The invention aims to provide an apparatus for purifying water containing organic halides therein improved so as to substantially achieve perfect removal of organic halides from water which has conventionally been considered to be impossible. The object set forth above is achieved, according to the invention, by an apparatus for purifying water containing organic halides therein characterized in that particles, fibers, nonwoven fabric, porous body or sintered body containing hydroxycarboxylic acid or polymer thereof having a chemical structure expressed by general formula: ##STR1## where R1-R6 are identical or different and represent hydrogen atom, hydroxyl-, carboxyl-, amino-, cyano- or alkyl-group having 1-5 carbons, p represents a natural number 1-10, and q and r represent an integer 0-10) as a main ingredient is used as organic halide adsorbent; and a residual concentration of organic halides in water can be decreased to the order of ppb.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for purification of water from organic halides contained therein improved so as to achieve an efficiency as close as to the ideal level of perfect purification which has conventionally never been attained.
Indeed, the invention allows a concentration of residual organic halides contained in water to be decreased to the order of p p b.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, the active carbon adsorption process and the porous particle adsorption process have been utilized for purification of water from organic halides contained therein. While these processes have been effective to decrease a concentration of the residual organic halides to the order of p p m, it has been difficult for these processes to decrease the residual concentration to the order lower than said p p m. In addition, organic halides generally present a chemical stability which is too high to be easily decomposed by microorganisms.
It is also known to utilize volatility of organic halides for purification of water and, according to this process, organic halides are forcibly evaporated by dispersing air bubbles into water.
While organic halides are very useful substances for various industries, they may always adversely affect our environment and therefore strict standards have been prescribed with respect to handling of these substances. Specifically, the presence of these substances in water even at a concentration as low as in the order of p p b is considered to affect the ecosystem. Consequently, the foul water quality standard reading "should not be detected" has been prescribed. Expression "should not be detected" can be construed, in view of the detection limit of the presently available analyzers, as 10 p p b. This value is extremely small and even a slight quantity of organic halides contained in foul water may exceed the standardized limit value. Accordingly, these standard really aim to prohibit any use of organic halides.
To decompose organic halides resistant to decomposition by microorganism, active carbon and porous particles have conventionally been utilized to adsorb these organic halides thereon. However, an adsorption efficiency achieved by the process utilizing porous particles is limited by the phenomenon of adsorption equilibrium, i.e., a rate of adsorption for organic halides remains in equilibrium with a rate of desorption for organic halides so long as their concentrations are less than a predetermined level. With a consequence, this porous particle adsorption process is limited in its effect of decreasing the organic halide concentration. While the other impurities contained in water can be disposed without any problem because the standard concentrations prescribed for most of them are substantially higher than said equilibrium concentration, it is practically difficult for organic halides to be completely disposed because the equilibrium concentration is higher than the standard concentration prescribed for organic halides.
Dispersion air bubble into water containing these organic halides causes the organic halides to be evaporated into said air bubbles and then to be diffused into the outer air. As a result, the concentration of the organic halides in water can be thereby decreased. Certainly, this process can decrease the concentration to a level lower than the level achieved by the conventional active carbon adsorption process. However, this is a less recommendable process, because the organic halides thus diffused into the outer air may often cause another environmental pollution.
In spite of the strict regulation standards for organic halides, pollution of respective hydrospheres has steadily become serious and widespread even to sources of respective waterworks. Presently, the waterworks law includes no distinct regulation concerning the organic halides. Should the source of water supply be polluted by organic halides, polluted water would be supplied to general households because perfect removal of the organic halides is difficult. Eventually, foul water from the household would exceed the standardized concentration value. Presently, the only measure possibly taken to avoid such environmental pollution due to organic halides is "to avoid the use of organic halides". However, it is practically impossible to fully prohibit use of organic halides, since these organic halides are industrially important substances. Accordingly, there is always a serious demand for satisfactory purification of water already polluted by organic halides.

Apparatus for purifying water from organic halides contained therein


A heater for heating elongated objects includes an elongated strip of flexible material having first and second ends and elongated opposite side edges defining a width therebetween. The strip of material comprises a fiber reinforced elastomeric material having at least a first portion that is set in a spiral. The heater also includes at least one elongated electrically conductive heating element imbedded in the elongated strip of elastomeric material. A thermostat is operably coupled to the heating element, and the thermostat is encapsulated in an elastomeric dielectric material that is bonded to the elastomeric material of the strip to provide a waterproof seal around the thermostat. The heater further includes an electrical power line extending from the thermostat for supplying power to the heater.

Various heaters have been developed for heating pipes, tubes, conduits and the like. Pipe heaters may be used to heat a water pipe in a house or building to prevent freezing of water in the pipe when the temperature drops below freezing. Also, such heaters may be utilized to heat various conduits or other lines in aircraft or the like that are exposed to low temperatures at high altitudes. Furthermore, such heaters may be utilized to heat pipes, conduits, or the like that are utilized in chemical processing and refining operations and the like.
A known type of heater for such applications comprises an elongated flat tape-like heating element that is wrapped around the pipe, rod or other such structure that is to be heated. Such heaters may be prone to unwinding from the pipe, and may not maintain solid contact between the heater and the pipe along the length of the heater, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the heater.


A method for aligning a feed forward radio frequency power amplifier includes applying a radio frequency signal to the feed forward radio frequency power amplifier and monitoring a radio frequency signal from the feed forward radio frequency power amplifier, without opening a break point of the feed forward radio frequency amplifier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to amplifiers. The present invention relates more particularly to feed forward amplifiers and methods for aligning feed forward amplifiers.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Related Information
Radio frequency power amplifiers are commonly used in various applications. Examples of such applications include broadcasting, satellite communications, and cellular communications. Radio frequency power amplifiers increase the power of a radio frequency signal so that it is suitable for transmission through the air.
Generally, it is desirable to constrain transmitted radio frequencies utilized in such applications to a desired bandwidth. However, radio frequency power amplifiers inherently distort transmitted signals in a manner that causes them to extend beyond the desired bandwidth. That is, amplifier non-linearities and other factors tend to add components to a transmitted radio signal. These components often have frequencies other than the intended carrier frequency and thus may extend beyond the desired bandwidth.
Such undesirable frequency components waste energy, interfere with other radio signals and may violate Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules.
Feed forward radio frequency power amplifiers utilize feed forward loops to mitigate such undesirable frequency components and thereby attempt to maintain the entire transmitted radio frequency signal within the desired bandwidth. The undesirable frequency components are mitigated by forming an error signal which tends to cancel them from the amplified signal when the error signal is combined with the amplified signal.
In order for such cancellation to be effective, the feed forward loops must be accurately aligned. According to contemporary practice, alignment of the feed forward loops requires that a feed forward radio frequency power amplifier have at least one breakpoint. Breakpoints prevent radio frequency signals from one part of a feed forward circuit from interfering with the testing of another part of the feed forward circuit.
However, there are several inherent disadvantages associated with the use of breakpoints in feed forward radio frequency power amplifiers. For example, breakpoints tend to introduce undesirable losses into a radio frequency circuit, add undesirably to the cost of the radio frequency power amplifier, and inhibit full automation of feed forward loop alignment.
As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the use of a breakpoint in a radio frequency circuit introduces inherent losses associated with the resistance, capacitance and inductance of the connectors and other components thereof. Indeed, such connectors are also subject to malfunction and thus affect the reliability of the radio frequency power amplifier.
Of course, the addition of such components of the breakpoints as connectors and cables increases the cost of manufacturing the radio frequency power amplifier. This is due not only to the increased cost reflected in the bill of materials, but is also due to such factors as increased assembly costs and reduce yield.
Full automation of a radio frequency power amplifier is inhibited because such breakpoints must be manually opened and closed by a human attendant. The use of automatic equipment to open and close breakpoints is difficult, unreliable and expensive.
As such, although the prior art has recognized, to a limited extent, the problem of aligning feed forward radio frequency power amplifiers, the proposed solutions have, to date, been ineffective in providing a satisfactory remedy. Moreover, although such contemporary feed forward radio frequency power amplifiers have proven generally suitable for their intended purposes, they possess inherent deficiencies which detract from their overall effectiveness and desirability. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a feed forward radio frequency power amplifier which does not have breakpoints and which can be aligned via a fully automated process.


