A method of manufacturing a sintered body is provided. A molding powder, a gel-forming material powder and a solvent are mixed at a temperature not higher than a dissolving point of the gel-forming material. A treatment of pulverizing agglomerates containing the molding powder, gel-forming material powder and solvent absorbed in the gel-forming material powder is carried out. The mixture is then heated to a temperature not lower than the dissolving point thereby forming a sol. The sol is then cooled to a temperature not higher than the gel point, thereby forming a molding material. The molding material is used for producing a sintering body.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a molding material, a method of manufacturing a molded body, a method of manufacturing a sintered body, a molding material, a molded body and a sintered body that can be utilized for ceramics or powder metallurgy.
2. Related Art Statement
Aqueous injection molding technique using agar has been known in the fields of ceramic powder molding and powder metallurgy. Particularly, in the injection molding method of ceramic powder, it has been known to mold a ceramic powder by using a binder constituted with water and agar. For example, in Japanese Patent No. 2604592 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,237), a basic patent in the relevant field, a metal powder or ceramic powder, an agaroid gel-forming material and water are mixed, and the mixture is heated to a temperature exceeding the gel point of the agaroid gel-forming material. The mixture is then molded at a temperature lower than the gel point thereby obtaining a molded body comprising the ceramic powder or metal powder. For example, an aqueous agar solution is admixed to a mixture of an alumina powder and deionized water, the mixture is mixed under heating at 77° C. and injection molded, and the resultant molded body is sintered at 1600° C. Further, Japanese Patent No. 3105225 (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 748,151: PCT/US92/06799) also discloses a similar manufacturing method.
The present inventors have made a study, based on the patents described above, for obtaining a molded body of a complicate shape and its sintered body by the injection molding method. In the course of the study, it was observed that scattering was caused in the strength of the sintered body or the strength of the sintered body was lowered depending on the conditions. When the sintered body showing a low strength was analyzed and studied, it was found that lowering in the relative density was extremely small. Further, in the relevant field of the art using agar and water as the binder, the amount of agar is extremely small compared with those of conventional resin binders or wax binders. In addition, in the course of elevating the temperature of the molded body, since agar is easily released together with water, it is considered that no special degreasing step is required. That is, in the technique of using agar and water as the binder, it would be unlikely that remarkable lowering of the strength in the sintered body is caused depending on mixing, molding and degreasing conditions, and the cause therefor was unknown. Since ceramics are brittle, it is desirable to increase the strength in view of avoiding the risk leading to fracture.

Method of making a molded body using a chopper blade and a planetary blade


The present invention relates to a covering fabric for covering aircraft. The fabric itself may be coated with one or more layers of a crosslinked anionic aliphatic polyester-polyurethane dispersion and/or is woven from coated fibers or filaments. A covering fabric of the invention may be glued using a thermoactivatable heat-crosslinking adhesive. An advantage of the covering fabric of the invention is that there is no need for further coating of the fabric after covering, and thus significantly less weight is applied by the covering process. Furthermore, the user is able to apply the covering to an aircraft without using any organic solvents in adhesives, tension-inducing varnishes, thinners, fillers or colored varnishes. Thus, an environmentally friendly process is provided for the covering of aircraft.

In the manufacture of aircraft for general aviation and in the manufacture of remote-controlled aircraft, to reduce weight, designs are still used, in which the entire body of the aircraft, or parts thereof, are made of spars and ribs. These can be made of metal, wood and/or plastic and must be covered. The coverings are preferably foils or fabrics that are applied to the structure.
The publications and other materials, including patents, used herein to illustrate the invention and, in particular, to provide additional details respecting the practice are incorporated by reference.
WO 96/14208 A1 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,548,428) discloses a foil that is suited for covering aircraft. A multilayer material is disclosed comprising a polyester carrier foil, onto which a polymer layer, based on polyurethane polymers, is applied, in addition to a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, which is applied to the polymer layer on the side facing away from the carrier foil. This publication discloses a foil for covering aircraft constructions but not a fabric that is suited for covering.
US 20060084336 A1 discloses a multi-layer, flexible covering fabric for aircraft constructions. This fabric is made of laminated layers and distinguishes itself through especially low gas permeability. Therefore this fabric is especially intended for the construction of Zeppelins.
Furthermore, covering fabrics made of linen, cotton and polyester are known for the use of covering aircraft. These fabrics are applied with nitrocellulose adhesive or chlorinated rubber adhesive to the parts of aircraft that need to be covered, and once the adhesive dries tension is induced in the fabric. To do so the polyester fabrics are shrunk with heat and painted with a varnish. After various coats of varnish, one to two layers of silver varnish are applied for UV protection. Finally the finishing varnish is applied.
In DE 849 051 a covering of aircraft is disclosed, which comprises at least two fabric sheets lying on top of one another, with their warp threads running at an angle to one another. Each fabric sheet is individually stretched, and then connected by a treatment with resin. The fabric sheets are treated with solvent-containing impregnations and after being stretched are treated with tension inducing varnish.
The disadvantage of the fabrics and methods for their processing known from the prior art is, that in the use of polyester fabrics, although the fabric fibres are covered by nitrocellulose adhesive, the adhesive does not bind with the fibres.
Furthermore, nitrocellulose adhesives and varnishes harden further over time, which leads to the embrittlement of the entire adhesion and covering. As a result, the covering becomes vulnerable to mechanical damage and it is possible that parts of the covering become unattached without external force. Lastly, when using the solutions for covering aircraft known in the prior art, a new covering is required after some years.
A further disadvantage of the prior art solutions for the covering of aircraft lies in the uncontrolled gain of weight through the color painting and layers that are applied. In weighing a square meter of the fabric disclosed in the prior art, a gram weight variability of 100 to 400 g/m2 was measured.
Furthermore, polyester fabrics with solvent-based surface covering are known from model plane building, in which the heat sealable adhesive is applied to the back-side. The covering can comprise of a resin solution made of polyurethane or a PVC/PVA co-polymer according to GB 2 215 746 A (U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,688), wherein the resin may have cross-linking agent and catalyst colorant or metal pigment. Furthermore, polyester fabrics for aircraft with a solvent-based surface covering are known, which are distinguished by high strength, but low shrinkage and low further rip resistance. These products are adhered through heat-activatable adhesives that have the disadvantage that under high temperatures they can become soft, the covering loses tension and can even become wrinkled, or the covering can start to float on the adhesive, which significantly limits their useful properties.
Thus, there remains a need in the art to provide a covering material for aircraft that avoids one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art.
The present invention seeks to address at least aspects of said need by the features set forth herein.

Covering fabric for aircraft in general air travel


In a solid-state imaging element, reflecting layers are provided on both sides of a photoelectric conversion means, a light entrance window 128 is provided in the first reflecting layer 121 disposed on the photon incidence side, and a concentration means 122 is provided at a position corresponding to the window. Further, a transparent layer 136 is provided between the photoelectric conversion means and a second reflecting layer 120. A structure where photons that entered between the two reflecting layers do not flow outside is preferably employed as the shape of the second reflecting layer 120. According to the present invention, detection sensitivity of a solid-state imaging element and a photo-detector using the same is improved, and a personal authentication system carrying a photo-detector showing improved detection sensitivity is provided.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion element formed with a thin film of a photoelectric absorption material such as polysilicon film or amorphous silicon film, a solid-state imaging element or detector such as image sensor, solar cell and X-ray flat panel sensor, and a system such as liquid crystal display, biometric personal authentication system, photovoltaic power generation system, X-ray imaging system and digital camera using the same.
2. Background Art
In photo-detectors for visible light, crystalline silicon has mainly been used so far to date. However, use of thin-film sensors using amorphous silicon or polysilicon is spreading in recent years.
Amorphous silicon films are also used in, besides photo-detectors, solar cells, X-ray flat panels and so forth. They can be formed as a semiconductor layer only for a necessary part on a substrate, which is formed with a relatively inexpensive material such as glass and plastics. It is easy to obtain such films of larger area, and the manufacturing process thereof is also relatively easy. Therefore, they have an advantage that they can be made more inexpensive compared with those consisting of single crystal or polycrystal silicon. However, they have a problem that the detection efficiency and efficiency for conversion into electric signals are lower than those of crystalline silicon. Moreover, crystalline silicon shows the peak sensitivity at a wavelength of around 800 nm in the near-infrared region and shows sensitivity up to around 1100 nm, whereas amorphous silicon shows the peak sensitivity at around 600 nm. Therefore, amorphous silicon shows low sensitivity especially for light of the near-infrared region. Accordingly, such a characteristic poses a problem when amorphous silicon is used for a photo-detector for that wavelength.
If it is attempted to solve this problem by using a thicker amorphous silicon, a high technical level is required to uniformly form a thick film, and in addition, there arise problems such as degradation of the production yield, longer lamination time and more serious difficulty in forming finer patterns, which may result in factors of higher cost.
On the other hand, polysilicon is widely used in liquid crystal displays using pixel thin film transistors. Furthermore, photo-detectors incorporated into liquid crystal displays and so forth have been developed in recent years. Such use of polysilicon as described above have an advantage that a photo-detector can be loaded together on other systems such as liquid crystal displays to make it possible to use common peripheral circuits for them, and a circuit such as amplifier can be incorporated into a sensor. However, polysilicon films have a problem that they show the peak sensitivity around the blue light region of a wavelength of 450 to 500 nm, and scarcely show sensitivity for light of from the red region to the near-infrared region. This is especially because of the thin film thickness. Polysilicon films are usually obtained by melting and solidifying amorphous films with irradiation of excimer laser light, and thickness of amorphous silicon film is limited to the thickness through which excimer laser light can penetrate. The upper limit is about 50 nm as described in, for example, Patent document 3.
As an effective method for improving detection sensitivity of these materials suffering from a limitation on use of thicker films, there is a method of returning photons not absorbed by a semiconductor layer to the semiconductor layer again by reflection with a reflecting layer provided on the side opposite to the photon incidence side to make them to be absorbed by the semiconductor layer, and a method for manufacturing an efficient reflecting layer is proposed in Patent document 1. Moreover, in order to realize unevenness of 100 nm or more effective for reflecting photons for a reflecting layer, Patent document 2 proposes a structure in which a transparent substrate is provided between a photoelectric conversion film and a reflecting layer.
Furthermore, Patent document 3 proposes a method of forming a photoelectric conversion film made of polysilicon in a concavo-convex shape so that photons should enter obliquely to cause multiple scattering in the photoelectric conversion film and thereby improve the sensitivity for visible light.
[Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (KOKAI) No. 2001-100389
[Patent document 2] Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (KOKAI) No. 5-218469
[Patent document 3] Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (KOKAI) No. 2004-247686

