Weight sensor for determining the weight of an occupant of a seat including a bladder arranged in a seat portion of the seat and including material or structure in an interior thereof which constrains fluid flow therein and one or more transducers for measuring the pressure of the fluid in the bladder. The material or structure might be open cell foam. The bladder may include one or more chambers, and if more than one chamber is formed, each chamber can be arranged at a different location in the seat portion of the seat.

Note, all of the patents, patent applications, technical papers and other references referenced below are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety unless stated otherwise.
Automobiles equipped with airbags are well known in the prior art. In such airbag systems, the car crash is sensed and the airbags rapidly inflated thereby insuring the safety of an occupation in a car crash. Many lives have now been saved by such airbag systems. However, depending on the seated state of an occupant, there are cases where his or her life cannot be saved even by present airbag systems. For example, when a passenger is seated on the front passenger seat in a position other than a forward facing, normal state, e.g., when the passenger is out of position and near the deployment door of the airbag, there will be cases when the occupant will be seriously injured or even killed by the deployment of the airbag.
Also, sometimes a child seat is placed on the passenger seat in a rear facing position and there are cases where a child sitting in such a seat has been seriously injured or killed by the deployment of the airbag.
Furthermore, in the case of a vacant seat, there is no need to deploy an airbag, and in such a case, deploying the airbag is undesirable due to a high replacement cost and possible release of toxic gases into the passenger compartment. Nevertheless, most airbag systems will deploy the airbag in a vehicle crash even if the seat is unoccupied.
Thus, whereas thousands of lives have been saved by airbags, a large number of people have also been injured, some seriously, by the deploying airbag, and over 100 people have now been killed. Thus, significant improvements need to be made to airbag systems. As discussed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,462, for a variety of reasons vehicle occupants may be too close to the airbag before it deploys and can be seriously injured or killed as a result of the deployment thereof. Also, a child in a rear facing child seat that is placed on the right front passenger seat is in danger of being seriously injured if the passenger airbag deploys. For these reasons and, as first publicly disclosed in Breed, D. S. "How Airbags Work" presented at the International Conference on Seatbelts and Airbags in 1993 in Canada, occupant position sensing and rear facing child seat detection systems are required in order to minimize the damages caused by deploying front and side airbags. It also may be required in order to minimize the damage caused by the deployment of other types of occupant protection and/or restraint devices that might be installed in the vehicle.
For these reasons, there has been proposed an occupant sensor system also known as a seated-state detecting unit such as disclosed in the following U.S. patents assigned to the current assignee of the present application: Breed et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,462); Breed et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,782); Breed et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,707): Breed et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,320); Breed et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,473); Varga et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,295); Breed et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,078,854); Breed et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,757); and Breed et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,701). Typically, in some of these designs three or four sensors or sets of sensors are installed at three or four points in a vehicle for transmitting ultrasonic or electromagnetic waves toward the passenger or drivers seat and receiving the reflected waves. Using appropriate hardware and software, the approximate configuration of the occupancy of either the passenger or driver seat can be determined thereby identifying and categorizing the occupancy of the relevant seat.
These systems will solve the out-of-position occupant and the rear facing child seat problems related to current airbag systems and prevent unneeded and unwanted airbag deployments when a front seat is unoccupied. Some of the airbag systems will also protect rear seat occupants in vehicle crashes and all occupants in side impacts.
However, there is a continual need to improve the systems which detect the presence of occupants, determine if they are out-of-position and to identify the presence of a rear facing child seat in the rear seat as well as the front seat. Future automobiles are expected to have eight or more airbags as protection is sought for rear seat occupants and from side impacts. In addition to eliminating the disturbance and possible harm of unnecessary airbag deployments, the cost of replacing these airbags will be excessive if they all deploy in an accident needlessly. The improvements described below minimize this cost by not deploying an airbag for a seat, which is not occupied by a human being. An occupying item of a seat may be a living occupant such as a human being or dog, another living organism such as a plant, or an inanimate object such as a box or bag of groceries.
A child in a rear facing child seat, which is placed on the right front passenger seat, is in danger of being seriously injured if the passenger airbag deploys. This has now become an industry-wide concern and the U.S. automobile industry is continually searching for an economical solution that will prevent the deployment of the passenger side airbag if a rear facing child seat is present. The inventions disclosed herein include sophisticated apparatus to identify objects within the passenger compartment and address this concern.
The need for an occupant out-of-position sensor has also been observed by others and several methods have been described in certain U.S. patents for determining the position of an occupant of a motor vehicle. However, none of these prior art systems are capable of solving the many problems associated with occupant sensors and no prior art has been found that describe the methods of adapting such sensors to a particular vehicle model to obtain high system accuracy. Also, none of these systems employ pattern recognition technologies that are believed to be essential to accurate occupant sensing. Each of these prior are systems will be discussed below.
In 1984, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a requirement for frontal crash protection of automobile occupants known as FMVSS-208. This regulation mandated "passive occupant restraints" for all passenger cars by 1992. A further modification to FMVSS-208 required both driver and passenger side airbags on all passenger cars and light trucks by 1998. FMVSS-208 was later modified to require all vehicles to have occupant sensors. The demand for airbags is constantly accelerating in both Europe and Japan and all vehicles produced in these areas and eventually worldwide will likely be, if not already, equipped with airbags as standard equipment and eventually with occupant sensors.
A device to monitor the vehicle interior and identify its contents is needed to solve these and many other problems. For example, once a Vehicle Interior Identification and Monitoring System (VIMS) for identifying and monitoring the contents of a vehicle is in place, many other products become possible as discussed below.
Inflators now exist which will adjust the amount of gas flowing to the airbag to account for the size and position of the occupant and for the severity of the accident. The VIMS discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,782 will control such inflators based on the presence and position of vehicle occupants or of a rear facing child seat. The inventions here are improvements on that VIMS system and some use an advanced optical system comprising one or more CCD or CMOS arrays plus a source of illumination preferably combined with a trained neural network pattern recognition system.
In the early 1990's, the current assignee (ATI) developed a scanning laser radar optical occupant sensor that had the capability of creating a three dimensional image of the contents of the passenger compartment. After proving feasibility, this effort was temporarily put aside due to the high cost of the system components and the current assignee then developed an ultrasonic based occupant sensor that was commercialized and is now in production on some Jaguar models. The current assignee has long believed that optical systems would eventually become the technology of choice when the cost of optical components came down. This has now occurred and for the past several years, ATI has been developing a variety of optical occupant sensors.
The current assignee's first camera optical occupant sensing system was an adult zone-classification system that detected the position of the adult passenger. Based on the distance from the airbag, the passenger compartment was divided into three zones, namely safe-seating zone, at-risk zone, and keep-out zone. This system was implemented in a vehicle under a cooperative development program with NHTSA. This proof-of-concept was developed to handle low-light conditions only. It used three analog CMOS cameras and three near-infrared LED clusters. It also required a desktop computer with three image acquisition boards. The locations of the camera/LED modules were: the A-pillar, the IP, and near the overhead console. The system was trained to handle camera blockage situations, so that the system still functioned well even when two cameras were blocked. The processing speed of the system was close to 50 fps giving it the capability of tracking an occupant during pre-crash braking situations—that is a dynamic system.
The second camera optical system was an occupant classification system that separated adult occupants from all other situations (i.e., child, child restraint and empty seat). This system was implemented using the same hardware as the first camera optical system. It was also developed to handle low-light conditions only. The results of this proof-of-concept were also very promising.
Since the above systems functioned well even when two cameras were blocked, it was decided to develop a stand alone system that is FMVSS208-compliant, and price competitive with weight-based systems but with superior performance. Thus, a third camera optical system (for occupant classification) was developed. Unlike the earlier systems, this system used one digital CMOS camera and two high-power near-infrared LEDs. The camera/LED module was installed near the overhead console and the image data was processed using a laptop computer. This system was developed to divide the occupancy state into four classes: 1) adult; 2) child, booster seat and forward facing child seat; 3) infant carrier and rearward facing child seat; and 4) empty seat. This system included two subsystems: a nighttime subsystem for handling low-light conditions, and a daytime subsystem for handling ambient-light conditions. Although the performance of this system proved to be superior to the earlier systems, it exhibited some weakness mainly due to a non-ideal aiming direction of the camera.
Finally, a fourth camera optical system was implemented using near production intent hardware using, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) to replace the laptop computer. In this system, the remaining problems of earlier systems were overcome. The hardware in this system is not unique so the focus below will be on algorithms and software which represent the innovative heart of the system.

Weight measuring systems and methods for vehicles

Automotive Technologies International, Inc.


An electroconductive paste composition, particularly for solar cells, contains silver particles, glass particles, an organic vehicle, and at least one additive. The additive may be tantalum pentoxide or fine, electrically conductive, metal particles, such as gold and/or platinum group metals. When used to form an electrical contact on a solar cell, such a paste provides for enhanced adhesion of the contact to the cell and improved electron transmission.

