A hydraulic servo unit for a vehicular power transmission system having a helical gear, including a clutch for connecting predetermined rotary elements to each other and a hydraulic servo for applying the clutch, the hydraulic servo including a cylinder, a piston fitted in the cylinder, a push member abutting against the piston through a bearing for transmitting the push force of the piston to the clutch, and a return spring for the piston, one of the rotary elements including a reaction member opposed to the push member for transmitting the push force of the piston to a case, and the cylinder is a stationary cylinder formed in the case. Further, the return spring is arranged between the push member and the reaction member and is loaded to apply a load higher than the thrust force of the helical gear, as acting upon the reaction member.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicular power transmission and, more particularly, to a hydraulic servo device for a clutch of the power transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a vehicular power transmission system, a hydraulic servo for applying a clutch to connect rotary elements to each other is generally mounted in one of the rotary elements. The technology of the so-called "stationary cylinder type construction", in which the hydraulic servo is arranged in the case of the power transmission system, is disclosed in the prior art in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 119761/1995. When the stationary cylinder type construction is adopted, the push force of the hydraulic servo cannot be received, unlike the prior art hydraulic servo mounted in the rotary element, by a reaction member on the rotary element having the servo to constitute a closed loop of force in the rotary element thereby to establish an unbalance force. In this technique, therefore, there is adopted the construction in which the push force of the hydraulic servo is transmitted through the reaction member to the case.
In the vehicular power transmission system, generally speaking, a helical gear having a tooth trace inclined with respect to the axis, is used to smoothen the power transmission through the meshing portion of the gear. The helical gear establishes a thrust force at the time of transferring the power, but the acting direction of the thrust force changes with the running state of the vehicle. Specifically, the thrust force is inverted between the state in which the vehicle is driven by the power of the engine (to be called the driving time), i.e., when the throttle is ON, and the state in which the engine is driven by the wheels (to be called the coasting time) by the coasting of the vehicle, i.e., when the throttle is OFF. When this state change occurs, the controllability of the hydraulic servo is lowered for the following reasons when the construction is of the stationary cylinder type as in the prior art.
A predetermined gap is formed, between the individual members of the power transmission system, to allow for manufacturing error, thermal expansion or other similar factors. When the thrust force acts against the push force of the hydraulic servo, the reaction member moves by the gap so as to reduce the clearance in the application direction of the clutch thereby to reduce the ineffective stroke of the piston. When the thrust force acts in the same direction as that of the push force of the hydraulic servo, on the other hand, the clearance of the clutch is not reduced so that the ineffective stroke is elongated. Thus, when the oil pressure is supplied to the hydraulic servo so as to apply the clutch at the driving time and at the coasting time, the ineffective stroke time changes to lower the controllability.

Hydraulic servo unit for vehicular power transmission system


An image forming apparatus includes: an endless belt having an outer circumferential surface for conveying a recording sheet; a photosensitive member provided to face the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt; a cleaning member provided to face the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt and configured to clean the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt; and a control device configured to control a cleaning bias to be applied to the cleaning member such that while a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt, which has contacted the recording sheet since being cleaned by the cleaning member, faces the cleaning member, a second bias, which is larger than a first bias having been applied to the cleaning member before the corresponding portion faces the cleaning member, is applied to the cleaning member.

In an image forming apparatus configured to form an image electrophotographically, a transfer member is provided on an inner side of an endless belt for conveying a sheet such that the transfer member faces a photosensitive member with the endless belt being interposed therebetween. By applying transfer bias to the transfer member, developer (toner) carried on the photosensitive member is transferred onto a recording sheet conveyed by the endless belt.
In this image forming apparatus, in order to remove developer, paper dust, and so forth attached to the endless belt during an image forming (printing) operation, a cleaning member is provided to face an outer circumferential surface of the endless belt. In general, after printing completes, a cleaning bias is applied to the cleaning member, whereby the developer and so forth on the endless belt is transferred onto the cleaning member so as to be collected. Further, there is also known an image forming apparatus which applies a constant cleaning bias (voltage) to a cleaning member even during printing in order to remove the developer and so forth from the endless belt,

Cleaning bias control for an image forming apparatus


A droplet jetting head includes a nozzle plate having multiple nozzles arranged in a single line and multiple liquid passages respectively communicating with the multiple nozzles and extending in the same direction, a liquid chamber plate having multiple liquid chambers provided in the multiple liquid passages and configured to respectively communicate with the multiple liquid passages, and multiple piezoelectric elements provided so that an end of each of the piezoelectric elements can face a corresponding one of the multiple liquid chambers. Here, the distance between each of the nozzles and the corresponding liquid chamber communicating with the nozzle is changed in a cycle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a droplet jetting head configured to jet droplets.
2. Description of the Related Art
A droplet jetting applicator is used for printing image information and also in a process for forming a color filter, a black matrix, a conductive film, and the like, in manufacturing various flat display devices such as a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL (electro luminescence) display device, an electron emission display device, a plasma display device or an electrophoretic display device. This droplet jetting applicator includes a droplet jetting head (such as an inkjet head) for jetting liquid such as ink as droplets from multiple nozzles. The droplet jetting head makes the droplets land on application targets, sequentially forms dot arrays in a predetermined pattern, and thereby manufactures various coated bodies.
The droplet jetting head is configured to change volumes of multiple liquid chambers for containing liquid by use of multiple piezoelectric elements, and to jet the liquid in those liquid chambers from respective nozzles, i.e. nozzle orifices. The droplet jetting head includes a liquid chamber plate (an intermediate plate) having the liquid chambers, and a nozzle plate for connecting those liquid chambers and the nozzle orifices, respectively (see JP-A No. 2005-270743, for example). Here, the piezoelectric elements are arranged in two straight lines and the adjacent piezoelectric elements are arranged away from each other at a pitch of a minimum distance required to avoid interference with each other.
However, when the piezoelectric elements are arranged in the two straight lines at the pitch of the minimum distance as described above, new piezoelectric elements cannot be provided between the adjacent piezoelectric elements in order to increase the number of nozzles. Thus, it is impossible to reduce the pitch of the nozzle orifices. For this reason, when the number of the nozzles is increased, the droplet jetting head extends in the direction of arrangement of the nozzle orifices. That leads to a size increase of the droplet jetting head.


