An ink cartridge loading mechanism for a printer is disclosed for lessening the space required to place or replace an ink cartridge in an ink jet printer. To place an ink cartridge 20 in an ink cartridge loading mechanism 10 of a printer, first the ink cartridge 20 is pushed into a receptacle section 50 vertically from the top. Next, an operation lever 65 of a slide mechanism 60 is turned to slide the receptacle section 50 into contact with an ink supply needle 31 horizontally. As a result, a loading state in which the ink supply needle 31 is completely inserted into an ink supply port of the ink cartridge 20 is formed. A large amount of space in the direction of loading of the ink cartridge is not needed. Therefore, there are fewer restrictions on the location of the printer and the amount of space needed for the printer is reduced.

Printers are known which comprise an ink jet head section wherein an ink cartridge is used to supply ink to the ink jet head section. In such printers, when the ink cartridge becomes empty, it can be replaced with a full one. An ink cartridge loading mechanism comprises an ink supply needle placed at a fixed position and an ink cartridge is placed in such a manner that the ink supply needle is inserted into an ink supply port of the ink cartridge.
An ink cartridge of the structure disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. Hei 5-16378 by the present applicant is known. This ink cartridge consists of a flexible ink bag in which ink is sealed, an ink supply port leading from the ink bag, and a hard plastic case containing the ink bag. Generally, the plastic case is shaped like a flat rectangular parallelopiped and the ink supply port leading from the ink bag is exposed to the front end face of the plastic case. Therefore, the ink cartridge is placed in such a manner that the ink supply needle of the printer is inserted into the ink supply port of the ink cartridge.
To insert the ink supply needle into the ink supply port in an appropriate fashion and attach the ink supply needle, the ink cartridge needs to be moved in a sliding fashion in the direction of the needle. Generally, an ink cartridge loading part is disposed in the front or rear portion of the printer and the ink cartridge is slidable horizontally from the front or rear side, whereby it can be attached or detached.
However, in such a loading mechanism for sliding the ink cartridge in one direction from the front or rear side of the printer, it is necessary to open widely the portion of the printer having the loading mechanism. Thus, the following problems are involved:
First, in a printer adapted to replace an ink cartridge therein from the rear, the printer cannot be installed near or on a wall. In such a case, even if the footprint of the printer itself is small, a large installation space for the printer is nonetheless required.
On the other hand, in a printer adapted to replace an ink cartridge therein from the front, accessories and other equipment related to the printer cannot be placed on the front face of the printer. For example, with a printer used for POS application, input units such as a tablet, a keyboard, and a scanner and a display unit for displaying data, etc., entered through the input units may be placed in front of the printer. Thus, the printer adapted to replace an ink cartridge therein from the front requires that the accessories should be moved away when an ink cartridge is replaced; such an arrangement is not preferred from the viewpoint of ease of use.

Ink cartridge loading mechanism for a printer and a printer having the loading mechanism


If a conductive mayenite compound having a large specific surface area is obtained, the usefulness thereof in respective applications is remarkably increased. A conductive mayenite compound powder having a conduction electron density of 1015 cm−3 or more and a specific surface area of 5 m2g−1 or more is produced by: (1) a step for forming a precursor powder by subjecting a mixture of a starting material powder and water to a hydrothermal treatment; (2) a step for forming a mayenite compound powder by heating and dehydrating the precursor powder; (3) a step for forming an activated mayenite compound powder by heating the compound powder in an inert gas atmosphere or in a vacuum; and (4) a step for injecting electrons into the mayenite compound through a reduction treatment by mixing the activated mayenite compound powder with a reducing agent.

Among calcium aluminosilicates containing CaO, Al2O3, and SiO2 as components, there are substances whose mineral name is called mayenite. Compounds having the same type of crystal structure as mayenite are referred to as "mayenite compounds". Mayenite compounds have a typical composition represented by 12CaO.7Al2O2 (hereinafter represented by "C12A7"). It has been reported that a C12A7 crystal has a specific crystal structure in which two oxygen ions out of 66 oxygen ions in a unit cell including two molecules are clathrated in the form of "free oxygen" in a space of a cage formed by the crystal skeleton (NPL 1).
Since 2003, the inventors of the present invention disclosed that free oxygen ions included in mayenite compounds can be substituted with various types of anions. In particular, by maintaining C12A7 in a strong reducing atmosphere, all free oxygen ions can be substituted with electrons. C12A7 whose free oxygen ions are substituted with electrons can be represented by a chemical formula of [Ca24Al28O64]4+(e−)4 (hereinafter represented by "C12A7:e−"). Substances in which anions are substituted with electrons in this manner are referred to as "electrides", and electrides have a feature of exhibiting good electron conductivity (NPL 2).
The inventors of the present invention found that C12A7:e− including conduction electrons at a concentration of 1×1019 cm−3 or more and a compound having the same type of crystal structure as C12A7 are obtained by (A) a method that includes maintaining an isostatically pressed compact of a single crystal or a fine powder of C12A7 in an alkali metal vapor or an alkaline earth metal vapor in the range of 600° C. to 800° C., (B) a method that includes performing ion-implantation of an inert ion into a C12A7 thin film, or (C) a method that includes melting an isostatically pressed compact of a fine powder of C12A7 in a reducing atmosphere, and directly solidifying the melt (PTL 1).
The inventors of the present invention have filed patents for inventions relating to a method in which a raw material substance of a good conductive mayenite compound is melted, and the resulting melt is maintained in an atmosphere with a low oxygen partial pressure and then subjected to cooling solidification (PTL 2); and a method in which a reducing agent such as carbon, Al, or Ti is added to a powder obtained by pulverizing a sintered product prepared by maintaining a raw material powder at a high temperature to sinter the raw material powder in a solid-phase reaction, a press-molded body of the powder, or a sintered body obtained by sintering the molded body in the range of 1,200° C. to 1,350° C., and the resulting mixture is heat-treated in the range of 600° C. to 1,415° C. to provide conductivity (that is, to substitute free oxygen ions with electrons) (PTL 3 and PTL 4). Furthermore, the inventors of the present invention successfully obtained C12A7:e− that exhibits a metallic electrical conduction property by annealing a C12A7 single crystal in a metallic titanium (Ti) vapor, and have filed a patent for inventions relating to a method for producing the C12A7:e− and use of the C12A7:e− as an electron emission material (PTL 5).
Patents of inventions relating to the following methods for producing a conductive mayenite compound have been filed. Examples of the methods include a method in which a compound oxide film represented by 12Ca1-xSrxO7Al2O3 (x=0 to 1), the compound oxide film being obtained by firing a raw material of a non-aqueous solution by heating in the range of 500° C. to 1,500° C., is heated in the range of 700° C. to 1,500° C. to perform a reduction treatment (PTL 6); a method in which a mixed raw material is heated in an inert atmosphere with an oxygen partial pressure of 1,000 Pa or less or in a vacuum atmosphere in the range of 1,200° C. to 1,415° C. (PTL 7); a method in which a mixture of a raw material and a reducing agent such as metallic Al or metallic Ca is sintered in the range of 1,200° C. to 1,415° C. or melted in the range of 1,415° C. to 1,600° C. (PTL 8); and a method in which a mayenite compound powder is heated in the range of 300° C. to 1,200° C. to form a sintered body having open pores, and the sintered body is heated in a reducing atmosphere in the range of 1,200° C. to 1,450° C. (PTL 9).
Regarding C12A7:e−, which has a metallic electrical conduction property, a powder of C12A7:e− can be directly synthesized by mixing CaCO3 with Al2O3 at a ratio of 11:7, heating the mixture at 1,300° C., and heating the resulting product in a metallic Ca vapor atmosphere (NPL 3). Conductive mayenite compounds are used in electron emitters, field emission display devices, cold cathode fluorescent tubes, flat lighting devices, electron emission materials (PTL 10), electrodes for discharge lamps (PTL 11), and the like.
Furthermore, a patent for an invention relating to a mayenite compound in which some Al atoms in C12A7, which is a conductive mayenite compound, are substituted with Ga or In atoms has been filed. This mayenite compound is suitable for electrode materials that require a high-temperature heat treatment, for example, a plasma display panel (PDP) protective film material, a charge injection material in an organic electroluminescent (EL) device, and the like (PTL 12).
The inventors of the present invention have filed patents for inventions relating to a catalyst of an ammonia synthesis reaction, the catalyst including a conductive mayenite compound and a metal such as Ru or Fe supported on the conductive mayenite compound (PTL 13) and a method for reducing carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide by using a conductive mayenite compound (PTL 14). Furthermore, even C12A7 that does not have electrical conductivity has applications as a catalyst or a catalyst support. For example, it is known that a catalyst obtained by spray-drying a complex solution of a raw material and subsequently calcining the resulting product in the range of 1,300° C. to 1,400° C. for two hours or more is used as a catalyst for steam cracking reaction for producing a soft olefin (PTL 15). Recently, methods for producing a support having a large specific surface area, the methods including the steps of synthesizing a precursor by a hydrothermal method or a sol-gel method and subsequently firing the precursor, have been proposed (NPL 4 and NPL 5).
It has been reported that when C12A7 is left to stand in an atmosphere containing moisture, hydroxide ions (OH−) are clathrated in the cage and are not easily removed even at high temperatures (NPL 6).

