A docking station adapted to receive a touch-sensitive portable control device for communication with a programmable multimedia controller is provided. The docking station has a dedicated, wired redundant communication path coupling the docking station to the programmable multimedia controller for providing effective communication in the absence of wireless or unreliable wireless communications. The docking station is configured to receive signals from the portable control device and to bi-directionally transmit signals to and from said programmable multimedia controller. The portable control device has both wireless and wired compatibility, which includes a touch sensitive user interface configured with configuration information for allowing a user to make selections and enter settings regarding components interfaced with the programmable multimedia controller. The docking station converts the user entered signals into IP messages suitable for transfer over the dedicated, wired redundant communication path.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to programmable multimedia control systems, and more particularly, to docking stations for user interface devices including touch sensitive portable control devices.
2. Background Information
A programmable multimedia controller (PMC) controls and/or manages a wide variety of audio, video, telecommunications, data communications or other devices with which the PMC is interfaced. As used herein, PMC and "programmable multimedia controller" are used interchangeably. The PMC with programmable services is based on a general purpose computer which controls a specialized embedded computer system. The general purpose computer may be matched with a second general purpose computer to provide redundancy. The multimedia controller includes a programming environment for creating services or user experiences that may incorporate features or functionalities of several devices that are conventionally operated as separate, standalone devices. Such services may range in complexity from simple control functions to multimedia experiences that combine high performance audio and video with the graphics capability of a general purpose computer, web-based services and telecommunications.
Services may be implemented according to various zones within a larger physical space. For example, a user may specify that certain services are available in the family room of a home, while different services are available in the kitchen, depending upon the components that are available in each room or user preferences. Services may also be implemented on a per user basis in conjunction with a user profile which specifies preferences, restrictions (e.g., parental controls) and the like.
The programming environment includes a library of component profiles. Component profiles may be implemented in a number of ways based upon desired attributes of the underlying data structures. In a preferred embodiment, a component profile is implemented as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) file which describes certain attributes of a component such as a DVD player, television, amplifier or any other type of component that is capable of interfacing with the system of the present invention. A component profile typically describes at least some of the physical characteristics of the component (e.g., the input/output connectors located on the back of the component), the configuration of the component (e.g., all possible types of modules that may be present in the slots or bays of a modular receiver), the set of commands that the component recognizes (e.g., power on, power off, open disk tray), as well as the functions that the component is capable of performing (e.g., play, pause, stop).
Use of XML files for component profiles, as well as other aspects of the programmable multimedia environment are discussed in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/314,112 of Madonna, et al. for a PROGRAMMABLE MULTIMEDIA CONTROLLER WITH PROGRAMMABLE SERVICES, filed on Dec. 20, 2005, which is presently incorporated herein by reference.
As stated in the above referenced application, using a library of component profiles, a user can interactively describe how a particular installation is actually wired through an on-screen tutorial. In the case of a new installation, that system may make recommendations to the user as to how to wire an installation. Once wiring is established, a user can be advised about what services are available. A touch sensitive screen is generally the most ideal interface for tutorials and visuals of the components, as well as user-entered settings and selections.
From time to time, various touch sensitive portable communication and control devices come on the market. Several such devices are the Apple® iPad®, iPod® and iPod Touch®. These devices provide touch sensitive functionality for user selection and are themselves programmable. It would thus be beneficial to combine the functionality of such portable control devices with the PMC to provide control of the components of a programmable multimedia system. However, many such devices communicate wirelessly over wireless connections i.e., Wi-Fi, which connections can be unreliable or unavailable based upon low signal strength or interference. Additionally, wireless connections are often not secure.

Docking station with redundant communication path


A hard coating film of a coated cutting tool contains Al within a range of 70 at % to 80 at % and Ti within a range of 20 at % to 30 at % with respect to a total amount of metallic (including metalloid) elements, and contains Ar of 0.50 at % or less with respect to a total amount of the metallic elements (including metalloid) and nonmetallic elements. The film has a diffraction peak due to each of a TiN (111) plane, a TiN (200) plane, and a TiN (220) plane of an fcc structure and an AlN (100) plane and an AlN (002) plane of a hcp structure, in which the diffraction peak of the TiN (200) plane indicates a maximum intensity and an intensity of the diffraction peak due to the TiN (111) plane is next thereafter. The average crystal grain size is within a range of 5 nm to 50 nm.

A nitride coating film (which will hereinafter be referred to as AlTiN) of Al and Ti is a film of a type having excellent wear resistance and heat resistance and is applied widely to coated cutting tools. Generally, it is known that when the amount of Al in AlTiN increases, the amount of AlN with a hexagonal closest packing structure (which will sometimes be referred to as an hcp structure) increases and a coating film hardness deteriorates. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses AlTiN in which the amount of Al is changed, describing that the coating film hardness deteriorates causing deterioration in tool performance with AlTiN having an hcp structure with a significant amount of Al.
On the other hand, recently, in order to improve lubricity or welding resistance, a hard coating film containing AlN having an hcp structure with a significant amount of Al has also been investigated. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a coated cutting tool in which a hard coating film containing Cr in a base of AlTiN having a wurtzite-type crystal structure (hcp structure) is provided in an upper layer of a nitride laminated coating film.
Incidentally, an arc ion plating method, which is one of physical vapor deposition methods, is applied to the specific examples of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. Since residual compressive stress is applied to a hard coating film to enhance defect resistance in a physical vapor deposition method, the method is mainly applied to coated cutting tools which are subjected to milling working. Since a high ionization rate of a target and can obtain a hard coating film having excellent adhesion with respect to a base material are exhibited in the arc ion plating method of the physical vapor deposition methods, the method is utilized widely. In the arc ion plating method, coating is performed by vaporizing a target component through an arc discharge. Therefore, a hard coating film unavoidably contains many droplets of several micrometers. On the other hand, in a sputtering method of physical vapor deposition methods, in which coating is performed by sputtering a target component with argon gas, droplets are unlikely to be generated. Therefore, a smooth hard coating film can be obtained. However, since a lower ionization rate of a target is exhibited in the sputtering method compared to the arc ion plating method, voids are easily formed inside a hard coating film and adhesion between the hard coating film and a base material is also poor. Therefore, generally, a hard coating film coated by the sputtering method tends to have lower durability compared to a hard coating film coated by the arc ion plating method.
Recently, a high-output sputtering method in which power applied to targets as in Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4 is instantaneously increased has begun to be applied.


The present invention provides a combination hat and sunglasses/goggles, in which the sunglasses/goggles are pivotally moveable relative to the hat, between a raised, out of the way position to a lowered position with the eyepiece in front of the wearer's eyes, through an elongated aperture in the front brim of the hat. In addition, the sunglasses/goggles can be fully detached and removed from the hat, so that they can be used as regular sunglasses. The combination is easy to assemble and disassemble, and simple and convenient to operate, providing versatility and reduced risk of loss of components of the combination.

There are many different types and styles of sun hats available on the market. Likewise there are many different types of available sunglasses, providing more or less protection against the potentially harmful effects of sunlight on vision and the eye. Many users prefer to have both headgear protection and eye protection, i.e. sunglasses, when exposed to conditions of bright sunshine. This suggests a combination of a hat and sunglasses might be desirable. Such a combination is illustrated in Australian Registered Design 13999/2005 (AU-S-305992). On the other hand, many users prefer not to use sunglasses when there is no incident sunlight, with the result that, in intermittently sunny weather, users tend to want to remove and replace sunglasses at frequent intervals. This creates risk of losing or mislaying sunglasses. The same is not generally true of hats. Wearers of hats tend to keep them on for long periods of time, and do not have any wish to remove a hat in response to a brief interruption of sunshine.
Accordingly there is a need for a combination hat and sunglasses in which the sunglasses can be used and removed from use without interfering with the wearing of the hat.


