Aspects of the present disclosure include methods, apparatus, and systems for deactivating an AM tag including receiving a deactivation signal via a first inductive coil, storing electrical charges generated from the deactivation signal in a capacitor, and discharging the electrical charges through a second inductive coil, wherein: a first bias strip in the demagnetized state and a second bias strip cause a resonator to vibrate at a first resonant frequency corresponding to an activated state of the AM tag, the discharging magnetizes the first bias strip from a demagnetized state to a magnetized state, and the first bias strip in the magnetized state and the second bias strip cause the resonator to vibrate at a second resonant frequency different than the first resonant frequency, wherein the resonator vibrating at the second resonant frequency corresponds to a deactivated state of the AM tag.

Merchandise items offered by a vendor may be sold in one or more "brick-and-mortar" stores of the vendor. The customer may enter the one or more brick-and-mortar stores of the vendor and purchase the merchandise items. Unfortunately, the vendor and/or the customer may encounter loss due to theft.
To reduce theft, many vendors utilize loss-prevention measures to minimize the number of stolen merchandise. Some loss-prevention measures include security monitoring, inventory tracking, and electronic article surveillance. In particular, electronic article surveillance may include using an acousto-magnetic (AM) tag attached to the merchandise. However, the AM tags may be inconvenient to use because, after the purchase of the merchandise items by the customer, the AM tags may only be disabled by the employees of the one or more brick-and-mortar stores using bulky equipment (e.g., heavy disabling devices having very strong magnetic fields). Specifically, the AM tags may be disabled by demagnetizing one or more bias strips using a magnetic field (e.g., energy above 10 Joules, 12 Joules, 14 Joules, 16 Joules or 20 Joules). Additionally, the disabling devices may pose a health risk to store personnel, as high-dosage exposures to the amount of electro-magnetic energy used to disable the AM tags may approach regulatory maximum limits. Also, current methods of disabling AM tags may not be convenient to consumer, for example, if the employees forget to disable the tags in the store during a purchase transaction, the customer may be required to bring the merchandise items (with AM tags still attached) back to the store for disabling. Therefore, improvement in electronic article surveillance tags are desirable.

Method and system for deactivating an acousto-magnetic label


The invention is an antenna for a wireless communication, comprising a cylindrical holder including a closed end and a side portion; and a rod including one end connected to the closed end of the holder.

