A device for layering and cutting food, comprising a main body having an elongated bottom wall and two opposing parallel side walls extending upward from said bottom wall, the side walls and the bottom wall defining a rectangular food receiving receptacle. Each of the side walls include a plurality of vertically disposed wall slots. The body receptacle is configured to receive food and the wall slots are configured to receive a cutting implement to cut food into one or more portions. A removable food supporting plate is disposed in the body receptacle and on the bottom wall of the main body. The food is received on the removable plate and the removable plate is adapted to be removed with food from the receptacle of said main body after cutting the food into one or more portions. The removable plate includes grooves wherein the wall slots of the opposing side walls align and the plate grooves of the base align with the slots.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to kitchen and cooking devices and more particularly to a useful device for layering foods and cutting portions thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
In many entertaining settings, it is desirable to provide pre-portioned or generally smaller sized food items when serving appetizers, entrees, and/or desserts. In a typical situation, a chef would not prepare each individual item separately but rather would prepare a large portion of a given dish, such as a lasagna or cake, and then selectively slice or cut the dish into the desired portions for serving. Often times the large portion is cut or sliced within the dish that it was originally baked or cooked. The cutting or slicing operation is prone to disadvantages, however, such as unequal portion sizes and damaged or unpleasing visible edges and the loss of usable portions. Furthermore, it is often difficult to prepare large portions of layered items such as lasagnas and cakes because the overly large baking dishes and pans do not provide adequate containment. This again can lead to a visually unappealing final product, uneven application of ingredients, uneven portions, and loss of usable portions. Furthermore, when needing large quantities of food, cooking same in an oversized dish can lead to uneven cooking—portions of the food remain undercooked while other portions are overcooked. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an easy to use device for layering and apportioning food items.
It is, therefore, to the effective resolution of the aforementioned problems and shortcomings of the prior art that the present invention is directed. However, in view of the kitchen and cooking devices in existence at the time of the present invention, it was not obvious to those persons of ordinary skill in the pertinent art as to how the identified needs could be fulfilled in an advantageous manner.

Device for layering foods and cutting into portions


When an APC selection signal FA is set to H level to start an APC operation, a monitor voltage VA is immediately generated from a monitor voltage generating circuit 16A, and an error voltage VEA corresponding to the difference between the monitor voltage VA and a reference voltage VP is output from an error amplifying circuit 18A. However, until the monitor voltage VA reaches the vicinity of the reference voltage VP, a S/H circuit 20A is held in a hold mode, and a laser diode LDA is driven at a switching current ISA with the same current value as before the APC operation start. After the monitor voltage VA reaches the vicinity of the reference voltage VP, the S/H circuit 20A is switched to a sampling mode, and a feedback control operation of a closed loop is started.

As a representative example of a light-emitting device, a laser diode is well known. If a forward driving current is sent to the laser diode, electrons and holes are recoupled in an active layer region, so that photons are generated. The spontaneous emission light is reciprocated in the active layer by a feedback action, and laser oscillation (induced emission) results.
In general, a device for driving the laser diode is provided with an APC function for constantly maintaining the optical output or the amount of light generated, even if the characteristics of the laser diode have changed. This APC consists of a light-receiving device that receives light generated by the laser diode and generates a photocurrent corresponding to the optical output, a monitor voltage generating circuit for generating a monitor voltage with a size in which the photocurrent of the light-receiving device is multiplied by a prescribed coefficient, a differential amplifying circuit that compares the monitor voltage from the monitor voltage generating circuit with a reference voltage corresponding to a set value of the optical output generated by the laser diode and outputs an error voltage corresponding to the difference, a sample-and-hold circuit for sampling and holding the output voltage of the differential amplifying circuit, and a driving current generating circuit corresponding to the output voltage of the sample-and-hold circuit.
While the laser diode emits light in a stationary operating mode, the APC is not activated, and when the driving current supplied to the laser diode is reset, the APC is operated. In this case, a photocurrent corresponding to the optical output of the laser diode flows to the light-receiving device, and a monitor voltage corresponding to the photocurrent of the light-receiving device and the optical output of the laser diode is output from the monitor voltage generating circuit. Then, the monitor voltage is compared with the reference voltage in the error amplifying circuit, and an error voltage showing the difference or comparison error is sampled and held by the sample-and-hold circuit and given to the driving current generating circuit. The driving current generating circuit adopts the output voltage of the sample-and-hold circuit as a control voltage, generates a driving current with a current value corresponding to it, and supplies the driving current to the laser diode, and the laser diode emits light by the optical output corresponding to the current value of the driving current. If the laser diode emits light in this feedback loop and the monitor voltage reaches and converges to the reference voltage, that is, the optical output of the laser diode is equal to the set output, the feedback loop reaches an equilibrium state. In this equilibrium state, if the sample-and-hold circuit is switched from the sampling mode to the hold mode, the current value of the driving current supplied to the laser diode from the driving current generating circuit is held at the current value (reset current value) in said equilibrium state, even after switching from the APC operation to a stationary operation, so that the optical output of the laser diode is held at the set output. When the APC operation is finished, the monitor voltage generating circuit and the light-receiving device are turned off along with the mode switching of the above-mentioned sample-and-hold circuit.
In the conventional light-emitting device driving gear, when the APC operation is started, the monitor voltage generating circuit and the light-receiving device are switched from the off-state at that time to the on-state, and at the same time, the sample-and-hold circuit is switched from the current hold mode to a sampling mode.
In this case, immediately after starting the APC operation, when the monitor voltage output from the monitor voltage generating circuit raises from the level (usually, zero level) in the off-state at that time toward a reference voltage, a large error voltage is output from the error amplifying circuit, and the large error voltage is sampled by the sample-and-hold circuit and given to the driving current generating circuit. Thus, the current value of the driving current being output from the driving current generating circuit in accordance with the control voltage from the sample-and-hold circuit is increased from the set current value by that time, and the optical output of the laser diode is also changed in a rising direction from the value in the vicinity of the set output, so that the monitor output is further raised. Then, if the monitor voltage exceeds the reference voltage, the feedback loop of the APC is activated in the opposite direction, and an error voltage with a reversed polarity is output from the error amplifying circuit, so that the control voltage being given to the driving current generating circuit from the
sample-and-hold circuit is lowered, thereby reducing or dropping the current value of the driving current, the optical output of the laser diode, and the monitor voltage. Eventually, the monitor voltage output from the monitor voltage generating circuit converges to the reference voltage and reaches the equilibrium state, and the current value of the driving current is optimally set so that the optical output of the laser diode is equal to the set output.
However, as mentioned above, if the current value of the driving current is largely increased once from the set value at that time, reduced to return to the original value, and adjusted to a new set value (reset value), the time required for completion from the start of the APC operation is somewhat lengthened. In an ordinary application, compared with the speed of the characteristic change of the laser diode, the APC operation is carried out in a very short cycle, and for example, in a laser printing head, the APC operation is carried out for a line scanning. Therefore, it is usual for the set current value of the driving current to be not largely different immediately before the start of the APC operation and immediately after the completion. Nevertheless, as mentioned above, not only can it be said that a uniform large up and down or increase and decrease of the control voltage and the driving current at each cycle is a useless operation or incorrect operation, but the characteristics of the laser diode are degraded by overcurrent drive during the APC operation, or acceleration of the degradation is likely.
A general object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the above-mentioned prior art, and is to provide a light-emitting device driving gear that efficiently carries out an APC operation without providing a meaningless overcurrent.


A system for seeding therapeutic active ingredients (TAIs) onto a porous scaffold includes a first chamber for accommodating the scaffold, a TAI storage device for storing TAIs, at least one second chamber for storing TAI media, and a gas inlet for receiving gas from a compressed source. A flow circuit is coupled to the first chamber, the TAI storage device, the second chamber and the gas inlet for delivering the TAIs, the TAI media and the gas to the scaffold. A pump pumps at least one of the TAIs, the TAI media and the gas in the flow circuit. The system also includes a processor that regulates the delivery of the TAIs, the TAI media and the gas to the scaffold via a plurality of valves.

Bioreactor cultivation of human stem cells in an osteogenic scaffold has been shown to support cell survival, differentiation, maturation and deposition of bone matrix, while restricting the development of unwanted lineages and facilitating a continued remodeling and vascularization following transplantation.
However, a traditional method of cultivating the scaffold often involves operations manually performed by a laboratory technician using multiple tools or devices, including soaking the scaffold in a media in a Petri dish, drying the scaffold, placing cells onto the scaffold and soaking the scaffold in a media bath to encourage cell growth. As such, there is a need for a cost-efficient and simplified mechanism to handle the cultivation of the scaffold without intense labor. The disclosed technology described herein addresses this need. In addition, the system described herein enables robust process control and maintenance of sterility by reducing user interaction in the process.