A hydraulic-drive work vehicle includes a plurality of variable capacity hydraulic motors which are rotated by receiving pressure oil from a variable capacity hydraulic pump. Wheels provided at two or more axles are rotated due to torques of the hydraulic motors. The work vehicle is provided with a traveling stabilizer, the traveling stabilizer including a traveling-state detector for detecting a traveling state of the vehicle, and a controller which receives a signal from the detector and varies a capacity of at least particular one of the plurality of hydraulic motors according to the traveling state of the vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydraulic-drive work vehicle provided with a traveling stabilizer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Drive types of work vehicles such as wheeled cranes having two or more axles include a mechanical-drive type and a hydraulic-drive type. The former type may be a configuration provided with a center differential gear (hereinafter, referred to as center differential) which is a differential for distributing driving force into, for instance, front and rear axles evenly, or at a predetermined rate. The latter type may be a configuration which rotates a plurality of wheels provided at two or more axles due to torques of a plurality of hydraulic motors by using pressure oil supplied from a hydraulic pump which is driven by an engine, for instance, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-32045. This type provides a differential function for distributing driving force into the wheels evenly, in a similar manner to the center differential.
Incidentally, since a wheel base of this work vehicle is short and a height of the center of gravity thereof is high, the work vehicle may have a less straight-traveling stability than a passenger vehicle or truck has. This may be addressed by (1) setting restoring force of steering to a large value, for instance, by increasing a kingpin inclination or a caster angle, which are involved in wheel alignment, (2) extending the wheel base, (3) increasing a size of tires, etc.
However, in the case of (1), steering force would be increased; causing swinging ability (turning ability) to be decreased. This may be addressed by providing a power steering; resulting in the necessity of a large power assist, which causes other problems that a cost of a device is increased and a space necessary for laying out the device is increased. In addition, in a case of a hydraulic power steering, if an amount of the power assist is increased even though steering force is small, abnormal vibration is likely to be generated.
Further, according to (2), the extension of the wheel base decreases ability to access a narrow space and also ability to turn in a small diameter. Besides, it is difficult to employ (2) in consideration of the law on dimensions of the vehicle. Further, (3) also involves problems in terms of dimensions such as a width and an overall height of the vehicle. Besides, there are common problems related to the law in terms of an increase in the weight, and related to low mileage.
Meanwhile, when a front-wheel-drive vehicle is compared with a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, as in a case of a passenger vehicle, the front-wheel-drive vehicle has difficulty in turning, thereby having characteristics of good straight-traveling stability and poor swinging ability. On the other hand, the rear-wheel-drive vehicle has easiness in turning, thereby having characteristics of good swinging ability and poor straight-traveling stability. The characteristics are correlated with gripping force of the tires, and may be applied to a case of the work vehicle having the two or more axles.


The present invention relates to a thin film lamination to be used in a micro InSb thin film magnetic sensor which can directly detect a magnetic flux density with high sensitivity and has small power consumption and consumption current, and the InSb thin film magnetic sensor. The InSb thin film magnetic sensor uses an InSb thin film as a magnetic sensor section or a magnetic detecting section. The sensor includes an InSb layer that is an InSb thin film formed on a substrate, and an AlxGayIn1-x-ySb mixed crystal layer (0≦x, y≦1) which shows resistance higher than the InSb layer or insulation, or p-type conduction, and has a band gap larger than that of InSb. The mixed crystal layer is provided between the substrate and the InSb layer, and has a content of Al and Ga atoms (x+y) in the range of 5.0 to 17%.