Solar cells are devices that convert the sun's energy into electricity using the photovoltaic effect. Solar power is an attractive energy source because it is sustainable and non-polluting. Accordingly, a great deal of research is currently being devoted to developing solar cells with enhanced efficiency while maintaining low material and manufacturing costs. Very simply, when photons in sunlight hit a solar panel, they are absorbed by semiconducting materials, such as silicon. Electrons are knocked loose from their atoms, allowing them to flow through electroconductive parts of the solar panel and produce electricity.
The most common solar cells are those based on silicon, more particularly, a p-n junction made from silicon by applying an n-type diffusion layer onto a p-type silicon substrate, coupled with two electrical contact layers or electrodes. In order to minimize reflection of the sunlight by the solar cell, an antireflection coating, such as silicon nitride, is applied to the n-type diffusion layer to increase the amount of light coupled into the solar cell. Using a silver paste, for example, a grid-like metal contact may be screen printed onto the antireflection layer to serve as a front electrode. This electrical contact layer on the face or front of the cell, where light enters, is typically present in a grid pattern made of "finger lines" and "bus bars" rather than a complete layer because the metal grid materials are not transparent to light. Finally, a rear contact is applied to the substrate, such as by applying a backside silver or silver/aluminum paste followed by an aluminum paste to the entire backside of the substrate. The device is then fired at a high temperature to convert the metal pastes to metal electrodes. A description of a typical solar cell and the fabrication method thereof may be found, for example, in European Patent Application Publication No. 1 713 093.
A typical silver paste comprises silver particles, glass frit (glass particles), a metal oxide additive, such as zirconium oxide or tin oxide to enhance binding of the composition to the solar panel, and an organic vehicle. These components must be carefully selected to take full advantage of the potential of the resulting solar cell. For example, it is necessary to maximize the contact between the silver particles and the Si surface so that the charge carriers can flow through the finger lines to the bus bars. If the resistance is too high, the charge carriers are blocked. Thus, minimizing contact resistance is desired. Additionally, the glass particles in the composition etch through the antireflection coating layer, resulting in contact between the Ag particles and the Si surface. However, the glass must not be so aggressive that it penetrates the p-n junction. Finally, known compositions have high contact resistance due to the insulating effect of the glass in the interface of silver layer and Si wafer, and other disadvantages such as high recombination in the contact area. Accordingly, silver paste compositions which can overcome these known disadvantages would be desirable.

Heraeus Precious Metals North America Conshohocken LLC


A steering shaft axially mounted rotatably in a shell and a guide part by which the shell is held. An energy absorption device arranged between the guide and shell has a bending wire coupled by a first end to the shell and a second end to the guide. A rail is attached to the shell. A pin is coupled to the guide. The second end of the bending wire has a coupling section that engages behind the pin and is braced at a support point on the side wall in the event of a crash and the support point is arranged on the side of the pin gripped by the coupling section. The pin has a first spacing from the side wall. A second spacing between the pin and the support point measured axially is at least 1.1 times the first spacing.

Such a steering column is known from DE 10 2009 059 159 B3. In the known steering column, a bending wire is coupled by two lugs to the toothed plate and thus to the guide part. The two lugs are required in order to prevent a bending of the attachment section of the bending wire, since the attachment section would not be fixed securely enough with a single lug. The drawback of this solution is that the design is space intensive and expensive.
Thus, a need exists for a steering column so that the design space requirement of the energy absorption device is reduced and its secure functioning is ensured.


A semiconductor chip transmits a request signal which requests notification of the setting state of a chip identifier to another semiconductor chip connected to one of the upstream and downstream, receives a response signal indicating the setting state of the chip identifier and the value of the chip identifier, as a response to the request signal, and performs a chip identifier setting process based on the response signal. When receiving a request signal from another semiconductor chip connected to the other of the upstream and downstream, the semiconductor chip transmits a response signal indicating the setting state of the chip identifier and the value of the chip identifier, as a response to the request signal.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device comprising a plurality of semiconductor chips.
Description of the Related Art
Recently, an increase in leakage current caused by heat generated by a transistor, a signal delay in an interconnection, and the like are becoming problems and limiting further micropatterning of semiconductor exposure processes. As a technique of breaking the limit of micropatterning in a plane, a three-dimensional packaging technique by which semiconductor chips are stacked and interconnected by a through via (vertical interconnect access) extending through the semiconductor chips is attracting attention. Also, a 2.5-dimensional packaging technique by which a plurality of semiconductor chips are arranged parallel on a silicon interposer having undergone the through via technique and are interconnected by a through via is similarly attracting attention.
When a plurality of semiconductor chips are stacked by the three-dimensional packaging technique, these semiconductor chips are electrically connected by a through via extending through the semiconductor chips. That is, the semiconductor chips are connected to a shared bus by the through via, or adjacent semiconductor chips are interconnected by bus connection.
When transferring data to a specific semiconductor chip between the interconnected semiconductor chips, a mechanism for performing selective transfer is necessary. As a method of performing selective transfer, there is a method of giving unique chip identifiers to stacked semiconductor chips. When the chip identifiers of a transmission source and transmission destination are added to data to be transferred, each semiconductor chip can determine whether the data is addressed to it. If the data is addressed to the semiconductor chip, the semiconductor chip processes the data. If the data is not addressed to the semiconductor chip, the semiconductor chip does not process the data or transfers the data to a next semiconductor chip.
As a technique of allocating chip identifiers to semiconductor chips, a technique of storing the chip identifier in an internal memory of each semiconductor chip before the semiconductor chips are stacked is known. Although this technique can allocate a given chip identifier to each semiconductor chip, it becomes necessary to identify the individual semiconductor chips when stacking them, and this decreases the efficiency and increases the cost. That is, it is desirable to allocate chip identifiers to semiconductor chips after they are stacked.
A technique of allocating chip identifiers to semiconductor chips after they are stacked has been proposed. In this technique, a chip identifier of a semiconductor chip is input by using a dedicated line of the chip. A semiconductor chip to which a chip identifier is input increments or decrements the input value, and outputs the incremented or decremented value as a chip identifier of a next semiconductor chip to a dedicated line of the next semiconductor chip. This technique can allocate a unique chip identifier to each semiconductor chip when the power supply is turned on.
Also, there is another technique by which semiconductor chips spread an instruction for fetching a signal value used in normal data transfer as a chip identifier by delaying the instruction. At a timing at which the instruction becomes valid in each semiconductor chip, an arbitrary chip identifier is allocated to the semiconductor chip by controlling the signal value used in normal data transfer.
In the above-mentioned techniques, however, dedicated lines for allocating chip identifiers are necessary, and this increases the number of interconnections. Also, to allocate chip identifiers to semiconductor chips, it is necessary to grasp the delay amount of the instruction for retrieving a signal value as a chip identifier.

Semiconductor device and chip identifier setting method


According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus is provided with a case, a module contained in the case and including a first hole portion and a connector, a cable connected electrically to the connector, a fixture which is inserted in the first hole portion and fixes the module in the case, and a cover which covers the connector, includes a second hole portion communicating with the first hole portion, and is fixed in combination with the module by the fixture.

1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to an electronic apparatus mounted with a module in its case, for example, to a structure for restricting free removal relating to a module.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic apparatus, such as a portable computer, is equipped with modules mounted within its case. Modules of various types may be mounted in the electronic apparatus. Some of these modules are designed to restrict a user's free removal in view of safety or prevention of a failure of the electronic apparatus.
For example, as regards a module to which an antenna cable is connected, wireless LAN standards prohibit removal of the module itself and the cable connected to it (see, e.g., U.S. Wireless Standard FCC-15 407(d)).
A game machine, control elements of which cannot be removed with ease, is disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-154462, for example. This game machine comprises a control board to which the control elements are attached and a removal preventing member for preventing removal of the control elements. The removal preventing member has a supporting member, a holding plate, and a locking member.
The supporting member is provided in front of the control elements on the control board. The locking member is provided behind the control elements on the control board. The holding plate is located ranging from the supporting member to the locking member. Since the holding plate closely covers the control elements from above, it is difficult to remove the control elements.
In mounting in the case the removal preventing member for preventing the removal of the module, it is fixed on, for example, a circuit board that is situated off the module. Specifically, the removal preventing member requires accommodation space that extends beyond a region for the module. Further, a member or a hole for fixing the module must be formed on the circuit board.
For example, the holding plate of the game machine is fixed to the control board with the supporting member and the locking member between them. Thus, the supporting member and the locking member are provided on the control board in order to fix the holding plate.
On the other hand, modern electronic apparatuses require further miniaturization, and members associated with the module are expected to be mounted as efficiently as possible. If a wide space, fixing member, or hole is needed to attach the removal preventing member or the holding plate, the mounting cannot be regarded as efficient.


The invention relates to substantially dust free bleach powders that, when mixed with aqueous hydrogen peroxide, yield activated bleach compositions that exhibit improved thixotropy. The bleach powders comprise at least one de-dusting agent and at least one peroxygenated salt. The de-dusting agents, which are preferably present in an amount less than about 10% by weight of the bleach powder are inert, substantially hydrophilic compounds selected from alkylated esters, cyclic ethers and cyclic esters. Optionally, one or more hair conditioning agents, thickeners and desiccants may be added to the dust free bleach powder.

