with UV light beams, wherein the UV light beams are obliquely incident on the top surfaces of the substrate such that a surface wettability of the ink on the top surfaces is lower than that of the side surfaces of the banks; applying ink into the spaces; and curing the ink so as to form a patterned thin-film layer on the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method for manufacturing patterned thin-film layer on a substrate.
2. Description of related art
At present, methods for manufacturing a patterned thin-film layer on a substrate include photolithographic method and ink-jet method.
The photolithographic method is described as below: applying a photoresist layer on a substrate; exposing the photoresist layer using a photo mask with a predetermined pattern and developing the exposed photoresist layer using the conventional method to form a predetermined patterned thin-film layer. Disadvantage of the conventional photolithographic method is that a large part of the photoresist material is wasted thus, the efficiency is lowered.
Referring to FIG. 10, the ink-jet method includes following steps: Referring to FIG. 10(a), a substrate 42 with a plurality of banks 44 is provided, wherein the plurality of banks 44 defining a plurality of spaces 46 therebetween; the banks 44 is irradiated by ultraviolet (UV for short hereinafter) light beams 48 in a direction perpendicularly to the top surface of the banks 44. Referring to FIGS. 10(b) and 10(c), drops of ink 54 are dripped into the spaces 46 via a nozzle 52 in a manner such that the ink of a same material applied in the spaces 46 in a same row. A patterned thin-film layer (not shown) is formed after curing the ink 54.
In FIG. 10(a), the UV light beams 48 decomposes non-hydrophile substance, and thus increase the surface wettability of the top surface of the banks 44. When a material of the banks 44 is an organic material, the UV light beams 48 can break the unsaturated links of the organic material adjacent of the outer surface of the banks 44, which further increases the surface wettability of the top surface of the banks 44. In FIG. 10(c), because the UV light beams perpendicularly irradiate the top surface of banks 44, the top surface of which has better surface wettability than the side surface thereof. Therefore, when an ink 542 applied in a space 46 overflows to the top surface of the bank 44, the ink 542 is prone to flow along the top surface of the bank 44 and mixed with an ink 544 adjacent to the ink 542. This may reduce purity of the ink in the same space.
What is needed, therefore, is a method for manufacturing a patterned thin-film layers with high purity of the ink in the same space.

Method for manufacturing patterned thin-film layer


Disclosed herein is an electrical light-emitting device including a transparent conductive nanorod type electrode, in which transparent conductive nanorods grown perpendicular to a light-emitting layer are used as the electrode. Hence, light is not absorbed by the electrode, and tunneling easily occurs due to nanocontact of the nanorods, thus increasing current injection efficiency, and also, total internal reflections decrease. Thereby, the light-emitting device according to this invention has light-emitting properties and luminous efficiency superior to conventional light-emitting devices, including metal electrodes or thin film type transparent electrodes.

As a p-type ohmic electrode of a presently widely available nitride semiconductor light-emitting device, various metal thin films, such as Ni/Au, Pt/Ni/Au, Ni/Pt/Au, Ti/Pt/Au, or Pd/Au, have been thoroughly studied. In particular, an Ni/Au thin film is mainly applied to the p-type electrode of the GaN semiconductor light-emitting device.
However, an ohmic contact of such a metal thin film results in light being absorbed by the semi-transparent metal electrode, thus causing many problems, such as decreased luminous efficiency, thermal stability, and reliability of the device. Moreover, since the p-type GaN thin film has high resistance, when the size of the light-emitting device is increased, current is not uniformly transferred to such a device. Therefore, it is difficult to fabricate a large light-emitting device having high luminance.
To solve the problems, a method of fabricating a device comprising a thin film type transparent electrode is disclosed in the literature "Indium tin oxide contacts to gallium nitride optoelectric devices" (Applied Physics Letters. 74, 3930 (1999)). However, the contact resistance of the light-emitting device increases, and thus, the efficiency of the device decreases.
Although an organic electroluminescent (EL) device is available in addition to the semiconductor light-emitting device, it is also disadvantageous because light emitted from the light-emitting layer does not escape the electrode due to the refractive index (varying with the kinds of material) according to Snell's law, and may be reflected within the light-emitting device or may be absorbed by the metal electrode, thus decreasing the luminous efficiency.