A circuit for controlling rotation speed of a computer fan includes a fan connector providing for controlling the rotation speed of the computer fan, a rotation speed detector providing for detecting the rotation speed of the computer fan, a BIOS chip connected to the fan connector via the rotation speed detector and provided for receiving, and comparing rotation speed signals from the rotation speed detector, a super I/O chip connected to the BIOS chip and provided for outputting either a PWM signal or another PWM signal to be converted to a voltage signal to control rotation speed of the computer fan according to the result of the comparison, a integrated circuit connected to the super I/O chip and the fan connector and configured for converting the another PWM signal to an analog voltage signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer fans, and particularly to a circuit for controlling rotation speed of a computer fan.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a computer system includes a motherboard with various chips such as a central processing unit (CPU) mounted thereon, a storage device such as a hard disc, and input/output devices. Many of these devices generate heat when the computer system is operating, particularly the CPU. If the heat generated from the CPU is not dissipated in a timely fashion, it may damage the CPU or even other parts of the computer system.
Typically, a sensor is programmed to be used as a temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the CPU. A computer fan is used to facilitate removal of heat to keep the temperature of the CPU within a safe range. A fan controller is provided to adjust the fan speed to be more energy efficient while still providing enough heat dissipation. Two common kinds of computer fans are 3-pin fans and 4-pin fans. The fan speed of a 3-pin fan can be adjusted by changing a voltage signal (power signal) input to the 3-pin fan. The changed voltage signal corresponds to a change in a first pulse-width modulation (PWM1) signal output by a basic input/output system (BIOS) of the motherboard. The fan speed of a 4-pin fan can be adjusted by a second pulse-width modulation (PWM2) signal output by the basic input/output system (BIOS) of the motherboard directly to the 4-pin fan.
In a 3-pin fan motherboard, a 3-pin fan is connected to the motherboard by a 3-pin header mounted on the motherboard, and a 3-pin fan controller is used to provide the voltage signal to the 3-pin fan for adjusting the rotation speed of the 3-pin fan. In a 4-pin fan motherboard, a 4-pin fan is connected to the motherboard by a 4-pin fan header mounted on the motherboard, and a 4-pin fan controller is used to provide the PWM signal to the fourth pin of the 4-pin fan for adjusting the rotation speed of the 4-pin fan. In theory, the 3-pin fan can be connected to the 4-pin fan motherboard by the 4-pin header. However, the 3-pin fan cannot be controlled by the 4-pin fan controller because the 3-pin fan does not have the fourth pin and cannot receive the PWM signal from the 4-pin fan controller. Therefore, the CPU of the 4-pin fan motherboard may be damaged because the heat may not be dissipated properly.
What is needed, therefore, is a means for adjusting the rotation speed of a computer fan, whether the computer fan be a 3-pin fan or a 4-pin fan.

Circuit for controlling rotation speed of computer fan

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


A liquid jet head has a head chip which ejects liquid droplets, a nozzle plate in contact with a lower surface of the head chip, a flexible circuit board in contact with the lower surface of the head chip, and a bending member in direct contact with the flexible circuit board and configured to bend the flexible circuit board along a lower corner of the head chip. The nozzle plate and the flexible circuit board contact the lower surface of the head chip in the same plane thereby saving space to enable downsizing of the liquid jet head.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid jet head which jets liquid droplets onto a recording medium to perform recording and a liquid jet apparatus.
Related Art
In recent years, there has been used a liquid jet head of an ink jet system which ejects ink droplets onto, for example, recording paper to record characters or figures thereon, or ejects a liquid material onto the surface of an element substrate to form a functional thin film thereon. In this ink jet system, liquid such as ink and a liquid material is guided from a liquid tank into a channel through a supply tube, and pressure is applied to the liquid filled in the channel to thereby eject the liquid as liquid droplets from a nozzle which communicates with the channel. In the ejection of liquid droplets, characters or figures are recorded, or a functional thin film having a predetermined shape or a three-dimensional structure is formed by moving the liquid jet head or a recording medium.
This type of liquid jet head includes, for example, a head chip in which channels which induce pressure waves in liquid are embedded, a liquid tank which supplies liquid to the head chip, a drive circuit which supplies a drive signal to the head chip, and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) which is located between the drive circuit and the head chip and transmits a drive signal from the drive circuit to the head chip. In recent years, an assembling method in which an FPC is bent and connected to a narrow clearance has been employed along with an increase in the number and the density of channels and an increase in capacity caused by arranging a plurality of head chips together.
FIGS. 11A to 11G1 are diagrams illustrating a method of assembling a wiring module 50 to be connected to an ink jet head (liquid jet head) (JP 2012-116087 A). The ink jet head is provided with eight actuator units 77. The actuator units 77 are arranged in a line on a flow path unit 72. Each of the actuator units 77 includes four heads. A chip on film (COF) 50x is placed on each of the actuator units 77. A large number of lands are placed on the upper surface of each of the actuator units 77, and electrically connected to wiring of the COF 50x at contacts.
A flexible wiring board which is bent and used in a liquid jet head is described in JP 2006-281736 A and JP 2012-81644 A. JP 2006-281736 A describes a method of connecting a flexible wiring board to the surface of a first plate to which a nozzle plate is adhered, and then bending the flexible wiring board along the end surface of the first plate to adhere the flexible wiring board to the end surface of the first plate. A clearance is previously provided at a corner between the surface and the end surface of the first plate, and filled with an adhesive. Then, the bent flexible wiring board is adhered to the first plate with the adhesive and fixed along the end surface of the first plate. JP 2012-81644 A describes a method of connecting a flexible wiring board whose end part is previously bent to a flow path forming substrate. Wiring is formed on the surface of the bent end part of the flexible wiring board. An anisotropic conductive film (ACF) adhesive is interposed between the wiring and a lead electrode of the flow path forming substrate, and the end part of the flexible wiring board and the flow path forming substrate are connected to each other by thermocompression bonding. Then, a molding agent is filled into the bent portion of the flexible wiring board and solidified.

Liquid jet head and liquid jet apparatus


A light-emitting diode (“LED”) device has an LED chip attached to a substrate. The terminals of the LED chip are electrically coupled to leads of the LED device. Elastomeric encapsulant within a receptacle of the LED device surrounds the LED chip. A second encapsulant is disposed within an aperture of the receptacle on the elastomeric encapsulant.

