A reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) composite material has improved impact resistance. The RCC composite material is formed from a fiber reinforcement of layers or plies of thin ply carbon fiber fabric impregnated with a carbon matrix. Carbon nanotube reinforcement in the matrix further improves impact resistance. The stacking arrangement of the plies of the thin ply fabric also further improves impact resistance.

Carbon-carbon (C/C) composite materials offer excellent combinations of specific thermal conductivity and specific stiffness. Also, C/C offers low density, high stiffness, low coefficient of thermal expansion, zero outgassing in the space environment, and a unique high temperature capability. C/C composites graphitized to temperatures greater than 2200° C. provide high through-the-thickness (kz) conduction of 25 to 100 W/m-K (compared to kz=1-5 W/m-K in graphite/cyanate-ester composites), through appropriate choice of the starting matrix and potential fillers.
High performance aerospace vehicles and structures must be made with materials having high specific strength and specific stiffness. Carbon fiber composite materials are used in many lightweight structural applications. The performance and range of applications of these materials are limited, however, by their relatively high susceptibility to impact damage. For example, the space shuttle Columbia accident is believed to have been caused by impact damage to the reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) leading edge thermal protection system.
The brittle nature of the RCC may be due to the conventional 2D or 2.5D carbon fiber ply architecture. The RCC material used in the space shuttle is fabricated from a precursor 2D woven carbon fiber (rayon based) fabric stacked in 0° and 90° oriented layers. The laminate is 19 layers thick, with the outer two or three layers infused with silica to produce a silicon carbide layer upon subsequent high temperature processing. The SiC outer layer prevents oxidation to allow the RCC structure to survive the high re-entry temperatures encountered by the space shuttle. A micrograph of a cross-section of this RCC material shows significant residual porosity throughout and microcracks in the SiC surface layer. The carbon fiber reinforcement layers exhibit a waviness due to the high crimp angle at fiber crossing points that is inherent in regular thickness woven carbon fiber plies.
Spreading of carbon fiber tows to make thin plies has been achieved by automated tow spreading technology. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,342. Thin plies of consistent quality have recently become commercially available, for example, from Itochu in Japan. Plies are available down to a thickness of 1.5 mils, which is five times thinner than the typical 7.5 mil thick standard plies. The plies are available as a unidirectional fabric or a woven fabric formed of ribbon tapes, in various widths, and in long continuous lengths. Composite materials manufactured from thin ply carbon fiber preforms exhibit surprising improvements in mechanical properties over conventional ply composites of identical overall thickness. Tensile strength is increased 30%. Fatigue life is increased more than an order of magnitude. Stiffness and reduction in delamination damage are increased.
Using carbon nanotubes (CNTS) alone as reinforcement to enhance the mechanical properties of a material is challenging. In particular, dispersing CNTs to obtain uniform distributions in a composite is difficult. Furthermore, the high volume fraction loadings (on the order of 60 vol %) required significantly increases the viscosity of the fresh resin/CNT mixture. The use of CNTs is also costly, particularly at such large volumes.

Impact resistant, thin ply composite structures and method of manufacturing same


Systems and methods for selectively operating multiple hydraulic pressure controlled devices (PCDs) within a borehole using a common inflow and outflow line and a common cycling line. A control system is used wherein each of the PCDs is operationally associated with a separate sleeve controller. The sleeve controller for each PCD controls whether the individual PCD can be actuated by hydraulic pressure variations in the common inflow and outflow lines.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to hydraulic switches used to control the actuation of multiple pressure controlled devices within a wellbore.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is common in downhole wellbore production systems to employ sliding sleeve valves, safety valve or chemical injection valves that use hydraulic pressure control for actuation. Each of these pressure controlled devices ("PCD"s) uses a pair of hydraulic control lines—an inflow line and an outflow line. In a number of instances, it is desired to have multiple PCDs within a borehole. Because each PCD uses two control lines, this means that a large number of control lines that must be run into the wellbore. The inventor has realized that there are a number of significant advantages to being able to reduce the number of control lines that are run into a wellbore. The reduction of control lines results in a direct reduction in cost due to the reduced amount of control line that must be run into the wellbore. In addition, there are indirect savings, particularly in deepwater wells, as there are fewer lines that require a dedicated feed through in the subsea tree and dedicated umbilicals back to the surface. Moreover, each additional control line that is used in a wellbore requires dedicated pressure testing and time. Further, a reduced number of control lines results in a more reliable system since the number of potential leak paths is reduced.


A method and apparatus for supplying an additive to a moving web of filter material of the tobacco-processing industry are provided. An adjustable window defines an opening, and additive is applied through the window opening onto the web.

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for applying an additive, preferably a liquid additive, to a moving, spread-out filter material web used in the tobacco-processing industry with at least one spreading element. The invention further relates to an apparatus for producing filter rods for rod-shaped articles of the tobacco-processing industry.
During the production of filter rods used in the tobacco-processing industry, filter tow generally comprising cellulose acetate is pulled from a supply as a running web and is treated. Generally, the filter tow includes a woven material of loosely adhering threads which are pulled apart in order to form a wide and mostly level web such that the threads are moved side-by-side and essentially parallel to each other. The web is spread out inside a spreading nozzle. Following the spreading operation, an additive is supplied to the web. The additive is typically liquid and includes, for example, distributed triacetin drops. The drops dissolve the threads such that these threads permanently stick together, i.e., the threads are interlaced. The threads are then gathered to form a round rope and encased with a filter paper strip in a filter-rope machine. An additive embodied as a finely dispersed powdery substance can also be used in place of a liquid additive. Processing equipment of the type as described in the above is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,060,664 and 4,511,420.
The spraying of plasticizer onto filter tow with the aid of a row of nozzles, arranged transverse to the movement direction of the filter tow, is disclosed in German patent document DE-A-199 59 034. In this process, individual nozzles are controlled with sensors that record the density of the filter tow in the respective sections.
It is vitally important for the quality of the processing that the individual threads or fibers are well separated and that the plasticizer particles are applied evenly.

Method and apparatus for applying additive to a moving, spread-out filter material web


A food wrap cutter includes a base body disposed under a slot on the front wall of a main body, a guiding element with elastic moving function disposed on the base body, and a guiding wedge of the two guiding elements coupled to a cam slot at a lower panel. Thus, when the guiding element is pressed, the lower panel is lifted by the action of the guiding element on the cam groove such that the upper edge of the lower panel is higher than the upper edge of the cutter; and the guiding element drives the upper panel to lift and separate the upper and lower panels in order to protect a user's hand from being cut or scratched while pulling out the food wrap.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a food wrap such as a PVC wrap or an aluminum foil for storing food and a kitchenware for easily accessing and cutting the food wrap.
2. Description of the Related Art
To assure the freshness of food, prevent food from being contaminated, or cook food by baking, it is common to use food wraps to wrap food in household life or even in restaurants. In general, a food wrap usually includes a film made by PVC material or an aluminum sheet; regardless of PVC or aluminum, the food wraps are manufactured and packed in rolls and stored in a paper box for selling. Such paper box comes with a cutter with sawteeth; the wrap is pulled out to a desired length when it is in use, and the cutter will cut the food wrap. However, users have to hold the food wrap by one hand and the food or kitchenware by another hand for the sealing or packaging operation, and thus it is very inconvenient.
To overcome the aforementioned shortcoming, a so-called Food Wrap Cutter was introduced in the market, and the structure of a food wrap cutter is characterized in that the cutter has a main body with a transversally moving cutter, and the food wrap or aluminum foil is placed inside of the main body; after the wrap or foil is pulled out to a desired length, the user manually operates the cutter to move it transversally for cutting the wrap or foil. However, such a traditional food wrap cutter still has its shortcomings in that when the wrap is completely pulled out and cut by the cutter on one side, the stress is not even and the cutting end of the wrap will be softened and drooped without support, which will directly affect the evenness of the cutting, particularly for the thin and soft food wrap. When manually cutting the food wrap by the cutter transversally, the cutting end of the food wrap will curl and affect the evenness of the cutting since the width of the wrap is about 8˜22 inches and the stress is uneven. In other words, a food wrap (particularly when a plastic food wrap is cut) usually produces curls, wrinkles, or tangles; users have to use hands to reorganize or spread out the food wrap. Whiling reorganizing or spreading out the food wrap by hands, the food wrap may be contaminated by foreign substances or germs on the user's hands. When food is wrapped by such a food wrap, the food may get soured or rotten easily.
Further, traditional food wrap cutters have linearly arranged sawteeth with equal heights. The design of sawteeth with equal heights causes the food wrap to have several cutting actions by the sawteeth simultaneously when the food wrap is cut from left to right or from right to left, such that the force exerted from each sawtooth onto the food wrap is reduced. As a result, the food wrap cannot be pierced easily for cutting, and it is necessary to use larger force to complete the cutting. Furthermore, the cut end is usually not even. Therefore, traditional food wrap cutters still need further improvements.


