A facsimile machine according to the present invention includes a memory forming a plurality of mailboxes; reception unit for receiving DTMF signals inputted over a telephone circuit from a remote device during an answering machine mode of the facsimile machine; access permission unit for allowing, when the reception unit receives input of a mailbox indication signal and a password signal corresponding to one of the plurality of mailboxes, access to the mailbox; data existence determination unit for determining whether data is stored in the mailbox when the reception unit receives input of the password signal; and telephone circuit opening unit for forcibly interrupting the telephone circuit when the data existence determination unit determines that no data is stored in the mailbox.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile machine with a mailbox function.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been known a facsimile machine with a mailbox function. While the facsimile machine is in its answering machine mode, a caller from a remote telephone or facsimile machine, by performing operations at the remote device, can access confidential data, such as voice data or image data, stored in mailboxes formed in a memory of the facsimile machine. To accomplish this, the facsimile machine is provided with a verbal guidance function. In response to a reception signal from the remote telephone or facsimile machine, the facsimile machine provides verbal guidance instructing the caller how to obtain access to a specific mailbox. The caller inputs a mailbox number and special password in accordance with this verbal guidance using a control panel of his or her remote device. The remote telephone or facsimile machine transmits the mailbox number and special password to the facsimile machine in the form of a DTMF (dual tone multi frequency) signal. When the password is correct, the facsimile machine automatically transmits the confidential data in the mailbox to the remote device.
The mailbox function can be used by businesses. For example, each salesperson of a small business can be provided with a special number for one of a plurality of mailboxes formed from the memory in the facsimile machine. Each salesperson can prestore voice data or image data in his or her mailbox. Each salesperson can then inform his or her customers of a password, such as a four digit number, for the mailbox, so that the customers can access the voice data or image data.

Facsimile machine with a mailbox function


Methods and systems are provided that support the transmission of transport blocks over carrier bundles and bandwidth part (BWP) bundles. These carrier bundles and BWP bundles include physical resources from multiple carriers, the multiple carriers being a proper subset of the carriers configured for a user equipment (UE). A base station transmits an indication to the UE identifying one or more carrier bundles and/or BWP bundles. Each carrier bundle and BWP bundle supports the transmission of a respective transport block over a given duration, and is associated with a respective hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) entity.

An air interface is the wireless communications link between two or more communicating devices, such as a radio access network device (e.g., a base station, base transceiver station (BTS), a Node-B (NodeB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a Home eNodeB, a gNodeB, a transmission point (TP), a site controller, an access point (AP), or a wireless router) and an electronic device (ED) (e.g., a user equipment (UE), a mobile phone, a sensor, a camera). Typically, both communicating devices need to know specific parameters of the air interface in order to successfully transmit and receive a transmission.
Configuring the communicating devices with the same air interface parameters allows the communicating devices to reliably identify, organize and use physical resources, such as time, frequency, or time and frequency resources. Frequency resources for the air interface may be divided into carriers (also referred to as "cells"), each carrier defining a bandwidth that may be allocated for a transmission from a network access device to an ED, or from an ED to a network access device. For example, a carrier may have a bandwidth of 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15 or 20 MHz. In some situations, an ED may be configured with multiple carriers. Each carrier may be further divided into a number of bandwidth parts (BWPs), which each consist of a number of contiguous resource blocks (RBs) within the carrier and are specific to an ED. Dividing the carrier into multiple BWPs may enable savings in transmission power by transmitting over a reduced transmission bandwidth, in comparison to transmitting over the entire carrier bandwidth. The BWPs limit the physical time and frequency resources an ED may transmit and receive on. In some situations, only one of the configured BWPs within a carrier is active for the ED over a given duration. In other situations, more than one of the configured BWPs within a carrier are simultaneously active for the ED.
In current wireless communications systems, transmissions are typically communicated in accordance with one pre-defined configuration for the air interface. Modern wireless networks, however, are increasingly used to support communications of diverse traffic types, which may have different characteristics and quality of service (QoS) requirements, such as latency, throughput, and simultaneous connections. Consequently, the different traffic types of modern wireless networks are not well-suited for a one-size-fits-all air interface configuration. It is desirable to increase the flexibility and efficiency of the air interface configuration for an ED.

Method and system for transmission over multiple carriers


The present invention relates to combination therapies comprising at least one activator of Tie-2 and immunotherapies that target immune checkpoints. Combination therapies of the disclosure can provide therapeutic effects not obtained with singly-administered immunotherapies. Combination therapies can be used to increase the therapeutic efficacy of an immunotherapy, to provide lower dosages of an immunotherapy being administered, to lower a toxicity of an immunotherapy, or to manage a side effect of an immunotherapy.

Immunotherapies can provide relief from disease states associated with the immune system. Some diseases, such as cancer, involve evasion, confusion or manipulation of the immune system to allow progression of disease, or to protect pathogens from ameliorative efforts by the immune system. Administration of immunotherapies can have unwanted effects on a subject owing to the tendency to over-modulate the subject's immune system.

Combination of immunotherapies with activators of Tie-2


An MEA 15 is arranged between frames 13, 14. A first gas flow passage forming member 21 is arranged between an anode electrode layer 17 of the MEA 15 and a first separator 23 fixed to an upper surface of the frame 13. A second gas flow passage forming member 22 is arranged between a cathode electrode layer 18 of the MEA 15 and a second separator 24 fixed to a lower surface of the frame 14. The gas flow passage forming members 21, 22 are each formed by a metal lath 25. The metal lath is formed by forming a plurality of through holes 26 in a thin metal plate in a mesh-like manner and forming the thin metal plate in a stepped shape. The gas flow passage forming members 21, 22 each include a plurality of annular portions 27 forming the through holes 26. Each of the annular portions 27 has a flat surface portion 28a in a first contact portion 28, which contacts a carbon paper 19, 20.

Conventionally, a polymer electrolyte fuel battery disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. This type of fuel battery is configured by a fuel battery stack formed by stacking power generation cells. Each of the power generation cells includes a membrane electrode assembly having an electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode layer, and a cathode electrode layer. The anode electrode layer is formed on a first surface of the electrolyte membrane and the cathode electrode layer is deposited on a second surface of the electrolyte membrane. Fuel gas such as hydrogen gas and oxidant gas such as air are supplied to the anode electrode layer and the cathode electrode layer through a gas flow passage forming member (a collector). This causes an electrode reaction in the membrane electrode assembly, thus generating power. The generated power is output to the exterior through the collector and a plate-like separator.
The gas flow passage forming member must be capable of efficiently supplying both of the fuel gas and the oxidant gas to the anode electrode layer and the cathode electrode layer. According to the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, the gas flow passage forming member is configured by a metal lath formed into a metal plate. A plurality of small through holes with predetermined shapes are formed in the metal lath. Also, substantially hexagonal through holes are formed in the metal lath in a mesh-like manner by machining a stainless steel plate with the thickness of approximately 0.1 mm into metal lath. Annular portions (strands) each forming the hexagonal through hole are connected together in a mutually overlapping state. Accordingly, the metal lath has a stepped cross section.
In the power generation cell, a carbon paper sheet formed of conductive fibers is arranged between the surface of each of the electrode layers and the gas flow passage forming member. The carbon paper sheets efficiently diffuse the fuel gas and the oxidant gas to the corresponding electrode layers. When the fuel battery stack is configured by stacking the multiple power generation cells, two separators, which are arranged in an upper portion and a lower portion of each power generation cell, are moved closer to each other in order to cause electric contact between the carbon paper sheets and the gas flow passage forming members. FIG. 49 illustrates a conventional gas flow passage forming member 1021 arranged between a carbon paper sheet 19 bonded to an anode electrode layer 17 and a separator 23. In this state, when the separator 23 is pressed downward, contact portions 1028 of the gas flow passage forming member 1021 are pressed firmly against the carbon paper sheet 19 and bite into the carbon paper sheet 19, as illustrated in FIG. 50.
Accordingly, the contact portions 1028 may cut a portion of the carbon paper sheet 19, thus deteriorating the function of the carbon paper sheet 19 as a gas diffusion layer. Also, a portion of the gas diffusion layer may enter the fuel gas flow passage in the gas flow passage forming member 1021, thus decreasing the effective area of the fuel gas flow passage. This increases pressure loss of the fuel gas, thus decreasing the supply amount of the fuel gas and lowering the power generation efficiency. Further, cut carbon fibers may be carried by the fuel gas and adhere to walls of the narrow gas flow passage in the gas flow passage forming member, thus clogging the passage. This hampers flow of the fuel gas and decreases the power generation efficiency. Also, the amount by which the contact portions 1028 bite into the carbon paper sheet 19 vary among power generation cells. This destabilizes the power generation voltage.
The gas flow passage forming member 1021 has contact portions 1030, which are arranged at the opposite side to the contact portions 1029a. Corners of the contact portions 1030 contact the separator 23, thus damaging the separator 23. Further, in this case, it is difficult to ensure a contact surface area necessary for current carrying between the gas flow passage forming member 1021 and the separator 23. This hampers supply of an electric current from the gas flow passage forming member 1021 to the separator 23, thus lowering the power generation efficiency.
To solve the above-described problem, a metal lath forming device illustrated in FIG. 40 has been employed. With reference to FIG. 40, the metal lath forming device includes a first shearing die 333 having a single shearing edge 333b and a second shearing die 334, which is arranged above the first shearing die 333 and has recesses 334b and projections 334a that are arranged alternately. When a metal lath is formed using the device, the recesses 334b and the projections 334a form upper semi-annular portions and lower semi-annular portions, respectively, in an alternating manner, through a single cycle of descent and ascent of the second shearing die 334. In this case, the lower semi-annular portions formed by the projections 334a are deformed downward so as to cause the upper semi-annular portions formed by the recesses 334b to sag diagonally downward. Each of such sagging portions forms a bent flat surface portion 1029a, as illustrated in FIG. 51. The bent flat surface portion 1029a functions as a contact portion 1029a of the gas flow passage forming member 1021 and is held in surface contact with the gas diffusion layer 19. In this manner, the aforementioned problems caused by biting of the contact portions 1029a are solved. However, since the bent flat surface portion 1029a is formed, the thickness T of the gas flow passage forming member 1021 decreases. This reduces the effective area of the gas flow passage and lowers the power generation efficiency.