In mobile devices and small-sized battery-driven electronic devices, a power supply using a battery is used for driving electronic circuits for driving a sensor and controlling and processing sensor signals. For electronic components and magnetic sensors to be used in the electronic devices, power voltage reduction of the electronic power consumption has been demanded.
In a new application of a non-contact high-accuracy rotary sensor, a weak magnetic field sensor, a direction sensor using earth magnetism, and detection of a magnetic ink print pattern by detecting a weak magnetic field caused by magnetic ink, a Hall element and a magneto resistance element are required to satisfy the demands of high performance and high reliability, and high sensitivity for magnetic fields, high input resistances, and very small sizes. Moreover excellent flatness on the device surfaces, high element manufacturing accuracy, and less variation in performance and less variation in manufacturing accuracy are demanded. Further, lower dependency on temperatures around room temperature is also demanded. Such demands are many, and the demanded specifications are strict. Further, a micro size magnetic sensor has been demanded.
Particularly recently, application of a magnetic sensor such as a Hall element is being studied and the magnetic sensor is required to satisfy the demand of sensitivity for detection of ultraweak magnetic fields of microtesla or nanotesla in detection of ultra fine magnetic particles of 1 micron or submicron.
1) High sensitivity (large μH), 2) less temperature dependency (a donor impurity-doped, for example, Sn-doped operation layer=Sn-doped conduction layer), 3) low power consumption (high input resistance=thin operation layer), and 4) micro size device have been demanded.
To manufacture a magnetic sensor which satisfies the above-described demands, InSb having the highest electron mobility is optimal. Further, a thin-film material which has high electron mobility enabling manufacturing of a magnetic sensor with high magnetic field detection sensitivity and enabling manufacturing of a high-input resistance magnetic sensor that can be driven with very small voltage and current, that is, an InSb thin film which has a great sheet resistance and is, accordingly, very thin is required.
Conventionally, it is common that an InSb thin-film magnetic sensor such as a Hall element or a magneto resistance element is manufactured by using an InSb thin film obtained by directly growing InSb on an insulating substrate of GaAs, etc. However, when a magnetic sensor is manufactured by using this InSb thin film obtained by directly growing an InSb thin film on a GaAs substrate, if the electron mobility is increased to increase the sensitivity in a magnetic field, as a result, the electric conductivity increases and the sheet resistance lowers. Further, if the film thickness of InSb is increased as a means for improving the crystallinity to have large electron mobility, the sheet resistance lowers again.
Further, InSb must be doped with a donor impurity such as Si and Sn for the purpose of improvement in reduction of temperature dependency, however, all of these means lower the element resistance, and in conventional magnetic sensors having a magnetic sensitive portion formed of an InSb thin film, the element resistance inevitably lowers if the performance such as sensitivity is improved, and it is very difficult to realize both higher sensitivity and higher element resistance.
This problem is solved by thinning the InSb thin film of the element portion and increasing the sheet resistance, however, there is no substrate that has the same lattice constant as that of InSb and is insulative. Therefore, when an InSb thin film is grown on an insulative GaAs substrate, film thickness dependency of the performance such as the electron mobility is extremely great, and further, the crystallinity of the InSb thin film rapidly lowers with the film thickness reduction. As a result, when the InSb film thickness is small, the performance of the InSb thin film directly formed on the GaAs is very poor, and it is very difficult to make this thinner without performance deterioration.
This is caused by a difference in the lattice constant between the substrate on which the InSb thin film is grown and InSb, that is, great lattice mismatch between InSb and the substrate. GaAs and InP substrates are used as insulative single-crystal substrates to be normally used for growth of an InSb thin film thereon, however, these substrates are greatly different in the lattice constant from InSb. For example, the difference in the lattice constant between GaAs and InSb is 14%. There is no group III-V compound semiconductor whose lattice constant is equal to that of InSb. Therefore, GaAs substrates, InP substrates, Si substrates, and sapphire substrates have been used as substrates on which a single-crystal thin film of InSb is grown although lattice constants of these substrates are greatly different from that of InSb.
An attempt to eliminate such a great difference in the lattice constant from the substrates was made. For example, in Patent Document 1, to eliminate the difference in the lattice constant from InSb of an active layer (to match the lattice), a structure in which an InSb buffer layer doped with an acceptor impurity is placed on the substrate, an undoped InSb active layer is further formed, and next, an impurity is doped and a strained AlGaInSb carrier supply layer whose lattice constant in the horizontal direction with respect to the substrate surface is equal to the lattice constant of InSb is formed, and further, on this layer, an undoped InSb cap layer is formed, is proposed, however, as this structure is very complicated, it is difficult to be practically manufactured. The performance of the InSb layer in this structure in the case where a practical element is not manufactured seems good, however, this includes a great problem in the case where a practical element is manufactured.
In other words, in this structure, an undoped InSb layer that is a conductive layer made of the same material as the operation layer is formed on the top in addition to the operation layer. When an element such as a magnetic sensor is manufactured with this structure, normally, an insulating film is formed on and in contact with this conductive layer, however, it is known that the lattice of the InSb thin layer is broken due to lattice mismatch with the insulating film and impact when forming the insulating film, and this results in performance deterioration such as a carrier increase in the InSb layer and extreme lowering in electron mobility.
When a Hall element or a magneto resistance element is manufactured with this structure, the deteriorated InSb layer becomes a simple leak layer of the drive current of the element, the drive current flowing in the operation layer is branched and the current flowing in the operation layer becomes substantially small. This leak layer current remarkably deteriorates the performance such as magnetic field sensitivity. Therefore, this structure is unsuitable for manufacturing a magnetic sensor such as a practical Hall element, so that it is difficult to manufacture practical Hall element and magneto resistance element.
Further, in contact with the undoped InSb layer as an operation layer, formation of an acceptor impurity-doped InSb layer with the same lattice constant is essential. Provision of insulation at room temperature by doping an InSb layer that is an intrinsic semiconductor at room temperature or a higher temperature with an acceptor impurity is generally very difficult due to a small band gap (0.17 eV), so that it is impossible to obtain high insulation and high resistance. At room temperature or a higher temperature, in an InSb that does not serve as a p-type, it is impossible to obtain electric insulation by pn junction.
Thus, in the technique of Patent Document 1, a very complicated structure is necessary to eliminate the lattice constant difference and manufacture a high-performance InSb thin-film operation layer, and InSb that is not an operation layer must also be formed on the top of the structure. This construction has a great problem at room temperature or a higher temperature at which the magnetic sensor is used, and particularly, manufacturing of a practical InSb magnetic sensor usable across a wide temperature range from a low temperature to a high temperature is very difficult. Manufacturing of a practical magnetic sensor usable as a magnetic sensor, etc., installed in a vehicle, required to stably operate in a range of −40 to 150° C. or higher has not been realized yet.
It is conventionally impossible to manufacture a very thin film of InSb and manufacture a high-sensitivity magnetic sensor such as a Hall element by using the conventional technique. Particularly, a technique for manufacturing a high-sensitivity magnetic sensor by obtaining high electron mobility in a very thin InSb single-crystal thin film with a thickness of 0.5 micrometers or less or 0.2 micrometers has not been found yet.
Therefore, the present inventors examined a high-sensitivity, high-resistance, and practical InSb magnetic sensor using an InSb single-crystal thin film which the conventional technique had not realized as an operation layer, and a method for manufacturing this sensor.
It would be convenient if an insulating substrate of a group III-V compound semiconductor lattice-matched with InSb could be manufactured, however, such a substrate does not exist. Therefore, in manufacturing of an InSb thin film, lattice mismatch with the substrate is a great problem. Therefore, it is necessary to create a technique for manufacturing an InSb single-crystal thin film with excellent crystallinity and high electron mobility regardless of this lattice mismatch, and this is an object of the present invention.
Therefore, the inventors have taken on the challenge of researching a crystal growing method by which an InSb thin film could be obtained without the preconditions of lattice matching. That is, they researched a crystal growing technique by which a thin film with excellent performance could be obtained by growing the single crystal of InSb regardless of lattice mismatch with the substrate on which InSb is grown. As a result, they found that InSb being excellent in quality although its thickness was small grown by growing a group III-V mixed crystal layer satisfying special conditions in which it was insulative and had smaller mismatch although its lattice mismatches with InSb, on a substrate, and growing InSb on this mixed crystal layer by means of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).
That is, it was found that, even if the mixed crystal layer with which the InSb thin film was in direct contact and InSb had a lattice mismatch with each other, when the lattice mismatch was in a certain range, and the composition and crystallinity of the mixed crystal layer satisfied predetermined conditions, the performance of InSb to be grown on the mixed crystal layer was excellent.
For example, when InSb is directly grown on a GaAs substrate, the lattice mismatch is 14%, and in a case of an InSb thin film with a thickness not more than 1 micrometer, high electron mobility cannot be obtained even if it is a single-crystal thin film. Further, with a reduction in film thickness to 0.5 micrometers, and even further, to 0.2 micrometers, the electron mobility of InSb rapidly lowers. This is shown by the experimental data indicated by the line of square marks in FIG. 10.
FIG. 10 is a graph showing a relationship (triangle marks) between the film thickness and electron mobility of the InSb thin film directly formed on a GaAs substrate.
From the data of FIG. 10, it is known that, when the thickness of the InSb thin film is 0.1 micrometer, a very small value of 3,000 cm2/Vs is observed, and manufacturing of a high-sensitivity magnetic sensor is difficult. This is an inevitable result from the 14% lattice mismatch. The electron mobility of InSb grown on this GaAs is also shown in Non-Patent Document 1.
The above-described structure of Patent Document 1 eliminates lattice mismatch by using a p-type or insulating InSb (doped) layer formed on an AlGaInSb layer as a buffer layer, and the film quality of InSb (undoped) as an operation layer formed on the buffer layer is secured.
According to Non-Patent Document 1, in the InSb thin film directly formed on the GaAs substrate, the existence of a low-electron mobility layer formed in the vicinity of a hetero interface between the GaAs substrate and InSb due to lattice mismatch based on a 14% difference in the lattice constant between the GaAs substrate crystal and InSb, and the existence of a low-electron mobility layer naturally formed on the InSb thin film surface are described. Due to low-electron mobility layers on both surfaces of the InSb thin film, the electron mobility becomes smaller (lower) as the InSb film thickness becomes smaller. Particularly, when the InSb film becomes thinner than 0.2 micrometers, the electron mobility lowering of the InSb thin film is remarkable, and manufacturing of an InSb Hall element with practical sensitivity is conventionally difficult.
This electron mobility lowering of the InSb thin film according to film thickness reduction corresponds to the existence of a low-electron mobility layer produced at the hetero interface with the GaAs substrate and the thickness thereof during crystal growth. The thickness of this low-electron mobility layer is generally 0.1 to 0.2 micrometers although this depends on the crystal growth conditions. To increase the electron mobility of the InSb thin film at very small thin film thickness, it is necessary to reduce or eliminate the thickness of the low-electron mobility layer.
According to Non-Patent Document 1, it is known that the InSb thin film grown on the GaAs substrate greatly changes in electron mobility and electron concentration in the thickness direction, and describing based on a simple model of distribution of properties of the thin film, these changes consist of a low-electron mobility layer which is in contact with the hetero interface with the substrate and is grown first (layer which has many defects due to lattice mismatch with the substrate and is not excellent in physical properties), and a high-electron mobility layer (layer which is not influenced by mismatch and is improved in physical properties and have very few defects).