Avoiding long access latencies in redundant storage systems is disclosed, including: determining a first device associated with a request is in a slow access period; and reconstructing data associated with the request from one or more other devices comprising a redundant storage system in which the first device and the one or more other devices are included.

In some storage devices, as part of normal operation, the device occasionally needs to perform internal activities for a period of time, such as garbage collection, defragmenting, updating metadata, etc. However, when a request to access data stored on a device is sent to the device while the device is performing internal activities, the access may sometimes take much longer than usual due to the competing internal activities. For example, a normal response by a device to a request for access may take less than a millisecond. But a response by the device to the request while the device is performing internal activities may take up to hundreds of milliseconds.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method operates a single cylinder two-stroke engine having a cylinder wherein a combustion chamber is formed which is delimited by a piston. The piston drives a crankshaft rotatably journalled in a crankcase. In the method, fuel and combustion air are supplied to the two-stroke engine. In the combustion chamber, a mixture of fuel and combustion air is ignited and the exhaust gases flow out from the combustion chamber via an outlet. At idle, no fuel is metered over a crankshaft angle (α) of at least 700° in order to provide a smooth running of the two-stroke engine with low exhaust-gas values.

A two-stroke engine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,673 wherein fuel is injected into the combustion chamber in the region of bottom dead center with each rotation of the crankshaft and the air/fuel mixture, which forms in the combustion chamber, is ignited in the region of top dead center of the piston.
Defective ignitions occur during idle of the two-stroke engine because of the flow conditions and the low pressure and the high residual gas components so that the mixture is not combusted in the combustion chamber. The uncombusted mixture flows out of the combustion chamber during the downward stroke of the piston. This leads to the situation that the exhaust-gas values of the two-stroke engine greatly increase. It has been shown that, during idle, no clean scavenging of the combustion chamber takes place so that, at idle, exhaust gases, substantially fuel-free air and fresh mixture hardly mix in the combustion chamber. This can lead to the situation that the ignition spark ignites at a spatial distance to the mixture because of the spatial arrangement of the exhaust gas and the fresh mixture so that no or only an incomplete combustion takes place. This operation occurs at an irregular sequence and leads to the typical idle performance of a two-stroke engine.

Method of operating a single cylinder two-stroke engine


An anti-icing system may maintain a thin layer of solution on top of pedestrian reception areas to prevent frozen precipitation from remaining frozen on the pedestrian reception areas. This greatly reduces the slippery surfaces that pedestrians would otherwise encounter when using the walk-on surface.

A. Field of Invention
This invention generally relates to the treatment of walk-on surfaces due to snow and ice and more specifically relates methods and apparatuses to continuously remove snow and ice from walk-on surfaces.
B. Description of the Related Art
A well-known problem in regions where the temperature drops below the freezing temperature of water, is that snow and ice collect on surfaces that pedestrians walk on, such as sidewalks, stair steps, etc., ("walk-on" surfaces). This makes such walk-on surfaces dangerous as pedestrians are more likely to slip and fall on them when they are covered with snow/ice. There are several known ways to treat this problem but they can be categorized into two general types: removal methods and preventative methods.
Removal methods include the use of shovels, brooms, and the like to remove the snow/ice from the walk-on surfaces. Another known removal method is the use of a mat that is placed onto a walk-on surface prior to the precipitation that causes the snow/ice. Then after the snow/ice collects on the mat, a person can lift the mat off of the walk-on surface and "break off" the snow/ice. The mat can then be replaced on the walk-on surface.
Preventative methods include the use of an anti-icing agent, such as salt, that is spread onto the walk-on surfaces (either prior to the precipitation or after). The salt serves to decrease the melting temperature of the snow/ice so that the snow/ice melts into water on the walk-on surfaces. The melted snow/ice then easily flows off of the walk-on surfaces. Another known preventative method is the use of an electrically heated mat. The heated mat is placed onto a walk-on surface prior to the precipitation that causes the snow/ice. Because the mat is heated, the snow/ice melts into water which then flows off.
Many of the known methods of treating walk-on surfaces for snow/ice work well for their intended purposes. They also have disadvantages, however. Removal methods require physical exertion by the persons when removing the snow/ice. In cases where the snow/ice is deep, removal methods may be dangerous as it is well known for persons to injure themselves (especially their backs) while removing snow/ice. Another disadvantage of removal methods is that they must be repeated every time additional snow/ice accumulates on the walk-on surfaces. The preventative method of spreading salt also has the disadvantage of needing to be repeated every time additional snow/ice accumulates. The preventative method of a heated mat has the disadvantage of requiring an electric power source which increases the cost and has the capability of being dangerous given the electric conductivity of water/snow/ice.
What is needed is an anti-icing system that overcomes or reduces the disadvantages of known treatments of walk-on surfaces.


A balance ring for a gas turbine engine has a ring shaped body with a first radial thickness, an anti-rotation tab extending outward from the body and at least one millable balancing feature connected to the body.

Gas powered turbines, such as those used to generate thrust in an aircraft turbine engine, typically include a fan, compressor, combustor, and turbine arranged to generate thrust in a known manner. Within the compressor and the turbine are multiple rotating components, such as rotors. Due to variances in the engine designs, the need to accommodate other non-rotating components, and manufacturing variances from engine to engine, the rotating components are not always circumferentially balanced.
Circumferential imbalance in the rotating components can introduce wear on the rotating component and/or the static components adjacent to the rotating component in the gas powered turbine engine. The additional wear and stresses as a result of the circumferential imbalance can reduce the expected lifetime of the rotating component and potentially the expected lifetime of the engine itself.


Systems and methods for multi-dimensional aggregation. Exemplary embodiments include a method for retrieving data from an inverted list index within a computer system, wherein the index comprises annotated postings, the method including receiving a query in a system, converting the query into a query language, scanning at least one list of postings for data from the query, aggregating the data in the list, thereby resulting in an aggregated list, wherein the aggregating includes recording the occurrence of unique values from the list, mapping the values using a user-provided definition to an alternate value, grouping the values by a user-provided mapping of values to groups, recording and mutating data associated with the unique value in the list, relating the recorded data values with other values in the index and returning the requested data from the aggregated list in a return format.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to inverted indexes used in text corpora indexing, and particularly to systems and methods for multi-dimensional aggregation.
2. Description of Background
An inverted index is constructed over a given corpus of documents, and consists of two primary structures, 1) a dictionary of all the unique terms in the corpus and, 2) for each term in the dictionary, a list of documents that contain the term. The area of large text indexing is active research space and many advancements have been made over the years toward improving the efficiency, performance and scale of indexes. Yet the general functionality of an index has not changed drastically during that period.
In general, inverted indexes are built to serve very simple Boolean queries, such as "Find all documents that contain the word 'IBM'". Indexes respond to queries such as the aforementioned with a subset of the documents that contain the terms, and potentially an estimate of how many other documents also contain the term. Yet the data within an index can be used to provide much more insight than a list of documents for the user to investigate manually. For example, inverted indexes can be used for aggregation of unstructured information across multiple dimensions for large corpora. For example, aggregation could provide a by-email-address count of all e-mail addresses found in the .edu domain. However, current unstructured indexing techniques do not handle aggregation operations well, and current aggregation techniques do not handle unstructured information well.

System and method for multi-dimensional aggregation over large text corpora

International Business Machines Corporation


An aerosol aqueous cleaning composition having:

The present invention is concerned with a cleaning/-disinfecting composition incorporating spore forming microbiological bacteria.
Biological based products not only offer facilities a method of quickly re-establishing a system""s biomass after shocks, but they are also becoming more prevalent as a means to prevent such situations and improve overall performance through continual maintenance dosages. Continual treatment with a biological based product provides enhanced abilities to handle difficult to degrade compounds, reduce solids loading, improve removal of FOG""s (fats, oils and greases) and extend the time period between physical pump-outs in certain systems such as septic tanks.
Current technology does not offer a product or method by which water hardness deposits can be efficiently removed from surfaces while concurrently providing viable bacterial cultures to the facility""s waste collection and/or treatment system.
The object of the invention is to provide a product suitable for removal of hard water deposit and general cleaning that through use will actually augment the activity of on-site wastewater treatment operations instead of interfering as can occur in many cases. The product is a combination of an acid based cleaner/disinfectant that incorporates a stabilized culture of bacterial spores.
The utilization of the microbial materials is to destroy offensive odors and their source that may be present on a surface. In addition, the microbial materials provide preventative maintenance for the wastewater collection system and improved activity in downstream treatment plants. The purpose of the antimicrobial component is to kill various types of microorganisms found on the surface which might pose health concerns or contribute to nuisance odors. A particularly important aspect of formulating antimicrobial products is that they remain stable for a long period of time. The microbiological materials likewise need to be stable in the presence of the other components of a cleaning composition such as the quaternary ammonium compounds.
It is an object of the present invention to obtain an effective disinfectant and hard surface cleaning composition that is aqueous based.
It is an object of the present invention to obtain and utilize in combination a disinfectant, hard surface cleaning, and bacterial composition that is stable for a long period of time, but also allows the microbial material to remain active after the intended use of the product.
It is an object of the present invention to utilize an aqueous composition containing bacteria from the genus Bacillus in the presence of disinfectants such as quaternary ammonium compounds.
It is an object of the present invention to perform general cleaning tasks in a more efficient manner, whereby the multi-step cleaning process to clean, disinfectant and control odors on hard surfaces is decreased. The utilization of this invention will permit the saving of labor time and reduce chemical inventory.
It is an object of the present invention to utilize compositions in particular aerosol compositions that contain a bacterial content that provides better environmental fate attributes to both on site waste treatment systems and municipal treatment plants through biological augmentation of the indigenous bio-mass.
The following references may be pertinent to the invention disclosed herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,965 describes aqueous disinfectant cleaning composition using a Bacillus microorganism.
PCT Publication W097/25865 pertains to a sanitizing composition containing surfactant, a chelating agent, a preservative, a thickening agent and a Bacillus microorganism.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,619 pertains to a drain opener formulation containing a Bacillus microorganism and a surfactant as well as a preservative.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,373 pertains to preservative composition containing quaternary ammonium compounds in conjunction with a specific preservative, which is a derivative of benzothiazole in specific ratios.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,128 pertains to an enzyme detergent composition where the enzyme is a proteolytic enzyme.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,794 pertains to a liquid cleaning compound containing abrasive particles plus viable microorganisms. Such as, Bacillus, a detergent, thickener and an anti-settling agent. The composition is a cleaning composition. U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,546 pertains to a method for cleaning and disinfecting contact lens wherein there is a preservative which is a serine protease derived from bacteria belonging to the genus, Bacillus, a metal chelating agent and boric acid. Non-ionic surfactants are also described.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,278 described heavy-duty laundry detergents containing surfactants, non-surface active liquid carrier compositions, viscosity enhancing agents and enzymes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,387 describes aerosol antimicrobial compositions. PCT Publication W097/16541 described an alkaline protease, which describes a strain of Bacillus and which shows a stability in the presence of surfactants.
PCT Publication W097/38586 discloses a method of preventing the growth of microorganisms other than Salmonella on meat products by contacting the meat product with a microbial growth inhibiting amount of a quaternary ammonium compound together with a microorganism, such as Bacillus.
International PCT Publication W099/16854 presents a ready to use thickened acid cleaner and disinfectant.
Numerous antibacterial compositions are available in the trade which do not contain the spore forming compositions as described herein. Such materials are Foamy QandA (trademark of Spartan Chemical Company) for an acid disinfectant cleaner containing phosphoric acid and alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides with a pH of less than 2. See also NABC plus IV (trademark of Spartan Chemical) for a natural acid bowl and porcelain cleaner having a pH of 1.5-2 containing citric acid. See also SparCling (trademark of Spartan Chemical) for a restroom disinfectant containing hydrogen chloride and N-alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides.
Described is an aqueous cleaning and disinfecting composition comprising:
an effective mineral dissolving amount of an organic acid of at least 1% by weight of the cleaning compositions;
an effective amount of a spore forming microbial composition;
an effective cleaning amount of a blend of wetting agents, the first wetting agent having a hydrophobic/lipophobic number (HLB) of about 10 and higher and a second wetting agent having an HLB number of about 5 or less;
an effective amount of a thickening agent and water.
Also described is a method of cleaning a soiled hard surface comprising applying the above composition to the surface and drying the surface thereby cleaning the surface.
The composition as described above is particularly useful for the overall desires of the present application for cleaning and disinfecting hard surfaces.
Also described is a powder composition containing the active ingredients of the organic acid, spore forming microbial composition, blend of wetting agents plus additional filler.
Also described is an aerosol composition containing the active ingredients of the organic acid, spore forming microbial composition, blend of wetting agents, thickening agents and a propellant.

Aerosol cleaning composition containing an organic acid and a spore forming microbial composition

Abstract: an effective mineral dissolving amount of an organic acid of at least 5% by weight of the cleaning compositions;

Abstract: an effective amount of a thickening agent;

Abstract: an effective amount of a propellant and water.


The present invention relates to a joint apparatus of car windshield wiper arm, which comprises a gripping cabin and a chassis; wherein, said gripping cabin having a hollow opening perforates through at the junction of the top surface and the front side; a vertical elastic hook is erected at the center of said hollow opening; and a pair of snap-on lugs are outwards respectively protruded at two junctions in the left side and right side of said gripping cabin with the rear side. By means of said vertical elastic hook and two snap-on lugs buckling engagement with the front tab and two bottom flaps on the head of said wiper arm, the rigging joint between of said wiper and said wiper arm become more securely firm; Besides, in the practical operation of dismantling and replacing worn wiper by new one, the separation of said wiper from said wiper arm can be easily, simply and rapidly accomplished by directly applying force on said vertical elastic hook with only one finger.

Presently, the types in head of windshield wiper arm are many in variety. Different type design of wiper arm head must be coordinated with its exclusive joint device to enable securely joint each other. Such as USA issued patents U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,491, U.S. Pat. No. 6,687,948, U.S. Pat. No. 6,782,581, U.S. Pat. No. 6,836,927, U.S. Pat. No. 6,836,926 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,244 as well as USA published patents S2004/0025280, US2005/0039292, US2004/0098821 and US2004/0117938, all disclosed their different types of wiper arm head in association with its exclusive joint device. In which, a conventional wiper arm with snap-on head disclosed in USA published patents US2005/0177970 is shown in the FIG. 1, FIG. 3 through FIG. 5. The head 2 is a hollow cuboid, which having a upward bent front tab 3 projecting on the head and having a pair of parallel and symmetrical bottom flap 4 downwards protruding at both vertical endwise sides of its central bottom end; an end brim 4a being formed at each said bottom flap 4 inwards said wiper arm 1 and a bottom edge 2a at said head 2 intersect in a acute included angle-θ (as shown in A view of the FIG. 1); The exclusive joint device in coordination with said conventional wiper arm 1 with snap-on head as shown in the FIG. 2 through FIG. 5 comprises a main body 10 and an upper gantry 20, where said main body 10, which is a cuboid, has an upper section vertical longitudinal side 11 with a spindle hole 12 perforating through at center and a lower section base with a pair of parallel insetting clip 13 inwards juxtaposing at both bottom brim such that said insetting clip 13 and said spindle hole in perpendicular configuration; said upper gantry 20, which is a hollow cuboid directly sheathing on the top surface and both said vertical longitudinal side 11 of said main body 10, has a snap-on hole 211 perforating at the junction of front section and middle section and a round hole 221 perforating at center of each middle section vertical lengthwise side as well as a pair of parallel juxtaposing elastic fin 24 projecting at rear end side 23 of each said vertical lengthwise side 22, in which a snap-on lug 25 is outwards protruded at each free end of said both elastic fin 24 such that a oblique top 251 being contrived between said snap-on lug 25 and the top surface of said elastic fin 24 as well as an oblique side 252 with angle equivalent to said included angle-θ being contrived at the junction of said snap-on lug 25 and the vertical outer side of said elastic fin 24 (as shown in S view of the FIG. 2).
Refer to FIG. 3 through FIG. 6, the rigging join method of said (conventional wiper arm 1 with snap-on head) and its exclusive joint device is described below, First, grip the central position of said elastic metal strip 7 on said wiper 6 by said insetting clip 13 at the bottom of said main body 10, then drive said fixing spindle 30 through said round hole 221 on said vertical lengthwise side 22 and said spindle hole 12 on said vertical longitudinal side 11 of said main body 10 respectively so that enable said upper gantry 20 to swivel tilt in some limit with said fixing spindle 30 of said main body 10 as pivot; Next, align and insert said front tab 3 on the front edge of said head 2 of said wiper arm 1 into said snap-on hole 211 on said front top surface 21 of said upper gantry 20 (as shown in the FIG. 4 and A view of the FIG. 6); then apply force on said wiper arm 1 in direction towards said upper gantry 20 so that said two bottom flaps 4 on said head 2 shove said snap-on lug 25 on said elastic fin 24 of said upper gantry 20 (as shown in B view of the FIG. 6); Lastly, by means of guiding function of said oblique top 251 on each said snap-on lug 25, said two bottom flaps 4 will synchronously securely snap-on said oblique side 252 of each said snap-on lug 25 (as shown in the FIG. 5 and A-A view of the FIG. 5) to finish the rigging joint of said wiper arm 1 and said wiper 6.
However, some drawbacks exist in the dismantling operation of said joint device from conventional wiper arm with (snap-on head) as below, Refer to FIG. 7 through FIG. 9, prior to the replacing a new wiper for said conventional wiper arm 1 with (snap-on head), an upwards force must be applied on wiper arm 1, which tightly stays on the windshield G in horizontal status (as shown in the FIG. 7); So that said wiper arm 1 is folded into vertical status together with said wiper 6 being separated away said windshield G in order to proceed the dismantling operation of worn wiper 6; The dismantling steps are described below:
a. Pinch two said snap-on lugs 25 on each said elastic fin 24 of said upper gantry 20 by the thumb and the forefinger of one hand to force two free ends of each said elastic fin 24 approach each other (as two arrow-heads shown in FIG. 9A); So that two said oblique sides 252 on each said snap-on lugs 25 are not snap-on confined by two said bottom flaps 4 on said head 2 any longer;
b. Hold said wiper arm 1 by another hand to apply force towards away of said upper gantry 20 in order to let said two bottom flaps 4 on said head 2 of said wiper arm 1 separate off two said elastic fins 24 on said upper gantry 20 (as shown in FIG. 9B);
c. Continuously separate said upper gantry 20 off said wiper arm 1 until said front tab 3 on said head 2 being not contact with the inner wall of said front top surface 21 on said upper gantry 20 any longer; so that let said front tab 3 get rid of the confinement of said snap-on hole 211 in order to finish the dismantling operation of worn wiper 6 off said wiper arm 1 now (as shown in FIG. 9C).
However, there are some drawbacks in aforementioned dismantling operation of worn wiper 6 as below, First, in step a, the maimed person handicapped without thumb, forefinger or middle finger is unable to force said two elastic fins 24 approach each other to get rid of the snap-on confinement by two said bottom flaps 4 (only one said elastic fin 24 being inwards compressed does not enable to separate off two said bottom flaps 4 as another said elastic fin 24 being still snapped). Such contrivance rather discriminates against the maimed person for not taking account of them. Next, there is no subsidiary fixing design with said elastic fin 24. Due to weakening elasticity caused from attachment of improper foreign matter or external force collision as well as aging by weathering, said elastic fin 24 might automatically separate off said two bottom flap 4 on said head 2 unexpectedly and hurt the surface of the windshield G eventually (it always happens in high speed swing of wiper arm adjustment during snowstorm).