Solid-state imaging element, photo-detector and authentication system using the photo-detector


A mobile client device, on behalf of a user, is equipped to submit an identity of the user to a messaging service, including the user's current location. Once the messaging service receives the identity of the user, and the user's current location, the messaging service, in response, selects one or more recipients remotely disposed by the mobile client device and the messaging service to receive the user's current location, based at least in part on the identity of the user. The recipient receives the the user's current location for information purposes. In one embodiment, the identity of the user, in addition the user's current location, is also transmitted to the selected one or more recipients. As a result, users, in particular, youths, are able to notify to recipients, such as their parents/guardians, and each other of their whereabouts simply, efficiently and effectively. In other embodiments, the submission is triggered based on bio-metric data of the user, and includes the triggering bio-metric data. These embodiments have special applications for older users. Additionally, some recipients, such as parents/guardians, are empowered to initiate receipt of the user's current location, thereby providing a non-intrusive way of keeping track of the locations of the youths for their peace of mind. In various embodiments, the client device may be a wireless telephone or a palm sized computing device.

Advances in computer and telecommunication technology have led to wide spread adoption of mobile client devices, from the basic wireless telephones to function rich notebook sized computers that pack the power of a desktop computer. In between are web enabled wireless telephones, palmed sized personal digital assistants and so forth. As a result of the relatively low cost, today even youths, i.e., people who are not emancipated, are in possession of these devices.
Often times, these youths would find themselves in need of certain services such as the basic need of calling their parents/guardians and letting them know where they are or letting their friends know where they are in malls or around town. Under the prior art, i.e., the web enabled wireless telephones, palmed sized personal digital assistants and so forth, even though it may be a few key strokes to make the phone call, youths often find is too cumbersome to make the call. Moreover, because of the number of keystrokes, the call cannot be placed discretely without being noticed by their peers, who often deems having to call and inform one's parents of one's whereabouts is especially "uncool".
Furthermore, under the prior art, even if youths are willing to make the call, youths would have to determine their current address/location. The added layer of difficulty just gives youths another excuse not to call.
In the mean time, in order to learn the current address/location of the youths, parents/guardians most likely have to call them or their friends, and this may cause the youths to be embarrassed and/or defensive due to their disposition against being constantly checked up on.
As a result, despite the advances in technology today, this prior art process is not youth friendly and may cause tension between youths and parents/guardians. Thus, a need exist for a more simple and efficient/effective approach for youths to notify their parents/guardians and each other of their whereabouts, and a non-intrusive approach for knowing the activities of the youths by the parents/guardians for their piece of mind.

Method and apparatus for people to simply communicate their location and activity information


A particle analytical device comprises a light receiving part that receives the scattered light emitted from the particle group and that outputs an electric current signal, a data processing part that processes data based on time series data of a number of pulses obtained by the electric current signal, and a control part that halts a movement of the light receiving part in case that the overcurrent is detected based on the electric current signal and that restarts the movement of the light receiving part after a predetermined time passes and is characterized by that the data processing part holds the time series data until the light receiving part is halted and processes the data after the movement of the light receiving part is restarted by the use of the held time series data and the time series data obtained after the restart.

In accordance with the recent development of nanotechnology, a demand is growing for an extremely micro particle (hereinafter called as a single nanoparticle) of a single nanometer (1˜10 nm). In case of manufacturing the single nanoparticle with high accuracy, since a grinding method has limitations, a method for producing a single nanoparticle by growing a crystal has been developing recently. In this case, it is necessary to measure a diameter of a particle during a process of growing the crystal in real time in order to control, for example, a particle diameter.
As a method for measuring a diameter of a particle among analyzing particles known are various methods such as a laser diffraction method and a centrifugal sedimentation method, however, practically from a view point of a performance and a cost, a photon correlation method that is based on a dynamic scattering theory is one of the most effective methods in order to measure a diameter of a single nanoparticle.
A particle diameter distribution measurement device by the use of the photon correlation method based on the dynamic scattering theory irradiates the laser light on particles that are making the Brownian motion in a sample solution, receives the scattered light due to the particle by the use of a photoelectron multiplier, makes auto-correlation data based on a pulse obtained by shaping a waveform of an electric current signal output by the photoelectron multiplier and calculates particle diameter distribution of a particle group based on the auto-correlation data.
In accordance with the particle diameter distribution measurement device having the above arrangement, in case that the scattered light enters into the photoelectron multiplier due to, for example, a foreign material whose particle diameter in a sample solution is big, there might be a case that an overcurrent that is more than or equal to an allowable value is produced in the photoelectron multiplier. In case that the overcurrent is produced, since the photoelectron multiplier is desensitized and deteriorated, an absolute value of a negative high voltage applied to the photoelectron multiplier is decreased or applying the negative high voltage is ceased in order to halt the measurement at a time when the overcurrent is produced (for example, the patent documents 1 and 2).
In accordance with this kind of the particle diameter distribution measurement device, in case that the measurement is halted in midstream, time series data of a number of pulses that are continuous from initiation of the measurement is broken at the time. As a result of this, even though the measurement is restarted after this time, since there exists no time series data of the pulse number from the initiation of the measurement to the halt of the measurement due to the overcurrent, it becomes impossible to produce the auto-correlation data. Then, it becomes necessary for a user to restart the measurement of the scattered light from the beginning.


An endoscopic rotary abrader allowing for increased burr size while maintaining the required minimum clearance between the burr and the hood. This is accomplished either by an offset configuration of non-concentric inner and outer tubes, where the inner tube is shifted laterally away from the hood, or by employing an enlarged hood.