Gas flow passage forming member, method of manufacturing the gas flow passage forming member, and device for forming the gas flow passage forming member


Disclosed is a method and apparatus to increase convection heat transfer in an electrical system. The increase in convection heat transfer is achieved by applying a heat source in the vicinity of an electronic element. This effectively increases the amount of airflow across the electronic element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for promoting heat transfer. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for promoting an increase of convection heat transfer in systems employing electronic components.
2. Description of Related Art
As integrated circuit packages and devices have become smaller, with shorter circuit traces and increased internal signal speeds, greater power density has resulted, causing increased heating of the devices and a need for improved heat sinking and better thermal management.
A few methods and/or apparatus are commonly employed for providing such thermal management. Some of those include: heat conduction, where through a material, such as aluminum, heat flows from a warmer temperature to a cooler temperature; natural convection, which relies on airflow for cooling without any external forces applied to the air; forced convection where fans or blowers move air in a direction parallel to the surface of an element from which heat is being removed; and impingement cooling where the air is blown at the element to be cooled in a direction perpendicular to its surface.
Although not required, often, heat sinks are provided with each of the above methods and/or apparatus to improve the removal of heat from the element. Commonly, cooling fins or vanes are employed with the heat sinks for this purpose. Each of the indicated methods and/or apparatus for cooling has a disadvantage when implemented with today""s ultra dense and sensitive integrated circuits and/or electronic devices. The heat produced by current integrated circuits can reach staggering temperature levels. Accordingly, a conventional heat sink, which relies solely upon convection heat transfer, is incapable of property cooling, and therefore, maintaining such integrated circuits at an acceptable operational temperature.
Forced convection and impingement cooling are capable of overcoming the deficiency of natural convection heat transfer. Specifically, each of forced convection and impingement cooling implements an air moving device to increase the mass flow of air across the element. This requires the installation of a fan and a predetermined supply voltage for operating the fan. The larger the increase in mass flow of air that is desired, the higher capacity fan and/or the larger the supply voltage. However, even if the element is to be cooled with a minimally sized fan, which requires a very small supply voltage, the acoustic signature of the fan may disrupt the desired operational characteristics of the integrated circuit being cooled. In many situations such a disruption in the operational characteristics of the integrated circuit is unacceptable.
The present invention provides a novel method and apparatus to increase convection heat transfer in an electrical system. The increase in convection heat transfer is achieved by introducing a heat source in the vicinity of an element to be cooled, thereby increasing convection heat transfer, i.e. increasing the amount of airflow across the element.
In addition, according to the present invention, a novel method of manufacturing an apparatus to increase convection heat transfer in an electronic system is provided. The method of manufacture includes the use of an electronic device, which is. preferably cooled using a heat source and an optional heat sink. The heat source is used to increase the convection heat transfer.

Method and apparatus to increase convection heat transfer in an electrical system and a method of manufacturing the same


A prosthetic device includes an inner socket assembly including an upper interface member having a generally cylindrical outer periphery, the outer periphery defining a diameter and a length, the diameter being substantially greater than the length, and an outer socket assembly including a lower interface member having a recess correspondingly-shaped to the outer periphery of the upper interface member. At least a portion of the upper interface member is received within the recess of the lower interface member to secure the inner socket assembly to the outer socket assembly.

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of prosthetic devices, and more specifically, to a suspension system usable with prosthetic devices such as lower limb prosthetics.
There are many challenges associated with providing an effective means of supporting, for example, a lower residual portion of a leg, within a prosthetic device. As such, various embodiments disclosed herein related to improved systems and methods of prosthetic device suspension systems.

Systems and methods for prosthetic suspension system


A fan frame (10) for a gas turbine is provided. The fan frame (10) has fan exit guide vanes (100) that are connected to an intermediate case (50) for structural support, and are constrained from movement in a radial direction by a first joint (110, 110a) and constrained from movement in an axial and radial direction by a second joint (120a, 110a). The intermediate case (50) provides structural integrity while reducing weight by providing struts (56, 95) with a width that increases in a direction away from a central bearing (55) as the thickness of the struts (56, 95) decreases.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to gas turbines. More specifically, the invention relates to a fan frame for a gas turbine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gas turbine engines include an engine core and a fan section. In aircraft, the engine core is disposed on the airframe and has a primary flowpath. The fan section is disposed coaxial with and radially outward of the engine core, and has a secondary flowpath. A fan cowling envelops the fan section and outwardly bounds the secondary flowpath. An area of concern with gas turbine engines is the structural mounting of the fan section with the engine core. The mounting structure is required to transfer all the operational loads, such as structural, thrust and aerodynamic loads, to the fan frame and thence to the airframe.
With reference to FIG. 1, a mounting structure for a turbofan including an engine core and a fan assembly is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,743. The fan assembly has a fan disk and a plurality of fan blades, which extend outwardly across the flowpath. A fan cowling extends circumferentially about the blades and a plurality of fan exit case guide vanes. The fan exit case guide vanes are attached to the fan cowling and to a support cone, which are disposed between the engine core and the plurality of guide vanes. An intermediate case structurally connects the fan cowling to the engine core. The intermediate case includes a plurality of struts and an outer ring or fan exit case rear. The struts extend from the inner platform of the engine core to the outer ring. Each of the struts is hollow to reduce weight and circumferentially continuous about a spanwise axis of the strut. The outer ring connects the intermediate case with the fan cowling through a bolted connection. Each of the struts has a joint radially located near the inner flow surface of the fan assembly.
In the above-described mounting configuration, separate guide vanes and struts are utilized. However, shorter distances between the back of fan blades and the fan exit guide vanes generally increase noise produced by the fan assembly. Thus, there is a need for a fan frame or assembly that reduces noise while maintaining structural integrity.


A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a first piezoelectric layer, and a first dummy layer. The first piezoelectric layer is over the substrate, and the first piezoelectric layer has a first top surface. The first dummy layer is over the first piezoelectric layer, and the first dummy layer has a second top surface. And an average roughness of the first top surface is greater than an average roughness of the second top surface. A method for manufacturing the semiconductor structure is also provided.

Thin film piezoelectric materials may offer a number of advantages in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), due to the large motions that can be generated, often with low hysteresis, the high available energy densities, as well as high sensitivity sensors with wide dynamic ranges, and low power requirements.
For instance, a piezoelectric actuator is attracting attention in the field of portable information equipment, chemical industry and medical field as a novel motor in place for an electromagnetic motor, as it can achieve a miniaturization and a high density in motors. Also, the piezoelectric actuator in its drive does not generate electromagnetic noises nor is affected by noises. Furthermore, the piezoelectric actuator is attracting attention as a technology for producing an equipment of submillimeter dimension as represented by a micromachine, and a small piezoelectric actuator is desired as a drive source for such micromachines.