Joint device for wiper arm of car windshield


A method of forming a thin film pattern by placing a functional liquid on a substrate, includes a bank formation step of forming banks in accordance with the thin film pattern on the substrate, a residue processing step of removing residue between the banks, and a material placement step of placing the functional liquid between the banks removed the residue.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of filming a thin film pattern and a method of manufacturing a device, and to an electro-optical apparatus and an electronic apparatus.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-98274, filed Apr. 1, 2003 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-70834, filed Mar. 12, 2004, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
A photolithographic method, for example, is employed in the manufacture of devices having wiring such as electronic circuits and integrated circuits. In this photolithographic method, a photosensitive material known as resist is coated on a substrate on which an electroconductive film has been coated in advance. A circuit pattern is then irradiated thereon and the resist is developed. The electroconductive film is then etched in accordance with the resist pattern so as to form a thin film wiring pattern. This photolithographic method requires large scale equipment such as a vacuum apparatus and also requires complicated processing. Moreover, the material utilization efficiency is approximately several percent and it is necessary to scrap the greater part thereof, so that manufacturing costs are high.
In contrast to this, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,248, there is proposed a method of forming a wiring pattern on a substrate using what is known as an inkjet method, which is a droplet discharge method in which a liquid material in droplet form is discharged from a droplet discharge head. In this method, wiring pattern formation ink, which is a functional liquid in which electroconductive fine particles such as metallic fine particles have been dispersed, is coated in a pattern directly on a substrate. Heat processing and laser irradiation are then performed so as to convert this into a thin film electroconductive pattern. According to this method, photolithography becomes unnecessary so that the process is considerably simplified. In addition, this method has the merit that only a small amount of raw materials are used.
However, in the above described conventional technology, the following problem exists.
When the functional liquid is placed on the substrate in order to form the wiring pattern, if there is any residue on the substrate, then, in some cases, the functional liquid may not be placed uniformly on the substrate which becomes a cause of the occurrence of malfunctions such as bulges and wiring breakages
The present invention was conceived in view of the above point, and it is an object thereof to provide a method of forming a thin film pattern and a method of manufacturing a device, as well as an electro-optical apparatus and an electronic apparatus that enable the generation of malfunctions such as wiring breakages and the like to be suppressed.

Method of forming thin film pattern, method of manufacturing device, electro-optical apparatus and electronic apparatus


A meeting table (1), below its horizontal top (7) which forms a working area, has a container (10) housing a system (2) for remote conferences, in particular for telepresence or videoconference meetings; inside the perimeter of the top (7), at least one video screen (12) of the system (2) for remote conferences can move between a first, raised position, in which it rises up from the working area, and a second, lowered position, in which it is housed in a retracted fashion below the working area, in particular inside the container (10).

The invention relates to a meeting table.
A meeting table is usually designed in such a way that a plurality of people can comfortably interact with each other from respective positions distributed around the table.
However, increasingly often, in meeting rooms, videoconference systems are connected to the above-mentioned tables.
In such cases, a camera is angled towards the table so that it can frame the people gathered there, and a screen is turned towards the table so that participants can see the images of another meeting room connected in videoconference. Alongside the video reception and transmission system there is a system for the reception and transmission of sound and data.
Videoconference techniques have increasingly spread in recent years, but they have not succeeded in completely eliminating the need for meeting in person. This is mainly due to the difficulty in picking up various subtle aspects of the gestures, voices and facial expressions of the participants present in a remote meeting room.
To at least partly solve said problem, and in particular to improve both the camera framing angles and the screen viewing angles, the videoconference system is usually installed so that it abuts the table, thus sacrificing a certain number of working positions around the table. Obviously, according to said solution, the table can always be moved or the videoconference system removed. However, in practice, such a possibility is almost always renounced, and in fact, already at the meeting room design stage, often it is expected that a meeting table will be sized and/or shaped specifically so that it can permanently abut a videoconference system.
At the same time, the capacity for simulating physical interaction between remote meeting rooms has significantly increased thanks to new telepresence technologies.
Unlike in videoconference systems, in the more recent telepresence systems for each sector of the meeting table there is a respective high definition directional audio-video system. More specifically, a camera and a high definition screen, a microphone and a system of loudspeakers, preferably multi-channel. Data transfer takes place using standard IP technology and requires an integrated audio/video/data network.
In that way, each participant can see another participant in real time, by means of high definition images (1920×1080 native) and life-size (1:1). At the same time, the audio system positions the voice in such a way as to give the impression that it is coming from the person on the screen.
Obviously, compared with a simpler videoconference system, the greater number cameras, screens, microphones and loudspeakers, as well as more complex wiring, resulted in the design of meeting rooms and meeting tables specifically designed for telepresence purposes.
In particular there are prior art solutions involving a meeting table, on one side of which, opposite the positions of the real participants, one or more high definition screens rise up. The latter show symmetrically an identical, virtual meeting table, which is physically located in a remote position but which appears to be facing the real table. In that way, the positions of the real participants are facing, in a realistic fashion, the positions of the virtual participants, as if the latter were actually present in the room. For example, a virtual table for twelve participants may be produced using two real tables, each at a location remote from the other, having six seats on one side and three high definition screens on the opposite side.
Obviously, a meeting table designed for the use indicated above is, also in this case, difficult to use in a more traditional context. The significant size of the high definition screens positioned on one side of the table only allows actual use of the opposite half of the table. For the same reason, the entire meeting room designed for telepresence is difficult to use as a traditional meeting room, leading to an obvious waste of space and resources.