Least invasive surgical techniques have gained significant popularity because of their ability to accomplish outcomes with reduced patient pain and accelerated return of the patient to normal activities. Arthroscopic surgery, in which the intra-aticular space is filled with fluid, allows orthopedists to efficiently perform procedures using special purpose instruments designed specifically for arthroscopists. Among these special purpose tools are various manual graspers and biters, electrosurgical devices, and powered shaver blades and rotary abraders. Shaver blades having hollow bores are typically removably coupled to a shaver handpiece and are used for cutting, resecting, boring and abrading both soft and hard tissue at the surgical site. An arthroscopic abrader (also known as a burr) generally includes a rotatable inner tube having an abrading head at its distal end and a fixed outer tube for rotatably receiving the inner tube. Abraders are used for abrading or shaping both soft and hard tissue such as bone, cartilage, ligaments, etc. by use of the rotating abrading head. As the tissue is being abraded, debris and fluid are generally drawn or sucked through the rotatable inner tube.
Requirements for a rotary abrader for arthroscopy include a compact size so as to fit through small cannulae, a means for removal of debris, and a configuration which allows the surgeon to access structures within a joint, while retaining good visibility. One requirement for good visibility is the effective removal of debris as it is generated. Another is that the instrument be configured so that the view of the active portion of the abrader in contact with the tissue and the view of the tissue being abraded are not obscured by the instrument.
Rotary abraders for arthroscopy generally have a shield, also called a "hood," on one side of the distal end of the outer tube to prevent inadvertent injury to tissue in close proximity to the tissue being abraded. The distal end of this hood is angled with respect to the tube axis so as to expose only one side of the burr head. During use, the burr head (the abrading element at the distal end of the rotating inner member) is subjected to significant lateral forces. Although all rotary abraders have a bearing near the distal end of the instrument to support the inner member, lateral deflection of the burr head occurs. Contact between the burr head and the hood is undesirable since the burr will abrade metal from the hood and deposit metallic debris in the joint. Accordingly, it is necessary to leave adequate clearance between the hood and the burr head. The amount of clearance necessary is largely determined by the rigidity of the inner tube and the placement of the distal bearing between the inner and outer tubes. It is desirable to place the distal bearing as close as practical to the burr head to minimize deflection. It is also desirable to make the distal portion of the inner tube as rigid as practical. On currently available rotary abraders, the outer, stationery tube and inner, rotating tube are concentric. Because of this, the diameter of the distal portion of the outer, stationery tube in proximity to the burr head is significantly larger than the diameter of the burr head, so as to have adequate clearance. The required diameter of this portion of the outer tube is determined by the resistance of the burr head to deflection, which in turn is determined by the bearing placement and inner tube distal end construction. While this increased diameter prevents contact between the burr head and the hood, it also restricts the surgeon's access to some structures, and often obscures the surgeon's view of the site being abraded.
Removal of debris from the field is accomplished by aspirating the material from the joint via a lumen in the inner, rotating member which is connected through a means in the handpiece to an external vacuum source. The aspiration of material through the inner member is desirable as this allows easy transfer of the materials from the proximal end of the instrument to the aspiration passage of the handpiece. The manner in which material and fluid enter the lumen at the distal end of the instrument has a large effect on the volume of flow through the instrument and on the frequency with which the instrument clogs. Insufficient flow causes decreased visibility because of residual debris suspended in the intra-articular fluid. Clogging requires that the instrument be removed from the joint and "de-clogged". The degree of difficulty of clog removal is determined by the instrument design. Even if clog removal is easily accomplished, removing, de-clogging and reinserting the instrument is a nuisance and causes increased procedure times. Aspiration effectiveness, and therefore instrument design, have a large effect on burr efficiency.
Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, prior art burr 10 has an inner assembly 12 rotatably positioned within an outer assembly 14. Inner assembly 12 has an proximal end 16 forming a hub assembly 18 for engaging the drive element of a powered handpiece, and an elongated tubular portion 20 having an abrading element 22 at its distal end 24. Bearing 26 is positioned near distal end 24 of tubular portion 20 slightly proximal to aspiration port 28 which provides a means of material flow to the lumen 21 of portion 20. Outer assembly 14 has a proximal end 30 forming a hub assembly 32 for removably mounting in a powered handpiece, and an elongated tubular portion 34 having a distal end 36 forming a beveled surface 38. As best seen in FIG. 4, bearing 26 centers distal end 24 of inner assembly 12 within distal end 36 of outer tubular portion 34 so as to maintain clearance 40 between abrading element 22 and shield (hood) 42 formed by distal end 36 and beveled surface 38. Clearance 40 is determined by the diameter 46 of burr head (abrading element) 22, and the inner diameter 47 and wall thickness 48 of outer tubular portion 34. Debris and liquid are aspirated from the region of abrading element 22 along path 44 to lumen 21 via aspiration port 28.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,578, Johnson et al. teach an aspiration method in which material is drawn into the lumen of the inner tube via slots in the inner assembly distal to the bearing—the bearing is moved quite far proximal, thereby increasing the lateral deflection of the burr head during use. This, in turn, necessitates larger clearance between the burr head and the hood, and thus a large hood diameter, which obscures the surgeon's view and access. The relatively small slots in this design would make the instrument prone to clogging.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,867, Dion teaches a rotary abrader with improved aspiration. As with the Johnson device, material is drawn into the lumen of the inner tube via an opening distal to the bearing between the inner and outer tubes. At least a portion of the opening is distal to the proximal end of the angled distal opening in the hood. This allows greater flow volumes and decreased clogging. However, the bearing is still proximal to the opening in the inner tube which allows for greater deflection of the abrading element during use. This necessitates that the hood diameter be significantly greater than the diameter of the burr head.
Vaca et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,923, teach a rotary abrader construction in which material is drawn into the lumen of the inner tube through axially aligned openings in the inner and outer tubes proximal to the distal end bearing. The inner and outer tubes may have a single opening or multiple openings. The openings admit liquid and tissue when angularly aligned and have a geometry designed to cooperatively cut tissue in the same manner as an arthroscopic shaver blade. The cutting action of the openings is intended to decrease clogging. The design is likely quite effective when the instrument is fully inserted into the joint, however, there will likely be instances in which the openings are obstructed because the burr is not fully inserted into a joint, or the joint is small. In these cases, it will be impossible to aspirate tissue through the instrument.
Grinberg, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,185, teaches a rotary abrader in which a lumen within the burr head extends distally such that openings in the troughs between the cutting flutes of the burr intersect the lumen. Debris is sucked into the openings while the burr is cutting tissue and removed from the site. A potential problem with this method is that the burr is rotating at high speed and the centrifugal force would tend to move material away from the openings. Also, it is likely that cavitation would tend to disrupt the flow of material into the openings, and proximally from the openings to the lumen in the inner tube.
Moutafis, in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0055404, teaches a second stationary tube concentrically positioned about the standard stationery tube with a space between the tubes used to aspirate debris. It is likely that this passage would be prone to clogging unless it was made quite large, in which case the instrument diameter would be very large compared to that of the rotating abrading element. This, in turn, requires the use of large cannulae and generally obstructs the surgeon's view.
Moutafis, in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0083681, teaches a distal bearing which does not have continual contact with the inner tube, but rather has contact regions separated by passages through which liquid and debris are aspirated. This allows the bearing to be placed quite close to the burr head as to minimize deflection, however, the decreased bearing surface will likely lead to higher forces between the bearing and the rotating member making galling and the generation of metallic debris more likely. Also, because of size constraints of the outer tube, the passages would be quite small and prone to clogging. Clearing clogs would be problematic since access to the passages is limited by the burr head, and the burr could not be readily disassembled for clearing as the burr head is larger in size than the bearing surfaces thereby preventing the inner portion from being withdrawn proximally.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0181251 by Hacker et al. describes a rotary abrader with multiple slots in the stationary outer tube proximal to the burr head and proximal to the distal bearing. A burr so constructed has excellent rigidity since the bearing is close axially to the burr head. It has good flow volume because of the number and size of the slots. If one or more slots become clogged by tissue the other slots still pass enough flow to allow the procedure to continue without having to remove and clear the instrument. A drawback of this construction, however, as in the case of the Vaca et al. device, is that the slots may be obstructed by tissue when the instrument is initially inserted into the joint, or when it is used on a small joint.
The rotary abraders previously herein considered may be generally divided into two categories: those which can be disassembled by withdrawing the inner tube proximally from the outer tube, and those which cannot be so dissembled. Most commercially available arthroscopy burrs fit into the first category. A burr which may be disassembled in this manner must of necessity have a bearing which is affixed to the inner member and is larger in diameter than the burr head, or alternatively have a portion of the rotating member proximal to the burr head with a larger diameter than the burr head to engage a bearing of the stationary outer member. The bearing is generally a thin polymeric or metallic layer applied to the inner which prevents galling between the inner and outer members. The inner member diameter is maximized to maximize the inner lumen size so as to increase flow volume and prevent clogging. Clogging, however, generally occurs at the distal end of the instrument, at the opening of the passage proximal to the burr head. The clogging most frequently occurs because soft tissue wraps around the inner member proximal to the burr. On burrs with a single opening, or with multiple openings in close proximity, a clog stops all aspiration of debris from the site and necessitates removal and clearing of the instrument for the surgical procedure to continue.
There is a need for an improved rotary abrader having rigidity, an aspiration means which effectively removes debris without clogging and which can be readily cleared of clogs without disassembly, and enhanced surgeon visibility.
It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a rotary abrader with high resistance to deflection of the burr head.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a rotary abrader with improved visibility for the surgeon.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a rotary abrader able to produce high aspiration flow rates regardless of the insertion position of the instrument in the joint or the size of the joint.
It is further an object of this invention to provide a rotary abrader which has multiple aspiration openings so as to allow the instrument to be used with one or more openings partially for fully clogged.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A conductive ball mounting apparatus and a mounting method for mounting a conductive ball for forming a bump without erroneously mounting an additional conductive ball in a workpiece, comprising a workpiece positioning section, a conductive ball feeding section, a mounting head provided with a plurality of suction holes each of which has a recess capable of storing one conductive ball on the bottom surface of the head, a moving device for moving the mounting head between the workpiece positioning section and the conductive ball feeding section, and a detecting device for detecting conductive balls erroneously additionally attached to the bottom surface of the mounting head without being stored in recesses arranged on the moving route of the mounting head.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conductive ball mounting apparatus and a mounting method for mounting a conductive ball to form a bump on an electrode of a workpiece such as a chip or substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method of using a conductive ball such as a solder ball is known as a method for forming a bump (protruded electrode) on an electrode of a workpiece in a process for manufacturing a workpiece provided with a bump such as a flip chip device. Moreover, as a method of using a conductive ball, a method is known in which a mounting head is moved above the a conductive-ball feeding section, a plurality of conductive balls are picked up by vertically moving the mounting head on the conductive-ball feeding section, and then the mounting head is moved above a workpiece to simultaneously mount the conductive balls on electrodes of the workpiece by vertically moving the mounting head on the workpiece.
However, the above conventional method has a problem that the mounting head is prone to pick up extra conductive balls (the extra conductive balls are referred to as "extra balls" in the case of the present invention) at the conductive ball feeding section, the extra balls are also erroneously mounted on a workpiece, and thus a defective workpiece is produced.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a conductive ball mounting apparatus and mounting method of conductive balls capable of preventing at least one extra ball from being erroneously mounted on a workpiece.