System and method for seeding and culturing


An integrated exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler with dual coolant loops comprises an exhaust gas inlet and an exhaust gas outlet for recirculating exhaust gas. An exhaust gas flow path extends between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet to direct recirculating exhaust gas from the exhaust gas inlet to the exhaust gas outlet. A first coolant flow path extends between a first coolant inlet and a first coolant outlet to direct a first coolant flow from the EGR cooler in heat exchange relation with the exhaust gas flow path. A second coolant flow path extends between a second coolant inlet and a second coolant outlet to direct a second coolant flow through the EGR cooler in heat exchange relation with the exhaust gas flow path.

Emission concerns associated with the operation of internal combustion engines, generally, but not always, diesel engines, have resulted in an increased emphasis on the use of exhaust gas heat exchange systems with such engines, particularly, but not always, in vehicular applications. These systems are employed as part of an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system by which a portion of an engine's exhaust is returned to its combustion chambers via its intake system. The result is that some of the oxygen that would ordinarily be inducted into the engine as part of its fresh combustion air charge is displaced with inert gases thus reducing the rate of NOx formation. EGR systems are frequently designed to recirculate the cooled exhaust gas, thus lowering the combustion temperature and providing a reduction in NOx.
In many applications employing EGR systems, exhaust gas recirculation coolers are employed. In the usual case, engine coolant is brought into heat exchange relation with the exhaust gas to lower its temperature prior to recirculation. Conventional EGR coolers use a single coolant loop to cool the exhaust gas. Most of the heat is absorbed by the coolant over the first few inches of the cooler. This raises the coolant temperature and makes the heat exchange less effective over the length of the cooler as the differential temperature between the coolant and exhaust gases become smaller.
The present invention is directed to improvements in EGR cooler operation to further reduce exhaust gas outlet temperatures.


A method of manufacturing a laminated ceramic capacitor having a dielectric ceramic which contains, as its main constituent, a perovskite-type compound containing Ca and Zr and optionally containing Sr, Ba, and Ti, and further contains Si, Mn, and Al, and when the total content of Zr and Ti is regarded as 100 parts by mol, the total content (100×m) of Ca, Sr, and Ba meets 1.002≦m≦1.100 in terms of parts by mol, the Si content n meets 0.5≦n≦10 in terms of parts by mol, the Mn content u meets 0.5≦u≦10 in terms of parts by mol, and the Al content w meets 0.02≦w≦4 in terms of parts by mol, m and n satisfying −0.4≦100(m−1)−n≦3.9.

With the progress of recent electronics technology, the reduction in size and the increase in capacitance have been required for laminated ceramic capacitors. In order to satisfy these requirements, the reduction in layer thickness has been advanced for dielectric layers of laminated ceramic capacitors. However, the reduction of the dielectric layers in layer thickness relatively increases the electric field intensity applied per layer. Therefore, improvements in reliability in the case of applying a voltage, in particular, improvements in lifetime characteristics in a moisture resistance loading test have been required for the dielectric ceramic for use in the dielectric layers.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a dielectric ceramic containing a main composition represented by [(CaxSr1−x)O]m[(TiyZr1−y)O2] as a main constituent where the values of x, y, and m respectively fall within the ranges of 0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦0.10, 0.75≦m≦1.04, and containing, as accessory constituents for the main constituent, 0.2 to 5 mol % of Mn oxide in terms of MnO, 0.1 to 10 mol % of Al oxide in terms of Al2O3, and 0.5 to 15 mol % of constituent represented by [(BazCa1−z)O]vSiO2 where Z and V respectively fall within the ranges of 0≦Z≦1 and 0.5≦V≦4.0. Further, the accelerated test carried out at a high temperature and under a direct electric field concludes that a dielectric ceramic is achieved which has insulation resistance for a long accelerated lifetime.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-335169

Method for manufacturing laminated ceramic capacitor


A controller includes an interface and circuitry. The interface is coupled to multiple memory cells. The circuitry stores a code word in a group of the memory cells, reads the code word using different thresholds to produce first and second readouts, and checks whether approximating each of first and second numbers of readout errors based on syndrome weights is valid. In response to determining that only the approximation of the second number of errors is valid, the circuitry produces a combined readout by replacing a portion of the bits in the second readout with corresponding bits of the first readout, calculates an enhanced syndrome weight for the combined readout and estimates the first number of errors based on the enhanced syndrome weight. The circuitry improves readout performance from at least the group of the memory cells using at least one of the estimated first and second numbers of errors.

Data read from a nonvolatile memory may contain errors due to various reasons such as misposition of read thresholds, drifting of threshold voltage distributions, aging, and the like. Methods for evaluating and improving the readout performance of a nonvolatile memory are known in the art. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2017/0236592 describes a syndrome weight of failed decoding attempts that is used to select parameters for future read retry operations. The following exemplary steps are performed until a decoding success or a predefined limited number of readings is reached: (i) reading a codeword using different read threshold voltages; (ii) mapping the readings to a corresponding likelihood value using a likelihood value assignment; and (iii) recording a syndrome weight for failed decoding attempts of the readings using the different read threshold voltages. Once the predefined limit is reached, the following exemplary steps are performed: (i) mapping the readings to a corresponding likelihood value using different likelihood value assignments, and (ii) recording a syndrome weight for failed decoding attempts of the readings using the different likelihood value assignments; and using a given read threshold voltage and/or a likelihood value assignment associated with a substantially minimum syndrome weight as an initial read threshold voltage and/or a higher priority read threshold voltage for subsequent read retry operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,388,394 describes a memory system that includes an interface and storage circuitry. The interface is configured to communicate with a plurality of memory cells that store data by setting the memory cells to analog voltages representative of respective storage values. The storage circuitry is configured to read from a group of the memory cells a code word encoded using an Error Correction Code (ECC), by sensing the memory cells using at least first and second read thresholds for producing respective first and second readouts, to calculate, based on at least one of the first and second readouts, (i) a syndrome weight that is indicative of an actual number of errors contained in the code word, and (ii) a mid-zone count of the memory cells for which the first readout differs from the second readout, and, to evaluate a performance measure for the memory cells, based on the calculated syndrome weight and mid-zone count.

Overcoming saturated syndrome condition in estimating number of readout errors


A process for fabricating a low loss multilayer printed circuit board using a bonding ply comprising a fluoropolymer composite substrate and a thermosetting adhesive composition is disclosed. The fluoropolymer composite comprises at least one fluoropolymer and a substrate selected from woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics and polymeric films.