An image input/output device 100 includes an image information detection section 130 for detecting image information of an image information object 200 by receiving reflected light L from the image information object 200, and a self-luminous image display section 120 for displaying an image based on the image information detected by the image information detection section 130. The image information detection section 130 and the self-luminous image display section 120 are attached together in a back-to-back arrangement. The self-luminous image display section 120 functions as an image-information-detecting light source for irradiating the image information object 200 with light L through the image information detection section 130.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image input/output device in which an image information detection section for receiving reflected light from an image information object to detect the image information of the object, and a self-luminous image display section for displaying an image based on the image information detected by the image information detection section are attached together in a back-to-back arrangement, and an image information reading method therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Image input/output devices in which a flat image sensor and a flat display are attached together in a back-to-back arrangement have been developed in the art.
For example, JP 5-100645A discloses a device for reading/processing/displaying external information. The device includes a display device such as a flat panel display and a scanner for reading external information integrally attached to the back side of the display device, with the backlight (light source) of the display device being used also as the light source of the scanner. An information processing device is integrated with the scanner and the display device so that scanned information from the scanner is displayed on the display device. It is stated that since the scanner is provided so as to form a part of the whole device, it is possible to display information from the scanner with a small and light-weight device.
JP 6-175590A discloses a card-shaped display device including a two-dimensional contact image sensor to be placed closely on a scanned object for reading the image of the object in the image-reading area, a liquid crystal display provided above the two-dimensional image sensor, and a double-sided light source provided between the two-dimensional image sensor and the liquid crystal display for illuminating the surface of the scanned object through the two-dimensional image sensor and also for displaying the image of the object on the liquid crystal display. It is stated that using the card-shaped device in which an image-reading section and a display section are integrated together, it is possible to read the image of the scanned object with the two-dimensional image sensor placed closely on the scanned object and to immediately display the obtained image on the liquid crystal display.
JP 7-322012A discloses an image input/output device including a two-dimensional contact image sensor and a liquid crystal display for displaying, on an enlarged scale, whole or part of image information obtained by the image sensor. The image sensor and the liquid crystal display are arranged so that the image-reading surface of the image sensor and the display surface of the liquid crystal display are the front and back surfaces, respectively, of the image input/output device, with the display surface being located directly above the image-reading area. The publication states as follows. Since the display surface is located directly above the image-reading area, the place where an image is being obtained corresponds to the place where it is being displayed, thereby eliminating the possibility of mis-reading as the user can obtain the image while viewing it on the display. Moreover, the device can be provided with an image enlarging function and a translation function, thus realizing a compact and easy-to-use image input/output device. Furthermore, in the image input/output device disclosed in JP 7-322012A, a flat light source (including a light source, a reflective member and a light guide plate) is provided between the front-side liquid crystal display and the back-side image sensor, and the flat light source is used as the backlight for the liquid crystal display and as the light source for the image sensor (a light source for illuminating the scanned object).
When such an image input/output device is used as a portable information-collecting tool, it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the device as much as possible in order to improve the portability thereof.
However, as illustrated in FIG. 9, it is difficult to reduce the thickness of a conventional image input/output device 300 because of the structure thereof in which three components, i.e., a display 310, a light source 320 and an image sensor (scanner) 330, are layered on one another.

Image input/output device and image information reading method therefor


A control arrangement for a coffee machine is provided and comprises a central unit having a main control unit and a plurality of peripheral units/components. Each peripheral unit/component is connected to the central unit by means of a “smart” connector, which is coded and which can provide information relating to the unit/component connected thereto to the main control unit. In order to allow information to be transferred, the central unit comprises a master communication device, each peripheral unit/component is provided with a slave communication device, and a communication line is provided for connecting the master communication device to the slave communication devices. The transferred information is unambiguously associated to the unit/component and may comprise counters, historical information, performance data and the like.

Coffee machines having a wide variety of different structures and operating principles are known.
In particular, so-called fully automatic coffee machines are known, in which, upon selection of a desired coffee drink by a user (e.g. by pushing a button), all the operations necessary for the preparation and delivery of a coffee drink are carried out automatically.
To this purpose, in general fully automatic coffee machines comprise several functional units, which may include a grinding unit for grinding coffee beans into coffee powder, a weighing unit for selecting the correct dose of coffee powder, a brewing unit for brewing coffee starting from the coffee powder dose, a foaming unit for foaming milk, a fridge unit for keeping milk at low temperature, and so on.
Fully automatic coffee machines also comprise a control unit for controlling the above-mentioned functional units according to the user's selection.
The control unit sends command signals to the functional units containing the instructions to be carried out, and receives from such functional units signals containing information relating to their operating conditions. Usually, the control unit also has a memory module for storing historical information relating to the coffee machine operation (operating conditions, number of working cycles, history of faults and so on).
Also other kinds of coffee machines, such as for instance so-called semi-automatic coffee machines, may comprise a similar control arrangement, which includes a main control unit and a plurality of peripheral, functional units communicating with each other.
This kind of control arrangements, however, has several limitations and drawbacks.
First of all, known control arrangements for coffee machines are able to carry out a general control of the coffee machine, i.e. the control is carried out at the level of the functional units, but they are not capable of implementing a detailed control of the coffee machine, i.e. a control of each single component (e.g. motors, pumps, valves) of the coffee machine.
As the functional units of a coffee machine may have a complex structure, maintenance and servicing operation exclusively based upon such general information can be ineffective and time-consuming.
Secondly, known control arrangements are not able to identify whether or not the prescribed functional unit (e.g. an original functional unit approved by the coffee machine manufacturer) has been mounted to the coffee machine, thus avoiding use of not allowed spare parts.
Thirdly, in known control arrangements all information is stored solely in the main control unit, so that a peripheral unit, once removed from the coffee machine, contains no historical information concerning its operation.
EP 1 626 375 discloses an apparatus and method for controlling a dispensing machine comprising a plurality of modules or sub-assemblies in which at least one of said modules or sub-assemblies is provided with an electronic tag and the machine is provided with a tag scanner or reader for interacting with said tag by reading, writing and transmitting information data on or through said tag and operating said dispensing machine according to the information gathered from said tag(s). Such tag(s) may contain an identification code as well as information regarding the operating parameters of the associated module/sub-assembly. Although dealing with some of the above-mentioned problems, the control arrangement disclosed in EP 1 626 375 has a complex structure and entails the need of a dedicated component, i.e. the tag scanner or reader, for implementing the communication between the central control unit and the modules or sub-assemblies of the dispensing machine. The provision of such tag scanner or reader makes the central control unit of the dispensing machine more complicated and the communication between said central control unit and the modules or sub-assemblies less reliable.
EP 2 254 280 discloses a domestic appliance comprising a plurality of operational components, in which each of said components is provided with a combined control/connector and all the combined control-connectors are electrically coupled to a same bus. The disclosed domestic appliance further comprises a central control unit, which is not electrically coupled to the bus.
EP 2 254 280 is completely silent with respect to the above-mentioned problems.
The main object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks and limitations by providing an improved control arrangement for coffee machines.
More specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a control arrangement allowing to exchange information with single components of the functional units of the coffee machine, such as motors, pumps, valves and the like, in a simple a reliable way, avoiding the need of additional components.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a control arrangement in which the historical information relating to a component operation is associated not only to the coffee machine, but also to the component itself.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a control arrangement capable of identifying whether the correct, prescribed components are mounted to the coffee machine.
These and other objects are achieved by a control arrangement for a coffee machine as claimed in the appended claims.

Control arrangement for a coffee machine


An injection molding machine includes a plasticating unit for plasticating a thermoplastic resin, and an injecting unit connected to the plasticating unit through a connecting passage to inject the plasticated resin into a mold. In the connecting passage, provided is a buffering unit for reserving the resin in an amount at least equal to the quantity of the resin injected per one shot. The plasticated resin is temporarily reserved in the buffering unit, and then, the reserved resin is fed to the injecting unit when the measuring is carried out, whereby the plasticating unit can be driven continuously simultaneously with the operation of the injecting unit and the mold. The molding cycle can shortened with the plastication efficiency being enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermoplastic resin injection molding machine, and more particularly to a thermoplastic resin injection molding machine including a plasticating unit and an injecting unit provided independently of each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional injection molding machine including a plasticating unit for plasticating a thermoplastic resin, and an injecting unit for injecting the plasticated resin into a mold, provided independently of each other, known is a screw preplasticating injection molding machine. In the front of the injecting plunger of the injecting unit, formed is a chamber, what is called a reservoir, for reserving a resin in an amount equal to the injection quantity of the resin per shot. To the chamber, the resin plasticated in the plasticating unit is supplied, and injected into the mold by moving the injecting plunger forward.
In such a conventional injection molding machine, the molding cycle comprises the processes of injection, dwelling, cooling, mold opening and closing, which are repeated in that order, as understood in the molding cycle of a conventional injection molding machine shown in FIG. 1. During the processes of injection, dwelling, and mold opening and closing, the plasticating unit is stopped. Simultaneously at the time when the cooling process is started, the screw of the plasticating unit is driven to plasticate the resin and feed the plasticated resin to the reservoir (measured).
Margin means a spare time till the opening and closing of the mold is started after the cooling, and is provided to stabilize the molding cycle. The period of the margin is changed depending on the injection amount of a resin per shot.
As described above, in the conventional injection molding, the plasticating process is carried out synchronously with the measuring process in the injecting unit and intermittently during a series of the processes constituting the molding cycle. As regards a resin such as LCP (liquid crystal polymer) which has low screw-engaging properties, the plastication does not start soon after the screw starts. Therefore, the plastication efficiency of the intermittent driving is very low. As a result, for the plastication, a long period of time is required. This brings about the prolongation of the molding cycle.

Thermoplastic resin injection molding machine


An additive formulation for lignocellulosic composites comprising a) a first aqueous emulsion comprising i) a component selected from the group consisting of petroleum wax, a triglyceride, and combinations thereof; and ii) a first anionic emulsifier; and b) a second aqueous emulsion comprising: i) a reaction product of I) a derivative of a polyol selected from the group consisting of saccharides, sugar alcohols, sugar acids, gluconic acids, and gluconic acid lactones; and II) a polyisocyanate; and ii) an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of a second anionic emulsifier, a non-ionic emulsifier, and mixtures thereof, is disclosed.

