A rotor hub fairing system includes an upper hub fairing, a lower hub fairing and a shaft fairing therebetween. The rotor hub fairing system is sized and configured to reduce the overall drag on a dual, counter-rotating, coaxial rotor system. Preferably, the rotor hub fairing is fully integrated. The shaft fairing preferably includes a minimal thickness at the midsection to reduce drag with an increasing thickness adjacent the upper and lower hub fairings to reduce the flow separation on the hub fairing surfaces without overly excessive drag. Other aerodynamic structures, such as a horizontal splitter and/or a plurality of turning vanes may be mounted to the shaft fairing to facilitate flow around the upper and lower hub fairings to reduce flow separation and drag.

The present invention is directed to a rotor hub fairing system, and more particularly, to an integrated rotor hub fairing which is sized and configured to reduce overall drag for a high-speed rotary-wing aircraft a counter-rotating, coaxial rotor system.
Typically, the aerodynamic drag associated with a rotor hub on a rotary wing aircraft is a significant portion of the overall aircraft drag, typically 25% to 30% for conventional single-rotor helicopters. The rotor system drag increases significantly for a rotary wing aircraft having a counter-rotating, coaxial rotor system primarily due to the extra rotor hub and the interconnecting shaft between the upper and lower rotor systems. For high-speed rotary wing aircraft, the increased drag resulting from the counter-rotating, coaxial rotor system may result in a relatively significant power penalty.
The aerodynamic drag of the dual counter-rotating, coaxial rotor system is generated by three main components—the upper hub, the lower hub, and the interconnecting rotor shaft assembly. The drag contribution may be approximately 40% for each of the hubs, and 20% for the interconnecting shaft assembly.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a drag-reducing rotor hub fairing system for a rotary wing aircraft having a counter-rotating, coaxial rotor system.

Rotor hub fairing system for a counter-rotating, coaxial rotor system


A method for determining the proximity to an electrically conductive body comprises transmitting an alternating magnetic field at a selected frequency and registering an alternating magnetic field. Frequencies of the registered alternating magnetic field comprising the selected frequency and have an amplitude value above a predefined threshold value and are detected by a detection means. Utilizing a blocking circuit, frequencies of a predefined frequency band comprising the detected frequency or a plurality of predefined frequency bands comprising in each case one of the detected frequencies, are defined as blocked frequencies. A following frequency following the respective selected frequency and different from the selected frequency and the blocked frequencies is defined in a selection controller. The following frequency of a selected frequency is continuously selected as a newly selected frequency for a new time window following immediately after or chronologically spaced apart from a selected time window.

Proximity sensors are conventionally used for determining the proximity to an electrically conductive body, the proximity sensors having a transmitting arrangement with an oscillating circuit. An electrical oscillation at a selected predefined frequency is produced by the oscillating circuit. The electrical oscillation, in turn, produces an alternating magnetic field which is transmitted by a coil of the oscillating circuit and has the same frequency as the electrical oscillation. The transmitted alternating magnetic field is propagated from the proximity sensor and, if an electrically conductive body is located in the region of the transmitted alternating magnetic field, hits the electrically conductive body. An alternating current, which is also known as an eddy current, is produced in the electrically conductive body by the transmitted alternating magnetic field. The eddy current results in an alternating magnetic field which has the same frequency as the transmitted alternating magnetic field.
Such proximity sensors also have a receiving arrangement, by means of which an alternating magnetic field is registered. In particular, the alternating magnetic field which is transmitted back from the electrically conductive body is registered by means of the receiving arrangement. By comparing the transmitted and the registered alternating magnetic fields, for example by comparing the maximum amplitudes thereof and/or the phase shift thereof, the proximity and/or the degree of proximity of the electrically conductive body to the proximity sensor may be determined.
When determining the proximity, however, false values occur when interfering alternating magnetic fields are present in the region of the receiving arrangement, in particular at the same frequency as the respectively transmitted frequency of the transmitted alternating magnetic fields. The interfering alternating magnetic fields may occur, for example, as a result of electric motors or other interfering devices present in the vicinity.

Proximity sensor and method for determining the proximity to an electrically conductive body


Described herein are 3-dimensional clusters of reaggregated cells comprising cells reaggregated from at least two different cell sources, such as different cell types, different donors, and combinations thereof. Methods of making, using, and cryopreserving these 3-dimensional clusters of reaggregated cells are also described herein.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multi-source, multi-cell clusters and methods of making, using, and cryopreserving the same.
Description of Related Art
Three-dimensional ("3-D") cell clusters exhibit properties not seen in conventional two-dimensional cell culture. Islets of Langerhans are cell clusters within the pancreas composed of a variety of cell types including alpha-, beta-, and delta-cells, and are responsible for the maintenance of blood glucose level. Lymphocyte destruction of beta-cells (insulin-producing cells) or failure to utilize insulin are the hallmark events that result in type 1 and type 2 diabetes, respectively. Isolating islets from the pancreas of donors provides tissue that can be used for research, transplantation and drug discovery in order to develop therapies for diabetes. Once isolated from their natural location within the pancreas, islets exhibit diminished survival and function, both in vitro studies and soon after transplantation. Within the pancreas, islets are immersed with their native blood supply. After isolation, diffusion becomes the primary means of oxygen, glucose, and nutrient transport into the core of isolated native islets. Empirical modeling of diffusion barriers in native, isolated islets has demonstrated that only the outermost layers of cells are exposed to glucose and sufficient oxygen levels, resulting in core cell death. Engineering optimal islets provides a means to overcome the diffusion barriers affected by islet size limitations.
While 3-D cell clusters, such as islets, can be engineered using a variety of techniques, they still have many problems when used in different applications. For example:                Non-uniform cell number and composition in each cluster        High diffusion barrier        Not compatible with the pharmaceutical industry high-throughput instruments        Not scalable to high-throughput needs        Not able to maintain long-term experiments
Improvements in micro-mold technology (US 2010/0233239; US 2013/0029875, both incorporated by reference herein in their entireties) allow the creation of high numbers of 3-D cell clusters, such as islets reaggregated from individual islets cells in the micro-mold. However, even with these advances, limitations still exist including inconsistent response between donors to test compounds, and the fact that 3-D clusters cannot be stored and shipped without significant loss of tissue. Described herein are new methods and devices that overcome these and other problems, resulting in new applications of 3-D cell clusters.

Assays using a multi-divot platform and multi-source, multi-cell type clusters


An integrated circuit having logic and static random-access memory (SRAM) devices includes at least three active regions with gate terminals. Dielectric pillars are disposed between the active regions of the integrated circuit. A pillar is disposed symmetrically between two active regions of the logic device. A pillar is disposed asymmetrically between a p-channel field effect transistor (pFET), and an n-channel field effect transistor (nFET) of the SRAM device.

The disclosure relates generally to complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device structures. The disclosure relates particularly to CMOS metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor MOSFET structures including both logic and memory elements.
Integrated circuit designers continue to increase the number of circuit elements while also reducing the scale of the individual elements. Self-aligned gate edge elements, where a single continuous gate element is formed and then gate cuts (CT) are created to yield discrete active gate elements provide a means to advance circuit element density.

Asymmetric gate edge spacing for SRAM structures

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and a system for communicating data in a communication channel are provided. The method includes the identification of a sequence of bits recurring in the data, and generating a locking pattern. The locking pattern includes locking symbols and a random bit pattern. The method also includes sending the locking pattern within the data. The locking pattern is received by a receiver and is used to lock the receiver and ignore the recurring bit sequence.

1. Field of Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate in general to a data transfer protocol. More specifically, the embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems of communicating data in a communication channel.
2. Description of the Background Art
High-speed serial link interfaces such as Serializer/Deserializer (SERDES) transmit data at rates of 6.25 gigabits per second (Gbps) for applications requiring very high rates of data transfer. The transfer of data is in the form of bit packets. However, the signal integrity over these high-speed communication links is affected by challenges such as signal attenuation from backplane materials, added noise due to crosstalk, multiple reflections, and Inter Symbol Interferences. High-speed serial interfaces such as SERDES use Decision Feedback Equalizer (DFE) at the receiver end, to maintain signal integrity and equalization over a communication channel. DFE circuits also reduce bit error rates.
However, certain recurring patterns result in the DFE losing equalization of signals, thereby increasing the bit error rate. The bit error rate quantifies the number of errors in bit transmission over a period of time. Recurring patterns may be a long sequence of 0's or 1's an idle pattern, or intra-packet null patterns. According to a conventional technique, this problem is overcome by 'bit-stuffing'. In this technique, the transmitter inserts a bit of the opposite polarity to the polarity of the recurring bit. The introduction of a bit of the opposite polarity breaks the continuous pattern. The receiver recognizes the bit pattern and removes the bit of the opposite polarity, knowing that it is not a part of the real data.
However, bit stuffing may not be very effective for multi-bit repetitive patterns in DFE. This poses challenges to signal integrity. Moreover, multi-bit repetitive patterns result in the loss of DFE equalization and the increase of bit error rate.