A steel sheet for forming having low-temperature heat treatment property, in which heat treatment is performed within a range of lower temperature than a conventional steel sheet in the event of hot press forming or post-heat treatment after cold forming, a method of manufacturing the same, and a method of manufacturing parts using the same. The steel sheet has a composition of, by weight, carbon (C): 0.15 to 0.35%, silicon (Si): 0.5% or less, manganese (Mn): 1.5 to 2.2%, phosphorus (P): 0.025% or less, sulfur (S): 0.01% or less, aluminum (Al): 0.01 to 0.05%, nitrogen (N): 50 to 200 ppm, titanium (Ti): 0.005 to 0.05%, tungsten (W): 0.005 to 0.1%, and boron (B): 1 to 50 ppm, wherein Ti/N: less than 3.4, where Ti/N is the atomic ratio of the corresponding elements, Ceq expressed by the following formula ranges from 0.48 to 0.58, and temperature Ar3 ranges from 670° C. to 725° C. Wherein Ceq C+Si/24+Mn/6+Ni/40+Cr/5+V/14 where C, Si, Mn, Ni, Cr and V indicate the contents (wt %) of the respective elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steel sheet for hot press forming having low-temperature heat treatment property, a method of manufacturing the same, and a method of manufacturing parts using the same, and more particularly, to a steel sheet for forming, in which heat treatment is performed within a range of lower temperature than a conventional steel sheet in the event of hot press forming or post-heat treatment after cold forming, thereby making it possible to solve various problems occurring when the heat treatment is performed at high temperature and to secure sufficient strength, a method for manufacturing the same, and a method of manufacturing impact and structural parts for a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as motor vehicle safety regulations for passenger protection as well as fuel efficiency restrictions for global environmental protection have become strict, an increasing interest has been taken in the motor vehicle, particularly increasing its rigidity and reducing its weight. For example, in the case in which a variety of parts, such as pillar reinforcements or cross members for a safety cage zone surrounding a passenger compartment, side members for a crash zone, a front or rear bumper, etc., are focused on reducing weight, a high strength steel sheet is inevitably employed in order to secure both the rigidity and the safety against collision.
However, increase of the strength of the steel sheet for the motor vehicle high inevitably leads to problems in that formability is remarkably degraded due to increase in yield strength and decrease in elongation, and in that the dimensions of the parts are changed after forming due to excessive springback, namely the shape fixability is degraded. In order to solve these problems, there have been developed and commercialized the advanced high strength steels (AHSS) such as dual phase (DP) steels having low yield ratio property by introducing a martensite phases into a ferrite matrix and transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steels having an extremely excellent strength-elongation balance by containing bainite and residual austenite phases in a ferrite matrix as well. And these steels having tensile strength between about 500 MPa and about 1000 MPa have been commercialized. However, they have limitations to meet the requirements of the strength moreover than 1000 MPa of the motor vehicle, i.e. reducing the weight and improving the safety against collision.
Meanwhile, from the viewpoint of the manufacturing of the motor vehicle parts, the higher the strength of material becomes, the higher the forming force is required. Thus, it is necessary to increase capacity of a press. Further, the productivity is lowered due to increased wear and decreased life span of dies caused by high contact pressure. A recently introduced method is called roll forming capable of manufacturing the parts with the forming force less than that of the press forming. However, this roll forming has a problem in that it can be applied only to the parts having a relatively simple shape.
As a method of manufacturing motor vehicle parts having ultra high strength of 1000 MPa or more in order to solve this problem with the formation of the high strength steels, a forming method called hot press forming or hot forming has been commercialized. This forming method is carried out by blanking a steel sheet having tensile strength ranging from 500 MPa to 700 MPa, heating the blanked steel sheet up to an austenite region above Ac3, extracting the heated steel sheet, forming the extracted steel sheet using a press equipped with the die which has cooling system, and die-quenching the formed steel sheet. Thereby, either martensite phases or phases in which martensite and bainite are mixed are finally formed. Thus, such a forming method is a method that can typically obtain the ultra high strength of 1000 MPa or more as well as very high dimensional precision of the parts.
Basic concept of the hot press forming and compositions of the steel used are proposed first in GB1490535. Afterwards, a hot- and cold-rolled steel sheet coated with aluminum or aluminum alloy restricting upper and lower limits of each element, but composition system similar to previous patent, is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,805 to inhibit an oxide from forming on the surface of the steel sheet during heating in a hot press forming process. Further, a method of manufacturing hot press formed parts using a galvanized steel sheet which is manufactured by coating a hot rolled steel sheet with zinc or zinc alloy in order to improve corrosion resistance and to inhibit formation of an oxide layer in a heating process, is proposed in EP1143029. Further, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2002-0042152 discloses a method of manufacturing a galvanized steel sheet for hot press forming.
However, as described above, the conventional steel sheets for the hot press forming are heat-treated steel sheets having a composition system in which titanium and chromium are added in common on the basis of a composition system of 22MnB5, i.e. 0.22% of C-1.2% of Mn-maximum 50 ppm of B, specified in EN standards. In order to obtain tensile strength of about 1500 MPa after heat treatment, it is necessary to typically heat these steel sheets at a temperature of 900° C. or more. However, the thinner the hot press formed part becomes, the faster the temperature of the blank extracted from a heating furnace is lowered. Thus, a possibility that the strength of a final hot press formed part is to be reduced is increased. In other words, if any material becomes thin, radiant heat capacity thereof is increased. As such, before the hot press forming is carried out after the blank is extracted from the heating furnace, cooling has already occurred excessively, and thus a possibility that ferrite is to be formed on a superficial layer is increased. For this reason, the strength of the final part is reduced. In contrast, in order to maintain the temperature of the entire material within the austenite region when the hot press forming is carried out, heating temperature must be additionally increased. However, if the heating temperature is increased, various problems additionally take place as follows. In detail, in the case of hot rolled steel sheets or cold rolled steel sheets, the thickness of a superficial oxide scale is increased during heating, the scales stripped off by the hot press forming are picked up on the surface of die, and thus the surface quality of the final part can be deteriorated.
In addition, in the case of galvanized steel sheets, when the steel sheet is heated, some of zinc is evaporated. In order to prevent this evaporation, JP2003-073774 discloses a method of forming a zinc oxide barrier layer during heating for the hot press forming. However, as described above, when the heating temperature is increased, the zinc oxide layer is non-uniformly formed, and thus the surface quality of the final part is also deteriorated. Further, in the case of aluminum coated steel sheets, when the heating temperature is increased, the thickness of aluminum oxide is increased. Further, while the hot press forming is carried out, there is a high possibility that the thickened aluminum oxides are stripped off and picked up on the die surface. Consequently, in the case of any steel sheet used at the hot press forming, when the heating temperature is increased, the surface quality of the final part is deteriorated. In addition, the heating cost is increased.
Further, in the case of a method of performing post-heat treatment in order to improve strength of the steel sheet going through the cold press forming rather than the hot press forming, it is preferable to decrease the heating temperature from the viewpoint of the cost of production.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Steel sheet for hot press forming having low-temperature heat treatment property, method of manufacturing the same, method of manufacturing parts using the same, and parts manufactured by the same


A dishwasher having a dishwasher is provided in which an intake port cover for closing a steam intake port is mechanically operated. The dishwasher has a cavity enclosed in part by a door, and a fan motor which drives a fan installed at an upper portion of the door. During a drying operation, the fan generates a suction force to draw steam from the cavity through an intake port of the fan housing and out through an exhaust port. An intake port cover is movably installed with respect to the intake port so as to open and close the steam intake port based on an operation mode of the fan. The intake port cover has a central shaft coupled to a rotational shaft of the fan such that a driving force generated by the fan as it rotates is transferred to the intake port cover so as to selectively open and close the steam intake port. The steam intake port is open during a drying operation, and is closed during a washing and rinsing operations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dishwasher having a steam discharger including a fan motor for forcibly discharging steam, and more particularly, to such a dishwasher in which the steam discharger is provided with a mechanically controllable intake port cover, which interoperates with the fan motor.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally speaking, a dishwasher is provided with a heater for performing the drying of dishes and the like immediately following a washing step. Drying is accomplished by heating air to be circulated within a cavity where the dishes are placed by a user. As an inherent byproduct of drying wet dishes, the water is converted into steam, which is discharged from the cavity to facilitate the drying action. Thus, a general dishwasher is provided with a fan and fan motor for forcibly discharging the steam, which are provided as part of a steam discharger communicating between an upper point of the cavity and the exterior of the dishwasher. The steam discharger is typically installed within the dishwasher's door.
Referring to FIG. 1, illustrating a dishwasher according to a related art, a washtub 4 is formed as a substantially hexahedral cavity in which sliding rack 8 is mounted. The washtub 4 is installed in a body 2 having an open front where a hinged door 6 is provided to close the cavity. A steam discharger 30 is installed in an upper portion of the door 6, to discharge steam generated by the drying of dishes and the like.
The steam discharger 30 is comprised of a fan housing 32 one end of which communicates with the cavity at a steam intake port 32a and the other end of which penetrates the outer surface of the door 6 at a steam exhaust port 32b; an intake port cover 36, coupled to one end of a shaft 36a, for selectively opening and closing the steam intake port; and an electromagnet 38, disposed at the other end of the shaft, for controllably operating the intake port cover via the shaft through a hole 32h provided in the fan housing. Thus, the electromagnet 38 of the steam discharger 30 is installed on the exterior of the fan housing 32. A fan motor (not shown) is installed in the fan housing 32 and is disposed proximate to the steam exhaust port 32b, to draw steam from inside the washtub 4 and to discharge the steam from the dishwasher.
The electromagnet 38 is activated to operate the shaft 36a, by way of an electromagnetic force applied to the shaft, to cause the intake port cover 36 to seal the cavity during washing and rinsing steps, by blocking the steam intake port 32a to reduce heat loss and noise as well as preventing the spraying water from entering the steam discharger. Then, upon performing the drying step, the electromagnet 38 is deactivated to retract the shaft 36a and thereby cause the intake port cover 36 to open the steam intake port 32a so that the steam may be discharged by driving the fan motor within the fan housing.
During operation, however, the steam discharger 30 tends to fail since the electromagnet 38 cannot be protected from the steam entering through the steam intake port 32a. That is, while the electromagnet 38 is deactivated and the steam intake port 32a is open, the steam escapes through the hole 32h of the fan housing 32 to make contact with electromagnet's components, causing an accelerated corrosion of terminals and the like. As a result, the electromagnet of the above steam discharger, adopted for use in the dishwasher according to the related art, is subject to frequent malfunction, short-circuiting, and permanent damage. There may also be corrosive damage introduced to other conductive elements necessary for operating an electromagnet.