If the high-electron mobility layer with high electron mobility is thick, that is, by reducing the thickness ratio of the low-electron mobility layer, the electron mobility of the InSb thin film increases, and a magnetic sensor such as a high-sensitivity Hall element can be manufactured.
The high-electron mobility layer can be easily increased in thickness by simply increasing the InSb film thickness, however, in this case, an input resistance becomes smaller when a magnetic sensor is manufactured, and this poses a problem such as an increase in power consumption of the magnetic sensors, and is disadvantageous in practicability.
To increase the input resistance, the InSb thin film must be thinned, however, in this case, the high-electron mobility layer becomes extremely thin or, depending on circumstances, it completely disappears, so that an InSb thin film with high electron mobility cannot be obtained. For example, with a film thickness smaller than 0.2 micrometers, most of the portion with high electron mobility disappears. Even with the thickness of 0.3 micrometers, the low-electron mobility layer becomes thicker than the high-electron mobility layer, and as a result, the electron mobility is not as high as expected.
Thus, when the InSb film thickness is not more than a thickness substantially corresponding to the thickness of the low-electron mobility layer formed in the vicinity of the hetero interface or occupies 50% or more of the film thickness, the electron mobility extremely lowers, and therefore, it is conventionally impossible to manufacture a practical magnetic sensor such as a high-sensitivity Hall element. This is also obvious from the relationship between the film thickness and the electron mobility when an undoped InSb thin film is directly grown on a GaAs (100) substrate as shown in Non-Patent Document 1 and FIG. 10.
When the film thickness of InSb is thus reduced, the layer with high electron mobility described in Non-Patent Document 1 becomes extremely thin, and most of the InSb thin film lowers in electron mobility, so that the electron mobility of the entire InSb thin film rapidly lowers.
Even when the substrate changes from GaAs to other substrates, the same phenomenon occurs if the film has lattice mismatch with the substrate. Thus, to manufacture a high-sensitivity magnetic sensor, an InSb thin film having great electron mobility is essential, however, if the film thickness of InSb becomes small, the electron mobility rapidly lowers. Therefore, conventionally, with an extremely thin InSb film, a thin-film lamination including a conductive layer of InSb used as an operation layer of a magnetic sensor capable of detecting magnetic fields with high sensitivity and an InSb magnetic sensor using this thin-film lamination in the magnetic sensor section cannot be manufactured.
When the InSb film thickness is reduced, a high sheet resistance can be expected, however, the electron mobility which determines the sensitivity of the magnetic sensor becomes extremely low. For example, the electron mobility of an InSb thin film with a thickness of 1.0 micrometer directly formed on a GaAs (100) substrate exceeds 50,000 cm2/Vs, however, the electron mobility of an InSb thin film with a thickness of 0.3 micrometers is about 20,000 cm2/Vs, and in the case of a film thickness of 0.2 micrometers, the electron mobility is not more than 10,000 cm2/Vs, and in the case of an InSb thin film with a thickness of 0.15 micrometers, the electron mobility is about 7000 cm2/Vs or less, and in the case of 0.1 micrometers, the electron mobility is not more than 5,000 cm2/Vs or less, so that the electron mobility rapidly lowers according to film thickness reduction. From this fact, it is understood that the thickness of the layer portion with low electron mobility of the InSb thin film is 0.15 to 0.2 micrometers.
Thus, the electron mobility rapidly lowers with an InSb film thickness reduction, and reaches an extremely small value. Therefore, the sensitivity of the magnetic sensor using this InSb thin film in the sensor section rapidly lowers with the InSb film thickness, and a magnetic sensor such as a high-sensitivity practical Hall element or magneto resistance element cannot be manufactured. Thus, in the example of the InSb thin film directly formed on the GaAs substrate, it is known that the electron mobility greatly changes according to the film thickness of InSb due to a great lattice mismatch, that is, the electron mobility rapidly lowers with a film thickness reduction.
Reiterating once again, particularly, when the film thickness is reduced to 0.2 micrometers or less, due to the effect of lattice mismatch, the electron mobility of the InSb thin film formed on the GaAs substrate rapidly lowers. This is caused by great changes in properties of the InSb thin film grown on the GaAs substrate in the film thickness direction. Therefore, in the conventional technique, there is no thin film suitable with a thickness not more than 0.2 micrometers for manufacturing a practical high-sensitivity Hall element or magneto resistance element. However, a magnetic sensor such as an InSb Hall element or magneto resistance element with a high input resistance using an InSb thin film for the magnetic sensor section or portion is extremely important in terms of application. The needs for this are also high, however, it is mentioned here that neither an InSb thin film nor a magnetic sensor having high electron mobility usable for a practical magnetic sensor were manufactured in the past.
Next, reasons for production of this low-electron mobility layer will be described.
One of the reasons is, in particular, the existence of a portion with a high lattice defect density in the vicinity of the hetero interface between the substrate and InSb. That is, through analysis of electron transfer unique to the InSb thin film, it was found that InSb had a great lattice mismatch with GaAs, and a layer with a thickness not more than 0.2 microns from the hetero interface with GaAs had a high lattice defect density, poor crystallinity of InSb, and low electron mobility, and as a result, it formed a layer with extremely low electron mobility, and the electron mobility thereof was as extremely low as several thousand or less (for example, refer to Non-Patent Document 1). As a result, it is inevitable that the electron mobility of the InSb thin film has great film thickness dependency, and as the InSb becomes thinner, the physical properties such as electron mobility important in manufacturing a magnetic sensor rapidly lower.
However, if an insulating substrate whose lattice constant is equal to that of InSb is obtained, this problem may be solved, however, it is known that an insulating or insulative material of a group III-V compound semiconductor does not exist. As a result, phenomenologically and logically, mass production on an industrial scale of an InSb thin film or a thin-film lamination with a thickness not more than 0.3 micrometers, further, not more than 0.2 micrometers from which a practical InSb thin film magnetic sensor such as an InSb Hall element or magneto resistance element with high sensitivity and high input resistance is likely to be manufactured, is impossible.
Further, as described in Non-Patent Document 1, a thin layer which has low electron mobility and an about 50 nanometer thickness was also found on the surface layer of the InSb thin film from a detailed examination of the phenomenon of electron transfer in the InSb thin film. The cause of this is considered that, when the substance is neither air in nor a vacuum, the lattice of the portion with a thickness of about 50 nanometers inside the InSb surface is strained and forms a thin layer with low electron mobility. This low-electron mobility layer on the surface portion also influences the film thickness dependency which lowers with the InSb film thickness reduction.
Therefore, with a thickness not more than the thickness added with the thicknesses of the two low-electron mobility layers formed at the hetero interface between the surface and the substrate, an InSb thin film with high electron mobility cannot be manufactured. The thickness of this is about 0.2 micrometers.
To manufacture a practical magnetic sensor such as a high-sensitivity InSb thin-film Hall element, the comparatively thick low-electron mobility layers formed in the vicinities of the interface between the InSb thin film and the substrate and the surface of the InSb thin film caused by the above-described various factors are a big problem. That is, it is a big obstacle or problem to manufacture a practical magnetic sensor using an extremely thin film of InSb as a magnetic sensor section, and elimination or reduction in thickness of the low-electron mobility layers to be extremely thin are extremely important technical issues that should be solved.
In practical use of a magnetic sensor such as a Hall element, high reliability has been conventionally demanded. That is, in industrial use or use as an in-vehicle sensor, provision of high performance in reliability relating to practical use such as improvement in reliability, durability, and environment resistance performance have been demanded. Therefore, it has been demanded that a protective film, that is, a passivation film for the InSb thin film surface is formed. In other applications, for example, in magnetic microparticle detection by using an InSb Hall element, it has been demanded that the sensor section of the InSb thin film is made to approach a distance of several tens of micron, micron, and still further, submicron to a measuring target and detects the magnetic field. Therefore, it is required that a protective film of the InSb thin-film surface is formed so as not to damage the InSb thin film or the surface thereof when measuring the magnetic field.
On the surface of the InSb thin film of the magnetic sensor section, for the purpose of securing reliability of the element or the purpose of relaxing the stress on the thin film caused by heat generated during heat curing of a package resin, etc., an insulating film, for example, an insulating film of Si3N4 or SiO2, etc., is formed. That is, a protective layer or a protective film is formed. This protective layer is different not only in the crystal lattice but also in the lattice constant from InSb, and further, in the case of manufacturing by plasma CVD, the surface of InSb is exposed to collision of plasma ions, and is frequently damaged. By way of exception, the protective layer may not be formed, however, in the manufacturing process of the magnetic sensor, this protective layer is ordinarily formed and is essential.
Thus, on the upper surface of the InSb thin film constituting the magnetic sensor section, formation of a protective film is needed. However, this formation of a protective film damages the thin film portion proximal to the surface of the InSb thin film constituting the magnetic sensor section, and results in great deterioration in the performance of the thin film, and desired magnetic sensor performance cannot be obtained. This is a process fluctuation and damage inevitably occurring in the process of forming the protective layer.
As the damage of the InSb thin film due to formation of the protective film, the sensitivity lowers by about 10% (electron mobility lowering of the InSb thin film) according to the insulating film formation when an InSb thin film with a thickness of 1 micrometer is manufactured as a Hall element, however, if the thickness is reduced, this lowering remarkably increases, and in the case of a thickness of 0.3 microns, this sensitivity lowering amount is 40% to 70% and more depending on circumstances.
Table 1 shown below shows the relationship between the lowering in electron mobility of the InSb thin film and the InSb film thickness when SiN with a thickness of 0.3 micrometers is formed on the surface.
TABLE 1InSb film thickness (μm)Electron mobility lowering (%)0.610%0.520%0.430%0.340%
Therefore, it is impossible to manufacture a desired high-sensitivity magnetic sensor. The reason for this is considered that the surface of the InSb thin film is broken due to an impact of the plasma CVD or lattice mismatch, and the electron mobility of the broken portion becomes lower, and a comparatively thick layer with low electron mobility is formed in the vicinity of the surface in the InSb thin film, and as a result, great performance deterioration in the InSb thin film is caused.
Formation of a protective layer and an impact when forming a protective layer forms a low-electron mobility layer with a certain thickness in the surface of the InSb thin film as a result, and causes deterioration in the performance of the element. This low-electron mobility layer has a thickness of 50 to 100 nanometers (0.10 to 0.05 micrometers) although this depends on the conditions of protective layer formation, and is thicker than the thickness of 50 nanometers of the low-electron mobility layer which is naturally formed on the surface of the InSb thin film. Therefore, to increase the electron mobility of the InSb thin film formed by epitaxial growth on the substrate, it is essential to make the InSb thin film as thin and small as possible or eliminate the low-electron mobility layer formed in contact with a hetero interface between the InSb thin film surface and the substrate.
A solution for such problems of performance deterioration in the InSb layer relating to the protective film formation has been demanded for a long time. That is, an InSb magnetic sensor structure which does not cause performance fluctuation in the process of manufacturing the InSb thin film as an element by avoiding deterioration in performance of the InSb thin film due to formation of insulation, that is, a protective layer on the surface of the magnetic sensor section or realization of an element structure which does not structurally cause performance deterioration in the InSb thin film has been demanded.
The present invention was made in view of these problems, and an object thereof is to provide a thin film lamination to be used for a micro InSb thin film magnetic sensor which can directly detect magnetic flux density with high sensitivity and whose power consumption are small, an InSb thin film magnetic sensor using the same thin film lamination, and a method for manufacturing the same.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-183424
[Non-Patent Document 1] Journal of Crystal Growth, Vol. 251, pp. 560-564 and Vol. 278, pp. 604-609

