A lens position determination apparatus of an optical pickup includes a lens holder with a mounted lens, a base supporting the lens holder, and a pressing member. The base has an accommodation surface accommodating the lens holder and a pair of facing support walls on the accommodation surface. The pressing member is a bendable arm. A first elastic portion between arm end portions applies an elastic force in a direction in which the arm end portions closely contact the support walls. A second elastic portion connected to the arm presses the lens holder toward the accommodation surface to fix the lens holder position. The lens adjustment can be performed while the pressing force to fix the lens holder to the base is removed by bending the pressing member into a V shape to reduce frictional resistance of the lens holder with the base during the adjustment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus adjusting and fixing a position of a lens included in an optical pickup of an optical storage medium recording/reproducing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an optical pickup includes an optical system as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, an optical system of an optical pickup includes a light source 3 emitting light having a predetermined wavelength, a grating 4 splitting the light input from the light source 3 into the 0th order and ±1st order, a plate type beam splitter 5 changing a proceeding path of the light emitted from the light source 3, a collimating lens 6 concentrating an incident light by changing a divergent light emitted from the light source 3 into a parallel beam, an objective lens 7 forming a light spot on a recording surface of the optical disk 1, a photodetector 9 receiving the light reflected by the recording surface of the optical disk 1 after passing through the objective lens 7, the collimating lens 6, the plate type beam splitter 5, and a concave lens 8 in order and detecting an information signal and an error signal. The concave lens 8 is disposed between the plate type beam splitter 5 and the photodetector 9 and magnifies the size of a light spot received by the photodetector 9.
The concave lens 8 is referred to as a Yo lens and its position is typically adjusted and fixed by a lens position determination apparatus as shown in FIG. 2. The lens position determination apparatus includes a lens holder 30 where the concave lens 8 is mounted, a base 10 supporting the lens holder 30, and a spring member 20 comprising a pair of pressing pieces 21 is coupled to the base 10 and elastically presses the lens holder 30 via the pressing pieces 21 toward the base 10 so that the lens holder 30 closely contacts the base 10. Thus, as the lens holder 30 is pressed by the pressing pieces 21 of the spring member 20 toward an accommodation surface 11 of the base 10, the position of the lens holder 30 is fixed. In this state, to adjust the position of the concave lens 8, an adjustment rod 40 shown in FIG. 2 is inserted in an adjustment groove 31 of the lens holder 30 and moved in directions indicated by an arrow, so that light is focused. When the adjustment rod 40 is removed after focusing, since the pressing piece 21 continues to press the lens holder 30, the changed position of the concave lens 8 is maintained.
However, in the position determination apparatus having the above structure, because the position of the concave lens 8 is adjusted by sliding the lens holder 30 in a state in which the pressing pieces 21 are still pressing the lens holder 30 toward the accommodation surface 11, frictional resistance is great so that the adjustment work is not smoothly performed. When a pressing force of the pressing piece 21 is too much, even if the lens holder 30 can slide horizontally, it slides asymmetrically in vertical and horizontal directions due to the strong frictional resistance of the pressing pieces 21 and therefore may be adjusted to an inclined position. Such an inclined position of the concave lens 8 is an unstable state, preventing formation of an accurate optical path.

Lens position determination apparatus of optical pickup


A simple and inexpensive, preferably disposable, medication package which is capable of reminding a user when it is time to take the medication. In one embodiment the package is an ordinary medicine bottle with the cap modified so as to include a timer, a battery, a buzzer or display light and a means for closing a circuit. When the cap is closed, the circuit is automatically closed through contact with a conducting material on the upper edge of the bottle. In another embodiment, the container is of the foil pack variety. A receptacle is provided. When the foil pack is inserted into the receptacle, the circuit is closed energizing the timer and related mechanisms. In a third embodiment, the container is again of the foil pack variety where the foil has a suitable resistivity. No receptacle is included. Rather, the timer mechanism is activated through the sensing of a resistance change as the foil is ruptures whenever each of the pills is removed.

The present invention relates to timer mechanisms for use in conjunction with the taking of medications and, more particularly, to automatic devices which facilitate the taking of medications at the proper time intervals.
Most medications are most effective when received by the body over a period of time. Preferably, such medications should be administered as tiny doses administered with great frequency. Ideally, the administration should be continuous. This is indeed accomplished with intravenous medication which is common in hospitals. Recently there have developments in the area of skin patches which are worn by the user and which continuously release medication through the skin over a period of hours or days. Related developments have been in the area of time-release capsules which are designed to release the medication into the stomach over a period of time following swallowing.
For most purposes, however, it is of ten adequate to approximate continuous administration of medications by the periodic swallowing of pills, whether time-released or not. Thus, most medication comes with instructions to swallow one pill every six hours, or two pills every three hours, etc.
The difficulty with such periodic administration of medications is that the patient, or the one administering the medication to the patient, often errs in the administration. It is quite common for patients to forget to take a pill or to forget that they recently took a pill and take an additional pill. Both situations mitigate against the effective administration of the medication and could, in some instances, have very harmful results. The problem is aggravated by the fact that, on the average, the population taking medication is older and sicker than the population at large. This makes it even more likely that deviations will occur from the prescribed medication administration regiment.
Because the problem is widely recognized, a large number of solutions have been offered. The solutions to date each suffer from one or more of several disadvantages. In many cases a device is proposed includes compartments for the pills and which features one or more timer mechanisms. These devices are usually bulky and in many cases require the transfer of the pills from their original container to the device. More importantly, these devices are complicated which makes them expensive and renders them difficult to set up and use, especially by elderly people.
Devices have been developed which can be attached to or incorporated into conventional medicine bottles. Examples of these include the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,361,408, 4,367,955 and 4,419,016. These devices continue to suffer from the disadvantage of being relatively cumbersome and expensive.
There is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, an inexpensive and highly simple device which will make it alert a patient when it is time to take a medication. It would be further highly advantageous if this device could part of the original packaging of the medicine and, like the packaging, be disposable.


A solid fuel burner using a low oxygen concentration gas as a transporting gas of a low grade solid fuel such as brown coal or the like and a combustion method using the solid fuel burner are provided. The solid fuel burner comprises a means for accelerating ignition of the fuel and a means for preventing slugging caused by combustion ash from occurring. Mixing of fuel and air inside a fuel nozzle 11 is accelerated by that an additional air nozzle 12 and a separator 35 for separating a flow passage are arranged in the fuel nozzle 11, and the exit of the additional air nozzle 12 is set at a position so as to overlap with the separator 35 when seeing from a direction perpendicular to a burner axis, and additional air is ejected in a direction nearly perpendicular to a flow direction of a fuel jet flowing through the fuel nozzle 11. An amount of air from the additional air nozzle 12 is varied corresponding to a combustion load. By increasing the amount of air from the additional air nozzle 12 at a low load operation, an oxygen concentration of a circulation flow 19 formed in a downstream portion outside the exit of the fuel nozzle 11 is increased to stably burn the fuel. By decreasing the amount of air from the additional air nozzle 12 at a high load operation, a flame is formed at a position distant from the fuel nozzle 11 to suppress radiant heat received by structures of the solid fuel burner and walls of the furnace.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid fuel burner for burning solid fuel by transporting the solid fuel using gas-flow, and particularly to a solid fuel burner suitable for pulverizing, transporting using gas-flow and then suspension-burning a fuel containing much moisture and volatile matters such as wood, peat, coal or the like, and a burning method using the solid fuel burner, a combustion apparatus comprising the solid fuel burner and a method of operating the combustion apparatus.
2. Description of Prior Art
Wood, peat and coal of a low coalification rank such as blown coal and lignite which are typical thereof contain much moisture. Further, classifying fuel components into volatile matters of a component released as gas when heated, char (fixed carbon) of a component remaining as solid, ash of a component remaining as incombustible matters and moisture, these fuels contain much moisture and volatile matters and a little char. Furthermore, these fuels are low in calorific value compared to coal of a high coalification rank such as bituminous coal and anthracite, and are generally low in grindability or pulverizability. In addition, these fuels have a property of low melting temperature of combustion ash.
Since these solid fuels contain much volatile matters, these solid fuels easily self-ignite in a storage process, a pulverizing process and a transportation process under air atmosphere, and accordingly are difficult to be handled compared to bituminous coal. In a case where these fuels are pulverized to be burned, a mixed gas of combustion exhaust gas and air reduced in the oxygen concentration is used as a transporting gas of the fuel in order to prevent these fuels from self-ig. The combustion exhaust gas reduces the oxygen concentration to suppress oxidation reaction (burning) of the fuel and to prevent the fuel from self-burning. On the other hand, the retention heat of the combustion exhaust gas has an effect of drying the fuel by evaporating the water in the fuel.
However, when the fuel is ejected from a solid fuel burner, the oxidation reaction of the fuel transported by the transporting gas of a low oxygen concentration is limited by the oxygen concentration around the fuel. Therefore, the combustion speed is slow compared to that in a case of fuel transported by air. Since the oxidation reaction of fuel is generally activated after the fuel is mixed with air ejected from the air nozzle, the combustion speed is determined by the mixing speed with the air. Therefore, complete burning time of the fuel is longer compared to complete burning time in a case of transporting the fuel using air, and accordingly an amount of unburned components at the exit of the combustion apparatus, that is, the furnace is increased. Further, the flame temperature is low because the combustion speed is slow. As the result, the reduction reaction of nitrogen oxides NOx to nitrogen activated in a Nox reducing zone of high temperature (about 1000 C.° or higher) is difficult to be used, and accordingly the concentration of NOx at the exit of the furnace becomes higher compared to the case of transporting the fuel using air.
As the method of accelerating ignition of fuel transported by a transporting gas of low oxygen concentration, there is a method that an additional air nozzle is provided in the front end of a fuel nozzle to increase the oxygen concentration in the fuel transporting gas. For example, a solid fuel burner comprising an additional air nozzle outside the fuel nozzle is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-732208.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-148610 discloses a solid fuel burner which accelerates mixing of fuel and air at the exit of the fuel nozzle by arranging an additional air nozzle in the center of the fuel nozzle.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Solid fuel burner, burning method using the same, combustion apparatus and method of operating the combustion apparatus