Semiconductor structure and method for manufacturing thereof

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.


A fixing device includes: a fixing roller; a support roller arranged apart from the fixing roller; an endless fixing belt wound around the fixing roller and the support roller; a pressing roller for applying a pressure force to the fixing roller while the fixing belt being sandwiched between the fixing roller and the pressing roller; a nip extending member arranged on an upstream of the fixing roller and on an inner side of the fixing belt and having a pressing surface for pressing the fixing belt; and a variable mechanism for changing a state of a pressure applied to the fixing belt by the nip extending member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing device for fixing a toner image onto a transfer member, and an image forming apparatus provided with the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile machine include an image forming section for forming a visible toner image from an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductive member and transferring the toner image onto a transfer sheet, and a fixing device for fixing the toner image onto the transfer sheet.
As shown in FIG. 5, the fixing device includes a known belt-type fixing device in which an endless fixing belt 100 is wound around a fixing roller 101 and a support roller 102. In this fixing device, the fixing roller 101 is pressed by a pressing roller 103 in such a state where the fixing belt 100 is nipped between the fixing roller 101 and the pressing roller 103 (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2004-77871).
Meanwhile, a color image forming apparatus uses greater amount of toners at a time of fixing than a monochromatic image forming apparatus does. Therefore, it is necessary to have a longer time (nipping time) of allowing a transfer sheet to be in contact with the fixing belt. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5, a slide pressing member 110 is arranged on an upstream side of the fixing roller 101 and on an inner side of the fixing belt 100. The slide pressing member 110 presses the pressing roller 103 while the fixing belt 100 being sandwiched between the fixing roller 101 and the pressing roller 103.
As shown in FIG. 6, the slide pressing member 110 is supported by a pivot shaft 110a parallel to a rotational shaft 103a of the pressing roller 103. Therefore, the pressing roller 103 can be pressed evenly in a circumferential direction of the pressing roller 103.
However, a state of pressure applied by the slide pressing member 110 along a longitudinal direction (rotation axis direction) of the pressing roller 103 depends on parts accuracy of the slide pressing member 110, the pressing roller 103, and the like. Thus, for example, in a case where a change in an outer diameter of the pressing roller 103 occurs, a tension between the slide pressing member 110 and the pressing roller 103 differs along a longitudinal direction of the pressing roller 103. As a result, running of the fixing belt 100 is disturbed on a side having a greater tension so that disadvantageous snaking of the fixing belt 100 occurs. Further, unevenness in the tension along the longitudinal direction of the pressing roller 103 had been likely to cause unevenness in luster.

Fixing device, and image forming apparatus provided with the same


A method of growing a SiC film within an MBE system is disclosed. The method includes charging a first crucible with a quality of C60, and coating a second crucible with a layer of SiC. The second crucible is charged with a quantity of solid Si. The crucibles are installed into first and second effusion cells which are placed within the MBE growth chamber. A substrate is prepared by cleaning and polishing and loaded into the MBE growth chamber. The substrate and effusion cells are heated and a layer of SiC is grown by MBE onto the substrate.

The present invention relates generally to Molecular Bearn Epitaxy (MBE) and more specifically to a method of growing homoepitaxial silicon carbide (SiC) using MBE.
The physical and electronic properties of SIC make it a desirable candidate semiconductor material for many applications. Because of its large thermal conductivity, breakdown voltage, and electron saturation velocity, SiC is ideal for the fabrication of devices such as high frequency power devices, solid state phased array radar systems and high frequency power supplies, as well as high power devices such as power electronics for power generating systems and surge suppressors, for example. Since the bandgap of SiC is large (3.03 eV for 6H-SiC), it is also well suited to high temperature and optoelectronic applications. Moreover, SiC exists in a wide variety of stable polytype forms and, therefore, has the potential for use in novel devices utilizing heterostructures of different polytypes. Advantageously, such devices would be nearly stain-free, due to the low basal plane lattice mismatch between polytypes (Δa/a≈0.0005 for 3C/6H). Lastly, there would also be little or no contribution to heterostructure interface energy due to chemical potential differences.
While the usefulness of SiC is well known, the present methods of fabrication generally give less than satisfactory results. For example, the current practice of growing SiC for most commercial applications involves the use of a chemical vapor deposition technique. While somewhat successful, the SiC grown by this technique is expensive and lacks sufficient quality and purity for widespread use in electronic applications.
In order to overcome these limitations, recent efforts to grow the desired high purity layers of SiC have incorporated the MBE method. MBE is well known to those skilled in the art. Generally, according to the MBE method, the constituent elements of the desired semiconductor material are placed into the MBE chamber and converted into molecular beams by one of several methods, such as direct heating, electron beam impringement, and the like. The beams thus generated are directed onto a heated substrate within a growth chamber. The desired layers of material are grown upon the substrate by flux deposition over a period of time. MBE can provide extremely high purity results when the source materials and substrate are highly purified and the process ensues in an ultra high vacuum environment. The MBE method provides a high degree of control over the growth process, and as a result is well suited for the production of high quality semiconductor materials.
Thus, while the solution to the purity problem would appear to lie in the use of MBE to grow SiC, it is known that a problem lies in the inability of SiC to be reliably grown using MBE, especially homoepitaxial SiC wherein SiC layers are grown upon a SiC substrate. One recent SiC MBE technique has demonstrated heteroepitaxial growth of 3C-SiC films on Si using C60 and Si effusion cells, and the films exhibit a lower stacking fault density and show no evidence of twinning or mixed polytypes. This technique, while somewhat successful utilizes the sublimation mode of beam generation and, accordingly, provides less than desirable results.
Another recent SiC investigation utilizing the MBE technique, has resulted in the growth of 6H-SiC epitaxial layers on Si (111) and 6H-SiC(0001) by solid-source MBE using silicon and carbon flux generated by electron-beam sources. While somewhat successful, this technique also gives less than desirable results because the flux generated by the electron-beam is unstable and results in inconsistent material growth; not a solution to the problem of poviding high quality SiC semiconductor material, and especially homoepitaxial SiC.
A need exists therefore for a method of reliably growing homoepitaxial SiC utilizing the desirable MBE method and providing high quality, high purity SiC deposition.

Method of growing homoepitaxial silicon carbide

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


An acoustic-to-electrical transducer for sensing body sounds is disclosed. The transducer comprises a capacitive sensor, whereby a stethoscope diaphragm forms one plate of a capacitor, with the second plate of the capacitor being co-planar to the diaphragm. The capacitance of the two plates varies with the distance between them, said distance being modified by motion of the diaphragm in response to sound pressure. The sensor, circuitry, manufacturing methods and improvements are disclosed.