Method for producing conductive mayenite compound powder


A vehicle state information transmission apparatus includes a warning device for issuing a warning to the driver based on information pertaining to a vehicle state detected by a vehicle state detecting device, and a vehicle state information transmission device for transmitting the information pertaining to the vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detecting device to the driver. The vehicle state information transmission device includes a tactile device, which transmits a change in the vehicle state via a vehicle operating device such as steering wheel to the driver as tactile information. The tactile device is operable in conjunction with the warning means.

Various vehicle state information transmission apparatus or systems for transmitting vehicle state information to a driver as tactile information are known as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publications (JP-A) Nos. 2005-182406, 2001-080436, 2005-041471, 2001-010518, and 2006-298166.
The vehicle state information transmission apparatus disclosed in JP-2005-182406A, as shown in FIG. 30 hereof, takes the form of a lane departure prevention apparatus 501 comprised of a visual external sensor (CCD camera) 502, a camera (sensor) controller 503, an electronic control unit ECU including a departure determining section, a warning device 504, and a brake hydraulic pressure control circuit operatively connected to the ECU and brake units associated with vehicle wheels. When the departure determining section of the ECU, on the basis of information received from the CCD camera 502, determines that the vehicle tends to cause a lane departure, the ECU controls operations of the brake hydraulic pressure control circuit and the individual brake units to perform a variable brake force control operation in which the brake force acting on each individual vehicle wheel is frequently varied to provide the driver with a departure warning in the form of vibration of a steering wheel shaft 505 of the vehicle and, at the same time, to correct the traveling course in a direction to avoid lane departure. In synchronism with the braking cycle, the warning device 504 (formed by a speaker or a buzzer) provides an audible warning sound to the driver.
However, the foregoing lane departure prevention apparatus (vehicle state information transmission apparatus) 501 is not fully satisfactory in that when the vehicle is traveling along a road with irregular road surface while passing in loud environments or playing an audio device at top volume, both the vibratory motion of the steering wheel shaft 505 and the audio warning from the warning device 504 cannot be clearly perceived by the driver.
FIG. 31 hereof shows the vehicle state information transmission apparatus disclosed in JP 2001-080436A. The disclosed apparatus takes the form of a vehicle warning apparatus 551, which comprises a doughnut-shaped rubber tube 553 arranged around a recessed peripheral portion of a steering wheel 552, and a variable pressure control device 554 connected to the rubber tube 553 for variably controlling the internal pressure of the rubber tube 553 in accordance with a command signal from an ECU so that when lowering of the tire pressure is detected, the variable pressure control device 554 operates to repeatedly increase and decrease the internal pressure of the rubber tube 553 to thereby generate minute vibration. The thus generated minute vibration is directly transmitted to the driver's hand as tactile low-tire-pressure warning information.
The vehicle warning apparatus (vehicle state information transmitting apparatus) 551 of the foregoing construction, however, necessarily involves a response time lag problem due to the use of a working fluid.
The vehicle state information transmission apparatus disclosed in JP 2005-041471A takes the form of a vehicular travel safety device configured such that the likelihood of a rear-end collision is determined by calculation based on an inter-vehicle distance determined by using a radar, and when the likelihood of a rear-end collision is determined to be critically high, a seatbelt device is automatically operated to repeatedly tighten a seatbelt and release the tightening of the seatbelt. With this arrangement, however, since a rear-end collision warning is provided to the driver by way of vibrations produced by repeated tightening of the seatbelt, a reliable perception of such vibratory warning cannot be expected for a pregnant woman driver who has no obligation to fasten a seatbelt, or a driver thickly dressed with a winder sweater and a down-jacket.
The vehicle state information transmission apparatus disclosed in JP 2001-010518A takes the form of a vehicle steering control device serving as a lane keep assistance device. The steering control device is arranged such that when the vehicle is traveling at the center of a drive lane, a small steering reaction force is provided to the driver via a steering wheel, and when the vehicle deviates or offsets leftward or rightward from the drive lane center, the steering reaction force transmitted via the steering wheel to the driver is increased to thereby providing the driver with a sensation as if the vehicle drifts across the drive lane in a direction to take up the lane deviation. However, the thus arranged vehicle state information transmission apparatus (lane keep assistance device) is disadvantageous in that increasing the steering reaction force to take up a lane departure of the vehicle will require a measurable amount of electric power if the steering reaction force is electrically produced, or involve high fuel consumption if the steering reaction force is hydraulically produced. Furthermore, due to the presence of surface irregularities, undulations, or ruts on the road surface, it is difficult for the driver to perceive whether the steering reaction force is produced by either the lane keep assistance device or the road surface profile.
FIGS. 32A to 32D hereof diagrammatically illustrate operation of the vehicle state information transmission apparatus disclosed in JP 2006-298166A. The disclosed apparatus 501 includes a tactile device 504 assembled in a vehicle steering wheel (only a flexible skin layer 503 being shown) at around the 3-o'clock position for being gripped with the right hand H of the driver. Though not shown, a similar tactile device is incorporated in the steering wheel at around the 9-o'clock position for being gripped with the driver's left hand. The tactile device 504 includes a rectangular array of actuator pins (not shown) arranged in rows X1-X4 and columns Y1-Y4 and individually drivable to undergo axial reciprocation to form a series of projections 505-508 on a front surface of the flexible skin layer 503 of the steering wheel. When the driver turns the steering wheel counterclockwise (leftward in FIG. 32A) to steer the vehicle 502 leftward, the actuator pins of the tactile device 504 operate such that a series of projections formed on the front surface of the flexible skin layer 503 of the steering wheel in parallel with the circumferential direction of the steering wheel shifts stepwise (or column by column) in a radial outward direction of the steering wheel as at 505-508 shown in FIG. 32A-32D. The thus shifting projections 505-508 produce a wavy motion advancing in the radial outward direction of the steering wheel (from left to right in FIG. 32A-32D), which is transmitted via the steering wheel to the driver as tactile vehicle steering information.
With this arrangement, however, since the wavy motion produced by the projections 505-508 using the tactile device 504 always travels in the same direction (radially outward direction of the steering wheel) regardless of the angular position (steering angle) of the steering wheel, a problem will occur in that when the steering wheel has been turned more than 90 degrees ahead of the neutral position, the traveling direction of the wavy motion relative to the turning direction of the vehicle 502 is reversed and this reversed condition will continue until the steering angle exceeds 270 degrees. Reversal of the relation-ship between the two movement directions would confuse the driver and hinders reliable perception of the tactile information by the driver.

Vehicle state information transmission apparatus using tactile device


A clamp for clamping and sealing a flexible or deformable conduit extending between a supply and a receiving or holding container. The clamp includes upper and lower sections that can be moved from an open to a closed position. In a closed position the clamp engages the flexible tube or conduit and seals the same, thereby preventing fluid from passing past the seal. The clamp includes two half sections, and can be cut and separated such that each half section clamps and seals a portion of the flexible or deformable conduit or tube. In use, the clamp is typically used to clamp and seal a flexible tube, such as a silicon tube extending between a supply and a receiving container of the type employed in handling biopharmaceutical fluids.

The handling and transfer of biotechnology and pharmaceutical compositions requires that great care be exercised to maintain these compositions free from contamination. For example, it is common to transfer these fluids or compositions from a supply tank to a sample bag. Often a silicon tube is utilized between the supply tank and the sample bag. Typically the biotechnology or pharmaceutical fluid is manufactured or stored in the supply tank. From the supply tank, the fluid or composition is pumped or directed through the silicon tube to a receiving receptacle such as a sample bag. Once the receiving receptacle or sample bag is filled, it follows that the sample bag has to be detached or decoupled from the supply. This, of course, means that the sample bag has to be decoupled or separated from the supply, or the silicon tube leading from the supply, in such a way that the contents within the sample bag is not contaminated.

Clamp and sealer for use on flexible conduits in biopharmaceutical applications


An air conditioner having an enhanced user perception and a controlling method thereof are provided. A predetermined character and/or its applied character image are/is displayed on a display window of the air conditioner. The character and/or the character image are/is changed depending on the operational states of the air conditioner, so that the user perceives the operational state of the air conditioner more conveniently. The air conditioner has advantages in that the user can perceive the operational state of the air conditioner more conveniently, the user can be stimulated to purchase the product, and a use term of the air conditioner can be extended.