Method and system for breaking repetitive patterns to reduce transmission errors


An apparatus for generating multi-phase clocks in accordance with the present invention includes a clock delay configured to delay a source clock by a delay time corresponding to a control signal to generate a plurality of clocks; a clock multiplexer configured to output a first clock for a first locking region and a second clock for a second locking region sequentially as a selected clock in response to a locking detection signal; a phase detector configured to detect a phase of the selected clock in comparison to a phase of the source clock to output a phase detection signal; and a control voltage signal generator configured to generate the control signal corresponding to the phase detection signal.

The subject matter relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for generating multi-phase clocks, which is capable of reducing phase differences between the multi-phase clocks caused by a duty error.
In a semiconductor device such as a double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), its operation speed gradually increases, its chip size gradually decrease, and its operation voltage gradually decreases. Furthermore, the number of multi-phase clocks (MCLK) used in the semiconductor device are gradually increased. The multi-phase clocks are a plurality of clocks separated sequentially by a predetermined phase difference.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional apparatus for generating multi-phase clocks.
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional apparatus for generating multi-phase clocks includes a clock delay 110, a first control buffer 120, a second control buffer 130, a clock buffer 160, a phase detector 140, and a control voltage signal generator 150.
The clock delay 110 includes a first clock delay circuit 112, a second clock delay circuit 114, a third clock delay circuit 116 and a fourth clock delay circuit 118. Each of the clock delay circuits 112, 114, 116 and 118 delays a clock input thereto by a delay time corresponding to a control voltage signal V_CTR. In more detail, the first clock delay circuit 112 delays first clocks CLK0 and /CLK0 input thereto by a predetermined delay time to output second clocks CLK45 and /CLK45. The second clock delay circuit 114 delays the second clocks CLK45 and /CLK45 to output third clocks CLK90 and /CLK90. The third clock delay circuit 116 delays the third clocks CLK90 and /CLK90 to output fourth clocks CLK135 and /CLK135. The fourth clock delay circuit 118 delays the fourth clocks CLK135 and /CLK135 to output fifth clocks CLK180 and /CLK180.
The clock /CLK0 is an inverted signal of the clock CLK0. Hereinafter, the clock CLK0 is referred to as a "first positive clock" and the clock /CLK0 is referred to as a "first negative clock", which is applied in the cases of the second clocks CLK45 and /CLK45, the third clocks CLK90 and /CLK90, the fourth clocks CLK135 and /CLK135, and the fifth clocks CLK180 and /CLK180.
A first control buffer 120 buffers the first clocks CLK0 and /CLK0 to output a first input signal IN0 corresponding to the first positive clock CLK0. A second control buffer 130 buffers the fifth clocks CLK180 and /CLK180 to output a second input signal /IN180 corresponding to the fifth negative clock /CLK180.
The phase detector 140 detects a phase of the second input signal /IN180 in comparison to that of the first input signal IN0 to generate an up detection signal DET_UP or a down detection signal DET_DOWN according to the detection results. For example, if a rising edge of the second input signal /IN180 leads a rising edge of the first input signal IN0, the up detection signal DET_UP is generated to increase the delay time of the clock delay circuits 112, 114, 116 and 118. If the rising edge of the second input signal /IN180 lags behind the rising edge of the first input signal IN0, the down detection signal DET_DOWN is generated to decrease the delay time of the clock delay circuits 112, 114, 116 and 118.
The control voltage signal generator 150 generates a control voltage signal V_CTR having a voltage level corresponding to the up detection signal DET_UP or the down detection signal DET_DOWN. For example, the voltage level of the control voltage signal V_CTR decreases in response to the up detection signal DET_UP, but increases in response to the down detection signal DET_DOWN.
The control voltage signal V_CTR controls the delay time of the clock delay circuits 112, 114, 116 and 118. For example, as the voltage level of the control voltage signal V_CTR decreases, the clock delay circuits 112, 114, 116 and 118 increase the delay time thereof. On the contrary, as the voltage level of the control voltage signal V_CTR increases, the clock delay circuits 112, 114, 116 and 118 decrease the delay time thereof.
By repeatedly adjusting the delay time of the clock delay circuits 112, 114, 116 and 118, rising edges of the first positive clock CLK0 and the fifth negative clock /CLK180 can coincide with each other, which is called "locking."
If a duty ratio of the first clocks CLK0 and /CLK0 is 50:50, the clock delay 110 may delay the first positive clock CLK0 by 180° after the locking for securing a delay time of the fifth negative clock/CLK180.
The first to fourth clock delay cells 112, 114, 116 and 118 output second clocks CLK45 and /CLK45, third clocks CLK90 and /CLK90, fourth clocks CLK135 and /CLK135 and fifth clocks CLK180 and /CLK180 to the clock buffer 160, respectively. The clock buffer 160 including a plurality of clock buffer circuits 162 to 169 generates a plurality of multi-phase clocks MCLK45, MCLK90, MCLK135, MCLK180, MCLK225, MCLK270, MCLK315 and MCLK0 separated sequentially by a phase difference of 45°.
The first clock buffer circuit 162 receives the second clocks CLK45 and /CLK45 to generate a multi-phase clock MCLK45 having a phase difference of 45° with the first clocks CLK0 and /CLK0. The second clock buffer circuit 163 receives the second clocks /CLK45 and CLK45 to generate a multi-phase clock MCLK225 having a phase difference of 225° with the first clocks CLK0 and /CLK0. The multi-phase clock MCLK45 has a phase corresponding to that of the second positive clock CLK45, whereas the multi-phase clock MCLK225 has a phase corresponding to that of the second negative clock /CLK45.
The third and fourth clock buffer circuits 164 and 165 may receive the third clocks CLK90 and /CLK90 to generate a multi-phase clock MCLK90 having a phase difference of 90° and a multi-phase clock MCLK270 having a phase difference of 270° with the first clocks CLK0 and /CLK0. The fifth and sixth clock buffer circuits 166 and 167 may receive the fourth clocks CLK135 and /CLK135 to generate a multi-phase clock MCLK135 having a phase difference of 135° and a multi-phase clock MCLK315 having a phase difference of 315° with the first clocks CLK0 and /CLK0. The seventh and eighth clock buffer circuits 168 and 169 may receive the fifth clocks CLK180 and /CLK180 to generate a multi-phase clock MCLK180 having a phase difference of 180° and a multi-phase clock MCLK0 having a phase difference of 0° with the first clocks CLK0 and /CLK0.
Such multi-phase clocks MCLK45, MCLK90, MCLK135, MCLK180, MCLK225, MCLK270, MCLK315 and MCLK0 should be spaced sequentially at an interval of 45° to divide a cycle of the first clocks CLK0 and /CLK0 into eight equal parts. However, if the duty ratio of the first clocks CLK0 and /CLK0 is changed, the desired interval cannot be maintained. This will be described later in more detail with reference to FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 is an operation timing diagram of the conventional apparatus for generating multi-phase clocks shown in FIG. 1. For convenience, the first input signal IN0 will be regarded to be identical to the first positive clock CLK0 and the second input signal /IN180 will be regarded to be identical to the fifth negative clock /CLK180. Further, it will be assumed that a cycle of the first positive clock CLK0 is "Tcyc" and a duty ratio of the first positive clock CLK0 is changed by Δt such that a logic low portion of the first positive clock CLK0 has a width of Tcyc/2±Δt.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the fifth clocks CLK180 and /CLK180 are generated by delaying the first clocks CLK0 and /CLK0 by a basic delay time at the clock delay 110. Thereafter, the above described locking operation is performed to gradually shift the fifth clocks CLK180 and /CLK180. The locking operation is repeated until the rising edge of the fifth negative clock /CLK180 coincides with the rising edge of the first positive clock CLK0.
When the locking operation is completed, a delay time of the clock delay 110 becomes Tcyc/2±Δt. Accordingly, a delay time of each of the clock delay circuits 112, 114, 116 and 118 becomes a quarter of Tcyc/2±Δt, and therefore a phase error of Δt/4 occurs between each sequential pair of the multi-phase clocks MCLK45, MCLK90, MCLK135, MCLK180, MCLK225, MCLK270, MCLK315 and MCLK0. Such phase errors may impair credibility of the multi-phase clocks, which will become more serious as the frequency of the clocks increases.

