A steering shaft bearing unit for rotatably mounting a steering shaft of a steering column for a motor vehicle includes at least one circumferentially closed region for accommodating at least one bearing for rotatably mounting the steering shaft, and at least one securing region for securing the steering shaft bearing unit to a console part of the steering column. At least one through-hole, in particular two through-holes, for guiding a clamping bolt of the steering column therethrough is/are arranged in the securing region. The securing region and the circumferentially closed region are designed as separate parts that are then preferably directly interconnected, preferably welded together.

The present invention relates to a steering shaft bearing unit for the rotatable support of a steering shaft of a steering column for a motor vehicle. The steering shaft bearing unit comprises at least one circumferentially closed region for receiving at least one bearing for the rotatable support of the steering shaft and at least one securement region for securing the steering shaft bearing unit on a bracket part of the steering column. In the securement region, at least one through-opening, in particular two through-openings, is or are disposed for guiding through a clamp bolt of the steering column.
The invention further relates also to a steering column with such a steering shaft bearing unit as well as a method for the production of the steering shaft bearing unit.
EP 1 535 824 B1, EP 1 547 902 A1, EP 1 553 002 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 7,350,813 B2 and JP 10-7003 disclose generic steering shaft bearing units, all of which have in common that the steering shaft bearing unit is widened in the securement region in order to provide suitable securement areas for securing in position the steering shaft bearing unit on a bracket part and therewith on a motor vehicle body. The widening of the jacket metal sheet in the securement region entails two significant disadvantages. For one, the widening leads to a thinning-out and therewith to a weakening of the jacket metal sheet in this region. For another, the process of widening the jacket metal sheet is tied to increased technical expenditures.
The invention therefore addresses the problem of providing a generic steering shaft bearing unit which can be produced as simply and as cost-effectively as feasible and yet meets high demands made of its rigidity.

Steering shaft bearing unit for rotatably mounting a steering shaft


A shower head having a plurality of nozzles capable of attachment to a flexible shower arm. The shower head has a unique nozzle construction that allows for the manipulation of an external flexible nozzle to remove mineral deposits and has an internal, rigid nozzle structure for efficiently forming an aesthetically pleasing water stream. The shower head may have two available flow configurations which are selectable by a valve.

Generally, shower heads are used to direct water from the home water supply onto a user for personal hygiene purposes. Showers are an alternative to bathing in a bath tub.
In the past, bathing was the overwhelmingly popular choice for personal cleansing. However, in recent years showers have become increasingly popular for several reasons. First, showers generally take less time than baths. Second, showers generally use significantly less water than baths. Third, shower stalls and bath tubs with shower heads are typically easier to maintain. Over time, showers tend to cause less soap scum build-up.
With the increase in popularity of showers has come an increase in shower head designs and shower head manufacturers. Over time, several shortcomings with existing shower head designs have been identified. For example, lime and calcium deposits from high mineral content water supplies have been found to clog up the shower head apertures. As a result, shower head designers have sought to use more flexible materials in the construction of shower head nozzles. Flexible shower head nozzles allow the user to manually manipulate the shower head nozzle in an effort to clear the nozzle of lime and calcium deposits. However, existing shower head designs utilizing flexible material for their shower head nozzles are often found to have poor seals thereby resulting in a leaky shower head. Leaky shower heads are noisy, wasteful and generally unappealing. Shower head designs utilizing flexible material for the nozzle portion have also been found to have irregular shower spray streams.
Another shortcoming of existing shower head designs is that the face of existing shower head designs generally have a small surface area. Correspondingly, the surface area of jet nozzles on existing shower head designs is also small. A smaller surface area of jet nozzles generally reduces the overall area of impact of the shower.
Existing shower head designs include the use of an all rubber nozzle, which can lead to difficulty in controlling water streams. Since the nozzle material is highly compliant, the water streams are not uniform and produce irregular spray patterns where the water streams are not aimed in a uniform pattern, such as a cone. Further, the manufacturing processability of the injection molded rubbers typically used for this application often produces higher degrees of flash at the orifice location resulting in inconsistent and misdirected water streams. Flash is the residual, undesired portion of material that remains with the desired portion after the molding process. One example of such a design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,361.
Additionally, current designs are limited in the ability to change the position of shower heads during use. Many shower heads are attached directly to the shower pipe and therefore can only be adjusted in limited directions. Recently, rainfall-type or drenching-type flow patterns, in which the water is delivered at a lower velocity to the user, are gaining popularity. However, in order to achieve this effect, the shower head should be positioned nearly directly over the head of the user. Existing shower heads are often limited in this capacity.
Accordingly, as recognized by the present inventors, there is a need for a shower head that allows the user to manually remove lime and calcium deposits that form in the shower head nozzle and also includes a leak-proof type seal. As recognized by the present inventors, there is also need for a shower head that includes flexible nozzles and a consistent, controllable shower spray stream. Additionally, as recognized by the present inventors there is a need for a shower head having an enlarged face with increased nozzle surface area that is capable of positioning directly over the head of a user and delivering a rainfall-type or drenching-type flow configuration.
It is with these shortcomings in mind that embodiments of the present invention have been developed.