Lignocellulosic composites include a number of products made by the panel board industry, such as for example plywood, oriented strand board (OSB, also referred to as flake or wafer board), medium density fiber board (MDF), high density fiberboard, chipboard, laminated veneer lumber, particleboard, and the like. Such composites are formed from wood chips, wood particles and/or fibers, an adhesive binder, and optionally fillers, additives, and/or processing aids. The wood is generally mixed or treated with the binder and the additives and/or fillers, and pressed into the desired shape, i.e., boards, using a specified compacting pressure at a specified temperature range.
In both lignocellulosic composites and lumber (the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material) (collectively referred to herein as "lignocellulosic products") it is desirable to control water absorption, which leads to swelling and/or shrinkage. Such dimensional instability has a detrimental effect on the utility of the product. For example, in plywood used for floor underlay, swelling causes buckling or creep in the final wood or tile overlay. Water absorption can also increase the rate of biological degradation of the product.
Waxes have been used to impart water-resistant properties to lignocellulosic products. Waxes are commonly incorporated into composites by addition to the binder, usually in the form of an emulsion. Waxes can also be used to impregnate wood, again when in the form of an emulsion. However, due to increased difficulty in sourcing wax streams and increased environmental awareness, efforts have been made to source alternative raw materials. Such materials include bio-based oils and triglycerides which can be used either alone or in combination with slack waxes as concentrates or emulsions. However, this can result in performance and product stability gaps, especially with shear and cold stability.
Therefore, a wax emulsion formulation containing bio-based oils or triglycerides that do not have these negative properties would be desirable.

Additives for lignocellulosic composites


A target command generator for use in a control system for an automatic transmission having a simple planetary gearset in series with a multiple-ratio gearset, the target command generator providing input for a controller for the simple planetary gearset to achieve synchronized control of pressure operated friction elements of the gearsets to effect smooth swap-shifts during an overall transmission ratio change.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiple-ratio automatic transmission characterized by a swap-shift between at least two transmission ratios.
2. Background Art
Prior art U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,292,731; 5,722,519; 5,553,694; 5,758,302; 6,370,463; and 6,577,939 disclose control systems for the multiple-ratio automatic transmission for an automotive vehicle driveline which establish torque flow paths between the vehicle engine and vehicle traction wheels. The transmission of each of the prior art references uses an overdrive or auxiliary gearset in series relationship with respect to a multiple-ratio geared transmission, sometimes referred to as a main gearset or a Simpson gearset. The transmission is characterized by the so-called swap-shift during upshifts from a second gear ratio to a third gear ratio and from a second gear ratio to a fifth gear ratio as the vehicle is accelerated. Conversely, a swap-shift occurs during downshifts from the third gear ratio to the second gear ratio and from the fifth gear ratio to the second gear ratio.
During a swap-upshift from the second gear ratio to the third gear ratio, the overdrive gearset must be downshifted, while the Simpson gearset is upshifted, the shifts being synchronized or coordinated during shift progression in each gearset. Conversely, a swap-downshift from the third ratio to the second ratio requires a simultaneous upshift of the overdrive gearset and a downshift of the Simpson gearset in a synchronized manner.
Ratio changes in the overdrive gearset are controlled by pressure operated clutches and brakes, as are the ratio changes in the Simpson gearset. In the case of a swap-upshift from the second overall ratio to the third overall ratio, a reaction brake for the overdrive gearset must be released as a reaction brake for the Simpson gearset is applied. Conversely, on a 3-2 swap-downshift, a reaction brake for the Simpson gearset must be released in synchronism with the application of a friction brake for the overdrive gearset.
In the case of a swap-upshift from the second ratio to the fifth ratio, the reaction brake for the overdrive gearset must be released in synchronism with the engagement of a clutch for the Simpson gearset, the latter drivably connecting two gear elements of the Simpson gearset so that the Simpson gearset ratio, following an upshift, is unity.
Transmissions of the kind disclosed in prior art references, under certain operating conditions, cannot achieve precise synchronization of the upshift and the downshift of the two series-related gearsets during a swap-shift. Precise synchronization is required, however, throughout the life of the transmission, notwithstanding vehicle component and environmental variations. Although precise synchronization can initially be achieved by calibration, calibrated synchronism becomes less precise throughout the useful life of the transmission as the transmission ages. This may cause small errors in the upshift and downshift timing of the two gear units. Such errors in synchronism have a significant effect on the overall shift quality. Specifically, gear ratio "flares" and gear ratio "overshoots," as well as output torque disturbances, can result if synchronization errors develop.

Auxiliary gearset shift progression command generator for a swap-shift automatic transmission


A laser-produced plasma extreme ultraviolet source has a buffer gas to slow ions down and thermalize them in a low temperature plasma. The plasma is initially trapped in a symmetrical cusp magnetic field configuration with a low magnetic field barrier to radial motion. Plasma overflows in a full range of radial directions and is conducted within a cone-shaped sheet to an annular beam dump.

There is a need for more powerful sources of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light at 13.5 nm in order to increase the throughput of semiconductor patterning via the process of EUV Lithography. Many different source designs have been proposed and tested (see historical summary for background [1]) including the highly efficient (up to 30%) direct discharge (DPP) lithium approach [2,3,4,5,6,7] and also laser-plasma (LPP) irradiation of tin—containing [8] or pure tin droplets [9,10,11]. Laser irradiation of tin droplets has been the subject of intensive recent development [12,13], particularly in the pre-pulse variant [11], which has a demonstrated efficiency of 4% and a theoretical efficiency of up to 6%.
In both lithium DPP and tin LPP approaches it is necessary to keep metal atoms from condensing on the collection mirror that faces the EUV-emitting plasma. Also, in the tin LPP approach, but not with lithium DPP, there are fast ions ranging up to 5 keV that have to be stopped otherwise the collection mirror suffers sputter erosion. The design of a successful EUV source based on a metal vapor must strictly protect against deposition on the collector of even 1 nm of metal in days and weeks of operation, and this factor provides the most critical constraint on all of the physics that can occur in a high power source. In the case of lithium, extremely thorough metal vapor containment is provided via a buffer gas heat pipe [2]. However, the heat pipe containment technology cannot be extended to tin sources because the heat pipe temperature would have to be 1300° C. to provide the equivalent tin vapor pressure versus 750° C. for lithium. This vastly higher working temperature renders the heat pipe approach essentially unworkable for tin whereas it is very practicable for lithium.
Harilal et al. [14,15] have performed a series of studies on the use with a tin LPP source of either a magnetic field, a buffer gas, or a combination of these to slow down fast ions and protect the collection optic. Many magnetic field configurations have been discussed [16-29], with and without a buffer gas, to trap and exhaust tin ions. Methods have been proposed [30,31] to further ionize tin atoms so that they may be controlled by an applied magnetic field. The symmetrical magnetic mirror trap [18] has a long axial exhaust path for tin ions and if this path has a shallow gradient of magnetic field, can suffer from a build-up of plasma density as successive tin droplets are irradiated. Two things begin to go wrong: 1) there is an EUV absorption cross section of 2×10−17 cm2 for tin atoms that causes increasing EUV absorption loss as the plasma density builds, and 2) the mirror magnetic trap is unstable [14] to lateral plasma loss, which can expose the collection optic to tin atoms. Refinements of the mirror trap have been described [20,23] in which an asymmetry is introduced so that plasma flow is toward a weaker magnetic field at one end of the mirror configuration. This also can be combined with an electric field [20] to aid plasma extraction at the end with lower magnetic field. However, only a relatively constricted path is available for plasma exhaust toward one end of such a trap configuration, implying a limited heat removal capacity. Other magnetic configurations [27,29] have been designed to protect the collection optic, but these rely on gas cooling, and do not provide a specific path for plasma flow toward a large area plasma beam dump. Accordingly, the power scaling of such configurations is limited due to lack of heat removal.
Buffer gases have been discussed [15,32,33] to reduce ion energy and protect the collection optic. One of the main buffer gases used has been hydrogen [13,33] but as plasma power increases there is an increasing fraction of molecular hydrogen dissociation that can lead to vacuum pumping and handling problems of reactive hydrogen radicals. Coolant gases with more favorable properties, in that they do not react chemically, are argon and helium. These gases have higher EUV absorption than hydrogen [15], so they may only be used at lower density. However, argon has substantial stopping power for fast tin ions [15], and is particularly effective when a magnetic field is combined with a gas buffer to lengthen the path of tin ions via curvature in the field.

Extreme ultraviolet source with magnetic cusp plasma control


A cable with a scintillation fiber having high radiation detecting accuracy is provided. The cable comprise a protective tube, a scintillation fiber accommodated in the protective tube, and a light emission preventing element accommodated in the protective tube.

FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing illustrating a radiation detector that uses a scintillation fiber. In FIG. 8, 1 denotes radial rays. 2a and 2b denote light pulses derived from fluorescence. 3 denotes a cable including a scintillation fiber. 4a and 4b denote light receiving elements coupled to the scintillation fiber 3. 5a and 5b denote head amplifiers. 6a and 6b denote constant fraction discriminators (pulse height discriminators). 7 denotes a signal delay circuit. 8 denotes a time-to-pulse height converter. 9 denotes an analog-to-digital converter. 10 denotes a multichannel pulse height analyzer (radiation analyzer). Operations thereof will be described below. When the radial rays 1 enter into the scintillation fiber 3, fluorescence is generated within the scintillation fiber 3. As a result thereof, the light pulses 2a and 2b propagate to the respective ends of the scintillation fiber 3. The light receiving elements 4a and 4b convert the received light pulses 2a and 2b to electric pulse signals, respectively. The electric pulse signals are input into the time-to-pulse height converter 8 via the constant fraction discriminators 6a and 6b and the signal delay circuit 7. An electrical pulse having a pulse height in proportion to a time lag between arrival timing to the light receiving element 4a and arrival timing to the light receiving element 4b is output from the time-to-pulse height converter 8. The output pulse is input into the analog-to-digital converter 9. The multichannel pulse height analyzer 10 discriminates the pulses for each pulse height to count them. This makes out a position of incidence of the radial rays 1. The count number makes out a radiation dose rate. In the above description, coupling of the light receiving elements 4a and 4b to the respective ends of the scintillation fiber 3 makes out the position of incidence of the radial rays 1. This is referred to as the Time of Flight (TOF) method (method for measuring time lag in flight). This is a typical radiation dose measuring method listed in the following citation list. Only one light receiving element is sufficient for measuring the only radiation dose rate.
A plastic scintillation fiber (PSF) is known as the scintillation fiber 3. The PSF is a plastic fiber including a plastic scintillator (core) clad in a low refractive index polymer. The core is typically configured such that an organic fluorescent substance is dissolved in an organic polymer (e.g., polystyrene and polyvinyl toluene) having an aromatic ring. The low refractive index polymer is, for example, polymethyl methacrylate or fluorine-containing polymethyl methacrylate. The PSF is employable for the use of the radiation measurement. A principle of the radiation measurement using the PSF is as follows. When the radial rays (e.g., high energy electromagnetic waves such as X-rays and γ-rays; neutron rays; electron rays (β-rays); charged particle radiation such as protons) are radiated to the core, ultraviolet rays are emitted from the high polymer of the aromatic ring as a core material. As a result thereof, the contained organic fluorescent substance induces absorption of ultraviolet radiation and wavelength conversion to a long wavelength. More specifically, the contained organic fluorescent substance induces conversion to a blue color that represents the maximum sensitivity of a photomultiplier tube. The blue color light propagates through the core to reach each of the light receiving elements where it is detected.
FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing illustrating a luminescence principle by irradiation of the radial rays to the PSF. When the radial rays cross the PSF, the poly styrene (PS) constituting the core emits ultraviolet radiation having a wavelength around 300 nm. The core made of the PS contains, for example, two different kinds of fluorescent agents (e.g., a primary fluorescent agent and a secondary fluorescent agent) (see, FIG. 10). The ultraviolet radiation is converted into light having a wavelength of around 350 nm by the primary fluorescent agent, and the light having the wavelength around 350 nm is further converted into visible blue color light having a wavelength around 430 nm by the secondary fluorescent agent. At a position within a range of several mm from the position at which the radial rays entered, the wavelength conversion from the ultraviolet radiation having the wavelength of around 350 nm to the visible blue color light having the wavelength of around 430 nm completes (see, FIG. 9). The visible blue color light partially propagates in a longitudinal direction of the PSF to the respective sides of the PSF. The light receiving elements (e.g., photomultiplier tube and PMT) that received the visible blue color light output electric signal pulses. Intensities of the visible blue color light reaching the ends of the PSF are normally weak, i.e., are a level within a range between several photons and several tens of photons (light quantum). FIG. 11 illustrates an example of the radiation detection assembly having a simplest structure using the PSF. When the radial rays 1 cross the PSF cable 3, many photons having a blue color wavelength are generated through the core of the PSF. The light pulse 2 of a portion thereof propagates to the right (rightward in FIG. 11) within the PSF. The blue light of the range between several photons and several tens of photons reaches a photomultiplier tube coupled to a right end face of the PSF as the light pulse 2 having a time width of several nanoseconds. The radial rays cross the PSF cable 3 at random times. Therefore, the light receiving elements (e.g., photomultiplier tubes) 4 output electric pulse signals at random times. The electric pulse signals are amplified by the head amplifiers 5. The constant fraction discriminators (pulse height discriminators) 6 convert only signals of a level higher than the noise level into rectangular pulses. A multichannel scaler 11 counts the number of the rectangular pulse signals per unit time to measure the radiation intensity thereof. In a lower part of FIG. 11, changes of signals are schematically illustrated with the horizontal axis being time and the vertical axis being signal strength. The changes of signals are illustrated in the order that the radial rays are entered into the PSF, the radial rays are converted into the optical pulse signals, thus obtained optical pulse signals are further converted into the electric pulse signals, and the resulting signals are finally counted.
In a case where the photomultiplier tube is employed as the light receiving element, it is desirable to use the blue color light-emitting scintillation fiber. In a case where silicon photo diode is used as the light receiving element, since the silicon photo diode is more sensitive to a longer wavelength, it is desirable to use a green color light-emitting scintillation fiber having a wavelength of around 500 nm, more desirably, a red color light-emitting scintillation fiber having a wavelength of around 600 nm. To achieve this, various kinds of scintillation fibers made by appropriately selecting kinds and combinations of phosphors to be dissolved in the polystyrene are used.
To enhance measurement sensitivity, it is possible to use the PSF having a diameter of a range between 2 and 5 mm.
In a case where the PSF having a length beyond three meters up to several tens meters is used, it is essential for the PSF cable to have flexibility for the sake of accommodation of the PSF cable and measurement with the PSF cable being bent. In consideration of the measurement sensitivity and the flexibility of the PSF, a cable having a configuration that a plurality of PSFs each having a diameter less than 2 mm is bundled to be accommodated in the protective tube is proposed. In the above situation, to enhance the flexibility of the cable, it is preferable that the protective tube and the PSF are not tightly coupled to each other, i.e., are not formed into one piece, but are only assembled loosely. Further, it is preferable that the plurality of PSFs is not bound into one body but is restricted loosely. It is preferable that the plurality of PSFs is simply accommodated in the protective tube spaced constantly one another.

Cable and radiation measurement apparatus


An apparatus for measuring a strength of a magnetic field, including a switch including contacts configured to change position when a switching threshold is reached, wherein the switching threshold is reached by modifying an external magnetic field around the switch, and a coil wound around the switch, wherein the coil is used to modify the external magnetic field, wherein a first current is driven through the coil wound around the switch until a first switching threshold is obtained, wherein a second current is driven through the coil wound around the switch until a second switching threshold is obtained, and wherein a value of the first current when the first switching threshold is reached and a value of the second current when the second switching threshold is reached are used to determine the strength of the magnetic field.

Typically, magnetic fields are measured using flux gates or Hall probes (i.e., Hall effect switches). A Hall effect refers to the potential difference on the opposite sides of an electrical semiconductor through which an electrical current is flowing, created by a magnetic field applied perpendicular to the current. The applied magnetic field exerts a transverse force on the moving charge carriers in the flowing current, which tends to push the charge carrier to one side of the semiconductor. A buildup of charge at the sides of the semiconductor balances this magnetic influence, producing a measurable voltage between the two sides of the semiconductor. A measurement of the voltage created by the Hall effect can be used to obtain a measurement of the magnetic field. Because Hall probes use semiconductors to measure a magnetic field, the Hall effect method is subject to all the common limitations associated with semiconductors, such as sensitivity to temperature and changes over time to the semiconductor material. Further, Hall effect devices typically produce a very low signal level and thus require amplification.
Alternatively, changes in magnetic field strength can be measured using flux gates. A flux gate is made by winding coil around a core of an electromagnet (several turns of electric wire). In accordance with Faraday's Law, any change in the magnetic environment of a coil of wire will cause a voltage to be "induced" in the coil. Therefore, any changes of magnetic flux through the electromagnet core produce voltage on the flux gate, and the induced voltage is directly proportional to the time derivative of magnetic flux and the number of wire turns of the flux gate. Flux gates used to measure the strength of magnetic fields can be very sensitive to quick changes of magnetic field, and may also have a weak sensitivity to slow changes of magnetic field. Moreover, the flux gate measurement device must be periodically recalibrated with respect to a well-known magnetic field.