Apparatus and method for generating multi-phase clocks


A laser light source device includes: a laser light source that emits a laser light; and an optical wavelength conversion section that includes a ferroelectric material carrying therein a plurality of polarization inversion rows in which a polarization inversion area and a polarization non-inversion area are alternately formed in a predetermined direction, and converts the laser light directed in the predetermined direction into a second harmonic. In the laser light source device, the laser light source is disposed at a fixed position to allow any one of the polarization inversion rows to be positioned on an optical path of the laser light.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a laser light source device provided with a laser light source that emits laser lights, and an illumination device, a monitor device, and a projector provided with the laser light source device.
2. Related Art
The technology of wavelength conversion has been knocks by Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) of generating lights whose wavelength is half of any incoming light. Combining the technology of SHG with the technology of a semiconductor laser can implement laser lights in the visible range of wavelength using an easy-to-get semiconductor laser that oscillates in the far infrared range.
Patent Document 1 (JP-A-5-289136) describes the technology being a result of combination as such. With the technology of Patent Document 1, a ferroelectric material is formed thereon with the periodic structure of polarization inversion so that a wavelength conversion element can be manufactured. In the periodic structure of polarization inversion, a polarization inversion area and a polarization non-inversion area are alternately arranged. In the polarization inversion area, the direction of polarization is uniformly directed in the inverse direction, i.e., direction opposite to the direction of spontaneous polarization observed in a ferroelectric crystal, and in the polarization non-inversion area, the direction of polarization remains directed in the direction of spontaneous polarization.
With the previous technology as such, however, there is a difficulty in forming large (mm unit) the polarization inversion area in the plane direction. The current circumstances allow to align the polarization direction in the range of a few hundred μm in the plane direction but the length of the polarization inversion area in the plane direction is very small. On the other hand, due to the high directivity, the laser lights coming from a laser light source often do not pass through the polarization inversion area even after correctly entering a wavelength conversion element. This results in a failure of not being able to generate second harmonics from the wavelength conversion element with high efficiency, thereby failing in achieving high power.

Laser light source device, illumination device, monitor device, and projector


A header-side holding metal fitting 40 is provided with lock piece portions 42, which are movable in a width direction X of a connector 1 (a header housing 21) relative to a connection piece (a base portion) 41 of the header-side holding metal fitting 40. A socket-side holding metal fitting 30 is provided with lock holes (lock portions) 37 which are lockable to the lock piece portions 42.

A connector including: a socket provided with multiple socket-side terminals as well as socket-side holding metal fittings disposed on a socket body; and a header provided with multiple header-side terminals as well as header-side holding metal fittings disposed on a header body, has heretofore been in use (see PTL 1, for example).
According to PTL 1, the socket and the header are fitted to each other to bring sets of the terminals respectively into contact and conduction with one another, and conductor patterns on circuit boards respectively connected to the sets of terminals are thus electrically connected to each other.

Socket with a metal fitting with a lock portion movable in a width direction

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A method for making polymerization catalysts is disclosed which comprises contacting a soluble complex prepared from the combination of a metal dihalide and a transition metal compound with a particulate material comprising zirconium phosphate and then reacting the resulting mixture with an organoaluminum halide to produce a catalyst precursor. The catalyst precursor is then contacted with a halogen containing compound selected from halides of Groups IVA and VA to produce the catalyst. Novel catalysts prepared in accordance with the invention method, novel polymerization processes therewith and novel polymers having relatively high melt flow rates while retaining good mechanical strength are also disclosed.

The polymerization of .alpha.-olefins and mixtures thereof at low pressures is known to be promoted by coordination catalysts prepared from mixtures of compounds of (a) transition elements, and (b) organometallic compounds of elements of Groups IA to IIIA of the Periodic Table. Such polymerizations can be carried out in suspension, in solution, in the gas phase, and the like.
Because of favorable process economics, especially with low molecular weight olefins such as ethylene and propylene, it is frequently desirable to carry out olefin polymerization or copolymerization reactions in an inert diluent at a temperature at which the resulting polymer or copolymer does not go into solution; and where the polymer product is recovered without removing the polymerization catalyst. Thus, elaborate steps to remove catalyst from the polymer product are avoided. In order for this more economical method of polymer manufacture to be practical, the polymerization catalyst employed must be capable of producing polymer in high productivities in order to maintain the residual catalyst level in the final polymer at a very low level. Thus, the activity of an olefin polymerization catalyst is one important factor in the continuous search for catalysts useful for the polymerization of .alpha.-olefins. It is also desirable to produce polymer particles which are characterized by high crush or attrition resistant strength, uniformity of size, and a relatively low level of fine particulate matter. Although polymer fluff having relatively high percentages of polymer fines can be handled with plant modifications, the production of polymers in high productivity with low level of fines content is highly desirable so as to avoid the need for such plant modifications.
For certain applications of the polymer, such as for example injection molding, it is desirable that the polymer exhibit easy processibility, characterized by a high melt flow rate. Often the achievement of a high flow rate results in detriment to the mechanical properties of the polymer, e.g., the strength of molded parts made from the polymer is reduced.
It would therefore be desirable to produce a polymer which has a high melt flow rate and yet still retains strength during and after processing.

Olefin polymerization catalyst and polymerization process


In a still image decompression process, operations of respective parts of a still image decompression apparatus are controlled so as to limit the operations into those such that a decompressed image on a specific LL subband is obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image decompression apparatus which decompresses image data for a still image or an animation made of a plurality of still images, and an image decompression method performed in this apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, spread of highly definite images is remarkable. This is at least partially because of improvement in definition/resolution of image data processing devices such as input devices such as a digital still camera, a scanner, and so forth, and output devices such as an ink-jet printer, a display device and so forth. And now, a method according to JPEG (joint Photographic Experts Group) is most widely used as an image compression/decompression algorithm handling such highly definite still images. In this method, in order to eliminate the degree of redundancy in a space domain, a two-dimensional dispersion cosign transform technique is used.
A basic function of this method according to JPEG is only to compress and decompress still images. No specific discussion has been made as to manipulating image data in a compressed state, decompressing only a specified area of the image, and so forth. Moreover, according to JPEG, an image is treated as having a "flat structure" without layers. Therefore, in order to perform image processing on an image, the relevant code data should be first completely decoded.
In image compression/decompression processes, generally speaking, a time required for decompressing code data so as to reproduce an image increases as the number of pixels of the image increases. This problem becomes significant to the point it cannot be ignored as the definition/resolution of an original image to be processed increases as mentioned above. FIG. 1 shows a relationship between image size reduction rate and a time required for decompressing a compressed original image.
The image size reduction rate means a ratio of a size of a display area and a size of the original image with respect to the number of pixels of vertical/horizontal side of each rectangle. In this example, a 74M-pixel color image (RGB each: 24 bit) is used as the original image. It is noted that the time required depends on a performance of device (MPU/DSP/ASIC, or the like) which performs the JPEG decompression operation. However, as can be clearly seen from the figure, a fixed time is required for JPEG decompression without regard to the reduction rate. This is because, according to the standard scheme of the JPEG, as mentioned above, code data should be first decompressed completely without regard to the reduction rate. Generally speaking, it is difficult to use all the pixels of an original image having high definition/resolution, in other words, having a large size, because the number of pixels which can be used for a display is limited by the performance of the display device itself.
Accordingly, in many cases, a display is made after reducing the size of the original image, in other words, reducing in the number of pixels thereof. However, according to the standard JPEG algorithm, it is necessary to first decompress the original image completely even in a case where merely a reduced image needs to be displayed. Then, after the complete decompression, the number of pixels is reduced by means of a thinning-out process or the like. The time required for obtaining all the pixel values by decompressing code data increases in proportion to the number of pixels processed. This time depends on the performance of the MPU used, memory capacity and so forth. However, in the above-mentioned example, several minutes or tens of minutes are required. This means that handling of a large-size/high-definition/resolution image may be troublesome.