A conventional light emitting diode ("LED") device uses an epoxy as encapsulating material. The encapsulation process is frequently accomplished by injection molding, transfer molding or casting. Cured epoxy encapsulant has relatively high hardness, which provides resistance to scratches and abrasion, high rigidity, and high initial light transmissivity. Conventional encapsulated LED devices come in a variety of sizes and styles, such as 4 mm Oval LED Lamps, 5 mm Round LED Lamps, Chip LEDs and plastic leaded chip carriers ("PLCCs").
However epoxy-based encapsulating materials suffer from thermal and photo degradation. Degradation is especially acute if the wavelength emitted by the LED chip is in the near the ultraviolet ("UV") portion of the spectrum. Epoxy encapsulating material degrades when subjected to high light flux, particularly if the wavelength of the light is in the range from 200 nm to 570 nm. Degradation of the encapsulant results in increased absorption of light in the blue to green wavelengths, causing a "yellowing" effect on clear epoxy encapsulant and reduced light transmissivity through the encapsulant, which causes a significant drop in the light output of the LED device. Typically, an epoxy-based 5 mm LED lamp device's light output drops by 20% or more after 1000 hours in use, and by 50% or more after 10,000 hours in use.
FIG. 1A shows a portion of a strip 100 of semi-finished conventional LED lamps 102, 104. The LED lamps 102, 104 are attached to a leadframe 106, which is fabricated as a strip of LED lamps. LED lamps are singulated from the leadframe 106 by shearing leads 108, 110. "Singulation" means separating an LED lamp or a group of associated LED lamps from a leadframe or other substrate, such as a ceramic substrate or a printed circuit board ("PCB") substrate.
An LED chip 114 is attached to a first substrate portion 115 that electrically couples a first terminal (not shown) of the LED chip 114 to the lead 110. In a particular embodiment, the LED chip is mounted in a reflector cup of the first substrate portion using conductive epoxy. A bond wire 112 electrically couples a second terminal (not shown) of the LED chip 114 to a second substrate portion 117. The bond wire 112, LED chip 114, first substrate portion 115, second substrate portion 117, and portions of the leads 108, 110 are encapsulated in hard, rigid encapsulant 116, such as an epoxy encapsulant. The hard, rigid encapsulant 116 protects the bond wire from being damaged when an LED lamp is sheared from the leadframe 106 by securing the first and second substrate portions so that the do not move relative to each other.
FIG. 1B shows a conventional singulated LED lamp 102. The leads 108, 110 have been cut from the lead frame (see FIG. 1A, ref. num. 106, 108, 110). One lead 108 has been cut shorter than the other lead 110 to indicate the electrical polarity of the LED chip 114. Hard, rigid encapsulant 116 secures one lead relative to the other to prevent avoid damage to the bond wire 112.
FIG. 1C shows a conventional singulated LED lamp 102 inserted and clinched into a PCB 120. In a typical automated assembly process, the leads 108, 110 of the LED lamp 102 are inserted through holes in the PCB 120 and bent to secure the LED lamp 102 in place for a subsequent soldering step. The strong, rigid epoxy encapsulant secures the leads 108, 110 from movement relative to each other, which could otherwise damage the LED chip 114 and/or the bond wire 112.
FIG. 2 shows a prior-art light source 200. An LED chip 214 is attached to a PCB substrate 201. Bond wires 212, 213 electrically couple terminals (not shown) on the LED chip 214 to terminals 208, 210 on the PCB substrate 201. The terminals 208, 210 are plated through holes that allow surface mounting of the light source 200 on a surface-mount circuit substrate. The plated through holes are plugged with a compound 211, such as solder resist, before encapsulant 216 shaped as a dome is molded over the LED chip 214 and top of the PCB substrate 201. More information on such a light source is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,806,583.
FIG. 3 is a simplified cut-away isometric view of another prior art LED device 300. An LED chip 314 is attached to a silicon substrate member 301 (forming what is commonly known as a "chip-on-chip" assembly), which is attached to a substrate member 303. In a particular embodiment, the LED chip 314 is a high-power LED chip, that is, an LED chip operating at or above 500 mW, and the substrate member 303 is metal (e.g. a metal "slug") that provides a heat sink to conduct heat away from the LED chip 314 through the silicon substrate member 301. A lead 308 extends from a lead support member 309, which is typically a molded polymer. A second lead is not shown in this view, but essentially extends from the lead support member opposite the lead 308.
A pre-molded thermoplastic cover 316 fits over the LED chip 314 to form a cavity 315 within the LED device 300. The cover 316 is shaped to form a lens according to the desired light intensity distribution pattern of the LED device 300. The cover forms a cavity 315 in which the LED chip 314 sits. Subsequently liquid silicone encapsulant is introduced into the cavity by dispensing or injecting it through an opening in the package to fill the entire space in the cavity 315 within the package, and the encapsulating material is then cured. The silicone filling the cavity 315 provides a soft, optically transparent material having a refractive index greater than 1.3.
Using silicone materials with high-power LED chips, particularly those operating in the blue to green portion of the spectrum, is desirable because silicone is less prone to yellowing than the epoxy used in LED lamps such as the LED lamp 102 shown in FIG. 1B. However, the packaging techniques used in the LED device 300 of FIG. 3 are relatively elaborate, involving many parts and assembly steps.
Hence, there is a need for LED devices that do not degrade like conventional LED lamps, yet do not require the number of components and assembly steps typically used to package high-power LED chips.


A construction of a CIC instrument is provided, along with a corresponding method of manufacturing such a CIC instrument, that prevents floating components from contacting with an isolated receiver and, therefore, assures feedback-free operation. This is achieved through the presence of a compartment for the receiver in which the receiver resides, and a cover placed on top of the receiver compartment in a mating recess of the receiver compartment.

The present invention is directed to a completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aid design which has a receiver compartment in which the receiver is placed to keep the receiver isolated from the other components in order to help reduce or eliminate feedback.
One of the basic types of hearing aid designs is called the completely-in-canal (CIC) design and is characterized in its small size compared to other designs. A typical construction of a CIC hearing instrument includes components that are not firmly fixed, but rather are attached to fixed components by miniature electrical wires—these are called "floating components". The use of such floating components provides more flexibility over fixed components during assembly of custom CIC instruments because such components can be positioned to accommodate various shapes of custom CIC instruments.
One of the components of the hearing aid is the receiver that converts an electrical signal to sound. The receiver motor produces mechanical vibrations. It is important that a hearing aid receiver be mechanically isolated from other CIC components because of the vibrations it creates during its operation. Without isolation, a vibrating receiver will affect a normal operation of a CIC instrument by causing feedback.
One of the possible ways of isolating the receiver vibrations from the rest of the CIC components is described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 200510074138, herein incorporated by reference. FIG. 23, e.g., of this reference illustrates an isolating construction with the receiver being attached to the shell by two studs made of a soft rubber-like material. Such a construction provides for a necessary mechanical isolation of the receiver and allows for a feedback-free operation of a hearing aid.
It is quite possible that during a CIC assembly, a floating hybrid (or another floating component) will come into a contact with an mechanically-isolated receiver, therefore causing feedback. Furthermore, in a conventional CIC receiver, the electrical terminals are positioned on a back wall, opposite to the receiver tube.

Construction of a completely-in-canal hearing instrument with receiver compartment


An improved cooling mechanism for a power electronics device is provided. More specifically, a cooling mechanism is provided that includes an air passageway configured to allow cooling air to bypass a portion of a heatsink adjacent to the rectifier circuitry and direct cooling air into an area of the heatsink that is nearer to the inverter circuitry. Another embodiment employs an air passageway with an air directing structure configured to provide an air flow that impinges on a lateral surface of the heatsink. In another embodiment, the air directing structure is chosen to provide a turbulent air flow in the heat dissipating structure within the vicinity of the inverter circuitry.