A ski attachment device for a portable cooler is disclosed. The ski attachment device includes a u-shaped rod that is positioned over a vertically extendable handle of the cooler. The rod is attached to a support member at the lower free ends of the rod. The free ends of the rod include threaded portions over which knobs are attached to secure the support member in a particular vertical position with respect to the cooler. A wide ski is hingedly attached to the support member. The ski is pivotally positioned in a lowered position so that the curved portion of the ski is situated beneath wheels attached to the under side of the cooler. The ski is also positionable in a raised position. A flexible strap having a buckle is attached to the support member and encircles the periphery of the cooler.

Thermally insulated containers used for transporting food from one location to another are well known in the prior art. As far back as ancient times, man has faced a never ending need for a thermally insulated container useful in transporting small quantities of food or beverages while maintaining the temperature thereof for the sake of preserving the food as long as possible at a desired temperature. In more recent decades, light weight materials have led to thermally insulated containers or "coolers" that are much lighter and more readily transported from one location to another. The addition of wheels to the underside of modern coolers has significantly reduced the physical effort required for transport of heavy coolers from place to place. Further to the improvement of cooler innovations, the addition of telescoping retractable handles similar to those found on luggage and large briefcases has provided a more convenient means for handling a cooler. However, wheels on the underside of a cooler are only useful on a firm smooth surface. Wheeled coolers are fairly difficult to transport or "drag" across a sandy beach or loose soil area due to the significant friction based resistance to movement developed between the wheels and cooler external surfaces as these cooler components come in contact with the loose soil beneath the cooler.
What is needed is a ski attachment device that is easily attached to a wheeled cooler and that provides a ski-like surface interposed between the cooler and the ground beneath the cooler that reduces the frictional drag between the cooler and the ground during transport across a loose soil area. Further, the ski attachment device should be easily attached and configured for the particular dimensions of any cooler with minimal effort yet readily removed for storage when surface conditions do not require such ski-like functionality. In addition, the device should include user configurable positions for the ski to enable repositioning of the ski into a standby position in locations where the ski is not required.


In one embodiment, a scheduling system includes an interactive graphical user interface. Each cell has a position in a displayed first array of cells and has respective scheduling data associated with it. Each cell is visually translocatable out of the first array under a user navigation to another position within the interface. A second array of cells is displayed within the interface and some cells in the second array correspond to open time slots in a schedule. A scheduling module in the system is configured to receive a user selection of a first cell in the first array of cells, identify, based on at least some of the scheduling data associated with the selected first cell, a matching open time slot in the second array of cells, control a visual translocation of the first cell from its position in the first array of cells to the matching open time slot position in the second array of cells, and associate or transfer at least some of the scheduling data associated with the first cell to the open time slot position in the second array of cells.

Empowering users to be active participants in their own health or wellness can increase user satisfaction and the quality of the health experience while decreasing the cost of providing that care. Technical problems such as non-intuitive user interfaces, user complexity and other technical difficulties in being able to cross-communicate and schedule services across a wide range of different providers, platforms, technologies and even time zones has proven a barrier to entry to many users seeking to improve their health or wellness.


This invention relates to an optically clear one-phase microemulsion which is transparent at a temperature range of from 0-70xc2x0 C. comprising (i) at least one non-aqueous polar solvent, (ii) at least one non-polar solvent immiscible with (i), and (iii) at least one oxyalkylene-containing polydiorganosiloxane. The microemulsions of this invention are useful as delivery vehicles for personal care active ingredients such as antiperspirant salts, sunscreens, alpha-hydroxy fatty acids, and Vitamin E.