Image decompression apparatus and method


A clinker cooler (3) comprises a plurality of grates (5) arranged in adjacent and overlapping relation to each other for conveying hot cement clinker (11) supplied from a kiln (1). The grate (5) is formed with an air hole (20) through which air from a fan (8) is jetted toward the cement clinker via a compartment (16) to cool the cement clinker. A distribution chamber (13) is equipped to a part of the grate corresponding to a part of cement clinker which is not cooled sufficiently, and the air from the fan (14) is jetted to such part of cement clinker which is not cooled sufficiently. The quantity of air jetted from the distribution chamber is adjusted by varying a degree of opening of a damper (15).

It has been known to use in a cement plant a clinker cooler by which hot cement clinker formed by burning or firing is cooled by air down to a predetermined temperature while it is conveyed through a predetermined distance.
In this kind of clinker cooler, cement clinker fallen from a rotary kiln is received on grates which are moved to convey the cement clinker to a discharge port. Cooling air in a compartment is jetted through the grates to the cement clinker so that the cement clinker is cooled while being conveyed. Cement clinker is classified due to the rotation of the rotary kiln and graded in grain size on the grates in the direction perpendicular to the grate moving direction. Namely, the thickness and grain size of the cement clinker layer on the grate are unevenly distributed in the widthwise direction. Further, the thickness of the cement clinker layer is unevenly distributed also in the cement clinker flowing direction. This makes the cooling air hard to flow locally, that is, the flow resistance to air is increased locally, resulting in a problem that the cooling of the cement clinker cannot be performed sufficiently.
To solve the above problem, according to a clinker cooler disclosed in Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. 3-21496, each of the fixed grates is equipped with an exclusive air chamber and the quantity of cooling air to be jetted is controlled by varying the pressure of cooling air in the air chamber and the temperature of the grate. However, since all the air chambers communicate with a single fan, complex operation of control valves becomes a necessity in order to maintain the pressure in every air chamber properly.
Further, the capacity of the fan must be selected in conformity with the highest flow resistance to air. This causes the power consumption to increase.


A storage controller includes data transfer logic defined to enable block level data transfer between the storage controller and multiple types of storage media within a storage volume. The storage controller also includes adaptive logic defined to determine in real-time which of the multiple types of storage media in the storage volume is to be used to store a given data block received by the storage controller. The received data block is stored on a determined storage medium in the storage volume. The data transfer logic and the adaptive logic are defined to maintain a normal interface between the storage controller and an operating system in communication with the storage controller, such that the multiple types of storage media in the storage volume is not apparent to the operating system.

An input/output (I/O) subsystem connects some kind of computing device such as a server, desktop or notebook computer to one or more data storage devices on which data can be stored in a non-volatile manner. Examples of such data storage devices, i.e., computer readable/writable media, include:                optical devices such as CD or DVD disks,        rotating media such as disk drives of various types,        removable media such as magnetic tapes, and        non-volatile memory devices such as flash memory or solid state drives, among others.
A storage subsystem is implemented by a controller which is accessed by the computing device either via some kind of local bus, or over a network which can itself be used for either storage, messaging, or a combination thereof. One type of conventional controller is a disk storage controller which connects a server to one or more rotating disk storage devices which may reside in either the same chassis as the server, or an external chassis. Another type of conventional controller is defined to interface with an optical medium storage device. Yet another type of conventional controller is defined to interface with a magnetic medium storage device. However, it should be understood that conventional controllers are not defined to control a mixture of different storage device types. Therefore, a conventional storage volume exposed to an attached host does not include a mixture of different storage media types.
Conventional storage subsystems avoid mixing different storage media types in a common storage volume because the performance attributes of the different storage media types can be substantially different, and because the access patterns supported by the different storage media types can be substantially different. For example, rotating disk drives can typically be accessed in a random manner, with the computing device requesting read or write access to any part of the disk any number of times. In contrast, an optical storage device can usually be read multiple times, but written only once, and even then in a sequential manner. In further contrast, magnetic storage media, e.g., tape, can usually be read or written a number of times but access must be sequential, i.e., the data blocks on the magnetic storage media should be read or written in a particular order.
One conventional approach for facilitating use of multiple storage media types in a coherent fashion is to use a caching technique. For example, systems may combine the use of rotating disk, magnetic, or optical storage devices. In such a configuration, it is possible for an application to save data to a rotating disk, making use of the rotating disk capability to read and write data blocks in any order at any time. Then, once a large amount of data has been copied to the rotating disk, the large amount of data is written in a sequential manner to a magnetic tape storage device or to an optical storage device. While this caching technique is effective in utilizing some of the properties of the multiple storage media types (e.g., fast writes to rotating disk, long-term retention on magnetic or optical media), the caching technique detrimentally involves maintaining multiple copies of large amounts of data, which can rapidly consume valuable storage system resources.
Another conventional approach for facilitating use of multiple storage media types in a coherent fashion involves technology called "Information Life Cycle Management" (ILM). In this approach, data is initially stored on a first storage medium of a type usually selected for its performance characteristics. Then, at some later point in time a software component is activated to transfer data from the first storage medium to some second storage medium, wherein the second storage medium is usually selected based on its lower cost. The ILM software component moves the data from one location to another and typically deletes the initial copy. As a result, the ILM approach differs from the caching approach in that there is only one active copy of the data at any time. However, the ILM approach is not optimal with regard to a number of considerations.
For example, in unsophisticated ILM implementations, a user is responsible for understanding that data has been moved between storage devices. Therefore, when subsequent access to the data needs to be made, the user must know to retrieve the data from the secondary storage medium to which it was copied, rather than from the storage medium on which is was initially stored. In more advanced ILM implementations, the ILM software component is defined to leave behind some indication (sometimes called a "stub") which indicates that the data has been moved and the location where the data has been moved. Then, at a subsequent time when the user attempts to retrieve the data, the ILM software component intervenes and retrieves the data from its secondary location based on the information in the stub. It should be understood, however, that implementation of an advanced ILM system such as that described above often requires extremely complex and expensive software. Additionally, ILM systems are usually applied at high levels in the operating system stack, thereby manipulating entire files at one time, as opposed to individual data blocks, thereby reducing storage system efficiency and operating system independence relative to the storage system.

Adaptive intelligent storage controller and associated methods


A hub clutch device for a bicycle includes a threaded shaft, a hub, a positioning sleeve, a movable sleeve, an elastic member, a fixing seat, and a plurality of urging balls. Thus, each of the urging balls is moved between a respective one of the adjusting slots of the movable sleeve and a respective one of the adjusting slots of the fixing seat to detach the fixing seat and the movable sleeve from the positioning sleeve, so that when the positioning sleeve and the hub are rotated, the fixing seat is not rotated, so that the freewheel will not be rotated by the wheel when the pedal stops operating.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hub clutch device, and more particularly to a hub clutch device for a bicycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional hub clutch device for a bicycle in accordance with the prior art shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 comprises a threaded shaft 601, a hub 60 rotatably mounted on the shaft 601 for mounting a wheel (not shown) and having an inner wall formed with a recess 602, a guide sleeve 65 mounted on the shaft 601 and located between two bearings 61 and 66, a fixed clutch 64 mounted on the guide sleeve 65 and having a plurality of ratchet teeth 641, a fixing seat 67 secured on the fixed clutch 64 to rotate the fixed clutch 64, a freewheel (not shown) mounted on the fixing seat 67 to rotate the fixing seat 67, a movable clutch 63 mounted on the guide sleeve 65 and having a plurality of ratchet teeth 631 meshing with the ratchet teeth 641 of the fixed clutch 64, and a spring 62 mounted on the guide sleeve 65 and biased between the movable clutch 63 and the hub 60.
In operation, when a pedal (not shown) of the bicycle is stepped, a chainwheel (not shown) is rotated to rotate a chain (not shown) which rotates the freewheel which rotates the fixing seat 67 which rotates the fixed clutch 64 which rotates the movable clutch 63 by engagement of the ratchet teeth 631 and 641. In such a manner, the movable clutch 63 is secured in the hub 60 so that the hub 60 is driven by the movable clutch 63 to rotate.
When the pedal stops operating, the freewheel stops rotating, so that the force applied on the fixing seat 67 is removed. At this time, the movable clutch 63 and the hub 60 are still rotated with the wheel. Thus, when the velocity of the fixing seat 67 and the fixed clutch 64 is smaller than that of the movable clutch 63 and the hub 60, the ratchet teeth 631 of the movable clutch 63 bias the spring 62 to disengage and pass through the ratchet teeth 641 of the fixed clutch 64, so as to detach the movable clutch 63 from the fixed clutch 64. Thus, when the movable clutch 63 and the hub 60 are rotated, the fixing seat 67 and the fixed clutch 64 are not rotated, so that the freewheel will not be rotated by the wheel when the pedal stops operating.
However, noise is produced when the ratchet teeth 631 of the movable clutch 63 pass through the ratchet teeth 641 of the fixed clutch 64, thereby producing noise when the wheel idles. In addition, it is necessary to have a precise fit between the ratchet teeth 631 of the movable clutch 63 and the ratchet teeth 641 of the fixed clutch 64, thereby increasing costs of fabrication.