Through the present application, "nX antenna" is named from a type of an electrical charge flow depending on the structural characteristics of antennas disclosed by the present invention.
Due to rapid developments in the analog and digital communication technologies worldwide at the present, mobile communication services, such as cellular, PCS, GSM, PHS, the former Iridium service using an artificial satellite, IMT2000 service, etc., are being provided. Also, wireless communication is being used in various fields, such as wireless LAN, radios, wireless communication between apparatuses positioned within a local area, and wireless communication fields are being widely spread.
For instance, the mobile communication terminal antenna mainly uses a nondirectional retractable antenna owing to requirements of bi-directional communications are possible and it is easy to carry the antenna. Antennas of terminals that are being sold are a combination type in which an antenna suitable for a signal standby state, and an antenna suitable for telephoning state are combined, and antennas capable of transmitting and receiving linear polarization signals easily are used.
The antenna type, which protrudes upward from the terminal, mainly employs a combination type in which a spring shaped helical antenna extends and a monopole shaped whip antenna, which extends upward to enhance communication quality, are combined. In other words, in the mobile terminals, such as mobile phones, radios, PCS, etc., for performing wireless communication between moving terminals, or between a moving terminal and a fixed place, the antennas use a combination of a whip antenna and a helical antenna.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional helical-whip combination type antenna. With reference to FIG. 1, the conventional helical-whip combination type antenna is described. The basic structure includes a helical antenna 2 and a whip antenna 3. The helical antenna 2 has a spiral conductor of a length of approximately λ/4. The whip antenna has a monopole shape. In a signal standby state or when the surrounding environment is good, the helical antenna 2 alone operates, and at a place where the electromagnetic wave environment is bad, the two antennas 2 and 3 operate at the same time in a state where the whip antenna 3 extends from a main body 1. The antennas are classified depending on positions of the helical antenna 2, and there are many modifications depending on the feed and combination of the two antennas. Antennas for mobile communication terminals, having a structure in which the helical antenna 2 is coupled to one end of the whip antenna 3, are being used as representative antennas for foreign PCS terminal products and local products. Representative of these antennas are products made by Allgon company in Sweden, which manufactures antennas. A structure, in which the helical antenna is coupled to the main body of the terminal, has a lower feeding point of the helical antenna and the whip antenna connected to the same metal connector 4. Motorola, Inc. manufactured an antenna having the same basic structure as the product of Allgon Company but used a different feeding method, and used the antenna in some terminal models. In an early stage, Korean cellular terminal models mostly used products of Allgon Company.
However, since this conventional mobile communication antenna is made as a structure protruding from the terminal, the antenna may be broken by an external force. Also, in a case when a user moves while putting the terminal in a pocket, the antenna becomes caught by a portion of the pocket causing an inconvenience in the use of the terminal.
Also, since the antenna has a minimum size due to the frequencies used characteristic in the above structure, although the terminal size may decrease, the antenna size may not decrease. Also, the area occupied by the antenna becomes larger.
Further, owing to the limitation in the performance of the antenna, the conventional antenna has the largest disadvantage involving communication quality, such as noise, cut off in calling, etc.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are sectional views of improved antennas in accordance with a conventional art. In order to overcome the aforesaid disadvantages, proposed conventional built-in antennas 10 and 20 for a mobile phone, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, include, respectively, first body parts 11 and 21, second body parts 12 and 22, spaces 13 and 23 and antenna rods 14 and 24. The first body parts 11 and 21 and the second body parts 12 and 22 are made of a conductor, and have sealed upper faces and side faces and openings without a lower face. Diameters and lengths of the first body parts 11 and 21 and the second body parts 12 and 22 are decided depending on transmission and reception frequency band and their gains. The antenna rods 14 and 24 are made of a conductor, and are inwardly coupled to the upper faces of the first body parts 11 and 21 and the second body parts 12 and 22 to be connected to each other and fixed. The spacers 13 and 23 are made of nonconductor, and are coupled to the openings of the first body parts 11 and 21 and the second body parts 12 and 22 to maintain intervals between the first body part 11 and the second body part 12 and between the first body part 21 and the second body part 22. The antennas can be set by finely controlling the spacing between the first body part 11 and the second body part 12 and between the first body part 21 and the second body part 22, where the spacers 13 and 23 are positioned.
Here, the conventional dipole antenna includes an anode and a cathode. Generally, grounding of the substrate itself or a cathode pattern formed on the substrate is used as the cathode, and an antenna structure itself is used as the anode. In describing the present invention, the anode is referred to and the antenna, and descriptions of the matching circuit and other circuits are omitted.
The antennas 10 and 20 are installed at the outside of the substrate. An antenna connector is electrically connected to an antenna circuit part on the substrate, and is installed on the substrate. In the dipole antenna, the antennas 10 and 20 are used as the anode, and a circuit substrate is used as the cathode. Instead of the circuit substrate, a cathode separately formed on the substrate can be used. This antenna is made such that it is located within the case of the mobile phone. The cathode associated with the anode of antennas 10 and 20, is a conductive pattern or an antenna structure having the same structure as the anode can be used.
Thus, in the antenna structure including the first body part 11 and 21, the second body parts 12 and 22, the spacers 13 and 23 and the antenna rods 14 and 24, phase inversion is repeated by an electric flow pattern on the surface and thus resonance is generated, so that a desired gain and frequency characteristic can be obtained by using an antenna having a short length in a structure and appearance.
These antennas can be installed at any position out of the left side, right side, upper side and lower side. The cathode can be formed in a conductive pattern on the substrate to be matched with the anode. Two antennas having the same structure can be installed and connected respectively to the cathode and the anode. The two antennas can be installed in parallel to each other, or installed separately from each other in vertical direction and horizontal direction.
Then, in the foregoing antenna structure, when the two body parts are coupled such that their grooves face with each other, if a spacer of a nonconductor is formed as an interval maintaining hole and the antenna rod is coupled to both ends of the body parts using a screw or a stepped portion, the number of the elements becomes large. Since the antenna rod should be made longer to be coupled to the inside of the groove, the volume of the structure becomes large, increasing the use of raw material, weight, assembly time increases, workability is lowered, and manufacturing cost is increased.
Also, in the antenna structure, since the antenna is installed in a state in which the both ends are closed, there exists a drawback in which application width is limited in a structure connecting and installing the antenna to the circuit part of the substrate.