The invention relates generally to the field of power electronic devices such as those used in power conversion or for applying power to motors and other loads. More particularly, the invention relates to a power electronic module with an improved cooling arrangement which provides enhanced air flow characteristics and enhanced heat dissipation.
In the field of power electronic devices, a wide range of circuitry is known and currently available for converting, producing and applying power to loads. Depending upon the application, such circuitry may convert incoming power from one form to another as needed by the load. In a typical arrangement, for example, constant (or varying) frequency alternating current power (such as from a utility grid or generator) is converted to controlled frequency alternating current power to drive motors, and other loads. In this type of application, the frequency of the output power can be regulated to control the speed of the motor or other device. Many other applications exist, however, for power electronic circuits which can convert alternating current power to direct current power, or vice versa, or that otherwise manipulate, filter, or modify electric signals for powering a load. Circuits of this type generally include rectifiers (converters), inverters, and similar switched circuitry. For example, a motor drive will typically include a rectifier that converts AC power to DC. Often, power conditioning circuits, such as capacitors and/or inductors, are employed to remove unwanted voltage ripple on the internal DC bus. Inverter circuitry can then convert the DC signal into an AC signal of a particular frequency desired for driving a motor at a particular speed. The inverter circuitry typically includes several high power switches, such as insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), controlled by drive circuitry.
The motor drive circuitry detailed above will typically generate substantial amounts of heat, which must be dissipated to avoid damaging heat sensitive electronics. Typically, therefore, some form of cooling mechanism is usually employed to enhance heat extraction and dissipation. Often, the motor drive circuitry is packaged together as a unit with a built-in cooling channel that carries cool air to several components. Because the air within the channel is heated as it travels through the channel, components near the exhaust end of the air channel will usually experience a diminished cooling effect. Therefore, as packaged control units become more compact, the need for efficient heat dissipation becomes more critical.
Additionally, as the workload or motor speed changes, the temperature of the inverter circuitry (e.g., the IGBTs) generally increases, causing higher failure rates and reduced reliability. The power output of the unit is often, therefore, limited by the maximum temperature that the inverter circuitry can handle without substantially increasing the risk of failure. A more effective cooling mechanism that provides additional cooling for the inverter circuitry would, therefore, allow the motor drive to operate at higher motor speeds.
Therefore, it may be advantageous to provide a motor drive with an improved cooling mechanism. In particular, it may be advantageous to provide a cooling mechanism that provides increased cooling for the inverter circuitry of a power electronic module such as a motor drive.

Power electronic module cooling system and method


A coin wrapping machine includes an operation mode selector for selecting a counting mode for counting coins or a wrapping mode for wrapping coins, a coin passage, a first coin sensor provided in the coin passage for detecting physical properties of coins, a second coin sensor provided in the coin passage downstream of the first coin sensor for detecting physical properties of coins different from those to be detected by the first coin sensor, a first coin sorter provided in the coin passage downstream of the second coin sensor for sorting, a second coin sorter provided in the coin passage downstream of the second coin sensor for sorting coins, a third coin sorter provided in the coin passage downstream of the second coin sensor for sorting coins, and a discriminator for discriminating, based on the physical properties detected by the first coin sensor and the second coin sensor, and the second coin sorter being made responsive to such inclusion for sorting one kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins.