A kit for transmitting and sensing signals comprises: a multi-connection cable having a plurality of cable connectors at a distal end of the cable for establishing electrical communication between each of the cable connectors and a system for measuring bioimpedance that is connectable to a proximal end of the cable, and a plurality of devices for transmitting and sensing signals. Each device comprises a non-conductive substrate adherable to a skin of a subject, a first and a second electrical contacts printed on the substrate, and a disposable connector. Each disposable connector is connectable to a compatible cable connector of the cable in a manner that a combined thickness of the disposable connector and the compatible cable connector, once connected, is less than 4 mm.

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a medical device and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a device and method for sensing signals, such as, but not limited to, radiofrequency signals from a body.
Technologies related to measurement of electrical properties of organs, such as the measurement of bioimpedance are generally known. Various methods employing bioimpedance are found in: International Publication Nos. WO2004/098376, WO2006/087696, WO2008/102362, WO2009/022330, and WO2010/032252, WO2013/014671, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
For example, the '696 application discloses transmitting output radiofrequency signals to an organ of a subject, receiving input radiofrequency signals from the organ, determining a phase shift of the input signals relative to the output signals, and using the phase shift to calculate a cardiac output of the subject.
The '362 application describes a sticker for transmitting and sensing the radiofrequency signals. Electrical contacts are fixed at distance therebetween to reduce effects of variable inter-electrode distance on the measurement. The sticker is connected to a monitoring system via a connector having conductive members, wherein each electrical contact is in electrical communication with one conductive member via a different conducting line.

Device and method for sensing signals from a body


A three-panel, passenger-side airbag includes main, right, and left panels, and a diffuser provided adjacent a rear side of the main panel. The main panel includes a front impact said and a rear inflation side. The front impact side is formed of upper and lower portions. When the airbag is inflated, the upper portion is configured to be directed toward the upper torso of a passenger and the lower portion in configured to be directed toward the passenger's lower torso, groin, and legs. The diffuser is configured to direct inflation gas toward the lower portion so that the lower portion inflates faster than the upper portion.

The present invention relates a passenger airbag, which is filled with gas during an emergency situation such as, for example, a frontal or side impact. Conventionally, during such emergency situations, passenger-side airbags, which generally deploy from an automotive dashboard, are constructed to inflate uniformly, i.e., all portions of the airbag are simultaneously inflated.
Uniform airbag inflation can, however, be problematic for both large occupants who are sitting out-of-position and for small occupants who tend to be positioned close to the dashboard. For example, if these occupants are wearing seatbelts, the uniform inflation of the airbag will first cause the airbag to impact the occupant's upper torso and then subsequently impact the occupant's lower torso, groin, and upper legs. As a result of the initial impact solely being directed to the occupant's upper torso, the whole of the occupant is not uniformly decelerated, which may contribute to neck injury.
What is needed, therefore, is a passenger airbag that, when inflated, will substantially simultaneously impact the occupant's upper and lower torso, thereby reducing the likelihood of neck injury.


A method for processing an electronic document (ED) using a page rendering device (PRD), including: identifying, within the ED, a slide including an animation sequence of a plurality of objects; generating, based on the slide, a first frame lacking the animation sequence and including a first object of the plurality of objects; generating, based on the slide, a second frame lacking the animation sequence and including a second object of the plurality of objects; and placing, by the PRD and during a rendering the ED, the first frame on a first page.

Although the demand for printing electronic documents (EDs) is decreasing because of recent improvements in computer displays, there are still those who generate hardcopies of EDs for purposes of reading the EDs. For example, some readers may simply prefer reading a hardcopy over staring at a computer screen. In other instances, hardcopies of the EDs may be provided to a group of people at an informal presentation, or in other situations where reading from a projector screen or computer display is not convenient.
An ED often includes a slide with an animation sequence having any number of objects. During a slide show, the animation sequence is advanced from one object to the next based on timers and/or input from a pointing device or keyboard operated by a user.
Although the animation sequence may improve the appearance of the slide and/or aid the user/viewer in comprehending the subject matter on the slide while the slide is being displayed, the objects of the animation sequence may print as a single cluster if a hardcopy of the ED is generated. In other words, the animation sequence may be unrecognizable and/or incomprehensible in a hardcopy format. Regardless, user still like generating hardcopies of slides having animation sequences.


A method for etching dielectric layers is disclosed. A first etch of the dielectric layers is performed with a gas chemistry comprising C.sub.4 F.sub.8 flowing at about 10 sccm to about 25 sccm and CH.sub.3 F flowing at about 5 sccm to about 20 sccm. A second etch of the dielectric layers is performed with the gas chemistry and flow rates of gases which are about 10% to about 40% greater than the flow rates of gases in the first etch.

The trend in integrated circuits (IC) is to form smaller chips that perform sophisticated functions with high speed. This leads to improvements in computer, communication, and consumer electronics equipment. The devices in the ICs are shrunk down to the deep submicron range in ultra large scale integration (ULSI) technology. Accordingly, the number of devices on a single chip has been increased from a thousand to nearly a billion.
However, the accuracy, controllability, and yield of the semiconductor fabricating process is limited. It has been found that conventional processes like lithography and etching are greatly challenged in the manufacture of submicron or smaller feature size devices. The process becomes harder to control and the yield of the products is reduced.
Metallization is the process for forming contacts and interconnections on a semiconductor substrate. The metallization process plays a vital role in forming defect-free connections to ensure the functionality of the circuits. Problems like open connections, undesired shorts, misalignment, leakage, and high resistance contacts are found to cause serious failures in operation of the circuits.
Referring to FIG. 1, a semiconductor substrate 10 having a gate structure 12, and conductive layers 14 and 16 are illustrated. Typically, the gate structure 12 includes a polysilicon layer 12a, a tungsten silicide layer 12b, and a nitride layer 12c. The conductive layers 14 and 16 can be multilevel polysilicon or conductive structures which are generally referred to as poly-2 (the second polysilicon layer) and poly-4 (the fourth polysilicon), respectively. The conductive layer 14 includes a polysilicon layer 14a, a tungsten silicide layer 14b, and a nitride layer 14c. A dielectric layer or oxide layer 18 is used for insulating between devices and connections.
In the metallization process, the dielectric layer 18 is etched to form contact holes to the conducting structures of layers 14, 16, and gate 12. A photoresist layer 20 is formed over the dielectric layer for defining the contact hole openings.
It has been found that the etching process is difficult to control for forming contact holes with different depths and aspect-ratios in the multilevel structures. The etching of contact holes must be stopped at the polysilicon layer 16, the tungsten silicide layer 14b, the tungsten silicide layer 12b, and the substrate 10, respectively. In manufacturing sub-micrometer devices, the depth of the dielectric layer 18 may be upwards of 2 micrometers and the aspect-ratio can easily be more than 5.
FIG. 2 shows the structure of FIG. 1 after a conventional etching process. As seen, it is not unusual for the polysilicon layer 16 to be broken. Further, the etching is stopped on the nitride layers 12c and 14c. This is caused by the polymer regrowth on the nitride which stops the etching process. Finally, the high aspect ratio contact hole to the substrate 10 is difficult to form and the etching is stopped before reaching the substrate 10. Polymer accumulation in the deep hole is thought to be the cause. If the etching process is made stronger to etch the contact hole down to the substrate 10, the "substrate loss" problem may occur and the junction region can be damaged as indicated with the dashed line.
What is needed is a method for solving the over-etching and under-etching problems in forming multilevel contacts.