A two component efficacious dentifrice composition, having a first alkali metal bicarbonate containing dentifrice component and a second acid-containing dentifrice component; the first and second components being separated prior to use; wherein, the pH of the two components when combined upon application to the teeth is between about 6.0 and about 7.1; whereby, the dentifrice provides enhanced removal of plaque growth and a tingly mouth feel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a two component dentifrice composition, having a first component containing an alkali metal bicarbonate salt and a second component containing an acid and more particularly to such a composition which exhibits a novel tingling mouth effect and enhanced removal of plaque growth.
2. The Prior Art
The addition of alkali metal bicarbonates to toothpaste for medicinal, general cleansing, or aesthetic purposes is known in the art. These bicarbonates are used as abrasives or polishing agents in dentifrice compositions providing moderate abrasion to remove debris and stained pellicle from tooth surfaces which are accessible to the toothbrush bristles. Further, it is known that bicarbonate-acid mixtures in toothpaste formulations will create an effervescent effect and that that effervescent effect can provide certain mouth feel and moderate cleaning benefits.
British Patent 1 209 319 discloses a bicarbonate containing foaming toothpaste, based on a single composition of an alcohol-containing gel, thickened to a paste with colloidal silica and an acid salt to initiate an acid reaction. The CO.sub.2 released from the acid reaction enhances the cosmetically desirable froth formation of the active detergent conventionally present in toothpaste. However, the disclosed formulation is primarily non-aqueous, having a water content of not more than 10% by weight. For such a non-aqueous dentifrice to generate any appreciable effervescence, the stabilized ingredients will have to go into solution, a relatively slow process when the neat toothpaste is first applied to the teeth. Further, the non-aqueous formulation is composed of from 20 to 50% by weight of ethanol and/or propanol, having significant taste, mouth feel and potential irritation negatives.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,757 discloses a dual component alkali metal bicarbonate and acid containing toothpaste, wherein the bicarbonate containing component is isolated from the acid containing component in separate sections of a multisection storage dispenser, to avoid any chemical reaction between the bicarbonate and acid during storage. Upon dispensing the two components first contact each other and are further brought into intimate contact upon use, fostering the acid-base reaction between the bicarbonate and the acid. U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,757 discloses an effervescence which helps clean the teeth; a clean mouth or a clean "mouth feel effect"; and an initial taste which may be somewhat acidic and also salty and becomes subsequently sweeter when the acid is combined with the bicarbonate containing component, in use, in the mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,761 discloses oral compositions effective against plaque and gingivitis, containing a nonionic water insoluble antibacterial agent, in which an essential component is bicarbonate salt. The bicarbonate is usually used at a level of from 1 to about 50 percent. Further, the pH of the disclosed oral compositions and/or the pH of such compositions in the mouth is disclosed as being safe for the mouth's hard and soft tissues, from about 8.5 to about 9.5. As will hereinafter be shown, such high pH, bicarbonate containing dentifrices will not yield any appreciable acid-base reaction and hence, will not yield any appreciable effervescence nor the desired associated attributes therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,740 discloses a one component dentifrice composition comprising sodium bicarbonate, one or more alkali metal pyrophosphate salts, a soluble fluoride ion source and other adjuvants, in admixture with a buffering agent. The buffering agent is incorporated in the dentifrice sufficient to buffer the pH to about 8.2 to 8.9, so as to decrease the risk of irritation of the oral mucosa or desquamation, as compared with dentifrices excluding such a buffering agent. However as will hereinafter be shown, such an alkaline pH, will inhibit any significant base/acid reaction with the bicarbonate and minimize any effervescence and associated product attributes.
There is an ongoing need for new and novel mouth feel benefits to promote the use of toothpaste, especially by children, as well as, for enhanced cleaning of the oral surfaces to better remove plaque growth and hence, reduce the oral decay and disease associated with plaque.

Effervescent two component bicarbonate and acid containing dentifrice


The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for producing mixed media. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention are configured to provide users the ability to play one or more multimedia files and mix the files in real time (live) according to user manipulation of system controls and or manipulation of user defined presets, thus producing a mixed media mashup. Further embodiments of the present invention are configured to allow users to record, save, replay, and share the mixed media mashup.