An air conditioner that is generally used at home includes a manipulation part, a display window on which an operational state of the air conditioner is displayed, and a driver part having a plurality of equipments suitable for a characteristic of the air conditioner. The display window is configured to simply display the operational state of the air conditioner with digit, arrow, shade, display of liquid crystal display (LCD), and so on. Because the display window which allows a user to observe the operational state of the air conditioner, is constructed too simply, the user cannot observe the operational state of the air conditioner at a glance. In other words, the user must look at digits or arrows near the air conditioner.
Specifically, among home appliances, the air conditioner is installed in an indoor space or wall of an office or house so as to heat or cool its interior. The air conditioner includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion value and an evaporator and performs a series of a refrigeration cycle. Generally, the air conditioner has a plurality of operational states, such as a dehumidifying state, a cooling state, and a rapid cooling state. However, the user must approach the indoor unit of the air conditioner so as to identify the operational state of the air conditioner. Even if a display window is installed in an indoor unit, the user must look at an arrow or appellation of the operational state near the indoor unit. Also, the complex operational state of the air conditioner can be perceived through digits, letters, arrows, symbols, and so on.
As described above, the conventional air conditioner has drawbacks in that freshness and animation are lack because temperature, humidity and operational states are displayed in a static manner.
Also, an image displayed on the display window is predefined in a manufacturing step and cannot be changed. Therefore, the user is liable to be tired of the image and tends to purchase a new air conditioner, thereby reducing a use term of the air conditioner.
Meanwhile, a virtual reality using the Internet connected through networks has been recently in the spotlight. In such a virtual reality, individuals feel satisfied on the Internet using their own characters as the other selves. A variety of contents industries associated with them are growing. These characters are called "AVATA". Up to the present, the use of the AVATA is limited to the virtual space, which is connected through the Internet.

Air conditioner having an enhanced user perception


This invention provides a substrate structure that can effectively prevent scattering of solder balls which are produced due to explosion attributable to evaporation of flux during reflow soldering, and spreading of molten solder to the surroundings. On a substrate, a semiconductor chip is mounted via solder paste. The substrate is provided with a groove portion which continuously or discontinuously surrounds the solder paste.

When mounting a semiconductor chip on a substrate using a reflow soldering method, solder paste is used. When an amount of printed solder paste is excessive or when a force of pushing a semiconductor chip is excessively strong, the solder paste overflows from a soldered surface of the semiconductor chip and is subjected to reflow heating. This leads to formation of solder balls or uncontrollable spreading of molten solder paste to a flow area.
To deal with solder ball formation and uncontrollable spreading of molten solder paste to the flow area, conventionally, a buildup layer via-hole is provided so as to be connected to a pad on a printed circuit board, and a portion of copper plating inside the via-hole is removed to partially expose resin which is formed underneath the copper plating. This leads to forming of a via-hole inner wall portion where the resin is partially exposed. One such implementation is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-307224. In accordance with this configuration, the solder paste that overflows from the pad first, collects in the via-hole, and the molten solder in the via-hole is supplied to a necessary area at the time of reflow heating, and further the surplus solder gravitates toward the remaining conductor inside the via-hole.
However, since the conventional substrate structure is constructed so that the molten solder is drained to the inside of the via-hole which is a closed space, there is a fear that flux evaporates and increases pressure in the closed space, which causes explosion. As a result, there is also a possibility that solder balls scatter circumferentially and the semiconductor chip cannot be mounted in a desired state.
Furthermore, the conventional substrate structure is only for use in printed circuit boards, and cannot be used for a substrate where a semiconductor chip is mounted in a state in which the whole bottom surface of the semiconductor chip is in area contact with a copper plate formed in an upper surface of a substrate via solder paste. For this reason, there is no space to form a via-hole at all in the substrate.

Substrate structure, method of mounting semiconductor chip, and solid state relay


A display system may include a frame, column connection members connected to the frame, and four-sided column members positioned adjacent one another and rotatably connected to the column connection members. Each column member may include a connector and elongate display members positioned adjacent one another and pivotally connected to the connector. The display system may also include a drive assembly carried by the frame that engages the column connection members to rotate each column member so that selective display members pivot in a predetermined direction during rotation to change the shape of the column members allowing rotation thereof when positioned adjacent one another.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2A–2C, rotating signs 30 are well known in the advertising industry. More particularly, rotating billboards typically include a plurality of rotating column members 32. These column members 32 typically have a triangular shape so that they may be positioned adjacent one another and simultaneously rotated without interference from one another. More particularly, the column members 32 may be moved between first, second and third positions. FIG. 2A illustrates a column member 32 positioned in a first position, according to the prior art. FIG. 2B illustrates a column member 32 being moved between the first position, as illustrated in FIG. 2A, and a second position, as illustrated in FIG. 2C. The triangular shape of the column members 32 allows for three different advertisements to be positioned on a single billboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,321 to Weisskopf discloses a sign including a plurality of rotatable column members. More specifically, the rotatable column members have a triangular shape, and each of the column members are rotated in a circular path. Accordingly, a plurality of triangularly shaped column members may be positioned adjacent one another and still rotate in a circular path without interfering with one another. Each of the triangularly shaped column members are connected to a chain drive assembly. Movement of the chain drive assembly causes rotation of the triangularly shaped column members. Accordingly, up to three different signs, or advertisements, may be displayed on the sign.
Accordingly, a rotating billboard having triangularly shaped column members may advantageously allow simultaneous rotation of the column members while positioned adjacent one another. Of course, increasing the number of advertisements carried by a billboard may advantageously increase advertising revenue. Unfortunately, however, billboards having triangularly shaped column members are limited to displaying three advertisements. To increase the number of advertisements displayed on the billboard may require the use of a plurality of four-sided column members. Four-sided column members, however, positioned adjacent one another could not rotate in a circular path without substantial interference.
In an attempt to solve this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 1,650,205 to Grower et al. discloses a billboard system having a plurality of four-sided column members that are spaced-apart and separated by a structural frame member. Each of the column members have a plurality of panels, and the column members may be individually rotated. More specifically, one panel may be displaced in a predetermined direction to decrease the size of the column member so that an adjacent column member may rotate. In other words, one of the sides of the four-sided column member may be inwardly displaced to make room for an adjacent column member to rotate.
Another attempt to provide a display system having a rotatable four-sided column is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,362,542 to Rogers. Each column member includes four display members, and a pair of opposing curved guided walls for aligning the display members on each column member as they are rotated to a display position. The curved guide walls also act to initially pivot each display member approximately 60 degrees to allow the column member to rotate from a first display position to a second display position. This type of display system, however, is limited to displaying only two different displays.
Yet another attempt to provide a display system having a plurality of four-sided column members is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,112,921 to La Pearl. The four-sided column members in the La Pearl '921 patent are spaced-apart to facilitate rotation along a substantially circular path without interference with one another. More specifically, the sign includes a plurality of leafs to fill in the spaces between the rotating column members to provide the appearance of a continuous front display face.
There exist several different types of drive assemblies to rotate column members of a display system. For example, the Weisskopf '321 patent, discussed above, discloses a chain drive assembly to rotate column members. U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,816 to Anderson, Jr. et al. discloses a rotating sign having a cylindrical shape and a plurality of elongate louvers that rotate as the sign rotates. Rotation of each of the louvers may be accomplished using a chain drive assembly.
Another type of drive assembly for rotating an object is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,983 to Wakatake. More specifically, the drive assembly is a magnetic motor mechanism to rotate a sign 90 and/or 180-degrees. The magnetic motor includes four poles having an arcuate shape to allow for 90 and/or 180-degree rotation of the object.


In a water turbine having a distributor with adjustable guide vanes and a runner having adjustable runner blades, optimization of the operating parameters is performed indirectly in that fluctuations in intensity of the generator output or the bearing oscillations of the water turbine are determined without taking account of the absolute values and are set or adjusted to a minimum.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a new and improved apparatus and method for optimizing the operating parameters of a water turbine coupled to an electrical generator. Generally speaking, the water turbine is of the type comprising a distributor having adjustable guide vanes and a runner having adjustable runner blades. The positioning of the guide vanes of the distributor is varied in accordance with the positioning of the runner blades of the runner.
2. Discussion of Background and Material Information
Water turbines are typically utilized with a generator to obtain electric power with optimum efficiency from a moving stream of water, which may have either a given or variable flow rate and velocity, and a differing height of fall. In order to attain the maximum possible efficiency in energy conversion, it is necessary to appropriately optimize the operating parameters of the water turbine (which include, among other things, the respective positionings of the guide vanes and runner blades). In particular, the positioning of the guide vanes of the distributor must be accurately adjusted for each given position of the runner blades of the runner, while taking into account other operating conditions of the turbine.
In double-regulated water turbines, such as Kaplan or tubular type water turbines, however, optimization of the operating parameters presents several difficulties in practice, and generally results in considerable expense.
A known method of determining the optimum operating parameters of a water turbine is described, for instance, in DE 935 540. The positioning of the guide vanes is set as a function of the generator output. However, with this known method, the determination of the optimum association of the distributor with a given runner position involves considerable effort and expense. To this end, field tests are performed in which different guide vane positions are operated with step-wise adjustment for a given runner blade position. This yields a so-called propeller curve. A plurality of successive propeller curves are attained across the entire power range. An enveloping curve is then placed over the propeller curves to determine, by use of the tangent points which contact the propeller curves, the optimum association between the guide vane and runner blade positions.
The following parameters are necessary to determine these propeller curves:
1. The turbine output, determined from the generator output;
2. the difference in height (i.e., the height of fall) between the upper and lower water levels; and
3. the flow (stream) of water.
The generator output and height of fall can be determined with little difficulty and with sufficient accuracy and consistency. In addition, these parameters are usually already available in the form of a permanent signal. However, accurate recording of the water flow is known to be quite difficult and thus considerably expensive. The water flow can be recorded in various ways, such as with current-meter measurements, ultrasound, flow probes, etc.
The Winther-Kennedy differential pressure method of measurement is a conventional technique for measuring the water flow and is usually used. In so doing, the differing velocity in the spiral is used according to the law of angular momentum. The measurement, made at two sampling bores in the spiral, at different radial distances from the turbine axis, yields a differential pressure which depends upon the flow (stream) of water.
There are a number of disadvantages associated with the differential pressure method of measurement. For example, great care must be taken to obtain reliable measured values. Care must be taken to provide good aeration, and silting-up of the measuring bores, etc. must be avoided. A reliable, well-functioning measurement of differential pressure is also difficult to obtain for an operational long-term measuring apparatus. Moreover, in many installations, in particular those of older construction, no differential pressure measurement connections are provided in the spiral.
If additional turbines are connected or disconnected as a result of a change in the rate of water or due to increased or reduced demand for electricity, the optimum operating parameters will change, and a new series of measurements must be performed to determine the altered optimum operating parameters.
Attempts have been made, without much success, to automate setting of the optimum operating parameters described above and thus to shorten the measuring times. Furthermore, attempts have been made to perform model experiments instead of the large-scale production trial. However, these attempts have not always resulted in optimum operating parameters which sufficiently correlate with actual practice.