Conductive ball mounting apparatus and mounting method of conductive ball

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


2,2 bis(3-mercaptophenyl)hexafluoropropane bisthiophenol AF! is obtained in good yield by chlorosulfonating 2,2'-bisphenylhexafluoropropane and reducing the thus quantitatively obtained 2,2'-bis(3-chlorosulfonylphenyl)hexafluoropropane with zinc under acidic conditions and is effectively used as a cross-linking agent for a fluorine-containing elastomer having halogenophenyl groups as cross-linkable groups.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing a bisthiophenolperfluoroalkylidene compound, and more particularly to a process for producing a bisthiophenolperfluoroalkylidene compound effectively applicable as a precursor for synthesis of polysulfide or as a cross-linking agent for fluorine-containing polymers.
2. Related Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No.4,720,590 discloses that 2,2-bis(mercaptophenyl)hexafluoropropane2,2,2-trifluoro-l-(trifluoromethy l)-ethylidene-bisbenzenethiol! represented by the following formula: ##STR1## can be effectively used as a precursor for synthesis of polysulfide.
In such a compound, the SH group can take the m- or p-position. The m-substituted compound can be obtained from 2,2'-bisphenylhexafluoropropane as a starting material through total 7 synthesis steps, and the yield through the total 7 steps is not definitely disclosed therein because of incomplete disclosure of individual step yields, and seems not to exceed about 50%. Thus, it seems that the desired compound is not obtained in good yield.

Crosslinkable composition of fluoroelastomer and bisthiophenolperfluoroalkylidene


The yarn cylinder includes a hollow cylindrical body; a groove, almost annularly disposed around the cylindrical body, being formed with four sections of teeth to define four segments; and a plurality of recesses, located beside the groove one by one, each recess having a tapered end, and all tapered ends being toward the same direction.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to filatures.
2. Related Art
Please refer to FIGS. 1-4, which show a typical yarn cylinder. The yarn cylinder is made of plastic and is formed with a groove 1. The groove 1 is of a C-shape with about 350 degrees. Two ends of the groove 1 are separately formed with two guiding slants 11. The groove 1 is formed with four sections of teeth 30, 40, 50, 60 to define four segments 3, 4, 5, 6. Directions of two adjacent sections of teeth 30, 40, 50, 60 are different from each other.
A division line 300, 400, 500, 600 is defined between every two adjacent sections of teeth 30, 40, 50, 60. Directions of two adjacent sections of teeth 30, 40, 50, 60 meet at an angle. However, the groove 1 with the guiding slants 11 is too narrow, so yarn is not easy to enter the groove 1. And the guiding slants 11 do not have enough holding ability.


A snow bike has a frame which can be either a custom frame or an existing bicycle frame. A pair of footrests consisting of two rods extending perpendicularly from the frame at a location usually set for the pedal means of a bicycle provides a user with a way of resting his feet while using the snow bike.

1. Prior Art Capability and Motivations, as Helping to Show Patentability Here
Even in hindsight consideration of the present invention to determine its inventive and novel nature, it is not only conceded but emphasized that the prior art had many details usable in this invention, but only if the prior art had had the guidance of the present invention, details of both capability and motivation.
That is, it is emphasized that the prior art had/or knew several particulars which individually and accumulatively show the non-obviousness of this combination invention. E.g.,                a) The cost of the materials are relatively low and do not have a profound impact on price to the point of offsetting the benefits of this novel product;        b) The nature of an invention as being a "novel combination", in spite of existence of details separately, is especially significant here where the novelty is of the plurality of concepts, i.e., the use of an existing bicycle frame and the use of an existing snowboard;        c) The addition of providing a stopper and double spring system to limit rotational mobility of the front part of the snowboard in addition to keeping it level especially when in mid-air and a stabilizer on the rear snowboard to eliminate torsion;        d) The matter of particular cost-factors, in a detailed form which would surely convey the realization of the huge cost benefits involved in manufacturing such a device;        e) The cost-factors involved in the maintenance repair etc since the parts are readily available hardware components;        f) The ease of tooling for the present invention has surely given manufacturers ample incentive to have made modifications for commercial competitiveness in a competitive industry, if the concepts had been obvious;        g) The prior art has always had sufficient skill to make many types of the stuff we're talking about, more than ample skill to have achieved the present invention, but only if the concepts and their combinations had been conceived;        h) Substantially all of the operational characteristics and advantages of details of the present invention, when considered separately from one another and when considered separately from the present invention's details and accomplishment of the details, are within the skill of persons of various arts, but only when considered away from the integrated and novel combination of concepts which by their cooperative combination achieve this advantageous invention;        i) The details of the present invention, when considered solely from the standpoint of construction, are exceedingly simple, basically a bicycle frame and a snowboard cut in two halves and the matter of simplicity of construction has long been recognized as indicative of inventive creativity;        j) Similarly, and a long-recognized indication of inventiveness of a novel combination, is the realistic principle that a person of ordinary skill in the art, as illustrated with respect to the claimed combination as differing in the stated respects from the prior art both as to construction and concept, is presumed to be one who thinks along the line of conventional wisdom in the art and is not one who undertakes to innovate; and        k) The predictable benefits from a novel way of making a snow bike having the features of this invention would seem sufficiently high that others would have been working on this type of product, but only if the concepts which it presents had been conceived.
Accordingly, although the prior art has had capability and motivation, amply sufficient to presumably give incentive to the development a snow bike according to the present invention, the fact remains that this invention awaited the creativity and inventive discovery of the present inventor. In spite of ample motivation, the prior art did not suggest this invention.
2. Prior Art as Particular Instances of Failure to Provide this Novel Product and Installation Method
In view of the general economic advantages, of the present invention as an improved embodiment of the prior art, it may be difficult to realize that the prior art has not conceived of the combination purpose and achievement of the present invention, even though the need for it is a known requested commodity for people nowadays who want to have a way of leveraging the use of their bicycle by adapting it to a winter activity. Surely the need for a safe and secure snow bike being able to reproduce on snow the type of acrobatics feasible in a BMX bike has been known for decades and the technology to achieve such results has been known for years and that the various combination provided in this invention would have been desired and attempted long ago, but only if its factors and combination-nature had been obvious.
Other considerations, as herein mentioned, when realistically evaluated show the inventive nature of the present invention, a change in concept which the prior patent and other prior art did not achieve.


The present disclosure relates to the field of devices for holding, conjoining and/or securing a cup and plate.

Food and beverages are the common denominator for events to meet with family, socialize with friends, converse in business discussions, and whenever people gather together. The events are commonly parties, picnics, tailgates or catered affairs where seating at tables is limited or not available at all, and attendees are expected to carry their food and beverages as they circulate.
It is very difficult to hold or balance both the plate and beverage container while attempting to eat from the plate or when trying to shake hands while greeting other guests. As such, people will frequently attempt to shuffle the plate and beverage container into one hand, or move to find a location to place the beverage container while they either eat from the plate or greet another person. As a consequence, food, drink or both are typically spilled or misplaced. This leads to mess, waste and diminishes the overall experience for the guest. A need exists for improved low-cost devices for holding a cup and a plate.

Device for holding a beverage container and plate


Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems, methods, and products for modernizing and optimizing legacy software. A computing device may perform an automated runtime performance profiling process. The performance profiler may automatically profile the legacy software at runtime, monitor the memory usage and module activities of the legacy software, and pinpoint/identify a subset of inefficient functions in the legacy software that scale poorly or otherwise inefficient. The computing device may further perform a source code analysis and refactoring process. The computing device may parse the source code of the subset of inefficient functions and identify code violations within the source code. The computing device may provide one or more refactoring options to optimize the source code. Each refactoring option may comprise a change to the source code configured to correct the code violations. The computing device may refactor the source code based on a selected refactoring option.