Digitization of music and images has democratized content creation, distribution and the way content is shared. Before digitization, only select individuals with access to expensive and cumbersome equipment were able to manipulate media. For example, it was rare for anyone besides a record producer to be able to construct a musical composition out of various vocals and instruments into a desired arrangement. Since a record producer was usually hired by an artist or a record company, the record producer's creation was not owned by him and thus, he was precluded from distributing his creative output. Any attempts at record producing by using readily available equipment such a cassette recorders yielded poor quality.
Digitization has condensed media so that physical manipulation and display of media is no longer required. This means that a significantly greater number of individuals are able to create their own content (or manipulate existing content) and easily share this creation with other individuals using media or multimedia mixers.
However, despite the ease with which individuals can become their own producers or photographers, current media or multimedia mixers are nonetheless inefficient and limiting. For example, traditional audio-video mixers are primarily burdensome. Having separate auxiliary equipment provides additional equipment to handle and care for. Furthermore set-up of media output with a mixer (e.g. for performance) is time consuming, and additional equipment means additional controllers to regulate. Moreover, having an external physical mixer limits the types of features that such can explored in multimedia mixing. For example, traditional mixers may have a finite number of built-in audio and video effects for the treatment of media content.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a system and method that improves the combining and mixing of media by offering a streamlined system for the creation, recordation, and distribution of multimedia content. This and other features and advantages of the present invention will be explained and will become obvious to one skilled in the art through the summary of the invention that follows.


A filled polymer composition which comprises. (A) from about 5 to about 90 percent of one or more thermoplastic substantially random interpolymers prepared by polymerizing one or more .alpha.-olefin monomers with one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and/or one or more hindered aliphatic or cycloaliphatic vinylidene monomers, and optionally with other polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer(s), and. (B) from about 10 to about 95 percent of one or more inorganic fillers,. the amounts of (A) and (B) being based on the total weight of (A) and (B).. Fabricated articles made from the filled polymer compositions are useful as sound insulating or energy absorbing films or sheets or as floor, wall or ceiling coverings.

This invention relates to filled .alpha.-olefin/vinylidene monomer interpolymer compositions, and fabricated articles thereof.
Fillers are frequently used to improve the stiffness of polymer compositions, or to decrease the coefficient of linear thermal expansion, or to decrease the overall cost of the polymer composition. However, such fillers are well known to simultaneously decrease impact performance or toughness of the resultant composition. For example, Joseph A. Randosta & Nikhil C. Trivedi in Talc [published in Handbook of Fillers and Reinforcements for Plastics 160 (Harry S. Katz & John V. Milewski eds.)] confirm that the impact performance of polymeric materials is generally decreased by the presence of rigid fillers, especially below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the matrix material, due to the fillers' action as "stress concentrators".
Typically, the filler is incorporated at levels ranging from 1 to 50 weight percent of the formulation, depending upon the filler density. Furthermore, even at relatively high levels of filler loading (e.g., greater than about 20 percent), typical thermoplastic formulations (e.g., polypropylene, an elastomeric rubber and talc) have very poor impact performance and do not function well in uses such as automotive facia. Low temperature impact resistance generally becomes more critical when the formulation is exposed to temperatures approaching the glass transition temperature of the rubber used in the formulation. Sometimes the room temperature impact resistance may even increase for highly filled formulations, but the low temperature impact resistance decreases rapidly with decreasing temperature.
The patent application WO 95/09945 discloses a thermoset elastomer composition which comprises a cross-linked substantially random interpolymer of (a) 15 to 70 weight percent of an .alpha.-olefin, (b) 30 to 70 weight percent of a vinylidene aromatic compound and (c) 0 to 15 weight percent of a diene. The linked substantially random interpolymer is typically mixed with a filler, an oil, and a curing agent at an elevated temperature to compound them. The amount of the curing agent is typically from about 0.5 to 12 weight percent, based on the total weight of the formulation. Carbon black may be added in an amount of up to 50 weight percent, based on the total weight of the formulation, to mask the color, to increase the toughness and/or to decrease the cost of the formulation. The disclosed thermoset formulations are useful in hoses, air ducts, brake cups, roofing materials and as various automotive parts, such as tires and moldings. However, the post-extrusion curing results in a cross-linked thermoset part that can not be reprocessed as a thermoplastic. This limits recyclability of the product.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,374 discloses filled thermoplastic olefinic compositions which have good low temperature impact performance and modulus. They comprise
(A) a thermoplastic resin selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyvinyl chlorides, styrenics, engineering thermoplastics, and polyolefins,
(B) at least one substantially linear ethylene/.alpha.-olefin polymer which is characterized as having:
a) a melt flow ratio, I.sub.10 /I.sub.2, .gtoreq.5.63, PA1 b) a molecular weight distribution, M.sub.w /M.sub.n, defined by the equation: M.sub.w /M.sub.n .ltoreq.(I.sub.10 /I.sub.2)-4.63, and PA1 c) a critical shear rate at onset of surface melt fracture of at least 50 percent greater than the critical shear rate at the onset of surface melt fracture of a linear ethylene /.alpha.-olefin polymer having about the same I.sub.2 and M.sub.w /M.sub.n, and
(C) at least one filler.
The filled thermoplastic olefinic compositions are said to be useful as automotive bumpers, facia, wheel covers and grilles and freezer containers.
In view of the wide ranges of desirable properties and uses for thermoplastic polymers, it would be desirable to provide new filled polymer compositions.