A pole layer has: a first portion having an end face located in a medium facing surface; and a second portion that is located farther from the medium facing surface than the first portion and has a thickness greater than that of the first portion. A surface of the first portion farther from a substrate is located closer to the substrate than a surface of the second portion farther from the substrate. The second portion has a front end face that couples the surface of the first portion farther from the substrate to the surface of the second portion farther from the substrate. A shield layer has a portion located between the front end face and the medium facing surface in a region closer to the substrate than the surface of the second portion farther from the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording that is used for writing data on a recording medium by using a perpendicular magnetic recording system and to a method of manufacturing such a magnetic head.
2. Description of the Related Art
The recording systems of magnetic read/write devices include a longitudinal magnetic recording system wherein signals are magnetized in the direction along the surface of the recording medium (the longitudinal direction) and a perpendicular magnetic recording system wherein signals are magnetized in the direction orthogonal to the surface of the recording medium. It is known that the perpendicular magnetic recording system is harder to be affected by thermal fluctuation of the recording medium and capable of implementing higher linear recording density, compared with the longitudinal magnetic recording system.
Like magnetic heads for longitudinal magnetic recording, magnetic heads for perpendicular magnetic recording typically used have a structure in which a reproducing (read) head having a magnetoresistive element (that may be hereinafter called an MR element) for reading and a recording (write) head having an induction-type electromagnetic transducer for writing are stacked on a substrate. The write head comprises a magnetic pole layer that produces a magnetic field in the direction orthogonal to the surface of the recording medium. The pole layer incorporates a track width defining portion and a wide portion, for example. The track width defining portion has an end located in a medium facing surface that faces toward the recording medium. The wide portion is coupled to the other end of the track width defining portion and has a width greater than the width of the track width defining portion. The track width defining portion has a nearly uniform width.
For the perpendicular magnetic recording system, it is an improvement in recording medium and an improvement in write head that mainly contributes to an improvement in recording density. It is a reduction in track width and an improvement in writing characteristics that is particularly required for the write head to achieve higher recording density. On the other hand, if the track width is reduced, the writing characteristics, such as an overwrite property that is a parameter indicating an overwriting capability, are reduced. It is therefore required to achieve better writing characteristics as the track width is reduced. Here, the length of the track width defining portion orthogonal to the medium facing surface is called a neck height. The smaller the neck height, the better is the overwrite property.
A magnetic head used for a magnetic disk drive such as a hard disk drive is typically provided in a slider. The slider has the above-mentioned medium facing surface. The medium facing surface has an air-inflow-side end and an air-outflow-side end. The slider slightly flies over the surface of the recording medium by means of the airflow that comes from the air-inflow-side end into the space between the medium facing surface and the recording medium. The magnetic head is typically disposed near the air-outflow-side end of the medium facing surface of the slider. In a magnetic disk drive the magnetic head is aligned through the use of a rotary actuator, for example. In this case, the magnetic head moves over the recording medium along a circular orbit centered on the center of rotation of the rotary actuator. In such a magnetic disk drive, a tilt called a skew of the magnetic head is created with respect to the tangent of the circular track, in accordance with the position of the magnetic head across the tracks.
In a magnetic disk drive of the perpendicular magnetic recording system that exhibits a better capability of writing on a recording medium than the longitudinal magnetic recording system, in particular, if the above-mentioned skew is created, problems arise, such as a phenomenon in which data stored on an adjacent track is erased when data is written on a specific track (that is hereinafter called adjacent track erasing) or unwanted writing is performed between adjacent two tracks. To achieve higher recording density, it is required to suppress adjacent track erasing. Unwanted writing between adjacent two tracks affects detection of servo signals for alignment of the magnetic head and the signal-to-noise ratio of a read signal.
A technique is known for preventing the problems resulting from the skew as described above, as disclosed in the U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2003/0151850A1 and the U.S. Pat. No. 6,504,675B1, for example. According to this technique, the end face of the track width defining portion located in the medium facing surface is made to have a shape in which the side located backward in the direction of travel of the recording medium (that is, the side located on the air-inflow-end side of the slider) is shorter than the opposite side. Typically, in the medium facing surface of a magnetic head, the end farther from the substrate is located forward in the direction of travel of the recording medium (that is, on the air-outflow-end side of the slider). Therefore, the above-mentioned shape of the end face of the track width defining portion located in the medium facing surface is such a shape that the side closer to the substrate is shorter than the side farther from the substrate.
As a magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording, a magnetic head comprising a pole layer and a shield is known, as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,546, for example. In the medium facing surface of this magnetic head, an end face of the shield is located forward of an end face of the pole layer along the direction of travel of the recording medium with a specific small space therebetween. Such a magnetic head will be hereinafter called a shield-type head. In the shield-type head, the shield prevents a magnetic flux from reaching the recording medium, the flux being generated from the end face of the pole layer and extending in directions except the direction orthogonal to the surface of the recording medium. The shield-type head achieves a further improvement in linear recording density.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,839 discloses a technique for reducing the thickness of a portion of the pole layer (the main pole) near the medium facing surface such that this portion is thinner than the other portion of the pole layer.
The U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2002/0034043A1 discloses a technique in which a portion of the pole layer (the main pole) near the medium facing surface is made to have a thickness that decreases as the distance from the medium facing surface decreases.
The U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2002/0080524A1 and the U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2003/0193744A1 disclose a technique in which a yoke layer thicker than a main pole layer is magnetically coupled to the main pole layer. An end face of the yoke layer closer to the medium facing surface is located at a distance from the medium facing surface.
Here, a combination of the main pole layer and the yoke layer that are disclosed in the U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2002/0080524A1 and the U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2003/0193744A1 is called a pole layer for convenience. It is a technique for making a portion of the pole layer near the medium facing surface have a thickness smaller than that of the other portion of the pole layer that is disclosed in each of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,839, the U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2002/0034043A1, the U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2002/0080524A1 and the U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2003/0193744A1.
Consideration will now be given to a method of forming a pole layer having a track width defining portion with an end face that is located in the medium facing surface and that has a shape in which the side closer to the substrate is shorter than the side farther from the substrate as described above. It is frame plating that has been often used in prior art for forming such a pole layer. In a method of forming the pole layer by frame plating, an electrode film is first formed on a base of the pole layer. Next, a photoresist layer is formed on the electrode film. The photoresist layer is then patterned to form a frame having a groove whose shape corresponds to the pole layer. Next, plating is performed by feeding a current to the electrode film to form the pole layer in the groove. The frame is then removed. Next, the electrode film except a portion located below the pole layer is removed. Next, an insulating layer made of alumina, for example, is formed to cover the pole layer. Next, the insulating layer and the pole layer are polished by chemical mechanical polishing (hereinafter referred to as CMP), for example. Through the polishing, the top surface of the pole layer is flattened, and the thickness of the pole layer is controlled to be of a desired value.
It is difficult through the foregoing method of forming the pole layer to control the level at which polishing is stopped with precision. If the polishing is stopped at a level other than a desired level, the thickness of the pole layer is made other than a desired thickness, and the track width defined by the length of the above-mentioned side farther from the substrate is thereby made other than a desired value. Therefore, the foregoing method of forming the pole layer has a problem that it is difficult to control the track width with precision.
The U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2003/0151850A1 discloses a technique in which the end face of the track width defining portion located in the medium facing surface is made to have a shape having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a width that continuously increases from an end on the air-inflow-end side to an end on the air-outflow-end side. The second portion is located on the air-outflow-end side of the first portion and has a uniform width that is equal to the width of the end of the first portion on the air-outflow-end side. This technique is capable of reducing variations in track width.
To solve the problems resulting from the skew, it is also effective to reduce the thickness of the track width defining portion taken in the medium facing surface. However, if the thickness of the entire pole layer is reduced, the cross-sectional area of the pole layer orthogonal to the direction in which the magnetic flux flows is reduced. As a result, it is impossible that the pole layer introduces a magnetic flux of great magnitude to the medium facing surface, and the overwrite property is thereby reduced.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,839, the U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2002/0034043A1, the U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2002/0080524A1 and the U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2003/0193744A1, a portion of the pole layer near the medium facing surface is made to have a thickness smaller than that of the other portion of the pole layer. This results in a reduction in thickness of the track width defining portion taken in the medium facing surface, and thus allows the pole layer to introduce a magnetic flux of great magnitude to the medium facing surface. However, a problem that will now be described occurs in this case. In the above-described technique, it is inevitable that the pole layer has a portion in which the thickness varies. In this portion, it is likely that flux leakage from the pole layer occurs. Consequently, if the portion is close to the medium facing surface, the leakage flux from the portion reaches the medium facing surface and further leaks to the outside from the medium facing surface. As a result, the effective track width is increased and/or the above-mentioned problems resulting from the skew occur.

Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording with encasing layer


A dual-layer magnetic recording medium including a non-magnetic substrate having a front side and a back side, a lower support layer formed over the front side and a magnetic upper recording layer formed over the lower layer, wherein the magnetic layer contains a volume concentration of at least about 35% of a magnetic metallic particulate pigment having a coercivity of at least about 2000 Oersteds (Oe), and a binder system for the pigment. The magnetic recording medium exhibits an orientation ratio greater than 2.0, a pulsewidth (PW50) value of less than about 500 nm, and a remanence-thickness product, Mr*t, of less than about 5.0 memu/cm2.

Magnetic recording media are widely used in audio tapes, video tapes, computer tapes, disks and the like. Magnetic media may use thin metal layers as the recording layers, or may comprise particulate magnetic compounds as the recording layer. The latter type of recording media employs particulate materials such as ferromagnetic iron oxides, chromium oxides, ferromagnetic alloy powders and the like dispersed in binders and coated on a substrate. In general terms, magnetic recording media generally comprise a magnetic layer coated onto at least one side of a non-magnetic substrate (e.g., a film for magnetic recording tape applications).
In certain designs, the magnetic coating (or "front coating") is formed as a single layer directly onto a non-magnetic substrate. In an effort to reduce the thickness of this magnetic recording layer, an alternative approach has been developed to form the front coating as a dual-layer construction, including a support layer (or "lower layer") on the substrate and a reduced-thickness magnetic layer (or "upper layer") formed directly on the support or lower layer. With this construction, the lower layer is typically non-magnetic or substantially non-magnetic, generally comprised of a non-magnetic powder and a binder. Conversely, the upper layer comprises a magnetic metal particle powder or pigment dispersed in a polymeric binder.
In addition, with magnetic recording tapes, a backside coating is typically applied to the opposing side of the non-magnetic substrate in order to improve the durability, conductivity, and tracking characteristics of the media.
It is also known in the art to calender the medium during its manufacture, e.g., to pass the medium through a series of opposed rollers before winding it into a roll, to improve surface smoothness. It is also known to heat-soak magnetic tape in wound form, after the coating and calendering processes, to "cure" the tape's coatings and increase the glass transition temperatures of the binder matrices. After the curing is complete, the tape is converted for use in cartridges. Calendering occurs at a calendering temperature of, for example, between about 90° C. and about 95° C. The calendering includes passing the substrate between opposed, generally non-compliant rolls, and optionally further includes calendering the substrate between additional opposed rolls, at least one of the additional opposed rolls being generally compliant. The calendering includes off-line calendering, and additionally includes in-line calendering, using at least one generally compliant roll, prior to the heat-curing, according to embodiments of the invention.
The single layer coating on magnetic recording media, and both layers of dual-layer magnetic recording media, generally include a granular pigment. Popular pigments are metal oxides, ferrimagnetic or ferromagnetic metal oxides, and ferromagnetic metal alloys; the material in the lower layer of the dual-layer media is generally non-magnetic, and that in the upper layer is magnetic. Different pigments have different surface properties; the metal particles often have a strongly basic surface. Recording media often utilize alpha iron oxide (α-Fe2O3) particles in the formulations; dual-layer recording media may utilize such particles in the nonmagnetic lower layer formulations, along with carbon black particles. The magnetic layer of such recording media often utilize gamma iron oxide (γ-Fe2O3), magnetite (Fe3O4), cobalt-doped iron oxides, or ferromagnetic metal or metal alloy powders, along with carbon black particles.
All front coatings or layers of magnetic recording media generally include a binder composition. The binder composition performs such functions as dispersing the particulate materials, increasing adhesion between layers and to the substrate, imparting cohesion of the particles in the layers, improving gloss and the like. As might be expected, the formulation specifics associated with the requisite upper layer, lower layer, and back coat, as well as coating of the same to an appropriate substrate are highly complex, and vary from manufacturer to manufacturer; however, most binders include such materials as thermoplastic resins. Many factors affect the performance of magnetic media, including the binder system; the lubricants; the method of forming a dispersion from the ingredients; the coating, drying and calendering conditions; the level of cleanliness around the coating head and calendering rolls; the smoothness of the tape; the number, frequency, and heights of protuberances on the magnetic surface. One measure of magnetic media performance is pulsewidth, often abbreviated as PW50. PW50 is a measurement of a signal recorded at such a low density that the transitions are isolated from one another; i.e., they do not interact or interfere with one another. The amplified, unequalized and unfiltered signal from the read head is displayed on an oscilloscope and the width along the time axis of the resulting positive and/or negative pulses halfway from the baseline to their peaks is measured. This time interval is multiplied by the tape transport speed to obtain the pulsewidth, as a distance.
It has now been discovered that using magnetic recording media having multiple layers wherein the upper magnetic layer contains certain metallic pigments in the magnetic layer of a magnetic recording medium, e.g., particle pigments having a coercivity of greater than about 2000 Oersteds (Oe), with particles having lengths of less than about 100 nanometers (nm), preferably less than 80 nm at a volume concentration of greater than about 35%, significantly narrows the PW50 characteristics of the resulting medium.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Magnetic recording medium having narrow pulse width characteristics


Compositions for reduction of NOx emissions generated during catalytic cracking process, preferably, a fluid catalytic cracking process, are disclosed. The compositions comprise (i) an acidic metal oxide containing substantially no zeolite, (ii) an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, and mixtures thereof, (iii) an oxygen storage component, (iv) palladium and (v) a noble metal component, preferably platinum, rhodium or iridium, and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the compositions are used as separate additives particles circulated along with the circulating FCC catalyst inventory. Reduced content of NOx in an effluent off gas of a full or complete combustion FCC regenerator are accomplished while simultaneously promoting the combustion of CO.