Method for etching high aspect-ratio multilevel contacts

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation


A personal flotation device is formed with a neck opening defined by a plurality of discrete lobes projecting in toward the inside of said neck opening and including a chin lobe that is positioned to engage the underside of the chin of a user when device is in operative position on said user and inhibit removal of said device over the head of the user. The chin lobe is spaced from adjacent portions of adjacent said lobes to provide spaces therebetween to facilitate donning and doffing of said device when said chin is aligned with one of the spaces. The device is also preferably provided with cover panels that releasably connect together around their peripheries so that the edges of the bladder contained between the cover panels may be folded and retained in folded position when the sides of the over panels are connected.

There are many forms of personal life preservers or flotation devices available, some of which are inflatable and some non-inflatable flotation devices. It is also known to provide such life preservers or flotation devices in the form of jackets or vest and some are packaged in the pouch form for easy and compact storage prior to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,657 issued Jan. 31, 1976 to James discloses a jacket type that combines both buoyancy panels and inflatable bladders to support the user in the water. The inflatable bladders are strategically positioned in the collar so that the inflated bladder ensures that the user floats face up.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,191 issued Oct. 22, 1996 to Gordon provides an example of an inflatable jacket that includes its own package or pouch in which the inflatable jacket is contained prior to use. The jacket is specially construction and incorporates a rear portion that extends behind the user's head and a pair of legs located one on each side of the user's chest.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,469 issued Feb. 27, 1996 to Heath et al. describes a rectangular shaped inflatable vest with a collar and chest portions with a plurality of separate chambers or bladders isolated from each other so that if one is punctured the others that are not punctured will still remain inflated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,767,267 issued Jul. 27, 2004 to Miller teaches the use of a self inflating necklace that is retained under the chin of an infant and that when submerged causes bladders to inflate radially outward relative to the neck and support the infant.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,678 issued Aug. 17, 2004 to Courtney describes specific positioning of bladders and a harness to hold the head face up in the water.


Disclosed is an organic EL device having high external quantum efficiency, long emission life and low driving voltage. Also disclosed are an illuminating device and a display. Specifically disclosed is an organic electroluminescent device comprising, on a supporting substrate, at least an anode, a cathode and an organic compound layer which is arranged between the anode and the cathode and includes at least one light-emitting layer. This electroluminescent device is characterized in that the anode, cathode and organic compound layer are respectively formed by coating.

Hitherto, electroluminescent display, hereinafter referred to as ELD, is known as a light emission type electronic displaying device. As the constitution element of the ELD, inorganic electroluminescent devices and organic electroluminescent devices, hereinafter also referred to as organic EL device, can be cited. The inorganic electroluminescent device which is applied as flat type light sources requires a high alternating-current voltage for driving as the light emitting device.
Meanwhile, the organic EL device is composed of a cathode, an anode and a light emission layer containing a light emission substance placed between the cathode and the anode, and is a light emission device in which electrons and positive holes are injected into the light emission layer to form excitons by recombination thereof and light emitted by inactivation of the excitons (fluorescence or phosphorescence) is utilized. Therefore, light can be emitted by applying a voltage of from several volts to several tens volts. The device displays wide view angle and high visibility since which is a self light-emitting device and is noted from the viewpoint of space saving and portability because the device is a thin layer type complete solid state element.
Development in the future of application of the organic EL device, an organic EL device capable of emitting high luminance light with higher light emitting efficiency at lower electric power consumption is demanded. As such development, a method for raising luminance of emitted light and prolonging lifetime of the device by doping a stilbene derivative, a distyrylarylene derivative or a trisstyrylarylene derivative with slight amount of a fluorescent substance, cf. Patent Publication 1 for example, a device having an organic light emission layer doped with slight amount of a fluorescent substance, cf. Patent Publication 2 for example, and a device having an organic light emission layer composed of a 8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum complex as a host compound doped with a quinacridone type dye, cf. Patent Publication 3 for example, are known.
In the technologies described in the above documents, it is said that the limit of external quantum efficiency (ηcxt) is 5% because the formation probability of the light emission exciton is 25% since the formation ratio of singlet exciton to triplet exciton is 1:3. And when the light from the singlet state exciton is used, its external output efficiency of the light is about 20%.
However, investigation on materials capable of emitting phosphorescence at room temperature is accelerated; cf. Non-patent Publication 2 and Patent Publication 4 for example, since an organic El device utilizing phosphorescence emitted from the triplet state of the exciton is reported by Princeton University, cf. Non-patent Publication 1 for example. The upper limit of the internal quantum efficiency can be raised by 100% when the triplet sate is utilized. Therefore, the light emission efficiency becomes up theoretically by four times compared with the emission by utilizing of the singlet state so that the performance becomes approximately the same as that of a cold cathode ray tube. Accordingly, such device is received attention because it can be applied as an illumination light source. For example, many compounds, principally heavy metal compounds such as iridium type complexes, are synthesized and investigated, cf. Non-patent Publication 3 for example.
At the present time, improvement in the light emission efficiency and prolongation in the lifetime of the organic El device utilizing the phosphorescent light emission are actively investigated. As one of those, a device having a plural layer constitution can be cited. On early days, the organic EL device has a single layer constitution in which the light emission layer is placed between the anode and the cathode. In such case, all processes of carrier injection, transfer of the carrier and light emission should be carried out only in the light emission layer. Therefore, the light emission efficiency is very low. Thereafter, a device having plural layers (multi-layered structure) which separately have functions such as the carrier injection, carrier transfer, blocking and light emission is developed so that large progress in the raising efficiency, prolongation of life and lowering in the driving voltage is obtained.
On the other hand, the vapor deposition process which is usually applied in the production of the organic EL device using a low molecular weight compound causes problems of production equipment and energy efficiency when the organic EL element having enlarged area is manufactured, and it is thought that a printing method including a ink-jet printing method and a screen printing method or a coating method such as a spin coating method and a cast coating method are desirable.
For example, plural light emission substances different in the maximum wavelength of emission light from each other should be contained in the light emission layer when the device is a white light emission device. Particularly, in the case of the phosphorescent light emission device, it is difficult to deposit plural phosphorescent dopants in the same ratio in every times of manufacturing so as to be surmised to cause a problem of production yield in the manufacturing process. However, if manufacturing of the organic EL device by the printing method or the coating method can be carried out by using a material superior in the solubility in a solvent, it is possible to contain phosphorescent dopants in the same ratio into every Organic EL devices to be manufactured by preparing a solution containing the phosphorescent dopants in the same ratio and the white color light emission devices each emitting the same color light can be stably manufactured.
As above-mentioned, the coating manufacturing method is generally inferior to the vapor deposition method though the coating method is considered as superior one of manufacturing methods. Therefore, the coating method is demanded to be further improved. For example, there is a problem on the coating method that adhesion between the layers is lowered, and a method is described, cf. Patent Publication 5 for example, in which the plural layers are subjected to pressing, heating and drying at once after coating for improving the adhesion so as to form irregularities at the interface between the organic layers.
Moreover, it is very difficult to form uniformly piled organic layers by the coating method when the plural organic layers each different in the function thereof such as a positive hole transfer layer, a light emission layer and an electron transfer layer are piled for raising the light emission efficiency and prolonging the lifetime, because the surface of the lower layer tends to be dissolved by the solvent of the upper layer coating liquid so that the lower layer is confused.
Contrary to that, a method is disclosed, cf. Patent Publication 6 for example, in which materials of the upper layer is dissolved in a solvent having a solubility parameter without the range of that of the principal material constituting the lower layer so as to pile the layers without confusion at the surface of the lower layer, cf. Patent Publication 6 for example. Moreover a method is disclosed, cf. Patent Publication 7 for example, in which the materials of the upper layer is dissolved in a mixture a solvent (poor solvent) being without the dissolvable range of the solubility parameter of the principal material constituting the lower layer and a solvent (good solvent) being within the dissolvable range of the solubility parameter of the material of the upper layer for lowering the solubility, cf. Patent Publication 7 for example.    Patent Publication 1: Japanese Patent No. 3093796    Patent Publication 2: JP-A 63-264692    Patent Publication 3: JP-A 3-255190    Patent Publication 4: U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,147    Patent Publication 5: JP-A 2005-26000    Patent Publication 6: JP-A 2002-299061    Patent Publication 7: JP-A 2005-259523    Non-patent Publication 1: M. A. Baldo et al., Nature, 395, p.p. 151-154 (1998)    Non-patent Publication 2: M. A. Baldo et al., Nature, 403, 17, p.p. 750-753 (2000)    Non-patent Publication 3: S. Lamansky et al. J. Am. Chem. Sci., 123, p. 4304 (2001)

Method for manufacturing organic electroluminescent device


There is provided a thermal developing apparatus comprising a heating medium for heating a light-sensitive thermally developable recording material, the heating medium having fine asperities on its contact surface to come in contact with the light-sensitive thermally developable recording material and a nip transport member for pinching and transporting the light-sensitive thermally developable recording material in cooperation with the heating medium as the light-sensitive thermally developable recording material is held in two-dimensional contact with at least one portion of the contact surface of the heating medium. Even in the case where dust or other foreign matter is deposited on the surface of the heating medium or where a flaw occurs on its surface, the entire surface of the light-sensitive thermally developable recording material can be uniformly heated to achieve thermal development without unevenness in its result, and gas produced during thermal development can be prevented from adversely affect the image, which ensures consistent formation of high-quality images having even and appropriate color densities.