Orthopedic bone cements of low porosity, prepared by mixing together at least two liquid components under conditions that allow only minimal exposure to air, are disclosed. In a preferred system, each liquid component consists essentially of a solution of a linear (non-crosslinked) polymer or copolymer of methyl methacrylate (PMMA) dissolved in a non-crosslinking methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer, with one such solution also containing an activator and a polymerization inhibitor and a second solution containing an initiator as well as a polymerization inhibitor. No reinforcing fillers are present, although a small amount (no more than 12% by weight of the total cement composition) of a radiopacifier may be included in the composition. Since polymerization is initiated by mixing together two or more liquid solutions, and such mixing may be performed in a mixing chamber in which no air is required or is introduced during the mixing operation, prior problems of cement porosity and weakness resulting from air entrapment are avoided or greatly reduced while the reliability and reproducibility of the mixing operation are greatly improved.

Orthopedic bone cement is currently prepared at the time of implantation by mixing together two components, one being a liquid and the other a powder. The liquid is a monomer, typically methyl methacrylate (MMA), which also contains a polymerization activator such as N,N-dimethyl-para-toluidine (a tertiary amine) and an inhibitor such as hydroquinone to prevent the monomer from spontaneously polymerizing. The powder typically consists of small spherical beads (usually about 75 .mu.m in diameter) of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and a small amount of a polymerization initiator such as benzoyl peroxide. Different bone cements sometimes include powders or liquids containing other acrylate polymers or monomers. Such powders also commonly include up to about 12% by weight (of the total cement composition) of a radiopaque material such as barium sulfate. The radiopacifier only serves the purpose of rendering such a bone cement radiopaque, allowing a surgeon to observe by x-ray the location and distribution of cement after surgery, and does not function as a reinforcing filler.
When a surgeon mixes the powder and liquid together, the activator in the monomer solution reacts with the initiator in the powder to produce a free radical form of benzoyl peroxide which in turn reacts with the monomer to initiate the addition polymerization of the monomer.
A problem with the current system is that the powder must have air interspersed therein so that it is sufficiently fluffy to allow mixing with the liquid monomer. Unless the powder is loosely packed, effective mixing of the two components is difficult if not virtually impossible. The result of such fluffiness and the effects of mixing a finely-divided solid and liquid together is that air tends to be entrapped within the reaction mixture and remains after polymerization. The porosity caused by such entrapped air is believed to be highly detrimental to the physical and mechanical properties of bone cements and has been implicated in the failure (by loosening) of cemented prostheses.
A further concern regarding current bone cement technology is the sensitivity of cementation results to a surgeon's technique. Different results are often obtained by different surgeons using the same cement components with different mixing and delivery techniques based solely on the ability or familiarity of the surgeon with those techniques.
Patents on orthopedic bone cements disclose variations of the above-described composition and methodology, but focus essentially on ways of making the powder and liquid components and of mixing them to form cements. In Baker U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,686, powder and liquid are premixed and then frozen to halt the polymerization reaction. Lin U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,626 discloses ways of making fine powders or a range of poly(methyl methacrylate) beads which also contain dispersed barium sulfate. Arroyo U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,070 discloses alternative powders such as butyl methacrylate, and Murray U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,897 prepares powder preforms in which the powder is partially bonded but also has continuous porosity to allow methyl methacrylate monomer liquid to surround and encase the powder.
In the dental materials field, it is known to utilize two-paste systems to produce dental restoratives that contain high percentages of reinforcing fillers in crosslinked polymeric matrices. For example, in Walkowiak et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,190, the patentees describe a two-paste system in which one paste contains the initiator (benzoyl peroxide) and the other paste contains an amine activator or accelerator. Both pastes contain polymer beads which, being crosslinked, cannot dissolve in monomer, along with up to 80% by weight of inorganic filler particles for improved physical and mechanical properties, and a binder constituent made primarily from difunctional (crosslinking) methacrylic acid-based monomers.
Waknine U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,531 discloses a two-paste system in which one paste has an initiator (benzoyl peroxide) and the other has the accelerator (tertiary amine); however, such paste also contain difunctional (crosslinking) monomers based on methacrylic acid and 60% to 85% by weight of inorganic filler particles which are typically silanized to enhance bonding with the polymer. The difunctional monomers and the large proportion of filler particles are provided to enhance the physical and mechanical properties of the dental restorative material.


An image forming apparatus includes a condensation removal unit configured to perform condensation removal absorbing condensation with toner in the image forming apparatus, and a setting unit configured to set an amount of toner to be used for the condensation removal, wherein the condensation removal unit performs the condensation removal by using the mount of toner set by the setting unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus that can perform condensation removal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A data processing apparatus that performs condensation removal is provided.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-122814 discusses a technology in which an image forming apparatus determines whether condensation is generated therein, and in a case it makes a determination that the condensation is generated, it performs the condensation removal. The image forming apparatus detects temperature and humidity therein and makes determination based on the detection result.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-144995 discusses a technology in which a user choose whether to move to a condensation resolving mode. In a case the user chooses to move to the condensation resolving mode, the image forming apparatus performs the condensation removal.
Only by determining whether the condensation is generated according to rule, the condensation removal is not always performed with a correct timing. Therefore, it is useful that a user can instruct to execute the condensation removal.
However, if the condensation removal is performed only according to the instruction by the user, the condensation removal may be performed with a timing that is not desirable for performing the condensation removal. In this case, the condensation may not be appropriately removed or a job being performed by the data processing apparatus may be disturbed.
Furthermore, if, during the performance of the condensation removal, another job is started to perform, the condensation removal may be disturbed not to be normally completed.

Data processing apparatus, condensation removal method and program thereof


The polymer matrix material includes a polymerization product of one or more monomers selected from the group of water-soluble, ethylenically-unsaturated acids and acid derivatives, and a crosslinking agent. A quantity of water is used for polymerization, such that the polymer material is swelled to a defined volume upon curing. Optionally, a water-soluble or water-swellable polymer and/or a chemical polymerization initiator.