In recent years, there has been an increased concern in the United States and elsewhere about air pollution from industrial emissions of noxious oxides of nitrogen, sulfur and carbon. In response to such concerns, government agencies have placed limits on allowable emissions of one or more of the pollutants, and the trend is clearly in the direction of increasingly stringent restrictions.
NOx, or oxides of nitrogen, in flue gas streams exiting from fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) regenerators is a pervasive problem. Fluid catalytic cracking units (FCCUs) process heavy hydrocarbon feeds containing nitrogen compounds a portion of which is contained in the coke on the catalyst as it enters the regenerator. Some of this coke nitrogen is eventually converted into NOx emissions, either in the FCC regenerator or in a downstream CO boiler. Thus all FCCUs processing nitrogen-containing feeds can have a NOx emissions problem due to catalyst regeneration.
In an FCC process, catalyst particles (inventory) are repeatedly circulated between a catalytic cracking zone and a catalyst regeneration zone. During regeneration, coke which deposits from the cracking reaction onto the catalyst particles is removed at elevated temperatures by oxidation with oxygen containing gases such as air. The removal of coke deposits restores the activity of the catalyst particles to the point where they can be reused in the cracking reaction. The coke removal step is performed over a wide range of oxygen availability conditions. At the minimum, there is typically at least enough oxygen to convert all the coke made to CO and H2O. At the maximum, the amount of oxygen available is equal to or greater than the amount necessary to oxidize all the coke to CO2 and H2O.
In an FCC unit operating with sufficient air to convert essentially all of the coke on the catalyst to CO2 and H2O, the gas effluent exiting the regenerator will contain "excess oxygen" (typically 0.5 to 4% of total off gas). This combustion mode of operation is usually called "complete" or "full burn". When the fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) regenerator is operating in full burn mode, the conditions in the regenerator are for the most part oxidizing. That is, there is at least enough oxygen to convert (burn) all reducing gas phase species (e.g., CO, ammonia, HCN, H2S and COS) regardless of whether this actually happens during the residence time of these species in the regenerator. Under these conditions, essentially all of the nitrogen deposited with coke on the catalyst during the cracking process in the FCCU riser is eventually converted to molecular nitrogen or NOx and exits the regenerator as such with the off gas.
Simultaneously with NOx emissions problems, afterburn and emissions of CO may also be a concern for full burn units. Gases exiting the catalyst bed of an FCCU operating in a full burn combustion mode will consist mainly of CO2, H2O, O2 (typically called excess oxygen), and minor amounts of CO, NO, SO2, and potentially some reduced nitrogen species. However, depending on the design and mechanical condition of the regenerator, conditions can develop in which sufficient amounts of CO and O2 escape the catalyst allowing the CO to react with the available O2. The reaction can occur in the regenerator at any point above the dense catalyst bed, including the area above the dense bed (dilute phase), the cyclones where entrained catalyst is separated from the flue gas, the plenum above the cyclones, or even the flue gas pipe.
This phenomenon, generally referred to as "afterburn", is common in full burn regenerators because by the very nature of this mode of operation there is excess O2 in the regenerator available to "light up" CO escaping the dense bed. Because afterburn occurs after the dense bed of the cracking catalyst which acts as a heat sink absorbing the heat released from the exothermic reaction of CO with O2, it can heat up the gases to the point that overheating can occur. The result can be temperatures which approach the metallurgical limit of the materials used to construct the regenerator. High afterburn can limit the useful life of the regenerator equipment, and runaway afterburn can cause catastrophic equipment failure.
Further, unlike units operating in partial burn, or even in incomplete combustion mode, which typically have a CO boiler, full burn units do not generally have a fired boiler on the regenerator flue gas train. As a result, any CO escaping the regenerator will be emitted to the atmosphere. In many FCCUs operating in full burn combustion mode, CO combustion promoters are used to minimize the emission of CO from the regenerator by promoting the combustion of CO to CO2. While many CO combustion promoter formulations have been used, conventional CO combustion promoters typically comprise an additive comprised of 300 to 1000 ppm platinum or alumina, or much smaller amounts of platinum, e.g. amounts which typically achieve from about 0.1 to about 10 ppm in the total cracking catalyst inventory, are incorporated directly into the cracking catalyst itself. Unfortunately, however, such CO combustion promoter additives or formulations typically cause a dramatic increase (e.g. 300%) in NOx emissions from the regenerator.
Consequently, recent approaches for controlling industrial emissions from an FCCU have attempted to reduce the level of NOx emissions while simultaneously promoting CO combustion during an FCC catalyst regeneration step. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,165,933 and 6,358,881 disclose the use of a NOx reduction composition, which promotes CO combustion during an FCC catalyst regeneration process step while simultaneously reducing the level of NOx emitted during the regeneration step. NOx compositions disclosed by these patents may be used as an additive, which is circulated along with the FCC catalyst inventory or incorporated as an integral part of the FCC catalyst.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,878, NOx is controlled in the presence of a platinum-promoted CO oxidative promoter in a full burn combustion regenerator. This patent requires the addition of iridium or rhodium on the combustion promoter in amounts lesser than the amount of platinum presence in the CO oxidative promoter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,399 discloses the use of copper-loaded zeolite additives for reducing emissions of NOx from the regenerator of an FCCU unit operating in full CO-burning mode.
However, there still remains a need in the refining industry for improved FCC processes which minimize the content of NOx emitted from an FCC regenerator operating in a full burn or complete burn mode and simultaneously promote the combustion of CO.


A safety device that prevents tripping over forklifts or other material handling equipment includes a stand attachable to the horizontal fork and a pole of adjustable length extending upward. The device further includes a retractable barrier extending from the top of the pole across to the vertical mast of the forklift. The device preferably incorporates magnets which attach it to an idle forklift as described, and also attach the collapsed device to other portions of the vehicle when in use moving goods. This keeps the device conveniently available for use when the forklift is idle. And when the barrier is erected, nearer eye level, well above the floor, despite the forks sticking out in the aisle, persons passing by are much more likely to notice the forks and step around them.

According to the National Safety Council, injuries sustained from tripping and falling are a major contributor to serious injuries and even unintentional death in the United States. In 2014 more than 31,000 people died from injuries sustained from a fall. These types of injuries account a large number of general industrial incidents, often resulting in workers compensation claims. Additionally, these types of injuries sustained in areas open to the public may result in personal injury lawsuits against the establishment.
Warehouses, construction sites, factories, automobile repair facilities and the like often have material handling tools and other machinery such as forklifts or pallet jacks temporarily or semi-permanently stationed throughout. Most warehouse stores such as Home Depot or Costco are heavily crowded by the consuming public where products are mostly placed and displayed on pallets. Employees often use forklifts or pallet jacks to move the pallets during and after business hours. In the automobile repair shop setting, automobiles are lifted by car lift machines which include floor plates or drum grips. When not in use, unsuspecting consumers or employees may trip over or walk into a low-sitting portion of the machinery such as the forks of a forklift, pallet jack or car lift machine, or the bed of a low-sitting platform truck cart.
Safety barriers may be used to surround the entire machinery or a portion thereof in the form of posts with safety nets, retractable belts or hazard tape therebetween. Alternatively, if a machine operator leaves machinery in a warehouse aisle, the entire aisle may be closed to prevent pedestrians from walking by. While such devices can provide effective barricades, they generally require multiple posts to surround the machinery and present problems such as a time-consuming installation requiring one or more persons, and the need for a large area to store the devices when not in use. Another problem to be solved with current safety devices is that once a user decides to set up the device, the user must leave the machinery unattended to retrieve the safety device and an unsuspecting pedestrian may trip over the machinery during that time.
For the foregoing reasons, what is needed is a safety apparatus to serve as a barrier and to provide sufficient notice to pedestrians of a machinery trip hazard. Further, the safety apparatus should be able to be quickly assembled by a single user, and preferably attachable directly to machinery for riding along with the machinery when not in use.