Method and apparatus for optimizing the operating parameters of a double-regulated water turbine


There is provided a catadioptric projection objective that includes (a) an object plane having a rectangular object field, and (b) a beam splitter situated in a light path after the object plane, having a rectangular surface adapted to the object field and having an aspect ratio not equal to 1.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a catadioptric projection objective with an object plane having a rectangular object field, a beam splitter, a concave mirror, an image plane, a first lens assembly, a second lens assembly, and a third lens assembly, where the first lens assembly is arranged between the object plane and the beam splitter. A preferred use of such a projection objective is the imaging of an object with light of a wavelength of ≦258 nm.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For projection exposure devices, with which patterns of photomasks or reticles, which are designated below in general as masks, are projected onto semiconductor wafers or glass substrates and exposed, optical projection systems of maximum resolution are used. In order to further reduce pattern width, which is substantially limited by resolution that is in turn limited by diffraction, preferably vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) rays with a wavelength of ≦258 nm are used for the smallest structures. A projection system for use in the deep UV region has become known from EP 0 475,020 A2.
The system shown in EP 0 475,020 A2 comprises at least a catadioptric system as well as a dioptric system. A mask to be imaged lies directly on a beam splitter, preferably a cube. A portion of light is reflected by the catadioptric system and deflected to the dioptric system by means of the beam splitter.
It is a disadvantage of the arrangement according to EP 0 475,020, that only intensity beam splitters are used on the one hand, and that, on the other hand, the object to be imaged is arranged directly on the beam splitter.
The use of intensity beam splitters has the disadvantage that only a fraction, for example, 25%, of the light passing through the mask reaches the object to be exposed, in the present case, the wafer.
A catadioptric projection system with intermediate image has become known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,066. Beam splitting is produced geometrically by means of a deflecting mirror. The deflecting mirror has an aperture or opening in its center and therefore serves as a diaphragm for a beam reflected from a catadioptric part at a concave mirror. The system according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,066 is constructed in such a way that an intermediate image is formed in a diaphragm plane of the deflecting mirror.
Another system with a geometric beam splitter, which is designed as a deflecting mirror, has become known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,802. A projection objective known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,802 also involves an intermediate image, wherein the intermediate image is formed in front of a catadioptric lens assembly in a region of a first lens assembly. It is a disadvantage in the system known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,802 that this arrangement necessarily involves an off-axis system due to the geometric beam splitting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,079 involves a system with a polarizing optical beam splitter. A change of direction of polarization of a beam reflected by a concave mirror in a catadioptric lens assembly is provided by means of induced birefringence.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,952 shows a system with a polarizing optical beam splitter, wherein a change in direction of polarization is achieved in a catadioptric lens assembly by means of a λ/4 plate.
DD-C-215,179 also shows a system with a beam splitter. The beam splitter is formed as a partially transparent beam splitter cube. The system according to DD-C-215,179 has two identical mirrors at two of four sides of the beam splitter cube, which are perpendicular to a pre-given plane, as well as two dioptric subassemblies at the other two sides of the beam splitter cube. The dioptric subassemblies are designed such that a Petzval sum of the two systems extensively compensates that of the mirrors.
A catadioptric projection objective without intermediate image has become known from EP-A-0 350,955, in which a first lens group or a first lens assembly is provided between an object, i.e., a reticle, and a beam splitter; a second lens group is provided between the beam splitter and a concave mirror; and a third lens group is provided between the beam splitter and an image plane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,805 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,333 show a catadioptric objective with an intermediate image and a beam splitter as well as at least two lens assemblies, whereby the lens assemblies are constructed in such a way that the intermediate image comes to lie in a vicinity of the beam splitter surface of the beam splitter. According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,805, a beam splitter, for example, a beam splitter cube, is used as the beam splitter. U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,333 shows a use of a mirror as a geometric beam splitter.
A disadvantage in the systems with geometric beam splitting is that this involves an off-axis system. Both the system known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,805 as well as the one known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,333 have a very large range of angles of incidence of back-reflecting beams from a concave mirror impinging on a surface of a beam splitter.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,997 shows a system similar to that of U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,805 and that of U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,333 with two intermediate images, wherein one intermediate image again comes to lie in a vicinity of a beam splitter, so that large angles of incidence occur at the beam splitter.
Due to the large range of angles of the radiation impinging on the beam splitter layer, quality of the image is reduced, since reflectivity and transmission of the beam splitter layer depend on an angle of incidence on the beam splitter layer, and different intensity distributions result with different angles of incidence.
In order to avoid this disadvantage, EP-A-0 602,923 proposes providing a lens in front of a beam splitter, by means of which radiation impinging on the beam splitter is made parallel.
A beam path that is made parallel is also realized in a catadioptric projection system known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,125. A disadvantage of the arrangement according to EPA-0 602,923 and that of U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,125 is that positive refractive power of a mirror in a catadioptric part is not compensated. This means that a beam that impinges on a beam splitter layer is parallel, but such is not so for a beam that is back-reflected after reflection at a concave mirror. In one direction, therefore, rays impinging onto the beam splitter layer have a large range of angles of incidence than do rays impinging from the other direction. This has the consequence that a pure splitting into polarization directions cannot be achieved. Double images and a loss of contrast are a result of this effect.
In order to minimize an angle of incidence on a beam splitter layer, DE-A-4,417,489 proposes to arrange at least one convergent lens that makes a light beam impinging onto the beam splitter layer parallel and a divergent lens group having a divergent lens after the beam splitter in a catadioptric lens assembly, in order to compensate for an effect of the convergent lens for making the beam impinging onto the beam splitter layer parallel. In addition, another convergent lens is provided on an image side after a beam splitter prism in order to compensate for an effect of the divergent lens group in a case of a beam reflecting back from a concave mirror in double passage.


An array of fuel cell systems are electrically couplable in series and/or parallel combinations to provide a variety of output powers, output current and/or output voltages. The fuel cell systems are “hot swappable” and redundant fuel cell systems may automatically replace faulty fuel cell systems to maintain output power, current and/or voltage, with or without switching. The configuration of fuel cell systems may be automatic and may be based on desired power, current and/or voltage, and/or based on the operating parameters of the fuel cell systems and/or power supply system.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure generally relates to fuel cell systems and electric power plants incorporating them, and more particularly to power plants including one or more arrays of fuel cell systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrochemical fuel cells convert fuel and oxidant to electricity. Solid polymer electrochemical fuel cells generally employ a membrane electrode assembly ("MEA") which includes an ion exchange membrane or solid polymer electrolyte disposed between two electrodes typically comprising a layer of porous, electrically conductive sheet material, such as carbon fiber paper or carbon cloth. The MEA contains a layer of catalyst, typically in the form of finely committed platinum, at each membrane electrode interface to induce the desired electrochemical reaction. In operation, the electrodes are electrically coupled for conducting electrons between the electrodes through an external circuit. Typically, a number of MEAs are electrically coupled in series to form a fuel cell stack having a desired power output.
In typical fuel cells, the MEA is disposed between two electrically conductive fluid flow field plates or separator plates. Fluid flow field plates have flow passages to direct fuel and oxidant to the electrodes, namely the anode and the cathode, respectively. The fluid flow field plates act as current collectors, provide support for the electrodes, provide access channels for the fuel and oxidant, and provide channels for the removal of reaction products, such as water formed during fuel cell operation. The fuel cell system may use the reaction products in maintaining the reaction. For example, reaction water may be used for hydrating the ion exchange membrane and/or maintaining the temperature of the fuel cell stack.
The stack's capability to produce current flow is a direct function of the amount of available reactant. Increased reactant flow increases reactant availability. The stack voltage varies inversely with respect to the stack current in a non-linear mathematical relationship. The relationship between stack voltage and stack current at a given flow of reactant is typically represented as a polarization curve for the fuel cell stack. A set or family of polarization curves can represent the stack voltage-current relationship at a variety of reactant flow rates.
In most practical applications, it is desirable to maintain an approximately constant voltage output from the fuel cell stack. One approach is to employ a battery electrically coupled in parallel with the fuel cell system to provide additional current when the demand of the load exceeds the output of the fuel cell stack and to store current when the output of the fuel cell stack exceeds the demand of the load, as taught in commonly assigned pending U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 10/017,470 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Controlling Voltage From a Fuel Cell System" Ser. No. 10/017,462 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Multiple Mode Control of Voltage From a Fuel Cell System" and Ser. No. 10/017,461 entitled "Fuel Cell System Multiple Stage Voltage Control Method and Apparatus", all filed Dec. 14, 2001.
The many different practical applications for fuel cell based power supplies require a large variety of different power delivery capabilities. In most instances it is prohibitively costly and operationally inefficient to employ a power supply capable of providing more power than required by the application. It is also costly and inefficient to design, manufacture and maintain inventories of different power supplies capable of meeting the demand of each potential application (e.g., 1 kW, 2 kW, 5 kW, 10 kW, etc.). Further, it is desirable to increase the reliability of the power supply, without significantly increasing the cost. Thus, a less costly, less complex and/or more efficient approach to fuel cell based power supplies is desirable.