This invention relates to the technical field of imaging with light-sensitive thermally developable recording materials, particularly to thermal developing apparatus that form color on exposed light-sensitive thermally developable recording materials by thermal development.
Images obtained by medical diagnoses such as those using ultrasonic imaging instruments, computerized tomography (CT), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray imaging techniques are conventionally recorded on silver salt photographic materials, developed and processed into hard copies. Silver salt photographic materials have the advantage of yielding high-quality images but on the other hand they require wet processing involving color development, bleaching and rinsing and hence suffer from the problem of taking much time and labor in overall development processing. In addition, the maintenance of the developing machine (processor) is a time-consuming job. Under the circumstances, it is desired to produce hard copies by an image forming method that does not require any wet development processing.
Thermal image recording is a known technique capable of forming images without wet processes. As is well known, thermal image recording uses a thermal head having a glaze comprising heating elements arranged in one direction (main scanning direction) and with the glaze pressed against a thermal recording material, the two are moved in relative directions, one being the main scanning direction and the other being a direction normal to it, and image is recorded on the thermal recording material by generating heat from the specific heating elements as determined by the image to be recorded.
The quality of the image obtained by thermal recording has recently seen marked improvements and an extension of its use from the conventional ultrasonic imaging to other applications such as CT, NMR and X-ray imaging techniques that require big and high-quality images is being reviewed. However, in such aspects as recording density and tone reproduction, the image formed by exposing silver salt photographic materials to optical beams or the like is still advantageous.
This problem has been solved by an attractive method of image recording with light-sensitive thermally developable recording materials which form color by exposure and heating or which have color formed in the non-exposed area by heating with care being taken to avoid color formation by exposure. Such light-sensitive thermally developable recording materials are imagewise exposed to optical beams or the like to form a latent image and subsequently heated to form color in either the exposed area or the non-exposed area, thereby producing a hard copy with a recorded image. According to image recording with such light-sensitive thermally developable recording materials, high-definition and high-quality images can be formed by optical beam scanned exposure or the like but without performing any steps in wet development processing.
A thermal developing apparatus is necessary to perform thermal development in the process of image formation with the above-described light-sensitive thermally developable recording material (which is hereinafter referred to simply as the "recording material") and a known type of such apparatus comprises a heating drum having a built-in heater such as a halogen lamp and an endless belt wrapped around about two-thirds of the circumference of the heating drum. The recording material having a latent image formed by exposure is inserted between the heating drum and the endless belt and with the heating drum rotating at a specified speed, the recording material is pinched between the heating drum and the endless belt and transported as it is kept in close contact with the heating drum so that thermal development is achieved by heating at a specified temperature for a specified time.
The more closely the recording material is kept in contact with the heating drum, the higher the heat efficiency with which it is developed thermally. The color density of the recording material depends on the quantity of heat imparted from thermal development, so in order to form a high-quality image, a specified quantity of heat must be applied uniformly to the entire surface of the recording material. To this end, the surface of the heating drum is made flat enough by using metals or coating them with resins such as Teflon.
However, if dust or other foreign matter enters between the recording material and the heating drum during thermal development, the recording material "floats" microscopically and the efficiency of heat transfer in the affected area will decrease. As the result, the quantity of heat being imparted to the recording material by thermal development varies from place to place and uneven densities occur due to unevenness in thermal development. Similarly, if a flaw occurs on the surface of the heating drum, not only the damaged area of the recording material but also its nearby areas are deteriorated in heating efficiency and again the quantity of heat being imparted to the recording material by thermal development varies from place to place and uneven densities occur due to unevenness in thermal development.
The light-sensitive thermally developable recording material comprises a variety of layers including a support (base material) such as a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, an image forming layer having a color forming agent and a sensitizing agent dispersed and/or dissolved in a binder, a protective layer to protect the image forming layer, a back layer formed on the other side of the support opposite to the image forming layer.
In some types of the recording material, any components contained in the respective layers evaporate and/or decompose during thermal development to produce gas. The gas may often adversely affect the color formation on the recording material (image forming layer). Especially, the color density often varies abnormally due to the gas confined between the recording material and the heating drum during thermal development.


An aqueous composition for the post-treatment of washed laundry containing 0.1 to 30% by weight of a water-insoluble quaternary ammonium compound, 0.1 to 50% by weight of a water-soluble quaternary ammonium compound, 0 to 5% by weight of a terpene compound, 0.1 to 20% by weight of a water-soluble acid, and 0.1 to 20% by weight of an emulsifier.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to compositions for the aftertreatment of washed laundry in the form of an aqueous preparation of stably dispersed or clearly solubilized fabric softener compounds and other auxiliaries for improving fabric hygiene and deodorizing properties.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Laundry aftertreatment compositions are mainly intended to provide washed laundry with a soft full feel and to avoid stiffness after drying. Quaternary ammonium compounds containing two or three long-chain alkyl, alkenyl or acyloxyethyl groups in the form of aqueous dispersions are normally used for this purpose. It is also known that compositions of the type in question can be provided with antimicrobial activity using water-soluble quaternary ammonium compounds containing two short alkyl groups and two medium-length alkyl groups, for example didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (cf. Soap & Chem. Spec., March 1969, 47-52, 86).
Unfortunately, this does involve serious stability problems. According to DE 25 03 026 A1, a mixture of quaternary ammonium salts and dialkyl imidazolinium salts is used as the fabric softener and fatty alcohols, lower alcohols and emulsifiers are used to stabilize the dispersions.
It has also been proposed to adjust fabric softeners to acidic pH values in order to neutralize alkaline detergent residues on the fabrics and to make them easier to wash out.
Finally, it is known that pine oil and other wood distillates and terpene-like components thereof have a deodorizing and slight germ-inhibiting effect.
The problem addressed by the present invention was to provide a laundry aftertreatment composition in the form of an aqueous preparation of known fabric softener compounds with improved fabric hygiene, deodorizing and acidifying properties without affecting its stability in storage or Theological properties by correspondingly designing the formulation.
It was found that stably dispersed or clearly solubilized preparations of water-insoluble and water-soluble quaternary ammonium compounds and optionally terpene compounds are obtained, even in the presence of acids, by suitably designing the formulation.


A recording medium cartridge including a case with two main surfaces which are disposed substantially parallel to each other and side surfaces which connect the main surfaces. An opening is provided on one of the side surfaces which is disposed toward a direction in which the recording medium cartridge is loaded into the drive device. A through hole is provided on one of the main surfaces. A cover member opens and closes the opening and is urged in a closing direction in which the cover member closes the opening. A cam member is mounted on the cover member. When the recording medium cartridge is loaded into the drive device, an engagement pin disposed at the drive device passes through the through hole to move the cover member in an opening direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording medium cartridge that is mainly used as a recording and playback medium for computers and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic tape cartridges including a case within which is housed a single reel wound with magnetic tape that is mainly used as a recording and playback medium for computers and the like have conventionally been known. A leader member, such as a leader block, a leader pin, or a leader tape, is disposed at a leading end of the magnetic tape. A pull-out mechanism disposed at a drive device pulls out the leader member from the magnetic tape cartridge and winds the magnetic tape fixed to the leader member around a take-up reel of the drive device.
A reel gear is annularly disposed in a center of a lower surface of the reel, which is exposed through an open hole that penetrates a lower surface of the magnetic tape cartridge. The reel is rotatingly driven by a drive gear disposed at a rotating shaft of the drive device meshing with the reel gear. Data is recorded on the magnetic tape, and data recorded on the magnetic tape is played back, by synchronously rotating the reel of the magnetic tape cartridge and the take-up reel of the drive device.
Such magnetic tape cartridges are ordinarily housed in a storage called a library. Rear end sides of both side walls of a desired magnetic tape cartridge are gripped by a gripping mechanism including a robotic hand or the like, whereby the magnetic tape cartridge is extracted from a storage unit of the library. By loading the extracted magnetic tape cartridge into one of several drive devices, data is recorded in the magnetic tape cartridge or data that is recorded in the magnetic tape cartridge is played back.
A card-type memory board, in which is recorded various information such as the recording format and recording capacity of the magnetic tape cartridge, is disposed at an inner side within a rear wall of each magnetic tape cartridge, so that the magnetic tape cartridge extracted from the library is smoothly loaded into one drive device. In other words, the various information recorded in the memory board is read by a reading and writing device disposed at the drive device and by a reading device disposed at the robotic hand, and a drive device that can record data in the magnetic tape cartridge or play back data recorded in the magnetic tape cartridge is identified in advance by a control device or the like, so that there is no loss in the action of the gripping mechanism such as the robotic hand.
In FIG. 9 is illustrated a conventional magnetic tape cartridge 120. Arrow P in the drawing indicates the direction in which the magnetic tape cartridge 120 is loaded into the drive device. As shown in FIG. 9, a memory board 124 is disposed with an orientation so as to slant at a predetermined angle at an inner side of a rear wall 122D (the wall facing the direction of arrow P is a front wall 122A) of the magnetic tape cartridge 120. That is, because the robotic hand is a structure that grips the rear end sides of left and right side walls 122B and 122C of the magnetic tape cartridge 120, a reading device 108 is structured to access the memory board 124 from a rear surface of the magnetic tape cartridge 120, i.e., from the rear wall 122D. Because the magnetic tape cartridge 120 that has been loaded into the drive device has a structure in which it is completed loaded into the drive device by the lowering of a bucket (e.g., refer to 102 in 8), a reading and writing device 106 is structured to access the memory board 124 from a lower surface 121 of the magnetic tape cartridge 124.
Accordingly, the memory board 124 is disposed at an wave angle of 45° when seen in side view so that it can be accessed from both the rear wall 122D and the lower surface 121 (i.e., from two directions). When the memory board 124 is disposed with this orientation, it is possible for the memory board 124 to be accessed by an electromagnetic wave that is transmitted and received from the reading device 108, which is disposed at the rear wall 122D, and it is possible for the memory board 124 to be accessed by an electromagnetic wave that is transmitted and received from the reading and writing device 106, which is disposed at the lower surface 121. It should be noted that the reading and writing device 106 is a device that can not only read information but can also write information.
However, when the design of the library or the drive device is altered and the reading device 108 or the reading and writing device 106 is of a specification that can only access the memory board 124 from the left or right side surfaces (left wall 122B or right wall 122C) in the direction in which the magnetic tape cartridge 120 is loaded into the drive device (i.e., the direction of arrow P), problems occur in that the memory board 124 cannot be accessed in the above-described configuration.