The present invention relates to a coin wrapping machine and, particularly, to such a machine which can reliably sort new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other and efficiently collect old coins without any special mechanism and, more particularly, to such a machine which can reliably sort new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other, efficiently collect old coins without any special mechanism while counting the new issue coins and the old coins and, at the same time, wrap the new issue coins to produce a wrapped coin roll.
As disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 10-105764, a coin wrapping machine is generally constituted to feed coins one by one by a rotatable disk into a coin passage, discriminate whether or not each coin is acceptable and the denomination of the coin based on magnetic data and/or optical data of the coin detected by a sensor and wrap or count coins of the denomination specified by an operator, while it separately collects unacceptable coins and coins other than those to be wrapped or counted.
Recently, cases have arisen in which coins of the same denomination as circulated coins but different magnetic properties and surface patterns from those of the circulated coins have been newly issued in order to avoid coin counterfeiting and the like and in such cases, it is usual for old coins circulated before the issuance of new coins to be gradually collected and replaced by new issue coins.
In Japan, 500 yen coins have been newly issued in order to avoid coin counterfeiting and it is expected that 500 yen coins circulated be fore the issuance of the new 500 yen coins will be gradually collected and replaced by the newly issued 500 yen coins.
When coins of the same denomination as that of coins circulated are newly issued, in order to ensure that old coins circulated before the issuance of the new coins are gradually collected and replaced by the new issue coins, a coin wrapping machine has to be constituted to sort the coins circulated before the issuance of the new coins from the new issue coins.
However, a conventional coin wrapping machine has only a function of sorting coins to be wrapped or counted from unacceptable coins such as counterfeit coins, foreign coins and the like and coins of other denominations, wrapping or counting them, but has no function of sorting coins circulated before the issuance of new coins from new issue coins and cannot sort and collect only the old coins of the same denomination as that of the new coins from the new issue coins.
This problem can be solved by providing a conventional coin wrapping machine with a special mechanism for sorting circulated old coins from new issue coins. However, provision of a special mechanism for sorting circulated old coins from new issue coins in order to collect circulated old coins leads to higher cost and such a special mechanism becomes useless after the collection of the circulated old coins has been completed. Therefore, this solution is very uneconomical.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a coin wrapping machine which can reliably sort new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other and efficiently collect old coins without any special mechanism.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a coin wrapping machine which can reliably sort new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other, efficiently collect old coins without any special mechanism while counting the new issue coins and the old coins and, at the same time, wrap the new issue coins to produce a wrapped coin roll.
The above other objects of the present invention can be accomplished by a coin wrapping machine comprising an operation mode selecting means for selecting a counting mode for counting coins or a wrapping mode for wrapping coins, a denomination specifying means for specifying a denomination of coins to be handled, a rotatable disk for feeding coins one by one to a coin passage, a first coin sensor provided in the coin passage for detecting physical properties of coins, a second coin sensor provided in the coin passage downstream of the first coin sensor for detecting physical properties of coins different from those to be detected by the first coin sensor, a first coin sorting and collecting means provided in the coin passage downstream of the second coin sensor for sorting coins and collecting sorted coins, a second coin sorting and collecting means provided in the coin passage downstream of the second coin sensor for sorting coins and collecting sorted coins, a third coin sorting and collecting means provided in the coin passage downstream of the second coin sensor for sorting coins and collecting sorted coins, a discriminating means for discriminating, based on the physical properties detected by the first coin sensor and the second coin sensor, whether or not a coin is acceptable, the denomination of the coin when it is acceptable and whether or not the denomination of the coin coincides with that specified by the denomination specifying means, and a coin stacking and wrapping apparatus connected to a downstream end portion of the coin passage for stacking and wrapping coins, the discriminating means being made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination for further discriminating whether the coin is a new issue coin or a past issue circulating coin, the first coin sorting and collecting means being made responsive to such inclusion for sorting and collecting coins discriminated unacceptable by the discriminating means when the counting mode is selected by the operation mode selecting means, and the second coin sorting and collecting means being made responsive to such inclusion for sorting and collecting one kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins.
According to the present invention, when the counting mode is selected, since the first coin sorting and collecting means sorts and collects coins discriminated unacceptable by the discriminating means and the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination for sorting and collecting one kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins, if the first coin sorting and collecting means or the second coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to sort and collect coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion for sorting and collecting the other kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins, it is possible to sort and collect one kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means and collect the other kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins by the third coin sorting and collecting means. Therefore, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism and efficiently collect the past issue circulating old coins.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means for sorting and collecting the other kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, the first coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to sort and collect coins discriminated unacceptable by the discriminating means and the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination for sorting and collecting one kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins, while the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion for sorting and collecting the other kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins. Therefore, by constituting the first coin sorting and collecting means or the second coin sorting and collecting means to sort and collect coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means, it is possible to collect one kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means and collect the other kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins by the third coin sorting and collecting means. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism and efficiently collect the past issue circulating old coins.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means in addition to one kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, since the second coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to sort and collect one kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins and coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means, it is possible to collect one kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins and coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means by the second coin sorting and collecting means and collect the other kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins by the third coin sorting and collecting means. Therefore, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism and efficiently collect the past issue circulating old coins.
In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means in addition to the other kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, since the second coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to sort and collect one kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to sort and collect coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means in addition to the other kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins, it is possible to collect one kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means and collect the other kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins and coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means by the third coin sorting and collecting means. Therefore, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism and efficiently collect the past issue circulating old coins.
In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the first coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means in addition to coins discriminated unacceptable by the discriminating means.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, since the first coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to sort and collect coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means in addition to coins discriminated unacceptable by the discriminating means, the second coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to sort and collect one kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to sort and collect the other kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism and efficiently collect the past issue circulating old coins.
In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the first coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means for sorting and collecting the other kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins in addition to coins discriminated unacceptable by the discriminating means, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to sort and collect coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, the first coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to sort and collect the other kind between the new issue coins- and the past issue circulating coins in addition to coins discriminated by the discriminating means and the second coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to sort and collect one kind between the new issue coins and the past issue circulating coins, while the third coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to sort and collect coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means. Therefore, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism and efficiently collect the past issue circulating old coins.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, in the case where the wrapping mode is selected by the operation mode selecting means, the first coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means and specification of the denomination of the new issue coins as the denomination of coins to be wrapped for sorting and collecting unacceptable coins, the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting the past issue circulating coins.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, in the case where the wrapping mode is selected by the operation mode selecting means, the first coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means and specification of the denomination of the new issue coins as the denomination of coins to be wrapped for sorting and collecting unacceptable coins, the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting the past issue circulating coins. Therefore, by sorting and collecting unacceptable coins by the first coin sorting and collecting means, sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means by the second coin sorting and collecting means and sorting and collecting the past issue circulating coins by the third coin sorting and collecting means, it is possible to feed only the new issue coins to the coin stacking and wrapping apparatus to wrap them. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins. In particular, by selecting the counting mode to perform the operation for sorting and collecting coins prior to the wrapping operation of coins, sorting and collecting coins including the past issue circulating coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means and feeding collected coins onto the rotatable disk to perform the operation for wrapping the new issue coins, it is possible to efficiently sort and collect unacceptable coins by the first coin sorting and collecting means, efficiently sort and collect coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means by the second coin sorting and collecting means, and sort and collect the past issue circulating coins by the third coin sorting and collecting means, thereby reliably and efficiently feeding only new issue coins to the coin stacking and wrapping apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins.
In another preferred aspect of the present invention, in the case where the wrapping mode is selected by the operation mode selecting means, the first coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means and specification of the denomination of the new issue coins as the denomination of coins to be wrapped for sorting and collecting unacceptable coins, the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting past issue circulating coins, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, in the case where the wrapping mode is selected by the operation mode selecting means, the first coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means and specification of the denomination of the new issue coins as the denomination of coins to be wrapped for sorting and collecting unacceptable coins, the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting past issue circulating coins, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means. Therefore, by sorting and collecting unacceptable coins by the first coin sorting and collecting means, sorting and collecting the past issue circulating coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means and sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means by the third coin sorting and collecting means, it is possible to feed only the new issue coins to the coin stacking and wrapping apparatus to wrap them. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins. In particular, by selecting the counting mode to perform the operation for sorting and collecting coins prior to wrapping coins, sorting and collecting coins including the past issue circulating coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means and feeding collected coins onto the rotatable disk to perform the operation for wrapping the new issue coins, it is possible to efficiently sort and collect unacceptable coins by the first coin sorting and collecting means, efficiently sort and collect the past issue circulating old coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means, and sort and collect the coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means by the third coin sorting and collecting means, thereby reliably and efficiently feeding only new issue coins to the coin stacking and wrapping apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the first coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means and specification of the denomination of the new issue coins as the denomination of coins to be wrapped for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means, the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting unacceptable coins, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting past issue circulating coins.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, in the case where the wrapping mode is selected by the operation mode selecting means, the first coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means and specification of the denomination of the new issue coins as the denomination of coins to be wrapped for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means, the second coin sorting and collecting means is made response to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting unacceptable coins and the third, coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting the past issue circulating coins. Therefore, by sorting and collecting the coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means by the first coin sorting and collecting means, sorting and collecting unacceptable coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means and sorting and collecting the past issue circulating coins by the third coin sorting and collecting means, it is possible to feed only the new issue coins to the coin stacking and wrapping apparatus to wrap them. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins. In particular, by selecting the counting mode to perform the operation for sorting and collecting coins prior to wrapping coins, sorting and collecting coins including the past issue circulating coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means and feeding collected coins onto the rotatable disk to perform the operation for wrapping the new issue coins, it is possible to efficiently sort and collect the coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means by the first coin sorting and collecting means, efficiently sort and collect unacceptable coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means, and sort and collect the past issue circulating coins by the third coin sorting and collecting means, thereby reliably and efficiently feeding only new issue coins to the coin stacking and wrapping apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, in the case where the wrapping mode is selected by the operation mode selecting means, the first coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means and specification of the denomination of the new issue coins as the denomination of coins to be wrapped for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means, the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting past issue circulating coins, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting unacceptable coins.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, in the case where the wrapping mode is selected by the operation mode selecting means, the first coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means and specification of the denomination of the new issue coins as the denomination of coins to be wrapped for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means, the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting past issue circulating coins, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting unacceptable coins. Therefore, by the first coin sorting and collecting means, sorting and collecting the past issue circulating coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means and sorting and collecting unacceptable coins by the third coin sorting and collecting means, it is possible to feed only the new issue coins to the coin stacking and wrapping apparatus to wrap them by sorting and collecting the coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins. In particular, by selecting the counting mode to perform the operation for sorting and collecting coins prior to wrapping coins, sorting and collecting coins including the past issue circulating coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means and feeding collected coins onto the rotatable disk to perform the operation for wrapping the new issue coins, it is possible to efficiently sort and collect the coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means by the first coin sorting and collecting means, efficiently sort and collect the past issue circulating coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means, and sort and collect unacceptable coins by the third coin sorting and collecting means, thereby reliably and efficiently feeding only new issue coins to the coin stacking and wrapping apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins.
In another preferred aspect of the present invention, in the case where the wrapping mode is selected by the operation mode selecting means, the first coin sorting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means and specification of the denomination of the new issue coins as the denomination of coins to be wrapped for sorting and collecting past issue circulating coins, the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting unacceptable coins, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, in the case where the wrapping mode is selected by the operation mode selecting means, the first coin sorting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means and specification of the denomination of the new issue coins as the denomination of coins to be wrapped for sorting and collecting past issue circulating coins, the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting unacceptable coins, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means. Therefore, by sorting and collecting the past issue circulating coins by the first coin sorting means, sorting and collecting unacceptable coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means, and sorting and collecting the coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means, it is possible to feed only the new issue coins to the coin stacking and wrapping apparatus to wrap them. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins. In particular, by selecting the counting mode to perform the operation for sorting and collecting coins prior to wrapping coins, sorting and collecting coins including the past issue circulating coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means and feeding collected coins onto the rotatable disk to perform the operation for wrapping the new issue coins, it is possible to efficiently sort and collect the past issue circulating coins by the first coin sorting means, efficiently sort and collect unacceptable coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means, and sort and collect the coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means by the third coin sorting and collecting means, thereby reliably and efficiently feeding only new issue coins to the coin stacking and wrapping apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins.
In another preferred aspect of the present invention, in the case where the wrapping mode is selected by the operation mode selecting means, the first coin sorting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means and specification of the denomination of the new issue coins as the denomination of coins to be wrapped for sorting and collecting past issue circulating coins, the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting unacceptable coins.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, in the case where the wrapping mode is selected by the operation mode selecting means, the first coin sorting means is made responsive to inclusion of new issue coins and past issue circulating coins among coins of the denomination specified by the denomination specifying means and specification of the denomination of the new issue coins as the denomination of coins to be wrapped for sorting and collecting past issue circulating coins, the second coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is made responsive to such inclusion and specification for sorting and collecting unacceptable coins. Therefore, by the first coin sorting means, sorting and collecting the coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means by the second coin sorting and collecting means, and sorting and collecting unacceptable coins by the third coin sorting and collecting means, it is possible to feed only the new issue coins to the coin stacking and wrapping apparatus to wrap them by sorting and collecting the past issue circulating coins. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins. In particular, by selecting the counting mode to perform the operation for sorting and collecting coins prior to wrapping coins, sorting and collecting coins including the past issue circulating coins by the second coin sorting and collecting means and feeding collected coins onto the rotatable disk to perform the operation for wrapping the new issue coins, it is possible to efficiently sort and collect the past issue circulating coins by the first coin sorting and collecting means, efficiently sort and collect the coins of denominations different from that specified by the denomination specifying means by the second coin sorting and collecting means, and sort and collect unacceptable coins by the third coin sorting and collecting means, thereby reliably and efficiently feeding only new issue coins to the coin stacking and wrapping apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the first coin sorting and collecting means in provided with a first coin sorting member movable between a projection position where it projects into the coin passage and a retracted position where it is retracted from the coin passage and a first coin sorting and collecting opening having a width smaller than a diameter of the smallest coins to be handled, the second coin sorting and collecting means is provided with a second coin sorting member movable between a projection position where it projects into the coin passage and a retracted position where it is retracted from the coin passage and a second coin sorting and collecting opening having a width smaller than a diameter of the smallest coins to be handled, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is provided with a third coin sorting member movable between a projection position where it projects into the coin passage and a retracted position where it is retracted from the coin passage and a third coin sorting and collecting opening having a width smaller than a diameter of the smallest coins to be handled.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, it is possible to drop coins into the first coin sorting and collecting opening by locating the first coin sorting member at the projection position thereof, thereby sorting and collecting the coins, to drop coins into the second coin sorting and collecting opening by locating the second coin sorting member at the projection position thereof, thereby sorting and collecting the coins, and to drop coins into the third coin sorting and collecting opening by locating the third coin sorting member at the projection position thereof, thereby sorting and collecting the coins. Therefore, coins can be sorted and collected in a desired manner by the first coin sorting member, the second coin sorting member and the third coin sorting member.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the first coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to locate the first coin sorting member at the projection position thereof and to drop coins into the first coin sorting and collecting opening to sort them, the second coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to locate the second coin sorting member at the projection position thereof and to drop coins into the second coin sorting and collecting opening to sort them, and the third coin sorting and collecting means is constituted to locate the third coin sorting member at the projection position thereof and to drop coins into the third coin sorting and collecting opening to sort them.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, each of the first coin sorting member, the second coin sorting member and the third coin sorting member can be driven by a solenoid.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, at least one of the first coin sorting and collecting means, the second coin sorting and collecting means and the third coin sorting and collecting means includes a coin accommodating section where sorted and collected coin are to be accommodated and the coin wrapping machine further includes a coin feeding means for feeding coins accommodated in the coin accommodating section onto the rotatable disk.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, since the at least one of the first coin sorting and collecting means, the second coin sorting and collecting means and the third coin sorting and collecting means includes a coin accommodating section where sorted and collected coin are to be accommodated and the coin wrapping machine further includes the coin feeding means for feeding coins accommodated in the coin accommodating section onto the rotatable disk, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins by selecting the counting mode to perform the operation for sorting and collecting coins prior to wrapping coins, sorting coins including the past issue circulating coins by the at least one of the first coin sorting and collecting means, the second coin sorting and collecting means and the third coin sorting and collecting means to collect them in the coin accommodating section, feeding coins accommodated in the coin accommodating section onto the rotatable disk by the coin feeding means and wrapping the new issue coins.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the coin feeding means is provided with an endless belt formed with a plurality of engaging portions for engaging coins and disposed between the coin accommodating section and the rotatable disk.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the coin feeding means further includes a disengaging means for disengaging the engagement between the coins and the plurality of engaging portions.
According to this preferred aspect of the present invention, since coins including the past issue circulating old coins can be sorted by the at least one of the first coin sorting and collecting means, the second coin sorting and collecting means and the third coin sorting and collecting means by selecting the counting mode to perform the operation for sorting and collecting coins prior to wrapping coins and collected in the coin accommodating section and the coins collected in the coin accommodating section can be reliably fed onto the rotatable disk, it is possible to reliably sort the new issue coins and past issue circulating old coins of the same denomination from each other without providing any special mechanism by feeding coins including the past issue circulating old coins collected in the coin accommodating section onto the rotatable disk and wrapping new issue coins, thereby efficiently collecting the past issue circulating old coins and wrapping only the new issue coins.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the first coin sorting and collecting means is provided in the coin passage upstream of the second coin sorting and collecting means and the third coin sorting and collecting means is provided in the coin passage downstream of the second coin sorting and collecting means.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the first coin sorting and collecting means is provided in the coin passage upstream of the third coin sorting and collecting means and the third coin sorting and collecting means is provided in the coin passage upstream of the second coin sorting and collecting means.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the second coin sorting and collecting means is provided in the coin passage upstream of the first coin sorting and collecting means and the third coin sorting and collecting means is provided in the coin passage downstream of the first coin sorting and collecting means.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the second coin sorting and collecting means is provided in the coin passage upstream of the third coin sorting and collecting means and the third coin sorting and collecting means is provided in the coin passage upstream of the first coin sorting and collecting means.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the third coin sorting and collecting means is provided in the coin passage upstream of the first coin sorting and collecting means and the second coin sorting and collecting means is provided in the coin passage downstream of the first coin sorting and collecting means.
In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the third coin sorting and collecting means is provided in the coin passage upstream of the first coin sorting and collecting means and the second coin sorting and collecting means is provided in the coin passage upstream of the first coin sorting and collecting means.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings.