This invention relates to a multilayer bonding prepreg comprising a fluoropolymer, a substrate typically consisting of fiberglass to reinforce the low signal loss fluoropolymer, a surface coated thermosetting resin and optionally a ceramic filler to control the coefficient of thermal expansion. Ceramic filler is used in either the fluoropolymer coated glass component, the thermosetting resin surface component, or in both components. The composite is used as a low signal loss bonding ply which can be pressed at low temperatures to manufacture a multilayer circuit board for high frequency applications.
In the electronics industry multilayer circuit boards are prepared by bonding a layer of incompletely cured thermosetting resin reinforced with fiberglass between layers of a fully cured print and etched laminate. For a four-layer epoxy based circuit board, first an epoxy coated fiberglass composite is laminated with thin copper foil on both sides. On one side of the laminate, the copper is patterned using conventional printed circuit board manufacturing processes. The side containing the patterned copper layer is referred to as the inner layer. Two laminates having the inner layers facing each other are then bonded together typically using an FR-4 prepreg (a flame retarded partially cured sheet of epoxy coated fiberglass that has no copper foil cladding). The inner layers are then bonded together using the partially cured epoxy as an adhesive layer by pressing the construction together in a press at temperatures such as 360xc2x0 F. (182xc2x0 C.) for two hours at 200 psi, thereby fully curing the epoxy FR-4 adhesive layer. A composite is thereby created having non-pattered copper layers at the surfaces and patterned inner layers being separated by the adhesive layer. The top and bottom non-patterned copper layers (the outer layers) can then be print and etched yielding a four-layer circuit board.
One drawback of using many conventional thermosetting resins as the adhesive layer is the poor electrical properties of the bonding adhesive layer. Epoxy based thermosetting resin, for example, has poor electrical loss characteristics in the 1-100 gigahertz range. For very long trace lengths, signal degradation forces the use of lower loss dielectrics. This is increasingly becoming the case for high speed digital applications (routers, backplanes, motherboards and daughter boards). For the RF and mm wave frequencies, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) based materials are traditionally used to prevent signal loss. PTFE based materials have been available for a long time for the most demanding low signal loss applications but have been avoided for cost considerations. Conventional thermosetting resins have too high a loss tangent at the high frequencies and are nearing their ultimate limits at 2.5 GHz. As frequencies extend to the 5 and 10 GHz range, it is likely that epoxy resins will be replaced by higher performing materials. Suppliers of epoxy laminate have been reducing the loss tangent of their products by switching to lower loss polyphenylene oxide based polymers and ceramic fillers. Typical PTFE products have 0.002-0.004 loss tangents versus 0.007-0.014 for epoxies and related materials (10 GHz). As signal integrity drives the use of higher performing materials, epoxy based solutions will eventually fall short even with high loadings of ceramics.
An alternative solution is the use of expanded PTFE that has been filled with epoxy and ceramic, thereby diluting the concentration of the higher loss epoxy component. This combination of epoxy, ceramic, and PTFE results in a sufficiently low loss product to be acceptable for high speed digital applications. The downside is that the expanded PTFE based solution is quite expensive and there are issues of dimensional movement that becomes significant with increasing layer count. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,985,296; 4,996,097; 5,538,756; and 5,512,360 awarded to W. L. Gore describe the use of a thermosetting resin impregnated into an expanded PTFE web. These patents teach the use of incorporating ceramic in the PTFE expanded web manufacture and/or part of the non-fluorinated adhesive resin system to obtain low loss materials.
Ceramic filled resin systems based on polybutadiene-woven fiberglass based prepregs, both filled and unfilled with flame retardant additives, are known to be relatively low loss materials (U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,609). These materials suffer from the inconsistent quality of the peroxy cured rubber system and the poor bond strengths of the cured rubber to copper foil. A related material, crosslinked polyesters filled with kaolin, have attractive dielectric properties but unattractive peel strengths and other fabrication problems.
Polyphenyleneoxide (PPO, APPE, PPE) based resin systems that are cured systems of low molecular weight PPO and epoxy resins have some process limitations (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,043,367; 5,001,010; 5,162,450) for high speed digital or high frequency applications. Their loss tangents in the gigahertz frequency range are reported to be in the 0.006-0.008 range. This is an incremental improvement over standard epoxy. Secondly, their lack of flow is a serious constraint.
Very low loss solutions include PTFE based materials and optical interconnects. Solutions containing pure PTFE based adhesive layers have the disadvantage that these materials need to be processed at temperatures exceeding 700xc2x0 F. (fusion bonding, 371xc2x0 C.). There are fabricators today building multilayer structures based on fluorinated resin systems. Most fabricators do not have equipment capable of pressing at these temperatures, nor are the extended heating and cooling cycles attractive to fabricators. High temperature pressing on a 34 layer count stackup could result in decreased reliability of plated through holes, PCB warping, and copper pad distortion. In high speed digital applications, via holes are a real source of signal loss. The alternative is very high layer count boards. The number one obstacle for high speed digital applications is the high layer count stack-up that encourages OEMs to source board materials that are process friendly. For high speed digital applications, the high frequency materials will be separated from the standard FR4 lower frequency layers. This leads to multiple lamination cycles. Fabricators prefer to press laminates relatively quickly at conventional epoxy pressing temperatures below 350xc2x0 F. (177xc2x0 C.) and have scaled their pressing capacity so that it is not a bottleneck in the entire printed circuit board fabrication process. Thus FR-4 is a material of choice. However, increasing operating frequencies demand materials having lower loss characteristics. Therefore, a composite that enables multilayer lamination at epoxy processing temperatures that has a minimum component of a hydrocarbon resin is especially desirable.
Disclosed in this invention is a fluoropolymer coated fiberglass composite that is used as the component to deliver low signal loss properties. The fluoropolymer coated fiberglass composite is then surface treated to enable it to bond to other surfaces. Surface treatment is conducted on the nanometer scale in order to maintain the desirable bulk properties of the fluoropolymer. A thin layer of a thermosetting resin which may or may not contain a ceramic filler (refer to FIG. 1) is then applied to the surfaces of the chemically modified sheet of fluoropolymer coated glass. Although the thermosetting resin represents a compromise to the otherwise good electric properties of the PTFE coated fiberglass, the thermoset enables the manufacture of a multilayer laminate at conventional epoxy processing temperatures. The thermosetting resin is partially cured (B-staged) during the application of the thermoset onto a fluoropolymer composite comprising a substrate selected from woven fabric, non-woven or a polymeric film. The electrical properties of the resulting prepreg is then determined by the ratio of the coated thermosetting resin to the fluoropolymer coated fiberglass starting material. It is preferred to limit the amount of thermosetting resin to just enough to fill the spaces between the copper traces of the inner layers and still obtain a good bond.
In one aspect, the present invention relates to a process for fabricating a low loss multilayer printed circuit board using a bonding ply comprising a fluoropolymer substrate and a thermosetting adhesive composition. The fluoropolymer composite comprises at least one fluoropolymer and a substrate selected from woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics and polymeric films.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a multilayer printed circuit board comprising a plurality of printed circuit board layers bonded together by means of the same bonding ply.
In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a composition comprising a fluoropolymer composite comprising at least one fluoropolymer and a substrate selected from woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics and polymeric films; and a thermosetting adhesive composition.

Low signal loss bonding ply for multilayer circuit boards


A ball grid array semiconductor package including a semiconductor chip, at least one lead having one end attached to the semiconductor chip and other end bent at a predetermined angle, a wire connecting the bent lead to an electrode formed on the semiconductor chip, a first bump attached to a bent end portion of the bent lead, and a resin molding enclosing the semiconductor chip, the lead and the wire to allow one side surface of the bump to be exposed out of the resin molding.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ball grid array semiconductor package, and more particularly, to a ball grid array semiconductor package in which the number of connection pins are increased by improving the structure of a lead.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the semiconductor industry, Ball Grid Array (BGA) technology is often used to package semiconductor chip. Typically, in a BGA, a semiconductor chip is connected to an end portion of an inner lead and a bump is attached on the bottom surface of the lead. The bump is electrically connected with the terminal on a circuit board through a ball installed on the outer surface of a package mold.
FIG. 1 shows the structure of a conventional BGA semiconductor package. In a semiconductor device 30, a semiconductor chip 35 is installed on the upper surfaces of end portions of lead frames 33 and 33'. A gold wire 37 connects an electrode of the chip 35 and each of the lead frames 33 and 33'. Bumps 39 and 39' are installed at the respective lead frames 33 and 33'. The bottom surfaces of the bumps 39 and 39' are exposed to the outside of the lower surface of a resin mold 36. When the semiconductor chip 35 is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), a ball (not shown) is interposed between a port of the PCB and the respective bumps 39 and 39' and then melted to bond the same to each other.
FIG. 2 shows the bottom surface of the BGA semiconductor package. Here, the resin molding is removed from the package.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a plurality of lead frames 41, 42, 43, 44, 41', 42', 43' and 44' are attached on the bottom surface of the chip 35. Bumps 45, 46, 47, 48, 45', 46', 47' and 48' are attached on the leads 41-44', respectively.
As shown in FIG. 2, bumps 45, 46, 47 and 48 are not aligned in a straight line. Rather adjacent bumps are offset from each other by a predetermined distance. Likewise, bumps 45', 46', 47' and 48' are not aligned in a straight line, and adjacent bumps are offset from each other by a predetermined distance. Such a layout increases the number of lead frames that can be connected to the chip 35, and thereby increases the effective area on the PCB that can be utilized to connect the lead frames.
Although, the above described layout increases the number of lead frames that can be connected onto the surface of a PCB, further improvement is desired in the structure of the lead frames as well as the bumps that would allow for an even further increase in the number of lead frames that can be connected to the chip.


A communication device is coupled to an analog telephone and a packet network. The communication device detects an off-hook condition for the analog telephone and transfers a dial tone to the analog telephone, detects digit tones from the analog telephone that indicate a called number and responsively transfers a first message indicating the called number to the packet network, receives a second message from the packet network indicating that a called party associated with the called number is being alerted and responsively transfers a ring tone to the analog telephone, receives a third message from the packet network indicating that the called party has accepted the communication session and responsively stops the transfer of the ring tone to the analog telephone, exchanges analog voice signals with the analog telephone, exchanges voice packets with the packet network, and interworks between the analog voice signals and the voice packets.

Advanced communications networks are being developed to support a vast array of communications services. These networks are controlled by complex hardware and software platforms referred to as session managers. Users requiring communications sessions from these advanced networks must interface with the session managers to request and receive communications services. Session managers operate using various messages, such as invite messages, reply messages, confirm messages, join messages, and terminate messages.
A class 5 telephone switch communicates with an analog telephone using the analog telephony signals in the well-known analog telephony format. The class 5 telephone switch provides power to the telephone. The class 5 telephone switch detects off-hook current caused by the telephone and provides the telephone with dial tone. The caller generates Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signals. The class 5 telephone switch detects the DTMF signals and initiates the call in the network. When the far-end telephone is ringing, the class 5 telephone switch plays a ringback tone to the caller. If the far-end telephone is busy, the class 5 telephone switch plays a busy tone to the caller. On incoming calls, the class 5 telephone switch provides ring current to the telephone.
Telephony cards are being developed to manage multiple telephones in the home. The telephony cards are typically plugged into communications hubs or computers in the residence, and telephones are connected to the telephony card. The telephony cards connect these telephones in the home to a network element in the advanced communications network. This connection between the telephony card and the network element is much different than the traditional analog line to the local switch. This connection is typically an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connection to an ATM device. ATM signals do not traditionally support analog telephony signals, such as off-hook, dial tone, and busy signals. The telephony cards detect off-hook conditions, on-hook conditions, and digits. In addition, the telephony cards provide the telephones with dial tone, ring current, ringback, and busy signals.
At present, there is not an acceptable software interface method or product for use between the telephony card and the session manager in the network. There is a need for software that can provide an interface between the telephony card and the session manager.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Telecommunications device for use between an analog telephone and a packet network


Restricting mobility between networks by identifying and rejecting incoming mobility events (e.g. handovers) from unknown cell sites based on a cellID included in a handover request. Core network nodes e.g. MME, AMF, SMF, can detect and reject the incoming mobility events by comparing Cell ID with a white list or referring to a database. This improves over current 3GPP specifications and network vendor implementations that support restriction policies on the source but not on the target.