InSb thin film magnetic sensor and fabrication method thereof


An azo dye represented by formula (II) as defined in the specification, a process of producing the same and a coloring composition containing the azo dye.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel azo dye, an ink jet recording ink, a heat sensitive recording material, a color toner, a color filter, an ink jet recording method, an ink cartridge and an ink jet printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Color image recording materials have now come to be the mainstream of image recording materials. Currently prevailing color image recording materials include ink jet recording materials, thermal transfer image recording materials, electrophotographic recording materials, transfer type silver halide light-sensitive materials, printing inks, and recording pens. Color filters are used in displays, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma display panels (PDPs), and solid-state image sensors, such as charge coupled devices (CCDs).
In the color image recording materials described above, while coloring materials (dyes or pigments) of three primary colors for so-called subtractive color mixing system have been used for reproducing or recording full color images, coloring materials having absorption characteristics capable of attaining preferred color reproducing regions and which are fast being endurable to various working conditions have not been yet available at present and improvement therefor has been demanded strongly.
Ink jet recording has been popularized rapidly and will see further development because of low material cost, high speed, low noise, and ease of color recording.
Fundamentally, ink jet recording is divided into a continuous method in which ink droplets are continuously allowed to fly and a drop-on-demand method in which ink droplets are ejected in response to image information signals. The mechanism of drop formation includes a piezoelectric system in which pressure is applied to ink by a piezoelectric element to eject ink droplets, a thermal system in which heat is applied to ink to create bubbles whereby to eject an ink droplet, an ultrasonic system, and an electrostatic system. Ink jet inks include aqueous ink, oily ink, and hot-melt or solid ink.
Colorants used in the ink jet recording inks are required to have good solubility or dispersibility in ink solvents, capability of high-density recording, satisfactory hues, color fastness against light, heat, active gases in the atmosphere (e.g., NOx, oxidizing gases such as ozone, SOx, etc.), resistance against water and chemicals, good fixability on media with minimized blur, stability in ink formulations, nontoxicity, high purity, and inexpensiveness.
It is extremely difficult to obtain dyes that satisfy high levels of these requirements, nevertheless. In particular, there has been a strong demand for colorants with a satisfactory magenta hue that are fast to light and environmental active gases, particularly oxidizing gases such as ozone.
Widely used couplers for azo dyes include phenols, naphthols, and anilines. JP-A-11-209673 and Japanese Patent 3020660 disclose azo dyes with satisfactory hues that are obtained using these couplers, which have turned out to have a disadvantage of poor light fastness. Improvement has been added in JP-A-2001-335714, in which colorants with satisfactory hues and improved light fastness are disclosed. However, all the colorants known by literature have extremely insufficient fastness to oxidizing gases such as ozone.
To develop a dye fast to oxidizing gases such as ozone, the present inventors have reached an idea of using nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds as a coupler in place of the related couplers, such as phenols, naphthols, and anilines. Azo dyes prepared from aminopyrazolediazo components and aniline couplers that have hitherto been proposed are disclosed, e.g., in JP-A-55-161856, JP-A-61-36362, JP-A-61-152768, JP-A-6-145543, JP-A-7-224230, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,650,861 and 4,301,070, and JP-T-11-504958. However, all of them fail to satisfy both hue and various fastness properties. Azo dyes prepared using pyridine couplers are known, including those described in JP-A-51-83631, JP-A-49-74718, JP-A-58-101158, JP-B-52-46230, EP23309, and German Patents 2719079, 2307444, 2513949, 2525505, and 2832020. Azo dyes prepared from pyrazolediazo components and pyridine couplers are proposed in JP-A-2002-371079, WO02/83662. and WO02/83795, which have been proved to have fairly improved fastness to ozone and light but still leave room for further improvement.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Azo dye, ink jet recording ink, heat sensitive recording material, color toner, color filter, ink jet recording method, ink cartridge and ink jet printer


An air gap retractor illumination system includes any suitable retractor such as a McCulloch with a channel in the blade to accommodate an air gap illuminator. The illuminator is preferably made from a suitable light conducting plastic material such as acrylic or polycarbonate or silicone. The illuminator has active portions in which light passes and inactive or dead zones in which light does not pass as a result of the configuration and orientation of the input, output and surfaces of the illuminator. The illuminator is formed to have an air gap surrounding any active portion of the illuminator extending from the light input to the light output portion. The dead zones may include elements to allow the illuminator to securely engage the retractor. The light output portion of the illuminator contains from two to eight output zones, each zone having specially designed output optical structures that control and direct light to escape the illuminator to shine onto a predetermined area of interest or to form one or more predetermined shapes or footprints.

Surgical procedures often employ the use of retractors to separate and hold tissue to expose the underlying tissue on which the procedure is to be performed. Blade retractors are a type of retractor that typically have a flat or slightly curved blade that is inserted into the body. The blade may have a handle portion that is used to manipulate the blade. One or more blade retractors may be used in a surgical procedure. Illumination in these procedures is typically limited to external illumination sources such as ceiling or wall mounted lights or light sources integrated into a headband worn by the surgeon (e.g., LED based or fiber optic based). These light sources provide poor illumination of the deep tissue on which surgery is to be performed. Fiber optic devices may be fixed to a blade retractor to shine light on the deep tissue, but fiber optic systems either provide a small spot of light requiring constant repositioning to view all the tissue, or they provide a very diffuse light that does not adequately illuminate the tissue of interest. The fiber optic also has a very small emission area. Any debris or blood that covers it will block the majority of illumination. Furthermore, fiber optic devices are very expensive, requiring specialized cutting, grinding and polishing. Some blade retractors are provided with length-wise channels into which ancillary retracting or illumination devices may be inserted. Blade insert illumination devices are currently limited to fiber optic approaches with their poor illumination characteristics.


A storage expansion system includes an expansion apparatus and a serial advanced technology attachment dual in-line memory module (SATA DIMM) device. A memory slot, a SATA port, a SATA signal expansion member, and a voltage converter are arranged on the expansion apparatus. The memory slot includes first power pins, first ground pins, and first signal pins connected to the SATA signal expansion member. A first edge connector is arranged on a side of the expansion apparatus. The first edge connector includes second power pins and second ground pins. The first and second power pins are connected to the voltage converter. A second edge connector is arranged on a bottom side of the SATA DIMM device. The second edge connector includes third power pins connected to a control chip and storage chips, third ground pins, and second signal pins connected to the control chip.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a storage expansion system.
2. Description of Related Art
Solid state drives (SSD) store data on chips instead of on magnetic or optical discs and are used for adding storage capacity. One type of SSD has the form factor of a DIMM device and is called a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) DIMM device. The SATA DIMM device can be inserted into a memory slot of a motherboard to receive voltages from the motherboard through the memory slot and receive hard disk drive (HDD) signals through SATA connectors of the SATA DIMM module connected to a SATA connector on the motherboard. However, the number of memory slots and SATA connectors of the motherboard is limited, thus the motherboard can only receive a limited quantity of SATA DIMM devices. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.

ShenZhen Treasure City Technology Co., LTD.