Reed relay for magnetic field measurement


A multiple actuator disk drive utilizes multiple heads, associated with respective ones of multiple actuators, to read data from and write data to all tracks on the surface of a disk. The positioning of each head by the respective actuator is controlled by embedded servo-information recorded in the data tracks. The data tracks have a density of greater than 2000 tracks per inch. Utilizing two actuators provides access times which are reduced with respect to the access times provided by disk drives having a single actuator and an increased data transfer rate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disk drives; more particularly, to high performance disk drives having multiple actuators.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional disk drives for use in work stations, personal computers, portable computers, and lap top computers, utilize a single actuator to position a single head with respect to each disk surface. Such disk drives often incorporate a plurality of disks organized in a stack, and a plurality of heads associated with corresponding ones of the disk surfaces. All of the heads are supported and positioned by the single actuator. During operation, only a single head reads or writes information from or to each disk surface.
Greater demands are being placed on disk drives by (1) the use of multi-user and/or multi-tasking operating systems, (2) work stations which provide an operating environment requiring the transfer of large amounts of data to and from a hard disk and/or large numbers of disk accesses to support large application programs or multiple users, and (3) the continuing trend toward higher performance microprocessors. The demands on disk drives include higher data transfer rates along with greater access to data.
To satisfy these demands, it has become desirable to increase the performance of hard disk drives beyond the performance levels which can be achieved by reducing access times of single actuator disk drives. (The access time of a disk drive is conventionally known as the average seek time determined by dividing the total time required to seek between all possible ordered pairs of track addressed by the total number of ordered pairs addressed.) Although access times are one factor which determines drive performance, other factors, including the data transfer rate (both to and from the media and to and from the internal buffer of a disk drive), the overhead imposed by the electronics of the disk drive, and the average latency time, all effect the performance of a disk drive.
Conventional disk drives having a single actuator provide performance levels limited by the following factors: (1) Only one track on any one data surface can be accessed at a given time; as a corollary, considering all of the heads, only one cylinder can be accessed at a given time (a cylinder is a vertically oriented segment representing the same track on the surfaces of all of the disks). (2) It is difficult, if not impossible, to simultaneously operate any two heads mounted on a single actuator. (3) In a multi-user or multi-tasking environment one process which is a disk intensive activity substantially reduces the ability of any other process to access data.
One conventional approach to enhancing access to data is to construct a disk drive using the so-called "head-per-track" approach, where one head is dedicated to each track on each disk surface. This approach is not practical for large track densities (on the order of 1,000 or more tracks per inch) where thousands of heads would be required for each disk surface. In the environment of a work station, personal computer, or portable computer, the electronics required to operate such a large number of heads and the space required for the structural components necessary to support these heads would make it unfeasible to employ the head-per-track approach.
Another conventional approach to enhancing access to data divides the cylinders into multiple zones and utilizes multiple actuators and multiple heads per surface. For a given surface, each actuator positions one head only with respect to one of the multiple zones. One example of this approach is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,240. The multi-zone approach is equivalent to providing two separate logical disk drives which can not access each other's data, and does not enhance performance for any one zone of the disk drive.
The multi-zone approach is dictated in part by the use of actuators which support multiple heads in a vertical line which defines a cylinder, each head being associated with a corresponding one of the data surfaces of the disk drive. Because it is generally faster to electronically switch the head which is active than to perform a seek to a new track, the storage area of a disk drive is filled by cylinder. During the recording process, the actuator positions the heads at a selected cylinder and all of the tracks associated with the selected cylinder are filled with data by performing head switches. Then, a seek is performed and data is recorded in the next selected cylinder. The track densities currently in use are such that two sets of heads can not be aligned to have all heads on track for all tracks in a cylinder. This mechanical misalignment presents the same problems as mechanical off-tracking in a single actuator disk drive. Accordingly, a cylinder formatted by one group of heads can not be efficiently used by another group of heads.
A variation on the multiple zone approach is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,318,145, 4,331,990, and 4,423,448. These patents disclose disk drives having multiple actuator modules, each actuator module having multiple actuators. The actuator modules are arranged so that the head supported and positioned by each actuator primarily services a selected group of tracks and services a second group of tracks as a back-up. Any particular track is capable of being serviced by at least two heads The back-up feature is used in the event that the primary head is inoperative, or to optimize data access by utilizing the back-up head to service some of the tracks which the primary head is intended to service while the primary head is occupied reading data from other tracks. The lack of positioning control between the actuators in the various actuator modules and the imprecise positioning of the heads provided by the linear actuators utilized in this approach makes it difficult if not impossible to provide a high data density or a high performance disk drive suitable for the environment of a work station, personal computer, portable computer, or lap top computer.


A high-efficiency, compact color illuminating system and a projection type image display apparatus using the color illuminating system are provided. The color illuminating system includes a light source, a spiral lens disc that periodically scrolls light by rotational movement, and an optical unit that isolates light beams of different wavelengths from white light emitted from the light source and guides the isolated light beams to enter at least two effective regions of the spiral lens disc. The projection type image display apparatus includes the color illuminating system, an image forming unit that generates images using scrolling light from the spiral lens disc, and a projection lens unit that enlarges and projects the images formed by the image forming unit on a screen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a color illuminating system that illuminates color light beams by separating them from white light emitted from a light source and a projection type image display apparatus using the color illuminating system. More particularly, the invention is directed to a color illuminating system that illuminates high-efficiency color light and minimizes the overall optical system size, and a projection type image display apparatus using the color illuminating system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, projection type image display apparatuses form images by projecting images generated by a micro-display system, such as a liquid crystal display or a digital micro-mirror display, on a screen by means of a light source.
Such projection type image display apparatuses may be classified into 1-panel type displays and 3-panel type displays depending on the number of micro-displays used. A 3-panel, projection type image display that utilizes three micro-displays arranged in the optical paths of separate red, blue, and green light beams ensures higher light efficiency but is structurally complicated and has a higher manufacturing cost.
A basic 1-panel, projection type image display apparatus can periodically isolate red, green, and blue light beams from incident white light with a simple structure using a color wheel. However, this type of device has poor light efficiency due to the use of the color wheel, which leads to loss of two thirds of the incident light. Thus, there has been manufactured 1-panel, projection type image display apparatuses in consideration of such light efficiency reduction.
An example of a conventional 1-panel, projection type image display apparatus is illustrated in FIG. 1. In the conventional 1-panel, projection type image display apparatus, non-polarized white light is generated and emitted by a light source 11. The emitted white light is made uniform while passing a fly-eye lens array 13 and is directed towards a polarizer 15. The polarizer 15 polarizes the non-polarized white light emitted from the light source 11 into white light having a predetermined polarization component. The white light passed through the polarizer 15 is split into red, blue, and green light beams by first and second dichroic lenses 17 and 19. The first dichroic lens 17 reflects light of a blue wavelength among the incident white light and transmits light of the other wavelengths. The light transmitted through the first dichroic lens 17 is split into green and red light beams by the second dichroic lens 19.
First, second, and third scanning prisms 21, 23, and 25 that periodically scroll incident light are disposed in the optical paths of the split color light beams. The first, second, and third scanning prisms 21, 23, and 25 have a rectangular prism and are turned by a driver (not shown). As the first, second, and third scanning prisms 21, 23, and 25 are turned, the angle of a side wall of each of the first, second, and third prisms 21, 23, and 25 to the optical axis is altered. The optical paths of the light passed through each of the first, second, and third scanning prisms 21, 23, and 25 is periodically altered.
When turning the first, second, and third scanning prisms 21, 23, and 25, an initial angle of rotation of each of the first, second, and third scanning prisms 21, 23, and 25 is set such that an effective image region of a display 33 is evenly divided by the lights passed through the first, second, and third scanning prisms 21, 23, and 25. As the first, second, and third scanning prisms 21, 23, and 25 are turned, sets of colored light beams (B, R, G), (G, B, R), and (R, G, B) alternately enter the effective image region of the display 33.
The light beams passed through the first and second scanning prisms 21 and 23 are combined together by a third dichroic mirror 27 and then combined with the light beam passed through the third scanning prism 25 by a fourth dichroic mirror 29. A reflecting mirror 18 is disposed between the first and third dichroic mirrors 17 and 27, and a reflecting mirror 20 is disposed between the second and fourth dichroic mirrors 19 and 29 to alter the paths of light.
The scrolling light that passes the fourth dichroic mirror 29 enters a polarizing beam splitter 31 that transmits or reflects the incident light depending on the polarization of the incident light. Light reflected by the polarizing beam splitter 31 is periodically scrolled such that sets of color light beams as illustrated in FIG. 2 alternately enter the display 33. The display 33 forms images from the incident light. The images are formed by changing the polarization of light to be output in units of a pixel. Only the light whose polarization component was altered after being incident on the display 33 is allowed to transmit the polarizing beam splitter 31 and go toward a projection lens unit 35. The projection lens unit 35 magnifies and projects the received images on a screen 50.
The projection type image display apparatus includes a plurality of relay lenses 41 through 48 disposed in optical paths to guide the light from the light source 11 up to the display 33.
Even though the above conventional projection type image display apparatus includes only one display to form color images, its optical structure is complicated. In addition, the three scanning prisms are separately turned for scrolling and it is difficult to synchronize them by driving the display.

Color illuminating system and projection type image display apparatus using the same