In a dobby drawing device in a weaving loom, the vertical displacement of a heddle frame is obtained with the aid of a single cable which is guided over first and second actuating levers to a set of springs. Two support shafts selectively support the actuating levers so the device may have a lifting or descending action.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dobbies and other weaving mechanisms of the negative type and more particularly to the drawing device interposed between each of the rocking members for maneuvering such mechanisms and the heddle frames of the weaving machine.
2. History of the Related Art
In the known art and as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, each drawing device flexible connections includes two cables a and b which are fastened by their substantially parallel ends to the same rocking member c of the dobby which is fixed to the superstructure e which surmounts the set of heddle frames f of the weaving machine. Each of the cables a and b is positioned and guided by an idle pulley g wound over the sectioned periphery of an actuating lever h connected to an upper crosspiece of the frame f by an articulated rod i; Each cable is fixed to it's lever h at a point j and extends therebeyond to its free end which is secured to a set of springs k common to the two cables a and b.
Experience has shown that this conventional structure presents two major drawbacks:
Firstly, the fastening of the two cables on member c necessarily involves using spliced loops or endpieces which are always difficult to fix on the member in view of the small spacing between the different members of the dobby. Replacement of a worn or cut cable is thus particularly delicate.
Secondly, for the same reason of space, guide pulleys g of small diameter must be used, which are the cause of breakdown of the cables due to the fatigue generated due to the alternate flexations thereof. In addition, this arrangement is cumbersome and expensive.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome these drawbacks.


The invention relates to a method in a first radio base station for determining a performance state of a first cell served by the first radio base station, which first radio base station is comprised in a radio communications network. The method comprises determining traffic statistics of the first cell, comparing the traffic statistics with a threshold value, when the determined traffic statistics goes beyond the threshold value, transmitting a data request to a second radio base station requesting data retrieved in or associated with a second cell to be used to determine performance state of the first cell, receiving a data response indicating the requested data from the second radio base station, and determining the performance state of the first cell based on the data response.

In radio communications networks of today the number of radio base stations is increasing as well as the number of cells. It is important to detect a malfunction in a cell of the radio base station in order to provide a reliable radio communications network with available communications possibilities. There exist a number of different fault detection systems in radio base stations of today. Such fault detection systems comprise sensors, software triggered observability functions and similar devices that generate an alarm when malfunction is detected and an operator or similar is informed about the alarm. Thus, the operator is made aware of the malfunction.
However, the radio base stations of today comprise a numerous of components and software in which malfunctions might not be detected by installed monitoring equipment and thus some malfunctions may not be detected. For example, when cells no longer carries any traffic, when no incoming handovers are detected or when no new attached user equipments are allowed are examples that may occur when there are no active user equipments in the cell or when a faulty state of the cell. A faulty state means that the cell suffers from an abnormal state or condition and is often referred to as a Sleeping Cell.
A number of solutions have been discussed whereby a sleeping cell may be efficiently detected.
In one proposed solution, a traffic history of traffic statistics in the cell is kept in each radio base station of the network e.g. for one week. When current traffic statistics shows a low activity in the cell, a comparison is made against the traffic history to see if the low activity is "normal" or not. The problem with such a solution is that it is very hard to implement an algorithm that can learn at the same time as it can detect faulty situations.
In another proposed solution, a number of "self-tests" are performed, i.e. when the traffic statistics show low activity in the cell, a number of tests are performed. One test would be to awake user equipments in Idle Mode and ask the user equipments to contact the network, i.e. the radio base station, via a random access channel. A problem with the self-test solution is that the test procedures that have been proposed so far have been questioned from a number of angles, e.g. interoperability with user equipments, robustness, accessibility downgrading etc.

Methods and radio base stations for determining performance state of a cell


Highly multiplexed homogeneous in vitro screening assays for numerous possible nucleic acid targets, any of which might be present in a sample, utilize fluorescent hybridization probes that are combinatorially coded from a panel of fluorophores by subdividing each probe into portions and differently labeling each portion such that, when portions are combined, each probe has a unique code. The assays may include target amplification and real-time detection. Probe sets and kits containing additional assay reagents may be used to perform the screening assays.

A variety of assay techniques are available for testing a biological sample obtained from any of a variety of sources for the presence of a nucleic acid sequence that may indicate the presence, for example, of a particular bacterium, virus or other pathogen, including a particular strain or mutant. Assays are also available for testing such samples for the presence of a nucleic acid sequence of the subject's own genomic DNA that may indicate the presence, for example, of one or another disease-related genetic mutation. Assays may include oligonucleotide probes bearing detectable labels, for example, P32 or fluorophores. Nucleic acids, either DNA or RNA, in a sample may be probed directly. Alternatively, assays may include amplification of target sequences by any of several amplification techniques, for example, PCR, NASBA or TMA. Amplification assays may be monitored in real time utilizing intercalating dyes, for example SYBR green, or fluorescently labeled probes, such as 5′ nuclease probes Livak, K. J. et al. (1995), Oligonucleotides with fluorescent Dyes at Opposite Ends Provide a Quenched Probe System Useful for Detecting PCR Product and Nucleic Acid Hybridization, PCR Meth. Appl. 4: 357-362, dual FRET probes, Espy, M. J. et al. (2002), Detection of Vaccinia Virus, Herpes Simplex Virus, Varicella-Zoster Virus, and Bacillus anthracis by LightCycler Polymerase Chain Reaction after Autoclaving: Implications for Biosafety of Bioterrorism Agents, Mayo Clin. Proc. 77: 624-628, or molecular beacon probes, Tyagi, S. and Kramer, F. R. (1996), Molecular Beacons: Probes that Fluoresce upon Hybridization, Nature Biotechnol. 14: 303-308; Tyagi, S. et al. (1998), Multicolor Molecular Beacons for Allele Discrimination, Nature Biotechnol. 16: 49-53. Real-time multiplex assays utilizing PCR amplification have been demonstrated with TaqMan dual-labeled linear probes and the 5′ nuclease detection process and, alternatively, with PCR amplification and molecular beacon probes, Tyagi. S. et al. (1998), supra; Vet, J. A. et al. (1999), Multiplex Detection of Four Pathogenic Retroviruses Using Molecular Beacons, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96: 6394-6399; El-Hajj, H. et al. (2001), Detection of Rifampin Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a Single Tube with Molecular Beacons, J. Clin. Microbiol. 39: 4131-4137. Fluorescence-based multiplex assays currently are limited to about eight targets per sample by the need to minimize overlaps in emission spectra of fluorophores and, hence, are not expandable for use as highly multiplexed screening assays.
Highly multiplexed assays rely on spatial segregation of targets for signal resolution. Spatial segregation enables the use of coding schemes involving combinations of differently colored fluorophores (combinatorial coding), combinations of different amounts of each fluorophore (ratio coding), and both. One example of an assay with spatial segregation is fluorescence in situ hybridization, or FISH, for chromosomal analysis. Speicher et al. (1996), Karyotyping Human Chromosomes by Combinatorial Multi-fluor FISH, Nature Genet. 12: 368-375, for example, report the use of 27 probes combinatorially labeled using a set of six different fluorophores for analysis of chromosome spreads. Similarly, segregation of transcription sites in cell nuclei has enabled combinatorial coding utilizing multiple, singly labeled probes per site, as well as ratio coding. Singer, R. H., International (PCT) patent application WO 00/65094; Levsky, J. M. et al. (2002), Single-Cell Gene Expression Profiling, Science 297: 836-840. Another spatial-segregation probe technique is the use of multiplex probe arrays, including arrays on DNA chips. Schena, M. et al. (1995), Quantitative Monitoring of Gene Expression Patterns with a Complementary DNA Microarray, Science 20: 467-470; Gingeras, T. R. et al. (1998), Simultaneous Genotyping and Species Identification Using Hybridization Pattern Recognition Analysis of Generic Mycobacterium DNA Arrays. Genet. Res. 8: 435-448; Han et al. (2001), Quantum-Dot-Tagged Microbeads for Multiplexed Optical Coding of Biomolecules, Nature Biotechnol. 19, 631-635. Another segregation approach is the use if electrophoresis to separate ligated probe pairs of differing lengths. Tong, A. K. et al. (2001), Combinatorial Fluorescence Energy Transfer Tags for Multiplex Biological Assays, Nature Biotechnol. 19: 756-759. In that method, a variation of the oligonucleotide ligation assay ("OLA") for SNP detection, differently labeled probes are ligated to capture probes on a target, and the hybrids are immobilized, washed, released, separated from one another by electrophoresis, and read for each probes' fluorescent code, which is a combination of colors and ratios. Array methods and electrophoretic methods remain technically complex, requiring many separate steps, including amplification, hybridization, washing and analysis.
There is not currently available a homogeneous fluorescence hybridization assay that is suitable for use as a highly multiplexed screening assay, despite the need for such an assay. During suppressive treatment of the HIV-1 virus with protease inhibitors, for example, any of about 30 mutations is likely to proliferate over time and to require change in treatment. Hirsch, M. S. et al. (1998), Antiretroviral Drug Resistance testing in Adults with HIV Infection, JAMA 279: 1984-1991. Lacking a highly multiplexed screening assay, current practice is to sequence the virus in response to a patient's increase in viral load. Sequencing is made difficult by the fact that the arising mutant is not the only allele present. During initial diagnosis of a patient with particular symptoms, for example fever, there is available no highly multiplexed homogeneous assay to screen for an early indication of one of numerous possible infectious agents that may be the cause of the patient's symptoms.
An aspect of this invention is highly multiplexed homogeneous assays for screening samples for the presence of a target nucleic acid sequence from among at least ten, and as many as 60 or more, possible targets, utilizing conventional fluorescence detection equipment and techniques, and fluorescently labeled hybridization probes.
Another aspect of this invention is such screening assays that employ target amplification, optionally with real-time detection, that are capable of detecting small amounts of pathogens that may be found in otherwise sterile samples such as blood.
Yet another aspect of this invention is kits and oligonucleotide sets for carrying out particular screening assays according to this invention.