Recording medium cartridge having a cam actuated cover member


DC/DC conversion circuit (1), includes a transformer (2) having a primary winding (3), a secondary winding (4), and an auxiliary winding (5); a switching transistor (T), including a series circuit with the primary winding (3) between first and second direct current input terminals (6; 7); a start circuit (R1, C1) connected to a control electrode of the switching transistor (T) for switching the switching transistor (T) on by powering the direct current input terminals (6; 7); a control transistor connected to the control electrode of the switching transistor (T) for switching off the switching transistor (T) in dependence on a current flowing through the series circuit during operation. The auxiliary winding (5) and the control transistor (Q) connect to a voltage control circuit (8) for setting an output power provided at the secondary winding (4) of the transformer (2) during operation by a controlled switching-on of the switching transistor (T) in dependence on the magnitude of a current flowing in the primary winding (3). The conversion circuit (1) is arranged such that during operation via the auxiliary winding (5) a voltage required at the control electrode of the switching transistor (T) for on thereof is built up in a time period which is inversely proportional to the amount of output power provided at the secondary winding (4).

The invention relates to a DC/DC conversion circuit comprising a transformer with a primary winding, a secondary winding, and an auxiliary winding; a switching transistor which forms a series circuit with the primary winding between first and second DC voltage input connection terminals; a start circuit which is connected to a control electrode of the switching transistor for switching on the latter when the DC voltage input connection terminals are powered; a control transistor connected to the control electrode of the switching transistor for switching off the switching transistor in dependence on a current flowing in said series circuit during operation; and a voltage control circuit connected to the auxiliary winding and the control transistor for controlling an output power supplied at the secondary winding of the transformer during operation through switching-on of the switching transistor in a controlled manner in dependence on the value of a current flowing in the primary winding.
A conversion circuit of this kind, also referred to as switch mode power supply or self-oscillating power supply (SOPS) in the literature, is known per se from U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,479.
It is known that the switching losses in the switching transistor, which is usually a transistor of the field effect type, for example a metal oxide semiconductor transistor (MOST), increase quadratically with the voltage across the main conduction path of the switching transistor. This is the drain-source voltage in the case of a MOST. A reduction of the drain-source voltage at the moment of switching-on of the switching transistor accordingly has a major influence on the reduction of the switching losses.
It is also known that the frequency with which the switching transistor is switched in a SOPS increases as the output power at the secondary side of the transformer decreases, and will be theoretically infinite for an output power equal to zero. Since the switching losses of a MOST increase linearly with the switching frequency, however, thermal problems may arise in the switching transistor at lower output powers. In particular, the idle or standby power of the circuit is comparatively high, which is undesirable, for example for reasons of economy.
To avoid thermal overloading of the switching transistor, a suppression circuit is used in the conversion circuit proposed by the cited U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,479 for reducing the oscillation frequency when the generated output power is low. The suppression circuit is switched off when the output power is high.
The switching-on and -off of the suppression circuit gives rise to a jump in the oscillation frequency in this known conversion circuit. This renders an accurate control of the output power supplied at the secondary side of the transformer more difficult because the switching-on and -off of the suppression circuit is subject to a certain hysteresis.
The invention accordingly has for its object to improve a DC/DC conversion circuit of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph such that, at comparatively low output powers, i.e. low as compared with the nominal power which can be supplied by the conversion circuit, the switching frequency of the switching transistor is also low and varies gradually with the output power given off.
According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the conversion circuit is designed such that during operation a voltage required for switching the switching transistor on is built up on the control electrode thereof in a time period whose length is inversely proportional to the value of the output power supplied to the secondary winding.
After the switching transistor has been switched on through the start circuit, a current will flow from the input connection terminals through the series circuit of the switching transistor and the primary winding of the transformer. This current will have a rising gradient because energy is built up in the transformer. When the current reaches a preset peak value, the control transistor is energized, which transistor is connected such that the voltage at the control electrode of the switching transistor is reduced, so that the switching transistor switches itself off. The energy stored in the transformer is now given off to a load connected to the secondary side of the transformer. Subsequently, a self-oscillatory effect arises at the primary side of the transformer under the influence of capacitive and inductive action, whereby an AC voltage is induced in the auxiliary winding. This voltage is coupled to the control electrode of the switching transistor through the voltage control circuit.
The conversion circuit according to the invention utilizes the effect that the induction voltage in the auxiliary winding for a higher output power at the secondary side of the transformer is higher than for a lower output power. The voltage at the control electrode for switching-on of the switching transistor can accordingly be built up more quickly in the case of a comparatively high output power than in the case of a lower output power. As a result, the switching transistor will be switched with a comparatively lower switching frequency in the case of lower output powers than in the case of higher output powers of the conversion circuit. It will be obvious that the switching frequency is made gradually dependent on the output load in a comparatively simple manner, i.e. in that the switching frequency is reduced when the output load is reduced, whereby the switching losses in the switching transistor are limited.
A jump in the switching frequency is effectively avoided by the solution according to the invention. The output power of the circuit, i.e. the output voltage, can still be well controlled also for comparatively low output powers thanks to the absence of hysteresis effects.
In a preferred embodiment of the conversion circuit according to the invention, the control electrode of the switching transistor is capacitively loaded by means of at least one element with a capacitive action such that the voltage required for switching-on of the switching transistor is built up in said element during operation.
This embodiment of the conversion circuit according to the invention is characterized by the simplicity of its circuit technology, i.e. the circuit can be realized essentially with only a few discrete components without complicated integrated control circuits or the like.
It was found that the switching transistor switches on at or adjacent a first minimum in the voltage across the main conduction path of the switching transistor, i.e. the drain-source voltage in the case of a MOST, given a suitable dimensioning of the voltage control circuit and the capacitive load on the control electrode of the switching transistor, the gate in the case of a MOST.
At comparatively high output powers, i.e. at a comparatively high voltage induced in the auxiliary winding, this will be the first minimum in the voltage across the main conduction path of the switching transistor. If the output load is comparatively low, however, it will take some time before the voltage at the control electrode is sufficiently high for switching the switching transistor on again, owing to the capacitive load on the control electrode of the switching transistor and the lower induction voltage in the auxiliary winding. The switching transistor will then switch on, for example, at the second, third, or subsequent minimum in the voltage across the main conduction path.
Switching-on of the switching transistor when the voltage across it shows a minimum, i.e. is in a trough, also contributes to a limitation of the switching losses.
In a practical embodiment of the conversion circuit according to the invention, said at least one element with capacitive action is formed by a capacitor which is connected to the control electrode of the switching transistor and which forms part of the start circuit, a coupling capacitor by which the voltage control circuit is connected to the control electrode of the switching transistor, and the inherent gate-source capacitance of the switching transistor itself. The exact values of the various components obviously depend on the properties of the switching transistor and the conversion circuit themselves and may be determined in a comparatively simple manner by those skilled in the art.
In a yet further embodiment of the conversion circuit according to the invention, the output voltage at the secondary side of the transformer may be readily adjusted in that the voltage control circuit comprises a rectifier circuit connected in parallel with the auxiliary winding for applying a bias voltage to the control transistor during operation.
The moment at which the control transistor switches off the switching transistor can be dynamically varied in dependence on the value of the bias voltage, and so can the value of the output voltage generated in the secondary winding as a result.
In a still further embodiment of the conversion circuit according to the invention, provision is made for an optical coupling circuit coupled to the control transistor and the rectifier circuit for influencing the bias voltage applied to the switching transistor during operation. The output voltage can thus be adjusted via the optical coupling circuit (referred to as xe2x80x9coptocouplerxe2x80x9d in the literature), with electrical separation from, for example, the secondary winding of the transformer.