The present invention relates generally to a non-toxic lipid conjugated with a cationic amino acid containing a guanidino group. Specifically, the naturally-occuring lipid DOPE is combined with the naturally-occurring amino acid Arginine. These compounds are useful for encapsulating and delivering pharmaceuticals and poly and oligonucleotides. These compound improve over current compounds, because they are composed of non-toxic and, in the case of Arg-DOPE, natural components, and therefore result in minimal unwanted side effects. Methods of use of the cationic lipids are also claimed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a non-toxic lipid conjugated with a cationic amino acid containing a guanidino group. Specifically, the naturally-occuring lipid dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) is combined with the naturally-occurring amino acid Arginine. These compounds are useful for encapsulating and delivering pharmaceuticals and poly and oligonucleotides. These compounds improve over current compounds, because they are composed of non-toxic and, in the case of Arginine conjugated with DOPE (Arg-PE), natural components, and therefore result in minimal unwanted side effects. Methods of use of the cationic lipids are also claimed.
2. Background of the Invention
Cationic lipids have been described in the past. Most of the cationic lipids previously described involve synthetic (non-naturally-occurring) components. The three patents provided in this background to the invention also describe many non-naturally-occurring components.
Stadler, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,634 describes a process for transferring nucleic acids into cells, most particularly plant cells, using a polycationic compound in conjunction with a cationic lipid.
Felgner, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,618 describes several cationic lipids, but is limited to those with an ammonium group. The present cationic lipid does not utilize an ammonium group.
Feigner, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,127 is a continuation of the above patent, and claims the formulations and methods of the patent above.
Gershon, et al., 32 Biochemistry 7143 (1993). This journal article describes a theory of a mechanism of action for the transfer of nucleic acids via cationic liposomes. Although it discusses PE (a naturally-occurring lipid), it does not describe it in conjunction with arginine.
Behr, 5 Bioconjugate Chem. 382 (1994) is a review article which describes many cationic lipids, but not a Arg-PE construct.
Remy et al., 5 Bioconjugate Chem. 647 (1995) is an article following-up the article above, in the same journal. It describes DOPE conjugated with spermine. It does not disclose an Arg-PE construct.
Chang & Brenner, citation unknown, describes protocols for transferring cationic liposomes into cells. It does not disclose the Arg-PE construct.

Cationic lipids and methods of use therefor


The method and apparatus manufacture a liquid drop ejecting head. The method and apparatus blast particles on a substrate having on an upper layer a patterned mask layer made of an organic material and on a lower layer a driver circuit for ejecting a liquid drop to thereby perform an etching process on parts of the substrate exposed from the mask layer. The etching process is performed in an ionic atmosphere ionized with a polarity opposite to a charged polarity generated in the substrate when the substrate is subjected to etching.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method for a liquid drop ejecting head and a manufacturing apparatus therefor, in which particles are blasted onto a substrate provided with mask layers which are patterned in advance and are made of an organic material, thereby etching or sandblasting portions exposed from the mask layers on the substrate surfaces. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing an ink ejecting head in which ink drops are ejected for recording an image or the like to a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recording heads of a thermal ink jet printer are manufactured in such a way that driver integrated circuits are formed on a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon substrate; a plurality of heating resistors are formed in the vicinity thereof; individual ink passages that constitute ink passages corresponding to the respective heating resistors are formed above the respective heating resistors; common ink passages to be connected to the individual ink passages are formed; and ink jet nozzles for ejecting ink fed from the individual ink passages as ink drops are further formed.
When supplying ink to a recording head of a thermal ink jet printer, for instance, in the case of a top shooter type where the ink drop is ejected substantially in the perpendicular direction to the silicon substrate, since the supply of the ink to the recording head of the thermal ink jet printer is effected from the back surface side of the silicon substrate, at least one ink supply port that passes through the silicon substrate is formed in the silicon substrate during the above-described manufacturing process. The ink supply port is thus connected to the ink groove which is provided on the top surface side of the silicon substrate and is in communication with the above-described common ink passage.
In this case, since each of the ink supply ports and the ink grooves to be formed has a large depth, the ink supply ports passing through the silicon substrate or the ink grooves connected to the ink supply ports are commonly formed by sandblasting from the top and back surface sides of the silicon substrate in view of the processing speed. As is well known in the sandblasting method, a resist made of an organic material is used as a mask layer in the area other than the area where the etching is to be effected, and particles having a small diameter are blasted at a predetermined speed on the silicon substrate and the like, to thereby perform mechanical etching of the silicon substrate and the like. Such a sandblasting method is described in JP 2000-127402A.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing liquid drop ejecting head


In a process for producing a hydrocarbon composition, a feed comprising at least one C3 to C8 olefin and an olefinic recycle stream rich in C9− hydrocarbons is contacted with a crystalline molecular sieve catalyst having an average crystal size no greater than 0.05 micron and an alpha value between about 100 and about 600 in at least one reaction zone under olefin oligomerization conditions including an inlet temperature between about 150° C. and about 350° C., a pressure of at least 2,860 kPa and a recycle to feed weight ratio of about 0.1 to about 3.0. The contacting produces an oligomerization effluent stream, which is separated into at least a hydrocarbon product stream rich in C9+ hydrocarbons and the olefinic recycle stream.

Improved hydrocarbon compositions are needed to help meet the growing demand for middle distillate products, such as aviation turbine fuels, for example, JP-8, and diesel fuel. Diesel feel generally provides a higher energy efficiency in compression ignition engines than automotive gasoline provides in spark combustion engines, and has a higher rate of demand growth than automotive gasoline, especially outside the U.S. Further, improved fuel compositions are needed to meet the stringent quality specifications for aviation fuel and the ever tightening quality specifications for diesel fuel as established by industry requirements and governmental regulations.
One known route for producing hydrocarbon compositions useful as fuels is the oligomerization of olefins over various molecular sieve catalysts. Exemplary patents relating to olefin oligomerization include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,444,988; 4,456,781; 4,504,693; 4,547,612 and 4,879,428. In these disclosures, feedstock olefins are mixed with an olefinic recycle material and contacted with a zeolite, particularly in a series of fixed bed reactors. The oligomerized reaction product is then separated to provide a distillate stream, and typically a gasoline stream, and any number of olefinic recycle streams.
However, in these known oligomerization processes, the focus is on producing relatively heavy distillate products, and even lube base stocks. To enable the production of relatively heavy materials, the processes employ, either directly or indirectly, a relatively large amount of olefinic recycle (typically >2:1 w/w relative to feed), containing significant quantities of C10+ material. The relatively large recycle rate provides control over the exotherm of the oligomerization reaction in the preferred fixed bed, adiabatic reactor system, while the relatively heavy recycle composition (in conjunction with high conversion of light olefin feed, in part enabled by a relatively low WHSV) enables the growth of heavier oligomers and thus higher molecular weight and denser distillate product. However, the high rate of recycle requires much larger equipment to handle the increased volumetric flow rate, and uses more separation/fractionation energy, and hence more and larger associated energy conservation elements. Further, the high molecular weight of the oligomer product requires very high temperatures for the fractionation tower bottoms streams that may eliminate the use of simple steam reboilers and require more expensive and complex fired heaters.
The recycle streams in conventional olefin oligomerization processes are produced in a variety of fashions, typically including some sort of single stage flash drum providing a very crude separation of reactor product as a means of providing the relatively heavy components, followed by various fractionation schemes which may or may not provide sharper separations, and again often provide heavy components as recycle. The dense distillate product is generally characterized by a relatively high specific gravity (in excess of 0.775) and a high viscosity, in part due to the composition comprising relatively high levels of aromatics and naphthenes.
Very few references discuss both the merits and methods of producing lighter distillate products, typified by such as jet fuel, kerosene and No. 1 Diesel, via the oligomerization of C3 to C8 olefins. Jet/kero is generally overlooked as a particularly useful middle distillate product, inasmuch as the volume consumed in the marketplace is considerably smaller than its heavier cousins, No. 2 Diesel and No. 4 Diesel (fuel oil). However, jet/kero is a high volume commercial product in its own right, and is also typically suitable as a particular light grade of diesel, called No. 1 Diesel, that is especially useful in colder climates given its tendency to remain liquid and sustain volatility at much lower temperatures. In addition, jet/kero type streams are often blended with other stocks to produce No. 2 Diesel, both to modify the diesel fuel characteristics, and to allow introduction of otherwise less valuable blendstocks into the final higher value product.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,600 discloses an oligomerization process for converting lower olefins to distillate hydrocarbons, especially useful as high quality jet or diesel fuels, wherein an olefinic feedstock is reacted over a shape selective acid zeolite, such as ZSM-5, to oligomerize feedstock olefins and further convert recycled hydrocarbons. The reactor effluent is fractionated to recover a middle distillate range product stream and to obtain light and heavy hydrocarbon streams for recycle. The middle distillate product has a boiling range of about 165° C. to 290° C. and contains substantially linear C9 to C16 mono-olefinic hydrocarbons, whereas the major portion of the C6 to C8 hydrocarbon components are contained in the lower boiling recycle stream, and the major portion (e.g. 50 wt. % to more than 90 wt. %) of the C16+ hydrocarbon components are contained in the heavy recycle fraction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,366 discloses a multi-stage process for upgrading an ethene-rich feed into heavier hydrocarbon products boiling in the lubricant, distillate and gasoline ranges. The process involves initially contacting the ethene-rich feed in a primary reaction stage with a fluidized bed of a zeolite catalyst, such as ZSM-5, and then separating the resultant effluent into at least a liquid stream containing a major amount of aromatics-rich C5+ hydrocarbons and a gas stream rich in propene and butene. The gas stream is then fed to a secondary reaction stage comprising a series of fixed bed reactors containing a medium pore zeolite oligomerization catalyst, such as ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-22, ZSM-23 or ZSM-35, preferably having a silica/alumina molar ratio of 20 to 200 and a crystal size of 0.2 to 1 micron. In the secondary reaction stage, at least part of the aromatics-rich, liquid primary stage effluent is mixed with a hot inter-stage stream containing partially upgraded olefins to quench said inter-stage stream and the resultant mixed stream is passed to at least one downstream oligomerization reactor. The conditions in the secondary reaction stage can be varied to control the product slate, but generally include a temperature of 235° C. to 315° C., a pressure of 2800 to 10,000 kPa and a weight hourly space velocity of 0.1 to 1.5. The product necessarily contains a significant quantity of aromatic hydrocarbons.
A similar process is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,524, in which an olefin-containing light gas or light naphtha is oligomerized to a C10+ aliphatic hydrocarbon product in multistage reaction zones. In particular, lower alkenes in the feed are oligomerized to intermediate range olefins, mainly in the C5 to C9 range, in a low severity primary reaction zone containing zeolite catalyst particles, preferably in the form of a fluidized bed. The primary reaction zone effluent is then separated into a C4− light gas stream and a predominantly olefinic C5+ intermediate stream substantially free of C4− components. The intermediate stream is then contacted with a medium pore, shape selective, acid oligomerization catalyst in a secondary reaction zone under oligomerization conditions to produce a predominantly C10+ product. To maximize the yield of distillate product, the '524 patent teaches that C10+ hydrocarbons should be removed from said intermediate stream before passage through said secondary reaction zone and that said secondary reaction zone should be operated with catalyst having an average activity alpha greater than 10, at weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) in the range from about 0.1 to about 10 hr−1, at an inlet pressure in excess of about 3200 kPa, an inlet temperature in the range from about 149° C. to about 232° C. and an outlet temperature in the range from about 232° C. to about 343° C. The overall yield and/or quality of the distillate may be further increased by recycling an insufficiently oligomerized portion of the product stream to the secondary reaction zone.
In accordance with the known olefin conversion and oligomerization processes, catalysts are specified that have certain characteristics conducive to their desired products, typically aromatics and heavier distillate products, even lube base stocks. Such characteristics of these known catalysts are not necessarily conducive to the production of lighter distillate products, for example, relatively large crystal size to constrain the larger molecules to enable oligomerization, and relatively high activity to increase the rate of reaction of the less reactive larger molecules. Further, such catalyst attributes in conjunction with the known process conditions favor the production of byproduct cyclics, e.g., aromatics, which are known to be detrimental to distillate and aviation fuel properties.
According to the present invention, it has now been found that by controlling the conditions of the oligomerization process and the properties of oligomerization catalyst, C3 to C8 olefins can be converted into a hydrocarbon composition similar in make-up to that of conventional lighter diesel and jet fuel, making it an excellent blending stock to produce fuel products, such as Jet Fuel A and No. 1 and No. 2 Diesel. The resultant product is also essentially free of aromatic hydrocarbons.