This invention relates to an optically clear one-phase microemulsion which is transparent throughout a temperature range of from 0 to 70xc2x0 C. comprising (i) at least one non-aqueous polar solvent, (ii) at least one non-polar solvent immiscible with (i), and (iii) at least one oxyalkylene-containing polydiorganosiloxane. The microemulsions of this invention are useful in personal care products.
Transparent mixtures of low molecular weight silicone oils using polymeric silicone surfactants have been described. For example, Gee in U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,878 discloses a method of preparing fine polyorganosiloxane emulsions with an average particle size of less than 0.3 micron and polyorganosiloxane microemulsions with an average particle size of less than 0.14 micron by preparing a translucent oil concentrate by mixing a polyorganosiloxane which contains polar groups, a surfactant which is insoluble in the polyorganosiloxane, and sufficient water to obtain a translucent mixture, the translucent oil concentrate is then rapidly dispersed in water to form the desired fine emulsion or microemulsion. Gee further discloses that if the translucent oil concentrate is not transparent a fine emulsion with an average particle size of less than 0.3 micron is obtained; whereas, if the oil concentrate is transparent, a microemulsion with an average particle size of less than 0.14 micron is obtained.
Gee et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,029 discloses stable emulsions of a polar liquid in a non-polar base liquid are prepared with the cooperating action of a mixture of a water-in-oil surfactant having an HLB value of from 2 to 10 and certain polydiorganosiloxane-polyoxyalkylene copolymers. Gee et al. Gee further discloses an antiperspirant composition comprising an aqueous solution of aluminum chlorohydrate as the polar liquid dispersed in cyclopolydimethylsiloxanes as the non-polar base liquid, using a mixture of nonylphenoxy polyethoxyethanol and a copolymer of a trimethylsiloxy-endblocked polydimethylsiloxane containing a minor amount of methylhydrogensiloxane units and an allyloxy-endblocked polyoxyethylenepolyoxypropylene copolymer.
Keil in U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,878 discloses antiperspirant stick compositions which comprise an aqueous solution of an astringent dispersed in a solid matrix comprising a volatile, water-insoluble liquid, a polydiorganosiloxane-polyoxyalkylene copolymer, a solid alkanoic acid, a waxy ester, and optionally containing a solid alkanol. Keil discloses that a preferred embodiment comprises an aqueous solution of aluminum chlorohydrate dispersed in a solid matrix comprising cyclopolydimethylsiloxanes as the volatile liquid. Keil further discloses that these compositions are stable to separation in the molten state and provide non-leaking sticks of controllable softness when solidified by cooling.
Keil in U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,499 discloses antiperspirant emulsion compositions which comprise an aqueous solution of an astringent agent; a volatile, water-insoluble liquid, a polydiorganosiloxane-polyoxyalkylene copolymer, an oil-in-water type surfactant, and a water-in-oil type surfactant. Keil discloses that a preferred embodiment comprises an emulsion of aqueous aluminum chlorohydrate in cyclopolydimethylsiloxanes as the volatile fluid and that these compositions have improved efficacy as measured by their drying times.
Microemulsions of low molecular weight silicone oils with hydrocarbon surfactants have been disclosed. For example, Hill et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,683 discloses a clear single phase composition containing 40-95% by weight of a cyclic or short chain linear methyl siloxane and water, and 5-60% by weight of a cationic surfactant and a nonionic surfactant. Hill et al. discloses that the cyclic or short chain linear methyl siloxane in the single phase composition has an average structure or droplet diameter of less than about 50 nanometer. Hill et al. further discloses that the single phase composition spontaneously provides optically clear one phase silicone microemulsions when combined with only hand agitation and that the clear single phase compositions are useful in personal care and textile applications.
Microemulsions of low molecular weight silicone oils using trisiloxane surfactants have been disclosed. For example, Hill in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,705,562 and 5,707,613 discloses a method of spontaneously forming a highly stable clear microemulsion by combining (i) water, (ii) a volatile cyclic methyl siloxane or volatile linear methyl siloxane, and (iii) a silicone polyether surfactant. Hill discloses that the amounts of each component are such that the composition is in the form of a microemulsion and that the volatile methyl siloxane is present in the microemulsion in the form of particles having an average diameter of less than about 100 nanometers. Hill discloses that the microemulsion is useful in personal care products.
Microemulsions containing octanol, decanol, or dodecanol as the oil phase and oligomeric, grafted nonionic amphiphiles based on ethoxylated polydimethylsiloxanes have been disclosed, for example in Garti et al., Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Vol. 233, pp. 286-294 (2001). The surfactants of Garti et al. were two trisiloxanes and an oxyalkylene containing polydimethylsiloxane having the formula Me3SiO(Me2SiO)4(MeRSiO)3SiMe3 where R is a group having the formula xe2x80x94(CH2)3(OCH2CH2)10OH. Garti et al. disclose that significant amounts of water could be solubilized only for the trisiloxane surfactants.
Iwanaga et al. in Progress in Colloid and Polymer Science, Vol. 110, pp. 225-229 (1998), disclose isothermal phase diagrams for two oxyalkylene-containing polydiorganosiloxanes with water and a cyclosiloxane having the structure xe2x80x94(MeSiO)4xe2x80x94showing Lxcex1 and H2 liquid crystal phases, and a narrow region of oil-rich microemulsion along the oil-surfactant axis.
This invention relates to an optically clear one-phase microemulsion which is transparent throughout temperature range of from 0 to 70xc2x0 C. comprising (i) at least one non-aqueous polar solvent, (ii) at least one non-polar solvent immiscible with (i), and (iii) at least one oxyalkylene-containing polydiorganosiloxane. The microemulsions of this invention are useful as delivery vehicles for personal care actives such as antiperspirant salts, sunscreens, alpha-hydroxy fatty acids, and Vitamin E.
It is an object of this invention to prepare optically clear one-phase microemulsions which are transparent at a temperature of 0 to 70xc2x0 C.
This invention relates to an optically clear one-phase microemulsion which is transparent at a temperature of 0 to 70xc2x0 C. comprising (i) at least one non-aqueous polar solvent, (ii) at least one non-polar solvent immiscible with (i), and (iii) at least one oxyalkylene-containing polydiorganosiloxane having its formula selected from the group consisting of
R3SiO(RR1SiO)ySiR3,
R3SiO(R2SiO)x(RR1SiO)ySiR3,
R1R2SiO(RR1SiO)zSiR2R1,
R1R2SiO(R2SiO)xSiR2R1,
R1R2SiO(R2SiO)x(RR1SiO)zSiR2R1, and a cyclosiloxane copolymer having the formula xe2x80x94(Me2SiO)m(MeR1SiO)nxe2x80x94
wherein R denotes an alkyl group containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, R1 denotes a group having its formula selected from the group consisting of
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH2)bOR2,
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH(CH3))cOR2,
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH(CH2CH3))dOR2,
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH2)b(OCH2CH(CH3))cOR2,
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH2)b(OCH2CH(CH2CH3))dOR2, and
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH2)b(OCH2CH(CH3))c(OCH2CH(CH2CH3))dOR2
wherein a has a value of 3 to 11, b has a value of 1 to 20, c has a value of 1 to 10, d has a value of 1 to 4, and R2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl group, and an acyl group, x has a value of 1 to 400, y has a value of 1 to 40, z has a value of 1 to 40, m has a value of 1 to 6, n has a value of 1 to 6, and the value of m+n is from 3 to 6.
Microemulsion as defined herein denotes a one-phase transparent mixture of (i) two immiscible fluids, for example, a non-polar oil and a polar solvent, and (ii) at least one amphiphile (exemplified by surfactants). The particle size of the resulting droplets is small enough so the resulting mixture is clear or translucent. Because of their relative clarity microemulsions are distinguishable from standard opaque emulsions in that certain microemulsions can be used to prepare clear cosmetics. The clarity of these compositions is advantageous in cosmetic applications.
Microemulsions are typically more stable than standard emulsions, however, microemulsions containing polyoxyalkylene surfactants usually show a narrow temperature range of stability. The present invention however does not have this temperature sensitivity. Microemulsion droplet sizes are variously defined in the art with an upper limit on the droplet size typically being placed somewhere between 0.10 and 0.15 micron to distinguish microemulsions from opaque standard emulsions. In general, microemulsions can also be defined by their appearance: microemulsions are transparent or translucent, and do not display the opalescence of standard emulsions. While microemulsions with average droplet sizes between 0.10 and 0.15 micron display the properties of microemulsions, microemulsions with average droplet sizes less than 0.10 micron are especially preferred for their even greater clarity.
For the purposes of this invention, the term xe2x80x9coptically clearxe2x80x9d is used to define a composition that is xe2x80x9ctransparentxe2x80x9d (i.e. transmitting light without distortion) which means that the size of the particles in the composition are reduced to a size where they are not observable with optical (visual) means. Transmitting light without distortion as used herein means being able to read 12-point text through a 1-centimeter thick sample of the microemulsion.