DC/DC conversion circuit having a switching frequency proportional to power output


A reproducing apparatus is disclosed which includes: a grouping section configured to group a plurality of content data stored on a storage medium into a plurality of content groups; a group selection section configured to select one of the plurality of content groups in response to an input from a user; and a reproduction control section configured to reproduce one of a plurality of content data belonging to one content group selected by the group selection section, for output starting from a point in time of the selection.

The present invention relates to a reproducing apparatus, a reproduction controlling method, and a program for reproducing a plurality of content data stored on a storage medium.
Recent years have witnessed widespread acceptance of reproducing apparatuses such as portable players each equipped with an internal hard disk drive capable of reproducing digital content data including music contents (simply called contents hereunder) delivered by EMD (electronic music distribution) servers or like sources. This type of reproducing apparatus can accommodate a very large number (e.g., thousands or tens of thousands) of contents thanks to the ever-growing capacity of the internal storage medium.
When the user of such a reproducing apparatus wanted to reproduce contents, it was customary to select the desired contents on a content by content basis. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-175624 discloses arrangements whereby a list of a plurality of contents (with content names, reproduction times, etc.) stored in an information processing apparatus acting as a reproducing apparatus is displayed on a screen of that apparatus so that the user may selectively input desired contents one at a time (e.g., by selectively scrolling selection icons on the screen) for reproduction purposes. That is, typical reproducing apparatuses have required that a plurality of contents be first selected from storage before they could be reproduced.

Reproducing apparatus, reproduction controlling method, and program


Compositions and methods for modulating MIOX activity are provided. Such compositions include nucleotide sequences for novel MIOX sequences obtained from maize, amino acid sequences for the proteins encoded by the nucleotide sequences of the invention, and variants and fragments thereof. Methods of the invention involve introducing into a plant a nucleotide construct comprising a MIOX nucleotide sequence operably linked to a promoter that drives expression in a plant. Expression of the novel nucleotide sequences disclosed herein confers advantageous agronomic properties on a plant. Transformed plants, plant cells, and seeds are additionally provided.

Myo-inositol (MI) plays an important role in a variety of plant cellular processes with potentially significant agronomic impact. For example, MI is a precursor in the formation of the cell wall components hemicellulose and pectin, which affect plant processing properties and nutritional content. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,638; U.S. Patent Application No. 20030079251; and Loewus and Murthy (2000) Plant Sci. 150:1-19, all of which are herein incorporated by reference. MI is also involved in the synthetic pathway leading to the production of phytic acid salts (phytates), which both reduce the nutritive content of feed and, in animal waste, are a major source of surface and ground water pollution. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,197,561 and 6,291,224; and U.S. Patent Application No. 20030079247, all of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Catabolism of MI occurs via a single pathway, the MI oxidation pathway (see Loewus and Murthy (2000) Plant Sci. 150:1-19). The first committed step in this pathway is the conversion of MI to D-glucuronic acid (glucuronate) by the enzyme myo-inositol oxygenase (MIOX; synonymously meso-inositol oxygenase, myo-inositol:oxygen oxidoreductase, or EC 18.104.22.168). The MIOX protein has been isolated from a variety of organisms, including oat seedlings (Koller et al. (1976) Mol. Cell. Biochem. 10:33-39), and the corresponding gene sequence has been determined for, e.g., rats, mice, humans, and pigs. See Arner et al. (2001) Biochem. J. 360:313-320, herein incorporated by reference.
In light of the involvement of MI in plant cellular processes, it would be advantageous to increase or decrease the amount of this compound in order to modulate these cellular processes, and thereby improve the agronomic properties of plants.


A messaging system communicates animated messages. The system generates personalized avatars of messaging participants. These avatars can be made to represent visible attributes of the participants in different art styles. For example, a tall, thin, bespectacled, brunette might be represented as a tall, thin, bespectacled, brunette avatar rendered in the style of a favorite cartoon. Messaging participants can then send messages in which the avatars of the sender and the recipient or recipients interact. For example, a message sender might convey a message “hug” that is displayed on a message recipient's device as an animation in which the sender's avatar embraces the recipient's avatar.

Mobile phone and other portable mobile communications devices support the ability to send messages using various message-oriented communication protocols. Among them, the text- or character-based short message service (SMS) is popular with cellular service providers because SMS messages use little network capacity and generate disproportionately large revenue. Other services support instant messaging, a type of online chat service that allows participants to communicate in real time over the Internet using various proprietary and open-source protocols.
SMS and instant-messaging are popular because their messages are convenient: they are easy to generate, convey, and read. Relatively simple messages can be visually tedious, however, and the experience of communicating via such messages can have a transactional feel as the participants take turns in an asynchronous, back-and-forth exchange. Users might benefit from a richer, more interactive and entertaining messaging experience.

Methods and apparatuses for animated messaging between messaging participants represented by avatar


A bicycle frame has a front frame, a rear frame and a shock absorber. The front frame has a head tube, a down tube, a top tube, a bottom bracket shell and a seat tube. The seat tube is connected to and protrudes up from the bottom bracket shell, is connected to the top tube and has a jacket and a threaded hole. The jacket is connected to the shock absorber and has an opening and a chamber. The rear frame is connected pivotally to the front frame and has a lower fork, two dropouts and an upper fork. The upper fork is connected to the dropouts and the shock absorber and has two bottom ends, a top end and two fasteners. The shock absorber is mounted between the seat tube and the upper fork and has a sleeve, an elastomer, a connecting pipe and a shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a frame, and more particularly to a frame for a bicycle and that can reduce the weight of the bicycle and has a shock absorber to provide a smooth operation.
2. Description of Related Art
With reference to FIG. 6, a conventional bicycle frame (50) with a shock absorbing capability has a front frame (52), a rear frame (55) and a shock absorber (51). The front frame (52) has a mounting bracket (53) and a driving bracket (54). The mounting bracket (53) is attached securely to the front frame (52). The driving bracket (54) is attached pivotally to the front frame (52) and has a lower end, a middle and an upper end. The lower end of the driving bracket (54) is attached pivotally to the front frame (52). The rear frame (55) is connected pivotally to the middle and the upper end of the driving bracket (54) and move ups and pivots the driving bracket (54) when a shock is transmitted to the rear frame (55). The shock absorber (51) is mounted pivotally between the mounting bracket (53) and the upper end of the driving bracket (54) and absorbs the shock transmitted to the driving bracket (54) from the rear frame (55).
However, the conventional bicycle frame (50) has the following shortcomings.
1. The conventional bicycle frame (50) can provide a shock absorbing capability, but the weight of the mounting bracket (53), the driving bracket (54) and the shock absorber (51) and the cost of manufacturing the conventional bicycle frame (50) will increase.
2. The shock absorber (51) is mounted exposed between the mounting bracket (53) and the driving bracket (54) of the conventional bicycle frame (50), and this may cause the shock absorber (51) weaken and influence the appearance of the conventional bicycle frame (50).
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a bicycle frame to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


An electromagnetic pedicle awl utilizes a tightly focused time-varying magnetic flux to create a localized electromotive force (EMF) near the tip. The localized EMF creates localized eddy currents in nearby nerves which excite ionic nerve channels, the excitation being detected by an electromyographic recording device. The awl only excites nerves directly in front of and directly to the side of the tip. The awl is comprised of a tapered awl or drill tip in combination with a solid core surrounded by a solenoid. A pulsed electric current source drives the solenoid to create a time-varying magnetic field in the vicinity of the tapered tip. The awl or drill tip may be stationary with respect to the solenoid or it may rotate. The awl in combination with an EMG detector connected to a patient is sensitive to the pedicle hole position with respect to adjacent nerves and reduces false placement failure.