A magnetic head for use in the vicinity of a magnetic recording medium, comprising a substrate, a close contact layer laminated on the substrate, and a protective layer which is laminated on the close contact layer and which faces the magnetic recording medium, the protective layer comprising a first layer formed by laminating a laminate material on the close contact layer at a first bias voltage by a filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) process, and a second layer formed by laminating the laminate material on the first layer by the FCVA process at a second bias voltage which is higher than the first bias voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic head for use in a magnetic disk drive such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a head suspension assembly on which this magnetic head is mounted, and a magnetic reproduction apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a rule, a protective film for preventing wear is formed on the surface of a magnetic head for use in a hard disk drive or the like (see, e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-279605). In a technique described in this document, a silicon film is formed on a substrate of the magnetic head by a sputtering process, a DLC film is formed on the silicon film by a CVD process, and a ta-C film is formed on the DLC film by a filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) process. Consequently, defects of the ta-C film inferior in step coverage are reduced.
Additionally, a silicon film is formed as a close contact layer on an air bearing surface (ABS) of the magnetic head, and the protective film is formed on the silicon film by the FCVA process in some case. In this case, when a high bias voltage is applied in order to enhance hardness, the silicon film is mixed with a carbon (C) film, and Si moves toward a surface layer of the magnetic head. Therefore, resistance to wear is degraded.
In Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-279605, the CVD process is also used in addition to the FCVA process. Therefore, two film forming devices are required, and there are disadvantages such as a reduction in mass productivity and an increase in cost.