The non-aqueous polar solvent of Component (i) is exemplified by abietyl alcohol, n-acetyl dihydrosphingosine, alcohol denat, arachidyl glycol, batyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, benzyl glycol, benzyl ursolate, bisabolol, bishydroxyethyl biscetyl malonamide, borneol, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, 1,4-butanediol, butoxydiglycol, butoxyethanol, butoxyisopropanol, n-butyl alcohol, t-butyl alcohol, 2-t-butylcyclohexyloxybutanol, butylene glycol, butyloctanol, C20-40 alcohols, C30-50 alcohols, C40-60 alcohols, C18-38 alkyl hydroxystearoyl stearate, camphylcyclohexanol, caproyl sphingosine, caprylyl glycol, CD alcohol 19, ceramide 1, ceramide 2, ceramide 3, ceramide 4, ceramide 5, ceramide 1 A, ceramide 6 II, cetylarachidol, cetyl glycol, cetyloxypropyl glyceryl methoxypropyl myristamide, C9-13 fluoroalcohol, C14-18 glycol, C15-18 glycol, C18-30 glycol, C20-30 glycol, chimyl alcohol, chlorobutanol, chlorphenesin, cholecalciferol, cholesterol, cinnamyl alcohol, citronellol, darutoside, decyltetradecanol, 7-dehydrocholesterol, diacetone alcohol, 2,4-diaminophenoxyethanol sulfate, dichlorobenzyl alcohol, diethylene glycol, dihydrocholesterol, dihydrolanosterol, dihydroxyacetone, dihydroxyethylamino hydroxypropyl oleate, 2,6-dimethyl-7-octen-2-ol, dimethyl octynediol, dimethyl phenylpropanol, dipropylene glycol, dithiothreitol, dodecylhexadecanol, dodecyltetradecanol, ergocalciferol, erythrulose, ethoxydiglycol, ethoxyethanol, ethyl ascorbyl ether, ethylhexylglycerin, ethylhexylglyceryl behenate, farnesol, galactonolactone, geraniol, glycyrrhetinic acid, glycyrrhizic acid, heptylundecanol, hexacosyl glycol, hexyldecanol, hexyldecyloctadecanol, hinokitiol, hydroabietyl alcohol, hydrogenated ethylbicycloheptane guaiacol, hydrolyzed glycyrrhizinate, hydroxycapric acid, hydroxycaproyl phytosphingosine, hydroxycaprylic acid, hydroxycapryloyl phytosphingosine, hydroxyethyl isobutyl piperidine carboxylate, hydroxyethyl palmityl oxyhydroxypropyl palmitamide, hydroxylated methyl soyate trimethylolpropane ether, hydroxylauric acid, hydroxylauroyl phytosphingosine, hydroxymethyl dioxoazabicyclooctane, hydroxypalmitoyl sphinganine, hydroxyproline, hydroxypropyl ethylenediamine carbomer, hydroxystearyl cetyl ether, isoamyl alcohol, isobutoxypropanol, isobutyl methyl tetrahydropyranol, isocetyl alcohol, isopentyldiol, isopropyl alcohol, isopulegol, isostearyl alcohol, lactoyl phytosphingosine, lanolin alcohol, lauryl alcohol diphosphonic acid, lauryl glycol, linalool, menthanediol, p-menthan-7-ol, menthol, menthone glycerin acetal, menthoxypropanediol, 3-methoxybutanol, methoxyethanol, methoxyisopropanol, methoxymethylbutanol, methoxytrimethylphenyl dihydroxyphenyl propanol, methyl alcohol, 3-methylamino-4-nitrophenoxyethanol, methyl glycyrrhizate, 2-methyl-4-hydroxypyrrolidine, methyl lactate, methyl lactic acid, methyl phenylbutanol, methylsilanol glycyrrhizinate, methylsilanol hydroxyproline, myrcenol, myricyl alcohol, neopentyl glycol, nicotinyl alcohol, nicotinyl tartrate, ninhydrin, 3-nitro-4-aminophenoxyethanol, octacosanyl glycol, octyldecanol, octyldodecanol, 2-oleamido-1,3-octadecanediol, palmitamidohexadecanediol, panthenol, panthenyl ethyl ether, panthenyl hydroxypropyl steardimonium chloride, pantolactone, pentadecyl alcohol, pentylene glycol, phenethyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol, phenoxyisopropanol, phenylisohexanol, phenylpropanol, phytosphingosine, phytosphingosine HCl, polyvinyl alcohol, potassium lauryl hydroxypropyl sulfonate, propanediol, propyl alcohol, propylene glycol, pyridoxine glycyrrhetinate, retinol, ribonolactone, salicyloyl phytosphingosine, SD Alcohol 1, SD Alcohol 3-A, SD Alcohol 3-B, SD Alcohol 3-C, SD Alcohol 23-A, SD Alcohol 23-F, SD Alcohol 23-H, SD Alcohol 27-B, SD Alcohol 30, SD Alcohol 31-A, SD Alcohol 36, SD Alcohol 37, SD Alcohol 38-B, SD Alcohol 38-C, SD Alcohol 38-D, SD Alcohol 38-F, SD Alcohol 39, SD Alcohol 39-A, SD Alcohol 39-B, SD Alcohol 39-C, SD Alcohol 39D, SD Alcohol 40, SD Alcohol 40-A, SD Alcohol 40-B, SD Alcohol 40-C, SD Alcohol 46, sphinganine, n-stearoyl-dihydrosphingosine, stearoyl phytosphingosine, stearyl glycol, terpineol, tetraacetylphytosphingosine, tetradecyleicosanol, tetradecyloctadecanol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, tetramethyl cyclopentene butenol, tetramethyl decynediol, tridecyl alcohol, triethylene glycol, trimethylhexanol, trimethyl hydroxymethyl cyclohexanol, trimethyl hydroxypentyl isobutyrate, trimethyl pentanol hydroxyethyl ether, troxerutin, undeceth-3, undecyl alcohol, undecylenyl alcohol, undecylpentadecanol, p-anisic acid, arachidyl glucoside, batyl alcohol, batyl isostearate, batyl stearate, benzyl glycol, benzylhemiformal, 1,3-bis-(2,4-diaminophenoxy)propane, 5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane, butoxydiglycol, butoxyethanol, butoxyethyl acetate, butoxyethyl nicotinate, butoxyethyl stearate, butoxyisopropanol, 2-t-butylcyclohexyloxybutanol, butyl glucoside, butylglucoside caprate, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, C12-20 alkyl glucoside, caprylyl/capryl glucoside, caprylyl glucoside, caprylyl glyceryl ether, capsaicin, carboxymethyl chitin, carboxymethyl chitosan succinamide, carboxymethyl dextran, cetearyl glucoside, cetearyl wheat straw glycosides, cetyl dimethylbutyl ether, cetyl glyceryl ether, cetyl glyceryl ether-glycerin copolymer, cetyloxypropyl glyceryl methoxypropyl myristamide, cetyl-PG hydroxyethyl decanamide, cetyl-PG hydroxyethyl palmitamide, chimyl alcohol, chimyl isostearate, chimyl stearate, chlorphenesin, C12-14 hydroxyalkyl maltitol ether, cinoxate, cocamidopropyl lauryl ether, coceth-4 glucoside, coco-glucoside, corn starch modified, curcumin, DEA-methoxycinnamate, decyl glucoside, deltamethrin, demethoxycurcumin, diallyloxyneohexyl zirconium tridecanoate, 2,4-diaminophenoxyethanol sulfate, dibenzylidene, dicaprylyl ether, dicetyl ether, dichlorophenyl imidazoldioxolan, diethylene glycol, dimethicone copolyol butyl ether, dimethicone copolyol ethyl ether, dimethicone copolyol methyl ether, dimethoxy di-p-cresol, dimethoxydiglycol, dimethyl ether, dimethyl hexahydronaphthyl dihydroxymethyl acetal, dimethyl isosorbide, dimethylmethoxy chromanol, dioleyl tocopheryl methylsilanol, diosmine, dioxolane, dipropylene glycol, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, disodium cetyl phenyl ether disulfonate, disodium decyl phenyl ether disulfonate, disodium lauryl phenyl ether disulfonate, distarch glyceryl ether, distearyl ether, ethoxydiglycol, ethoxydiglycol acetate, ethoxydiglycol behenate, ethoxydiglycol isostearate, ethoxydiglycol oleate, ethoxyethanol, ethoxyethanol acetate, ethoxyheptyl bicyclooctanone, ethyl ascorbyl ether, 7-ethylbicyclooxazolidine, ethylcellulose, ethyl ether, ethyl glucoside, ethylhexyl ferulate, ethylhexylglycerin, ethylhexylglyceryl behenate, ethylhexylglyceryl palmitate, ethylhexyloxyglyceryl palmitate, ethyl methoxycinnamate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl phenethyl acetal, eucalyptol, eugenol, eugenyl acetate, eugenyl glucoside, ferulic acid, glyceryl dimaltodextrin, glyceryl ethylhexanoate dimethoxycinnamate, glycofurol, hesperetin laurate, hexamethylindanopyran, hexamidine, hexamidine diparaben, hexamidine paraben, hydrogenated ethylbicycloheptane guaiacol, p-hydroxyanisole, hydroxydecyl maltitol, hydroxydichlorodiphenyl ether, hydroxyethyl glyceryl oleate/stearate, hydroxyethyl isostearyloxy isopropanolamine, hydroxyethyl palmityl oxyhydroxypropyl palmitamide, hydroxyethyl sorbitol, hydroxylated methyl soyate trimethylolpropane ether, hydroxymethoxybenzyl pelargonamide, hydroxypropyl arginine lauryl/myristyl Ether HCl, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose stearoxy ether, hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropyl starch phosphate, hydroxystearyl cetyl ether, isobutyl methyl tetrahydropyranol, isoeugenol, isolongifolene epoxide, isopropyl hydroxycetyl ether, isostearamidopropyl epoxypropyl dimonium chloride, isostearyl glucoside, isostearyl glyceryl ether, isostearyl glyceryl pentaerythrityl ether, lactobionic acid, laureth-5 butyl ether, lauryl polyglyceryl-6 cetearyl glycol ether, melatonin, menthone glycerin acetal, 3-methoxybutanol, methoxydiglycol, methoxyethanol, methoxyethanol acetate, methoxyindane, methoxyisopropanol, methoxyisopropyl acetate, methoxymethylbutanol, methoxy PEG-7 ascorbic acid, methoxypropylgluconamide, methoxytrimethylphenyl dihydroxyphenyl propanol, methylal, methyl ethylcellulose, methyl eugenol, methyl hexyl ether, methylsilanol ascorbate, myristyl-PG hydroxyethyl decanamide, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, 4-nitroguaiacol, nonoxynyl hydroxyethylcellulose, oleyl glyceryl ether, palmitoyl methoxytryptamine, panthenyl ethyl ether, panthenyl ethyl ether acetate, panthenyl hydroxypropyl steardimonium chloride, PEG-3 2,2xe2x80x2-di-p-phenylenediamine, PEG-4 ditallow ether, PEG-9 methyl ether dimethicone, PEG-150 pentaerythrityl tetrastearate, perfluorohexylethyl dimethylbutyl ether, perfluorononyl octyldodecyl glycol meadowfoamate, permethrin, p-phenetidine, phenoxyethanol, phenoxyethylparaben, phenoxyisopropanol, piperonyl butoxide, polyglyceryl-3 cetyl ether, polyglyceryl-3 decyltetradecyl ether, polyglyceryl-3 hydroxylauryl ether, polyglyceryl-2 lanolin alcohol ether, polyglyceryl-4 lauryl ether, polyglyceryl-2 oleyl ether, polyglyceryl-4 oleyl ether, polyglyceryl sorbitol, polyvinyl methyl ether, polyvinyl stearyl ether, potassium lauryl hydroxypropyl sulfonate, potassium methoxycinnamate, acetyl glucosamine, aminopropyl ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbic acid, ascorbyl dipalmitate, ascorbyl methylsilanol pectinate, ascorbyl palmitate, ascorbyl stearate, bis-hydroxyethyl tromethamine, calcium fructoheptonate, calcium glucoheptonate, calcium glycerophosphate, dithiaoctanediol, erythritol, ethanolamine glycerophosphate, ferrous glucoheptonate, fructose, galactaric acid, galacturonic acid, glucamine, glucoheptonolactone, gluconic acid, gluconolactone, glucosamine, glucose, glucose glutamate, glucosylrutin, glucuronic acid, hesperidin methyl chalcone, hydroxyethyl sorbitol, hydroxystearyl methylglucamine, inositol, isostearyl glyceryl pentaerythrityl ether, lactitol, lactose, laurimino bispropanediol, lauroyl methyl glucamide, lauryl methyl gluceth-10 hydroxypropyldimonium chloride, lithium gluconate, magnesium glucoheptonate, maltitol, maltitol laurate, maltose, mannan, mannitan laurate, mannitan oleate, mannitol, mannose, methoxy PEG-7 ascorbic acid, methyl gluceth-10, methyl gluceth-20, methyl glucose dioleate, methyl glucose sesquicaprylate/sesquicaprate, methyl glucose sesquicocoate, methyl glucose sesquiisostearate, methyl glucose sesquilaurate, methyl glucose sesquistearate, methylglucamine, methylpropanediol, methylsilanol ascorbate, nickel gluconate, phytantriol, polyglucuronic acid, potassium glucoheptonate, potato starch modified, PPG1-PEG-9 lauryl glycol ether, PPG-9 diglyceryl ether, propylene glycol butyl ether, propylene glycol myristyl ether, propylene glycol propyl ether, quassin, quercetin, riboflavin, ribonic acid, rutin, sclareolide, silanetriol trehalose ether, sodium butoxyethoxy acetate, sodium glucuronate, sodium hexyldiphenyl ether sulfonate, sodium hydroxypropyl starch phosphate, sodium lauryl glycol carboxylate, sodium PEG-8 palm glycerides carboxylate, sodium riboflavin phosphate, sorbeth-20, sorbeth-30, sorbeth-40, sorbeth-6, sorbityl acetate, sorbityl furfural, sorbityl silanediol, stearylvinyl ether-MA copolymer, sucrose, TEA-lauryl ether, tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane, tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, thiodiglycol, thioglycerin, tolnaftate, triethoxycaprylylsilane, triethylene glycol, trihydroxypalmitamidohydroxypropyl myristyl ether, trimethoxycaprylylsilane, trimethyl pentanol hydroxyethyl ether, tripropylene glycol, tris(hydroxymethyl)nitromethane, tris-ethoxydiglycol phosphate, tromethamine, troxerutin, ubiquinone, vanillyl butyl ether, xylitol, xylose, zinc glucoheptonate, 1,2 hexanediol, glycerine, butyl glycerol ether, hexylene glycol, sorbitol, isopropyl glycerol ether, and combinations of two or more of the above described ingredients.