Light-emitting device comprising conductive nanorods as transparent electrodes


This invention has as its object to provide a convenient image processing apparatus which does not limit image sensing purposes. To achieve this object, an image processing apparatus has a recording medium for recording and playing back an image sensed by an image sensing unit, and an image display unit for playing back and displaying at least an image sensed before the current image. The image display unit has a display layout mode for displaying the current image sensing signal and at least the image sensed before the current image sensing signal with their partial boundary regions overlapping each other.

The present invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus for sensing, recording, and playing back still and moving images, a control method therefor, and a storage medium which stores a control program for controlling the image processing apparatus.
Conventionally, image processing apparatuses such as electronic cameras and the like, which record/play back still and moving images using memory cards having solid state memory elements as recording media have already been commercially available, and electronic cameras with electronic viewfinders such as color liquid crystal panels and the like have also been commercially available.
These electronic cameras allow the electronic camera user to determine the camera angle by continuously displaying images before sensing, and to confirm the sensed images by playing back and displaying them.
Especially, the function of generating a panoramic image by combining a plurality of sensed images is very convenient and effective for the electronic camera user.
However, in such conventional image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like, since it is hard to sense a panoramic image with a complicated combination of images or to provide a viewfinder display which is convenient upon sensing a panoramic image with a complicated combination of images, its image sensing purpose is limited.
When the user of the image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like has determined the camera angle, since he or she cannot start panoramic image sensing in an arbitrary direction, a convenient image processing apparatus cannot be provided.
Furthermore, since neither viewfinder display nor operation that facilitate re-sensing are available immediately after sensing of a panoramic image, a convenient image processing apparatus cannot be provided.
Electronic cameras having variable focus lenses or zoom lenses that can vary the focal length of a photographing lens are also commercially available. However, in such conventional image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like, the user of the image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like may switch the focal length of a photographing lens or zoom during sensing a panoramic image. In such case, upon generating a panoramic image by combining a plurality of sensed images, extra computations for correcting different focal lengths are needed, resulting in a considerable drop of image quality.
When individual sensed images have considerably different angles due to switching of the focal length of the photographing lens or zooming, the outer shape of a synthesized panoramic image varies in units of sensed images and has staircasing.
Furthermore, when the user notices during panoramic image sensing that the focal length of the photographing lens has been switched to a side which is not suitable for panoramic image sensing, or that the zoom position of the zoom lens is not suitable for panoramic image sensing, he or she may switch the focal length of the photographing lens or zoom even while a plurality of images are being sensed for panoramic image sensing, thus posing the above-mentioned problems.
In an electronic camera that uses exchangeable lenses, it is possible for the electronic camera user to determine the camera angle of a panoramic image and sense in correspondence with the selected lens, and such function is effective for the electronic camera user. However, in such conventional image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like, the user of the image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like may exchange the photographing lens by another lens with a different focal length. In such case, upon generating a panoramic image by combining a plurality of sensed images, extra computations for correcting different focal lengths between the former and latter lenses are needed, resulting in a considerable drop of image quality.
When individual sensed images have considerably different angles due to exchange of the photographing lens by another lens with a different focal length, the outer shape of a synthesized panoramic image varies in units of sensed images and has staircasing.
Not only upon panoramic image sensing but also upon mounting a detached photographing lens again, the previous setup state corresponding to that photographing lens must be re-set, resulting in inconvenience.

Image processing method and apparatus, control method therefor, and storage medium


A liquid supply device includes a pump tube that supplies a liquid to a handpiece intermittently ejecting the liquid and a tube pump that passes the pump tube to supply the liquid. An internal diameter of the pump tube is equal to or less than φ 1.0 mm.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to supply of a liquid.
2. Related Art
Devices which supply liquids to handpieces intermittently ejecting the liquids are known (see JP-A-2014-95353). The liquid supply device disclosed in JP-A-2014-95353 includes two plunger pumps. Pulsation of a liquid to be supplied is reduced by causing the two plunger pumps to alternately supply the liquid.
In the case of the technology of the foregoing related art, it takes some labor and time to perform maintenance of the plunger pumps. In particular, when the plunger pumps are used for medical treatment, problems particularly occur in cases in which exchange or sterilization is necessary.