As communication networks evolve and grow, there are ongoing challenges in communicating data across different types of networks. Different types of networks can include wireless networks, packet-switched networks such as the internet, satellite networks, public/private networks, local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and any network enabling communication between different types of electronic devices. Other types of communication networks in various combinations may be envisioned by those having ordinary skill in the art in light of this disclosure. One type of communication network described herein includes telecommunications networks, such as 5G New Radio (NR) networks, 4G LTE networks, etc. Such networks utilize specialized devices, such as gateways, routers, switches, etc. that enable communication between sub-network types, such as radio access networks (RANs), core networks, and so on, as further described herein. For example, consumer wireless devices (e.g. cellular telephones, smartphones, tablets, etc.) can attach to radiofrequency (RF) carriers deployed by access nodes within a coverage area of a RAN, and exchange data transmissions and signals between core network components, public data networks, and other combinations of networks and wireless devices. However, there exist issues with handovers and mobility of wireless devices between different types of networks and carriers deployed therefrom. For example, information shared between networks to facilitate handovers can be exploited by malicious network elements or operators.

Limiting mobility between networks based on cellID


A coupling structure for coupling a pair of steering torque transmitting members interposed in a steering shaft is arranged such that a steering torque is transmitted from one of the steering torque transmitting members to the other through a pin. One of the steering torque transmitting members has a pin insertion hole formed with a large diameter hole portion, a stepped receiving portion and a small diameter hole portion, while the pin has a large diameter portion, a stepped portion and a small diameter portion which are respectively engaged with the large diameter hole portion, the stepped receiving portion and the small diameter hole portion of the pin insertion hole.

Various kinds of couplings are used in a steering apparatus of a vehicle, including an elastic shaft coupling, which comprises an elastic member of rubber interposed between, for example, a yoke of a universal joint and a shaft to be inserted in this yoke, thereby absorbing vibration of an engine or a wheel to suppress transmission of the vibration to a steering wheel.
In such an elastic shaft coupling, a torque is transmitted from the shaft to the yoke through the elastic member in a range having a low torque. However, in a range having a high torque, the transmitting is performed upon direct contact of a stopper face which is provided between the yoke and the shaft.
As shown in FIG. 7A, a stopper plate 3 formed with a cut-away portion 2 and a disc-shaped elastic member 4m are secured to a steering shaft 1, and a flange 5m of an unrepresented yoke is attached to the shaft 1 through a bush 6.
A pin 8m is inserted through the elastic member 4m and the flange 5m of the yoke through a washer 7m. An end of the pin 8m on the yoke side is a male thread shaft which is thread-engaged with a nut 9 to be fixed. The other end of the pin 8m is to be brought into contact (engagement) with the cut-away portion of the stopper plate 3.
Accordingly, in the range with low torque, the elastic member 4m transmits, while being elastically deformed, a steering torque by its deforming resistance. On the other hand, in the range with high torque, the other end of the pin 8m transmits, while being brought into contact (engagement) with the cut-away portion 2 of the stopper plate 3, a steering torque directly to the shaft 1 from the flange 5m of the yoke.
Also in case of FIG. 7B, the structure for transmitting the steering torque is the same as that in the above-described case. However, the end of the pin 8n on the yoke side in this case is fixed to the flange 5n by clinching. In this case also, the pin 8n has a structure with two steps in which it has a large diameter in its part fitted to the elastic member 4n and a small diameter in its part fitted to the flange 5n.
Also in case of FIG. 7C, the structure for transmitting the steering torque is the same as that in the above-described case. In this case, however, the elastic member 4p is integrally formed with the washer 7p and the end of the pin 8p on the yoke side is fixed to the flange 5p by clinching. In this case also, the pin 8p has a structure with two steps in which it has a large diameter in its part fitted to the elastic member 4p and a small diameter in its part fitted to the flange 5p.
Though not particularly illustrated, there may another structure for fixing the pin (8m, 8n, 8p) to the flange (5m, 5n, 5p) in which an unstepped pin is fixed by clinching or a stepped pin is fixed by a thread engaging means.
Incidentally, there is a demand for reinforcement of the strength of a fixing structure between the pin (8m, 8n, 8p) and the flange (5m, 5n, 5p).
In such a case, the diameter of the pin (8m, 8n, 8p) may be enlarged. In this case, however, there arise problems such that the weight thereof becomes greater and that the diameter can not be enlarged when the pin interferes with peripheral components. Also in this case, the width of the cut-away portion 2 of the stopper plate 3 has to be increased, which results in an increased size of the whole structure in order to maintain the strength. Further, the diameter of a pin insertion hole of the elastic member (4m, 4n, 4p) has to be enlarged, which may resultantly lead to an enlarged size of the elastic member. Still further, the hole diameter of the flange (5m, 5n, 5p) of the yoke has to be enlarged, which may resultantly lead to an enlarged size of the flange (5m, 5n, 5p). When there is no enlargement of the size or the reinforcement, the strength is deteriorated.
Still, there may be a case that the hardness of the pin (8m, 8n, 8p) is reinforced. In such a case, however, a clinching work may become difficult to perform, or the structure may be easily affected by an impact load, or the manufacturing cost may be widely increased due to an additional thermal processing step of the materials.