Spinal conditions such as degenerative disc disease or spondylolisthesis can cause signs and symptoms that include back or lower extremity pain, muscle spasms, weakness, dysfunction of bowel and/or bladder, and gait disturbance.
To correct these and other similar conditions of vertebral dislocation, the only effective long-term curative treatment may be achieved by fusion of the affected vertebra to its adjacent neighbor. Vertebral fusion is generally augmented by instrumentation, or fixing apparatus, to and between vertebrae. Transpedicular fixation is a particularly important process in the treatment of spinal conditions that require vertebral fusion. In addition to the stabilization and correction of spondylolisthesis, other spinal conditions may be treated by transpedicular fixation: stabilization of fractures, correction of spinal deformities (scoliosis, kyphosis), stabilization and correction of degenerative spinal lesions, reconstruction after tumor resection, and secondary spinal surgery.
In FIG. 1, a drawing of the human spine shows that the spinal column 1 is comprised of a number of vertebrae, categorized into four sections or types: the lumbar vertebrae 2, the thoracic vertebrae 3, the cervical vertebrae 4 and the sacral vertebrae 5. Starting at the top of the spinal column 1, the cervical vertebrae 4 are labeled 1st cervical vertebra (C1) through 7th cervical vertebra (C7). Just below the 7th cervical vertebra is the first of twelve thoracic vertebrae 3 labeled 1st thoracic vertebra (T1) through 12th thoracic vertebra (T12). Just below the 12th thoracic vertebrae 3, are five lumbar vertebrae 2 labeled 1st lumbar vertebra (L1) through 5th lumbar vertebra (L5), the 5th lumbar vertebra being attached to the sacral vertebrae 5 (S1 to S5), the sacral vertebrae 5 being naturally fused together in the adult.
Spinal fusion surgery typically involves the corrective fusion of lumbar vertebrae 2, of which a representative transverse drawing of such a vertebra is shown in FIG. 2. Representative lumbar vertebra 10 has a number of notable features which are in general shared with the thoracic vertebrae 3 and cervical vertebrae 4, although the feature thicknesses and shapes may alter between the various types of vertebrae. The thick oval segment of bone forming the anterior aspect of the vertebra 10 is the vertebral body 12. Vertebral body 12 is attached to a bony vertebral arch 13 through which the neural elements run. Vertebral arch 13, forming the posterior of vertebra 10, is comprised of two pedicles 14, which are short stout processes that extend from the sides of vertebral body 12, and two laminae 15, the broad flat plates that project from pedicles 14 and join in a triangle to form a hollow archway, the vertebral foramen 16 or spinal canal. The spinous process 17 protrudes from the junction of laminae 15: these are the ridges that can be felt through the skin along the back of the spine. Transverse processes 18 project from the junction of pedicles 14 and laminae 15. The structures of the vertebral arch protect the spinal cord and/or spinal nerves that run through the spinal canal.
The pedicles of typical lumbar vertebra increase in sagittal width from 9 mm to up to 18 mm at L5 (lowest lumbar vertebra). They increase in angulation in the axial plane from 10 degrees at L1 to 30 degrees by L5. Pedicles of the thoracic and cervical vertebra are typically smaller—as small as 4 mm in an adult. Pedicle widths in adolescents are proportionally smaller. The pedicles exhibit good mechanical strength in comparison to the other vertebral features.
Pedicles are used as a portal of entrance into the vertebral body for fixation with pedicle screws for placement of stabilizing rods or plates for fusion as shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b. Pedicles are used due to their strength, size and proximity to ease of entrance through the posterior side of the human body. In FIG. 3a, a transverse view of vertebra 10 is shown including pedicular holes 25 are drilled and tapped with pedicular screws 20 inserted into the vertebral body 12 through pedicles 14.
Typical pedicle screws are made of titanium alloy, are MRI compatible, and are highly resistant to corrosion and fatigue. Pedicle screws have length ranges from 30 mm to 60 mm. The threaded (major) diameter ranges from 4.5 mm to 8.5 mm.
The transpedicular fixation process is accomplished by placing pedicle screws into the pedicular region of adjacent vertebrae, as in FIG. 3a, and attaching rods between the pedicle screws to stabilize the vertebrae with respect to each other. In FIG. 3b, a second vertebral structure, in this case a sacral vertebrae S1 is shown to be connected to L5 vertebra through a set of pedicle screws 23 inserted into L5, a set of pedicle screws 21 inserted into S1; the pedicle screws 23 and 21 being interconnected by a pair of rods 22. Rods 22 may be further connected to each other by a transverse rod 24. The transpedicular fixation is formed by pedicle screws 23, pedicle screws 21, rods 22 and transverse rod 24 which fixes the vertebra L5 and S1 with respect to each other, thereby allowing the vertebrae to fuse in the healing process. If not placed properly, the pedicle screws 23 (or pedicle screws 21) may breach the vertebral walls thereby leading to nerve root damage or pressure on the spinal cord. The mechanical integrity of the screw placement must also be sufficient to support the rod structures and remain intact under mechanical stress. The present invention is an apparatus and method that significantly improves the placement of pedicle holes (and screws) so that vertebral walls are not breached and also promotes mechanical integrity and avoidance of neurological injury.
The method of placement of pedicle screws and fixtures in the prior art is typically done under open surgical operation where the patient's spine is exposed. More recently, percutaneous placement of pedicle screws and fixtures has become more commonplace, causing less tissue damage and allowing for more rapid healing. During each prior art method, a pilot hole, using a pedicle awl or drill, is carefully made through each pedicle and into the vertebral body. The hole is threaded and a pedicle screw inserted.
The position and angle of the pilot hole is crucial to a successful pedicle screw placement and can be difficult to achieve, especially in percutaneous operations. If the pilot hole breaches the pedicle wall, spinal nerve damage may occur accompanied by chronic pain in the patient. Worse yet, if the pedicle wall is breached medially in the cervical or thoracic spine, permanent spinal cord damage may result. Also, a breach will typically weaken the mechanical integrity of the pedicle screw fixture.
In the prior art, the ability to accurately judge the integrity of the pedicle is generally limited to post-operative observation. For example, pedicle screw misplacements are usually detected only when pain or neurological deficit is reported by the patent. Corrective surgery to reposition the malpositioned pedicle screw is expensive, carries inherent medical risks, and may not reverse the neurological deficit or pain.
Radiographic imaging and computer-assisted methods have been developed in the prior art to increase the probability of success in the operative process. For example, fluoroscopic imaging, essential to percutaneous pedicle screw placement, is used to take lateral and anterior-posterior images of the vertebrae and to guide wire placement. After guide wires have been inserted through the pedicle and into the vertebral body, a pilot hole is made using a cannulated pedicle awl. But placement errors still occur. While flouroscopic-assisted pedicle screw guidance decreases the risk of misplacement such equipment is expensive and is not universally available. Hence the methods developed in the prior art have not been entirely successful.
Referring to FIGS. 4a and 4b, it is known in the prior art to stimulate and detect electromyographic (EMG) signals generated from nerve roots that course along the outer surface of the pedicles. In such a prior art method an electrostatic pedicle awl 100 is charged with a current source 105. The current supplied from the current source creates an electric field 125 near the tip of the electrostatic awl which in turn causes charge migrations in nerve ion channels in the vicinity of the tip area shown as the region of nerve excitation 130.
In use, the electrostatic pedicle awl 100 of the prior art is initially positioned by sight or by fluoroscopic imaging onto a pedicle 120 of vertebra 115 and then rotated using a removable handle 110 and lightly tapped with a hammer (not shown) to create the pilot hole. An EMG 150 is taken of muscles that respond to specific nerves in the vicinity of the pedicle wall 122. As electrostatic pedicle awl 100 moves into pedicle 120, EMG 150 is monitored for nerve excitations. If the tip of electrostatic pedicle awl 100 or its associated electric field 125 breaches the pedicle wall 122, nerve channels are excited and the EMG reacts, generating signals that alert the surgeon to the breach. In practice, the surgeon then withdraws electrostatic pedicle awl 100 and either repositions it or abandons the site altogether.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,985 to Bolger, et al. essentially describes an electrostatic pedicle awl with special emphasis on the detection of signals from muscles during the drilling process and operational aspects of generating alerts.
One shortcoming of the prior art electrostatic pedicle awl is that the electric field generated is not well contained. The lack of containment of the electric field often results in false readings. For example, in cases where the pedicle has been previously breached and the awl has been redirected, EMG signals may persist despite a corrected trajectory. Inaccurate EMG signals often lead to false placement failure and unnecessary alternative fixation procedures. Unnecessary procedures cause higher patient morbidity and potential liability.
These similar problems exist in other prior art surgical procedures in which avoidance of nerves is critical, including the extreme lateral interbody fusion procedure ("XLIF procedure"). The XLIF procedure is a method of achieving a direct lateral approach to the intervertebral disc space through the psoas muscle. To perform the XLIF procedure, it is necessary to insert a retractor through the muscle, while avoiding the nerves, to provide an operative corridor to the spine and intervertebral disc space. Once access is achieved, pathology may be addressed as well as insertion of interbody implants.
The psoas muscles, crucial for hip flexion, are found in the lumbar region and are anchored on either side of the spine. The muscles extend into the pelvic area and attach to the hip. Critical nerve roots course within the psoas muscle and must be avoided during surgery to avoid damage and resulting pain or paralysis.