Liquid supply device and liquid ejection device


The embodiments of the present invention relate to a light emitting device, a method for manufacturing a light emitting device, a light emitting device package, and a lighting device. A light emitting device according to an embodiment has: a light emitting structure including a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, a second conductivity type semiconductor layer, and an active layer disposed between the first conductivity type semiconductor layer and the second conductivity type semiconductor layer; a passivation layer disposed on the light emitting structure; and an insulating reflective layer disposed on the passivation layer. The passivation layer may include a first region disposed on an upper surface of the light emitting structure, and a second region disposed on side surfaces of the first conductivity type semiconductor layer, the second conductivity type semiconductor layer, and the active layer. The insulating reflective layer may be disposed on the first region, and an end portion of the insulating reflective layer may be disposed apart from an end portion of the first region.

Semiconductor devices including compounds such as GaN and AlGaN have many merits such as wide and easy bandgap energy, and can be used variously as light emitting devices, light receiving devices, and various diodes.
Particularly, a light emitting device such as a light emitting diode or a laser diode using a semiconductor material of Group III-V or II-VI group semiconductors can be applied to various devices such as a Red, Blue, and ultraviolet rays. By using fluorescent materials or combining colors, it is possible to implement a white light beam with high efficiency. Also, compared to conventional light sources such as fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps, it has many merits such as low power consumption, Speed, safety, and environmental friendliness.
In addition, when a light-receiving element such as a photodetector or a solar cell is manufactured using a semiconductor material of Group III-V or Group II-VI compound semiconductor, development of a device material absorbs light of various wavelength regions to generate a photocurrent, it is possible to use light in various wavelength ranges from the gamma ray to the radio wave region.
It also has advantages of fast response speed, safety, environmental friendliness and easy control of device materials, so it can be easily used for power control or microwave circuit or communication module.
Therefore, applications are extended to a transmission module of the optical communication means, a light emitting diode backlight replacing a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) constituting a backlight of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display device, a white Light emitting device capable of replacing a fluorescent lamp or an incandescent lamp Diode lighting devices, automotive headlights, traffic lights, and gas and fire sensors. Further, applications can be extended to high frequency application circuits, other power control devices, and communication modules.
The light emitting device may be formed by combining a group III-V element or a group II-VI element in the periodic table with a pn junction diode in which electric energy is converted into light energy, so that various colors can be implemented.
For example, nitride semiconductors have received great interest in the development of optical devices and high power electronic devices due to their high thermal stability and wide bandgap energy.
Particularly, a blue Light emitting device, a green Light emitting device, an ultraviolet (UV) Light emitting device, and a red (RED) Light emitting device using a nitride semiconductor are commercially available and widely used.
For example, in the case of an ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV LED), a light emitting diode that emits light distributed in a wavelength range of 200 nm to 400 nm is used for sterilization and purification in short wavelength of the above wavelength range, or is used for a Stepper or a hardener in long wavelength of the above wavelength range.
On the other hand, according to the related art, the light emitting device chip is mounted on a predetermined package body by using solder paste, and there is a problem that the light intensity Po is lowered by such a solder paste.
For example, according to the related art, a light emitting device chip is mounted using a SAC (Sn—Ag—Cu) paste, and the light intensity is lowered due to light absorption in the SAC (Sn—Ag—Cu) paste.
Further, according to the related art, when the light emitting device chip is mounted on a predetermined package body using solder paste, it cannot be ensured that the light emitting device chip is sufficiently wide due to the light absorption problem of the solder paste or the like, a sufficient contact area cannot be ensured and electric reliability is deteriorated.
In addition, according to the related art, branch electrodes are used for current diffusion. Such branched electrodes absorb light emitted from the light emitting layer, resulting in deterioration of light efficiency.