Conventional hair bleach powders are compositions which are used for lightening hair color. Typically, these products are sold to the consumer as dry powders, which must be mixed with aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide before they are used. Upon mixing, the components in the bleach powder and the hydrogen peroxide solution form an activated bleaching composition which is then applied to the hair. The activated bleaching composition lightens the hair by oxidizing natural hair pigments, such as melanin.
Typical hair bleach powders contain a reactant which interacts with hydrogen peroxide to form oxygen, which breaks down melanin in hair. Commonly, such reactants include, inter alia, peroxygenated ammonium, sodium or potassium salts of persulfates, perborates, percarbonates and the like.
It is usually necessary for adequate oxygen formation to have an activated bleach composition with a pH in the range of 9.5-11.5 upon addition of the hydrogen peroxide solution. The peroxide and the persulfate are both acids, which are activated at a basic pH. Accordingly, it is common to add a base, such as an amine alkali compound or a metasilicate, to hair bleach powders.
Conventional hair bleach powders may also contain other additives including thickeners, such as hydroxyalkylated cellulose, that help form the powder base. Such bleach powders are also susceptible, upon storage, to degradation resulting from atmospheric moisture. Thus, it is also common to add desiccants, such as silica derivatives, to prevent the bleach powders from being degraded by moisture before use.
There are several disadvantages associated with conventional hair bleach powders. Specifically, conventional bleach powders have a tendency to form dust during handling, transport and storage. Dusting also occurs during transfer of the bleach powder to the mixing chamber prior to admixing with the aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the persulfates and the alkaline silicate reactants are corrosive, and can be dangerous to the handler. These dusts irritate the eyes, the respiratory canal and the mucous membranes. Ammonium persulfate is an especially problematic irritant.
For these reasons, various attempts have been made to reduce the dusting characteristics of hair bleach powders. Partial success has been achieved through the addition of substantially water insoluble compounds, such as oils or liquid waxes, to the bleach powder. These oils or waxes coat the individual powder particles and agglomerate them into larger sized particles. Such bleach powders are thus rendered substantially dust-free due to their lack of small particles.
Published European Patent Application Publication No. 0583,767 A2, ("EP '767"), provides an example of this approach. EP '767 discloses a dry free flowing, dust free hair bleach powder, wherein a powder base comprising ammonium, sodium and potassium persulfate salts is treated with "inert adsorbates" or inert liquids which include, inter alia, mineral oils, natural oils and fluorosilicone fluids.
These inert liquid additives, which are oils, are disclosed as performing two functions: (1) as an adhesive to aggregate small powder particles into particles having a size greater than 40.mu. and (2) as a lubricant to coat the particles so they do not abrade and form dust. Therefore, the inert liquid additives function primarily as de-dusting agents.
In order to obtain the desired characteristics of the compositions taught by EP '767, the inert liquid is said to comprise about 10-25% by weight of the hair bleach powder with the preferred range being about 14-20% by weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,637 ("'637 patent") also recites a hair bleach composition which comprises an intimate mixture of particulate persulfate salts and alkaline silicates dispersed in a hydrophobic organic carrier, such as an oil or wax, present in an amount from about 30-70% by weight of the total mixture. The resulting compositions are not powders, but have a "paste to cream" consistency.
European Patent Publication No. 0,560,088 B1 ("EP '088") discloses dust free bleach powders that are also treated with oils and/or liquid waxes. These ingredients comprise from 2.5 to 25%, and preferably between 8 and 12%, of the total weight of the bleach powder. The added substances are also taught as being substantially water-insoluble ("Industrie et technologie des Corps Gras" (Industry and Technology of Fatty Substances), Alton E. Bayley; "Romps Chemie Lexicon", Oho Albrecht and Neumuller; "Introduction to Fats and Oils Technology", Peter J. Wan; Larousse Dictionary). Specifically, EP '088 recites the use of paraffin oil and silicone oil, which are hydrophobic, water insoluble substances.
While the above-recited treatments produce substantially dust-free bleach powders, these powders still suffer from significant drawbacks, because they form unstable oil based emulsions upon mixture with the aqueous hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, to compensate for this instability, additional components, such as surfactants and emulsifiers (e.g., polyoxyethylenestearates or polypropyleneoxides), must be added to the powder. Moreover, when bleach powders containing oil-based de-dusting agents are mixed with aqueous hydrogen peroxide, they take a long time to form a usable paste.
Another undesirable aspect of conventional bleaching compositions is that they fail to exhibit satisfactory thixotropy characteristics. An activated bleaching composition with good thixotropy moves through the hair with little effort, but also remains in the location where it is applied. In other words, good thixotropy properties help the bleach composition recover from sheer forces exerted on it during application to hair. Activated bleaching compositions prepared with the above-mentioned prior art dust-free hair bleach powders do not exhibit good thixotropy, but instead require excessive embrocation or wetting to effectively and evenly bleach the hair. It is difficult to obtain desired thixotropy for an activated bleaching composition, since a moderately low viscosity is required to impart the right amount of spreadability. However, if the viscosity is too low, the prepared bleach paste or cream will not stay in its applied location. Therefore, it is critical for an activated bleaching composition to have an optimum viscosity to impart desirable aesthetic characteristics to the hair.
Conventional bleach powders have further disadvantages in that they decompose under humid conditions and have relatively low ignition temperatures. Moreover, none of the conventional dust-free bleaching powders incorporates substantially hydrophilic de-dusting agents, which simultaneously suppress formation of dust and impart improved thixotropy characteristics to activated bleaching compositions made from these powders.


Disclosed is a method for prophylactic or therapeutic treatment of a condition or disease responsive to opening of ClC-2 channel, which comprises the step of administrating an effective amount of a ClC-2 channel opener to a subject in need of said treatment. According to the invention, a tissue or organ to be transplanted can also be treated with the ClC-2 channel opener.

A chloride channel is an ion-transport membrane protein for transporting chloride ions (Cl−). It has been reported that various kinds of chloride channels are present in the cell membrane of nerve, muscle and epithelium, and they are involved with various physiological functions and cytophylaxis mechanisms.
For example, a chloride channel cloned from crampfish's electric organ and named ClC-0 was later found to form a large family (ClC family). Examples of ClC family are: ClC-1 present in the skeletal muscle of mammals; ClC-2 present in the epithelium of various organs; ClC-3 and ClC-4 distributed in hippocampus, cerebellum, etc.; ClC-5 present in lung, kidney, etc.; ClC-6 and ClC-7 present in brain, testis, skeletal muscle, kidney, etc.; and ClCK-1 and ClCK-2 specifically shown only in kidney.
It is generally said that various channels are involved with a number of diseases. It is generally believed that the dysfunctioning of these channels or the existence of regulation defects in processes that activate such channels may play an important role in the pathogenesis of such diseases and illnesses. As a result, a compound, which opens various channels and assists regulation of electrophysiological function of cells, could have important therapeutic and prophylactic abilities for treatment and relief of such conditions.
It is inferred that a ClC-2 channel therapeutically plays an important role in cystic fibrosis, which is an autosomal recessive inherited disease best known in the Caucasian race (Cuppoletti et al., American Journal of Physiology. Cell Physiology, 281(1), C46-54, 2001; Joo et al., Biochemica et Biophysica Acta, 1446(3), 431-437, 1999 and Schwiebert et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97(7), 3879-3884, 1998). However, the details of other roles are not known very well.

Method for treating a disease or condition responsive to opening of C1C-2 channel


An air swivel ring includes a non-rotating member having an air inlet, a rotating member having an air outlet, and a split seal having a first sealing surface and coupled to one of the non-rotating member and the rotating member so that the first sealing surface on the seal is disposed proximate a second sealing surface on the other of the non-rotating member and the rotating member.

Well control is an important aspect of oil and gas exploration. When drilling a well, for example, in oil and gas exploration applications, safety devices must be put in place to prevent injury to personnel and damage to equipment resulting from unexpected events associated with the drilling activities.
Drilling wells in oil and gas exploration involves penetrating a variety of subsurface geologic structures, or "layers." Occasionally, a wellbore will penetrate a layer having a formation pressure substantially higher than the pressure maintained in the wellbore. When this occurs, the well is said to have "taken a kick." The pressure increase associated with the kick is generally produced by an influx of formation fluids (which may be a liquid, a gas, or a combination thereof) into the wellbore. The relatively high pressure kick tends to propagate from a point of entry in the wellbore uphole (from a high pressure region to a low pressure region). If the kick is allowed to reach the surface, drilling fluid, well tools, and other drilling structures may be blown out of the wellbore. These "blowouts" often result in catastrophic destruction of the drilling equipment (including, for example, the drilling rig) and substantial injury or death of rig personnel.
Because of the risk of blowouts, blowout preventers ("BOP") are typically installed at the surface or on the sea floor in deep water drilling arrangements to effectively seal a wellbore until active measures can be taken to control the kick. Blowout preventers may be activated so that kicks may be adequately controlled and circulated out of the system.
Just as a kick will propagate up the well, it may also enter the drill string and propagate through the inside of the drill string. To control a kick inside the drill string, a drill string internal blowout preventer ("IBOP"), sometimes called a "kelly valve" or a "kelly cock," is used to seal off the drill string until measures can be taken to control the kick. (An IBOP is sometimes called a "kelly valve" because, on older-style rigs, the IBOP was typically located near the "kelly," which is a non-circular part of the drill string that is used to impart rotary motion to the drill string.)
An IBOP is typically a ball valve or other type of valve that is connected in line with the drills string. It can be closed to isolate the kick inside the drill string. Because an IBOP and its associated actuator is connected in line with the drill string, it will rotate with the drill string during drilling operations.
Typically, IBOP's are pneumatically powered. The air source, typically a pressurized cylinder, is generally stationary. Thus, the challenge is to get the air power from the stationary source to the rotating IBOP actuator. It is noted that often drilling is stopped before the IBOP is actuated, but for safety reasons, the IBOP must be connected to an air supply at all times during drilling operations.
Prior art IBOP actuators have included a rotating section and a non-rotating section. Generally, the air source is routed into the non-rotating section, which is coupled to the rotation portion of the actuator by various types of seals, bearings, and air passageways. The air passes into the rotating portion of the actuator where it powers the actuator to close the IBOP.