Coupling structure of steering torque transmitting member for steering shaft


An interconnection providing multiple electrical interconnections at a fine pitch can be formed in a pluggable and unpluggable form using multiple connector channels and rows of contact elements in each of a plug and socket. The contacts may be a mixture of active and passive contacts. Furthermore, a contact support structure may provide improve spring characteristics in the contacts. The contacts may be formed in a number of configurations including vertical staggering, alternating or offset patterns, multi-level tail exit designs, rotated contacts, staggered or nonalign retention features and dedicated power contacts. Anchors or permanent latches, separable latches, and polarization keys may also be utilized. Alternative embodiments may include straddlemount and attachment clip embodiments.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to interconnection systems for use in electrical and electronic connectors, including two-piece, card edge, and wire interconnections. In particular, this invention relates to an improvement in fine pitch connectors for connecting printed circuit boards (PCB) for applications including board stacking, vertical to vertical, mother to daughter, vertical to right angle and/or straddle, and in one aspect relates to an improved connector comprising a plug and a socket each having four rows of electrical contact elements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The art is replete with connectors for making multiple interconnections between boards, between boards and discreet wires, and between boards and flexible circuits, all of which have the goal of making the most interconnections per area of board space.
For example, board to board connectors are illustrated in PCT Application WO 93/03513 published Feb. 18, 1993 and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,225 issued Jan. 10, 1995. The publication illustrates a board to board interconnection of the hermaphrodicitic design wherein the connector portions have the identical shape and are mated in a single orientation to ensure proper electrical connection. Further, the solder tails of the connector portions are spaced 1 mm and each portion of the connector is formed to have a row of passive contacts (fixed contact surfaces) and a row of active contacts (movable spring contract surface). This relationship, according to the publication, reduces the required overall PCB to PCB stack height (the distance between two coupled circuit boards) because only one spring height is required. Further, since each connector has both spring contacts and fixed contacts, the spring force on the movable contacts is the same from its initial mate height until the final mate height. The movable spring contacts are deflected by the same predetermined amount regardless of the PCB to PCB stack height. The latter patent referenced above teaches the use of a connector making two rows of contacts, each row including staggered contacts. This connector however discloses the contact elements of a passive nature in the plug 1a and the active, flexible contacts in the jack 1. The contact elements are however all spaced and staggered to form the four rows of contacts of equal number in one connector, lengthwise thereof. Other PCB to PCB interconnections are shown in WO 90/16093 where opposed spring contacts were employed which increased the stack height.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,336 discloses a D-shaped connector having improved density by using staggered rows of pin contacts in the body to double the density from the normal 50 contacts to 100. As in U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,225, staggering and duplicity alone does not serve to adequately improve the density of the interconnections to be made and still reduce the stack height.
Historically, separable two-piece connectors are either of pin and socket style or ribbon style. Pin and socket connectors typically utilize a substantially straight, solid copper alloy pin of primarily round or square cross section with the tip of the pin shaped in one of many ways to provide alignment to and deflection of a mating contact. These pins are typically covered with a precious metal plating and are then installed in an injection molded housing to position and to electrically isolate each pin. They are often presented in two symmetrical rows of pins. Typically, distance between pins within a row and distance between rows of pins are equal. A socket contact can take on a wide variety of forms, but is usually contained inside a housing which receives the rows of straight pins with a shaped end feature. A socket contact is typically "active," meaning that physical changes of the dimensions, reaction forces, and internal stress levels in the contact material occur during mating with a pin. A pin contact is typically "passive," meaning that no changes, or very limited physical changes, occur during mating. One example of an active socket type is known as a "spring contact" due to the fact that it deflects during mating with a pin and reacts by providing a normal force against the pin. Spring contacts may also act to absorb variations in sizes of contacts, variations in positioning of contacts in a housing, and other variations that may occur during mating.
Ribbon based connectors typically utilize a substantially rectangular, copper alloy pin that is covered with precious metal. The ribbon systems differ from pin and sockets in that both contacts are usually rectangular in shape and each typically mates with a like contact in the flattest or longest dimension of the contact. In addition, these contacts are generally open and visible from the separable side of both connector housing halves of a mating system. Rectangular portions may also be configured on a board mount or cable mount side of a connector pin as well. Ribbon systems like pin and socket systems have in the past utilized one contact type in the socket housing and a different contact type in the plug housing. It has also been observed that some systems use the same type contact in both the plug and in the socket, but in a reverse orientation. A ribbon system may have active contacts in one housing and passive contacts in the other, or both housings may contain active contacts which mate with one another. Conventional ribbon systems have embodied two rows of contacts in a single connector housing with each row having the same number of contacts present.
A typical active (or "spring") contact has a cantilever beam design that includes a metal contact mounted in a connector housing constructed of a material such as plastic. In such a design, one end of the cantilevered spring contact is relatively free to move or deflect within the housing, while the other end of the contact is relatively fixed in the connector housing material. The point at which a contact is secured to a connector housing may be referred to as the "fixed point." When the connector housing is mated with a corresponding connector component, the free end of the cantilevered contact is deflected by contact with another contact element, such as a pin or a passive or active ribbon contact. The point where the two contact elements meet may be referred to as the "contact point." This deflection serves to induce internal stress in the active contact or contacts which, in turn, results in generation of a reaction force against the other contact. This reaction force is important, as it forces the contacts together at the contact point in such a way to enhance electrical contact and to reduce electrical resistance between the two contacts (known as "constriction resistance"). Reaction force is a function of the cross section of a contact (width and thickness), as well as its length. Most importantly, both internal stress and contact normal force are inversely proportional to distance from the contact anchoring point, or contact base.
Traditional cantilevered active spring contact designs suffer from several disadvantages. Internal stresses generated by deflection of an active spring of the cantilevered design typically diminish rapidly with distance from the base of the spring toward the end of the contact and/or the contact point. Because these internal stresses are fully utilized only at the base or fixed point of a contact, force present at the contact point is reduced as a function of distance from the contact base or fixed point, resulting in degraded electrical contact and increased constriction resistance. Constriction resistance may be a primary cause of heat generation when current flows through a connection. Heat generation in turn may cause stress relaxation in contact materials, resulting in a further decrease in contact normal force and a further increase in constriction resistance and heat generation. This may become a self-perpetuating process, in which additional heat is transferred to the surroundings and stress relaxation continues. This process may continue until a connection becomes open or until surrounding materials soften, melt, or burn.
Another disadvantage of the traditional cantilevered contact is the occurrence of plastic "creep" at the base of a deflected spring contact. As discussed above, maximum internal stresses are present at the fixed point where a deflected spring contact is anchored in a connector housing. Over time, reaction forces generated by a metal contact against a plastic housing typically causes the plastic to yield or "creep". This phenomenon may result in a shifting of the contact base and a resulting shift in the effective fixed point of the contact to a location below the original base of the contact. This phenomenon causes an increase in the effective deflection length of the contact and a corresponding reduction in the contact normal force generated by contact deflection. As described above, with decreased contact normal force may come increased contact resistance and operating temperature. Decreased contact normal force may also make the connection susceptible to shock and vibration disturbance from sources such as cooling fans and transportation motion. Finally, when deflected under stress, cantilever beam spring contacts are susceptible to permanent deflection and/or overstress. Permanent deflection of a spring contact may result in a reduction in internal stress and contact normal force. This may also contribute to an increase in constriction resistance.
Thus, a contact configuration capable of maintaining internal stress and contact normal force at a distance from the fixed point of a contact, and for an extended period of time is desirable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,215 to Tengler discloses a cantilever contact configuration with a contact arm having an effective length that varies during deformation in response to a member inserted to engagement with a contacting means. The contact disclosed in Tengler has a curved or bowed shape that interacts with a linear surface of a connector housing. Among the disadvantages of the contact design disclosed in Tengler is an increased connector width required to house the profile of the shaped contact. This need for increased width is undesirable in view of the demand for increasingly miniaturized components.
An alternative approach to Tengler is shown in patent application DE 3703020, which shows a contact configuration in which a portion of a contact spring extending between a support point and a contact area is progressively shortened in the course of deflection of the contact area. In this case, the contact has a linear shape that interacts with a curved surface of a connector housing.
In addition to electrical connector contact problems, printed circuit boards which receive or engage connector products typically suffer from some degree of one dimensional bowing or two dimensional warpage/twist to them. These boards may also vary in thickness. Such nonuniformities may cause difficulties in connection configurations involving circuit boards. For example, when mounting a surface mount connector to a bowed or warped board, it may be difficult to obtain uniform and/or effective solder connections between connector compact tails and board solder pads. In addition, bowed or warped circuit boards may be difficult to align and/or insert into a card edge connector housing, decreasing the reliability of the connection. Also, connectors are generally being configured with increasing pin counts and as a result are being built longer even in the presence of higher densities. Increased connector lengths exacerbate the problem because printed circuit board bowing, warpage, and/or twisting typically worsen with increased connector length and width. Further, many connector users are migrating to more connector installations that utilize surface mount processes which do not have the benefit of long tails extending into and through holes in the board. Because surface mount configurations depend on contact between connector feet and surface pads as described above, bowing, warpage, and other variations in board surface characteristics may particularly impact connection integrity of longer, higher density surface mount connections. Finally, board attachment processes are utilizing higher and higher temperatures to fully activate solder paste to ensure that all joints are fully reflowed and these higher temperatures also increase board warpage. Because board warpage is typically caused by differences in coefficients of thermal expansion between different layers of a laminated circuit board, these higher temperatures also may increase board warpage, thereby exacerbating connection problems.