Light emitting device including a passivation layer on a light emitting structure


An ultra-wideband (UWB)-assisted precise positioning system, which includes a plurality of mobile base stations (MBSs) and a central control base station (CBS). The central CBS and the MBSs are configured to: measure, by the UWB communication module, distances between the MBSs, such that the moving module controls the MBSs to have a predetermined distance from one another and form a predetermined pattern; configure the global satellite positioning (GPS) modules to perform positioning to obtain a plurality of initial positions; execute a pattern search algorithm to generate a plurality of corrected positions; generate a plurality of predicted positions to be input to a cost function for finding a plurality of final predicted positions having relatively smallest errors; measure, by the UWB communication module, distances of a test object relative to the MBSs and calculate a position of the test object.

With the advancement of technology, people are increasingly engaged in various activities on the vast ocean, such as canoeing, sea fishing, snorkeling, diving, and the like. Before engaging in the above-mentioned various activities, if a person wishes to enter the sea, such as for diving, they must try to mark their position information to avoid collision with vessels on the sea; if the weather changes drastically, it may lose contact with the person, thereby seriously threatening life and safety, so that a distress signal needs to be sent in time to inform nearby vessels or rescue units to carry out rescue operations.
In addition, the topography of certain countries, e.g., Taiwan, may mostly consist of mountains and hills, and in the high mountain areas, terrains such as cliffs and deep valleys are usually covered by dense fog. Therefore, whenever a mountaineering endeavor results in an accident or disappearance, the topography of Taiwan often leads to difficulties in search and rescue, and thus delaying the search and rescue progress.
Generally, a disaster notification is usually received by the local police station, and a ground search and rescue team is organized to carry out a carpet search with a large amount of manpower, or an air police search and rescue team is dispatched to conduct high-altitude patrol and rescue according to demand. Moreover, due to the rugged terrain and poor weather, communication failures often occur, which increases the difficulty of search and rescue.
When the position of the victims cannot be accurately located while searching in a wide range of mountainous areas, in addition to high difficulty of the search and rescue, the safety of search and rescue personnel may also be affected, and various accidents are regularly reported in the local news.
Therefore, in order to overcome the above issues, how a target can be more precisely positioned has become one of the important topics in the art.

Ultra-wideband assisted precise positioning system and method


The present technique relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method which allow the encoding efficiency to be improved. The image processing apparatus includes: a determination unit which determines whether neighboring motion information is available or unavailable, the neighboring motion information being motion information of a neighboring region located around a current region and being used to encode motion information of the current region to be processed; and an encoding unit which encodes the motion information of the current region by using available motion information of another neighboring region in place of the motion information of the neighboring region determined by the determination unit to be unavailable. The present disclosure can be applied to an image processing apparatus.