Pressure-actuated seals for rotating members


One or two conventional picking units are mounted on a two-wheel, high clearance running gear or frame. A two-point hitch is coupled to the draft links of a tractor or an equal-angle hitch is coupled to the tractor drawbar. Hitch and tongue interface on the harvester facilitates sharp turn angles between the implement and the tractor through use of a pivoting member containing the driveline powering the units from the tractor. A center pivot tongue allows offset for appropriate row alignment and provides improved maneuverability and implement steering on headlands and turn rows. A hydraulic cylinder connected to the tongue or a crossed four-bar linkage structure controls tongue angle. A basket is supported at the rear of the frame and the row units are located forwardly of the frame to provide counterbalancing forces about the wheel axis.

Much of the world cotton crop is harvested by hand, and cotton growers in many of the hand harvest regions are experiencing scarcity of laborers and rising labor costs. Often the cotton harvesting operations include a mix of hand labor and basic mechanization. Most cotton growers in the hand harvest regions cannot justify the capital required for self-propelled machines, and available small to medium sized tractors have insufficient capacity for a tractor-mounted harvester. Therefore, an efficient, low-cost cotton harvester powered by a small row-crop tractor is desirable to alleviate the burden of hand labor and shortage of labor in the many harvest regions.


A communication method between the units of a distributed base station system, characterized by comprising: at the transmitting end, mapping a CPRI link to a GFP-T frame; encapsulating the GFP-T frame into SDH virtual containers to form a STM-N frame; and transmitting the STM-N frame via a SDH line, and at the receiving end, receiving the STM-N frame transmitted via the SDH line; separating the SDH virtual containers from the STM-N frame; extracting the GFP-T frame from the SDH virtual containers; reproducing the CPRI link from the GFP-T frame.

In a mobile communication system, as shown in FIG. 1a, a wireless access network is typically composed of base stations (BTS) and a base station controller (BSC) or wireless networks controller (RNC) for controlling the base stations. The base station is mainly composed by units such as a baseband processing subsystem, a radio frequency (RF) subsystem, and antennas, which are in charge of performing transmission, reception and processing of wireless signals. As shown in FIG. 1b, one base station may cover different cells through a plurality of antennas.
In mobile communication systems, there are wireless network coverage problems that are more difficult to solve with conventional BTS technologies, such as, indoor coverage of high-rise buildings, coverage hole, or the coverage of shadow zone. A technique based on remote radio frequency units is a more effective solution being proposed to solve the above problems. In the distributed base station system based on remote radio frequency units, the primary radio frequency units and antennas are installed in regions that are required to provide coverage, and are connected to other primary baseband processing units in the base station through wideband transmission lines. The broadband transmission link connecting a remote radio frequency unit and a primary baseband processing unit may typically employ transmission medium such as optical fiber, coaxial cable, microwave and etc.
For the wireless signal transmission between a remote radio frequency unit (RRU) and a primary baseband processing unit (MU), it is possible to employ the analog signal transmission scheme or the digital transmission scheme. Although it is easier to adopt the analog signal transmission scheme, there will be disturbing components such as noise in analog lines, and the modulation of signals in the transmission will introduce nonlinear distortion. Therefore, the transmission distance between the remote radio frequency unit and the primary baseband processing unit is limited, usually in a range of several hundreds meters. In addition, the analog transmission is not suitable for the application of multiplexing technique, and may decrease the utilization of transmission lines. To this end, for the distributed base station system having this typical structure, CPRI (Common Public Radio Interface) provides standardization for the interface between the remote radio frequency unit and the primary baseband processing unit based on the digital transmission technique (its technical specification can be obtained from the website <http://www.cpri.info/spec.html>). At present, many commercial distributed base station system based on the standard have already been developed in the industry.
In the CPRI specification, terms "RE" (radio element) and "REC" (radio element controller) radio element controller correspond to the remote radio frequency unit and the primary baseband processing unit, and the interface between the RE and the REC is the CPRI link. In the CPRI protocol stack structure as shown in FIG. 2, the user plane is in charge of transmitting baseband I/Q data; The control and management plane mainly includes in-band signaling with higher real time requirement, and layer 3 protocol data (not defined by CPRI) carried on the layer 2 protocol HDLC (high level data link control) and Ethernet. Information including user plane data, control and management plane data, sync data and vendor specific data is multiplexed on the electrical or optical transmission line in a time division multiplexing mode.
Since the CPRI link is a kind of point-to-point link, each CPRI link will occupy one physical line, i.e., one optical fiber or one wavelength (when using the wave division multiplexing technique). Although the CPRI presently defines three line rates of 614.4 Mbit/s, 1228.8 Mbit/s (2×614.4 Mbit/s) and 2457.6 Mbit/s (2×1228.8), so that one CPRI link may transmit multiple I/Q baseband signals, since the limitation of the line rates, the number of I/Q baseband signals that can be transmitted through one CPRI link is very limited, and it is difficult to implement network connections of a large quantity of RRUs in a high-capacity distributed base station. On the other hand, although the CPRI define control and management information channels, the band width of these channels is very limited (less than 1/16 of the CPRI link rate). When it is necessary to transmit other signal links such as STM-N, ATM, 100/1000M Ethernet in the meantime, it will be difficult to transmit them through CPRI and have to employ additional transmission lines, thereby increasing the transmission cost and the wasting of optical fiber resources.

CPRI link multiplex transmission method and system


Described are a method and apparatus for preserving data integrity which can be practiced in a data storage library that receives data from a host computer. The data storage library includes a docking station that stores data to and from an operatively linked mobile random access storage device. Once the data is stored on the mobile random access storage device, the elapsed time is accounted for. The mobile random access storage device is adapted to be unlinked from the docking station, such as for purposes of archiving the mobile random access storage device. A user can be notified when the elapsed time has reached a time limit. Upon indicating that the data on mobile random access storage device should be restored, the mobile random access storage device can be re-linked with the docking station for data restoration, thus, starting a new elapsed time.

Tape libraries have historically been the primary storage devices for amassed digital data. This has been due in part because of the tape libraries' ability to store considerably large amounts of data in a cost-efficient and data-stable manner. Other types of storage systems containing alternative media such as disc drives, optical storage systems and flash memory, however, are gaining momentum as a consequence of advancements in random access storage technology and relative cost improvements. These alternative storage systems take advantage of random access memory storage functionality which can dramatically speed up data transfer between a host and storage system.
Nonetheless, the benefit of random access memory storage has a cost in terms of reliability of data integrity. For example, disc drives are subject to data loss over time due in part to thermal degradation, an issue of growing concern given the aggressive a real density curve the disc drive industry is tracking. In order to increase a real density, data bit sizes are typically reduced, creating a greater probability for instabilities in the data bits which translates to data loss. Hence, in time, all digital data stored on magnetic media will vanish due to 'self erasure' of the data bits.
The disc drive industry has proposed some solutions to this problem by improving the media stability with complex magnetic alloys and constant data refresh during times in which the disc drives are not storing data on the media. However, in applications in which disc drives are not supplied with frequent or constant power, such as to archive a disc drive for later use, data loss is inevitable.
In an effort to improve data robustness in mobile random access storage devices, both methods and apparatus are described herein. It is to innovations related to this subject matter that the claimed invention is generally directed.

Data restoration in archivable mobile random access storage devices


A method for semiconductor defect detection, applied to a wafer test in a semiconductor process. A defect test is implemented for generating redundant information. an abnormal test implemented for generating a first FBM. The redundant information is converted to a second FBM. The first and second FBMs are compared, thereby generating a third FBM according to comparison results.

The invention relates to defect detecting methods, and more particularly, to methods for wafer defect detection based on fail bit maps (MAP).
Semiconductor processes comprise integrated circuit (IC) designs, wafer fabrications, wafer probe tests, and wafer packaging. A wafer probe test probes each grain on a chip for testing electric characteristics. Failed grains are marked and discarded for preventing from increasing production cost.
The wafer probe test mainly locates defects on a chip. Conventionally, the wafer probe test implements tests related to electrical characteristics to all memory cells (disposed as a matrix) on a chip, displaying coordinates of failed memory cells in the form of fail bit mapping (FBM), according to test results, in a coordinate region defined by the X and Y axes, and estimating failed reasons according to analyzed FBM types, such as point-failed, block-failed, or line-failed. The fail bit mapping is an abnormal analysis method for semiconductor components, visualizing addresses of abnormal memory cells for confirmations.
Defect detections may be performed after wafer probe test are complete, raising yield rates of chips. FBM tests, for example, are first implemented, and defect detections, such as working voltage tests, wafer level burn-in (WLBI) tests, function tests, and the like, are then implemented. WLBI tests consider the decrease of production cost beforehand during the design stage. Reliability verification, for example, is considered in circuit design, such that a WLBI mode is involved to implement reliability verification to products in the wafer test stage and the products may not be burned after a package process, thereby decreasing package and finished product test costs.
The WLBI process can find failed bits on each chip and analyzes the chips with a greater number of failed bits for failed reasons. The WLBI process, however, may not discover failed bits each time. Some failed bits temporarily exist and each preformed defect test process may generate failed bits, such that it is difficult to determine which failed bit is produced at in which process. As described above, current solutions execute a FBM test again after all desired defect tests are complete. Thus, location information corresponding to failed bits is obtained in a last FBM test, and the current FBM test further verifies the location information.
The described solution, however, requires to perform a FBM test twice and further involves a WLBI test, spending and decreasing production capacity accordingly. Additionally, the described solution cannot accurately obtain location information of produced failed bits corresponding to each defect test. Thus, an improved method for locating failed bits is desirable, saving test time, raising product yield rates, and maintaining production capacity.