Magnetic head, head suspension assembly, magnetic reproduction apparatus, and method of manufacturing magnetic head


A single shell taco fry mold device to enable a user to deep fry a single taco shell. The single shell taco fry mold device includes an open end, a connected end, an outside layer, an inside layer, and a handle. A handle rest of the handle includes a twist or angled bend, thereby allowing the user to rest the handle on an edge of a pan or deep fryer within which it is placed. The outside layer includes at least one support rung to adjoin the outside layer to the inside layer to act as a stopping barrier on the connected end that prevents the tortilla from sliding through or out of the single shell taco fry mold device. The handle grip is made from rubberized plastics to retain the single shell taco fry mold device in a secure and comfortable manner.

Tacos are a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn, flour, or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around various fillings such as meat and vegetables. Numerous styles of tacos have become quite popular; however, the style that has become most common is the hard-shell, "U"-shaped version. These types of tacos are often prepared using a crispy shell formed by deep frying a soft, thin flatbread or tortilla and are sold by restaurants or food trucks and are mass produced and sold for commercial and/or home taco preparation.
If an individual wishes to make a fresh taco shell then unfortunately, the frying process can be a tedious and difficult task requiring the tortilla to be manually held in the desired shape during frying or by the use of various baskets or pans which hold the tortilla. This process often generates taco shells which are deformed or having a shape ill-suited for use. Additionally, when an individual wishes to make a single fresh taco shell at home—the options are often limited given the aforementioned problems thereby either requiring the individual to make more than one shell or skip the endeavor entirely.
There have been several efforts to enable an individual to deep fry a single taco shell however such efforts often result in the shell breaking or over-expanding within the form. The development of the single shell taco fry mold addresses these problems in a manner that is efficient and effective.


The slide fastener includes a pair of fastener tapes, a pair of fastener element rows respectively including a plurality of fastener elements and coupling yarns coupling the plurality of fastener elements, and a slider configured to engage and disengage the pair of fastener element rows. Each of the fastener elements includes a body portion, a neck portion, an engaging head, portion and a pair of shoulder portions provided at both sides of the neck portion in the tape longitudinal direction and configured to come in contact with opposite engaging head portions. The pair of fastener tapes have stretchability in the tape longitudinal direction.

Slide fasteners are recently used for garments having strechability (hereinafter, referred to as stretchable garments) such as sportswear or swimming suit, as well as general garments such as fashion garments or underwear. The slide fastener for use in the stretchable garments is required to have the strechability, like the stretchable garment.
As a slide fastener having the strechability in the related art, there is known a slide fastener in which coil-shaped fastener element rows are sewn along tape-side edge portions of fastener tapes having the strechability (e.g., see Patent Document 1).


A distance detecting apparatus can not only measure the distance to a target preceding vehicle but also detect obstacles such as an intervening vehicle, other vehicles running around or adjacent the target vehicle without any movement of the apparatus itself. The apparatus includes a window setting device 13 for setting a plurality of distance-measuring windows 21 through 25 on a screen 20 on the basis of one of two image signals generated by a pair of video cameras 5, 6, a switch 14 for setting an image-following window 26 enclosing the preceding vehicle to be followed, and a CPU 12 for measuring the distance to an object in each distance-measuring window as well as the distance to an object in the image-following window.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for optically measuring the distance from a subject vehicle, on which the apparatus is mounted, to objects such as a preceding vehicle running on the same lane of a road, or obstacles such as other vehicles around the preceding vehicle which are running on other lanes of the road or coming into the same lane at locations between the preceding vehicle and the subject vehicle.
Examples of an optical distance detecting apparatus utilizing image sensors such as video cameras are known from Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 63-38085 and 63-46363. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the apparatuses disclosed therein commonly have a pair of first and second parallel optical systems having two convex lenses 101, 102 disposed in a horizontally aligned relation at a prescribed distance L away from each other. A pair of separate image sensors 103, 104 are horizontally disposed at focal points of the lenses 101, 102 at a distance f from the locations of corresponding lenses 101, 102, respectively, for generating respective image signals to a common signal processor 120. The signal processor 120 successively shifts the image signals from the image sensors 103, 104 and electrically superposes them one over the other, so that the distance R from the lenses 101, 102 to an object 121 is calculated based on the principle of triangulation using the following formula: EQU R=(f.times.L)/d
where d is a shift distance by which the image signals are moved to obtain the best match.
In addition, Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-33352 discloses a method of following an image of a preceding vehicle as sensed by an image sensor such as a video camera. According to this method, the driver of a vehicle needs to manually set and continuously adjust an image-following gate or window enclosing an object to be followed on a display screen while looking at the screen, so as not to lose sight of the image of the preceding vehicle.
With the distance detecting apparatus as described above, however, it is only possible to measure the distance to an object which lies in a direction of the axis of light which is projected from each video camera. Therefore, in cases where the apparatus is mounted on a vehicle for the purpose of measuring the distance to a preceding vehicle, it is necessary to properly move the video cameras so as to adjust the axis of light projected therefrom toward the preceding vehicle. Moreover, if there are many objects within the field of view of the image sensors, it is unclear to which object the distance from the subject vehicle is being detected. In particular, if other vehicles travelling around or approaching the target vehicle are coming into the fields of view of the video cameras, the driver cannot tell to which vehicle the distance is detected.