In recent years, an apparatus conforming to an MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) scheme and the like is becoming widespread in both broadcast stations which distribute information and ordinary households which receive information, where the MPEG scheme treats image information as digital and compresses the information, for the purpose of efficiently transmitting and storing information, by means of an orthogonal transform such as a discrete cosine transform and motion compensation while exploiting redundancy specific to the image information.
MPEG-2 (ISO (International Organization for Standardization)/IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) 13818-2), in particular, is defined as a general-purpose image encoding scheme that is a standard covering both an interlaced scan image and a progressive scan image as well as images with a standard resolution and a high resolution. The MPEG-2 is now used widely in a wide range of applications for use by professionals and consumers. The use of the MPEG-2 compression scheme can realize a high compression ratio and satisfactory image quality by assigning a code amount (bit rate) of 4 to 8 Mbps to an interlaced scan image with a standard resolution having 720×480 pixels, or 18 to 22 Mbps to an interlaced scan image with a high resolution having 1920×1088 pixels, for example.
The MPEG-2 has targeted high image-quality encoding adapted mainly for broadcasting, but has not been suited for an encoding scheme with a code amount (bit rate) lower than that of MPEG-1, namely, an encoding scheme with a higher compression ratio. The need for such encoding scheme is expected to increase in the future as a mobile terminal is coming into wide use. In response, an MPEG-4 encoding scheme has been standardized. With regards to the image encoding scheme, the standard was approved as an international standard ISO/IEC 14496-2 in December, 1998.
Furthermore, a standard named H.26L (ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector) Q6/16 VCEG (Video Coding Expert Group)), which is initially intended for encoding an image used in a television conference, has been in the process of becoming standardized in recent years. While requiring a greater amount of calculation in encoding and decoding compared to the conventional encoding schemes such as the MPEG-2 and the MPEG-4, the H.26L is known to achieve higher encoding efficiency. As a part of the actions pertaining to the MPEG-4, moreover, a standardization achieving yet higher encoding efficiency by using the H.26L as a base and incorporating a function not supported in the H.26L has currently been in the process as Joint Model of Enhanced-Compression Video Coding.
The standard became an international standard in March, 2003 under the name of H.264 and MPEG-4 Part 10 (Advanced Video Coding; hereinafter noted as AVC) regarding the standardization schedule.
However, it was concerned that a macroblock size of 16 pixels×16 pixels was not optimal for a large picture frame provided in UHD (Ultra High Definition; 4000 pixels×2000 pixels) which is to be the target for a next-generation encoding scheme.
Accordingly, a JCTVC (Joint Collaboration Team-Video Coding) that is a joint standardization group formed by the ITU-T and the ISO/IEC is currently working to standardize an encoding scheme called an HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) for the purpose of further improving the encoding efficiency achieved by the AVC (refer to Non-Patent Document 1, for example).
The HEVC encoding scheme defines a coding unit (CU) as a processing unit similar to the macroblock used in the AVC. Unlike the macroblock used in the AVC, the size of the CU is not fixed to 16×16 pixels but specified within image compression information in each sequence.
Now, in order to improve encoding of a motion vector employing median prediction in the AVC, there has been proposed to adaptively use any of a "temporal predictor" and a "spatio-temporal predictor", in addition to a "spatial predictor" required in the median prediction and defined in the AVC, as predictive motion vector information (hereinafter also referred to as MV competition) (refer to Non-Patent Document 2, for example).
In an image information encoding device, a cost function value when using respective predictive motion vector information for each block is calculated to select the optimal predictive motion vector information. Flag information indicating information on which of the predictive motion vector information is used for each block is transmitted to image compression information.
Moreover, there has been proposed a method called Motion Partition Merging (hereinafter also referred to as a merge mode) as one scheme of encoding motion information (refer to Non-Patent Document 3, for example). In this method, only the flag information is transmitted when the motion information for a current block is identical to the motion information for a neighboring block, and the motion information for the current block is reconstructed by using the motion information for the neighboring block at the time of decoding.
In order to parallelize a process, for example, the image encoding schemes such as the AVC and the HEVC provide a method in which a picture is divided into a plurality of slices so that a process is performed for each slice. An entropy slice is also proposed in addition to the slice.
The entropy slice is a processing unit adopted in an entropy encoding process and an entropy decoding process. That is, in the entropy encoding process and the entropy decoding process, a picture is divided into a plurality of entropy slices so that a process is performed for each entropy slice. Ina prediction process, on the other hand, the process is performed for each picture without applying the slice division.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method


A synchronous AC motor has a stator with stator poles arranged as a plurality of circumferentially extending stator pole groups, with each stator pole group having a pair of corresponding circumferentially extending loop-configuration stator windings disposed adjacent on either side or a single such winding disposed adjacent at one side, adjacent stator pole groups being mutually circumferentially displaced by a fixed amount corresponding to a specific electrical phase angle. A rotating magnetic field is produced by applying respective polyphase AC voltages to the windings, such that currents of mutually opposite direction flow in each pair.