Homogeneous multiplex screening assays and kits

The Public Health Research Institute of the City of New York, Inc.


A holder 204 which holds a connector 203 contacting with an electrical connection terminal portion 202 and can move with respect to a recording apparatus is provided, and a relative positioning unit 210 which allows the ink cartridge 11 to contact with the holder 204 and move the holder 204 in an mounting direction (Y-axis direction) of the ink cartridge 11 to determine a relative position between the ink cartridge 11 and the holder 204 when the ink cartridge 11 is mounted is provided.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid cartridge which is detachably mounted to a liquid consuming apparatus and supplies a liquid stored therein to a liquid consuming apparatus, a contact device for contacting an electrical connection terminal portion provided to the liquid cartridge with a connector provided to a recording apparatus to contact with the connection terminal portion, a recording apparatus having the contact device, and a liquid consuming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
The liquid consuming apparatus denotes all the apparatuses which consumes a liquid supplied to a predetermined portion at a starting time thereof. As a representative example thereof, there is a liquid spray apparatus for spraying liquid droplets through a spray head. The liquid spray apparatus denotes a recording apparatus such as an inkjet recording apparatus, a copier, and a facsimile for performing a recording operation on a recording object such as recording paper by spraying ink on the recording object through a liquid spray head such as a recording head. But not limited to the recording apparatus, the liquid spray apparatus may denote an apparatus for fixing a liquid corresponding to a specific usage instead of the ink on a spray object corresponding to the recording object by spraying the liquid on the spray object through a liquid spray head corresponding to the aforementioned recording head.
As a liquid spray head, there are the aforementioned recording head, a colorant spray head used for producing a color filter of a liquid crystal display or the like, an electrode material (conductive paste) spray head used for producing electrodes of an organic EL display, a surface emitting display (FED), or the like, a bio-organic material spray head used for producing a bio chip, a specimen spray head for spraying a specimen with a precision pipet, and or the like.
An example of the inkjet recording apparatus or the liquid spray apparatus, there is an inkjet printer. The inkjet printer records characters or images by feeding the recording object such as a paper set on a feeding tray one-by-one by using a feeding mechanism, conveying the recording object intermittently by a small length thereof in a sub scan direction by using paper conveying means, and spraying ink droplets on the recording object by using a recording head mounted on a carriage which reciprocally moves in a main scan direction.
Here, there are a type of the ink cartridge (liquid cartridge) mounted on the carriage and a type of the ink cartridge not mounted on the carriage. In the type of the ink cartridge mounted, the carriage reciprocally moves in the main scan direction in an ink cartridge mounted state to supply the ink to the inkjet recording head. In the type of the ink cartridge not mounted, the ink cartridge is provided to a body of the inkjet printer in separation from the carriage, and the ink cartridge and the inkjet recording head are connected through an ink supply tube.
In any types, a memory portion for storing a production data, a product serial, and information on ink such as remaining ink amount and a connection terminal portion for connecting the memory portion to an external circuit are provided to the ink cartridge. The cartridge mounting portion of the printer to which the ink cartridge is mounted is provided with a connector which is connected to the connection terminal portion.
A head mounting portion of the carriage of the printer is provided with a circuit substrate which is connected through the connector to the memory portion of the ink cartridge and the recording head. By such a construction, the printer transmits and receives information on the ink to and from the ink cartridge to use the information to detect the remaining ink amount or control operations such as a notification of a replacement time of the ink cartridge.
Hereinafter, an inkjet recording apparatus including an ink carriage having a conventional memory portion and a connector are described.
FIG. 27 shows a recording apparatus having a cartridge mounting portion which an ink carriage 501 can be inserted into or taken out according to a rotation of a lever arm 507.
An example of the memory for storing the aforementioned information is an information storage unit 502 including a first connection terminal portion 503 of which connection terminals are exposed and a memory portion 504 which is electrically connected to the first connection terminal portion 503. The first connection terminal portion 503 contacts with a second connection terminal portion 506 of a connector 505 which is fixed to a recording apparatus so as to be electrically connected thereto. Here, the memory portion 504 stores the information on the ink or the like.
In addition, a position of the ink cartridge 501 is moved in a direction indicated by the arrow according to a rotation of the lever arm 507 to mount the ink cartridge 501, and the first connection terminal portion 503 is allowed to contact with the second connection terminal portion 506 of the recording apparatus.
In general, since the first and second connection terminal portions 503 and 506 are formed in very small sizes, when a variation of a mounting position of the mounted ink cartridge 501 occurs, the first connection terminal portion 503 may not be electrically connected to the second connection terminal portion 506.
Therefore, in a prior art, a convex portion (not shown) for determining a position with respect to the cartridge mounting portion is provided to the ink cartridge 501, so that the variation of the mounting position of the mounted ink cartridge 501 can be reduced (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-001430).
In other words, the second connection terminal portion 506 is fixed to the carriage, and the ink cartridge 501 intends to be accurately positioned with respect to a carriage having the fixed second connection terminal portion 506 or a recording apparatus body.
However, since the aforementioned techniques are not sufficient, it is difficult to remove the variation of the position of the mounted ink cartridge 501. In particular, as shown in the figure, in the conventional ink cartridge, the first connection terminal portion 503 is disposed to a relatively large flat wall surface (upper wall surface in the figure) 508. In addition, for the purpose of implanting a small-sized light-weighted one, a plate thickness of the wall portion of the cartridge is reduced. However, a sufficient rigidity cannot be obtained by using a large wall surface 508, and molding deformation such a wave-like pattern may easily occur. Due to the influence of the molding deformation and insufficient rigidity, it is very difficult to remove the positioning accuracy of the ink cartridge 501 with respect to the connector which is fixed at an accurate position.
For the reason, the first connection terminal portion 503 may not be electrically connected to the second connection terminal portion 506 of the connector 505.

Liquid cartridge, contact device for contacting connection terminal portion of liquid cartridge with connector of recording apparatus, recording apparatus, and liquid consuming apparatus


The invention relates to a method for handling a request by a first communication device 11 connected to a network of a communication system to establish a packet switched session with a second, wireless communication device 12, which session requires the second communication device 12 to be connected to a network which enables the establishment of the session. In order to enable an enhanced handling of such a request, it is proposed that it is first determined whether the second communication device 12 is currently connected to such a network. In case it is determined that the second device 12 is not connected to such a network, a corresponding indication is transmitted to the first device 11. The user of the first device 11 is then informed via the first device 11 that the requested session cannot be established. The invention relates equally to a communication system enabling such a method and to corresponding elements 11, 13 of such a system.

3G (3rd generation) communication systems will enable new kinds of calls with new features by providing packet switched (PS) connections via PS networks. Such calls can be in particular calls in the course of which multimedia content is transmitted, e.g. video calls, gaming sessions, etc.
According to 3GPP (3rd generation partnership project), which offers specifications for 3G systems, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is to be employed for call control and signaling functions when Internet Protocol (IP) technology is to be used end-to-end for delivering multimedia content to mobile terminals.
SIP is an IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) protocol which is defined e.g. in the Request for Comments (rfc) 2543bis-09: "SIP: Session Initiation Protocol", of Sep. 4, 2000, which is incorporated by reference herein.
SIP constitutes an application-layer control protocol that can establish, modify and terminate multimedia sessions or calls between two or more parties in an IP network. To this end, a variety of SIP messages are defined. A SIP message can be either a request from a client to a server, or a response from a server to a client. SIP allows for instance to determine the willingness of a called party to engage in a requested communication and to set up a call by establishing call parameters at both, called and calling party.
However, also conventional circuit switched systems will further exist within the 3G communication systems. The 3G specific features relying on a PS connection can obviously not be used with communication devices connected to a circuit switched (CS) network of the communication system.
A communication device may be connected to a circuit switched network of a 3G communication system, because it is a CS device which is only capable of accessing circuit switched networks. But also PS devices may roam from a PS network to a CS network, e.g. from UMTS (universal mobile telecommunication services) to GSM (global system for mobile communications), in particular as long as the PS networks do not cover all areas.
A calling party may therefore unintentionally try to establish a 3G specific session with a called party which is at least currently connected to a CS network. The calling party is not able to know to which kind of network a called PS device is currently connected, and sometimes, a calling party may not be aware that the called party is using a CS device.
When a session requiring a PS connection is requested to be establish with such a device connected to a CS network, an establishment of the connection will be tried, but fail and be dropped. This implies a waste of resources of the connecting networks and of the device connected to a CS network. Further, the user of the requesting terminal is not aware of the reason for which the requested session is not established.