Method and apparatus for fuel cell systems


When traveling to a destination reported in a television broadcast or the like, the user has had to make a memo while watching the television and, when actually traveling by car, the user has had to enter necessary information into an in-vehicle terminal by looking at the memo. A broadcast provider broadcasts a travel program together with travel destination information related to it, and a television terminal presents the received broadcast and travel destination information to the user. If the user desires to travel to the destination thus presented, the television terminal downloads the received travel destination information into a memory card. When the user goes out by car at a later date, the in-vehicle information terminal acquires the travel destination information from the memory card, a route setting section sets the route by using travel destination location information contained in the travel destination information, and a communication section acquires real-time information by using a method of connection to a real-time information having the travel destination information.

In recent years, BS digital broadcasting using broadcasting satellites has been entering commercial service. In digital broadcasting, not only is program video transmitted, but tagged information is also broadcasted which is called data broadcasting. This information includes, for example, real-time information such as news and weather forecasts, detailed information related to program content and advertised merchandise, and the URLs of their related Internet home pages. Furthermore, by connecting a television terminal to the broadcaster via a telephone line, the user can respond to a quiz program, can participate in an opinion poll conducted in a program, or can transmit real-time information on which program or which advertisement the user is watching.
A technology for transmitting the URLs of Internet home pages to television terminals in such data broadcasting is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H10-164529. This prior art technology enables the television terminal to connect to the Internet by using the URL transmitted via digital broadcasting and to bring the desired home page onto the display for viewing. Furthermore, information related to the travel spot currently being broadcast on television or radio, such as a spa, a theme park, or a restaurant that offers good-tasting food, can also be broadcast as a data broadcast together with video, and further detailed information. The detailed information may include the travel destination, reservation status, etc., which can be obtained by using the URL provided by the data broadcast.
On the other hand, a technology for providing various pieces of travel destination information (route guidance, sightseeing information, etc.) to in-vehicle information terminals via the Internet is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-215211. According to this prior art technology, travel destination information is described in XML (extensible Markup Language), an Internet description language, to perform various kinds of control such as the generation of a display and voice guidance on the in-vehicle information terminal.
However, with the above prior art technologies, data received by a television terminal can only be used on that television terminal. That is, the home page offering the various kinds of travel destination information, which is specified by the URL received by the television terminal via data broadcasting, can only be accessed from that television terminal. As a result, when the user travels by car at a later date to the place reported in the broadcast, the user has to go through the following procedure if he wants to set the destination into the in-vehicle information terminal or to access the home page offering the travel destination information from the in-vehicle information terminal.
First, the user jots down the address, telephone number, map, URL, etc. of a travel destination broadcasted in the program on memo paper. Then, when traveling by car at a later date, the user, while looking at the handwritten memo, sets the destination into the in-vehicle information terminal or enters the URL of the travel destination information and accesses the home page providing real-time information. In this way, the user has had to go through the cumbersome procedure of entering the necessary information into the in-vehicle information terminal by looking at the handwritten memo. Furthermore, there has been the problem that the user may fail to enter the destination information correctly, for example, because he had jotted down the wrong information or, if the memo is lost, the user has to rely on vague memory and, in the worst case, has to abandon the plan to drive to that place.
In this way, when actually traveling by car, if the user wants to use navigational information such as the travel destination information obtained from a broadcast program, the user has to go to the trouble of manually re-entering the navigational information.
Furthermore, when actually traveling by car, if the user wants to use navigational information such as the travel destination information obtained from a broadcast program, there is the possibility that since the necessary information has to be re-entered manually, the navigational information may be entered incorrectly, or the navigational information itself may be lost.

System, navigation method, medium, and information set

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A tilt adjusting apparatus including a digital signal processor, a first drive integrated circuit, and a tilt adjuster. When an optical recording medium is loaded into a deck, the digital signal processor outputs a focus control signal to control a focus of an optical recording medium, measures a tilt with respect to the optical recording medium, and outputs a tilt adjustment signal and a switch control signal so as to adjust the tilt. The first drive integrated circuit either synthesizes the tilt adjustment signal and the focus control signal or receives only the focus control signal according to the switch control signal and then outputs the synthesized signal or the focus control signal to the optical pickup. The tilt adjuster synthesizes the tilt adjustment signal output from the first drive integrated circuit and the focus control signal and then outputs the synthesized signal to the optical pickup.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for recording data and/or reproducing data from an optical recording medium, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for adjusting a tilt occurring due to the inclination of an optical recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical pickup unit must be perpendicular to a recording surface of an optical recording medium to effectively read signals from the optical recording medium. However, the optical recording medium may angle, or incline, when manufacturing and using the same. Thus, a tilt adjusting apparatus should be adopted to prevent such a tilt with respect to the optical recording medium.
Such a tilt adjusting apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,836.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of a conventional tilt adjusting apparatus. Referring to FIG. 1, a digital signal processor (DSP) 100 outputs a focus output drive (FOD) signal to a drive integrated circuit (IC) 101, so that an optical pickup 102 precisely focuses a light spot on a recording surface of an optical recording medium (not shown) at a predetermined distance from the recording surface. The drive IC 101 generates and outputs positive and negative FOD signals to adjust a tilt with respect to the optical recording medium. Here, the positive and negative FOD signals are generated so that the optical pickup 102 moves according to directions of current flowing through coils (not shown) inside the optical pickup 102 so as to keep the predetermined distance from the optical recording medium and the optical pickup 102.
In the conventional tilt adjusting apparatus, the optical pickup 102 only moves up and down. Thus, when the optical recording medium angles, or inclines, a laser diode (not shown) of the optical pickup 102 cannot be perpendicular to the recording surface of the optical recording medium. Accordingly, since aberration occurs due to the angling, or inclination of the optical recording medium, the optical pickup 102 cannot properly pick up data (i.e., record or reproduce) from the optical recording medium.


A bridge coupling for connecting between a drill pipe and an upper tubular member, such as a kelly cock safety valve in a drill rig and an actuator mechanism for the coupling. The bridge coupling permits rapid and accurate coupling at lower torque levels than with prior couplings. The coupling basically includes a stem having a lower male threaded end adapted to connect with female threads on the upper end of a drill pipe and a threaded upper end adapted to connect with an upper member on a drill rig. A shoulder sleeve surrounds and is secured to the stem intermediate the ends thereof. A spacer sleeve surrounds the stem at the lower stem end, spaced from the shoulder sleeve. A shoulder on a spacer sleeve engages the upper edge of the drill pipe when the drill pipe is threaded onto the stem to low torque, typically by a kelly spinner. An actuator sleeve surrounding the stem and shoulder sleeve is movable to drive a wedge ring between the stem and shoulder ring, tensioning the stem and loading the shoulder engaging the pipe end to provide the required forces locking the pipe in place. A bridge coupler actuator includes an upper fork adapted to engage the stem and a lower fork adapted to engage the actuator sleeve. A hydraulic cylinder system forces the lower fork away from the upper fork to make the connection and toward the upper fork to break the connection. A locking spring ring is provided to lock the connection in the engaged position and prevent accidental opening of the connection under vibration and automatically open when the connection is broken.