1. Field of Application
The present invention relates to a synchronous AC motor, suitable for installation in a motor vehicle, and to a control apparatus for the AC motor.
2. Description of Prior Art
In the prior art, types of synchronous AC motor, and in particular types of brushless AC motor, are known which have stator windings formed as closely packed layers of conductors that are wound around the stator poles, for example as described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 6-261513 (page 3, and FIGS. 1 to 3), designated in the following as reference document 1. FIGS. 40 and 41 are cross-sectional views taken along the motor shaft and at right angles to the motor shaft, respectively, showing the general configuration of such a prior art type of brushless motor. This example is a 4-pole 6-slot type of brushless motor, having compensating windings formed on the stator, and with respective stator windings of the phases (referred to in the following simply as the phase windings) being wound around the stator poles. FIG. 42 is a conceptual view taken around 360° of the inner circumference of the stator (with such a type of view being referred to in the following as a developed circumferential view), illustrating how the stator windings are disposed with respect to the corresponding stator poles. The extent of the (mechanical) 360° developed circumferential view of FIG. 42 is equivalent to an electrical angle of 720°. The rotor 2 of this brushless motor is formed with two permanent magnets designated by numeral 7 which have N (north) polarity at the outer surface of the rotor 2, as the N poles of the rotor 2, and two permanent magnets designated by numeral 8 which have S (south) polarity at the outer surface of the rotor 2, as the S poles of the rotor 2, with the N poles 7 and S poles 8 being arranged in successive alternation around the circumferential periphery of the rotor 2 as shown. The stator 4 has U-phase stator poles TBU1 and TBU1 having the U-phase stator windings WBU1, WBU2 respectively wound thereon, and similarly has V-phase stator poles TBV1 and TBV1 having the V-phase stator windings WBV1, WBV2 respectively wound thereon, and has W-phase stator poles TBW1 and TBW1 having the W-phase stator windings WBW1, WBW2 respectively wound thereon.
Such a configuration of brushless motor is widely used at the present time in both industrial and domestic applications. However such a brushless motor has a complex construction, due to the need to form windings around each of the respective stator poles, with each of the windings being disposed in the interior of a stator slot. Hence, the manufacturing productivity is low.
In addition, it is difficult to produce such a type of brushless motor in a compact size, or to manufacture it at low cost.
It should be noted that although the present invention is described in the following with reference to a brushless type of synchronous AC motor in which rotor poles are formed by permanent magnets, or to a reluctance type of synchronous AC motor, the principles of the invention are equally applicable to a synchronous AC motor having field windings that are driven by an excitation current to produce the magnetic flux for the rotor poles.

AC motor having stator windings formed as loop coils, and control apparatus for the motor


Composite structures and methods of forming composite structures are provided. A composite structure as disclosed herein incorporates one or more composite structure components, such as composite panels and composite inserts. A composite panel is formed from one or more sheets of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material. Composite inserts can include one or more composite blocks or braided sleeves. A composite block can be formed as a stacked or molded structure from trimmings or waste produced during the formation of the composite structures. A braided sleeve can include a seamless, woven sleeve formed of reinforcing fibers and thermoplastic threads. In a completed composite structure, composite inserts are at least partially disposed within a volume defined by surfaces of composite panels. The various composite structures and inserts can be given a final shape and can be fused to one another in a molding and fusing step.

Composite materials have a variety of advantages as compared to alternate materials, such as steel, aluminum, or wood. For example, composite materials can be used to form structures having intricate shapes, allowing strength and aesthetics to be optimized. In addition, the potential strength to weight ratio of structures formed using carbon fiber composites is very high. Products formed from carbon fiber composites, commonly referred to as simply "carbon fiber", are also popular with consumers.
Widespread adoption of composite materials has been limited by the relatively high cost of forming composite or carbon fiber structures. These costs are a result of various factors, such as the cost of the materials themselves, and the labor-intensive processes used to form such structures. For example, composite structures are typically formed by laying multiple sheets of composite material in a mold. Each sheet includes fibers that are oriented along one or several directions or plies, and that generally extend from one edge of the sheet to another. More particularly, different layers of material, having the associated ply or plies oriented in a specific direction, are placed in a mold and set into a final form using a two-part epoxy. In addition to being time-consuming and labor-intensive, such techniques are prone to defects when used to form complex, hollow structures time efficiently. Such methods are also unable to take full advantage of the strength to weight ratio of the material. For example, conventional composite structures that are otherwise capable of withstanding designed loads require additional reinforcement in order to provide consumer friendly end products that are resistant to impacts and that have acceptable product lifetimes. In addition, composite structures have typically used thermoset materials that are relatively brittle and difficult to recycle.
As an alternative to composite structures that are formed by layering multiple sheets of material in a mold, structures can be formed relatively quickly and cheaply using injection molding. However, the structures formed using such processes are typically quite weak. In addition, it is impossible to form certain three-dimensional shapes using injection molding.