Component (i) is preferably selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,3-propylene glycol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butylene glycol, 1,2-butylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, 2,3-butylene glycol or combinations thereof. It is especially preferred that the non-aqueous polar solvent, Component (i), is selected from the group consisting of 1,2-propylene glycol (commonly referred to as propylene glycol), dipropylene glycol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 1,3-butylene glycol, and combinations thereof, with propylene glycol being most preferred.
Component (i), the non-aqueous polar solvent, is present in the microemulsions of this invention in an amount from 10 to 50 weight parts, and preferably from 20 to 40 weight parts, said weight parts being based on the total weight of the composition.
The non-polar solvent, Component (ii) must be immiscible with Component (i). Component (ii) comprises a hydrocarbon fluid, a silicone solvent, or a combination thereof. The hydrocarbon fluids are exemplified by organic hydrocarbon fluids such as halogenated hydrocarbon fluids, aliphatic hydrocarbon fluids, aromatic hydrocarbon fluids, and mixtures of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbon fluids. The hydrocarbon fluids usually contain about 6 to about 12 carbon atoms. Examples of suitable hydrocarbon fluids include perchloroethylene, benzene, xylene, toluene, mineral oil fractions, kerosenes, naphthas, and petroleum fractions. Particularly preferred are isoparaffinic hydrocarbon fluids exemplified by isoparaffin fluids available from ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Houston, Tex. U.S.A, sold as Isopar(copyright) M Fluid (a C13-C14 Isoparaffin), Isopar(copyright) C Fluid (a C7-C8 Isoparaffin), Isopar(copyright) E Fluid (a C8-C9 Isoparaffin), Isopar(copyright) G Fluid (a C10-11 Isoparaffin), Isopar(copyright) L Fluid (a C11-C13 Isoparaffin), Isopar(copyright) H Fluid (a C11-C12 Isoparaffin), and combinations thereof.
The silicone solvent can be a cyclosiloxane exemplified by octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, and dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane, or combinations thereof, with decamethylcyclopentasiloxane being preferred. The silicone solvent can also be a trimethylsiloxy-endblocked polydimethylsiloxane having a viscosity of from 0.65 to 5 mm2/s (1 mm2/s=1 centistoke). The silicone solvent can also be a combination of the above-described cyclosiloxane and the above-described trimethylsiloxy-endblocked polydimethylsiloxane.
Component (ii), the non-polar solvent, is present in the microemulsions of this invention in an amount from 10 to 89 weight parts, and preferably from 40 to 60 weight parts, said weight parts being based on the total weight of the composition.
Component (iii) is at least one oxyalkylene-containing polydiorganosiloxane having its formula selected from the group consisting of
R3SiO(RR1SiO)ySiR3,
R3SiO(R2SiO)x(RR1SiO)ySiR3,
R1R2SiO(RR1SiO)zSiR2R1,
R1R2SiO(R2SiO)xSiR2R1,
R1R2SiO(R2SiO)x(RR1SiO)zSiR2R1, and
a cyclosiloxane copolymer having the formula xe2x80x94(Me2SiO)m(MeR1SiO)nxe2x80x94wherein R denotes an alkyl group containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, R1denotes a group having its formula selected from the group consisting of
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH2)bOR2,
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH(CH3))cOR2,
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH(CH2CH3))dOR2,
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH2)b(OCH2CH(CH3))cOR2,
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH2)b(OCH2CH(CH2CH3))dOR2, and
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH2)b(OCH2CH(CH3))c(OCH2CH(CH2CH3))dOR2
wherein a has a value of 3 to 11, b has a value of 1 to 20, c has a value of 1 to 10, d has a value of 1 to 4, and R2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl group, and an acyl group, x has a value of 1 to 400, y has a value of 1 to 40, z has a value of 1 to 40, m has a value of 1 to 6, n has a value of 1 to 6, and the value of m+n is from 3 to 6.
For purposes of this invention the various siloxane units and the oxyethylene, oxypropylene, and oxybutylene units may be distributed randomly throughout their respective chains or in respective blocks of such units or in a combination of random or block distributions.
The alkyl groups of R are exemplified by methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, and hexyl. Preferably R is methyl. The alkyl groups of R2 are as described above for R, with methyl being preferred. It is preferred that R2 is hydrogen or methyl, with hydrogen being especially preferred. The acyl groups are exemplified by xe2x80x94C(O)CH3. Preferably x has a value of 10 to 200, y has a value of 1 to 20, and z has a value of 1 to 20. It is also preferred that m has a value of 3 to 5 and n has a value of 1 to 2, with the value of m+n being from 3 to 6.
It is especially preferred that R1is a group having the formula xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH2)bOR2 wherein a has a value of 3, b has a value of 5 to 15 and R2 is hydrogen.
Component (iii), the oxyalkylene-containing polydiorganosiloxane, is present in the microemulsions of this invention in an amount from 1 to 40 weight parts, and preferably from 10 to 20 weight parts, said weight parts being based on the total weight of the composition.
The microemulsions of this invention may also further comprise (iv) an additional solvent exemplified by polyhydric alcohols such as glycerol, monohydric alcohols such as ethanol, fatty alcohols such as isostearyl alcohol, and alkoxylated ethers such as 2-butoxyethanol (ethylene glycol monobutyl ether) which is commercially available as butyl cellosolve from Union Carbide. The additional solvent can comprise up to 20 weight parts per 100 weight parts of microemulsion, and preferably comprises 1 to 10 weight parts per 100 weight parts of microemulsion.
The microemulsions of this invention can further comprise (v) a personal care active ingredient exemplified by antiperspirants salts, moisturizers, occlusive agents, sunscreens, anti-microbial agents, drugs, vitamins such as Vitamin E, emollients, humectants, colorants, and perfumes. The antiperspirant salts are typically water-soluble inorganic astringent antiperspiration agents which are preferably salts of aluminum, zirconium or zinc. Examples of these suitable antihydrotic agents are aluminum chloride, aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminum dichlorohydrate, aluminum sesquichlorohydrate and complex compounds thereof with 1,2-propylene glycol, aluminum hydroxyallantoinate, aluminum chloride tartrate, aluminum/zirconium trichlorohydrate, aluminum/zirconium tetrachlorohydrate, aluminum/zirconium pentachlorohydrate and complex compounds thereof with amino acids, for example with glycine. However, aluminum hydroxychlorides and adducts thereof with water-soluble glycols are particularly suitable. Water-soluble salts are understood to be salts of which at least 1% by weight dissolve in water at 20xc2x0 C. The personal care active ingredient described above can be added to the microemulsion at any time during or after formation of the microemulsion, however it is preferred that the personal care active ingredient is added to the polar solvent or the non-polar solvent prior to formation of the microemulsion. The personal care active ingredient can be added in any amount to the microemulsion sufficient to impart the personal care benefits desired in the microemulsion, it is preferred however that from about 1 to 50 weight parts be added, and preferably from 1 to 25 weight parts be added, per 100 weight parts of microemulsion.
In a second embodiment, this invention relates to a method of making an optically clear one-phase microemulsion which is transparent at temperature of from 0-70xc2x0 C. comprising (I) mixing (i) at least one non-aqueous polar solvent, (ii) at least one non-polar solvent immiscible with (i), and (iii) at least one oxyalkylene-containing polydiorganosiloxane having its formula selected from the group consisting of
R3SiO(RR1SiO)ySiR3,
R3SiO(R2SiO)x(RR1SiO)ySiR3,
R1R2SiO(RR1SiO)zSiR2R1,
R1R2SiO(R2SiO)xSiR2R1,
R1R2SiO(R2SiO)x(RR1SiO)zSiR2R1, and
a cyclosiloxane copolymer having the formula xe2x80x94(Me2SiO)m(MeR1SiO)nxe2x80x94wherein R denotes an alkyl group containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, R1 denotes a group having its formula selected from the group consisting of
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH2)bOR2,
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH(CH3))cOR2,
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH(CH2CH3))dOR2,
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH2)b(OCH2CH(CH3))cOR2,
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH2)b(OCH2CH(CH2CH3))dOR2, and
xe2x80x94(CH2)a(OCH2CH2)b(OCH2CH(CH3))c(OCH2CH(CH2CH3))dOR2
wherein a has a value of 3 to 11, b has a value of 1 to 20, c has a value of 1 to 10, d has a value of 1 to 4, and R2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl group, and an acyl group, x has a value of 1 to 400, y has a value of 1 to 40, z has a value of 1 to 40, m has a value of 1 to 6, and n has a value of 1 to 6. Components (i), (ii), and (iii) are as described above including preferred embodiments and amounts thereof.
The method of this invention can further comprise adding an additional solvent during or after Step (I). The additional solvent is as described above including preferred embodiments and amounts thereof.
The method of this invention can further comprise adding a personal care active ingredient during or after Step (I). The personal care active ingredient is as described above including preferred embodiments and amounts thereof.
The microemulsions of this invention may be prepared by mixing (or mechanically agitating) components (i)-(iii), and any optional components, to form a homogenous mixture. This may be accomplished by any convenient mixing method known in the art exemplified by a spatula, mechanical stirrers, in-line mixing systems containing baffles and/or blades, powered in-line mixers, homogenizers, a drum roller, a three-roll mill, a sigma blade mixer, a bread dough mixer, and a two roll mill. The order of mixing is not considered critical.