Olefin oligomerization to produce hydrocarbon compositions useful as fuels


A compressor scroll housing for use in conjunction with turbo-machinery, particularly applicable in aircraft. The scroll housing can include a plurality of scroll vanes arrayed around the scroll housing. Scroll vanes, integrally formed with the scroll housing, carry stress load on the scroll housing, including the load from fluid pressure within the scroll and carcass loading from the engine. The plurality of scroll vanes adapted for guiding flow of fluid from an inlet to an outlet while supporting the scroll housing. Chord length and cross sectional area of each scroll vane can be sized to maintain an equal stress in all scroll vanes. A method of making the scroll housing for use with an impeller connected to an engine is disclosed, as well as a method of operating turbo-machinery including supporting a load on the scroll housing with scroll vanes while maintaining an equal stress on each scroll vane.

The present invention relates generally to turbo-machinery that must be both powerful and that must carry structural loads in aircraft applications. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods relating to a scroll housing for use with a compressor.
In aviation applications, it is necessary to provide compressed air from the aircraft engines to the aircraft. Gas turbine engine aircraft may utilize an auxiliary power unit (APU) to provide air both when an aircraft is on the ground and when it is in flight. Air can be taken from an engine to pressurize or to otherwise condition the cabin air or, for example, to cool avionics equipment. In these aviation applications, there is a constant drive to both improve performance and to reduce the weight of components.
In aviation applications, a centrifugal compressor can be used to compress air. In these cases, the compressor discharge scroll must also be capable of supporting a variety of loading stresses that will occur. Specifically, a compressor scroll must be able to support dynamic loading from the aircraft environment, and pressure loading from the pressurization of air that occurs from the compressor itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,194 (the '194) shows one method of supporting these loads. In the '194 patent, there can be carcass loads that will develop between the forward and aft sections of the aircraft engine. The scroll housing surrounding the centrifugal compressor impeller is designed with a wall thickness that is great enough to handle these stress loads as well as the stress that will develop from air pressurized within the scroll. This is a common approach and one that works in some applications, although the weight of the heavy scroll wall and space restrictions limits the applicability of this approach.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,369 discloses another centrifugal compressor that will withstand the stresses in an aviation environment. Through-bolts are installed through the diffuser, which surrounds the impeller. The bolts are laid out in a circular pattern surrounding the impeller. The through-bolts serve to transmit engine carcass loads through the compressor housing. The greater the design loads, the more through-bolts are used to carry the load. Bolts passing through the diffuser work in some applications, but their use is generally limited to applications in which their presence does not limit performance. As performance requirements push the need for greater airflow and reduced weight, through-bolts become a limiting factor in the design. The through-bolt design also has the problem of increased part count and tolerance buildup associated with the increased part count. Tolerance build up can occur when multiple parts must fit together in an assembly such as the through bolt compressor housing which has a plurality of through-bolts as well as at least two housing halves to be assembled.
FIG. 1 shows a portion of a prior art turbo-machine including a scroll housing 100 designed so that all structural loads, including engine carcass loads, are carried solely by the scroll housing outer wall. In this design, the load path is contained in the scroll housing wall and does not cross the airflow path. This design requires a scroll housing wall thick enough to support all loading on the scroll housing 100. A direct load path S2 is required to maintain wall stresses comprising primarily tensile and shear components. In this prior art, as scroll wall 102 curvature between flanges 104 and 106 increases, bending stress becomes more predominant, and since bending is a less efficient means of supporting loads, material must be added to the scroll wall 102 in order to maintain adequate strength and stiffness, thus adding unwanted weight to the scroll housing 100. The need to keep the scroll wall 102 relatively flat limits the size of the scroll flow path. As the scroll wall 102 gets more of a bulge, it must get thicker to remain stiff enough, thus the weight increases. So, minimizing weight leads to minimizing curvature, which puts limits on scroll size relative to the flange diameters of the scroll. If the size of the flanges 104, 106 are increased to minimize curvature, then weight and installation are adversely impacted. A scroll wall 102 is thick enough to carry all structural loading transmitted between a forward flange 104 and an aft flange 106. The load path S2 is entirely contained within scroll wall 102. The scroll vanes 110 guide airflow A2 but carry no structural load and are outside the load path S2. This design also requires at least two housing piece parts, leading to greater weight, cost, and tolerance buildup associated with fitted parts.
FIG. 2 shows a portion of another prior art turbo-machine including a scroll housing 200 where bolts, passing through the diffuser, carry all the structural loads including engine carcass load. The through-bolt design requires diffuser vanes that are wide enough to accommodate the through-bolts. In many gas turbine engines the diffuser vanes are not large enough to accommodate the through-bolts. Through-bolts 202 carry all structural load, indicated by load path S3, between a forward flange 204 and an aft flange 206. Scroll vanes 210 guide air and can carry some of the pressure load S4 generated by airflow A3 within scroll housing 200 itself. Scroll vanes 210 are outside the structural load path S3, and the scroll wall 212 will carry no structural load.
As can be seen, there is a need for an improved scroll discharge housing for a centrifugal compressor and a method of making the scroll housing for use with an impeller. There is a need for a compressor discharge scroll housing design that maximizes performance while minimizing weight and part count. There is also a need for a compressor discharge scroll housing that allows for optimum air flow performance while being designed to withstand essentially all the stresses associated with pressure and engine carcass loads.