This invention relates in general to drill pipe handling apparatus used in oil and gas drilling rigs and, more specifically, to an improved bridge coupler for drill pipe and an actuator therefor.
A wide variety of devices have been used for handling and interconnecting drill pipe in oil and gas drilling rigs over the years. Connections between lengths of pipe must be capable of being made and broken rapidly, positively and safely. The threaded connections between the conventionally threaded pipe ends and a pipe coupler must be made to a high level of torque and must be protected against accidental separation due to the effects of pipe string rotation, vibration and the like. The conventional kelly spinner system used to thread pipe to couplers does not provide the high level of torque required today for direct threaded connections.
Modern high efficiency drilling equipment requires improved couplings. Top drive assemblies of the sort shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,179 and side drive type assemblies of the sort shown in U.S. Pat. 4,875,529 both impart considerable torque to the drive string. These drilling systems permit an operator to drill with a triple stand of pipe, rather than a single stand as with a conventional kelly bushing drill rig. These systems permit a driller to ream the hole as the pipe string is pulling out of, or running into, the hole. During such reaming, the driller rotates the pipe string. This imparts significant torque to the couplings.
When reaming out of the hole, the top connection of each triple stand is broken out high in the derrick, while when running into the hole the top connection must also be made high in the derrick. This requires the make up and break out equipment to be located towards the top of the derrick. Complex or bulky make and break devices, or those requiring high torque, are inconvenient and difficult to provide at that location.
Attempts have been made to provide lower torque couplings for these situations, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,915. While providing some benefit, these couplings still require substantial torque and do not fully provide effective locking of the made up connection against accidental separation due to vibration or the like. The actuator systems for these couplings is often complex, difficulty to operate and may not provide the required connection reliability.
Thus, there is a continuing need for compact, reliable, pipe coupling systems requiring less torque for making up and breaking connections and providing more reliable connections.

Drill string bridge coupler and actuator


The invention has for its object to provide a transmission type illumination device for a stereomicroscope capable of observing objects over a wide magnification range wherein a diffuser that provides a surface light source and an optical element having a periodical structure in a one-dimensional direction are used in combination thereby achieving illumination with reduced field variations. This device is at least made up of, in order from a light source, a collector lens, a diffuser and a convex lens 4b. In the vicinity of the lens 4b located nearest to the side of a viewing surface 5, there is provided an optical element having a periodical structure in a one-dimensional direction. With respect to the angle α for splitting the incident light beam, the optical element 7 having a periodical structure in a one-dimensional direction satisfies the condition 0.5D/L<tanα<0.9D/L where D is the effective diameter of the secondary light source, and L is the distance from the optical element having a periodical structure in a one-dimensional direction to the secondary light source.

The present invention relates generally to a transmission type illumination device for stereomicroscopes and a stereomicroscope, and more particularly to a transmission type illumination device for a stereomicroscope that can incorporate a viewing optical arrangement comprising a pair of left and right zooming optical systems toward the front of a microscope or a viewing optical system comprising an objective lens common to a pair of left and right zooming optical systems to view stereoscopic images.
Transmission type illumination devices for stereomicroscopes known so far in the art comprise an optical element having a periodical structure in a one-dimensional direction (hereinafter called the prism sheet) or a similar member for the purpose of making improvements in illumination variations and illumination efficiency, as typically set forth in the following patent publications 1 and 2.
Patent Publication 1
JP-U 51-82466
Patent Publication 2
JP-A 5-40226
For stereomicroscopes, there is now a growing demand toward having a much wider range of variable viewing magnification. FIGS. 5(a), 5(b) and 5(c) are illustrative of how to vary magnification by means of a zoom lens (not shown). That is, there are shown optical paths of back ray tracing for the light beams necessary for illumination of the whole field of view from an objective lens 6 to a diffuser 3 in the illumination system. Reference numeral 1 stands for a light source, 2 a collector lens, 3 a diffuser, 4a a convex lens located in the vicinity of the diffuser 3, 4b a convex lens located in the vicinity of a viewing surface 5, 5 a viewing surface (or viewing position), 6 an objective lens, p a pupil of a viewing system, and p′ a positive conjugate to p.
As can be seen from FIG. 5, the position p′ conjugate to the pupil p of the viewing system and its magnitude change largely with a magnification change by the zoom lens located in the viewing optical system, and the angle of incidence on the diffuser 3 of a light beam arriving at each point on the field of view varies. Generally, the reason the magnitudes of the pupil p and p′ vary for each magnification is that as the magnification of the viewing optical system becomes high, its angular aperture becomes large.
The above phenomena become much more noticeable when this zoom lens is used in combination with the objective lens 6 having a different focal length to enlarge the range of magnification where images can be viewed. Until now it is still difficult to achieve illumination with reduced field variations by means of a single arrangement while light beams are allowed to meet the requirements for the pupil p and p′ over such a wide magnification range.
FIG. 6(a) is illustrative of optical paths from a light source 1 to an objective lens 6-100 in a stereomicroscope on which the objective lens 6-100 having a long focal length (f=100 mm) is mounted. As shown, there is provided a collector lens 2 for converting light from the light source 1 to a generally parallel light beam, a diffuser 3 for receiving a light beam from the collector lens 2 to form a secondary light source of surface shape, and a convex lens system comprising a convex lens 4a located near the diffuser 3 for converting a light beam diverging from the diffuser 3 into a converging light beam to be directed to an object on a viewing surface 5 and a convex lens 4b located near the viewing surface 5.
When the objective lens 6-100 has a long focal length (f=100 mm) as shown in FIG. 6(a), there is no shading because a light beam reaching the periphery of the field of view of the viewing surface 5 is guided to the diffuser 3 as viewed in back ray tracing. When an objective lens 6-50 having a short focal length (f=50 mm) is provided as shown in FIG. 6(c), however, shading occurs because a light beam reaching the periphery of the field of view of a viewing surface 5 deviates from the illumination optical system, as viewed in back ray tracing. Referring here to FIG. 6(b) wherein an objective lens 6-75 has an intermediate focal length (f=75 mm), there is again no shading because a light beam reaching the periphery of the field of view of a viewing surface 5 is guided to a diffuser 3 as viewed in back ray tracing.

Transmission type illumination device for stereomicroscopes, and stereomicroscope


A mixture containing methyldichlorosilane, tetrachlorosilane, and trichlorosilane is distilled to fractionate a fraction with a higher content of methyldichlorosilane than the mixture before distillation. Subsequently, the fraction thus fractionated is heated to disproportionate chlorine between methyldichlorosilane and tetrachlorosilane to disproportionate methyldichlorosilane into methyltrichlorosilane. Subsequently, the fraction after disproportionation containing methyltrichlorosilane is purified by distillation to separate high-purity trichlorosilane. Having a close boiling point to that of trichlorosilane (32° C.), which is a target product to be purified by distillation, removal of methyldichlorosilane (boiling point of 41° C.) has been difficult. The present invention removes methyldichlorosilane more easily by converting it into methyltrichlorosilane (boiling point of 66° C.) through disproportionation of chlorine between methyldichlorosilane and tetrachlorosilane.

Trichlorosilane (HSiCl3) has long been used as a raw material for high-purity polycrystalline silicon, which is used for the production of silicon wafers, and the like. As to the technique for obtaining trichlorosilane, many synthetic methods are known, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-73617 (Patent Literature 1) discloses an invention relating to a method for producing trichlorosilane, advantageously characterized in that the by-product silicon tetrachloride is efficiently converted into trichlorosilane in the production of trichlorosilane.
Other known methods for producing trichlorosilane include a direct method in which metallurgical grade silicon is allowed to contact hydrogen chloride at a temperature of about 250° C. or higher (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-208217 (Patent Literature 2) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-169514 (Patent Literature 3), and the like), a method for reducing silicon tetrachloride to trichlorosilane by reacting it with hydrogen in the presence of metallurgical grade silicon (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-36318 (Patent Literature 4)), a method in which, using copper silicide in place of the metallurgical grade silicon, silicon tetrachloride is reduced to trichlorosilane by reacting it with hydrogen in the presence of the copper silicide (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-29813 (Patent Literature 5)), and the like.
Meanwhile, an impurity such as phosphorus or boron acts as a donor or acceptor in a silicon crystal. Thus, when these dopant components are present in the raw material polycrystalline silicon used for the production of semiconductor, they will be taken up in the final silicon wafer product. For this reason, for the production of semiconductor grade polycrystalline silicon, high-purity trichlorosilane obtained through precise distillation is used.
In connection with the these manufacturing technologies for high-purity trichlorosilane, a method for separating and removing the aforementioned dopant components in advance before distillation of trichlorosilane by converting them into an easily separable form with a getter and the like is also proposed (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-250317 (Patent Literature 6)).
Further, carbon impurities in silicon crystals form an impurity level within the band gap and act as a carrier trap, accelerate the formation of precipitation nuclei of oxygen in the crystals to induce defects in the production process of semiconductor devices, and the like. In view of the above, carbon impurity content is also a problem in semiconductor grade polycrystalline silicon.
Carbon impurities contaminating polycrystalline silicon may include carbon-containing compounds derived from a carbon member used in a CVD reactor which is employed for deposition of polycrystalline silicon, carbon-containing compounds contained in trichlorosilane or hydrogen, and the like. However, it is not easy to produce trichlorosilane from which carbon-containing compounds have been sufficiently removed.
This is due to the following reasons: Because metal silicone used for direct synthesis of trichlorosilane is produced in an arc furnace using a carbon electrode, it has a purity of only about 99% and includes carbon as an impurity. Also, because the product for trichlorosilane synthesis flowing out of a CVD reactor contains methylchlorosilanes derived from the carbon member inside the CVD reactor, trichlorosilane purified by distillation still contains a trace amount of the aforementioned carbon-derived methylchlorosilanes. For example, when a carbon impurity-containing product produced in an arc furnace using a carbon electrode is used as the metallurgical grade silicon, lower boiling methylchlorosilanes will be mixed in an amount of about several tens of ppm in terms of weight ratio as the carbon impurity-derived by-product.
Particularly, removal of methyldichlorosilane is difficult because it is not only the main component of methylchlorosilanes that are mixed in as described above but also its boiling point (41° C.) is close to that of trichlorosilane (32° C.), which is a target product to be purified by distillation.