Temperature insensitive one-phase microemulsions


A deflector for a front end assembly that includes a lower tube having a lower/front leg extending outboard from a bumper and an intermediate leg extending from a lower/outer end of the lower/front leg to a sliding plate that is not attached to a frame rail. The deflector also includes an upper tube including an upper/front leg extending outboard from the bumper and a rear leg extending from an upper/outer end of the upper tube toward that is attached to a rear sliding plate that is also not attached to the frame rail. A method of making a deflector from an aluminum tube that is bent to shape and wrapped with a carbon fiber resin layer.

Land vehicles are tested for crashworthiness by a variety of tests including frontal impacts, side impacts, rear impacts, roll-over and other tests. Frontal impact tests were previously developed that specified that a vehicle impacts a barrier between the frame rails that extend longitudinally relative to the vehicle. In this type of test, the frame rails provided the primary support for the vehicle body. Crush cans located between a front bumper and the frame rails absorb part of the force of the frontal impact to the front bumper. Structures that interfere with compressing crush cans may create problems in achieving successful test results in frontal impact crash tests. The extent of any intrusions into the passenger compartment are measured at the lower hinge pillar, footrest, left toe pan, brake pedal, parking brake pedal, rocker panel, steering column, upper hinge pillar upper dash and left instrument panel.
An Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Small Offset Rigid Barrier test simulates small overlap frontal crashes against a rigid barrier. In the proposed test, the vehicle impacts a rigid barrier having a six inch pole-like radius on one corner with a 40% overlap at 40 MPH. The impact is outboard of the frame rails and the frame rails provide minimum resistance to intrusion into the passenger compartment.
Deflectors that are attached to the outer end of a vehicle bumper have been tested and have reduced intrusions into the passenger compartment. One problem with deflectors that are attached to the front bumper is that they may interfere with or compromise the effectiveness of the crash safety counter-measures in other frontal impact tests. Additional reduction of intrusions in the small overlap rigid barrier (SORB) test results are desired that do not add excessive weight and are cost effective.
This disclosure is directed to solving the above problems and other problems as summarized below.

Carbon fiber wrapped aluminum dual tube deflector


Disclosed herein is a novel isolated population of stem cells, called spoc cells, that can be induced, either in vivo or in vitro, to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. Methods are disclosed herein to differentiate the spoc cells, and to utilize these spoc cells for screening agents that affect cardiomyocytes. Methods are also provided herein to utilize spoc cells in therapeutic applications for the treatment of myocardial defects, such as areas of ischemic or traumatic damage.

Many Americans die each year of congestive heart failure. Heart failure may occur from a variety of causes, including cardiomyopathy, myocardial ischemia, congenital heart disease, and valvular heart disease, resulting in cardiac cell death and myocardial dysfunction. As cardiomyocytes are not replaced in adult myocardial tissue, physiologic demands on the existing, healthy, cardiomyocytes leads to their hypertrophy. Heart transplants have been the only recourse for patients in end-stage heart disease, however the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS), has reported that although more than 40,000 patients were waiting for heart transplants as of February 2000, only 2,345 people received a donated heart in 1998. Furthermore, heart transplants are complicated by the incompatibility between the transplanted donor tissue and the recipient's immune system, which requires life-long immunosuppression. Yet another drawback of heart transplants is their high cost.
An alternative approach to heart transplantation is to generate cardiomyocytes from stem cells in vitro that can be used in the treatment of heart failure, and other cardiac diseases characterized by myocardial cell death or dysfunction. This approach is based on the ability of stem cells to both self-renew and differentiate into one or more mature cell types, including cardiomyocytes. Stem cells may be obtained from an individual suffering from heart disease and then used to generate cardiomyocytes in vitro in order to repair the damaged myocardium. This approach avoids problems inherent with heart transplantation, such as lack of a suitable heart for transplant or immune rejection of a transplanted heart.
Embryonic stem (ES) cells, derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, are the most primitive stem cell, as disclosed in WO 01/11011 A2. These cells have unlimited self-renewal capability, and because they can differentiate into several cell lineages and repopulate tissues upon transplantation, they have multipotent differentiative potential. However, protocols are not available for differentiating embryonic stem cells into beating cardiomyocytes.
Lineage specific stem cells, identified in most organ tissues, have less self-renewal capability than ES cells and their differentiative ability is limited to tissues of that lineage. Of the lineage specific stem cells, the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC), derived from bone marrow, blood, cord blood, fetal liver and yolk sack, is the best characterized. These cells are defined by the expression of cell surface markers, such as c-kit (c-kit+), and can terminally differentiate into all the hematopoietic cell types. HSC have been shown to contribute to the formation of functional cardiac tissue in vivo (Jackson et al, J. Clin. Invest., 107:1395–1402, 2001). Mesenchymal stein cells (MSC) are pluripotent progenitor cells derived from tissues of mesodermal origin (U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,359). These cells are most often obtained from bone marrow, although they can be obtained from other sources, such as blood or dermis. These cells have been shown to differentiate to form muscle, bone, cartilage, fat, marrow stroma and tendon, but have not been shown to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. In addition, progenitor cells have been identified in skeletal muscle, termed satellite cells (Cornelison and Wold, Dev. Biol., 191:270–283, 1997). These cells are characterized by the expression of the cell surface marker c-met (c-met+) in both its quiescent and activated states. When activated these cells re-enter the cell cycle, express myogenic regulatory factors, and differentiate into myoblasts.
However, despite the existence of a variety of stem cells, there is currently no pure population of stem cells that can be induced under defined conditions to differentiate into spontaneously beating cardiomyocytes in vitro. Thus, there remains a need in the art for isolated populations of stem cells which can be induced to differentiate into cardiomyocytes.

Stem cells that transform to beating cardiomyocytes

United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services


An object of the present invention is to provide a method capable of producing cycloalkanol and/or cycloalkanone with a favorable selectivity by oxidizing cycloalkane with a favorable conversion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing cycloalkanol and/or cycloalkanone by oxidizing cycloalkane with oxygen.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a method for producing cycloalkanol and/or cycloalkanone by oxidizing cycloalkane with oxygen, a method of performing the oxidation reaction using mesoporous silica containing a certain kind of metal element as a catalyst has been studied. For example, there are known a method using mesoporous silica containing gold (Applied Catalysis A: General, Netherlands, 2005, Vol. 280, pp. 175-180), a method using mesoporous silica containing cobalt (Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Republic of Korea, 1998, Vol. 15, pp. 510-515), and a method using mesoporous silica containing chromium or vanadium (International Publication No. WO00/03963).

Method for producing cycloalkanol and/or cycloalkanone

Abstract: A cycloalkanol and/or cycloalkanone are produced by oxidizing cycloalkane with oxygen in the presence of mesoporous silica which contains at least one metal selected from metals of Groups 5 to 10 of the Periodic Table and which is also subjected to a contact treatment with an organosilicon compound. The metal is preferably at least one metal selected from the group consisting of vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, ruthenium and palladium, and the mesoporous silica is preferably MCM-41 type mesoporous silica.


An optical system used for an image pickup apparatus including an image pickup element is provided. The optical system includes a negative lens disposed furthest away on the enlargement conjugation side and satisfies the following condition: 80 degrees<2ω, where 2ω (degrees) denotes an angle of view of the optical system. In addition, the following parameters of the optical system are optimally determined: a lens open angle θ of a surface of the negative lens on the reduction conjugation side, an index of refraction Ndn and an Abbe number νdn of a material of the negative lens for a d-line, and a relative partial dispersion θgFn of the material of the negative lens for a g-line and an F-line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical system that is suitable for being applied to optical apparatuses, such as silver halide film cameras, digital still cameras, video cameras, digital video cameras, telescopes, binoculars, projectors, and copiers.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is required that an optical system used for optical apparatuses, such as digital cameras, video cameras, and projectors, is wide-angled, and a high-quality image (a high-quality projected image for a projector) without distortion is obtained.
Wide-angle lenses are suitable for obtaining a natural image without distortion in a wide range on an object side. Normal projection wide-angle lenses satisfy a condition: Y′=f·tan ω, where Y′ denotes the image height, f denotes the focal length of the wide-angle lens (an optical system), and 2ω denotes the entire angle of view (an angle subtended by an object).
In order to effectively obtain a wide angle, normal wide-angle lenses include a negative lens or negative lens unit having a high negative power (refractive power) disposed on an enlargement conjugation side. At that time, in order to obtain further wide-angle lens system, the negative power of the negative lens needs to be increased.
In general, as the power of a negative lens is increased, more negative distortion (distortion aberration) occurs. More distortion of an image occurs in the peripheral portions of the screen, and therefore, it is difficult to maintain the condition: Y′=f·tan ω.
Accordingly, it is desirable that a negative meniscus lens GN having a convex surface on the enlargement conjugation side is disposed furthest away on the enlargement conjugation side. This arrangement allows marginal rays (light rays having marginal angles) to be made incident at an angle close to the normal to each surface portion. Accordingly, the occurrence of distortion can be easily prevented.
An example of a wide-angle optical system having such an arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,791,765.
In general, as the angle of view increases, the lens open angle of the negative lens GN tends to increase.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-094174 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-173275 describe a super wide-angle lens having an entire view angle (2ω80°) and including the negative lens GN having a significantly large lens open angle.
As the open angle of the lens is increased so that the shape of the lens becomes closer to being hemispherical (θ=90°), the dimensional accuracy of a polished surface is decreased. In addition, an anti-reflection evaporated film is not uniformly applied to the peripheral portions of the surface. Consequently, the performance of the film is significantly decreased, and therefore, ghost may occur.
In contrast, a wide-angle optical system is proposed in which an aspherical surface is disposed in the vicinity of a negative lens disposed furthest away on the enlargement conjugation side so that the distortion is sufficiently corrected and the open angle of the negative lens is slightly decreased for a wide-angle lens (refer to, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,621,645 or U.S. Pat. No. 6,687,061).
As the angle of view of an optical system is increased, the open angle of the surface of a negative lens on the reduction conjugation side disposed furthest away on the enlargement conjugation side is increased. At that time, if the open angle of the surface of a negative lens on the reduction conjugation side is decreased, chromatic aberration of magnification in a short wavelength range significantly occurs.
For example, in general, a wide-angle lens obtains a viewing angle by using a negative lens disposed furthest away on the enlargement conjugation side (a first negative lens). In addition, the wide-angle lens uses a material having a high refractive index and a low dispersion for the negative lens in order to prevent overcorrection of first-order chromatic aberration of magnification due to the high negative power (refractive power).
Nowadays, many optical materials having high refractive index and a low dispersion have second-order dispersion (dispersion in a short wavelength range).
For this reason, if the open angle of the surface of the negative lens on the reduction conjugation side is slightly decreased for the wide angle of view, the refractive power of the surface of the negative lens on the enlargement conjugation side is increased. Accordingly, chromatic aberration of magnification in a short wavelength range significantly occurs on the surface on the enlargement conjugation side.
As a result, for wide-angle lenses having a viewing angle 80 degrees or more, it is significantly difficult to correct chromatic aberration of magnification over a wide wavelength range while decreasing the open angle of a surface of a negative lens on the reduction conjugation side.
Therefore, for existing wide-angle lenses, it is required to sufficiently correct distortion and chromatic aberration of magnification in a short wavelength range while decreasing the open angle of the surface of a negative lens on the reduction conjugation side disposed furthest away on the enlargement conjugation side.