Legacy software often refers to software that was originally written years or even decades ago that remains in production today. This software often includes programming languages and techniques that are outdated and/or inefficient compared to modern systems. Legacy software can be expensive to maintain, difficult to modernize, and often cannot take full advantage of the computing power of state-of-the-art hardware, software, and operating systems. As a result, legacy software is inefficient compared to modern software and may not be compatible with modern devices or meet desired software architecture goals. Much of the legacy code was written using programming techniques that are now considered to be outdated. In addition to catching up with changes in technology, the capacities of these software sometimes need to be improved to better fit the needs of modern use. In most cases, it is more feasible to maintain and upgrade the existing legacy software than it is to build a new software from scratch. This is because legacy software is often built on a giant code base. It may be easier/cheaper to maintain/update a code base of multiple millions of lines of code than to create a new one. Manual optimization and refactoring of legacy software can be an expensive process because of the large code base, often requiring the expertise of the original authors of the legacy code. Such expertise can be difficult to find.
A pervasive problem in legacy code, and in any large code base, is poor code quality. The poor quality can lead to unpredictable behavior in the software. From the user's perspective, the code may be exhibiting poor usage. From an adversary's perspective, it may serve as a target to exploit, stress or slow a system. A few examples of poor code quality include duplicate code, overly complicated coding patterns, and bloated code structures that are too large or perform more actions than is acceptable. These types of weaknesses appear frequently in legacy code largely due to the fact that it is very difficult to manually maintain a large code base and ensure that all components are appropriately updated for each new use case and/or software/hardware update. These types of weakness may not even be discovered until a user reports it or an adversary exploits it. This is particularly tricky when the developers who originally wrote the legacy code are no longer involved, which is most likely the case for legacy software. Developers with limited understanding of the original intent of the software may not be able to foresee a problem and may not know which parts of the legacy code are effective for the current software specifications and which parts should be rewritten. Legacy code may also contain code structures that were previously considered best coding practices, but are now considered outdated. One example is "goto" statements. "Goto" statements used to be more commonplace, but are now considered to be bad coding practice in most cases, as they can make code unnecessarily difficult to read. The more unreadable a code base is, the more difficult it becomes to identify and repair poor code quality. Furthermore, the original intent of legacy code may be different than the current intent. For example, a legacy software application may be built to be a standalone application on one machine. The original developers may make decisions with the assumption that there is only one user. In migrating the legacy software application to a new platform, the new intent of the software application may be to support multiple users. In that case, it's very likely that remnants of the original intent of only having one user would remain in the code after it has been migrated and can even cause efficiency and security issues.
Legacy software is not always fully optimized for the current operational hardware and operating system. Often, large parts of a legacy code base were optimized for the hardware and operating system on which they were originally developed. As a result, many algorithms in the code are non-optimal. A common example of this is the use of a single thread where multiple threads may be more efficient. If multithreading was not a viable option when the software was originally designed, due to hardware or software limitations, a legacy application may be performing several tasks on a single thread instead of performing them concurrently. Introducing parallelization in some of these instances could greatly improve the performance of the software.
Some algorithms in legacy code are inefficient because they were designed to address specific scenarios. As scenarios evolve, the algorithms should also evolve to reflect the current resources, limitations, and use cases. A common source of inefficiency in legacy software is an algorithm that improperly prioritizes low memory consumption over low computational complexity. Older hardware and operating systems had less memory consumption allowances than the state-of-the-art computing technologies used today. As a result, many legacy algorithms were written so that they minimize memory consumption, even at the expense of the time complexity of the function. This is especially true if the original developers did not envision that the input size of the algorithm would scale very large. Today, however, limitations on memory consumption are not as severe, and some problems scale a lot larger as technology becomes more integrated into operations. Algorithms that scale poorly will suddenly become very inefficient and difficult to use. In that case, refactoring to favor a small complexity timing over a small memory footprint would be more optimal.

Systems and methods for legacy source code optimization and modernization


The invention relates to a method and a device for regulating the airflow around a blade of a windmill. The device comprise a spoiler, which is provided with a cavity. The spoiler is mounted to a surface of the blade in connection with an another flow regulating unit, and the spoiler can change the airflow around the blade by assuming different forms. When the spoiler is in a deactivated form no particular changes of the airflow takes place, as the spoiler runs continually and follows the contour of the blade. When the spoiler is in an activated form the airflow, however, is changed in that the spoiler no longer follows the contours of the blade and creates a discontinuity or at least changes the profile of the blade in such way that the airflow conditions are changed. In particular the airflow conditions can be changed so the effect of the second flow regulating unit completely or partly is eliminated. The change of the form takes place by supplying a fluid, such as compressed air or hydraulic oil, to the cavity in the spoiler. The change of the airflow is an advantage in that is thus is possible to regulate the speed of rotation of the rotor, which the blade is mounted on.

The invention relates to a method for regulating the airflow around a windmill blade, said method comprising a step, whereby a spoiler, mounted on the outer side of the blade, is activated and deactivated in order to create a first and respectively second airflow around the blade.
The invention also relates to a device for use when regulating the airflow around a windmill blade, where said device comprises at least one spoiler, which is made from a flexible material, provided with at least one cavity, and where the cavity in a deactivated form has a first volume and in an activated form has a second volume, and where the volume of the cavity can be changed from the deactivated form to the activated form by leading a fluid to the cavity.
It is known that one has to limit the power output of every mill in high wind, otherwise the mill can be overloaded. The normal methods for limiting the power output are stall regulation and pitch regulation.
With ordinary stall regulation, the blades are fixed on the hub of the mill and can not be turned around their longitudinal axis. The adjusting angle the blades have on the hub is adjusted once and for all during the mounting and commissioning of the mill. The blades are designed so the airflow over them in itself provides a greater air resistance in high wind and thereby limits the power output. Because of this passive use of the aerodynamic characteristics of the blades the regulation is simple and robust under all conditions, with only few peak loads.
Ordinary stall regulation has the disadvantage that the maximum power output depends on the air density and the surface roughness of the blade. There will, therefore, be changes in the power output from summer to winter, and when the blades are dirty. The stall effect also depends highly on the design of the front edge of the blade. Small manufacturing tolerances in the form of the front edges can cause considerable differences in the power output level that a windmill stall regulates at.
With pitch regulation the blades are mounted on bearings on the hub of the mill, so they can be turned around their longitudinal axis. In high wind the adjusting angle is always adjusted away from stall, so the lift is limited to provide the exact desired power output. With the active regulation it is possible to compensate for air density, surface roughness of the blade and influence from manufacturing tolerances.
Pitch regulation has the disadvantage that it demands a relatively complicated, active regulation, which in high wind can be sensitive to turbulence. Therefore, pitch regulation in practice presupposes a special generator with a completely or partly variable number of rotation, so the mill can speed up a bit up in case of wind gusts. Otherwise the active regulation cannot keep up with the variations in the wind, which results in too large peak loads. Pitch regulation also has the disadvantage compared to stall regulation with fixed adjusted blades in that the blades must be mounted rotably on the hub of the mill and, therefore, have to be provided with bearings and actuator systems. These components must be able to transfer great loads, and involve increased service needs.
A newer regulation form is active stall regulation. Here the two normal methods for limiting the power output are combined. Like with pitch regulation there are bearings between the blades and the hub of the mill, so that the entrance angle is adjustable, but the actual limiting of the power output in high wind is effected through stall.
Compared with ordinary stall regulation active stall regulation has the advantage that the maximum power output with certainty can be maintained at the desired level, regardless of air density, possible dirt on the blades and the influence from manufacturing tolerances. Compared with pitch regulation active stall regulation has the advantage that the actual regulation is effected with the use of stall, consequently through a passive use of the aerodynamic characteristics of the blade, so the sensibility to turbulence remains small. It is, therefore, not necessary to use special generators, variable rpm or the like in order to avoid high peak loads.
Nevertheless, active stall regulation has its own disadvantages compared to passive stall regulation with fixed adjusted blades. Like with pitch regulation there is the disadvantage that the blades have to be mounted rotably on the hub of the mill and, therefore, have to be supplied with bearings and actuator systems. These components have to transfer great loads, and involve increased service needs. With active stall regulation the regulation is slower than with pitch regulation, and the demands on the actuator systems are, therefore, smaller, but the complexity is, however, considerably larger than with passive stall regulation.
Apart from the regulation systems based on the turning of whole blades, spoilers on fixed adjusted blades are also known, where the regulation takes places through the spoiler effect, normally completely or partly supported by stalling of the blade. The spoiler can typically be designed as a rail, arranged over the suction side of the blade, and which by extension provides increased air resistance and turbulence, and maybe also trips an actual stall. Such spoilers were used on the windmills erected by FL. Smith in Denmark during the Second World War.
Spoiler systems of this kind normally have the disadvantages that they include mechanical parts far out on the blade. According to experience, is it difficult to maintain a high disposal level on such systems since the operating conditions are very difficult, and since the actuator mechanisms for the spoiler normally are badly suited to withstand the hundreds of millions of exposures that the system is subjected to during normal operation. In addition to this spoilers arranged over the blade surface, also when not activated, normally exhibit a certain constant spoiler effect, which reduces the aerodynamic efficiency of the blade. The external mounting can also result in a significant contribution to the noise.
There are other spoiler systems, which consist of rails or bellows deposited in the blade surface. The effect again depends on increased air resistance and turbulence, but in comparison to external spoilers the mechanism is somewhat better protected. Such spoilers are, among others, used in the early windmills of the WindMatic type in Denmark By being deposited in the blade surface this type of spoilers has the advantage that they not in any noticeable way reduce the aerodynamic efficiency of the blade, when they not are extended.
Deposited spoilers normally have the disadvantage that they demand special blade structures with recesses and cavities. Furthermore, they can normally only with difficulty be carried out at the actual front edge, where the air forces are powerful, but must be arranged further back on the suction side of the profile. Here the operating conditions are better, but the effect of the spoiler is in return more limited and, therefore, the spoiler has too be substantially larger. Noise problems may arise at the separating surfaces between the main blade and the spoiler, and the effect can be uncertain during icing and heavy pollution with dust etc., where extending and depositing can be restricted.
From European patent application EP 0 394 882 A1 a spoiler type is known, which consists of a flexible membrane arranged radially along a windmill blade approximately at the middle of the suction side of the blade, and which by inflating triggers stall on those sections of the blade, which are provided with this spoiler. Spoiler systems of this kind has the disadvantage that the effect of a stall triggered at the middle of the suction side normally will not be sufficient to provide a substantial regulation. In addition there is the disadvantage that this spoiler type presupposes a recessed channel on the blade in an area, where an unbroken and continued structure is needed for strength reasons.
From European patent application EP 0 283 730 A1 a flow body is known, where at least the one side is covered with a membrane, which can change form as a function of a inner pressure media Through inflation this body can assumably change its aerodynamic characteristics to such a high degree that a certain regulation can take place. A membrane system of this kind has the disadvantage that it covers large parts of the blade surface, and that the effect of the regulation can be difficult to control because of the large surfaces.
It is known that the air flow over a windmill blade can be regulated with flow regulating means. Examples of such means are for example described in the Danish utility model application DK 95 00238 W. Here, among other things, vortex generators are illustrated (FIG. 5).