The present invention provides methods for detecting a predisposition for stroke in individuals by correlating allelic variants of the phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) gene and hypertension status. The invention further contemplates kits and computer program products for detecting PDE4D polymorphisms indicative of a predisposition for stroke correlated with an individual's hypertension status.

Recently the phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) gene has been identified as a risk factor for ischemic stroke (Gretarsdottir, et al., Am J Hum Genet (2002) 70:593-603). Gretarsdottir et al. (2002) conducted a whole genome scan and found a linkage peak (LOD=4.4) on chromosome 5q121. Fine-mapping and association studies identified PDE4D as the gene linked to ischemic stroke in an Icelandic population (Gretarsdottir, et al., Nat Genet (2003) 35:131-138). Furthermore, mRNA levels of several PDE4D isoforms in transformed B-lymphocytes varied significantly between stroke cases and controls (Gretarsdottir, et al., (2003), supra).
PDE4D is a large gene that spans 1.5 Mb and has at least 22 exons and eight splice variants (Gretarsdottir, et al., (2003), supra; Wang, et al., Cell Signal (2003) 15:883-891; and Bolger, et al, Biochem J (1997) 328:539-548). PDE4D hydrolyzes cyclic AMP (cAMP) (Conti, et al., J Biol Chem (2003) 278:5493-5496) and is expressed in multiple tissues with varying expression patterns of the splice variants (Wang, et al., supra). PDE4D is found in brain, lung, kidney, macrophages, monocytes, B- and T-lymphocytes, and vascular smooth muscle cells (Bolger, et al., supra; Conti, et al., supra; and Pan, et al, Biochem Pharmacol (1994) 48:827-835). Several studies have reported PDE4D involvement in inflammation, proliferation, and migration, processes implicated in stroke occurrence (Ariga, et al., J Immunol (2004) 173:7531-7538; Miro, et al, Biochem Biophys Res Commun (2000) 274:415-421; Palmer, et al., Circ Res (1998) 82:852-861; Pan, et al, supra; and Johnson-Mills, et al., Biochem Pharmacol (1998) 56:1065-1073).
The association of specific PDE4D SNPs and haplotypes with stroke was initially identified in an Icelandic population (Gretarsdottir, et al., (2003), supra). However, until the present invention, the associations of specific PDE4D SNPs and microsatellites with stroke in specific subpopulations have not been evaluated. The present application addresses this need.

Association of PDE4D allelic variants with stroke


The present disclosure provides an intelligent pill box, including a pill box main body, an alarm, and a vibration sensor. The pill box main body is configured to store pills. The alarm is disposed in the pill box main body, and the alarm is configured to remind a user to take the pills. The vibration sensor is disposed on the pill box main body, and the vibration sensor is configured to turn off the alarm when the vibration sensor detects that the pill box main body is rotated. The intelligent pill box may intelligently turn off the alarm, which is convenient for a user to use.

Elderly people or people suffering from serious illnesses often need to quantitatively take various pills at regular intervals every day, and they often need help from others in order to correctly take the pills on time. However, even with the help of others, it is still easy to miss or forget to take the pills. In order to help patients regularly and quantitatively take the pills, various intelligent pill boxes appear on market, which are still not intelligent enough.


The present invention is directed to a process for preparing the following compound ##STR1## which is prepared starting from ##STR2## which is reacted succesively with 4-iodobenzyl or 4-bromobenzyl bromide, hydrazine and 1,4-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadiene, reduced and reacted with phenyltetrazole or suitably protected phenyltetrazole followed by removal

Industrial Field of Utilization
The present invention relates to a process for producing an imidazole derivative. More particularly, it relates to a process for producing an imidazole derivative represented by the chemical formula [I]: ##STR3## which is useful for hypertension, congestive heart failure, renal failure, glaucoma, hyperuricemia and the like, in which complicated steps are avoided.
The above compound is an angiotensin II antagonist and is thus useful as an agent for preventing or treating hypertension, congestive heart failure, renal failure, glaucoma, hyperuricemia and the like. The present inventors have found that drugs of this class have longer shelf life, higher activity, rapid manifestation of action upon intravenous injection, good absorbability into the body upon oral administration, lower toxicity and long-lasting action. These novel compounds are imidazole derivatives having the hydrazine cross-linking structure represented by the formula: ##STR4## as described in Japanese Patent Application No. 3-277537, No. 3-323474, No. 4-095191 and No. 4-216809 and published PCT application WO 93/08193, published Apr. 29, 1993, which claims the benefit thereof. In the above applications, we reported the imidazole derivative [I] represented by the chemical formula: ##STR5## had particularly good effects. And we disclosed, in the above patent applications and Japanese Patent Application No. 5-060067, that this imidazole derivative can be synthesized according to the following route (Reaction scheme 1). In the route, a compound (1) is first protected with benzyl group, and after a few steps, the protected compound is debenzylated by hydrogenolysis to give a compound (4) and thereafter, a biphenyltetrazole part is linked thereto to give an end compound [I]. However, the above route has the problems in production efficacy and economical properties. In this regard, Richard F. Shuman et al. reported an improved process for producing biphenyltetrazoles which are an intermediate useful for production of angiotensin II antagonist in U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,814. ##STR6##

Process for producing imidazole derivative


A network device probes whether a first port of the network device is coupled to power sourcing equipment, and when probing that the first port is coupled to power sourcing equipment, maintain or change the first port to a powered state, and lock the first port as a power drawing port, or when probing that the first port is decoupled to power sourcing equipment, and the network device has a power supply for supplying power, change the first port to a powering state. In this way, the first port may adaptively serve as a power drawing port or a power sourcing port according to a coupled device such that manually distinguished a port during device interconnection is not necessary and a coupling error rate is reduced.

Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a technology used to simultaneously transmit Ethernet data and power using a twisted pair. The power refers to provided electricity. As defined in a PoE standard of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a PoE device includes power sourcing equipment (also referred to as PSE), and a powered device (also referred to as PD). The PSE provides power. The PD draws power.
Currently, some network devices serve as both a PSE that supplies power and a PD that draws power. For example, a central access point (AP) in a distributed wireless local area network (WLAN) serves as both a PD that draws power from a switch and a PSE that supplies power to a distributed AP. However, whether a PoE port of the central AP is a power sourcing port (also referred to as a power providing port) or a power drawing port (also referred to as a powered port) cannot be distinguished from an appearance of the PoE port, and consequently a connection error is easily caused.