The present invention relates to sensing body sounds, and more specifically, to acoustic-to-electrical transducers used for sensing body sounds, especially in stethoscopes.
Stethoscopes are widely used by health professionals to aid in the detection of body sounds. The procedures for listening to and analyzing body sounds, called auscultation, is often difficult to learn due to the typically low sound volume produced by an acoustic stethoscope. Electronic stethoscopes have been developed which amplify the faint sounds from the body. However, such devices suffer from distortion and ambient noise pickup. The distortion and noise are largely due to the performance of the acoustic-to-electrical transducers, which differ in operation from the mechanical diaphragms used in acoustic stethoscopes.
Acoustic stethoscopes have been the reference by which stethoscope sound quality has been measured. Acoustic stethoscopes convert the movement of the stethoscope diaphragm into air pressure, which is directly transferred via tubing to the listener""s ears. The listener therefore hears the direct vibration of the diaphragm via air tubes.
Existing electrical stethoscope transducers are typically one of two types: (1) microphones mounted behind the stethoscope diaphragm, or (2) piezo-electric sensors mounted on, or physically connected to, the diaphragm.
Microphones mounted behind the stethoscope diaphragm pick up the sound pressure created by the stethoscope diaphragm, and convert it to electrical signals. The microphone itself has a diaphragm, and thus the acoustic transmission path comprises stethoscope diaphragm, air inside the stethoscope housing, and finally microphone diaphragm. The existence of two diaphragms, and the intervening air path, result in excess ambient noise pickup by the microphone, as well as inefficient acoustic energy transfer. Various inventions have been disclosed to counteract this fundamentally inferior sensing technique, such as adaptive noise canceling, and various mechanical isolation mountings for the microphone. However, these methods are often just compensations for the fundamental inadequacies of the acoustic-to-electrical transducers.
The piezo-electric sensors operate on a somewhat different principle than merely sensing diaphragm sound pressure. Piezo-electric sensors produce electrical energy by deformation of a crystal substance. In one case, the diaphragm motion deforms a piezoelectric sensor crystal which is mechanically coupled to the stethoscope diaphragm, and an electrical signal results. The problem with this sensor is that the conversion mechanism produces signal distortion compared with sensing the pure motion of the diaphragm. The resulting sound is thus somewhat different in tone, and distorted compared with an acoustic stethoscope.
Capacitive acoustic sensors have been disclosed and are in common use in high performance microphones and hydrophones. A capacitive microphone utilizes the variable capacitance produced by a vibrating capacitive plate to perform acoustic-to-electrical conversion. A capacitive microphone placed behind a stethoscope diaphragm would suffer from the same ambient noise and energy transfer problems that occur with any other microphone mounted behind a stethoscope diaphragm. The present invention, however, exploits the basic principle of a capacitive transducer in a form customized for body sound sensing, in a unique manner.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a acoustic-to-electrical transducer for detecting body sounds, the transducer comprising: a diaphragm having an electrically conductive surface, the diaphragm being mounted in a housing such that the diaphragm can contact a body for body sound detection; a conductive plate substantially parallel to the diaphragm, mounted within the housing, the conductive plate being positioned behind and spaced from the diaphragm to allow diaphragm motion, the diaphragm and conductive plate being connected in the of form an electrical capacitance to electrical circuitry; and a capacitance-to-electrical signal conversion means to convert capacitance changes to electrical signals.
The present invention provides an acoustic-to-electrical transducer means for the detection of body sounds, such as for use in a stethoscope. The term xe2x80x9cbodyxe2x80x9d in this specification may include living or inanimate bodies. Living bodies may include humans and animals, while inanimate bodies may include, by example only, buildings, machinery, containers, conduits and the like. The sensor operates on a capacitance-to-electrical conversion principle.,
The sensor detects stethoscope diaphragm movement directly, converting the diaphragm movement to an electrical signal which is a measure of the diaphragm motion. Further amplification or processing of the electrical signal-facilitates the production of an amplified sound with characteristics closely resembling the acoustic stethoscope sound, but with increased amplification, while maintaining low distortion. This is a significant improvement over the more indirect diaphragm sound sensing produced by the microphonic or piezoelectric methods described above. Since the diaphragm motion, is sensed directly, the sensor is less sensitive to outside noise than the other methods described, and the signal is a more accurate measure of the diaphragm movement. In the case of the acoustic stethoscope, diaphragm movement produces the acoustic pressure waves sensed by the listener""s ears, and in the case of the present invention, that same diaphragm movement produces the electrical signal in a direct manner, the signal eventually being used to drive an acoustic output transducer such as headphones, to set up the same acoustic pressure waves impinging on the listener""s ears.
The present invention utilizes a capacitive sensing method. Capacitive acoustic sensors have been disclosed and are in common use in high performance microphones and hydrophones. However, the present invention uses the stethoscope diaphragm itself as one plate of the capacitive sensor which touches the body surface directly. This method of direct contact capacitive sensing of body sounds as described, is unique.
The sensor comprises a movable diaphragm with a conductive surface, and a co-planar conductive surface (electrode or plate) placed behind the diaphragm, with a space or electrolyte between the two elements. The diaphragm""s conductive surface, in conjunction with the second conductive plate, form a capacitor. Movement of the diaphragm due to motion or sound pressure modulates the distance between the diaphragm and plate, producing a change in capacitance. One unique aspect of the invention lies in the fact that the stethoscope diaphragm forms one plate of the capacitor.
A feature of the invention is that the diaphragm, being the same element that makes contact with the body, is primarily sensitive to sounds emanating from the body, rather than sound transmitted through the air from ambient noise. By making contact with the body, the acoustic impedance of the sensor becomes matched to that of the body, rather than the surrounding air. Therefore, the capacitance change due to diaphragm motion is primarily due to body sounds, rather than overall ambient noise.
While a number of means are available for converting the capacitance variation to an electrical signal, the preferred embodiment performs this conversion by charging the capacitance formed by the diaphragm-plate combination to a high DC voltage, via a high resistance. This produces a somewhat constant charge on the capacitor. Movement of the diaphragm then produces a variation in the capacitance. If the capacitor charge is fixed, and the capacitance varies with time, a small AC variation in capacitance voltage is produced. This is sensed by a high-impedance amplifier, which is designed to detect the AC changes in capacitance voltage while avoiding rapid discharge of the capacitor.
A second method for detecting capacitance change is to employ the same diaphragm-plate capacitance in a high-frequency resonant or oscillation circuit, and detect changes in oscillation frequency produced by changes in the time constant of the capacitive circuit.
A third method of constructing a capacitive sensor, and sensing capacitance variation is via the use of an electret technique. This method requires that one or both of the plates of the capacitor formed by the diaphragm-plate be coated with a permanently charged material, such as an electret, material, to create a permanent electric field between the plates. Since the plate, or plates, have a permanent electric field between them, the production of a high DC charge voltage is obviated, and voltage changes can be produced due to movement without the need for a DC charge voltage produced via a circuit.
Any method of detecting capacitance change and converting such change to an electrical signal is encompassed by this invention. This invention therefore covers all such methods for detecting capacitance changes due to diaphragm motion.
It should be noted that while the preferred embodiment comprises a fixed plate behind the diaphragm, the invention includes methods whereby both plates are flexible and form a capacitance. In such a case, the basic principle applies whereby the capacitance varies due to sound pressure from the body, but the second plate is not necessarily rigid.
In the preferred embodiment, the fixed plate is mounted behind the diaphragm. In order to ensure acoustic isolation from external sounds, the fixed plate should preferably be mounted through a means which acoustically isolates it from the housing, or uses a means intended to prevent the fixed plate from vibrating. This is an important improvement which enhances noise isolation.
A variation of the basic principle of operation is to create two capacitors, by having the conductive diaphragm as described, with a conductive plate behind the diaphragm forming one capacitor, and a third plate behind the second, forming a second capacitor. The diaphragm and third plates are charged, while the second, middle plate is connected to an amplifier circuit. This two-capacitor method operates on essentially the same principle, whereby voltage across a charged capacitor varies in response to distance between plates, one plate being formed by the diaphragm.
A further feature of the invention, is the method for constructing and producing the diaphragm. The diaphragm material must be flexible, and conduct electricity, in order to perform as a variable capacitor plate sensitive to sound pressure. This electrically conductive surface is preferably, but not necessarily, electrically insulated from the surface of the diaphragm that touches the body, for both safety and interference-prevention purposes.
A further feature of the preferred embodiment is the capacitive sensing circuitry connected to the diaphragm-plate capacitor. In the preferred embodiment, the circuit comprises two critical elements: (1) a high voltage DC bias generator with very high impedance, and (2) an AC amplifier with very high impedance to sense AC voltage changes without discharging the capacitor.
The invention also includes methods for signal amplitude control, DC charge voltage control to preserve battery power, and construction and manufacture of the capacitive sensor.


A micro-adjusting device of the bicycle brake holder is composed of a cap, an adjusting seat, a ferrule, an elastic body, and an adjustment bolt. The cap is mounted on the adjusting seat which is engaged with the ferrule fastened with the bicycle brake holder. The elastic body has a horizontal end which is fastened with the cap, and a vertical end which is received in a through hole of the head of the adjustment bolt. The adjustment bolt has a threaded body which is adjustably located in an adjustment slot of the bicycle brake holder. The adjustment bolt is securely located at a position in the adjustment slot of the bicycle brake holder by a fastening nut which is engaged with the threaded body of the adjustment bolt.