Typical card edge connector systems employ a connector housing with a cavity for receiving a card edge. A card edge typically employs a number of passive contacts and the connector housing typically contains a number of active contacts for mating with the passive contacts of the circuit board card edge. During mating of a card edge with a connector it is important that the board and connector housing contacts be aligned prior to engaging so that contacts are not damaged and proper connection is made between the two parts. In the past printed circuit boards have been provided with features, such as through holes for aligning connectors to a board. These through holes are typically engaged by latching features mounted on engagement members, such as cantilever spring or pivotally mounted moveable arms. Not only do these holes and latching members fail to provide alignment during mating of a card edge with a connector, but these mechanisms also latch a card within a connector housing by means of a force applied normal to the side of the card edge, which may tend to push a board to one side or the other of a connector housing potentially resulting in unbalanced forces being applied to the mated contacts. In addition, the cantilevered or pivotally mounted latching members may be bulky and difficult to construct. Thus, a mechanism to anchor a connector to a board despite such board nonuniformities is desirable.
In other cases, card edge connectors are constructed such that a polarization means, such as a rib, provides alignment to a slot routed in a printed circuit board. The mating portions of these connectors are typically rigid and fixed in position, therefore requiring that a clearance be provided between the polarization rib and the slot sidewalls in all conditions of feature size and placement in both parts, respectively. In addition, a typical circuit board slot feature is usually formed or placed on a printed circuit board in separate step and relative to the tooling holes. The conducting contact pads on the printed circuit board are also typically positioned in a separate step and relative to the same tooling holes. Because of the separate step, a number of tolerances and clearances are typically required in a conventional card edge connector system. These tolerances tend to be cumulative in nature, and therefore work against a fine pitch interconnection system for card edge configurations by producing mating components that result in conducting contacts which fail to, or only partially contact the border of a mating conductor pad. Furthermore, due to the additive nature of tolerances in the positioning of latching holes and contact elements on a circuit board card, these latching holes may not provide proper alignment of connector housing contacts with circuit board contacts when engaged with the latching member features. Consequently, a mechanism for properly aligning the contacts of a circuit board and mating card edge connector, and of anchoring the card edge and connector in this aligned position without exerting forces normal to the side of the circuit board is desirable.
Among other problems related to connector technology are those that arise when surface mounting a connector in a straddlemount configuration. In this configuration, conducting pads of a printed circuit board are typically positioned near the edge of the board and are usually present on both sides. When connecting a connector to a board, problems may develop in correctly positioning the conducting tails of contact elements in a lateral direction (i.e., sideways) with respect to printed circuit board edges, as well in a longitudinal direction (i.e., in and out of the board) in the direction of connector attachment.
Typically, a mechanical fastener is presented and affixed to each end of a straddlemount connector before or after solder reflow, typically performed by hot bar or by heating solder paste. Presenting mechanical fasteners in either condition increases the cost of the placement operation. There is also a cost associated with possible damage done during the assembly. In addition, typical designs of this nature rely on conducting contact tails to hold a connector on the board during handling, during solder attachment processes, and during subsequent handling afterwards. It is likely that movement or misalignment will occur in these periods. This is especially true since the board often will be placed on a conveyor which travels through an oven. In this case, a straddlemount connector typically prevents the board from being laid flat on the conveyor and thus a twisting load or torque is placed on the connector. This creates an unbalanced force arrangement on the conducting contact tail portions. The net result is that the connector can be soldered in an incorrect position (e.g., tilt or off center), or that the conducting contact tails will be soldered more on one side than on the other side. Thus a straddlemount connecting device capable of fixing a connector to a printed circuit board in a simple manner and in a way which protects contact tails from movement or misalignment during handling or manufacture is desirable. In addition, a straddlemount connection mechanism that would provide alignment of the contact tails to circuit board solder pads is particularly desirable.
Conducting tail and board attachment portions of conductors in any connector product are important as once set, they heavily constrain the manufacturing processes of a connector and the manufacturing process for assembly of the connector to a printed circuit board.
Almost all products in the electronic industry are continuously being replaced by smaller and faster products. In the case of connectors, product sizes are primarily driven by the host product which the connectors serve. This means that the conducting members are smaller (shorter, thinner, and/or narrower) and are being positioned closer together. The reduction in size of the conductors enables faster electrical signals to pass through the connector. However, more pins are usually required to enable faster performance in the connector product for grounding purposes and for creating more host product operations being done in parallel.
Electrical signals on close spaced conductors may interfere with one another. Capacitive and/or inductive coupling between two adjacent conductors may induce a noise voltage on the neighboring conductor. This unwanted noise voltage is referred to as "cross talk". Controlling and minimizing cross talk is especially important in any high frequency application. In addition, most connector applications contain many interconnection lines. In these cases, cross talk is magnified by the magnitude and number of conductors affected.
By inserting a ground path for the currents to return and hence cause the magnetic field to collapse, cross talk can be minimized. This is a common industry practice. However, even with the presence of a ground return path, electrical field coupling from a driven line to a quiet line typically occurs as a result of the symmetry involved in the connector geometry. Therefore, a tail exit design that simultaneously addresses problems of mechanical density and electrical interference is desirable. It is desirable that a tail exit design address both mechanical density and electrical design characteristics.
High frequency or high speed performance is a function of conductor sizes, materials, geometry, dielectric materials, thickness including air gaps, proximity or relative position or signal conductors to their corresponding ground, and parameters of like kind. In general, the more uniform the above parameters are throughout the entire interconnection path, including the base printed circuit board and connector embodiments, the better the high frequency performance. Cross talk aspects of high speed signaling are described above. Impedance is another important electrical parameter. Both have direct relationships and dependence on the proximity to neighboring conductor elements.
Traditionally, conducting elements are retained within an insulating housing. This is typically performed by placing one or more retention features (typically bumps or barbs) on each edge of a conducting element and forcibly inserting them into a receiving hole or pocket in the insulating housing which is intentionally smaller in size than the corresponding area of a conducting element. A pocket size may be smaller in both dimensions of width and thickness of the cross section or may be just smaller in width in comparison to the bump region of a conducting element. In either case, when a conductive element is forcibly inserted into a housing pocket, the housing is deformed. This deformation occurs since the polymer materials from which a housing is made typically has a strength on the order of 10% of the strength of the copper alloy materials typically used to construct conductive elements. Therefore, deformation in the housing occurs when the ultimate strength of the polymer material used in the insulative housing is exceeded. However, a portion of the housing material typically remains in the elastic region. Thus, elastic equilibrium exists. In addition, polymer materials typically used in the insulative housings are thermoplastics. The modulus of thermoplastics is a function of stress, temperature, and time. The net effect is that there is typically an ongoing and increasing deformation of the geometric shape of the housing pocket over a period of time which is dependent on stresses on the polymer and the temperature of the environment to which it is exposed to. This phenomena is typically referred to as "creep".
Most electrical interconnection products contain more than one conducting path. Typically these have been arranged in longitudinal rows with one or more columns. When an element having symmetrical features is inserted into a housing pocket, the tips of each bump or barb are typically aligned with the bump or barb retention features of neighboring elements. Since a retention feature typically projects from the side of each element, the closest distance between an element and its neighboring elements is typically between opposing retention features. Therefore, a connector housing is thin in this area, and when coupled with stresses induced by an intentional mechanical interference condition, it is possible to initiate an undesired crack through an insulating housing. Such a crack often occurs in a corner region of a pocket due to the stress concentration factors and or in a knit line area. Another problem posed by the close distance between the retention features of a conducting element and the retention features of its neighboring conductor elements is cross talk and impedance. As previously described these phenomena have a direct relationship and dependence on the proximity of neighboring conductor elements.
Thus a conductor or contact retention configuration that increases distance between neighboring conducting elements without sacrificing the density of a connector is desired, thereby reducing electrical and mechanical interference both between the conductor elements and the connector housing.
Traditionally, connector products have contained contacts of like kind throughout, regardless of size or shape. Given this, power has typically been delivered between printed circuit boards and other devices in electronic products by a number of smaller contacts of the same type as that used to pass higher frequency signals. As signal density in connectors increase, the size of conducting elements typically decrease, as does the ability of these elements to transfer electrical power. This is generally due to the electrical conductivity of the contact material and the smaller cross-sectional area. As a result, an increasing number of smaller contacts are required to deliver power, a fact that typically impacts the contact density.
One alternative to the above design is to provide power via a separate power connector with substantial size. Typically these connectors are referred to as "Icons" due to their height and size. Use of these Icon conductors helps alleviate contact density problems, but there is cost associated with placing two types of connectors on one board. In addition, there typically is variation in both horizontal directions, and in the tilt or "Z" direction position between the placement of the Icon and other connectors. Finally, there are typically two mating halves either mounted to another printed circuit board or other housing. This further confounds the positioning variation and typically creates an environment in which connectors mechanically interfere with each other.
Furthermore, as the size and ability of conductor elements to transfer electrical power decreases, problems associated with increased constriction resistance typically increase. In particular, smaller contact geometries may result in contacts that deform or damage more easily, and therefore are more likely to make poor contact with connection points such as solder pads. In addition, smaller contacts are more likely to be overstressed or deformed over time, decreasing contact forces and increasing constriction resistance. When a power contact makes poor connection with a solder pad, either due to misalignment or stress relaxation, heat is typically generated due to increased constriction resistance. As described above, heat generation typically induces further stress relaxation and housing creep. In addition, with power contacts a danger of fire is greater due to the amount of current being transferred through a contact area.
Thus, a power contact configuration capable of resisting deformation, maintaining alignment with solder pad connections, maintaining good electrical contact cross-sectional area and having good rigidity is desired.
To meet demands for smaller, faster, and less expensive products and to address the problems discussed above, improved fine pitched connectors are required. Current connector products do not provide an optimal solution to these opportunities despite the fact that many interconnection schemes have been explored. Therefore, there exists a need for new, high density, high pin count, and low profile electrical connectors that may also provide low cost interconnections.