Handling a request to establish a packet switched session


A high performance armor protection system for tank crews and other combat vehicles includes a high performance armor deflection technique for blocking armor piercing weapons. The armor deflection technique utilizes metal balls which are organized in a specific pattern in which the balls are placed in a predetermined number of vertical rows such that a blocking force is generated against armor piercing weapons. The metal balls may be of a predetermined diameter for the purpose of generating a target density and improving the effect of the deflection technique. The deflection technique prevents armor piercing weapons and chemical piercing jets by causing the metal balls to rotate and thereby deflect the kinetic energy of the weapons and to further form a greater target density to stop the weapons. The armor protection system may be disposed around a tank or fighting vehicle in a belted formation for maximum coverage and protection from attack from any possible angle such that the crews and combat personnel operate within a safe and injury free space.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tanks and fighting vehicles which utilize protection systems which guard against large caliber armor piercing weapons, for example, chemical weapons and high impact kinetic energy weapons.
2. Related Information
The success of future ground battles will rely heavily on tanks and armored vehicles more than ever because there have been significant improvements in anti-tank guns, missiles, and ammunition. These anti-tank weapons have great speed and accuracy which permits a user to make a first round kill from a long distance. Consequently, tanks and armored vehicles are vulnerable to attack and, therefore, it is critical to guard against such anti-tank weapons.
There are a large variety of lethal weapons capable of use against tanks and other fighting vehicles (including personnel carriers) which have been, and are being, developed. Such weapons include anti-tank missiles which destroy tanks with a chemical piercing jet. These chemical piercing jets may be fired from helicopters (from a long distance), and deployed from a well hidden position such as by foot soldiers or ground positioned vehicles. Other weapons include anti-tank and armor piercing guns which utilize high density piercing rods and high kinetic energy ammunition. These weapons penetrate a tank or fighting vehicle thus killing the crew and destroying the vehicle interior. These weapons are characterized in that they utilize high speed and high impact energy.
Unlike in the past, the psychological shock on an enemy does not obtain when they are presented with a tank or large fighting vehicle because the enemy typically has access to anti-tank weaponry and, therefore, the enemy's fighting will is not diminished simply by employing a tank or the like.
Armor piercing weapons have been improved recently by utilizing high density metal alloys, for example, depleted uranium and tungsten. These materials are extremely dense and enhance the ability of these weapons to pierce thick armored targets.
Further, Tandem Warheads (warheads capable of producing multiple chemical piercing jets) are in use which are able to penetrate the so-called reactive armor (i.e., the outside wall) of a fighting vehicle with a first chemical piercing jet and an inner wall of the fighting vehicle with another chemical piercing jet.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to overcome the effectiveness of armor piercing weapons in order to ensure the safety of the crews of armor vehicles, thereby minimizing casualties in military operations throughout the world.

High performance armor protection system for tank crews and fighting vehicles


In one aspect, there is disclosed a digital signal processor and method performed by the same for performing object detection, including facial detection, in a reduced number of clock cycles. The method comprises using Sobel edge detection to identify regions with many edges, and classifying those regions as foreground candidates. Foreground candidates are further checked for vertical or horizontal symmetry, and symmetrical windows are classified as face candidates. Viola-Jones type facial detection is then performed only on those windows identified as face candidates.

The Viola-Jones object detection framework is known in the art, having been proposed by Paul Viola and Michael Jones in 2001. Viola-Jones operates by calculating the sum of pixels in rectangular areas of an image. While coarse in resolution, Viola-Jones is sensitive to vertical and horizontal features such as edges.


As the most important characteristic feature of the invention, in a radiator support apparatus for a vehicle, a radiator is allowed to effectively serve as a dynamic damper with respect to both a vertical flexural vibration in the back-and-forth direction of a vehicle, and a torsional vibration caused by a vibration in the widthwise direction of the vehicle. The invention relates to a radiator support apparatus for a vehicle, for mounting and supporting the lower end of a radiator on a vehicle body via mount members formed of elastic members at a plurality of support positions including two side positions in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body so as to cause the radiator to serve as a dynamic damper at the front end portion of the vehicle in a low-engine speed state, and is characterized in that the mount members located at the two side positions, in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body, of the lower end of the radiator have different spring constants.

The present invention relates to a radiator support apparatus for a vehicle, which causes a radiator to serve as a dynamic damper so as to eliminate a vehicle body vibration in a low-engine speed state.
Conventionally, as disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-84223, in order to eliminate a so-called idling vibration or a vehicle body low-frequency vibration such as low-frequency noise caused by a variation in rotation in an engine idling state, a dynamic damper is constituted by utilizing the mass of a radiator mounted in the front end portion of a vehicle body, thereby eliminating a vertical flexural vibration in the back-and-forth direction of the vehicle body. A dynamic damper of this type is normally constituted in such a manner that the lower end portion of a radiator is attached to a vehicle body using two, i.e., right and left mount members comprising elastic members, and the upper end portion of the radiator is also attached to the vehicle body using two mount members. In this case, the upper and lower mount members are set to have a spring constant, so that the dynamic damper can provide its effect in a low-engine speed state.
The flexural vibration in the back-and-forth direction of the vehicle body normally has a vertical vibration mode which exhibits a maximum amplitude at the front end of the vehicle body. Therefore, when the dynamic damper is constituted as described above, the radiator defining the damper mass is vertically vibrated at the maximum amplitude position of the flexural vibration. For this reason, when damper characteristics are properly selected, the flexural vibration of the vehicle body in the low-engine speed state can be canceled by bouncing.
In this manner, when the vehicle body low-frequency vibration is eliminated by the dynamic damper utilizing the mass of the radiator, the vertical flexural vibration in the back-and-forth direction of the vehicle body is conventionally assumed as the vehicle body low-frequency vibration to be eliminated. However, in a front wheel drive vehicle, in which heavy members are concentrated on the front, end portion of the vehicle body, it has recently been found that a so-called torsional vibration caused by a vertical vibration of the front end portion of the vehicle body in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body occurs in addition to the flexural vibration in the back-and-forth direction of the vehicle body.
FIG. 1 shows vehicle body low-frequency vibration characteristics in a front wheel drive vehicle. In this case, as can be seen from FIG. 1, vibration peaks are present at a frequency of about 22 Hz (corresponding to an engine speed of 660 rpm) of the vehicle body vibration, and at about 27 Hz (corresponding to an engine speed of 750 rpm). The peak at 22 Hz corresponds to that of the torsional vibration, and the peak at 27 Hz corresponds to that of the flexural vibration. However, in the conventional dynamic damper, the right and left mount members at the lower end portion of the radiator have the same spring constant. For this reason, the dynamic damper characteristics are as represented by a solid curve in FIG. 8. More specifically, a pitching resonance 1 is close to a bouncing resonance 2. Therefore, when the bouncing resonance is set at about 27 Hz so as to eliminate the flexural vibration, the pitching resonance appears at about 25 Hz, and the torsional vibration at about 22 Hz cannot be eliminated.

Radiator support arrangement and apparatus for a vehicle


Bracytherapy devices include a respective tether attached to a proximal end portion of the strands. The tether can be color-coded to match a color associated with the corresponding strand.

Currently, small brachytherapy seeds are placed at defined intervals along a suture strand and placed into the prostate to treat a patient with prostate cancer. Several rows of seeds are typically implanted and several strands of seeds are used per row. An example of such a device is the RAPID Strand™ suture available from Oncura Inc., Arlington Heights, Ill., which is described as an absorbable braided suture containing 10 evenly spaced oncology radioactive seeds (Iodine-125). See also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,761,680, 6,997,862 and 7,211,039, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if recited in full herein. The brachytherapy strands of seeds are typically used for treating prostate cancer but can be used to treat other cancers as well.
Despite the foregoing, there remains a need for improved brachytherapy strands and/or delivery systems that can allow for one or more of: identification, removal, and/or redeployment of improperly positioned brachytherapy seeds.

Tethered and/or visually coded brachytherapy devices and related methods


A dough portioning and kneading machine comprises two dough hoppers separated from each other, a conveying chamber, in which a conveying piston is displaceably arranged, being disposed downstream of each dough hopper. At least one metering chamber is disposed downstream of each conveying chamber and is movable between a first position open towards the conveying chamber and a second position free from the conveying chamber. A metering piston is displaceably disposed in each metering chamber and partially releases the metering chamber in the latter's first position and empties the metering chamber in the latter's second position.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a dough portioning and kneading machine.
2. Background Art
Dough portioning and kneading machines as known for instance from U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,698 comprise a dough hopper and a conveying chamber, which is disposed downstream of the latter and has a conveying piston driven to reciprocate and serving to fill a number of metering chambers disposed in a rotary slide valve. Each metering chamber is provided with a metering piston which is displaced with the filling stroke and which, upon the return stroke of the conveying piston, ejects one dough piece at a time from the respective metering chamber, the rotary slide valve being simultaneously rotated. The dough pieces drop into kneading chambers of a kneading device. After the kneading, the kneaded dough pieces are discharged by way of a conveying device and supplied for instance to a fermenter.
In practice, there is the problem that pieces from doughs of different recipes must be metered at the same time, which must then be treated in common, i.e. they must leave the oven in common and at the same time for being packed in a common packet. Very often, these pieces of doughs of varying recipes must even have a different weight.