As shown in FIG. 1 a prior art micro-adjusting device is fastened with a bicycle brake holder A9 by means of a threaded rod A1 and a fastening bolt A11 which is engaged with a threaded hole A91 of the brake holder A9 and the threaded rod A1. The prior art device is in fact mounted on the threaded rod A1 in conjunction with the fastening bolt A11 and is composed of a cap A2, a spring A3, a spring member A4, a fastening shaft A5, a spring actuating piece A6, a washer A10. The spring, A3 has one end A31 located in a recess A61 of the spring actuating piece A6, and another end A32 fastened with the bicycle frame via a round hole A21 of the cap A2. As an adjusting rod A8 is rotated, a retaining projection A62 of the spring actuating piece A6 is urged such that the spring A3 is displaced to attain the microadjustment of the brake holder.
Such a prior art micro-adjusting device as described above is defective in design in that the spring actuating piece A6 is entirely concealed in the spring housing member A4 such that the contact between the retaining projection A62 of the spring actuating piece A6 and the adjusting rods A8 cannot be observed with the naked eye, and that the adjusting rod A8 cannot be easily rotated at such time when one end A31 of the sprig A3 is urged intensively by the spring actuating piece A6.

Device for micro-adjusting bicycle brake holder


A mobile dispensing cart having a plurality of locked drawers has medical articles stored therein for particular patients. The storage drawers have sizes wherein the resonant frequency of the sizes does not match the frequency of operation of the RFID system of the cart. Enclosures are used in the storage areas that provide robust RFID fields for exciting and reading RFID tags. A health care practitioner for a particular patient obtains access and opens a drawer. An RFID tracking system takes an inventory of the cart after the drawer is later closed to determine if any medical article was taken, and if so which one. The identified taken article is compared to a data base of medical articles stored in the cart for the patient and if the taken article does not match the patient data base, an alarm is provided.