Electrical interconnection system and device

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


The invention relates to a method of improving the yield of a photobioreactor of the continuously operating recirculation type as a function of the species of micro-organism being cultured, of the thickness d of the chambers (10) of the reactor, and of the final concentration desired for the culture. In the method, transparent or respecting particles (15) are introduced into the reaction medium (11), which particles are of a density that is substantially equal to that of the reaction medium, thereby adjusting absorbance of the microorganism culture to optimum levels. The invention is mainly applicable to culturing phototropic micro-organisms.

The invention relates to the field of photo-bioreactors, i.e. to devices that allow photosynthetic microorganisms to grow in controlled manner.
The invention relates more precisely to a method of improving the rate of growth of phototropic micro-organisms in a culture in suspension in a liquid reaction medium, in which method the culture is subjected to a photosynthetic reaction activated by radiation passing through a transparent wall of a chamber of thickness d in a photobioreactor in which the reaction medium circulates.
It is known that the performance of systems for producing phototropic microorganisms vary depending on the species being cultured, and for a given species, they vary with concentration and with the thickness of the layer of culture that is subjected to radiation. Inter-specific variations are due to the fact that certain species suffer more than others in excess light, have better capacity to use low levels of light, and/or can be cultured at higher concentrations than others.
Variations in intraspecific performance are essentially associated with the thickness of the layer of culture subjected to radiation in the chamber and to the concentration of the culture. It has been observed that the absorbance or optical density of a microorganism in culture is more or less conserved regardless of the thickness d of the layer and the concentration c of the culture. This amounts to saying that dxc3x97c is equal to a constant expressed in terms of grams of microorganism dry weight per square meter of photosynthetic area, also known as density per unit area. The value of this constant lies in the range 10 grams per square meter (g/m2) to 40 g/m2 depending on species.
It can thus be seen that the average thickness d of chambers or pipes in which the photon reaction takes place ought to change with the species of microorganism being cultured for any desired concentration of the culture.
For a given species, and high concentration, the thickness d must be small, so as to make light accessible to the entire population of microorganisms in suspension in the liquid reaction medium circulating in the reactor chamber, in order to improve the yield of the reaction. However, too small a thickness d can give rise to serious head losses in the circuit.
It is always a good plan to increase the final concentration of microorganisms in the liquid reaction medium so as to limit the volumes of liquid that need to be processed upstream (preparing the nutritive medium) and downstream (concentrating biomass, treating the clarified medium before rejecting it). In order to improve the performance of bioreactors, it must therefore be possible to modify the thickness d of the chambers of the reactor as a function of the species being cultured. Unfortunately, this is not easily achieved in practice.
The object of the invention is to propose a method that is easy to implement and that makes it possible to adapt a given photobioreactor of the continuously operating recirculation type as a function of the micro-organism species being cultured and as a function of the concentration desired for the culture, regardless of the thickness d of the reactor chambers, so as to improve the rate of growth of the microorganisms.
The invention achieves this object by the fact that in the proposed method the absorbance of the culture is adjusted by adding transparent or reflecting particles to the reaction medium, which particles are of a density that is substantially equal to that of said reaction medium, the volume percentage occupied by said particles in the reaction medium being a function of the species of microorganism being cultured, of the thickness d of the chamber, and of the desired final concentration for the culture in the reaction medium.
The particles accompany the reaction medium in uniform manner in the flow. They have the effect of reducing optical path lengths within the chambers. Increasing the percentage per unit volume of particles in the reaction medium amounts to decreasing the thickness d of the layer in the chamber without increasing head losses, or to diluting the culture without adding water, where adding water would be undesirable from the point of view of collecting biomass.
Another expected effect of particles is that they will clean the optical walls of the reactor, and they will do so regardless of its shape.
The quantity of particles is a function in particular of the desired final concentration of biomass that is to be obtained.
When a bioreactor operates continuously, this concentration remains constant. However, when starting a new culture and bringing the system up to full load, concentration is well below the desired final concentration. The microorganisms are then subjected to radiation at intensity that is too high, and that can harm yield.
According to another characteristic of the method of the invention, the turbidity of the reaction medium is measured and the intensity of the radiation is adjusted as a function of the measured turbidity.
Advantageously, the particles are compact in shape so as to avoid effects of lift and of superposition. The diameters of the circles escribed around the particles preferably lie in the range 0.5 millimeters (mm) to 10 mm. By way of example, particles are used that are made by coating hollow microbeads of glass in a transparent plastics material in proportions such that the density of the resulting composite is equal to that of the reaction medium.
The invention also relates to a photobioreactor of the continuously operating recirculation type for implementing the method of the invention.
The photobioreactor comprises: a closed loop in which it is possible to circulate a culture in suspension in a liquid reaction medium; at least one chamber of thickness d provided in said loop and defined by a transparent wall; means for emitting radiation through said transparent wall; means for introducing particles into said loop; and means for ensuring that said particles are retained within said loop.

Method for improving the performance of a photobioreactor

Institut Francais de Recherche pour l""Exploitation de la Mer


A portable computer laptop desk is provided when attached to a structure that in turn is supported on web strapping that passes over the upper legs of the operator when in the seated position. The strapping is attached to foldable and telescopable side and center supports for the structure that slide into and fold over the structure forming a package comparable in size to the portable computer.

The invention relates to portable computers, commonly referred to as the laptop or notebook type, and in particular to an attachment for a portable computer that will provide a stable support for the portable computer on the lap of the user with the portable computer in position for use.
In the development of computers, particularly of the types known in the art as laptop or notebook, efforts have been directed to providing as many features as possible in a small and light weight package. The most efficient and physically rugged universal package that has evolved in the art is one in which the display screen portion is hinged on the portion of the keyboard away from the user; so that it can be positioned essentially vertical with respect to the keyboard when in use and can be folded down over the keyboard when not in use.
A major advantage of the portable computer is that work can be performed without a specific work location or even a specific supporting surface, which advantage in turn makes possible performing work while traveling on various types of conveyances, and while waiting in terminals. However there are many situations where a person desiring to use a portable computer may not have a stable and comfortable surface on which to position the portable computer. Heretofore in the art, other than sitting with the personal computer on a desk, positioning the portable computer on the lap when the person using it is in a seated position has been the principal way for a user to retain a portable computer while doing work on it. With the personal computer on the user""s lap, while work can take place for a while, it is not long before the hands and forearms become tired, the portable computer will require attention to retain it in the proper position during such things as vehicle motion or need for the user to move and it is uncomfortable for the user to hold the knees together and at the same height.
The invention is a portable computer supporting attachment on which the portable computer is positioned and which in turn supports the portable computer at a level for use on a web strapping harness that passes over the upper legs of the user in the seated position. The supporting attachment is conveniently constructed as a collapsable unit that is close to the size of the portable computer itself. The portable computer is mounted on a structural member with telescopable and foldable properties which in turn is movably supported on a plurality of broad area resilient strap members that pass over the upper legs of the user when the user is in the seated position and which attach to foldable side and center members of the structural member and which are outside and between the legs of the user. The foldable properties of the structural member permits the foldable side and center members and the strap members to fold into a size comparable in thickness to the closed portable computer. The telescopable properties of the structural member permits the side to side dimension of the structural member to be reduced for carrying to slightly greater than the side to side dimension of the portable computer. The portable computer can be removably attached to the top face of the structural member with such means as velcro strips. A wrist support is attached to the structural support member. It is shaped to support the wrist at keyboard level and serves as a carrying handle for the combined personal computer with the telescoped and folded supporting attachment assembly.

International Business Machines Corporation


A polysulfone is provided with a nitrogen-containing functional group having an affinity to an acid, an electrolyte membrane using the polysulfone, and a fuel cell including the electrolyte membrane. In particular, the polysulfone includes a nitrogen-containing functional group that has an affinity to an acid, such as a phosphoric acid, thereby having an excellent acid retaining ability. In an electrolyte membrane including the polysulfone and an acid, the amount of the retained acid can be controlled. Therefore, the electrolyte membrane has a high ionic conductivity and a high mechanical strength. A polysulfone blend of polysulfone and a thermoplastic resin prevents the dissolution of polysulfone by phosphoric acid, so that an electrolyte membrane using the polysulfone blend has an improved durability. A cross-linked reaction product of polysulfone, a cross-linking agent and a polymerization product of polysulfone, a thermoplastic resin, and a cross-linking agent strongly resist a phosphoric acid. Thus, a fuel cell using these polymerization products has a long lifetime and can operate at a high temperature and at a high efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polysulfone, an electrolyte membrane using the same, and a fuel cell using the electrolyte membrane.
2. Description of the Related Art
Perfluorinated polymers are typically used as membranes in fuel cells, have a high thermochemical stability, and a high ionic conductivity. However, at an operating temperature of 100° C. or more, the ionic conductivity of perfluorinated polymers is substantially decreased because water in the membranes evaporates. In general, fuel cells operating at high temperatures of 100° C. or more, are subjected to less CO catalyst poisoning than fuel cells operating at lower temperatures, and have high catalyst activity, and therefore, a high output. In addition, the water used in fuel cells operating at high temperatures can be easily handled, and the miniaturization of fuel cells can be easily achieved. Perfluorinated polymer membranes are widely used in the field due to their high thermochemical stability and excellent mechanical properties. However, perfluorinated polymer membranes are limited to use at 100° C. or less, because the water, used in the perfluorinated polymer membranes to convey hydrogen ions, evaporates at high temperatures, and thus the ionic conductivity of the perfluorinated polymer membranes is substantially decreased. This problem can be overcome by the addition of heteropolyacid or by the formation of a composite membrane by using an inorganic material, such as SiO2.
When a composite membrane formed with heteropolyacid is used in a fuel cell, the fuel cell has an increased operating temperature. However, the heteropolyacid dissolves in water. In addition, the composite membrane has a low water retaining ability at 130° C., or more, thus decreasing the ionic conductivity of the membrane at such temperatures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,436 discloses a gel-type membrane that operates at high temperatures and has polybenzimidazole complexed with a strong acid, such as a phosphoric acid or sulfuric acid. Such an acid conducts hydrogen instead of water. Although such gel-type electrolyte membranes show higher hydrogen ion conductivity, as the amount of the strong acid increases, improvements in the hydrogen ion conductivity of the gel-type electrolyte membrane are still needed.

Polysulfone, electrolyte membrane using the same, and fuel cell using the electrolyte membrane


The invention relates to a wiper drive for a rear window wiper of a motor vehicle, comprising a drive unit having a wiper shaft for the oscillating pivoting about a rotational axis, and having a protective cap surrounding the wiper shaft in an axial section, wherein the protective cap is connected to a housing of the drive unit by way of a radial press fit connection. The protective cap comprises a detent element engaging in a recess in the housing in order to absorb axial forces on the protective cap.