A power saving apparatus of an automatic vending machine and method thereof is provided to reduce an electric power consumed therein when it is not necessary as much power as a normal operating state of inner loads, such as a heater and a compressor, of the automatic vending machine. The power saving apparatus of the automatic vending machine includes a timer for counting time; a control part for generating a control signal for storing selling times of goods corresponding to each predetermined time counted by the timer and generating a control signal for reducing an operating time of inner loads of the automatic vending machine by comparing the selling times corresponding to a present time counted by the timer with a predetermined selling times; a memory for storing the selling times corresponding to each predetermined time counted by the timer; and a driving control part for controlling and driving an operation time of the inner loads of the automatic vending machine by a control signal from the control part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic vending machine and more particularly to a power saving apparatus of an automatic vending machine and method thereof for reducing an electric power consumed therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, automatic vending machine have been widely used in countries. The automatic vending machines, such as coffee, cigarette, cake, and candy vending machines have goods safe-keeping chambers therein.
In these automatic vending machines, when coins are inserted by the user into the automatic vending machine and a selecting button is pushed to a predetermined goods, goods is extracted from an extract part of the automatic vending machine.
As shown in FIG. 1, a goods selecting apparatus of a conventional automatic vending machine includes a coin sensing mechanism 1 for generating a sensing signal according to a state of inserted coins and an amount of money to be inserted in the automatic vending machine, a goods selecting part 2 for selecting a predetermined article among goods stored or provided at the automatic vending machine, a control part 3 for displaying a selling possibility state of goods according to a sensing signal corresponding to the inserted coins and the amount of the money input from the coin sensing mechanism 1 and for generating a control signal to extract goods selected from the goods selecting part 2, a display part 4 for displaying the amount of inserted money and a selling possibility state of the automatic vending machine, and a goods extracting part 5 for extracting the selected goods according to an extract control signal from the control part 3.
Now, goods selecting operating process of the conventional automatic vending machine will be explained hereinafter.
When coins are inserted through a coin inserting slot (not shown) of the automatic vending machine by the user, condition of the coins or a bill and amount of money are sensed by a plurality of sensors(not shown) of the coin sensing mechanism 1 and a signal sensed therefrom is provided to the control part 3. The control part 3 generates a control signal for displaying a total inserted amount of money according to the sensing signal from the coin sensing mechanism 1 and also generates a control signal for displaying a state of goods selling possibility state in case the inserted money excess the selling price of the goods stored at the automatic vending machine.
After the state of the goods selling possibility shown in the display part 4 is confirmed, a selecting button is pushed by a user to be selected goods. A button signal corresponding to the goods selected from the goods selecting part 2 is provided to the control part 3. At this time, a control signal for extracting the selected goods is generated from the control part 3.
Accordingly, the user can obtain at any time a predetermined article among goods stored in the automatic vending machine, thus controlling and adjusting the extracting control signal from the control part 3.
However, if the conventional automatic vending machine is disposed at a place such as in an office limited time to be used an electric power is unnecessarily consumed even during non-use time because the electric power is kept supplying to several loads such as a heater for heating a goods or a compressor for cooling the goods.

Power saving apparatus of an automatic vending machine and method thereof


An integrated inductor assembly is provided. The integrated inductor assembly includes a magnetic core, a first inductor, and a second inductor. The magnetic core has a first side, an opposing second side, and an opening defined within the magnetic core. The opening extends into the magnetic core from at least one of the first side and the second side. The first inductor includes a first conductive winding inductively coupled to the magnetic core. The first conductive winding includes a first shorting segment positioned within the opening. The second inductor includes a second conductive winding inductively coupled to the magnetic core. The second conductive winding includes a second shorting segment positioned within the opening. The first and second inductors are configurable to operate independently of one another.

The field of the embodiments relate generally to power electronics, and more particularly, to integrated inductor assemblies for use in power electronics.
High density power electronic circuits often require the use of multiple magnetic electrical components for a variety of purposes, including energy storage, signal isolation, signal filtering, energy transfer, and power splitting. As the demand for higher power density electrical components increases, it becomes more desirable to integrate two or more magnetic electrical components, such as multiple inductors, into the same core or structure.
However, known integrated magnetic assemblies are often not adequately configured to permit multiple windings to be manufactured on a single structure and to operate independently of one another. As a result, separate cores or structures are used when multiple components are operated independently in a given electronics circuit, thereby increasing the number and size of the components needed for a given operation, and reducing the power density of a given electronics circuit.