The invention relates generally to the field of tracking medical articles in a healthcare setting, and more particularly, to a system and method for managing the inventory of a mobile medical dispensing cart.
There are a number of ways of identifying and tracking articles including visually, optically (bar coding, for example), magnetically, electro-magnetically (RFID), weighing, and others. Where an automatic system for tracking is desired, RFID is a candidate since identification data may be obtained wirelessly. RFID tags have decreased in cost, which has made them even more attractive for such an application.
Radio-frequency identification ("RFID") is the use of electromagnetic energy ("EM energy") to stimulate a responsive device (known as an RFID "tag" or transponder) to identify itself and in some cases, provide additionally stored data. RFID tags typically include a semiconductor device having a memory, circuitry, and one or more conductive traces that form an antenna. Typically, RFID tags act as transponders, providing information stored in the semiconductor device memory in response to an RF interrogation signal received from a reader, also referred to as an interrogator. Some RFID tags include security measures, such as passwords and/or encryption. Many RFID tags also permit information to be written or stored in the semiconductor memory via an RF signal.
RFID tags may be incorporated into or attached to articles to be tracked. In some cases, the tag may be attached to the outside of an article with adhesive, tape, or other means and in other cases, the tag may be inserted within the article, such as being included in the packaging, located within the container of the article, or sewn into a garment. The RFID tags are manufactured with a unique identification number which is typically a simple serial number of a few bytes with a check digit attached. This identification number is incorporated into the tag during manufacture. The user cannot alter this serial/identification number and manufacturers guarantee that each serial number is used only once. This configuration represents the low cost end of the technology in that the RFID tag is read-only and it responds to an interrogation signal only with its identification number. Typically, the tag continuously responds with its identification number. Data transmission to the tag is not possible. These tags are very low cost and are produced in enormous quantities.
Such read-only RFID tags typically are permanently attached to an article to be tracked and, once attached, the serial number of the tag is associated with its host article in a computer data base. For example, a particular type of medicine may be contained in hundreds or thousands of small vials. Upon manufacture, or receipt of the vials at a health care institution, an RFID tag is attached to each vial. Each vial with its permanently attached RFID tag will be checked into the data base of the health care institution upon receipt. The RFID identification number may be associated in the data base with the type of medicine, size of the dose in the vial, and perhaps other information such as the expiration date of the medicine. Thereafter, when the RFID tag of a vial is interrogated and its identification number read, the data base of the health care institution can match that identification number with its stored data about the vial. The contents of the vial can then be determined as well as any other characteristics that have been stored in the data base. This system requires that the institution maintain a comprehensive data base regarding the articles in inventory rather than incorporating such data into an RFID tag.
An object of the tag is to associate it with an article throughout the article's life in a particular facility, such as a manufacturing facility, a transport vehicle, a health care facility, a storage area, or other, so that the article may be located, identified, and tracked, as it is moved. For example, knowing where certain medical articles reside at all times in a health care facility can greatly facilitate locating needed medical supplies when emergencies arise. Similarly, tracking the articles through the facility can assist in generating more efficient dispensing and inventory control systems as well as improving work flow in a facility. Additionally, expiration dates can be monitored and those articles that are older and about to expire can be moved to the front of the line for immediate dispensing. This results in better inventory control and lowered costs.
Other RFID tags are writable and information about the article to which the RFID tag is attached can be programmed into the individual tag. While this can provide a distinct advantage when a facility's computer servers are unavailable, such tags cost more, depending on the size of the memory in the tag. Programming each one of the tags with information contained in the article to which they are attached involves further expense.
RFID tags may be applied to containers or articles to be tracked by the manufacturer, the receiving party, or others. In some cases where a manufacturer applies the tags to the product, the manufacturer will also supply a respective data base file that links the identification number of each of the tags to the contents of each respective article. That manufacturer supplied data base can be distributed to the customer in the form of a file that may easily be imported into the customer's overall data base thereby saving the customer from the expense of creating the data base.
Many RFID tags used today are passive in that they do not have a battery or other autonomous power supply and instead, must rely on the interrogating energy provided by an RFID reader to provide power to activate the tag. Passive RFID tags require an electromagnetic field of energy of a certain frequency range and certain minimum intensity in order to achieve activation of the tag and transmission of its stored data. Another choice is an active RFID tag; however, such tags require an accompanying battery to provide power to activate the tag, thus increasing the expense of the tag and making them undesirable for use in a large number of applications.
Depending on the requirements of the RFID tag application, such as the physical size of the articles to be identified, their location, and the ability to reach them easily, tags may need to be read from a short distance or a long distance by an RFID reader. Such distances may vary from a few centimeters to ten or more meters. Additionally, in the U.S. and in other countries, the frequency range within which such tags are permitted to operate is limited. As an example, lower frequency bands, such as 125 KHz and 13.56 MHz, may be used for RFID tags in some applications. At this frequency range, the electromagnetic energy is less affected by liquids and other dielectric materials, but suffers from the limitation of a short interrogating distance. At higher frequency bands where RFID use is permitted, such as 915 MHz and 2.4 GHz, the RFID tags can be interrogated at longer distances, but they de-tune more rapidly as the material to which the tag is attached varies. It has also been found that at these higher frequencies, closely spaced RFID tags will de-tune each other as the spacing between tags is decreased.
There are a number of common situations where the RFID tags may be located inside enclosures. Some of these enclosures may have entirely or partially metal or metallized surfaces. Examples of enclosures include metal enclosures (e.g., shipping containers), partial metal enclosures (e.g., vehicles such as airplanes, buses, trains, and ships that have a housing made from a combination of metal and other materials), and non-metal enclosures (e.g., warehouses and buildings made of wood). Examples of objects with RFID tags that may be located in these enclosures include loose articles, packaged articles, parcels inside warehouses, inventory articles inside buildings, various goods inside retail stores, and various portable articles (e.g., passenger identification cards and tickets, baggage, cargo, individual life-saving equipment such as life jackets and masks) inside vehicles, etc.
The read range (i.e., the range of the interrogation and/or response signals) of RFID tags is limited. For example, some types of passive RFID tags have a maximum range of about twelve meters, which may be attained only in ideal free space conditions with favorable antenna orientation. In a real situation, the observed tag range is often six meters or less. Therefore, some of the enclosures described above may have dimensions that far exceed the read range of an individual RFID tag. Unless the RFID reader can be placed in close proximity to a target RFID tag in such an enclosure, the tag will not be activated and read. Additionally, metal surfaces of the enclosures present a serious obstacle for the RF signals that need to be exchanged between RFID readers and RFID tags, making RFID tags located behind those metal surfaces difficult or impossible to detect.
In addition to the above, the detection range of the RFID systems is typically limited by signal strength to short ranges, frequently less than about thirty centimeters for 13.56 MHz systems. Therefore, portable reader units may need to be moved past a group of tagged items in order to detect all the tagged items, particularly where the tagged items are stored in a space significantly greater than the detection range of a stationary or fixed single reader antenna. Alternately, a large reader antenna with sufficient power and range to detect a larger number of tagged items may be used. However, such an antenna may be unwieldy and may increase the range of the radiated power beyond allowable limits. Furthermore, these reader antennae are often located in stores or other locations where space is at a premium and it is expensive and inconvenient to use such large reader antennae. In another possible solution, multiple small antennae may be used but such a configuration may be awkward to set up when space is at a premium and when wiring is preferred or required to be hidden.
In the case of medical supplies and devices, it is desirable to develop accurate tracking, inventory control systems, and dispensing systems so that RFID tagged devices and articles may be located quickly should the need arise, and may be identified for other purposes, such as expiration dates. In the case of medical supply or dispensing cabinets used in a health care facility, a large number of medical devices and articles are located closely together, such as in a plurality of drawers. Cabinets such as these are typically made of metal, which can make the use of an external RFID system for identification of the stored articles difficult. In some cases, such cabinets are locked due to the presence of narcotics or other medical articles or apparatus within them that are subject to a high theft rate. Thus, manual identification of the cabinet contents is difficult due to the need to control access.
Providing an internal RFID system in such a cabinet can pose challenges. Where internal articles can have random placement within the cabinet, the RFID system must be such that there are no "dead zones" that the RFID system is unable to reach. In general, dead zones are areas in which the level of coupling between an RFID reader antenna and an RFID tag is not adequate for the system to perform a successful read of the tag. The existence of such dead zones may be caused by orientations in which the tag and the reader antennae are in orthogonal planes. Thus, articles placed in dead zones may not be detected thereby resulting in inaccurate tracking of tagged articles.
Often in the medical field, there is a need to read a large number of tags attached to articles in such an enclosure, and as mentioned above, such enclosures have limited access due to security reasons. The physical dimension of the enclosure may need to vary to accommodate a large number of articles or articles of different sizes and shapes. In order to obtain an accurate identification and count of such closely-located medical articles or devices, a robust electromagnetic energy field must be provided at the appropriate frequency within the enclosure to surround all such stored articles and devices to be sure that their tags are all are activated and read. Such medical devices may have the RFID tags attached to the outside of their containers and may be stored in various orientations with the RFID tag (and associated antenna) pointed upwards, sideways, downward, or at some other angle in a random pattern.
Generating such a robust EM energy field is not an easy task. Where the enclosure has a size that is resonant at the frequency of operation, it can be easier to generate a robust EM field since a resonant standing wave may be generated within the enclosure. However, in the RFID field the usable frequencies of operation are strictly controlled and are limited. It has been found that enclosures are desired for the storage of certain articles that do not have a resonant frequency that matches one of the allowed RFID frequencies. Thus, a robust EM field must be established in another way.
Additionally, where EM energy is introduced to such an enclosure for reading the RFID tags within, efficient energy transfer is of importance. Under static conditions, the input or injection of EM energy into an enclosure can be maximized with a simple impedance matching circuit positioned between the conductor delivering the energy and the enclosure. As is well known to those of skill in the art, such impedance matching circuits or devices maximize the power transfer to the enclosure while minimizing the reflections of power from the enclosure. Where the enclosure impedance changes due to the introduction or removal of articles to or from the enclosure, a static impedance matching circuit may not provide optimum energy transfer into the enclosure. If the energy transfer and resulting RF field intensity within the enclosure were to fall below a threshold level, some or many of the tags on articles within the enclosure would not be activated to identify themselves, leaving an ineffective inventory system.
It is a goal of many health care facilities to keep the use of EM energy to a minimum, or at least contained. The use of high-power readers to locate and extract data from RFID tags is generally undesirable in health care facilities, although it may be acceptable in warehouses that are sparsely populated with workers, or in aircraft cargo holds. Radiating a broad beam of EM energy at a large area, where that EM energy may stray into adjacent, more sensitive areas, is undesirable. Efficiency in operating a reader to obtain the needed identification information from tags is an objective. In many cases where RFID tags are read, hand-held readers are used. Such readers transmit a relatively wide beam of energy to reach all RFID tags in a particular location. While the end result of activating each tag and reading it may be accomplished, the transmission of the energy is not controlled except by the aim of the user. Additionally, this is a manual system that will require the services of one or more individuals, which can also be undesirable in facilities where staff is limited.
In a healthcare environment, there are many storage systems for medical articles that are used for different purposes and different patients. Some are open access storage systems. In most of these cases, and especially for emergency storage systems, they must be restocked upon use on a regular basis so that necessary medical articles will be available when needed. An example of such a medical article storage system is the medical cart used in rooms or in the hallways of healthcare facilities that are supplied to contain the medical articles prescribed or otherwise needed by the patients residing in the area of the cart. FIG. 23 shows an example of a patient medication cart 300. Such carts usually, but not always, include wheels 302 so that they are mobile, and often have multiple drawers 304 in which various medical articles are stored for one or more patients being treated in the vicinity of the cart. Only two drawers are indicated by numeral 304 in FIG. 1 so that the clarity of the drawing is not obscured. It is meant that the numeral 304 apply to all drawers. In this embodiment, each drawer has an external handle 306 provided for assisting a user in pulling the respective drawer 304 out of the cart frame 308.
Currently, hospital pharmacies dispense patient drugs and other medical articles into such a mobile cart to be delivered to the general floor where the patients are located. As mentioned, the cart has multiple drawer units that may be used for containing the medications of a plurality of patients. Each patient may have one or more drawers storing his or her medications and other medical articles. The current system allows open access by which a healthcare provider can take medications from a mobile or stationary cart for use with a patient other than the patient for whom those medications have been prepared and accumulated in the drawer of a cart. Multiple nurses have access to all the patient drawers and often "shop" for medications from one patient's drawer and give them to another patient. Errors can occur and often delays occur if a patient's medications are not in the drawer when the patient's nurse intends to administer them.
An example of a drawer 320 in the cabinet of FIG. 23 is shown in FIG. 24. The drawer has multiple pockets 322, in this case five. The pockets may have different sizes and shapes, and are used to store a patient's medications or other medical articles. For example, drawer 320 of FIG. 24 shows a vial of medication in one pocket, a blister pack of pills in another pocket, and in the longer pocket, a pre-loaded syringe is stored. Many other medical articles may be stored in the drawer for the patient, depending on the ailments causing the patient to be in the healthcare facility. Should the pre-loaded syringe be taken from the pocket for use on a different patient instead of being left available for the patient for whom it was prepared, the latter patient may suffer until the pharmacy can prepare a new own.
Hence, those skilled in the art have recognized a need for a better means of control over the dispensing of the medications and other medical articles to patients from mobile or stationary carts thus preventing errors as well as controlling improper drug retrieval. Another recognized need is to restrict the spread of electromagnetic energy in healthcare facilities. A further need has been recognized for managing the inventory of such carts so that they may be resupplied on a more timely basis. Yet another need has been recognized for monitoring the contents of such carts for expired and or recalled medical articles. Another need has been recognized for providing an accurate inventory detection system using a wireless system with smaller enclosures. The invention fulfills these needs and others.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Mobile dispensing cart inventory management system


A tool for tightening and loosening a wing nut having several wings that secures a motor vehicle wheel includes has a base element with three detachably attached contact bodies for the individual wings. The bodies serve to transfer the torque needed for tightening and loosening the wing nuts. The end of each contact body facing the wheel is provided with a projection that, for purposes of avoiding axial slippage of the tool off the wing nut in the functional position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, engages behind a wing. The projection in question is dimensioned in such a manner that a slot located between adjacent projections is only slightly larger than the corresponding wing. Each of the contact bodies, which are configured as cleats, has a contact surface that can be placed against the wing during either tightening or loosening. In order to apply the torque, the base element has a receptacle configured as a square opening to receive a commercially available torque tool.