Optical system and optical apparatus including optical system


A semiconductor device includes an interlayer dielectric layer on a substrate, the interlayer dielectric layer having an upper surface, a lower plug extending down into the interlayer dielectric layer from the upper surface of the interlayer dielectric layer, the lower plug having an upper surface, a first dielectric layer pattern on the upper surface of the lower plug, at least a portion of the first dielectric layer pattern being directly connected to the upper surface of the lower plug, a first metal electrode pattern on the first dielectric layer pattern, a first upper plug electrically connected to the first metal electrode pattern, and a second upper plug on the lower plug, the second upper plug being spaced apart from the first upper plug.

1. Field
Some example embodiments of the present inventive concepts relate to a semiconductor device having a capacitor and/or a method of manufacturing the same. Other example embodiments of the present inventive concepts relate to a semiconductor device including a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor and a thin film resistor (TFR) in order to be applied to system-on-chip (SOC) applications, wired and wireless devices, and high-frequency circuit devices and/or a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Analog capacitors have been applied to complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor integrated circuits (CMOS IC), specifically, analog-to-digital convertors or switching-capacitor filters. In this case, the analog capacitors may have various structures for an upper electrode and a lower electrode, e.g., a polysilicon-insulator-polysilicon (PIP) structure, a polysilicon-insulator-metal (PIM) structure, a metal-insulator-polysilicon (MIP) structure, or a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure. The metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure among them has mainly been applied to the analog capacitors because the amount of capacitance change which may be induced by the voltage difference between the upper electrode and the lower electrode is less than the others.
Meanwhile, a thin film resistor which is a typical passive component also has been used in semiconductor devices because the thin film transistor generally has a very high linearity.

Semiconductor device comprising capacitor and method of manufacturing the same


A collapsible vehicle door pull handle comprises two separate pieces joined together by a break away feature. This arrangement allows the pull handle to be strong when the occupant pulls the vehicle door closed, but allows deflection because of the break away feature during a side impact event. The collapsible vehicle door pull handle comprises a handle, a base, an attachment member fitted to one of the handle and the base, and an elastic deformable portion having a keyway for receiving and holding the attachment member with the attachment portion being on the other of the base and the handle. A molded handle might enclose part of the handle or might enclose the entire handle.

It is known in vehicles to provide an armrest in a door having an integrated pull handle (also known as a grab handle) to allow the occupant to pull the door shut. The pull handle is designed to withstand tens of thousands of pulls over its working life and, accordingly, must be very strong.
Known pull handles are typically of one-piece design to meet requirements of strength and durability. Door pull handles are designed to meet specific deflection (flexing) requirements during a side impact event to minimize vehicle-inward movement of the handle in a side impact event while at the same time providing to the user a solid feel. Because the position of the pull handle is near the location of the seated occupant, it is somewhat challenging to satisfy the force vs. deflection requirements established for occupant safety while at the same time satisfying requirements of pull strength durability.
Some efforts have been made to overcome the problems of known pull handle designs. The most common solution to improving deflection of the pull handle is to remove structure. This is achieved by forming notches or grooves (devices designed to weaken the part) into the pull handle to initiate flex and fracture. However, this approach weakens the pull handle and adversely affects durability. In addition, the flexing or fracturing itself is difficult to predict and as a result often these features do not behave as predicted, resulting in additional changes late in the program development cycle.
A less complex and more predictable solution to the problems of known pull handle designs is to simply move the pull handle away from the occupant. While improving deflection, this approach negatively affects ergonomics since the handle must be placed too far forward for the comfort of the occupant. In addition, this arrangement may reduce or eliminate package space for window and door controllers.
Accordingly, as in so many areas of vehicle design, there is room for improvement in the art of pull handle construction.


A white light emitting diode (LED) is provided, which includes a reflective mirror arranged on the light emitting path of a blue or an ultra violet LED die at an appropriate angle. Phosphors are coated on the reflective mirror, the emitting plane of the LED, or both so that the phosphors are excited by the blue or UV lights emitted by the LED die to produce white lights. The present invention provides a white LED having a long lifetime and a uniform light color by separating the phosphors from the LED die, and by allowing the lights emitted from the LED die to undergo several excitations with the phosphors.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to white light emitting diodes, and more particularly to a white light emitting diode using phosphor excitation with the phosphor separated from the die.
2. The Prior Arts
One of the more common and mature white light emitting diode (LED) technologies is to coat or fill a yellow phosphor on or around a blue LED die. The yellow phosphor is excited by radiation from the blue LED and emits yellow lights. The blue lights emitted by the LED are then mixed with the complimentary yellow lights from the phosphor to generate two-wavelength white lights. However, with this technique, it is difficult to control the proportions of the participated blue and yellow lights and, as a result; the generated white lights usually have a non-uniform light color, too high a color temperature, and too low a color rendering index.
In another similar technology, red, green, and blue (RGB) phosphors are coated or filled around an ultra-violet (UV) LED. The phosphors are excited by the UV lights emitted from the UV LED, and the generated RGB lights are combined to form white lights. However, this technique still suffers the difficultly in controlling the proportions of RGB phosphors, although the UV lights themselves do not participate in forming the white lights. As a result, the color uniformity, color temperature, and color rendering problems are not satisfactorily resolved.
The foregoing techniques have another disadvantage. The phosphors coated on or filled around the LED die would be deteriorated due to the heat generated from the LED die itself, which would further compromise the performances of the LED including its color, brightness, and lifetime.
To solve the problem of uniformity, several solutions have already been disclosed. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,962,971 and 5,813,753 disclose that a filter was included in the LED package to improve the uniformity of the mixed white light. Taiwan Patent No. 569,479 discloses that a blue LED or an UV LED die was arranged in a fluorescent glue, and interposed between dielectric omni-directional reflectors so that the blue lights or UV lights are reflected repeatedly in all directions to excite the phosphors as much as possible, thereby consuming the energy of blue lights or UV lights and enhancing the white light conversion efficiency. However, the above-mentioned techniques could still not solve the phosphors' deterioration problem from direct contact with the LED die. Furthermore, the arrangement of the filter or the reflectors would also add to the process complexity, resulting in high manufacturing cost and low yield.
In view of the phosphor deterioration problem, Taiwan Patent No. M246,528 provides a white LED lamp, which can prevent the phosphors from heat deterioration by separating the phosphors from the LED die. However, this technique is designed for a lamp including many blue LEDs, but not for an individual LED.

White light emitting diode using phosphor excitation


An apparatus, method, and computer program product are described that provide for a replicated user interface, including a replicated active display area and a replicated boundary area, such that the replicated user interface can recognize the same types of user inputs that are recognized by a remote user interface, and the same operations may be executed upon receipt of such inputs. The apparatus can establish a communications link with the remote user interface and determine whether the remote user interface is configured to detect a user input at least partially received in a boundary area outside an active display area of the remote user interface. A replicated active display area and a replicated boundary area may then be provided for in response to a determination that the remote user interface is configured to detect a user input at least partially received in the boundary area of the remote user interface.

Mobile devices, such as cellular telephones and portable digital assistants (PDAs), have become increasingly popular with users and are becoming an essential part of many users' everyday lives. In many cases, the mobile devices have the capability of wirelessly communicating with other electronic devices, for example, to exchange information.
Users are often very familiar with their own mobile devices and, given a preference, would rather interact with a user interface provided by their own device than with an unfamiliar user interface of a different device (mobile or fixed). For example, rather than interacting with the user interface provided by a ticket kiosk at a movie theater to purchase tickets, many users would prefer to interact with their own mobile devices to accomplish the same task. In other situations, however, the user may wish to interact with his familiar user interface, but presented on a larger display (such as the display of a remote device).
Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide an improved mechanism for providing a user interface on a particular device that has substantially the same appearance and functionality as the user interface of a remote device.

Apparatus and method for providing for remote user interaction