Electromagnetic apparatus and method for nerve localization during spinal surgery


A fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composition for producing composite structural members and a method for making same is provided. The composition is made by combining a thermoplastic resin with pre-treated high moisture cellulosic materials, such as discarded newspaper, having lignin contained therein. Moisture treatment of the cellulosic materials exhibit improvements over composites using dry cellulosic materials. The composite composition may then be extruded or compression molded into various articles of manufacture.

In recent years, plastics and plastic composites have become increasingly important materials for making various types of articles. These thermoplastic-containing materials have begun replacing metals as structural members. Such thermoplastic materials offer outstanding mechanical properties, unique flexibility and design capabilities, and ease of fabrication. Additional advantages include their light weight, corrosion resistance, and affordable price. In fact, high-strength and light-weight thermoplastic composite materials are strongly demanded for various engineering applications. Such applications have included the use of thermoplastic composites in construction materials, flooring materials, and in fabricating furniture.
Recently, attention has turned to the possibility of manufacturing plastics with desirable mechanical properties by reinforcing the plastics with fibers. Such reinforcement adds strength to the composites without adding much weight. These fiber-reinforced structures exhibit excellent strength when molded into articles of manufacture like those discussed above.
In addition to the increasing demand for such fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites to replace conventional structural materials, the shortage of facilities for disposing of solid wastes is rapidly growing. The largest portion of the wastes in the solid waste stream consists of paper and other cellulosic fibers, including textiles and wood. Plastics make up another large portion of the wastes. Among the cellulosic fiber wastes, a large portion of the fiber is discarded printed material, including newspapers. Of the remaining cellulosic fiber waste and plastics waste, a large portion consists of packaging materials. Many of these packaging materials, like the printed cellulosic materials, have ink printed thereon for advertising or other identification purposes. Accordingly, a very large portion of the solid waste stream consists of cellulosic fibers and plastics.
One prior art composite material, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,541 to Pringle, uses particulate wood filler materials such as wood chips, comminuted paper and sawdust to reinforce a composite made from thermoplastic insulation found in scrap electrical wire and cables. The filler materials are held together with the thermoplastics by adding a phenolic resin binder such as urea-formaldehyde.
British Patent No. 1,369,204 issued to Paske shows a method of making a plastics product from a raw material having more than 85 percent by weight reclaimed synthetic thermoplastic material wherein the thermoplastic materials are compressed at pressures between 10 and 1,000 pounds per square inch (psi). The thermoplastic materials must be present in the composition at more than 85 percent by weight. The remaining 15 percent or less of the product may include small quantities of incidental constituents such as metal foil, cardboard, paper, paperboard, sawdust, and other garbage materials.
Other prior art structures, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,445 to Lamb, Sr., et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,603 to Smith show laminated materials wherein a middle layer is formed by combining shredded 42-pound Kraft paper coated with polyethylene or other cellulose fiber products such as shredded tree bark with thermoplastics to form a thermoplastic layer having paper encapsulated therein. Such middle layers are then laminated between two paper webs in Lamb and between two hardened thermoplastic layers in Smith to ensure bonding of the cellulose particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,095 to Warych discloses package edge protectors that are not susceptible to attack by moisture. The protectors are formed under heat and pressure from paper-waste cuttings having an edge length of 2 to 5 mm and larger and low molecular weight thermoplastics. The final product results in a protector wherein the paper cuttings are encapsulated within the thermoplastic materials.
Other patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,649 to Redker and U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,463 to Levasseur show processes for using waste stream materials, including paper, wood, and plastics. Redker discloses a process of destructively distilling organic waste material by an extruder. Levasseur discloses a process for producing extruded or molded objects formed from garbage materials including thermoplastics present in an amount of over 65 percent by weight and other garbage filler agents such as compost refuse, paper, rags, or materials extracted from other household wastes. The disclosed process requires that the water content of the waste products be less than three percent by weight.
Although the prior art shows a combination of thermoplastic materials and certain types of cellulosic materials, the particular features of the present invention are absent from the prior art. The prior art is generally deficient in affording a proper attachment between the thermoplastic resin and the cellulosic material to form a coherent member. The prior art has attempted to achieve such coherency but has had to employ specific binders, inordinate amounts of thermoplastic material, large pieces of cellulosic materials, or other materials acting as binding agents. The present invention, however, overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art in that a method is disclosed herein for forming a coherent mass of thermoplastic and cellulosic material.
A patent application directed toward an invention similar to that presently claimed is currently pending at the time this application was filed. That application, Ser. No. 07/692,004, filed on Apr. 26, 1991 by an inventive entity including the presently named inventor, is directed to a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composition and molded composite articles made therefrom. The invention therein, however, is directed to cellulosic fiber-reinforced thermoplastic compositions wherein cellulosic fibers generally have a moisture content of from about 5 to about 7 percent by weight. That application is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto.

Pre-treated cellulosic materials for producing molded composite articles therefrom and process


Disclosed is a temporary door lock assembly. The assembly is formed from five major components: a rosette; a bolt; a barrel; a locking arm; and an inside plate. These components are lockingly interconnected without any fasteners or the use of any tools to form a door lock. The lock can be temporarily secured within the lock opening and barrel of a door frame during residential or commercial construction to thereby delay the need to install more complicated and expensive permanent locks.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a temporary door lock assembly and more particularly relates to a temporary door lock assembly that can be used in place of a permanent lock during building construction to deter causal entry into the building.
2. Description of the Background Art
There is a need in the construction industry for a durable, yet disposable, temporary lock that can be used to secure a door during commercial or residential construction. Early during the construction process, doors are hung on door frames, both within the interior and around the exterior of the structure being built. These doors typically arrive on the construction site with a lock opening and a lateral bore that are designed to be fitted with a conventional lockset.
Although doors are often installed early in construction, permanent locksets are typically one of the last items to be installed. This occurs because it would be logistically problematic to provide keys to everyone on the job site, and because the expense of providing standard locksets is considerable. Permanent lockset are also susceptible to damage during construction. Thus, doors on a construction site are often left completely unsecured. This is obviously not a preferred solution for a variety of reasons. First, although unoccupied, buildings under construction still house valuable tools, equipment and building materials. Leaving the doors unsecured results in these valuables being stolen or damaged. Second, leaving the building unsecured unnecessarily invites individuals to vandalize or otherwise damage the on-going construction during the non-working hours. Third, unsecured doors are susceptible to being blown open, thereby leaving the interior of the building exposed to the elements. This is especially problematic during the later stages of construction or at a point where drywall or other moisture absorbing materials may have been installed. Finally, wind can also cause unsecured doors—whether installed or yet to be installed—to be repeatedly blown open and closed, thereby damaging the door and surrounding frame.
For the foregoing reasons, there exists a need in the construction industry for a temporary door lock that can be quickly and easily installed within a door prior to the installation of a permanent lockset.
The use of temporary latches that are installed indoors until a permanent latch can be installed are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,827 to Dodson discloses a temporary door latch. The latch is adapted to be secured within the opening provided in a door. This latch generally consists of two pieces: a handled portion and a tongue portion. The latch is installed into the door opening by first disengaging the tongue portion from the handle portion. The handle portion is then inserted into a larger bore within the door opening. Thereafter, the rear end of the tongue portion is inserted into the smaller bore of the lock opening via the edge of the door. The handle portion is further provided with a ring for grasping and a compressible arm that retracts to cause the tongue portion to be withdrawn into the door latch opening as the door is being closed and when the door is being unlocked from its door frame.
The use of plastic door locks is also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,097 to Su discloses a plastic door lock that includes opposing cover plates between which is located a latch unit and a limit switch. The limit switch can be moved between an unlocked position wherein actuation of the latch unit is permitted and a locked position wherein actuation of the latch is precluded from outside of the door. All of the components of this lock are molded from a plastics type material.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,618 to Potter discloses another plastic door lock construction. The lock includes opposite roses that are adapted to interlock with each other and which are held together by a single screw. When used as a privacy lock, unlocking the lock from the outside is prevented by pushing the inside knob into a releasable but non-rotatable engagement with the inside rose. The lock, as well as the individual parts comprising the lock, are made up of a moldable plastic material.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,948 to Potter discloses a plastic latch bolt for a door lock. The lock includes a lost motion connection between the latch bolt and spindle that allows the door to be closed without damaging the latch bolt when the inside knob is locked. Again, the lock makes use of various plastic materials for most of the individual parts.
Thus, the use of plastic door locks and temporary latching devices for use within doorways is known. However, although the above referenced inventions each achieve their own individual objectives, they all suffer from common drawbacks. Namely, none of the background art discloses a temporary door lock that has a simple and inexpensive construction and which requires no tools for assembly and installation. Further, none of the background art discloses a lock whereby the inner and outer faces are joined with a ratchet type interconnection whereby the assembly can be installed on doors having a variety of thicknesses.