Such a tool is employed in actual practice for tightening or loosening the wing nuts of a central wheel lock, particularly of classical automobiles. For this purpose, special wooden tools for wing nuts are known that allow an approximately positive fit of the wing nut that secures the wheel of a motor vehicle. Here, the wooden wrench is configured as a wooden board having a slot that matches the contour of the wing nuts.
A drawback of such a wooden tool is the lack of protection against axial slippage. Here, it has also proven to be problematic that, in the case of a central wheel lock for motor vehicles, especially for wheels with spokes, the wings do not lie in a plane parallel to the axis of rotation, but rather, they essentially exhibit a slight pitch with respect to the plane that is crosswise with respect to the axis of rotation. This results in essentially undefined contact surfaces whose inclination further promotes the tendency towards slippage. Moreover, such wooden wrenches can only transfer low torques, in addition to which their magnitude cannot be reliably reproduced.
Therefore, such wing nuts for central wheel locks are loosened and tightened with a copper hammer even nowadays, so that it is essentially a matter of the skill of the mechanic to ensure that sufficient torque is applied. Moreover, in the long run, the stress caused on the wing nuts by such blows with a hammer results in visible and thus undesired damage to the surface.
Likewise known are various hand-held tools designed for tightening and loosening different types of wing nuts and the like for various application purposes.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,268 relates to such a tool whose base element is followed by a shank that is configured as a hollow body and that has slit-like slots of different widths that are arranged in pairs across from each other so that all kinds of wing nuts can be reliably tightened or loosened. Here, the slots also form the contact bodies for each wing. A section of the base element located across from the shank serves to receive a commercially available wrench.
A tool known from German utility model G 93 18 159 U1 likewise has a shank that has connection means for transferring the torque, for instance, a bore for a lever or a plug-in connector for a universal tool, and whose other end is configured as an open pipe having two slit-shaped slots located across from each other and open towards the end of the tool that are designed to receive the wings of the wing nut or wing screw.
A tool configured as a socket wrench for tightening and loosening a wing nut is also described in German utility model G 87 01 555 U1, two elongated slots being located in a cylindrical socket wrench made of metal or a metal-like material, and the dimensions of said slots corresponding to the thickness of one wing of the wing nut. The cylindrical socket wrench is coated with plastic.
German utility model G 88 14 967 likewise discloses a wrench for wing nuts or castellated nuts of screw jacks used in concrete construction. For this purpose, the wrench has a sleeve with at least one pair of cams on its jacket, said cams projecting over the free front surface of the sleeve and interacting with the edges of the wings of the wing nut.
Furthermore, German utility model DE 200 02 763 U1 describes a socket wrench for mounting and dismounting a wing nut used for toilet seat brackets. For this purpose, the socket wrench is configured essentially hollow and has two grooves offset by 180° which serve to receive the wings of the wing nut. In order to transmit force, a sunk rectangular hollow body that serves to receive a ratchet can be used in addition to a metal pin.
Moreover, German utility model DE 295 19 672 U1 relates to a wrench for screwing and unscrewing wing nuts or hex nuts of the type employed for locking utility and electricity meters of power supply companies in a secure manner with a lead seal.

Tool for tightening and loosening a wing nut or wing screw that secures a motor vehicle wheel


A light intensity detecting device is provided to detect a light intensity according to pulse duration of a pulse signal without being affected by noise, including: a time measuring unit for measuring an elapsed time period of the pulse signal that has been raised; a signal state discriminating unit for obtaining a state of the pulse signal; a sampling unit for directing the signal state discriminating unit to obtain the state at a sampling interval corresponding to the elapsed time period; and a falling detecting unit for detecting the pulse signal that has been fallen when a fallen state of the pulse signal is successively obtained for two times. When the fallen pulse signal is detected, the sampling unit directs the signal state discriminating unit to obtain the state of the pulse signal at a time point, which is output as the pulse duration of the pulse signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to light intensity detecting methods and devices, and display devices and storage media using the same, detecting light intensity according to pulse duration of a pulse signal output from a light sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Methods for adjusting display illumination according to environmental light intensity and devices thereof are applied in vehicle and portable display devices. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-522058 discloses a display device with an illumination controller for adjusting display illumination according to environmental light intensity detected by a light sensor. Thus, the illumination from the display device is accordingly increased during the day or in a bright environment, and decreased during the night or in a dark environment.
Generally, a light sensor for detecting environmental light generates an output signal according to the intensity of the received light. The output signal as shown in FIG. 7(a) is one single pulse signal. As the intensity of the received light increases, a width T of the pulse signal decreases. In other words, the brighter the environmental light is, the shorter the width of the pulse signal output from the light sensor is. For example, a light sensor is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-345286. In order to detect environmental light intensity, the width T of the pulse signal output from the light sensor where the environmental light has been received is measured. However, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the light sensor is unable to operate normally due to external noises, such that an error may exist in the pulse signal output from the light sensor. Specifically, when the environmental light is dark and the light intensity received by the light sensor is relatively weak, an error is more likely to occur. This is because the pulse duration of the pulse signal output from the light sensor is relatively wider when the environmental light is dark. Specifically, according to the prior art as shown in FIG. 7(c), an error period Te is discarded, and the environmental light intensity is determined by the remaining period (T-Te). As a result, the environmental light intensity determined by discarding the error duration, compared with the measured value, has an approximate 10% error therein.
Therefore, it is desired to provide light intensity detecting methods and devices, and display devices and storage media using the same, detecting light intensity according to pulse duration of a pulse signal output from a light sensor without being affected by noise.

Light intensity detecting methods and devices, display devices and storage media


To provide a sewing thread that is excellent in high-speed sewability and automatic sewing characteristics. A sewing thread includes a plurality of under-twisted yarns provided with upper-twist, the yarns each being composed of a sheath-core structure yarn composed of two or more multifilament yarns, wherein part of the sheath-core structure yarn protrudes as loops on a yarn surface, the loops being composed of 50 to 300 loops/m with 0.7 to less than 1.2 mm length and 10 or less loops/m with 1.2 mm or more length, and wherein the yarns have a strength of 4 to 6 CN/dtex.

Sewing threads composed of a multifilament yarn have been widely used because of the excellence in mightiness, wear resistance, and uniformity in comparison with sewing threads composed of short fibers. Among them, several proposals have been made in that sewability is improved by processing filaments with fluid into a filament textured yarn, such as a spun yarn having loops.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 62-257434, a thread is proposed, which is processed with a fluid turbulent. processor so as to have difference in yarn length for forming loops. However, this thread is expensive in processing because of the. fluid turbulent processor, and also because of many uneven fine loops, and there have been problems of low process-passage efficiency, such as unreeling failure produced in a twisting process and a sewing process, and reduction in mightiness.
This is because one filament of single. fiber forms a torsional loop so as to stiffly protrude from a yarn surface, so that the loop is difficult to contribute to yarn strength, and produces strong fastener effect when the yarn is unreeled. This. becomes a fatal defect so that there is no prospect of a practical application as a sewing thread.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-106134 discloses a composite sewing machine thread in that the ductility difference between a spontaneous ductile filament yarn and a non-spontaneous ductile filament yarn forms loops and slack. However, the fineness of the loop and slack is small and the number of the loops is scarcely counted, so that accompanying airflow effect and annealing effect of needle heat are small, and the thread is insufficient to have high-speed sewability.
on the other hand, a conventional cotton sewing thread having excellent sewability has been widely used as home sewing threads and industrial sewing threads. However, the mightiness is small and dyeing fastness is also insufficient. Moreover, this thread has defects, such as being susceptible to dimensional change and insufficient seam appearance. On the other hand, a polyester spun sewing-thread enjoying a large market share of sewing threads has the sewability similar to the cotton, and also is excellent in mightiness, dyeing fastness, and dimensional stability. However, since it is produced by a spinning process, there are problems in length control and quality control, such as large variations in gauge and mightiness, and a large number of knots, so that the thread is difficult to be used for sewing high-quality cloth because of its low appearance quality.
A sewing thread produced from filament yarns of silk, polyester, and polyamide has been widely used as a sewing thread in order correct the defects of cotton and polyester spun sewing threads. A conventional filament sewing thread is produced by providing upper-twist to a plurality of aligned single yarns provided with under-twist, and its physical characteristics can be obtained in accordance with the fineness of the single yarn and the overall fiber fineness of the sewing thread, so that it has stable quality.
However, with a conventional filament sewing-thread, in the general sewing, i.e., the forward sewing with a lock stitch sewing machine, the thread can be favorably sewn, whereas, in the backward sewing, since a force is applied in a direction canceling the upper-twist, twist crack and broken yarn occur, so that the thread has a fatal defect that the thread cannot be applied to automatic machine sewing, in which the backward sewing is frequently incorporated. In high-speed sewing with an industrial sewing machine, since the frictional resistance on the side face of the filament yarn is large, broken yarns are liable to be generated by needle heat and the penetration resistance against cloth. This corresponds to no suppressing effect on needle heat temperature mentioned above.
Then, several sewing threads, in which the problems of conventional spun sewing threads and filament sewing threads are solved, have been proposed. A core-spun sewing thread having a sheath-core structure of a filament yarn and a spun yarn has been proposed in Japanese. Examined Patent Application Publication No. 63-3977; a sewing thread with sewability improved by union twisting of a spun yarn and a filament yarn has been proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2-33341.
However, these sewing threads also have knots and variations in gauge since it is produced by a spinning process as mentioned above, containing a defect that broken yarns are liable to be generated in sewing.
In order to apply fluffiness and bulkiness like in a spun yarn to a synthetic-fiber multifilament yarn, several threads processed by fluffing filament yarns are proposed. A fluffing method has been proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 3-64546 and No. 8-337937 in that after under-twist or upper-twist is provided, a multifilament yarn is looped around a guide, and the yarn approaching the guide and the way back yarn are crossed to each other so as to apply the fluffiness to both the yarn by bearing down on them. However, in the sewing threads obtained by these methods, although they have the fluffiness like a spun filament, a load due to the crossing process to multifilament yarns is large for the sewing thread, so that the backward sewability is especially low and the yarn strength is insufficient.