Electrochemical devices generally incorporate an electrolyte source to provide the anions or cations necessary to produce an electrochemical reaction. These electrochemical devices include batteries, fuel cells, sensors, electrochemical gas separation systems, electrochromic devices and protein separation devices.
Batteries and fuel cells operate on electrochemical reaction of metal/air, metal/halide, metal/hydride, hydrogen/air, or other materials capable of electrochemical reaction. A zinc/air system, for example, requires the diffusion of hydroxide anions, and typically will incorporate an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution as the electrolyte. The lifetime of this battery is however, limited for several reasons. First, the naked zinc anode is corroded by both the aqueous electrolyte and air. Second, the air channels of the air cathode gradually become blocked by water from the electrolyte solution and third, the electrolyte solution becomes contaminated with zinc oxidation product that diffuses from the anode.
Various methods have been attempted to address the many problems associated with the use of aqueous electrolytes in zinc anode based systems such as zinc/air fuel cells. Additives, for example, have been introduced into the electrolyte solution to extend its lifetime and to protect the anode from corrosion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,551 discloses the use of inorganic additives such as mercury, indium, tin, lead, lead compounds, cadmium or thallium oxide to reduce corrosion of a zinc electrode. Many of these additives however, are expensive and more significantly, are very toxic. U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,414 discloses the use of a multi-layer separator between the positive and negative electrodes to reduce corrosion of the anode and contamination of the electrolyte by zinc oxidation products. In addition, hydrophobic materials have been introduced into zinc/air devices to prevent water permeation into the air channels of the cathode. Introduction of hydrophobic materials is however, a difficult process and may result in decreased performance of the cathode.
In addition to zinc/air systems, other metal/air systems, such as aluminum/air, lithium/air, cadmium/air, magnesium/air, and iron/air systems, also have the potential for many different applications due to their theoretically high ampere-hour capacity, voltage, and specific energy. In actual practice however, these very promising theoretical values are greatly reduced due to the corrosion of the metal anode in the electrolyte.
A solid-state hydroxide conductive electrolyte polybenzimidazole ("PBI") film is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,613 and comprises a polymeric support structure having an electrolyte active species dispersed therein, wherein the polymer structure is in intimate contact with both the anode and the cathode. This PBI film, however, does not absorb water and therefore, does not hold water within the membrane, causing it to dry out quickly.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,918 discloses an electrochemical cell embodying an electrode of zinc powder granules suspended in a gel comprised of methylenebisacrylamide, acrylic acid and acrylamide. Potassium hydroxide serves as the electrolyte, and is contained within the gel.
With regard to devices that rely on the conduction of cations, while there has been a significant amount of research in this area, most proton conducting membranes are very expensive to produce and typically do not function at room temperature. In the 1970's for example, a fully fluorinated polymer membrane, NAFION® (DuPont, Wilmington, Del. USA) was introduced and has served as the basis from which subsequent proton conducting membranes have evolved.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,574 discloses a proton conductive membrane that is characterized as a highly sulfonated polymeric membrane composed of block copolymers of sulfonated polystyrene, ethylene and butylene blocks. In 1997, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory disclosed the development of an improved proton conductive membrane composed of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone), commonly known as H-SPEEK.
The separator in a cell or battery physically separates and electrically insulates electrodes of different polarity. While serving as a barrier to the transport of active materials of the different electrodes, a separator should provide ionic conduction. Good ionic conductivity is necessary to ensure that an electrochemical cell/battery is capable of delivering usable amounts of power for a given application.
In a rechargeable electrochemical cell, a separator is also used to prevent short-circuiting, caused by metal dendrite penetration during recharging. For example, in rechargeable zinc/air cells, zinc on the surface of the negative zinc electrode (anode) is dissolved as zincate ion into the electrolyte solution during discharge. Then, during the charge, when the charging current is typically below 20 mA/cm2, depending on the particular anode used, the zincate ion forms dendritic zinc, which is needle-like and grows from the negative electrode toward the charging electrode. Unfortunately, these needle-like structures can pierce through conventional separators causing an internal short circuit. The service life of the cell is consequently terminated. In addition to preventing dendrite penetration, the separator must allow for the exchange of electrolytic ions during both discharging and charging of the cell.
The most commonly used separators in rechargeable cells are porous insulator films of polyolefins, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), nylon, or cellophane. Acrylic compounds may also be radiation-grafted onto these separators to make them more wettable and permeable to the electrolyte. Although much work has been done to improve the performance of separators, dendrite penetration problems are frequently encountered with these and other conventional separators, as well as problems involving diffusion of reaction products such as the metal oxide to remaining parts of the cell.
With conventional separators, controlling the pore size of the separator is the only effective way to avoid dendrite penetration and prevent product diffusion. By doing this, however, the ionic conductivity of the separator is also greatly reduced. This creates a bottleneck for high charging-discharging current density operations, important considerations for use in some applications, such as in electrical vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,988 (the '988 patent) discloses an electrolyte system separator disposed between the cathode and anode of a rechargeable electrochemical battery. The electrolyte system includes a polymer matrix prepared from polyacrylic acid or derivatives thereof. An electrolyte species, such as KOH or H2SO4, is then added to the polymer matrix to complete the system. However, as reported in the '988 patent, the measured ionic conductivities of the disclosed electrolyte-polymer films are low, ranging from 0.012 S/cm to 0.066 S/cm. Although these conductivities are acceptable for some applications, they are inadequate for other high rate operations including electrical vehicles.
An electrochemical reaction is also involved in the function of electrochromic devices (ECD's). Electrochromism is broadly defined as a reversible optical absorption change induced in a material by an electrochemical redox process. Typically, an electrochromic device contains two different electrochromic materials (ECM's) having complementary properties; the first is generally reduced, undergoing a color (1)-to-color (2) transition during reduction, while the second material is oxidized, undergoing a similar transition upon the loss of electrons.
Basically, there are two types of electrochromic devices, depending upon the location of the electrochromic materials within the device. In a thin-film type device, the two ECM's are coated onto the two electrodes and remain there during the redox coloration process. In a solution-phase device, both ECM's are dissolved in an electrolyte solution and remain their during the coloration cycle. The solution-phase device is typically more reliable and has a longer lifetime, however, in order to maintain the colored state, an external power source must be continuously applied. As the thin-film type device does not need an external power source to maintain its colored state, power consumption is greatly reduced, making this an advantage for such energy-saving applications as smart windows. The drawback of the thin-film type device is that it has a short lifetime. After a certain number of cycles, ECM films can lose contact with the electrode, or they may no longer be capable of phase change and the device expires.
With regard to solution-phase devices, U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,799, for example, discloses a method of reducing the current required to maintain the colored state that involves the addition of gel into the device. While reducing energy consumption however, the addition of the gel into the device also greatly reduces the switching speed of the device. With regard to thin-film devices, attempts to extend the lifetime of the device have included changes to the crystal structure of the film. While such changes have increased the lifetime of thin-film devices to an extent, the typical lifetime of such devices is still not satisfactory.
The foregoing problems thus present major obstacles to the successful development and commercialization of fuel cell technology, a green energy source, and of electrochromic devices such as smart windows and flat panel displays, which have several energy-saving, decorative, and information display applications. With respect to the problems associated with rechargeable electrochemical cells, it is clear that there is a great need for a separator that can provide improved ionic conductivity while providing an effective barrier against the penetration of metal dendrites and the diffusion of reaction products.


A groove is provided a surface on a cavity portion side of a sole portion in a head portion of an iron golf club, and a thickness of a ball hitting portion in a face portion is made larger than a thickness of a top edge side portion of the face portion and at least as large as a thickness of a sole side portion of the face portion. In a golf club set according to the present invention, the groove has the greatest depth in a long iron golf club, while the groove has the smallest depth in a short iron golf club or no groove is provided in the short iron golf club.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an iron golf club (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "cavity iron") having a cavity portion on the rear surface side of the face portion and a golf club set, and more specifically, to a cavity iron golf club provided on a surface of a sole portion defining the cavity portion with a groove for adjusting a thickness of the face portion while increasing an effective face length and a golf club set having such a golf club.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, a cavity iron golf club is known in which a sole portion is formed in an undercut-shape in order to achieve weight reduction and to position the centroid position toward the rear side of the face, i.e. deepening the centroid. This type of iron golf club head is disclosed, for instance, in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-27951.
FIG. 23 is a cross sectional view of an iron golf club head disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-27951.
As shown in FIG. 23, a head portion 1 includes a cavity portion 2, a face portion 3 having a ball hitting surface, and a sole portion 4. An undercut surface 5 is formed by slanting the surface of sole portion 4 defining cavity portion 2. In this manner, by forming undercut surface 5, the centroid depth can be deepened while achieving weight reduction of head portion 1.
In the above document, however, no mention is made of the thickness of face portion 3, and the thickness of face portion 3 is uniform as shown in FIG. 23.
The cavity iron of the type shown in FIG. 23 has excellent directivity of the hit ball, but also has the problem that improvement in carry cannot be achieved.
In addition, since the thickness of face portion 3 is uniform, the cavity iron of FIG. 23 had the problem of significant reduction in the carry in the case of an offset strike where a golf ball is struck at a location other than the sweet spot.


The invention is directed to a method or use of 2,9-dichloro-quinacridone as a crystal phase inhibitor during the beta-quinacridone or gamma-quinacridone crude pigment particle size reduction processes. 2,9-dichloroquinacridone is added to the milling composition of the crude gamma or crude beta quinacridone.