Integrated inductor assemblies and methods of assembling same


A power window actuator including an electric motor, a reduction gear train for reducing rotational speed of the motor and a linkage mechanism connected to the gear train opens and closes a pivotable quarter window or a rear side vent. The rotation of the motor is mechanically stopped by structural members totally enclosed in a housing containing the motor and the gear train when the pivotable window comes to a fully opened or a fully closed position. An electric current supply to the motor is automatically discontinued by operation of a controller. To enclose the structural members for stopping the motor in the housing, a first projection is formed on a final stage gear of the gear train and a second projection on an inside surface of the housing. Both projections abut against each other to stop the motor when the pivotable window is driven to predetermined positions. Thus, the actuator is made small in size and at a low cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power window actuator for a rear side vent or a rear quarter window of an automotive vehicle such as a two-door vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
An example of a power window actuator for a pivotable quarter window of a vehicle is disclosed in Japanese utility model laid-open publication No. JP-U-63-116678. The actuator comprises an electric motor, a rotational speed reduction device and a linkage mechanism. In the actuator disclosed, the pivotable quarter window is opened or closed by operation of the actuator and stops at a fully closed or fully opened positions when the linkage mechanism abuts a part of an outside wall of a housing of the actuator. There is a possibility in this system, however, that small foreign parts be jammed or bitten between the linkage mechanism and the housing when both abut each other.
To avoid this problem, it is conceivable to control a rotational position of the motor with a potentiometer which detects a rotated angle of the motor. However, use of such a potentiometer and a control mechanism result in increasing a size of the actuator and a manufacturing cost.


A compliant swage has the ability to change shape to allow clearance of an obstruction while permitting expansion to go on in other areas removed from the obstruction. A series of segments move with respect to each other longitudinally to change overall size. The segments have an additional degree of freedom to change from a round profile of varying diameter to an oblong, elliptical, or an irregular shape so as to compensate in the portion that encounters an obstruction to let the swage pass while at the same time permitting the intended maximum expansion in other portions where conditions permit such expansion.

Tubulars are expanded for a variety of reasons. In the application a patch is expanded to repair cracked casing. In other applications tubulars or liners are expanded to connect to each other or to casing downhole to present a larger cross-sectional area for a segment of the well. In other applications, deformation or a collapse of casing from forces of the surrounding formation needs to be corrected to improve the borehole cross-sectional area in the affected zone.
Swages have been used to accomplish this task. Swages are generally a tapered shape coming to a fixed maximum diameter such that when pushed or pulled through the obstructed area results in making the tubular either resume its initial round dimension or expand the tubular into an even larger round dimension. More recently swages that could change circular dimension were disclosed by the inventors of the present invention in a U.S. provisional application filing on Feb. 11, 2002 having Ser. No. 60/356,061. That design allowed connected segments to move longitudinally with respect to each other to vary the circular maximum diameter of the swage. This ability had the advantage of changing size in the face of an obstruction to avoid sticking the swage or overloading the swage driving apparatus. This device had the capability of reducing to a smaller diameter to allow clearing of an obstruction. Its limitation was that if a tight spot adjacent the outside of only a part of the circumference of the tubular to be expanded was encountered, the swage reduced its diameter symmetrically to clear the obstruction. This resulted in a decrease in cross-sectional area beyond the amount necessary to clear the localized obstruction.
The present invention presents a compliant swage that has enough range of motion among its components to provide sufficient articulation to let the swage go out of round in profile. This permits a part of the swage to reduce in dimension at the localized obstruction while in the remaining regions where there is no such resistance, the expansion can continue as the swage advances. The net result is a larger cross-sectional area can be obtained than with the prior design and the obstruction can still be cleared. These and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the description of the preferred embodiment and the claims, which appear below.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Balcelsangi’, characterized by its single type dark magenta-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage; and vigorous, upright-mounded growth habit.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'Balcelsangi'.
The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Arroyo Grande, Calif. during June 2003. The objective of the breeding program was the development of New Guinea Impatiens cultivars with numerous large flowers, attractive flower coloration, and a freely basal branching growth habit.
The new New Guinea Impatiens cultivar is the result of cross-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Impatiens hawkeri breeding selection designated 7851, not patented, characterized by its single type dark burgundy-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, and upright growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Impatiens hawkeri breeding selection designated 3312-1, not patented, characterized by its single type medium purple-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, and upright-mounded growth habit. The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination during December 2003 in a controlled environment at Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings since December 2003 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. and West Chicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