Methods and systems for semiconductor defect detection


A battery cover with a fire-extinguishing function is provided, which includes a fire-extinguishing tank disposed on an inner surface of the battery cover to store compressed air and fire-extinguishing fluid, so that the fire-extinguishing tank bursts and the fire-extinguishing fluid contained in the tank is sprayed to the battery to thereby suppress a fire in the case where the fire breaks out inside the battery due to overheat or electric leak of the battery. The battery cover with a fire-extinguishing function is coupled to an opening portion of a case that accommodates the battery therein to protect terminals of the battery in a battery pack, and includes the fire-extinguishing tank disposed on an inner surface of the battery cover to store the fire-extinguishing fluid therein.

A battery is a device that is provided in a construction machine or a vehicle to supply power required to operate an internal combustion engine or various kinds of electronic devices. The battery, which is mounted in a vehicle, has a hollow portion formed therein, and a terminal portion of the battery is provided in a case having one open side to face an opening portion of the battery. Further, on the opening portion of the case in which the battery is accommodated, a cover is put to protect the terminal portion and to prevent inflow of foreign matters from outside.
In the battery mounted in the vehicle or the like, explosion or a fire may occur during vehicle operation. It is estimated that the explosion or fire of the battery occurs due to a short circuit of the terminal portion or unstable chemical materials provided in the battery. However, in many cases, it is difficult to clearly investigate the cause of the explosion or fire. Accordingly, there may be a limit in originally preventing the occurrence of the fire through removal of the cause of the explosion or fire of the battery.
To solve this problem, according to a technology in the related art, a fire-extinguishing device is installed in the vicinity of the battery, and if explosion or a fire occurs in the battery, the fire is automatically suppressed using the fire-extinguishing device. The fire-extinguishing device in the related art is provided with a sensor for sensing the occurrence of fire in the battery and a fire-extinguisher that is connected to the sensor and is installed in the vicinity of the battery, and if the fire occurrence is sensed by the sensor, the fire-extinguisher operates to suppress the fire.
However, the fire-extinguishing device in the related art has the problem that in the case where the sensor is unable to sense the fire occurrence, the fire-extinguisher does not operate. Further, if the spray direction of the fire-extinguishing device is inaccurate or the spray timing is inappropriate although the sensor operates to sense the fire occurrence, complete fire suppression is limited. Further, the fire-extinguishing device in the related art to suppress the battery fire is unable to be installed inside the battery, the overall volume of the battery is increased.

Battery cover provided with fire extinguishing function


An applicator for application of a substance onto a material. The applicator having a housing, valve and slot. The housing having at least one housing inlet for the introduction of the substance into the housing and at least one housing channel for the distribution of the substance from the housing inlet. The valve having at least one inlet groove for the further distribution of the substance, wherein the valve is rotated to provide profiled product application functionality; and at least one inlet bore for the further distribution of the substance; and at least one valve reservoir to provide manifold functionality of the substance; and at least one outlet bore for the further distribution of the substance; and at least one inlet groove for the extrusion of the substance onto the material. The slot and the outlet groove together form an extrusion pattern of the hot-melt.

Applicators for application of a substance onto a material are well known in the art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,689 discloses an applicator applying adhesive from slotted nozzles in which air is directed toward the medium that leads to swirling of the emerging adhesive threads. This prevents adhesive threads from tearing off and also prevents the formation of drops which could lead to a non-uniform application of adhesive. However, due to the needed supply of air, the applicator becomes complicated and expensive. Such an applicator finds frequent application where widths of material have to be laminated onto a substrate. To minimize the specific consumption of liquid medium and, at the same time, to ensure as uniform a distribution of the medium as possible, the medium is applied intermittently to achieve a grid-like application pattern. In order to enable, at the same time, a high transport speed of the width of material, the medium has to be applied in the direction of movement of the width of material at a high frequency. The grid points extend transversely to the direction of movement of the width of material and are arranged as closely as possible to one another.
In another example, EP 0 474155 A2 and EP 0 367985 A2 illustrate applicators where hole type nozzles are controlled by a pneumatically operated nozzle needle. However, the medium cannot be applied economically to the width of material when it moves at a high speed due to limited maximum cycle frequency of the nozzle units. This limitation is the result of the mass inertia of the nozzle needles and of the control elements.
In yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,785 discloses an applicator which has a cylinder control slide that is rotatably operable to provide intermittent or continuous strands of a substance onto a web. However, this design is limited in its ability to quickly shutter the flow of said substance. Furthermore, this design is unable to provide non-linear, strands.
What is needed is an applicator for application of a substance onto a material, wherein the applicator is able to quickly shutter the flow of said substance and is able to provide custom (e.g., non-linear) strand patterns.

Extrusion applicator having rotational operability


A receiver is adapted to receive an input signal having a first voltage swing and to generate an output signal having a second voltage swing, the output signal being indicative of the input signal, the second voltage swing being greater than the first voltage swing. The receiver includes a first sub-rate receiver block and at least a second sub-rate receiver block. A receiver clock is divided into a first sub-rate clock phase and at least a second sub-rate clock phase, the first sub-rate clock phase being used to drive the first sub-rate receiver block and the second sub-rate clock phase being used to drive the second sub-rate receiver block. Each of the first sub-rate receiver block and the second sub-rate receiver block includes at least one gated-diode sense amplifier.

In on-chip and inter-chip data communication systems where high data bandwidth is required, power dissipation and chip area of input/output (I/O) circuits are crucial design factors to be considered. For instance, modern multi-core microprocessors have thousands of bits of on-chip data buses connecting processor cores and caches. In high-performance servers, the inter-chip links from processors to network switches or off-chip caches also require I/O buses hundreds of bits wide running at multiple Gb/s per lane data rates. Compact and low-power I/O schemes are needed for these high-performance systems.

International Business Machines Corporation


A grasping method is by a grasping apparatus that is provided with a grasping portion that has a plurality of pawl portions, and a plurality of contact portions that are provided on portions of the plurality of pawl portions, which contact a workpiece, and that are able to be hardened. The grasping method includes conforming the contact portions to an outer shape of a master workpiece that has an outer shape that is able to deform the contact portions to a shape for positioning the workpiece; hardening the contact portions in a state conformed to the outer shape of the master workpiece; positioning the workpiece; and grasping the positioned workpiece with the grasping portion by hardening the contact portions while keeping the contact portions in the shape conformed to the outer shape of the workpiece.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a grasping method by a grasping apparatus capable of grasping a plurality of types of workpieces of different shapes.
2. Description of Related Art
When handling a plurality of types of workpieces of different shapes with a grasping apparatus that grasps a workpiece or a product or the like, it is troublesome to replace a contact portion, i.e., a portion of the grasping apparatus that directly contacts the workpiece or the like, with a portion corresponding to the shape of each workpiece. Therefore, it has been hoped that a grasping apparatus capable of flexibly handling a variety of types of workpieces having different outer shapes would be developed. Hence, various technologies for grasping apparatuses that are capable of successfully grasping a variety of types of workpieces having different outer shapes have been examined. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-123082 (JP-A-9-123082), for example, described below describes just such a technology.
JP-A-9-123082 describes a grasping apparatus provided with a contact portion capable of handling various outer shapes by encapsulating a large amount of granular substance inside a flexible membrane, and reducing the pressure in the membrane using a vacuum pump or the like, or canceling that pressure reduction. With this grasping apparatus, a contact portion is arranged at a tip end of a support device such as a robotic arm or the like. Also, with a grasping operation by the robotic arm or the like, the contact portion is made to abut against the workpiece or the like and conform to the shape of the workpiece or the like. Then the pressure inside the contact portion is reduced such that the large amount of granular substance inside the membrane is tightly compressed and fixed in place, such that the shape of the contact portion is kept conformed to the shape of the workpiece. Also, with this grasping apparatus, the contact portion is returned to a softened state by canceling the reduced pressure state in the contact portion. Also, using such a grasping apparatus enables the shape of the contact portion to match the outer shapes of various workpieces and the like. As a result, when handling a plurality of various workpieces having different outer shapes, the workpieces can be stably grasped.
Use of a grasping apparatus having this kind of contact portion is premised on the contact portion being deformed to match the outer shape of a workpiece that has already been positioned. A workpiece that is already positioned to match a position specified by the next process is gripped and grasped by the contact portion, and transported.
That is, the shape of the contact portion of this kind of grasping apparatus is not uniform, so the grasping apparatus is not well suited for positioning a workpiece that is not yet positioned. The workpiece is not able to be accurately positioned using only this kind of grasping apparatus.


Immune stimulatory amounts of hematopoietic colony stimulating factors are administered to patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The factors include G-CSF and GM-CSF. These factors induce and maintain remission of the disease and its manifestations, whether within the intestine or without.