Method for regulating a windmill, and an apparatus for the use of said method


A method for pre-funding is disclosed. The method includes sending a plurality of pre-fund authorization requests to a buyer financial institution, and then receiving a plurality of responses to the pre-fund authorization requests from the buyer financial institution, where each response either accepts or declines a pre-fund authorization request. A funds transfer request is sent to the buyer financial institution, where the funds transfer request corresponds to a total value of the accepted pre-fund authorization requests. Notification that funds have transferred from the buyer financial institution in response to the funds transfer request is received. Then, the sending of the funds to a supplier financial institution is authorized.

In many business-to-business transactions, checks, ACH/EFT (automated clearing house/electronic funds transfer) and wires are used for payment. Commerce systems strive to improve processing efficiencies and improve integration with existing business operations.
Commerce systems seek to minimize the risk associated with defaulting members. To effectively manage risk, commerce system participation can be limited to members meeting pre-determined standards. In addition, more conservative daily aggregate debit limits and single transaction limits can be established at either a regional or bank level to manage risk.
In a typical commerce system, if a Buyer Bank (Issuer) fails to settle a payment, a payment processing organization can be allowed to reclaim funds from a Supplier Bank (Acquirer). If funds reclamation is unsuccessful, the payment processing organization may rely on the liability allocation in the rules and the loss-sharing provisions stated in the appropriate by-laws governing the relationship between the Buyer Bank, the Supplier Bank, and the payment processing organization.
While a funds reclamation provision may be used to reclaim funds, a funds reclamation provision creates uncertainty regarding the finality of funds for the Supplier Banks. This uncertainty has already been identified as a concern and a potential barrier to widespread market adoption of any payment processing system. It also ultimately impedes the ability to provide ubiquity in the marketplace.
Additionally, a funds reclamation process has many operational challenges. Because of multilateral netting, potentially all participants in the commerce system could be impacted from a recast with those participants that may have received funds via a credit position subject to funds reclamation. "Multilateral netting" can be defined as the offsetting of receivables and payables among three or more parties to a transaction, with each making payments to an agent or clearing house for net obligations due to others or receiving net payments due from others. In a multilateral netting scheme, any participant that misses funding a debit position by any amount of time (e.g, 1 second) or short-pays by any amount (e.g., 1 cent) could trigger a recast. All transactions may have to be re-evaluated to determine which participant and/or which transaction caused the recast. This is undesirable.
The payment processing organization could provide limited funding to prevent such a recast scenario. However this results in the payment processing organization accepting settlement risk, which conceptually defeats the goal of eliminating settlement risk through recasting.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems, individually and collectively.


A spin-on fluid filter of the type having a hollow, cylindrical filter element enclosed within an outer container and an end plate, is provided with a one-piece, combination anti-drainback and relief valve. The valve includes an axially movable cylindrical sleeve, one end thereof being disposed within the filter element, and the other end thereof normally engaging the end plate radially inwardly of the inlet ports and radially outwardly of the outlet port formed in the end plate. A resilient annular seal extends from the sleeve to normally engage the end plate radially outwardly of the inlet ports. A spring is disposed within the filter element for normally urging the cylindrical sleeve downwardly into engagement with the end plate. The diameters of the end portions of the spring are preferably smaller than the diameter of the central portion thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid filter and, more particularly, to a one-piece, combination anti-drainback and relief valve for a disposable, spin-on oil filter.
2. Summary of Related Art
Spin-on oil filters are well known devices often used in the oil circulation system of internal combustion engines to filter out small particulate matter which would otherwise abrade moving engine parts. These filters generally include a cylindrical outer container and an end plate enclosing a hollow, cylindrical filter element. Plural inlet ports and a central outlet port are provided in the end plate to allow oil to circulate through the filter element. The central outlet port is typically threaded for "spin-on" mounting of the filter to an engine filter mount. An annular gasket is utilized for effecting a seal between the filter and the engine mount or adapter plate on which the filter is mounted.
Such filters are also generally provided with an anti-drainback valve and pressure relief valve. The anti-drainback valve prevents the gravity induced, drainage of oil from the filter which would otherwise occur when the engine is not operating. This feature is desirable since a drained oil filter results in a momentary interruption in the circulation of oil when the engine resumes operation. A pressure relief valve is also generally utilized in this type of filter to permit oil flowing through the filter to bypass the filter element when a predetermined pressure threshold is surpassed due to the build-up of contaminants in the filter element.
In practice, the anti-drainback valve and pressure relief valve have generally consisted of separate elements, adding substantially to the manufacturing cost of the filter. Overall, it is clearly desirable that the manufacturing cost of the valve assemblies for such filters be minimized, since these filters are generally disposable.
Combined anti-drainback and relief valves have been proposed, but have generally required a plurality of elements associated with the valve to achieve the desired operation. The complexity of such valves adds significantly to the cost of both the materials and the assembly thereof, making such filters relatively expensive. A cost-effective one-piece, combination anti-drainback and relief valve which provides effective valve operation and long-term sealing properties has been heretofore unavailable.
In addition, such conventional spin-on oil filters typically include a perforated metal center tube disposed axially within a pleated paper filter element. The perforated center tube laterally supports the filter element, while allowing oil to pass from the filter element down through the center tube and out of the filter unit. In order to maintain a sufficient collapse strength, the size and number of perforations is limited, so that the center tube may in practice unduly impede the flow of oil therethrough. Additionally, a spring is generally required between the end of the filter element and the closed end of the container, to hold the filter element in position.
In view of the foregoing, replacement of the perforated metal center tube with a helical compression spring has been proposed. The use of a spring disposed axially within the filter element is advantageous in that there is a significantly greater open area for oil to flow through when compared with the conventional perforated center tube, while an even greater collapse strength is provided. However, the ends of such springs are typically sharp, and often damage the inner surface of the paper filter element.