Werner & Pfleiderer Lebensmitteltechnik GmbH


A semiconductor electric power converter in accordance with the present invention comprises an arm consisting of an IGBT, a capacitor connected between a collector and a gate of said IGBT, and a gate circuit connected to the gate of said IGBT for controlling the switching operation of said IGBT, wherein a plurality of said arms connected in series are connected in parallel and each midpoint of said arms connected in of series is connected to a load. Thereby the impedance between the gate terminal of the IGBT and the gate circuit is decreased when the gate voltage is higher than the gate voltage command value or the impedance between the gate and the emitter of the IGBT is decreased when the collector voltage is high so that an electric charge stored in the gate is rapidly discharged.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor electric power converter which uses semiconductor elements and the like and more particularly relates to a semiconductor electric power converter which suppresses overvoltage during a switching operation.
In an IGBT power converter, when an IGBT is turned off, the energy stored in a line while the IGBT has been on becomes a surge voltage and is applied to said IGBT. Japanese Application Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei.10-248237 has disclosed a method of preventing elements from being damaged due to the application of overvoltage including a surge voltage generated when an IGBT is turned off. This method employs a capacitor connected between a gate and a collector of the IGBT to suppress a voltage rise rate (dv/dt) of the collector.
Normally, to turn off an IGBT, a switch that connects a gate terminal and a negative potential line of a gate circuit is closed. When a switch located between a gate terminal and a negative potential line of a gate circuit is closed, an electric charge that has been charged in the gate is drawn to the gate circuit and a gate voltage is decreased. As a gate voltage decreases, a collector voltage increases and the IGBT enters into the OFF state from the ON state. If a capacitor is connected between the IGBT collector and the gate thereof, a current is supplied to the gate in proportion to dv/dt of the collector voltage. This restrains a decrease in gate voltage or increases a gate voltage, thus decreasing the dv/dt of the collector voltage and protecting the collector from the application of overvoltage. FIG. 2 illustrates the main part of one arm of a power converter in accordance with the prior art.
If a dv/dt of the collector voltage is high, an excessive gate current is supplied by a capacitor connected between a collector and an emitter of an IGBT, which excessively increases a gate voltage and decreases the impedance of the IGBT more than necessary. This excessive decrease in impedance of the IGBT results in increasing unnecessary turn-off loss. Further, when a collector voltage decreases due to an excessive supply of gate current, said capacitor draws the gate current from the IGBT gate and a gate voltage rapidly decreases. As a gate voltage rapidly decreases, a collector voltage quickly increases, which causes the collector voltage and gate voltage vibration problems.
In view of the foregoing, the main purpose of the present invention is to provide a power converter which employs a circuit that prevents the collector voltage from vibrating and also prevents the application of overvoltage to the collector by minimizing an increase in loss of the IGBT.
A semiconductor electric power converter in accordance with the present invention comprises a capacitor which is connected between a collector and a gate of an IGBT and means for immediately discharging an electric charge from the gate when a gate voltage increases more than a gate voltage command value specified in response to the collector voltage. This configuration allows the semiconductor electric power converter in accordance with the present invention to control an appropriate gate voltage, which prevents the collector voltage from vibrating and also minimizes an increase in loss of the IGBT to clamp the collector voltage.
A semiconductor electric power converter in accordance with the present invention employs means for immediately discharging an electric charge stored in a gate when a gate voltage exceeds a gate voltage command value specified in response to the collector voltage. The means include means for decreasing the impedance between a gate terminal and a gate circuit of the IGBT and means for decreasing the impedance between the gate and an emitter when a collector voltage has been increased.
In a semiconductor electric power converter in accordance with the present invention, a capacitor connected between a collector and a gate of an IGBT supplies a gate current to the IGBT gate to increase the gate voltage when a dv/dt of the collector voltage is high. This protects the IGBT from the application of overvoltage. Further, in a semiconductor electric power converter in accordance with the present invention, when a gate voltage of an IGBT is higher than a gate voltage command value specified in response to the collector voltage, the impedance between either the gate and the gate circuit or between the gate and the emitter is decreased so that a current supplied by the capacitor connected between the collector and the emitter can be bypassed due to the impedance between either the gate and the gate circuit or between the gate and the emitter. This prevents an excessive increase in gate voltage and also prevents an excessive decrease in impedance of the IGBT.


The present disclosure generally provides systems and methods of packet object database management. The database management system includes a database server designed specifically to process binary network packet data. The database server is associated with a parser, query engine, retrieval engine, virtual machine, data manger, and file processor. The database management system uses a proprietary query language to support all accesses to the database. The parser identifies whether the query is a data management query or if it is a data retrieval instruction. If the query is a data management query, the data manager manages the query request and attempts to satisfy the query request. Otherwise, query engine could further analyze or parse the query into a particular query structure or sub-structures to attempt to satisfy the query request.

As the amount of data communicated through network packets increases, the ability to capture the data in a storage system and evaluate the large volume of data has become a long and burdensome process. As a result, companies are increasingly concerned about their ability to store and properly evaluate the amount of data generated from their networks outside of traditional time-consuming and costly processes.
There is therefore a need for systems and methods of efficiently and cost effectively providing a database management system for packet data.

Systems and methods of packet object database management


A syrup warming system for warming syrups and the like contained within a container that includes a mechanism for varying the amount of heat provided to a syrup container without varying the amount of heat supplied by a heating element. The heating element is powerable by a battery. The mechanism is a removable, adjustable height pitcher support basket including a tubular top member and a cup-shaped bottom member. The syrup warming system may include a number of interconnectable warming units that are securable together if desired.

Many diners enjoy warmed syrups and the like with foods such as pancakes and waffles. Although warmed syrups are enjoyed by many, maintaining the syrups at the desired temperature can be difficult when the syrups are maintained on the dining tables. It would be a benefit, therefore, to have a syrup warming system that included a heating element for supplying heat to a container, such as a pitcher, containing syrup or the like. Because it could be desirable to maintain syrups at different temperatures, it would be a further benefit to have a syrup warming system that included a mechanism for varying the amount of heat provided to a syrup container without varying the amount of heat supplied by the heating element. Because it could also be desirable to have a syrup warming system that could be brought to the table along with the food, it would further be desirable to have a syrup warming system that included a battery powered heating element that did not require connection with an AC power outlet to operate. Because it could be desirable to warm a number of syrups or the like contained within a number of separate containers, it would be further benefit to have a syrup warming system that included a number of interconnectable warming units that could be secured together.


An integrated circuit device includes an electrically conductive pattern on a substrate. This electrically conductive pattern may be a gate pattern of a field effect transistor. A first electrically insulating spacer is provided on a sidewall of the electrically conductive pattern. The first electrically insulating spacer includes a first lower spacer and a first upper spacer, which extends on the first lower spacer and has a side surface vertically aligned with a corresponding side surface of the first lower spacer. The first upper spacer has a greater dielectric constant relative to a dielectric constant of the first lower spacer. A pair of parallel channel regions may also be provided, which protrude from a surface of the substrate. The electrically conductive pattern may surround top and side surfaces of the pair of parallel channel regions.

1. Field
Embodiments of the inventive concept provide a semiconductor device having epitaxially grown active regions and spacers.
2. Description of Related Art
A semiconductor device includes active regions. The active regions of the semiconductor device may be formed by selective epitaxially grown process. Various studies for improving carrier mobility, operating speed and power consumption of the semiconductor device are being progressed.

Semiconductor devices having composite spacers containing different dielectric materials


A screening machine for superfine powder. The screening machine includes a casing, a screen drum, a funnel, a negative pressure chamber, a rotary air spray pipe, a drive motor, a blast pipe, and a feed pipe. The screen drum is disposed in the middle part of the inner cavity of the casing. The funnel is disposed beneath the casing. The opening of the screen drum is arranged on the bottom of the screen drum and communicates with the upper opening of the funnel. The inner cavity of the casing communicates with the external induced draft fan via the negative pressure chamber disposed on the upper part of the casing. The rotary air spray pipe is arranged in the space between the screen drum and the casing. The middle part of the transverse pipe is connected via a transmission with the drive motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a screening machine for superfine powder, and more particularly to a screening machine having bi-directional airflow for superfine powder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Powder technology is one of the most important basic technologies in high and new technology industries and pharmaceutical industries in recent years. The superfine-treatment of powder changes a lot of the original properties of material, thus the application range of traditional materials is extended, and the application value of products is promoted. Therefore, improving the powder classification technology is of great importance. The powder separation and classification equipment is developing rapidly in recent years, and currently, there are two main commonly-used types: classification with a mesh screen, and classification without a mesh screen. The air screening method is a more advanced classification method, and the biggest advantage of an air screening machine is using a screen mesh for effective separation under the impact of air carried with powder, however, the shortage is that the micron-size materials with light weight and small particle size are accumulated on the mesh screen during classification to form caking to block the mesh screen, thus the screening operation cannot be performed. Although the conventional micron-size powder material air screening device adopts the principle of circulating dual airflow, the middle part of the mesh screen is easily blocked due to the uneven reverse airflow, the area of the mesh screen is small under the same volume, the air screening device is not suitable for large-scale production, and meanwhile, the air screening device is complicated in structure and high in energy consumption. At present, the commonly-used turbine classifier is mainly suitable for the materials with monomer component, for example, the large-scale production of mineral superfine powder, however, it's not suitable for the mixed powder with complicated component, for example, the screening production of plant superfine powder with high difference in specific gravity of various components, because the maximum particle size is not easy to be controlled accurately.