Turbomachine compressor scroll with load-carrying inlet vanes


Imageable printing forms are irradiated by radiant energy corresponding to the image information, the energy being absorbed in the printing form. The energy coupled in this manner is available for patterning the printing form surface. A printing form having a plurality of substantially planar functional zones, which have at least one informational zone that is modifiable in accordance with image information and an absorption zone for absorbing energy from a radiation is distinguished in that a buffer zone is provided which differs at least partially from the absorption zone, receives energy from the absorption zone, and releases energy to the informational zone.

The present invention is directed to a printing form having a plurality of substantially planar functional zones.
From the related art in the field of planographic printing, in particular offset printing, printing plates, printing belts, printing sleeves and surfaces of printing devices, such as printing cylinders (generally referred to in the following as printing forms) are known, which, following a (re-)imaging process, carry image information and transfer an applied printing ink in accordance with the image information to a medium, such as paper.
Printing forms of this kind frequently have a layered structure, i.e., different layers are superimposed one over the other on a substrate, it being possible to assign special functions, such as absorption or reflection of radiation, and thermal insulation, to these layers.
Typically, the imaging operation includes radiating energy over the full surface or in a controlled manner in accordance with the image information, lasers often being used. In the process, the printing form is heated by the radiated energy, at least on an image dot basis, to the point where its surface temperature locally exceeds a specific transition temperature and a surface chemical or surface physical process takes place, which leads to a change in its affinity to water (or ink). In this manner, the surface of the printing form can be patterned into hydrophilic and hydrophobic (or oleophobic and oleophilic) regions.
From the European Patent Application EP 1 245 385 A2, an imageable wet-offset printing form is known, which has a layered structure. The printing form, i.e., its photocatalytically and thermally modifiable material, for example TiO2, is photocatalytically hydrophilized over the full surface area by ultraviolet radiation and thermally hydrophobized on an image dot basis by infrared radiation, the thermal energy being absorbed by absorption centers in the modifiable material or in an absorption layer underneath this material.
A first embodiment includes a 1 to 30 micrometer thick top layer of TiO2, in which absorption centers (e.g., nanoparticles of a semiconductor material) are dispersed in a fine, uniform distribution, and a sublayer of a material having good thermal conduction and a high thermal capacity for preventing too much heat from diffusing in the lateral direction.
A second embodiment includes an only 0.5 to 5 micrometer thick top layer of TiO2 and a 1 to 5 micrometer thick absorption layer disposed underneath it, from where the absorbed thermal energy can flow back into the top layer.
In both exemplary embodiments, the two layers can be superimposed on a substrate, for example of aluminum, an additional 1 to 30 micrometer thick insulating layer being able to reduce the thermal conduction to the substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,204 also describes an imageable offset printing form, which has a polymer surface, a less than 25 nanometer thick, underlying thin metal layer, for example of titanium, for absorbing infrared radiation, and a thermally non-dissipative substrate having pigments that reflect infrared radiation. To image the printing form, it is exposed to infrared laser radiation, which penetrates into the two top layers and is reflected at the substrate back into the metal layer. The thin metal layer can additionally be provided with an antireflection coating, for example of a metal oxide, for the infrared radiation.
In addition, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,559 discusses an infrared-imageable offset printing form having a 10 to 500 nanometer thick hydrophilic layer of a metal-nonmetal mixture, a 5 to 500 nanometer thick metal layer, for example of titanium, for absorbing the input infrared radiation, which forms an oxide at its surface, an oleophilic, hard ceramic layer as a thermal insulator, and a substrate. At the surface of the ceramic layer, the incident radiation is reflected back into the metal layer.
Moreover, German Application DE 101 38 772 A1 discusses a rewritable printing form for printing processes using meltable printing ink. The printing form has an external layer which functions as an absorption layer, for example a 0.5 to 5 micrometer thick titanium layer, and an inner layer which functions as an insulation layer, for example a 10 to 100 micrometer thick glass or ceramic layer. Both layers are accommodated on a substrate. The absorption layer has a low thermal capacity and density and, in addition, the insulation layer has a low thermal conductivity.
Another printing form constitutes the subject matter of the still unpublished German DE 102 27 054. This reusable printing form has a metal oxide surface, for example a titanium oxide surface, which is treated with an amphiphilic organic compound whose polar region has an acidic character. By selectively inputting energy on a dot-by-dot basis, for example by infrared irradiation, an image can be produced on the printing form, and, by inputting energy over a large surface area, for example by ultraviolet irradiation, the image can be erased again.
Finally, the subject matter of the still unpublished German DE 103 54 341 is a method for patterning a printing form surface which has a hydrophilizable polymer, by inputting energy, for example by laser radiation, into one region of the printing form surface in which the polymer is hydrophilized, the printing form surface being liquefied and intermixed.
In all of the known printing forms and applied imaging methods, only one portion of the radiated energy is available for the actual imaging process. Another portion of the radiated energy dissipates, unused, due to reflection at the surface or at boundary surfaces between adjacent surfaces and due to transfer by thermal conduction into deeper-lying layers, in particular into the substrate material.
For this reason, a low-power imaging operation, in particular using multi-channel imaging systems, is problematic. To overcome the problem, the related art provides, for example, for using higher power while working with few imaging channels, and a lower imaging speed.
In addition, in the known printing forms, the imaging energy is introduced into an absorption layer from where the energy flows into a layer to be imaged, where it initiates the imaging process. In this context, the energy absorption of the absorption layer is limited by a layer temperature at which damage or destruction to the layer could occur.
For this second reason, however, it is also not possible to select an arbitrarily high power for the imaging system.

Printing form having a plurality of planar functional zones


A cold plate having a manifold includes a recess extending from a first side to a second side of the manifold, where the recess includes openings to the recess positioned lengthwise along the first side and a single opening to the recess on the second side, an inlet and an outlet fluidly coupled to the recess, a plurality of plates fastened to the first side enclosing the openings, a heat sink fastened to the second side enclosing the single opening on the second side, and a plurality of fluid cores one of each positioned between each of the plurality of plates and the heat sink. The plurality of fluid cores include a flow distribution insert, a first plate fin positioned between the flow distribution insert and the heat sink fastened to the second side, and a second plate fin positioned between the flow distribution insert and the heat sink.

Heat management devices may be coupled to a heat generation device, such as a power electronics device, to remove heat and lower the operating temperature of the heat generating device. A cooling fluid may be introduced to the heat management device, where it receives heat from the heat management device, primarily through convective and/or conductive heat transfer. The cooling fluid is then removed from the heat management device, thereby removing heat from the heat generating device. In one example, fluid may be directed in a jet in a localized region at a high velocity such that the fluid impinges a surface of the heat management device coupled to the heat generating device. As power electronic devices are designed to operate at increased power levels, the power electronics devices generate an increased corresponding heat flux. The increase in heat flux generated by the power electronics devices may render conventional heat sinks inadequate to reject sufficient heat to maintain a desired operating temperature in the power electronics device. Further, as power electronics modules are incorporated into increasingly compact and variable arrangements, more configurable cooling assemblies are desired.

Asymmetric configurable double-sided manifold micro-channel cold plates

TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.


The present invention is fitness equipment with multiple functions. The fitness equipment includes a main frame, rotatable head rack, handrail rack, seat set, linkage bar, damping device and a rotatable treadle device. With the coupled configuration of rotatable head rack, seat set, linkage bar and damping device, trampling, hand-pulling and buttock lifting exercises can be achieved. The fitness equipment meets diversified requirements for both horse-riding and trampling, and also saves the space and cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fitness equipment, and more particularly to improved fitness equipment with horse-riding and foot-operated mechanisms.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
There is a variety of fitness equipment currently available with single or multiple functions for the user.
The present invention relates generally to an improved fitness equipment with horse-riding or pedal fitness mechanisms. A single function horseback riding fitness equipment often requires a series of movements, including trampling, hand-pulling and buttock lifting. The equipment is placed at a site where space is at a premium. Also, the user has to make more physical efforts to lift their buttocks for body-building, thus making them lose interest quickly. The single function pedal fitness equipment is also commonly used as similar to a treadmill. Despite a longer history, this fitness equipment has only simple functions such as movement of legs and feet in a limited environment, making it difficult to meet various demanding exercise requirements of a user.
Thus, to overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an improved structure that can significantly improve efficacy.
To this end, the inventor has provided the present invention of practicability after deliberate design and evaluation based on years of experience in the production, development and design of related products.

Fitness equipment with multiple functions