One-piece anti-drainback and relief valve


A high-voltage variable resistor includes an insulating substrate having a surface on which there is formed a resistor including a variable resistor portion and a plurality of terminal electrodes including an output terminal electrode. A rotation shaft is included which is equipped with a sliding member adapted to slide on the variable resistor portion of the resistor when the rotation shaft is rotated. An insulating case rotationally supports the rotation shaft. The insulating substrate is disposed in the case such that the aforementioned surface is opposed to an inner bottom portion of the case. A capacitor connecting terminal is inserted through the insulating substrate and is electrically connected to the output terminal electrode. A connection terminal member is provided which has a spring portion electrically connected to the capacitor connecting terminal, and holding members for holding an output line inserted in the insulating case, wherein the connection terminal member connects the output terminal electrode to the output line without performing soldering. Finally, a capacitor is arranged on a back side of the insulating substrate and is connected to the capacitor connecting terminal. The above structure allows the high-voltage variable resistor to be formed reduced in size, and makes it possible to standardize the connection terminal member. Further aspects of the invention comprise a conductive rubber member for forming an electrical connection between the capacitor connecting terminal and the connection terminal member. In the another aspect of the invention, the capacitor connecting terminal has a fixation flange for attaching the capacitor connecting terminal with the substrate, and a contact flange for providing a contact surface for contact with the spring portion of the connection terminal member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-voltage variable resistor used to adjust the focus voltage, screen voltage, etc. of a television receiver or like device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a high-voltage variable resistor used to adjust the focus voltage, screen voltage, etc. of a television receiver, a capacitor called a dynamic focus capacitor for filtering or signal voltage coupling may be connected between a focus voltage output electrode and a grounding electrode or between the output electrode and a signal input terminal.
In a conventional high-voltage variable resistor, such a capacitor is arranged on the back side of an insulating substrate which is disposed in an insulating case having one side open. The resistor device includes a connection terminal member having a spring portion and holding members. The holding members secure a core wire of an inserted output line. A part of the spring portion is brought into press contact with an output electrode formed on the surface of the insulating substrate, whereby it is possible to connect the output electrode and the output line to each other without performing soldering using the connection terminal member.
FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing principal components of a focus voltage output section connecting structure of such a conventional high-voltage variable resistor. As shown in FIG. 10, an insulating substrate 2 is disposed in and fixed to an insulating case 1 with one side open, and a connecting member accommodating section 13 is provided at the base of a cylindrical output line holding section 12 which is provided on the insulating case 1.
In the connecting member accommodating section 13, a connection terminal member 8 is disposed and fixed such that a spring portion 82 thereof is brought into press contact with a focus voltage output terminal electrode (not shown) formed on the surface of the insulating substrate 2. A capacitor connecting terminal 6 is inserted from the back side of the insulating substrate 2 and is soldered to the output terminal electrode and thereby connected to the output terminal electrode. A capacitor is connected to the capacitor connecting terminal 6.
An output line for extracting focus voltage is inserted into the output line holding section 12, and the core wire of the output line is held by a plurality of holding members 81 formed on the connection terminal member 8.
However, in the above-described conventional high-voltage variable resistor, a section for soldering the capacitor connecting terminal 6 and a laterally displaced section for forming a contact with the connection terminal section 8 are necessary, so that it is necessary to form the output terminal electrode having a large size and to allocate the required space inside the connecting member accommodating section 13 for both of the above-mentioned connections inside the insulating case 1. This results in the size of the entire high-voltage variable resistor becoming rather large.
Further, when the distance between the output line holding section 12 and the surface of the insulating substrate 2 is varied, it is necessary to provide connection terminal members 8 of a variety of sizes corresponding to the variation.


An air conditioning system and a control method thereof. The air conditioning system includes: a plurality of indoor units connected in parallel; a plurality of outdoor units connected in parallel; and a coolant circulation circuit which circulates coolant through each of the indoor units connected in parallel and each of the outdoor units connected in parallel respectively, and which exchanges heat with each of the indoor units and each of the outdoor units; wherein the air conditioning system further includes a controller which, based on a number of actively operating indoor units, a total number of the indoor units and a total number of the outdoor units, defines an upper limit of a number of actively operating outdoor units, so that the flow rate of the coolant flowing through the actively operating outdoor units is not lower than a preset flow rate.

Currently, in large-scale scenarios with refrigeration requirements in commercial applications, a coolant (e.g., water) circulation circuit is usually disposed between indoor units and outdoor units to transfer cold or heat. A refrigerant circuit is also usually disposed in each outdoor units, and the refrigerant therein exchanges heat with the coolant circulation circuit through a heat exchanger (for example, a welded plate heat exchanger) in the refrigerant circuit. In this case, in order to prevent the heat exchanger from freezing due to insufficient heat absorption, a threshold value should be set for the flow rate of the coolant in the coolant circulation circuit flowing through each outdoor units. When the flow rate is below the threshold value, an alarm is triggered. However, in practical applications, for example, when a total load of the indoor units is low due to the small number of operating indoor units, if a large load is still maintained on the outdoor unit and the adjustment capability of a bypass flow path is insufficient, the aforementioned alarm will also be triggered. Because such phenomena are common, alarm will be triggered frequently, or even the system will be shut down, which greatly affects the reliability of system operation and user experience.

Air conditioning system and control method therof


A rubber-coated chain sprocket, may include a body into which a rotation shaft is inserted, a teeth bottom portion having a wave shape along the outer edge of the body, wherein the teeth bottom portion receives a chain bush therein, a shoulder portion projecting in both side directions along the inner edge of the teeth bottom, and a rubber coating portion formed of rubber material and covering the edge of the shoulder portion, wherein the rubber coating portion has projections along the outer edge at a regular interval, such that a chain plate presses and makes close contact with one of the projections.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rubber-coated chain sprocket capable of reducing noise and vibration by absorbing impact applied when a chain meshes with a sprocket.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, as an item for improving the durability of an engine, a timing chain is widely employed. However, the timing chain causes complaint by users due to noise incurred.
Such a problem is serious especially in a diesel engine because it has bigger torsional vibration transmitted from a crank shaft than a gasoline engine. Although manufacturers of vehicles that employ engines with timing chains (especially diesel engines) are seeking a solution to overcome the noise issue, there has been no breakthrough yet.
The whine noise of a chain is caused by impact applied when the chain meshes with a chain sprocket. To eliminate this, it is necessary to reduce or absorb the impact applied when the chain meshes with the sprocket.
To this end, there has been an attempt to reduce the noise by coating a sprocket with elastic material. However, with the shapes according to the related art, desired effect wasn't obtained.
The matters described as the related art have been provided only for facilitating the understanding of the background of the present invention and should not be construed as acknowledging them as the prior art already known to those skilled in the art.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.


Relatively large objects are viewed using relatively small area detectors by changing the configurations corresponding to the relative positioning of a source of cone beam imaging energy, the object which is to be viewed, and the area detector. A relatively large area detector is simulated by use of a high quality, high resolution, relatively small area detector. The simulated area detector allows imaging of objects which are too wide and/or too high for an actual area detector. The different configurations may be realized by moving the actual area detector relative to the source or by repositioning the object relative to the area detector. Movement for reconfiguration may be in a plane parallel to a plane in which a scan path is disposed if the object is too wide. If the object is too high, the reconfiguration movement would be perpendicular to a plane in which a scan path, usually circular, is located.

The present invention relates generally to three dimensional (3D) computerized tomography (CT). More particularly, the present invention relates to an arrangement for imaging relatively large objects with relatively small area detectors.
In conventional computerized tomography for both medical and industrial applications, an x-ray fan beam and a linear array detector are used. Two-dimensional (2D) imaging is achieved. While the data set may be complete and image quality is correspondingly high, only a single slice of an object is imaged at a time. When a 3D image is required, a stack of slices approach is employed. Acquiring a 3D data set one 2D slice at a time is inherently slow. Moreover, in medical applications, motion artifacts occur because adjacent slices are not imaged simultaneously. Also, dose utilization is less than optimal because the distance between slices is typically less than the x-ray collimator aperture, resulting in double exposure to many parts of the body. In 2D CT, the scanning path of the source is often a simply circular scan about the object. The linear array detector is fixed relative to the source. (Although it is usual to talk about a scan path of a source relative to the object to be imaged, it is to be appreciated that the object may be rotated or otherwise moved to provide relative motion between the object and the source.)
In a system employing true cone beam geometry for 3D imaging, a cone beam x-ray source and a 2D area detector are used. An object is scanned, preferably over a 360.degree. angular range, either by moving the x-ray source in a scanning circle or other path about the object or by rotating the object while the source remains stationary. In either case, the area detector is fixed relative to the source. The relative movement between the source and object which is to be imaged provides scanning in either case. Compared to the conventional 2D stack of slices approach to achieve 3D imaging, the cone beam geometry has the potential to achieve rapid 3D imaging of both medical and industrial objects with improved dose utilization.
The 2D area detector used for 3D imaging generally has detector elements arranged in rows and columns. Such area detectors, using an array of detector elements, have had either flat or curved geometry. In other words, the rows and columns have been arranged in a plane for flat geometry detectors and have been arranged in curves for curved geometry detectors. Available area detectors have generally been of large size and low quality, such as x-ray image intensifiers, or of small size and higher quality. High costs and other factors have made high quality, high resolution, large area 2D array detectors generally unavailable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,990, issued Jul. 16, 1991, entitled "TRANSLATE ROTATE SCANNING METHOD FOR X-RAY IMAGING," assigned on its face to the assignee of the present application, and hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a technique for two-dimensional imaging of an object which is so wide that a linear array detector is not wide enough to span the object or part which is to be viewed.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/577,163, RD-19,682, filed Sep. 4, 1990, in the name of Eberhard and Tam, entitled "CONE BEAM SCANNING TRAJECTORIES FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY DATA ACQUISITION WHERE OBJECT IS LARGER THAN THE FIELD OF VIEW," assigned to the assignee of the present application, and hereby incorporated by reference discloses a technique for avoiding corrupted data when performing 3D CT on an object larger than the field of view. (No representation is made or intended that this referenced application is necessarily prior art to the present application.)