The invention relates to a wiper drive for a rear window wiper of a motor vehicle.
A wiper drive is an encapsulated drive unit for the oscillating pivoting movement of a wiper arm about an axis of rotation in order to guide a wiper blade connected to the wiper arm between two turning positions over a windshield and consequently to remove impurities or wet spots from said windshield. The wiper drive can be used in particular on a rear window wiper of a motor vehicle. Here, the wiper shaft is usually protected by means of a protective cap against penetrating moisture and foreign bodies. The protective cap is connected by means of a radial press connection to a cylindrical formation of a housing of the wiper drive, with the wiper shaft extending through the formation. The relatively hard protective cap is in turn surrounded by a soft rubber bush in the region of a lead-through through a vehicle body or through the windshield of the motor vehicle. The wiper drive is connected at elastically mounted suspension points to the body of the motor vehicle in order to provide insulation with respect to structure-borne noise and vibrations.
During the wiping operation, the wiper drive moves relative to the body of the motor vehicle owing to the wiper forces which occur. As a result of this movement, owing to a so-called pumping action, axial forces are exerted on the protective cap which attempt to free the protective cap from its press connection with the housing of the wiper drive and pull it off in the upward direction. Further axial forces can occur when an impulse acts in the axial direction on the wiper drive or the wiper arm, for example when banging closed a tailgate of the motor vehicle on which the wiper drive is fastened.


The present disclosure relates to a communication method by I2C bus between a emitting device and a receiving device, in which: a rising edge of a clock signal of the I2C bus, directly following a start condition of an I2C communication, is recorded; and when an interruption is generated within the receiving device, the receiving device verifies whether the rising edge was recorded.

A computer bus is a data transmission device between several electronic devices, for example between several components of a same electronic system. A bus generally comprises one or several cables suitable for transmitting different types of signals, for example, address signals, data signals, clock signals, etc. Each data bus is implemented by a communication protocol that defines how the logic data are exchanged between the devices.
Among the different existing communication buses and protocols, the I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) technology is a communication technology comprising a two-way serial bus. Several electronic devices, sending or receiving, can be connected to this bus. A bus configured for the I2C technology uses two data transmission cables.
It would be desirable to be able to improve, at least partially, the known communication techniques using a bus configured for I2C communication.


The present invention provides a suspension control apparatus which can perform good suspension control regardless of change in temperature. The suspension control apparatus comprises a transistor capable of being turned ON/OFF in response to a level of a PWM signal, a current sensor for detecting current flowing through a proportional solenoid, and a controller for adjusting a duty ratio of the PWM signal on the basis of the comparison between a current data detected by the current detecting means and a previously set reference data to correct command current. The current actually flowing through the proportional solenoid is measured, and the duty ratio of the PWM signal is adjusted to obtain a desired damping force on the basis of the measured current. With this arrangement, if a temperature of the proportional solenoid is increased to increase resistance thereof due to application of current to the proportional solenoid, the applied current is corrected to provide the desired damping force.

The present invention relates to a suspension control apparatus used in vehicles.
An example of a suspension control apparatus is described in the Japanese Patent Application No. 7-135854 (1995). Such a suspension control apparatus comprises a proportional solenoid valve including a solenoid and a movable member capable of shifting in proportion to current applied to the solenoid and adapted to adjust an amount of hydraulic fluid or oil (passed through the valve) in response to the displacement of the movable member, and a suspension body disposed between a body or a chassis of a vehicle and a vehicle wheel for expansion and compression and which is capable of being expanded or compressed in response to the operation of the solenoid valve. In this apparatus, the current applied to the solenoid is adjusted by using a PWM (pulse width modulated) signal, so that a plunger of the proportional solenoid valve is positioned to provide a desired damping force. In this case, by changing a duty ratio of the PWM signal, a dither component is included in the current applied to the solenoid to afford minute vibration (dither) to the plunger, thereby facilitating the displacement of the plunger to ensure good response of the suspension control.
In the conventional technique described in the above Japanese Patent Application No. 7-135854, an amount of the current applied to the solenoid is determined by assuming that a resistance value of the solenoid of the proportional solenoid valve is constant regardless of change in temperature. Thus, due to the change in temperature during use or a difference between a set temperature and a temperature in use, the resistance value of the solenoid of the proportional solenoid valve changes to cause a difference between a desired current value (target value) to be applied to the solenoid and a current value (actual current value) actually flowing through the solenoid, with the result that there is a danger of deviation of a damping force obtained (and, accordingly, a vehicle height value) from a desired value. Such a disadvantage may also be caused by fluctuation in voltage of a battery.


A fast technique for transferring units of data between transaction systems in a shared disk environment. The owning system, having updated the page, generates a version number for the page which is stored with a lock possessed by the owning system. When a requesting system seeks a record on the page, its request for a lock illicit an indication that a more recent version of the page is required in the local memory. The buffer management component of a DBMS, with assistance from the lock management, triggers a memory to memory transfer of the page from the owning DBMS to the requesting DBMS using a low overhead communication protocol. The transfer of page is without disk I/O or the log I/O for the updates made to the page.

This invention relates to the control of access to, and maintenance of, the integrity of data resources in a data sharing environment in which multiple instances of a database management system have access to one or more permanent data storage resources. Attendant with the provision of common access is the need to make the access fast while maintaining integrity of accessed data.
A suggested approach to improving capacity and availability in a single-system database management system (DBMS) is the use of multiple systems. A principal architecture in use in the multi-system environment is called "data sharing" and involves the sharing of access to non-volatile data storage resources such as disks. The architecture is also referred to as the "shared disks" (SD) environment. In the SD environment, all disks containing the database are shared among the different CECs. Every CEC that has an instance of the DBMS executing on it may access and modify any portion of the database on the shared disks. In this architecture, a global locking facility is required for concurrency control of data units by different DBMS instances. In this architecture, each CEC maintains its own buffer for temporary data storage. In order to maintain coherency of data units which have been buffered, a global locking facility and protocol may be provided. A representative shared disks architecture is the IMS/VS Data Sharing product available from the assignee of this application.
Typically, in the shared disks environment, data units are obtained and transferred in the form of "pages". Initially, an executing transaction requests data (usually, a "record") from the DBMS in its CEC. The DBMS obtains the page containing the record, places it in its buffer, and notifies the transaction of the availability and location of the page.
The page may be obtained by the DBMS either from a disk (in the form of a direct access storage device, DASD), or from another instance of the DBMS which has previously buffered the page.
Whether a record can be immediately obtained depends upon whether the record is currently being accessed by another transaction. For example, if the record has been obtained by another transaction for the purpose of changing data in it, any subsequent requests for access must be synchronized with the updating process in order to ensure that the most current version of the data is available. Synchronization of access to a piece of data is effected by granting a "lock" to a transaction currently updating that data, which prevents all other transactions from gaining access to that data.
In fact, a lock may not necessarily bar access to a page. If the lock is a shared (S) lock, more than one transaction may have access to the page. If the lock is exclusive (X), only the transaction possessing the lock may have access to the page.
Shared locks permit multiple, concurrent access to a page, and an S lock will be granted in the face of another S lock on the same page. If an X lock is requested on a page which is S-locked, the requesting transaction is suspended until the S lock is surrendered.
In transaction processing, when a transaction possesses a lock on a unit of data for the purpose of updating the unit, the lock is not surrendered until the update is either "committed" or "rolled back". In this regard, when the transaction attempts to update a page, the updates will be committed when the transaction reaches a particular stage (the "synch point"), or all the attempted updates will be undone. The purpose of this procedure is to maintain consistency of the page when a system abnormality occurs during an update process which may affect the integrity of the process. If the update process is completed with no indication of terminating conditions, the update is "committed"; if abnormal conditions are indicated, the update is "rolled back".
When a transaction has completed an update process and the updates are committed, the transaction may release its lock on the updated unit of data, signaling to other requestors that the unit is available, and guaranteeing the integrity of the data in the unit.
The reversibility of an update process is supported by a "log" which a DBMS maintains in a reliable storage resource such as a disk. The log is a chronological, or time-based, history of transaction updating activity which identifies the transaction, the unit of data being updated, the condition of the unit before updating, the condition of the unit after updating, and the time of the updating process. The roll back operation (also called "recovery") uses log entries to restore a unit of data to its form before a failed update operation began.
The subjects of transaction integrity, recovery, concurrency, and locking are covered in detail in Chapter 18 of C. J. Date's book entitled "AN INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE SYSTEMS", Addison-Wesley, 1986.
Locking and transaction processing are designed to meet the problems of multiple access, coherency, and recovery in a database system. A need exists to extend these techniques in a multi-system, data sharing environment so that fast access is afforded to units of data when requested without sacrificing the integrity of the data. Data integrity could be threatened when, for example, one instance of a DBMS in one CEC is updating a page to which another instance of the DBMS in another CEC is requesting access. With a proliferation of DBMS instances in different CECs, the challenge is to provide the fastest access to units of data which may be either buffered or stored on disk, while maintaining the integrity of those units of data.

Fast intersystem page transfer in a data sharing environment with record locking

International Business Machines Corporation