Crohn""s disease persists as an enigma: without a deciphered etiology and without adequate therapy. Prevailing explanations of the pathogenesis of Crohn""s disease (Crohn""s Disease) hold that the characteristic chronic intestinal inflammation results from an aberrant, activated immune response generated against ubiquitous bacteria or bacterial products that gain access to the lamina propria, perhaps through a more permeable intestinal barrier. The abnormal reaction has been suggested to be mediated principally by T-cells enhanced by an intrinsic imbalance in pro-inflammatory and contra-inflammatory mediators. Thus, most therapy aims to counteract that inflammatory state with increasingly potent and sophisticated immune suppressants.
Current therapy, mostly directed at suppressing the inflammatory process, remains inadequate both for the treatment of flares and maintenance of remission. Steroids can be effective in short term use but produce dependency in a significant proportion of patients. While certain antibiotics appear promising, data are limited. Thus there is a need in the art for effective method for treating inflammatory bowel diseases.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method of treating Crohn""s Disease.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method of treating Ulcerative Colitis.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of treating extrainstestinal manifestations of Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn""s disease.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a method of treating pouchitis.
It is yet another object of the invention to treat and reduce the risk of fistula recurrence.
These and other objects of the invention are provided by one or more of the embodiments described below. In one embodiment a method is provided of treating Crohn""s Disease in which an immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD114 (Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor (G-CSFR)) is administered to a patient with Crohn""s Disease not associated with Glycogen Storage Disease 1b.
In another embodiment of the invention another method of treating Crohn""s Disease is provided. An immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD 116 (Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor) or CDw131 is administered to a patient with Crohn""s Disease not associated with Glycogen Storage Disease 1b.
In yet another embodiment of the invention another method is provided of treating Crohn""s Disease. An immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD114 (Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor (G-CSFR)) is administered to a patient with Crohn""s Disease not associated with Chronic Granulomatous Disease.
In still another embodiment of the invention a method is provided of treating Crohn""s Disease in which an immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD116 (Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor) or CDw131 is administered to a patient with Crohn""s Disease not associated with Chronic Granulomatous Disease.
In even another embodiment of the invention another method is provided of treating Crohn""s Disease. An immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD114 (Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor (G-CSFR)) is administered to a patient with Crohn""s Disease not associated with a presently characterized and identifiable specific neutrophil disorder caused by a genetic disease.
In yet another embodiment of the invention another method is provided of treating Crohn""s Disease. An immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD116 (Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor) or CDw131 is administered to a patient with Crohn""s Disease not associated with a presently characterized and identifiable specific neutrophil disorder caused by a genetic disease.
According to another aspect of the invention a method is provided of treating Ulcerative Colitis. An immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD114 (Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor (G-CSFR)) is administered to a patient with Ulcerative Colitis.
According to another aspect of the invention a method is provided of treating Ulcerative Colitis. An immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD116 (Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor) or CDw131 is administered to a patient with Ulcerative Colitis.
Another aspect of the invention is a method of treating extraintestinal manifestations of Ulcerative Colitis. An immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD114 (Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor (G-CSFR)) is administered to a patient with extraintestinal manifestations of Ulcerative Colitis.
Another aspect of the invention is a method of treating extraintestinal manifestations of Ulcerative Colitis. An immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD116 (Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor) or CDw131 is administered to a patient with extraintestinal manifestations of Ulcerative Colitis.
According to still another aspect of the invention a method is provided of treating pouchitis. An immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD114 (Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor (G-CSFR)) is administered to a patient with pouchitis.
According to still another aspect of the invention a method is provided of treating pouchitis. An immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD116 (Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor) or CDw131 is administered to a patient with pouchitis.
According to still another aspect of the invention a method is provided of preventing or reducing the risk of fistula recurrence. An immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD114 (Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor (G-CSFR)) is administered to a patient with Crohn""s disease who has previously had a fistula, whereby the risk of recurrence of a fistula is reduced.
According to still another aspect of the invention a method is provided of preventing or reducing the risk of fistula recurrence. An immune stimulatory amount of an agonist of CD116 (Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor Receptor) or CDw131 is administered to a patient with Crohn""s disease who has previously had a fistula, whereby the risk of recurrence of a fistula is reduced.
The present invention thus opens a new realm of treatment modalities for inflammatory bowel diseases which have proven refractory to discovery of safe and effective ministrations. Contrary to the prior paradigm in the art of treating inflammatory bowel diseases with immunosuppressive agents, the present invention uses agents known to be immunostimulatory to treat, prevent, and maintain remission of such diseases.

Stimulating neutrophil function to treat inflammatory bowel disease


An automatic draining arrangement without position limitation includes a base plate, a water storage tank, a water tank mounting frame, a detecting control circuitry, a pump and a case, in which the water storage tank is installed on the base plate through the detecting control circuitry and pump, and also the case is provide on the base plate for protection, isolation of the interior mechanism. A drain tube is attached to the pump and extends outside of the arrangement. The detecting control circuitry controls water draining operation for arrangement that generate waste water, when the waste water reach certain level, the water would automatically drain out. This arrangement can eliminate problems caused by other draining method and the problem of location, plus the fact that this arrangement can set to different switches to drain out water either by pump or by siphon action which can save electricity power.

The present invention relates to automatic draining arrangement, and more particularly to an automatic draining arrangement without position limitation which utilizes a detecting control circuitry to incorporate with the pump for automatic draining, so that it can improve over the usage limitation of the conventional arrangement and can easily move as required.
The major principle of a conventional automatic draining arrangement is to provide a water storage tank on a location that is higher than the water outlet of the drain tube. In the drain tube which is filled with water, due to the atmospheric pressure and the pressure generated from the height difference between the water storage tank and the drain tube, the water in the water storage tank which is located at higher ground would be forced automatically to drain out through the drain tube. In order to maintain this draining mechanism, the drain tube needs to be maintained fully charged with water. One way to accomplish this goal is to installed bothersome closed mechanism at both end of the drain tube. For first time usage of the conventional arrangement, the user is required to manually fill the drain tube with water for generating the siphon function. The conventional arrangement can have the function of automatically draining effect, however, during operation, it has at least the following shortcomings:
1. In order to utilize the siphon effect, the equipment (such as an air-condition, or moisture eliminator) needs to incorporated with the static head of the higher ground, usually the conventional draining arrangement must be installed in a position lower than the equipment. And the water outlet of the drain tube can not be higher than the conventional arrangement, otherwise the siphon action would lose its effect. If the equipment is installed in the basement, in order to drain out the water in the storage tank, it's obviously that the water outlet of the drain tube would be higher than the arrangement. Under this condition, the water would not go out, but reverse siphon action would occur. Therefore, the conventional arrangement is clearly not able to function in such situation.
2. In today's society, all the equipment have some basic requirements that need to fulfilled, which are to be portable, efficient, easy to used. For example, the hand held moisture eliminator are conventionally functioned on ground with roller instead of attaching on some high wall, so that the machine can usually move to any moist location anytime to remove the moisture. But for the conventional automatic draining arrangement, it is limited to its structure and can not be move at will. If the arrangement is positioned near the ground surface and the height difference is small, even though the siphon action still can cause water flow, the water can not drain off. It is because when encounter with the friction in the drain tube, it would almost eliminates all of the energy generated from the siphon action and completely stop the water flow. Even if the arrangement can still drain off water, since the draining speed is slower than the generating speed of the waster water, the water storage tank would be overflow and thus limited the usage of arrangement.