New guinea impatiens plant named ‘Balcelsangi’


The invention is to provide such a liquid crystal compound that has general properties required for a liquid crystal compound, stability to heat, light and the like, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a negatively large dielectric anisotropy, a wide temperature range of a nematic phase, and favorable compatibility with other liquid crystal compounds, and a liquid crystal composition containing the compound. The invention provides a compound represented by Formula (1), wherein Ra and Rb are hydrogen or an alkyl having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; ring A1 is 1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,4-phenylene, pyridine-2,5-diyl, pyridazine-3,6-diyl, decahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalene-2,6-diyl, or naphthalene-2,6-diyl; Z1 is a single bond or an alkylene having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; Y1 is hydrogen, halogen, —CN, —CF3, —CHF2, —CH2F, —OCF3, —OCHF2, or —OCH2F; and m is 1, 2, or 3.

The liquid crystal display device is classified based on the operation mode of liquid crystals, for example, into PC (phase change), TN (twisted nematic), STN (super twisted nematic), BTN (bistable twisted nematic), ECB (electrically controlled birefringence), OCB (optically compensated bend), IPS (in-plane switching), and VA (vertical alignment). The device is classified based on the driving system as PM (passive matrix) and AM (active matrix). PM (passive matrix) is classified into static, multiplex, etc. and AM is classified into TFT (thin film transistor), MIM (metal insulator metal), etc.
The liquid crystal display devices contain a liquid crystal composition having appropriate physical properties. In order to improve the characteristics of the device, it is preferred that the composition has appropriate physical properties. General properties necessary for a compound as a component of the composition include: (1) chemical stability and physical stability; (2) high clearing point (the clearing point is a transition temperature from a liquid crystal phase to an isotropic phase); (3) low lower limit temperature of a liquid crystal phase (the liquid crystal phase means a nematic phase, a smectic phase and the like); (4) low viscosity; (5) appropriate optical anisotropy; (6) appropriate dielectric anisotropy (compounds having high dielectric anisotropy often have high viscosity); and (7) high specific resistivity.
The composition is prepared by mixing various compounds. Accordingly, it is preferred that the compounds are well mixed with other compounds. Since the device is sometimes used at a temperature below a freezing point, compounds having favorable compatibility at a low temperature are preferred. Compounds having a high clearing point or a low lower limit temperature of a liquid crystal phase contribute to a wide temperature range of the nematic phase in the composition. A preferred composition has an optical anisotropy suitable to the low viscosity and the mode of the device. A high dielectric anisotropy of the compound contributes to a low threshold voltage of the composition. Such a composition can provide a device having such characteristics as a wide usable temperature range, a short response time, a large contrast ratio, a low driving voltage, a small power consumption, and a large voltage holding ratio.
The related art is disclosed in JP-A No. 2-228 (EP-A No. 315193, U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,345), EP-A No. 423520, JP-A No. 3-24036, JP-A No. 3-204835 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,062), JP-A No. 4-330040, and JP-A No. 5-294898. Further preferred liquid crystal compounds, liquid crystal compositions, and liquid crystal display devices are demanded.

Liquid crystal compound, liquid crystal composition, and liquid crystal display device


A printable, coated, biaxially oriented film is provided that includes a polypropylene base film having a first and a second side, and a urethane coating on the first side. The coating has been applied to the base film between a machine direction orientation and a transverse direction orientation of a two step tentering operation. A method for manufacturing the film is also provided which includes the steps of forming a base film of a substantially uniform film layer of polypropylene, uniaxially orienting the base film by machine direction stretching, applying a coating of urethane to a first side of the uniaxially oriented base film, and biaxially orienting the coated film by stretching the film transversely to the machine direction.