Distance detecting apparatus for a vehicle


A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array and a sense amp circuit. The memory cell array includes bit lines connected to memory cells operative to store first logic data and second logic data smaller in cell current than the first logic. The sense amp circuit has a clamp transistor operative to clamp a bit line voltage. The sense amp circuit is operative to detect data in a selected memory cell via the clamp transistor and the bit line. The sense amp circuit is operative to read data from the selected memory cell in at least the two of first and second read cycles while a control voltage is applied to a gate of the clamp transistor. Different control voltages are applied to the gate of the clamp transistor in the first and second read cycles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and more particularly to an improved sense amp circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A sense amp circuit in a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory fundamentally detects the presence/absence or large/small of cell current flowing based on data in a memory cell to determine the data. The sense amp circuit is generally connected to data lines (bit lines), which are connected to a plurality of memory cells. The sense amp circuit is roughly classified by the sense scheme into a voltage detection type and a current detection type.
The sense amp circuit of the voltage detection type pre-charges a bit line isolated from memory cells up to a certain voltage, then discharges the bit line through a selected memory cell, and detects the discharged state of the bit line at a sense node connected to the bit line. At the time of data sensing, the bit line is isolated from a current path load to detect a bit line voltage determined from cell data. An NAND-type flash memory usually employs this sense amp scheme (see JP-A 2000-076882, for example).
The sense amp circuit of the current detection type tries for data sense to feed read current in a memory cell via a bit line. Also in this case, however, cell data determines the bit line voltage and finally data determination at a sense node connected to the bit line leads to detection of a difference in voltage based on the difference in cell current (see JP-A 10-228792, for example).
The sense amp circuit of the voltage detection type and the sense amp circuit of the current detection type generally have the following advantages and disadvantages. The voltage detection type utilizes bit line charge and discharge and accordingly requires less power consumption. To the contrary, in a mass-storage memory with a large bit line capacitance, it requires a long charge and discharge time, which makes high-speed sense difficult. In addition, the bit line voltage has relatively large amplitude in accordance with the cell data, which causes a problem associated with noises between adjacent bit lines.
The sense amp circuit of the current detection type in contrast is capable of high-speed sensing by feeding read current in a memory cell via a bit line for data sense. In addition, a clamp transistor (pre-sense amp) is located between the bit line and the sense node to reduce the amplitude of the bit line voltage depending on the cell data and accordingly have a strength against noises between the bit lines. Achievement of these advantages, however, increases power consumption.
Mass-storage NAND-type flash memories have widely employed the sense amp circuit of the voltage detection type. If the storage capacity is increased progressively, however, achievement of high-speed sense with suppressed power consumption becomes a critical subject to be solved.


The present invention relates to a nanoparticulate composition comprising nanoparticles with a particle-size distribution of d90≦10 μm, and optionally a surface-active agent.

Nanoparticles, i.e. solids produced as powder or dispersed in liquid media, the individual particles of which extend typically less than 1000 nm in at least two dimensions and which are composed of chemical elements, inorganic or organic compounds or composites, have been used for several years for many applications.
For example, nanoparticles are used as catalyst starting substances, as nanoparticles often have a high BET surface area.
Typically, in what is called the wet-chemical synthesis of nanocrystalline powders or nanoparticles starting from so-called precursor compounds, a powder is synthesized by chemical reactions for example by means of precipitations or by the hydrolysis of organometallic compounds. The final structure of the nanoparticles is usually not obtained until after or during a subsequent calcination following the precipitation.
The targeted control of the crystallization process can be influenced by the composition of the educt(s). An important factor here—in particular when used in the catalysis of such nanoparticles—is the crystallite size (R. Schlögel et al., Angewandte Chemie 116, 1628-1637, 2004). However, it has hitherto been almost impossible, by means of wet-chemical production methods, in particular by means of the so-called basic hydroxide precipitation, to accordingly optimize the precipitation method in respect of the desired nanoparticles and their properties, in particular their average particle-size distribution.
Mechanical production methods for the synthesis of nanoparticles have therefore also been considered. This is carried out for example by intensive grinding of inhomogeneous particles to homogeneous particles, which however often also leads to undesired phase transformations to the point where particles become amorphous due to the pressure exerted on the particles.
However, the particles formed in the process are not present in a uniform homogeneous size distribution, because the very small particles formed display a marked tendency to reagglomerate.
Further access to nanoparticles is via thermophysical methods as disclosed for example in WO 2004/005184. These are typically based on the introduction of thermal energy into solid, liquid or gaseous starting compounds. Here, the so-called plasmapyrolytic spraying process (PSP) of the abovenamed WO 2004/005184 in which the starting substances are sprayed in an oxyhydrogen flame and decomposed is particularly widely used. A typical application for the PSP process is in the production of nanocrystalline silicon dioxide in which readily volatile organosilicon compounds are sprayed in an oxyhydrogen flame.
Furthermore, in the synthesis of nanoparticles the so-called plasma synthesis method is often used in which the starting substances are evaporated in a plasma up to 6,000 K in temperature. Further methods known from the state of the art are for example CVD methods in which gaseous educts are reacted, wherein typically non-oxidic powders and mixed oxidic compounds with different phase structures also form.
Nanoparticulate compositions are also widely used for example in the production of electrode materials for secondary batteries as described for example in EP 1 553 647 A1. In this patent application, in particular the production of lithium iron phosphate is described, wherein the material forms mostly aggregates>1 μm in size. Particles that are as finely dispersed as possible are also be desirable in particular for use as cathode material.
Similar problems result in the production, disclosed in US 2002/0192137, of nanoscale and submicron particles in a flow reactor by means of laser irradiation, wherein complex oxides such as for example lithium phosphorus oxide nitride, lithium iron manganese phosphate, calcium phosphate, aluminium phosphate etc. also form. According to US 2002/0192137, these nanoparticles are likewise used as material for battery applications. A production of in particular lithium iron phosphates by the aqueous route in order to obtain nanoparticles is disclosed in WO 2006/116251, but in the case of lithium iron phosphate a precipitation by means of hydroxide is advised against and the so-called carbonate precipitation is recommended for the starting materials.
The production of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) is known in particular from U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,382 by Goodenough et al. This material is currently the most promising material for use in secondary lithium ion batteries. Furthermore, WO 02/27823 and WO 02/27824 describe the production of LiFePO4 starting from iron phosphate by reaction with lithium carbonate in the presence of a carbon monoxide atmosphere.

Nanoparticulate composition and method for its production

Abstract: The present invention further relates to a method for the production of such a nanoparticulate composition.