Sewing thread and process for producing the same


A switch is disclosed for indicating that a computer card is installed in an expansion slot of a computer. A conductive strip attaches to an end wall of the slot and deforms when a computer card is installed. A conductive contact is provided in the wall of the slot to complete an electrical connection when the conductive strip is deformed. The strip connects electrically to a conductor that is passively driven high by a voltage source and pull-up resistor. The contact connects electrically to ground, so that when the computer card causes the strip to touch the contact, the voltage on conductor is driven low, providing an indication to associated circuitry that a card is present in the slot. A pair of switches may be used to provide repetitive signals indicating a card is present. If only one switch is closed, the computer may indicate to the user that a card has been installed improperly, or contaminants are present in the slot.

The present invention relates generally to a system for supporting peripheral computer cards and other optional external devices in a personal computer (PC) system More particularly, the present invention relates to a system which monitors the presence of peripheral computer cards in a PC system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a specially modified slot which detects whether peripheral computer cards have been installed.
The components provided in a PC system typically may comprise a combination of fixed, internal devices, and peripheral external devices that may be added to the PC system to increase the computing power or to add features not included as part of the fixed PC system supplied by the manufacturer. The PC system typically includes a motherboard on which most of the fixed internal circuitry of the PC is mounted. The circuitry typically is fabricated as discrete integrated circuits (IC's) mounted to conductive pads on the motherboard. The various IC's are connected together electrically by various electrical buses, such as for, example, a host bus, which connects the central processing unit to the memory controller and other critical components. As one skilled in the art will understand, the system bus can comprise any suitable bus system, such as an ISA, EISA, MCA, PCI or other suitable system bus.
The motherboard also typically includes sockets or external connections for receiving peripheral cards or components to supplement the circuitry provided on the motherboard. As shown in the computer 5 of FIG. 1, a riser board 10 may connect to the motherboard 15. The motherboard 15 typically is positioned horizontally in the computer case 20. The riser board 10 extends vertically from the motherboard 15, and includes expansion slots 11, 12, 13, 14. As one skilled in the art will understand, additional or fewer expansion slots may be provided by the computer manufacturer, as desired. The expansion slots are displaced vertically on the riser card 10, enabling computer cards to be inserted horizontally into the slots. In FIG. 1, an expansion card or board 25 is shown inserted into slot 12.
As one skilled in the art will understand, it is necessary to remove a portion of the computer casing 20 to access the expansion slots 11, 12, 13, 14, and to install computer cards. After the card 25 is installed, the casing cover is closed. Typically, a screwdriver is required to remove and close the casing cover of the computer. Consequently, it is not possible to confirm visually that a card 25 is installed in an expansion slot unless a portion of the casing cover 20 is removed from the computer 5, which normally requires tools, and may also require that the computer be repositioned and/or disconnected from peripheral equipment to obtain access to the removable casing cover.
Presently, conventional computer systems determine if a card is present in an expansion slot electrically, by driving signals through the electrical connectors 8 in the slot to connectors 9 on the computer card. If the card responds by transmitting signals back through the electrical connectors 8 and 9 to appropriate circuitry on the mother board, then the presence of the card is conferred. A problem arises, however, if the computer card is malfunctioning, and does not respond to signals from the computer. In that event, the only way to detect the presence of the card in the expansion slot is to visually inspect the slot by removing the computer casing cover. Similarly, if no card is present in the expansion slot (as may happen, for example, if the user confuses the slot in which the card was installed), then this fact may only be confirmed by removing the casing cover.
It would be advantageous if an expansion slot was designed with a system for mechanically detecting whether a computer card was installed in a particular slot so that the presence of the card could be confirmed even if the card was malfunctioning Despite the benefit of such a design, no such design is available commercially.

Slot for mechanically detecting the presence of a computer card


Rod cooling system for use in a rod rolling mill having a laying reel and a conveyor onto an entry portion of which the rod is deposited in overlapping offset rings, entry portion receiving substantial amounts of cooling air for rapid cooling of the rod, the conveyor having a grid for introducing cooling air under the rings for movement in a confined space thereunder and surfaces developing low pressure that draws ambient air through the rings.

In the manufacture of steel rod, it has been common practice to form the basic steel ingot into a billet having a square cross-section with dimensions, for instance, of 4".times.4" and to allow the billet to cool for storage. The billet is subsequently taken from storage, heated in a reheat furnace and then presented to a multi-stand rod mill. The rod leaves the mill and is formed into coils for storage and/or sale. More specifically, the rod leaves the mill and is water-cooled on its way to the reel which forms the coil. By the time that the rod leaves the reel, it has regained most of its original temperature. Since the rod must be manipulated in order to be removed from the area, it is necessary to cool it; more importantly, however, it is imperative that this cooling take place in a certain manner in order to obtain desired metallurgical properties. For the purpose of such cooling, use has been made in the past of water or molten lead baths, but these systems have presented other unsolvable problems. Subsequently, a system known as the "STELMOR SYSTEM" was developed by the Morgan Construction Company of Worcester, Mass. This system consists of removing the hot rod from the reel in the form of spaced coils that are moved along a conveyor. Handling equipment is located at the located under the conveyor and are subjected to air flow from fans remote discharge end of the conveyor to re-form the coils and move successive coils to another location. With this system, it is possible to regulate the rate of cooling by adjusting fan speed and, on occasion, by providing a cover over the conveyor and coils.
While this system has proved to be adequate for ordinary steel rod, it has some drawbacks, particularly in the case where the rod is formed from alloy steels or when special metallurgical characteristics are desired. Since the rod is usually subjected to further manufacturing processes, such as drawing to form wire or used in header machines to make bolts, the physical character of the finished rod can be quite important. The presence of carbide boundaries in the steel can make it difficult to draw and may damage the dies. The presence of scale can also make the rod difficult to handle and to work.
Attempts have been made in the past to improve the flexibility of the conveyor-type cooling system. For instance, the U.S. patent of JALIL et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,401 and its associated U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,957 show a conveyor configuration in which the coils of rod are carried on hollow rollers and the cooling air is directed around the rollers. The patent of JALIL et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,353 relates to a roller-type conveyor in which the air is directed upwardly by a special nozzle arrangement. At one time, a system was suggested by Ashlow Engineering Limited of Sheffield, England, in which air has been provided under all parts of the conveyor, including the part under the reel, by a large number of small axial-flow fans, thus giving a certain amount of control of the quantity of air supplied at various parts of the conveyor. All of these systems have presented problems, including the high cost of the equipment and of being limited to use with ordinary steel rod. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.
It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a rod cooling system which uses a short conveyor, with subsequent reduction of equipment and building cost.
Another object of this invention is the provision of a rod cooling system that permits the production of favorable metallurgical characteristics in special alloy steels.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for the controlled cooling of steel rod, which apparatus operates in such a way as to reduce the formation of carbide inclusions and of scale on the outer surface.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of a rod cooling apparatus that can be applied effectively to existing installations in order to provide faster or adequate cooling without lengthening the conveyor.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a rod cooling apparatus which is simple and rugged in construction, which can be easily manufactured from readily-obtainable materials, and which is capable of a long life of useful service with a minimum of maintenance.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a rod cooling system which can be used with a considerable variety of steel rod with different metallurgical characteristics.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.