Three dimensional computerized tomography scanning configuration for imaging large objects with smaller area detectors


A method of making a printed circuit board having zero resistance connections. Pairs of shunt pads are formed on the board, spaced sufficiently far apart to avoid short circuiting but sufficiently close to permit a solder bridge to occur between them during a solder wave process.

A Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is a mechanical assembly consisting of layers of fiberglass sheet laminated with etched copper patterns. It is used to mount electronic parts, and the etched patterns provide interconnections between components. PCBs are also known as a Printed Wiring Boards (PWBs).
If an interconnection between two points is not printed onto the PCB, an interconnections between those points may also be achieved with a zero ohm resistor, also referred to as a jumper or crossover. Conventionally, zero ohm resistors have the same two-terminal form as non zero ohm resistors, and are mounted on the circuit board in the same manner.

Solder wave process for solder shunts for printed circuit board


The invention includes an implantable epicardial defibrillator lead with a linear assembly of sensors and coils that is formed into a loop upon implanting in a patient and a method for implanting this lead on a diaphragmatic surface of the pericardium.

Implantable cardiac defibrillators include patch defibrillators with a lead configured as a patch, which is attached to the surface of the heart or embedded in the patient subcutaneously. For example, one early patch lead included a rectangular patch that is applied around the patient's heart and is implanted by performing a thoracotomy on the patient. Other modifications or additions to the early patch designs were aimed at improved performance, improved patient tolerability, and simplified implanting. Despite improvements, patch leads typically suffer from a significant degree of crinkling, migration, erosion, and other problems related to the patch. Another drawback to patch leads is the need for surgery to implant the patch lead. This results in significant levels of operative mortality and infection of the patch, which can cause a life-threatening condition. Patch leads are undesirable because of these structural problems and risk of fatal complications.
Transvenous implanting of defibrillator leads was developed as an alternative to patch defibrillators. A transvenous lead including a defibrillator coil is typically inserted via the subclavian, internal jugular, or cephalic veins. Compared to the patch defibrillator leads, the transvenous leads show a reduction of operative mortality and are easier to implant. However, many transvenous systems require several coils in the right ventricle, the superior vena cava, the innominate vein, and sometimes even in the coronary sinus. This requires numerous leads all going in the same vein. This is undesirable because of consequences such as fibrosis or occlusion of the subclavian vein, obliteration of the superior vena cava, or simply mechanical obstruction of the vein. In addition, some of the transvenous systems require placement of a patch on the chest wall to render them effective. Using a patch results in all of the potential problems of patch leads and removes many of the advantages of the transvenous lead.
Although using transvenous leads reduced mortality and the number of complications, compared to patch leads, significant problems still occurred. One major problem is that transvenous leads migrate within the patient. Removal of a transvenous lead can also be a severe problem. Some of patients receiving transvenous leads are transplant candidates who receive a transvenous defibrillator system as a temporary measure, while awaiting transplant, to prevent sudden death from arrhythmia. In this case removal may not be a problem if the lead is removed soon after implantation. However, most of the transvenous leads having been in place for several weeks or months are extremely difficult to remove to allow the implant of the donor heart.
Because an intravenous lead that has been implanted for a long time is extremely difficult to remove, they can create problems if they fail. For example, there may not be room in the vein for additional leads. Overall, removing a transvenous lead requires a risky and difficult operative procedure. Frequently, removal requires cardiopulmonary bypass.
Transvenous defibrillator leads also cause other significant complications. For example, a transvenous lead can result in thrombosis of the subclavian or innominate veins, a complication which is usually irreversible. Severe fibrosis of the leads on the endocardial surface of the heart also occurs. This increases the defibrillation thresholds and makes removal of the leads impossible. Other complications include dislodgement, right ventricular perforation, creation of ventricular septal defect, infection, right atrial thrombus formation, subclavian vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, insulation breakage, development of a crush or compression fracture of the leads, and embolization of the distal lead.
Problems related to the use of transvenous leads increase health care costs. Complications of transvenous leads result in hospital readmissions, operative lead revisions, lead replacement, and lead failures. The so-called lead crush syndrome, which is the pinching of the transvenous leads at the thoracic inlet between the clavicle and the first rib is a very well known problem, not only with defibrillators, but pacemaker systems as well. The problem of chronic subclavian vein obstruction is not a mild one and some of those patients cannot be treated, even surgically, to reestablish the patency of the vessels.
Many patients are not candidates for receiving a transvenous defibrillator. For example, patients who have had either previous transvenous systems and have developed fibrosis and/or occlusion of the subclavian vein are not candidates for further transvenous leads. Some patients develop obliteration of the superior vena cava due to multiple leads previously placed. Some patients with transvenous pacemakers of the bipolar type, which include two leads in addition to the lead used for the defibrillator, do not have room for additional leads. The innominate, subclavian, and superior vena cava veins do not have limitless capacity to take so much hardware. Other patients, such as children, simply are not candidates for transvenous defibrillator systems. Although not a large population, there are children who require defibrillator therapy and are unable to receive it because of a lack of a proper device, either of the transvenous or patch designs.
To overcome these limitations and avoid these problems, a new simple epicardial implantable defibrillator lead was developed.


A disposable plastic pump for dispensing liquids is disclosed which comprises two basic unitary, preferably all plastic, elements: a chamber forming body having an open outer end and an inner end in fluid communication with a liquid reservoir, and a piston formed to slidably fit into the chamber. The chamber forms two axially adjacent coaxial chambers, an inner chamber of one diameter and an outer chamber of a different diameter. The piston comprises a stem on which is located two spaced flexing disc each sized to fit in and serving as a one-way valve in the inner chamber and outer chamber, respectively, permitting fluids to flow outwardly past each flexing disc. A sealing disc is located on the stem outwardly of the outermost flexing disc. A passageway is provided from an inlet on the piston between the outermost flexing disc and the sealing disc through which the dispensed liquid flow.

Many pump assemblies are known for dispensing hand soap. Typically, even the simplest of these assemblies include at least four separate elements, a chamber forming body, two one-way valves and a piston. These pumps suffer the disadvantage that they have a number of individual parts and cost typically increases with the number of parts and the assembly required.
Known disposable pump assemblies for dispensing hand soap typically include at least some metal parts such as metal balls for one-way valves and metal springs to bias one-way valves closed. The inclusion of metal parts suffers the disadvantage that the pump assemblies cannot merely be ground up in plastic grinders for recycling in that the metal parts are not compatible with most plastic grinding machines.
Known hand soap dispensing systems provide replaceable receptacles for liquid soap with permanent pump assemblies to pump soap from the receptacles. This has the disadvantage that the pumps are expensive and after prolonged usage may fail or require cleaning and maintenance.


A cooking appliance includes a housing having a stowage compartment, a door for closing a cooking chamber, and a door opening mechanism constructed to automatically move the door at least in a section of an entire movement path between a closed position and an open position of the door, in which open position the door is retractable into the stowage compartment of the housing. The door opening mechanism includes an actuation unit which is configured to automatically tilt the door from the closed position into an intermediate position located such that any further movement of the door from the intermediate position into the open position is implemented automatically under the force of gravity of the door.

The invention relates to a cooking appliance comprising a door for closing a cooking chamber of the cooking appliance. The door is lowerable into a stowage compartment in a housing of the cooking appliance. The cooking appliance further comprises a door opening mechanism for automatically moving the door at least in some sections of an entire movement path extending between a closed position and an open position of the door. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method for opening such a door of a cooking appliance.
In cooking appliances it is known that the actuation of the door and thus an alteration to the position may be provided manually by a user himself, by the user directly gripping the door, in particular a handle, and bringing about the opening of the door by a pulling force. In these embodiments it is provided that the door is effectively moved over its entire movement path by the user himself into the respective positions.
In this connection it is also known that such a door is not only able to be pivoted about a fixed axis relative to the housing but that this stowage compartment is also configured in the housing of the cooking appliance, the door then being able to be inserted into said stowage compartment.
In such embodiments with a stowage compartment, the movement path of the door is relatively complex. Moreover, the hinges required therefor and the corresponding guidance of the movement of the door into the stowage compartment are more complex. Since such a door of a cooking appliance also has a relatively large weight due to thermal requirements and stability requirements, the guidance of the movement has to be designed in this case such that an undesirably hard impact does not occur.
In order to increase the user-friendliness it is also known that such a door may be moved via an electrical drive, independently of the guidance by a user and thus the direct manual movement of the door by a user. Such an embodiment is disclosed, for example, in DE 199 06 913 A1. Here the entire movement path is performed via an electrical drive until the door is fully lowered in the stowage compartment. In this embodiment, however, the electrical drive has to be designed to be correspondingly large and with a high electrical output. This is because with a relatively heavy door forces occur in the movement path which in practice then have to be taken up by the electrical drive in order to be able to guide the movement over this entire path via said drive. Such electrical drives of large dimensions require a large amount of space, a large amount of energy and, therefore, are also very cost-intensive.

Cooking appliance comprising a door opening mechanism for automatically moving a door into an intermediate position, and method for opening a door of a cooking appliance