The test pattern generating apparatus contains a module configured to generate short information indicative of a relationship between a logical value of an input signal of a cell and a voltage of an electrically shorted portion assumed at an output terminal of the cell; a module configured to calculate a logical threshold value of the input terminal of the cell so as to generate logical threshold value information; a module configured to extract a bridge fault information from layout information of an LSI; a module configured to generate a bridge fault list including a bridge fault type based on the bridge fault information, the short information, and the logical threshold value information; and a module configured to generate a test pattern which detects bridge faults in an adjacent signal wire pair and a bridge fault type.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a test of a semiconductor integrated circuit. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a fault list and test pattern generating apparatus, a fault list and test pattern generating method, a fault list generating and fault coverage calculating apparatus, and a fault list generating and fault coverage calculating method for a bridge fault test.
2. Description of Related Art
In accordance with the progress of shrinking of semiconductor processes, it is expected that the proportion of bridge faults among various faults occurring in semiconductor integrated circuits (LSIs) will much increase. A "bridge fault" in an LSI occurs (is assumed) in such a manner that a foreign particle (dust) is bridged over one set of signal wires (will be referred to as "signal wire pair" hereinafter) which are arranged in the adjacency to each other and can be extracted from the layout of the LSI, so that the wires are electrically shorted by the foreign particles.
Conventionally, bridge fault tests capable of detecting bridge faults have been brought into practice by use of an IDDQ (IDD Quiescent) test which can be easily applied to LSIs consisting of CMOS(Complimentary MOS) circuits which are dominant circuits of the present LSIs. In an IDDQ test, based on the fact that there is no DC current path and so that very little DC current flows in a fault-free CMOS circuit at a stable state, in such a case that a signal on one signal wire becomes "1" where a bridge fault occurs whereas a signal on the other signal wire of the corresponding signal wire pair becomes "0", a DC current (abnormal IDDQ) value which flow through an LSI is measured so as to detect the bridge fault (the bridge fault is "activated" by these signals). Test patterns including information on IDDQ measurement times are newly generated or selected from existing test patterns for the IDDQ test for bridge faults, so that as many bridge faults can be detected by small number of IDDQ measurement times as possible. However, since the shrinking of semiconductor processes has much progressed, especially in LSIs operable in high clock frequencies, IDDQ current values of fault-free samples of such LSIs has remarkably increased and to detect abnormal IDDQ value accompanied by a bridge fault bas become vary difficult, so that the IDDQ test can be hardly applied.
As a consequence, instead of the above-explained IDDQ test, such a test capable of detecting a bridge fault in such a manner that a bridge fault detecting-purpose test pattern is inputted to an LSI, and then, a logical value of an output terminal is compared with an expected value so as to perform a good/no-good judgement (will be referred to simply as "bridge fault test" hereinafter) has become a very important test as the bridge fault test which is practically applied to LSIs (refer to, for example, patent publication 1). However, such bridge fault tests which may be applied to a recent very large-scaled LSI have not been sufficiently accomplished except for such a simple bridge fault test which merely handles a wired-AND type bridge fault or a wired-OR type bridge fault.
Generally speaking, in the case that logical values of signals of a signal wire pair where a bridge fault occurs (is assumed) are different from each other, the bridge fault is "activated", while the activated bridge fault propagates in an LSI, and, if it is outputted to the outside of the LSI as a different logical value from that of an expected value, the bridge fault is detected. In this case, the term "propagation of bridge fault" implies such an operation that such an error signal is propagated within an LSI, while this error signal is different from a signal under fault-free condition and is produced due to an influence of a bridge fault. The error signal is propagated within the LSI and then is reached to an output terminal of the LSI, so that the bridge fault which is activated by a bridge fault test pattern and causes the generation of the error signal can be detected. In general, a test pattern used to detect a bridge fault is generated by an automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) tool which is used so as to detect a bridge fault based upon logical connection network information of an LSI. The bridge faults extracted from the layout of the LSI are processed in relation to signals appeared on the logical connection network of the LSI. It should be understood that "precision", on a bridge fault test which, in other words, is reliability on the modeling of real bridge faults and the detection and non-detection of these faults may be largely influenced by the following various aspects, namely, driving (primitive) cells for driving two signal wires where a bridge fault occurs; logical values of input signals to the driving cells; a resistance value between electrically shorted wires; receiving (primitive) cells which receive respective signals; logical threshold values of input terminals of the receiving cells. In more details, the above-explained "precision" of the bridge fault test is given as follows;
a bridge fault behaves as which fault type; and what degree of credibility is expected at which such a bridge fault judged as "detected" or "not-detected" by a test pattern is actually detected. Therefore, it is important that these items may be extracted and modeled in high precision as being permitted as possible.
On the other hand, if the precision of detecting operation for bridge faults by the bridge fault test pattern may achieve a practical precision, even when this detecting precision is further improved, then there is such a tendency that the additional effect of the bridge fault test is lowered. Therefore, it is practically very important to generate bridge fault test patterns in a short time even for a current large-scaled LSI, with maintaining practically sufficient precision.
A bridge fault test (and test pattern) having high precision on detecting bridge faults corresponds to such a bridge fault test that an assumed bridge fault well models (describes) that which occurs in an actual LSI internal portion in higher precision; and a bridge fault judged as "detected" by an (generated) test pattern is actually (in high probability) activated and propagated within the LSI and then can be detected, also a bridge fault judged as "not-detected" by the pattern is not detected in a high probability. As previously explained, such a fact as to whether or not the bridge fault is activated and propagated in the LSI may be determined based upon the driving circuits (cells) for driving the respective signals of the signal wire pair where the bridge fault occurs; the inputs to the driving circuits; the resistance values between the signal wires of the signal wire pair, the receiving circuits (cells) into which the activated error signal on the signal wires is inputted; and the logical threshold values of the input terminals of the receiving circuits to which the error signal is inputted. However, it is very difficult to acquire all of the above-explained information in the large-scaled LSI. In general, aplenty of time is required to acquire the information, and to generate an effective bridge fault test pattern by utilizing the above-described information. As a consequence, it is practically difficult to form a bridge fault test pattern capable of detecting bridge faults in a highest precision. (See JP-A-2003-107138.)

Fault list and test pattern generating apparatus and method, fault list generating and fault coverage calculating apparatus and method


A telephone line interface and side-tone attenuation circuit includes two opto-electric converters. The first has an input interconnected to receive a signal proportional to a near-end signal, and an output interconnected to modulate a current proportional to the near-end signal onto the subscriber loop. The second has its input interconnected to provide a signal proportional to a current on the subscriber loop, including the current proportional to the near-end signal, at its output. A summing amplifier receives signals proportional to the output voltage of the second opto-electric converter and a signal proportional to the near-end signal. The output voltage of the second opto-electric amplifier includes a component that is substantially 180° out of phase with the near-end signal, allowing the near-end signal to be cancelled at the summing amplifier.

Present day telephone networks typically terminate customer premises equipment on a two-wire subscriber loop. The subscriber loop terminals to which customer premises equipment is connected are often referred to as "tip" and "ring". The two-wires are used to receive an analog signal from a far-end transmitter and transmit an analog signal originating at the customer premises to the far-end.
Unfortunately, as bi-directional signals are carried on a single pair of wires, the two sets of signals can interfere with each other. In most applications, bi-directional signals on a single pair of wires do not present much concern. For voice calls, signals in both directions on the wire are simply perceived as two both parties speaking simultaneously.
Bi-directional signals, however, interfere destructively when the phone line is used to simultaneously carry data type signals, and voice. For example, phone lines are at times used to concurrently carry dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals and voice signals. DTMF signals, for example, are typically used to control a customer premises alarm system from a remote monitoring station. Concurrently, a subscriber of the customer premises may speak to the monitoring station. Any portion of the signal that originates with the customer that is cross-coupled with the DTMF signal may interfere with the operation of a DTMF decoder at the customer premises.
Accordingly, local echo cancellation (often referred to as side-tone attenuation) circuits are known. Typically, however, side-tone attenuation circuits are interconnected to the tip and ring of the telephone line using a transformer and a balanced bridge incorporating precision resistors. The ideal bridge for any line is dependent upon the impedance of the line. Changes in the telephone line impedance causes an imbalance in the bridge and results in poorer side-tone attenuation in such circuits.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved side-tone attenuation circuit that is particularly useful in DTMF decoding circuits such as those used in alarm systems.

Telephone line interface, side-tone attenuation circuit and method


An information handling system cooling fan has a vibration filter that tunes out predetermined fan vibration frequencies to reduce fan vibration transfer from the cooling fan to an information handling system chassis in a targeted frequency range. For example, a leaf spring and damper are biased between the cooling fan and a fan bay support so that stiffness of the spring attenuates selected vibration frequency ranges of the cooling fan bay subsystem, such as frequency ranges where the vibrations have the greatest amplitude or frequency ranges where the vibrations tend to damage other components of the information handling system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system cooling subsystems, and more particularly to an information handling system cooling fan suspension vibration filter.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems are typically built from a large variety of components assembled in a housing that cooperate to process information. Many of the components operate on electrical power, which creates heat as a by-product of normal use. In order for many electrical components to operate properly, excess heated generated by the consumption of electrical power typically is removed from the housing, such as by blowing a cooling airflow through the housing with a cooling fan. Thermal sensors within the housing measure temperatures and provide the sensed temperatures to a cooling fan controller. The cooling fan controller varies the speed at which cooling fans operate so that thermal conditions within the information handling system housing are maintained within defined operational parameters. If thermal conditions become extreme, components can fail due to thermal stress or their life can be substantially shortened. Alternatively, the information handling system can throttle or power down components in order to decrease the amount of thermal energy released in the housing. Although extreme thermal conditions are typically avoided with system cooling fans which can push airflow across a higher static pressure, the higher rotational speed for these fans tend to have louder acoustics, generate more vibration and consume more power consumption.
Generally, information handling systems operate with minimal acoustics since many of the electrical components used to build information handling systems which generate heat make use of heat sinks or require lower airflow volumes to keep them cool. Cooling fans represent the most significant source of acoustics in a typical information handling system. Loud acoustics during times of thermal stress due to high fan speed operations can distract information handling system end users. In addition, high fan speed acoustics and related cooling fan vibrations can result in damage to information handling system components. For example, vibrations generated by a cooling fan sometimes transfer to electrical components causing physical damage to the components over time. One example of such damage is breaking or cracking of motherboard connections to electrical components, such as solder that holds pins of electrical components in place. Another example of such damage is wear and reduced performance of hard disk drives due to vibration that transfers to the rotating magnetic storage disk found in typical hard disk drives. One technique used by information handling system manufacturers to minimize the impact of cooling fan vibrations on acoustics and on operation of other components is to install dampers at coupling points that hold a cooling fan in place. For example, rubber or plastic grommets install at the positions where screws or bolts couple the cooling fan to the information handling system chassis, such as the corners of the cooling fan with an interface directly to the fan carrier or the fan bay itself. The amount of damping depends upon the type of material used for the grommets and provides dampening across the frequency spectrum of vibrations associated with cooling fan operations by absorbing energy at the point of support of the cooling fan. Isolation of cooling fan vibrations with grommets is only capable of reducing amplitudes in limited frequency ranges, with generic dampening across that limited frequency range, without regard to the impact that vibrations in a particular frequency range have on information handling system operations.