Quinacridone (QA) is known to exist in three crystal phases. The alpha phase, described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,844,484 and gamma phase described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,844,581 and 2,969,366 forms are a bluish red color. The beta form described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,844,485 and 4,857,646 is violet. The alpha quinacridone crystal form is not commercially valuable because it is not heat stable. See W. Herbst and K. Hunger, "Industrial Organic Pigments", VCH Publishers, Inc., 1997, page 464.
It is well known in the art that organic pigments, such as quinacridones, as synthesized, are generally unsuitable for use as pigments and must be further processed to develop the requisite pigmentary properties such as particle size, particle shape, polymorphic phase, and tinctorial strength.
In order to obtain the color properties required for a particular application, the pigment crude must be converted to a pigmentary grade with a proper tint strength, transparency or opacity for a particular application. The effectiveness of a given pigment type in imparting color is dependent upon it's particle size in dispersion. Thus, color strength, transparency and opacity are all properties that are highly dependant on particle size. Consequently, crude organic pigments undergo one or more finishing or conditioning steps that require particle size reduction. See, for example R. B. McKay, "Control of the Application Performance of Classical Organic Pigments" in JOCCA, 89–93.
Thus, the crude beta- or gamma-quinacridone usually undergoes a particle size reduction process. During this particle reduction of the beta or gamma quinacridone, the beta or gamma will tend to convert to the alpha crystal form depending on the milling conditions without a crystal phase inhibitor. As mixing of the alpha-quinacridone with either the beta or gamma phase changes product color shade and decreases heat stability of the final finished pigment, inhibition of this conversion during milling is to be avoided.
EP 517662 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,269 describe an aqueous milling process of modifying beta-quinacridone (QA) with base and phase-transfer catalyst.
EP 1020497 describes the color property of the mixed crystal phase pigment with 2,9-dichloroquinacridone.
EP 799863 describes the preparation of beta-phase quinacridone by conversion of alpha-phase quinacridone.
EP 517663 and EP 517662 describe a process of preparing magenta colour beta-1 form quinacridone pigment by either dry milling of beta-quinacridone crude, or milling of beta-quinacridone crude in the presence of water and alcohol.
EP 305328 describes a new magenta color beta-quinacridone that has average particle size over 0.1 microns.
However, none of the above references disclose the use of 2,9-dichloroquinacridone as an alpha-quinacridone crystal phase inhibitor in beta quinacridone particle size reduction process.
Surprisingly, it has been discovered that the beta-quinacridone crystal phase can be preserved during particle size reduction by the addition of 2,9-dichloroquinacridone during the finishing process. The beta-quinacridone product obtained from this process has blue shade violet color that is not achievable when alpha-quinacridone exists in the product.
Furthermore, it has also been discovered that the same crystal phase inhibitor, 2,9-dichloroquinacridone can also be used with the gamma-quinacridone during the particle size reduction to prevent the formation of alpha-quinacridone. Gamma-quinacridone has red color that can be shifted to yellow or bluer shade. Particle size reduction shifts the color to a bluer shade with/without alpha-quinacridone. Beta-quinacridone develops violet color as particle size is reduced. Without alpha-quinacridone, the beta shifts to a bluer violet shade. Thus, a saturated violet color product for beta and red color for gamma is produced with better pigment properties for coatings, plastics and ink applications is achieved for both beta-quinacridone and gamma-quinacridone by milling in the presence of 2,9-dichoroquinacridone as a crystal phase inhibitor.

2,9-Dichloro-quinacridone as alpha-quinacridone crystal phase inhibitor


A technique for reducing a parasitic DC bias voltage on a sensor monitors the parasitic DC bias voltage on a first element of the sensor. A controlled bias voltage that is applied between the first element of the sensor and a second element of the sensor is then modified to substantially maintain the parasitic DC bias voltage at a desired potential.

Various sensors have been developed to detect chemical elements and/or chemical compounds in a gas stream. For example, one Zeolite-based sensor exhibits a complex impedance that is dependent on the concentration of ammonia (NH3) in a gas stream presented to the sensor. In one particular implementation, a Zeolite-based sensor has been positioned within an exhaust gas stream of a diesel engine to provide feedback, as to the concentration of ammonia in the exhaust gas stream, to a control unit. Based upon the concentration of the ammonia in the exhaust gas stream, the control unit may cause reduction of the injection of urea, which acts to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission levels from the diesel engine, into the exhaust gas stream.
In many applications, in determining an impedance of a sensor it is undesirable to bias the sensor with a signal that has a direct current (IDC) component, as the DC component may cause ion migration or other chemical reactions in the sensor. Ion migration in a sensor may alter the impedance or other characteristics of the sensor, thereby providing an incorrect indication of the level of a gas within a gas stream. A traditional approach for determining the impedance of a sensor has utilized a system that has sourced a sinewave voltage excitation to an input of the sensor and has observed the resulting sinusoidal current. In general, such systems have captured both the amplitude and phase relationship of the sensor voltage and the sensor current, such that both a real and imaginary part of a sensor impedance could be determined.
In general, Zeolite-based sensing elements cannot be biased with any DC voltage component, as this causes ion migration in the Zeolite coated Inter-Digitated Capacitor (IDC) element of the sensor, which causes a parasitic shift of the impedance measurements. The impedance of the IDC element is typically measured with a 2000Hz sinewave signal. Typically, the circuits designed to measure the impedance of the gas-sensing cell in this sensor have been designed to minimize any DC leakage currents that would result in a charge on the Zeolite element.
Experimental data has shown that in spite of the efforts to minimize DC leakage currents, sizable amounts of nearly DC voltage can be built-up across the IDC element, due to inter-element leakage with the other sensor component cells. For example, a resistive temperature device (RTD) element that is placed in the sensor to provide feedback for the sensor temperature control function provides a well-known coupling mechanism. In general, the RTD element has been placed in the multi-layer sensor substrate structure, directly under the IDC element level, to achieve accurate temperature monitoring. The historical approach for controlling the effect of this parasitic coupling is to establish a known, fixed potential between the RTD and IDC elements. This potential has been empirically determined and locked into the interface electronics calibration. One issue with this technique is lack of repeatability of the "optimum" bias, due to dependence on sensor age, temperature and several lesser-known influences.
What is needed is a technique for reducing a parasitic DC bias voltage on a sensor, subject to ion migration, that acts to minimize the parasitic DC bias voltage on the sensor over the lifetime of the sensor.

Technique for reducing a parasitic DC bias voltage on a sensor


A cover door that includes a frame having a wall and an upper aperture extending at the end of the wall, and a lid covering at least one portion of the upper aperture and movable relatively to the frame so as to clear the upper aperture. The lid is attached to the wall through a hinge-forming area. The hinge-forming area has at least one central hinge connecting a central portion of the lid to the frame, and at least one side hinge connecting a side portion of the lid to the frame. The side hinge has a greater length than the length of the central hinge.

One type of known vehicle airbag cover door includes a frame, comprising at least one wall defining a trajectory for deploying the airbag and an upper aperture extending at the end of said wall, and a lid covering at least one portion of the upper aperture and movable relatively to the frame so as to clear the upper aperture and allow deployment of the airbag along the deployment trajectory through the upper aperture, the lid being attached to the wall through an area forming a hinge. Such a cover door is generally obtained by injection molding. Thus the frame and the lid are formed from a same plastic material.
The lid is delimited by a slot by means of which the majority of its perimeter is spaced apart from the internal contour of the frame. The lid is then connected to the frame through only a few connecting points forming a hinge and allowing the opening of the lid in rotation relatively to the frame under the effect of the deployment of the airbag.
Such a device is generally intended to be attached to a plate supporting a trim element of an automobile vehicle. The plate is for example covered with a foam layer, itself covered with a skin in order to form the trim element, such as a dashboard, a door panel or other element and comprises weakened locations allowing a passage to be freed for the airbag during its deployment.
It is known how to produce a continuous hinge extending over the entire length of the lid. However, the forces required for driving the rotation of the lid relatively to the frame are significant and may perturb the deployment of the airbag.
In order to overcome this drawback and to reduce these forces, the hinge may be formed with several portions separated from each other, which facilitates opening of the cover door and increases the deployment velocity of the airbag. However, these different portions are individually more weakened than a continuous hinge of great length. The risks of breaking the hinge during the deployment of the airbag are then increased. This breakage may cause undesirable separation of the lid with respect to the frame.
In order to reduce these risks, the provision of a hinge is known, capable of extending during the rotation of the lid, as described in document EP-1 410 958 for example. Such a hinge for example has an area, the section of which is U-shaped, this U being deployed during the deployment of the airbag so as to extend the hinge.
However, even with such a possibility of elongating the hinge, it may still break. This is particularly true at the side edges of the lid, where the hinge is subject to more stresses during deployment of the airbag. Indeed, during this deployment the lid may tend to deform during its rotation until it causes a larger traction on the side portions of the hinge.