Automatic draining arrangement without position limitation


A propeller thrust transmission device includes a taper portion of a propeller shaft that is fitted in a spacer divided into a first half and a second half. A thrust force acting on a propeller is received by the taper portion of the propeller shaft through the spacer. The first half includes a taper hole having an inner surface which corresponds in shape to an outer surface of the taper portion and in which the taper portion is fitted. The second half has a smaller diameter portion extending from one side of a ring-shaped wall portion closer to the propeller and fitted in a hole of an attachment device spaced from the propeller shaft, and a larger diameter portion extending from the other side of the ring-shaped wall portion and fitted on an outer peripheral surface of the first half.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a propeller thrust transmission device for a watercraft propulsion device, which is a device arranged to transmit a thrust force acting on a propeller to a propeller shaft as the propeller in an outboard motor or an inboard/outboard motor rotates.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a propeller thrust transmission device, which is a device arranged to transmit a thrust force acting on a propeller to a propeller shaft as the propeller in a watercraft propulsion device rotates, includes a taper portion and a spacer on the propeller shaft. One conventional propeller thrust transmission device of an exhaust device for an outboard motor and the like is disclosed in FIG. 2 of JP-B-Sho 62-15399.
FIG. 4 of the present application is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a propeller thrust transmission device for a watercraft propulsion device that is practically equivalent to the propeller thrust transmission device shown in FIG. 2 of JP-B-Sho 62-15399. The propeller thrust transmission device has the following structure. An attachment device 14 of a propeller 13 is fitted in and fixed to an outer shaft portion 11a protruding outward from a gear case 12. The propeller thrust transmission device includes a taper portion 11b near the gear case such that a diameter of an end closer to the gear case is larger than a diameter of an end closer to the propeller, and a spacer 16 in which the taper portion 11b is fitted. This attachment device 14 includes a boss 14a united with a blade portion of the propeller and having an exhaust passage for passing combustion gas of an engine therethrough, a tube-shaped rubber damper 14b press-fitted in the boss 14a, a bushing 14c press-fitted inside a rubber damper 14b, and an end plate 14d. The attachment device 14 is fixed by a nut 15. The spacer 16 is shaped to have a taper hole 16a having an inner surface which corresponds in shape to an outer surface of the taper portion 11b (i.e., the inner surface of the taper hole 16a has a complementary shape to the outer surface of the taper portion 11b) and in which the taper portion 11b is fitted, an end surface 16b touching an end wall 14a′ of the boss 14a, and a smaller diameter tube portion 16c (i.e., having a smaller diameter than an outer diameter of the other portions of the spacer 16) fitted in a hole 14a″ in the end wall 14a′. In this propeller thrust transmission device, the taper portion 11b of the propeller shaft 11 receives a thrust force acting on the propeller 13 through the spacer 16 as the propeller 13 rotates in a normal direction.
However, in the propeller thrust transmission device for a watercraft propulsion device shown in FIG. 4, when a watercraft is propelled at a high speed (when the propeller rotates at high speed), a hull or a stern comes to the surface, a draft line lowers, an upper portion of the propeller is exposed to air, and a water resistance force F acts upward on a lower portion of the propeller 13. In such a situation, this water resistance force F is transmitted from the attachment device 14 of the propeller 13 to the smaller diameter tube portion 16c of the spacer 16. A point on the smaller diameter tube portion 16c of the spacer 16 to which a water resistance force is transmitted is spaced by a distance S from the propeller shaft 11 and is distant from a point of application of an average thrust on a thrust force transmission surface between the taper hole 16a of the spacer 16 and the taper portion 11b engaged with the spacer 16. Thus, a moment effect occurs on a lower portion of the taper portion 11b of the propeller shaft 11 rotating at a high speed due to the water resistance force F and the distance L. This situation causes a precession being a load fluctuation in which a surface of the taper hole 16a of the spacer 16 repeatedly separates from the taper portion 11b and then firmly contacts the taper portion 11b of the propeller shaft 11 during the high speed rotation, which results in the spacer 16 abrading the thrust transmission surface (the taper portion 11b). Further, the concentricity between the boss 14a and the bushing 14c is maintained by the rubber damper 14b, and thus when the watercraft is propelled at a high speed (when the propeller rotates at a high speed), the hull or the stern comes to the surface, a draft line lowers, an upper portion of the propeller is exposed to air, and a water resistance force F acts upward on the lower portion of the propeller 13. In such a situation, a lower portion of the rubber damper 14b is compressed, and as a result, the boss 14a moves up toward the bushing 14c. Therefore, the end wall 14a′ of the boss 14a slides on the end surface 16b. The end wall 14a′ of the boss 14a continuously slides on the end surface 16b of the spacer 16 and this sliding movement causes an abrasion on both sliding surfaces due to rotation of the propeller 13 if there is a water resistance force F acting thereupon. Due to continued abrasion between the sliding surfaces, the end wall 14a′ of the boss 14a and the end surface 16b of the spacer 16 separate below the propeller shaft 11 and contact above the propeller shaft 11. Therefore, because the propeller 13 is rotating, the rotation accompanies repeated separating and contacting between the taper hole 16a and the taper part 11b, as described above. This results in a large intensification of the precession mentioned above and an occurrence of abrasion on the thrust transmission surface (the taper portion 11b) by the spacer 16.

Propeller thrust transmission device for a watercraft propulsion device


A CSTBT includes a carrier stored layer (113) formed between a P base region (104) and a semiconductor substrate (103) and the carrier stored layer has an impurity concentration higher than that of the semiconductor substrate (103). The P base region (104) in a periphery of a gate electrode (110) functions as a channel. When it is assumed that an impurity concentration of a first carrier stored layer region (113a) just under the channel is ND1 and an impurity concentration of a second carrier stored layer region (113b) other than just under the channel is ND2 in the carrier stored layer (113), the relationship of the impurity concentrations is defined by ND1<ND2. Thus, a gate capacity and a short-circuit current can be controlled and variation in threshold voltage can be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an insulated gate semiconductor device, and more particularly, relates to an insulated gate semiconductor device such as a bipolar transistor and a power MOSFET having an insulated gate, in which an excessive short-circuit current is controlled by suppressing a voltage rise between a gate and an emitter, which occurs when a switching operation is performed at a time of short-circuiting such as a load.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a general power electronics device for driving a motor and the like, a power semiconductor element of such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (referred to as "IGBT" hereinafter) is mainly used as a switching element in a region where a rated voltage is 300V or more because of its characteristics. Especially, a lot of attention has been lately attracted to an insulated gate semiconductor device having a trench gate, that is, an insulated gate semiconductor device having a structure in which a gate electrode is buried in a trench formed on one main face of a semiconductor substrate. This is because an insulated gate semiconductor device can be easily miniaturized so that a degree of integration thereof can be enhanced. In recent years, an IGBT chip is improved to have a rating current in ampere to a few hundred amperes, thereby allowing a power module to be miniaturized.
FIG. 13 is a sectional view schematically showing an example of a structure of a conventional trench gate IGBT (i.e., Trench Gate Bipolar Transistor) which is referred to as "TIGBT" hereinafter. A structure and an operation of the TIGBT will be described with reference to FIG. 13.
According to a constitution shown in FIG. 13, an N+ buffer layer 102 is formed on a P+ substrate 101 which is a P collector layer, and a collector electrode 112 is formed on the other face of the P+ substrate 101. An N− semiconductor (base) layer 103 is formed on the N+ buffer layer 102, and a P base region 104 is selectively formed on the N− semiconductor layer 103 in a cell region of the TIGBT by diffusing P type impurities. N+ emitter region 105 is formed on a part or a whole of the face of the P base region 104 by selectively diffusing high-concentration N type impurities.
According to the constitution in FIG. 13, a plurality of trenches 107 are formed so as to intersect the N+ emitter regions 105 at right angles. Each trench is formed to extend from a top of the N+ emitter region 105 to a depth reaching the inside of the N− semiconductor layer 103. A trench gate electrode 110 of a MOS transistor is buried in each of the trenches 107 through a gate insulating oxide film 108. The P base region 104 which is located in the periphery of the gate electrode 110 and sandwiched between the N+ emitter region 105 and the N− semiconductor layer 103 functions as a channel region. An upper face of the gate electrode 110 is covered with an interlayer insulation film 109, and an emitter electrode 111 is formed to cover the interlayer insulation film 109.
FIG. 14 is a sectional view schematically showing a structure of a carrier stored TIGBT (i.e., Carrier Stored Trench-gate Bipolar Transistor: referred to as "CSTBT" hereinafter) which was devised by the inventors of the present invention to improve characteristics of the TIGBT. According to the CSTBT, an N− semiconductor layer, that is, a carrier stored region 113 (referred to as "CS layer" hereinafter) for storing carriers is formed between the P base region 104 and the N− semiconductor (base) layer 103.
An operation of the conventional IGBT will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. While a predetermined positive collector voltage VCE is applied between the emitter electrode 111 and the collector electrode 112, a predetermined positive gate voltage VGE is applied between the emitter electrode 111 and the gate electrode 110 to turn on the gate. At this time, the channel region of the P base region 104 is changed from P type to N type to form a channel. Then, electrons are introduced from the emitter electrode 111 to the N− semiconductor layer 103 through the channel region. Thus, a forward bias state is formed between the P+ substrate (collector) 101 and the N− semiconductor layer 103 by the introduced electrons, and holes are introduced from the P+ substrate 101. Thus, the resistance of the N− semiconductor layer 103 is largely decreased and ON resistance of the IGBT is largely decreased, so that a current capacity is increased. That is, when the (positive) holes are introduced from the P substrate 101, the resistance of the N− semiconductor layer 103 is decreased.
Next, an operation when the IGBT is turned off will be described. Referring to the constitution shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the gate voltage VGE applied between the emitter electrode 111 and the gate electrode 110 in an ON state is made to be zero or negative (reverse bias), so that the channel region previously changed to the N type is returned to the P type region. Thus, the introduction of the electrons from from the emitter electrode 111 to the N− semiconductor layer 103 is stopped. When the introduction of the electrons is stopped, the introduction of the holes from the P+ substrate 101 is also stopped. Then, the electrons and holes stored in the N− semiconductor layer 103 (and N+ buffer layer 102) are collected into the collector electrode 112 and the emitter electrode 111, respectively, or recombined with each other and disappear.
In the case of the TIGBT shown in FIG. 13, since the MOS transistor can be miniaturized to be about 1/10 on the surface also as compared with a planar gate typed IGBT, its characteristics can be improved. In addition, according to the planar typed IGBT, a current path is formed on a surface sandwiched by P base layers and an amount of voltage drop is large at this part. In contrast, according to the above TIGBT, since the gate electrode 110 is formed so as to penetrate the P base layer 104 and there is no region which is sandwiched by the P base layers, its characteristics can be improved.
In the case of the CSTBT shown in FIG. 14, since the CS layer 113 for storing the carriers is formed under the P base region 104, the holes from the P+ substrate 101 are prevented from passing to the emitter electrode 111 and the holes are stored in the CS layer 113. As a result, the ON voltage can be further lowered as compared with the TIGBT.
However, in the case of the TIGBT shown in FIG. 13, since the cell size is reduced to be about 1/10 as compared with the planar gate, there is an advantage such that the ON voltage can be considerably lowered while there is a problem such that a gate capacity and a short-circuit current are increased. In order to solve the problem, it is proposed that the cell size is increased by increasing a pitch forming the trench gate. However, when the cell size is increased, the ON voltage is raised in the TIGBT.
Meanwhile, in the case of the CSTBT shown in FIG. 14, when the cell size is increased, the ON voltage is prevented from being increased, but there is a problem such that a withstand voltage is lowered. Especially, if the withstand voltage is lowered, a switching element receives a fatal defect, so that the above problem cannot be solved by simply increasing the cell size.
FIGS. 15 and 16 show results of dependency in variation of the withstand voltage (FIG. 15) and variation of the ON voltage (FIG. 16) when a P base interval (trench interval) is increased in the TIGBT and the CSTBT, by way of device simulation. Here, the result is shown in a case where the P base interval in the TIGBT and CSTBT is set at 3 μm and the trench interval (P base interval) is increased to 11 μm in the conventional TIGBT and the CSTBT. When the trench interval is 11 μm, the cell size is increased threefold and the gate capacity decreased to ⅓, compared to the conventional case.
From the illustrated simulation calculation result, in the TIGBT (shown by •), even when the trench interval is increased, the withstand voltage is not changed so much (FIG. 15), but the ON voltage is rapidly increased (FIG. 16). Meanwhile, in the CSTBT (shown by Δ), even when the trench interval is increased, the ON voltage is not changed so much (FIG. 16) but the withstand voltage is rapidly lowered (FIG. 15), and when the trench interval is 5 μm, the withstand voltage is less than 200V and when it is 6 μm, the withstand voltage is not more than 100V. When the trench interval is further increased, the withstand voltage becomes almost 0 V. Thus, if the trench interval is increased (that is, the cell size is increased) in order to lower the gate capacity and the short-circuit current, the ON voltage is caused to be increased (in the case of the TIGBT) or the withstand voltage is caused to be lowered (in the case of the CSTBT).
Thus, as a conventional improved type, the inventors of the present invention proposed an improved type of a constitution part in which a gate electrode 110 formed in a trench is connected to an emitter electrode 111 without varying the pitch of the trench gate, for example, as a CSTBT shown in FIG. 17 (cf. Japanese Patent Unexamined Laid-open Publication No. 2003-224278, for example). That is, according to the constitution shown in FIG. 17, the emitter electrode is connected to an upper face of a second gate electrode part 110b.
According to the above constitution, in a cell of the second gate electrode part 110b connected to the emitter electrode, a gate voltage VGE is 0V, and this means that it is a dummy gate region which does not function as a gate. In this case, there is a merit in which a withstand voltage is not caused to be lowered while a cell size is the same as that of the conventional TIGBT and CSTBT. Note that, in the description hereinafter, the terms "gate electrode" directly connected to the emitter electrode as in the above constitution means a dummy gate region.
FIG. 18 is a graph showing a relation between the conventional CS layer concentration (relative value) and in-plane variation of threshold voltage (VGEth) (relative value).
According to the above constitution, the gate capacity and the short-circuit current can be reduced to ⅓ by connecting two trench gates out of three to the emitter electrode in the trench gates region formed in a stripe shape. This means that the gate capacity and the short-circuit current can be relatively freely selected. Thus, from the result of the above-described device simulation, it is found that the CSTBT is a considerably desired device because the ON voltage is less increased in the CSTBT although the ON voltage is increased in the TIGBT.
FIGS. 19 to 23 are schematic views showing a manufacturing flow from a formation step of the CS layer to a formation step of the trench gate in manufacturing steps of the conventional CSTBT. Hereinafter, the manufacturing steps of the CSTBT will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 to 23.
First, as shown in FIG. 19, ion implantation is selectively performed with phosphor, for example, in a step of ion implantation for forming the CS layer. Then, as shown in FIG. 20, the CS layer 113 is formed by thermal diffusion. Then, as shown in FIG. 21, ion implantation is performed with boron, for example, and thermal diffusion is performed so that the P base layer 104 is formed. Then, as shown in FIG. 22, ion implantation is selectively performed with arsenic, for example, and thermal diffusion is performed to form the N+ emitter region 105. Then, as shown in FIG. 23, after the trench 107 is formed, the gate electrode 110 of polysilicon, for example, is formed in the trench through the gate insulating oxide film 108 to form the gate region.
FIGS. 24 and 25 are graphs showing results of simulation calculations of concentration profiles at sectional positions I—I and II—II in the CSTBT provided by the above step in FIG. 23, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, an impurity concentration of the P base layer in the channel region is different from an impurity concentration of the P base layer in the cell center region, that is, an impurity concentration of the CS layer 113 is lower in the cell center region.
However, according to the CSTBT, as its structural characteristic point, the CS layer is provided, but it can be clear from the relation between the CS layer concentration (relative value) and the in-plane variation of the threshold voltage (VGEth) (relative value) shown in FIG. 18, that the variation of the threshold voltage (VGEth) is increased because the CS layer is additionally provided.
Meanwhile, according to the TIGBT, an impurity concentration of the N− semiconductor layer 103 is about 1.0E14 cm−3 and an impurity concentration of the P base region 104 is about 1.0E17 cm−3 at a rated voltage of about 600V. Since the P base region 104 is formed on the N− semiconductor layer 103 by ion implantation and thermal diffusion, for example, even when concentration is varied in the N− semiconductor layer, concentration variation of the P base region is hardly affected by that.
According to the CSTBT, since the P base region having an impurity concentration of about 1.0E17 cm−3 is formed on the CS layer having relatively high impurity concentration of about 1.0E17 cm−3, when the concentration of the CS layer is varied, the concentration of the P base region is also varied.
Therefore, there is a problem such that the threshold voltage (VGEth) is largely varied in the CSTBT as compared with the TIGBT. In order to prevent the variation in threshold voltage, it is necessary to improve the management of manufacturing facility. Thus, it is a major issue in the CSTBT to suppress the variation in the threshold voltage (VGEth) although there are several great advantages in the CSTBT.