A thermoelectric connector module (C) is disclosed which comprises input (2) and output (1E) connectors and contains signal conditioning circuitry (1C). The input connectors (2) are interfaced with a hand-held detector (7), and the output connectors (1E) are connected to signal-utilising apparatus (11). The module does not contain a battery but receives its power supply for the conditioning circuitry from the signal-utilising apparatus supplied via the output connectors (1E). In this way, the module may be miniaturised, making it particularly suitable for mounting directly on a hand-held temperature detector or probe. Since the connector does not have to be opened for a battery replacement, it can be permanently hermetically sealed, providing resistance to dirt, dust, moisture, water and the like.

The output voltage-versus-temperature characteristics of many temperature detectors, such as thermocouples or thermistors, are non-linear and unique, and their calibration curves are likewise non-linear and unique.
Linearisation circuitry is necessary to convert the non-linear curves to linear curves so that, for example, one millivolt of output voltage will be equivalent to 1° Centigrade or 1° Fahrenheit of measured temperature.
In addition, the linear or linearised curves may possess zero offsets, so that corrective circuitry is required.
Furthermore, some temperature detectors, such as thermocouples, may require a constant temperature reference, and this may be provided, for example, by cold junction compensation circuitry.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,089 (Omega Engineering, Inc.), incorporated herein by reference, discloses a hand-held connector module which contains the foregoing signal conditioning circuitry and a battery which powers the circuitry. The module is provided with input and output connectors which are respectively connected, via appropriate external leads, to a temperature detector and the test meter or other apparatus which utilises the temperature measurement signals.


A repeater access cable contains transmission members enclosed in a protective tube which is in turn covered by a sheath, and which has a free end making a connection to a splice box. The free end is equipped with a coupling fixed on the protective tube stripped of its sheath. The repeater access cable coupling screws onto an entrance of the splice box and is fixed by crimping and gluing that end portion of the coupling which remains outside the splice box onto the protective tube. The connection has application to an optical cable under-sea link.

In known manner, submerged repeater equipment is mounted in a watertight protective metal case contained in or constituting a cylindrical cask or housing of high mechanical strength, in particular as regards withstanding traction forces. The housing is fixed at each of its ends via a hinge system to a housing of analogous strength containing a line cable splice box for connection to the line cable. Each end of the metal case of the repeater is equipped with a lead-in cable connected to the internal equipment of the repeater via a watertight bushing through the wall of the case. The lead-in cable is referred to as the "repeater access cable". When the installation is being laid, the free end of the access cable is connected to the line cable inside the splice box, and is fixed in the wall of the splice box via a coupling where it enters the splice box.
The repeater access cable is formed of a conductive tube conveying the current for remotely powering the repeater from the splice box, which tube is covered by a polyethylene sheath providing electrical protection therefor, and encloses optical fibers which are thus protected, which lie stress-free inside the tube, and which provide transmission between the splice box and the repeater. The tube is corkscrew-shaped at least on leaving the repeater so as to have a certain amount of flexibility at the hinge system for linking the outer housing of the repeater to the outer housing of the splice box.
At the free end of the access cable, extra length is left on its fibers so that they project beyond the end of the tube, and they are connected to the line cable inside the splice box. Also at the free end of the access cable, the coupling mounted on the tube stripped of its sheath is fixed in the entrance of the splice box. The coupling further receives the remote powering current transmitted via the tube to the repeater. After the access cable has been connected to the splice box, the splice box and the coupling are coated with a sheath made of polyethylene injected under pressure, overlapping onto the sheath of the access cable, and providing overall sealing at the splice box.
This method of connecting a repeater to a line cable is described in particular in French Patent Application FR-A-2 606 943. In that Document, the coupling equipping the end of the access cable is provided such that it constitutes a mechanical fuse which breaks when abnormally strong forces are exerted on the access cable. Such forces occur essentially while the access cable is being handled during connection of the repeater to the line cable, and during injection of the sheath coating the splice box and the coupling together with the adjoining sheathed portion of the access cable. Such forces can cause the fixing between the coupling and the entrance of the box to break in order to avoid damage at the repeater end, which damage may give rise to ingress of water into the case containing the repeater.
This point of weakness at the fixing between the coupling and the entrance of the splice box leads to relatively complex dispositions being provided at the entrance of the splice box with corresponding relatively long times being required for laying the link. Furthermore, when the fixing between the coupling and the entrance of the splice box breaks, the fixing (currently generally performed by soldering) between the coupling and the end of the tube in the access cable also often breaks, at least partially, and needs repairing.
An object of the present invention is to equip the free end of a repeater access cable with a coupling for fixing it to the splice box, the coupling having mechanical strength comparable to that of the access cable itself and making it possible both to simplify the method of fixing to the splice box, and also to reduce the time required for fixing and the overall time required for any repair.


A loading/unloading terminal, especially for use in loading or unloading of petroleum products comprises a barge (1) provided with a downwardly open receiving space (2) for reception and releasable securement of a submerged buoy (20), and a submerged buoy (20) of the type comprising a bottom-anchored center member (21) for passage of medium from or to a transfer line (32) attached to the center member, and an outer member (23) rotatably mounted on the center member (21) to allow turning of the barge (1;40) about the center member (21) when the outer member (23) is secured in the receiving space (2) of the barge. The barge (1) further is provided with a coupling means (4) for connection of the passage (22) of the center member (21) to a line (9) for medium transfer to or from an adjacent conventional tanker, and with a means (10-14) for hoisting and introduction of the buoy (20) into the receiving space.

This invention relates to a loading/unloading terminal, especially for use in loading or unloading of petroleum products.
In connection with offshore loading or unloading of hydrocarbons (oil and gas) there has been developed--during the recent years--a special technology called STL technology, wherein the abbreviation STL stands for "submerged turret loading". This technique is based on the use of a special buoy construction consisting of a submerged buoy which comprises a bottom-anchored centre member having a passage for transfer of a flowable medium from or to a transfer line attached to the centre member, and an outer member which is rotatably mounted on the centre member and is arranged for introduction and releasable securement in a submerged downwardly open receiving space at the bottom of a vessel. The outer member of the buoy constitutes a buoyancy member, and when the buoy is not in use it floats submerged at a chosen distance below the sea level, the buoyancy of the buoy corresponding to the weight of the anchoring system of the buoy. In use, the buoy is hoisted up by means of a pick-up line attached to the buoy, and the outer member of the buoy is secured in the receiving space in the topical tanker, for instance a so-called shuttle tanker. The buoy structure allows the vessel during loading/unloading operations to turn about the bottom-anchored centre member of the buoy, under the influence of wind, waves and water currents. Thus, the buoy constitutes a submerged rotating body ("submerged turret"), which has resulted in the above-mentioned designation of the utilized technique.
The STL technique has turned out to have very substantial advantages in practice, both connection and disconnection between vessel and buoy being able to be carried out in a simple and quick manner, even in bad weather with relatively high waves. Further, the buoy may remain connected to the vessel in all weathers, a quick disconnection being able to be carried out if a weather limitation should be exceeded.
As will be appreciated, the use of the STL technique hitherto has been dependent on specially constructed tankers, the STL buoy presupposing a vessel which is provided with a submerged receiving space and the necessary installations for hoisting and introduction of the buoy into the receiving space, for releasable securement of the buoy and for connection of the central passage of the buoy to a pipe system which is arranged on the vessel and communicates with the storage tanks thereof.
It would, however, be desirable to be able to use the STL technique also in connection with tankers which do not have the necessary equipment or are built for the STL buoy, as this will give practical as well as economical advantages, especially with use in smooth and relatively shallow waters.

Loading/unloading terminal, especially for loading or unloading of petroleum products


A method and system for preventing smoke and fire damage in a clean room within which a tool including an electrically powered element is located. The method includes the step of providing the tool with a system including a fire proof housing, a sensor, an environmental sealing mechanism, an operator panel and a controller. The fire proof housing is secured over the tool and includes a door and at least one port to the tool. The sensor monitors an environmental condition within the housing and generates a sensor signal. The environmental sealing mechanism seals the at least one port and the door to the housing in response to the control signals to render the housing environmentally sealed. The operator panel includes visual indicators responsive to actuation signals. The controller is adapted to receive and process the sensor signals and to execute a shutdown control sequence during which the control signals and the actuation signals are generated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for preventing smoke and fire damage and, more particularly, a system and method for preventing smoke and fire damage to people and equipment in a clean room area.
2. Description of the Related Art
In modern wafer fabrication and integrated circuit manufacturing facilities, many, often dozens, of work benches or tools are located in a single clean room area. A fire in a sink, wet bench or other piece of equipment not only results in damaged equipment and potential harm to workers, but also, in a sufficiently large facility, could cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage due to lost production. More specifically, smoke contamination from a single damaged tool can spread throughout the entire clean room area potentially rendering the entire fabrication facility unusable from that point on.
With many tools in a single clean room area, it would be desirable to be able to isolate a single piece of equipment in the event of a fire. Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method for detecting such a fire and particularly the contaminants associated therewith and for effecting an automated environmental isolation of the area immediately surrounding the fire. Such a system and method would be adapted to thereafter extinguish the fire while preventing any contaminants from spreading throughout the clean room area.

System and method for preventing smoke and fire damage to people and equipment in a clean room area from a fire