Airbag cover door having a variable length hinge


A machine for warming and spraying paint comprising a water cooled internal combustion engine, a pump for pumping the paint, a power transfer means linking the engine drive linkage to the pump drive linkage, a heat exchange chamber having an interior channel therethrough enabling heated liquid coolant and paint introduced into the heat exchange chamber to flow therethrough and exchange heat without commingling of the two fluids, a liquid coolant transfer means for carrying the liquid coolant in a circuit path including the internal combustion engine radiator, the internal combustion engine, and the heat exchange chamber, and a paint transfer means allowing paint to travel through an open ended path including the pump and the heat exchange chamber, the paint transfer means allowing the paint to be pumped by the internal combustion engine and the pump and to be simultaneously warmed by heat transferred from the liquid coolant to the paint within the heat exchange chamber.

The advantages of heating paint prior to spray application of the paint are well known. Heated enamel based paint typically applies more smoothly and evenly, and dries more swiftly when heated prior to application. Heated enamel based paint also is more easily atomized by a paint spraying gun, with reduced clogging effect. Thus, it is economical and efficient to provide a paint spraying machine which is capable of heating paint prior to spray application.
Methods of providing a paint spraying machine capable of heating paint prior to application are known. One example of such an apparatus provides an electric paint heater attached to the framework of the paint spraying machine. Disadvantages of such apparatus include lack of availability of electricity at remote work sites.
Another known method of supplying heat to paint prior to application by a paint spraying machine is to utilize the exhaust system or the engine coolant system of a vehicle or a separate piece of internal combustion engine driven equipment to warm the paint. In such applications, heat from the engine's coolant or exhaust system is diverted by tubes to a paint warmer. Such systems and applications are unwieldy and cumbersome because they require use of a vehicle or other apparatus in conjunction with the paint spraying machine.
The instant invention solves the deficiencies of prior known methods and machines for application of heat to paint prior to application by providing a paint spraying machine driven and powered by a water cooled internal combustion engine, the engine supplying the motive force for spraying and supplying heat to the paint. Such a configuration has several advantages in economy and use over the prior art.

Machine for warming and spraying paint or viscous fluids


A receiver 10 and method in the receiver for cell search to find an actual base station having a carrier frequency in a radio communications network 1. The receiver detects a first signal representative of a base station 12, 14, 16, 18 by performing slot synchronisation, frame synchronization, cell identification, measurement of a signal quality of the first signal and comparison of the measured signal quality with a first threshold value. When a first signal having a signal quality that is greater than the first threshold value has been detected, the receiver searches for at least one second signal representative of a base station for at least one frequency offset comprised in a set of offsets S3. Further, when one or more second signals are detected, the receiver selects the signal with the highest signal quality, and detects a broadcast radio channel representative of a base station for the selected signal.

In radio communications networks, a user equipment performs a cell search in order to find a base station. When performing the cell search and due to correlation of signals transmitted from one or more base stations, the user equipment may find a so-called false cell. The false cell is herein sometimes also referred to as a ghost cell and corresponds to a non-existing base station, i.e. the ghost cell is not served by a base station. The user equipment will not know whether or not the found cell is a false cell and will therefore try to read a broadcast signal which broadcast signal does not exist. Thus, the user equipment will spend time and power trying to read a non-existing broadcast signal.
US 2011/0103534 discloses a method for handling ghost cells in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communications system. The method identifies hypothetical ghost cell frequencies based on the LTE Primary Synchronization Sequence (PSS) signal. Further, the method creates a list of hypothetical frequency/timing offset pairs based on finding a first correlation peak based on the LTE PSS only, i.e. based on one signal only. The different hypothesises are then examined through the use of frequency domain processing of the LTE Secondary Synchronization Sequence (SSS), which is able to discriminate between incorrect and correct hypothesises.


A system, method, and apparatus for preparing an absorbent core for use in absorbent garments is disclosed. The apparatus includes a funnel having a first end and a second end, the second end being narrower in diameter than the first end, and a nozzle having a straight section, a curved section, and a tip. The straight section of the nozzle is operatively associated with the second end of the funnel. The apparatus further includes a diverter plate operatively associated with the curved section of the nozzle. The invention provides a more uniform distribution of super absorbent particles within the fluff pulp used to make the absorbent core, thus improving performance of the absorbent core. An absorbent garment made using an absorbent core made with the apparatus of the invention also is disclosed. The absorbent garment provides better leakage protection than absorbent garments incorporating conventional absorbent cores.

Disposable absorbent garments such as infant diapers or training pants, adult incontinence products, and other such products are well-known in the art. Typically, the chassis of such absorbent garments comprises a liquid-permeable body-contacting liner sheet (or "top sheet"), a liquid-impermeable backing sheet (or "back sheet"), and a moisture-absorbent core (or "absorbent core"). The absorbent core usually is made of a nonwoven mat of randomly arrayed fiber and super absorbent polymer ("SAP") and generally is disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet.
The absorbent core may be purchased as bulk roll goods or may be formed from fiberized fluff pulp and SAP particles in a forming chamber, and encased in a liquid pervious wrap to stabilize the layer or layers of the core. In the general practice of forming fibrous materials into absorbent cores, it is common to utilize a fibrous sheet of cellulosic fibers, or other suitable fibers, which is fiberized in a conventional fiberizer or other device to form discrete fibers. The discrete fibers then are entrained in an air stream or airflow along with an amount of SAP particles and directed to a forming surface where the fibers and SAP particles are deposited to form a pad of fluff, (i.e. a non-woven mat of randomly arrayed fibers containing interstitial void space and being highly compressible in character). The forming surface rotates at a speed adjusted as necessary to form the desired thickness of the pad of fluff, which is removed as a continuous sheet from the forming surface for tissue wrapping and absorbent core formation.
Typically, the air stream with the entrained discrete fibers is directed into one end of a forming chamber, where a forming surface is located on the other end of the forming chamber. The SAP particles usually are introduced into the forming chamber downstream of the point from where the discrete fibers are introduced, yet upstream of the forming surface. The SAP particles and discrete fibers mix in the air flow in the forming chamber before they reach the forming surface. The nozzle used to introduce the SAP particles into the forming chamber typically was configured to have a straight nozzle with a funnel end, and the SAP particles usually were fed into the funnel end. Typically, the funnel was disposed at about a 20 degree angle from level, or 20 degrees from a horizontal position.
The forming surface utilized in such systems typically was constructed as a wire or screen grid and typically employed pneumatic flow means such as a vacuum suction apparatus to define a differential pressure zone on the forming surface and impose a pressure differential thereon. The air entrained fiber and SAP particle stream would pass through the openings or perforations in the screened grid of the forming surface. The use of vacuum suction to draw the air entrained fiber and SAP particles stream to the forming surface, with the passage of the air component through the forming surface, is highly efficient and lends itself to high speed commercial operations. A typical configuration for feeding SAP particles to an airstream containing fibers, and then to a forming rotating drum is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,912, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The SAP particles and the fibers typically did not mix homogeneously while inside the forming chamber to form a well-mixed pad of fluff on the forming surface, when using previous operating conditions and web forming configurations. Thus, the absorbent cores made from this pad of fluff tended to have uneven layers of SAP particles and fibers. This non-homogenous layering of the SAP particles and the fiber reduced absorbent core performance, as measured according to techniques well known in the art.

System and method for absorbent core production


A training apparatus having an endless belt is provided. The apparatus provides a treadmill operable to simulate a variety of high intensity exercises. In particular, the apparatus is designed to simulate high intensity pushing and pulling exercises. The system includes forward and rearward mounts for attaching accessories to facilitate various training exercises. The system also includes a drive control with multiple flywheels for providing variable resistance to rotation of the treadmill.

A variety of systems have been used over the years to provide aerobic exercise. For instance, treadmills have long been used to provide a way for individuals to run or walk at various paces to suit the user. Such treadmills typically have a motor that drives the belt, so that the belt rotates whether the user is on the treadmill or not.
Although treadmills may provides an aerobic workout, they have limited usefulness in various high intensity cross-training exercises and exercises that simulate exercises that traditionally require outdoor equipment and/or a significant amount of space. For instance, in several sports such as American football and rugby, common work-out routines include high-intensity pushing and pulling exercises. For instance, in American football, athletes commonly workout by driving a blocking sled or pulling a weight or weighted sled. Such exercises require a significant amount of space to perform. Attempts to simulate such exercises on indoor exercise equipment have failed for many reasons. For instance, the known systems have been unable to replicate the intensity required to start driving the known weighted driving systems and to continue to drive the system.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system that allows the user to replicate various high intensity aerobic and anaerobic exercises, such as pushing, pulling exercises as well as other exercises commonly done by athletes involved in sports that include blocking and/or driving an opponent, such as in American football and rugby.

Endless belt multi-function training system