The present invention provides a conductive roller whose outermost layer is made of a vulcanized rubber composition. The vulcanized rubber composition contains epichlorohydrin rubber and chloroprene rubber as a rubber component thereof and 0.2 to 5 parts by mass of each of a thiourea-based vulcanizing agent and a vulcanization retarder consisting of N-(cyclohexylthio)phthalimide for 100 parts by mass of the rubber component.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conductive roller and more particularly to a conductive roller which is used as a developing roller, a cleaning roller, a charging roller, a transfer roller, and the like to be mounted on an electrophotographic apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the printing technique using an electrophotographic method, improvements have been made for a high-speed printing operation, formation of a high-quality image, colorization, and miniaturization of an image-forming apparatus. Toner holds the key to these improvements. To satisfy the above-described demands, it is necessary to form finely divided toner particles, make the diameters of the toner particles uniform, and make the toner particles spherical. Regarding the technique of forming the finely divided toner particles, toner having a diameter not more than 10 μm and not more than 5 μm have been developed recently. Regarding the technique of making the toner spherical, toner having not less than 99% in its sphericity has been developed. To form the high-quality image, polymerized toner has come to be widely used instead of pulverized toner conventionally used. The polymerized toner allows the reproducibility of dots to be excellent in obtaining digital information as a printed sheet and hence a high-quality printed sheet to be obtained.
In compliance with the improvement in the technique of forming the finely divided toner particles, making the diameters of the toner particles uniform, making the toner particles spherical, and the shift from the pulverized toner to the polymerized toner, a conductive roller which imparts a high extent of charging property to toner and is capable of efficiently transporting the toner to a photosensitive drum is especially useful in an image-forming mechanism of an electrophotographic apparatus such as a laser beam printer, and the like. Users demand that the high-performance function of the conductive roller is maintained to the end of the life of a product.
A conductive rubber roller is proposed, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-170845 (patent document 1). The conductive roller is composed of the conductive rubber which contains the dielectric loss tangent-adjusting filler for adjusting the dielectric loss tangent thereof to 0.1 to 1.5. The conductive rubber roller is capable of imparting a proper and high extent of charging property to toner, thereby providing a high-quality initial image. In the conductive rubber roller, the charged amount of the toner little decreases even after printing of images on a considerable number of sheets finishes. Consequently the conductive rubber roller keeps providing a high-quality image for a long time.
In the embodiment which is the specific form of the invention, only the epichlorohydrin rubber which is the ionic-conductive rubber is used. Thus toner has an insufficient extent of charging property. Further because the compression set is not less than 5%, the conductive rubber roller is not sufficiently resistant to load.
Such being the case, it is necessary to impart a proper degree of charging property to toner and improve the resistance to load by decreasing the compression set so that the conductive rubber roller can be used for a long period of time.
In the developing roller, when the toner has a low extent of charging property, it is impossible to transport a sufficient amount of toner. On the other hand, when the toner has a high extent of charging property, it is impossible to transport the toner to a photosensitive drum having an opposite electric charge by a static electricity (Coulomb force). Therefore it is important to impart a proper extent of charging property to the toner. In a toner box, the developing roller is rubbed by a flat plate called a developing blade with the developing roller being strongly compressed by the developing blade. Therefore the developing roller is demanded to strain to a possible lowest extent when it is compressed by the developing blade. When a printer is compact because of colorization, the developing roller is demanded to be compact and have a construction which can be compressed to a high extent. Therefore the developing roller is required to have a low degree of strain against the compression.

Conductive roller which is mounted on an image-forming mechanism of an electrophotographic apparatus