The present invention relates to a biaxially oriented laminated polypropylene (BOPP) film having a printable urethane coating.
BOPP films are widely used films because they have good stiffness, strength, optical properties (low haze and high gloss), and moisture barrier properties. Users of such films are continually seeking structures with improved printability. Because of their olefinic nature, typical BOPP constructions have low surface energy and require treatment (corona, flame, etc.) in order to be printable.
Urethane dispersions and blends of urethane dispersions and acrylic dispersions are known to function as useful primers for coatings and inks. Commercial products are available. In general, primers are materials that have low glass transition temperatures (Tg), the use of which often results in heavily blocked rolls. Films produced in a standard coating operation using the waterborne urethane dispersions without a topcoat result in a very tacky film that blocks on the machine winder and renders the roll unusable. The present invention is directed to a film where a low Tg coating is provided without the blocking tendency.
Waterborne acrylic dispersions blended with waterborne urethane dispersions are excellent coatings for printing using a variety of inks and also have good water resistance properties. These coating formulations typically require the addition of crosslinking agents (crosslinkers), for example, at 3-5% by weight, in order to harden the coating to pass ice chest and pasteurization tests. Crosslinking agents often hydrolyze in the mixed batch. This hydrolyzation requires additional work for a coating operation in that small batches must be mixed or the batch must be re-inoculated with the crosslinking agent when ready to be used. Additionally, if the formulation is created incorrectly, one may get unwanted crosslinking reactions causing the mixed material to be useless. Elimination or reduction of the crosslinking agent is desired.
The present invention is directed to a film and a method for making the film that resolves the above-stated issues.
Related prior art patents include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,419 (1985) describes a primer coated, oriented plastic (PET) film where the primer is a waterborne copolyester dispersion. The resultant primed plastic film is disclosed as having improved adhesion to aqueous and solvent based coatings that are applied to the film. The coating may be applied before the film is stretched or after the film is uniaxially stretched, but before the film is stretched in the transverse direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,644 (1980) teaches a method of applying in-line coatings to oriented polypropylene film. The properties generated are lubricity, anti-blocking, and anti-scratch.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,156,904 (1992) and 5,453,326 (1995) demonstrate application of polyethyleneimine and polyamido-polyethyleneimine to improve extrusion lamination and ink adhesion. Both patents use in-line coating technology on polyester film.
All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Urethane based coating applied in-line for improved ink adhesion


A self-mounting bowtie has a pair of wings extending outwardly from a central wrapping band. A first magnetic element located at the wrapping band. A second magnetic element for magnetic attraction to the first magnetic element is provided to be positioned adjacent the central wrapping band with a layer of an article at a location at which the bowtie is to be attached being sandwiched between the central wrapping band and second magnetic element. The bowtie is thus magnetically retained at the desired location. The second magnetic element may be located on a fabric flap extending from the central wrapping element. Rare earth magnets, which provide a strong magnetic attraction despise a small size, are preferably used in the construction.

A bowtie has been a staple article of clothing for generations. Traditionally, the elongated fabric element for the bowtie must be wrapped around the upturned collar of the shirt with which it is to be worn and knotted by the wearer into its final form. This has always been a difficult procedure, requiring practice and dexterity by the wearer. To alleviate this difficulty, bowties are often sold in a pre-finished form, with the neck-encircling strap portion of the bowtie to be wrapped around the neck being divided into complementary portions which can be connected by the wearer through a button and buttonhole arrangement. The provision of several buttonholes allows the bowtie to be accommodated about different sized necks.
In addition to such a "wraparound" construction, bowties are also available with a mechanical clip-type of arrangement which engages the opposed forward edges of the collar. The two "wings" of the bowtie can be pivoted between a forward position, in which the clips are open for engagement with the collar, and a planar/wearing orientation, which engages the clip with the collar to maintain the bowtie in position.
While the above constructions allow a bowtie to be worn without the need for the complex tying maneuver, it would be of benefit to the tie-wearing population if a further, alternative method for mounting a pre-formed bowtie can be provided. Such a construction would advantageously allow a bowtie to be worn in connection with a variety of shirt and shirt collars, which might not otherwise reasonably accommodate other bowtie constructions, and would also allow a bowtie construction to be worn as a decorative or novelty item on other items of apparel and/or different locations on a shirt.


A method for detecting communication failures on a network comprising a server computer connected to multiple client computers, said server and client computers communicating through the transmission of data packets via the network. The method includes the step of periodically sending an echo request message from the server computer to the client computers. Each client computer, following receipt of the echo request message, sends an echo reply message back to the server computer. The method further includes the steps of monitoring the rate at which data packets are received by the server computer; and reducing the frequency at which echo request messages are sent from the server computer to the client computers during periods when the rate at which data packets are received by the server computer exceeds a re-configurable rate value. The frequency at which the echo request messages are sent is dependent upon the rate at which data packets are received by said server computer.

The detection of communication failures within a computer network is necessary to prevent the loss of data, to recover lost data packets, to reorganize the network configuration to maintain functionality, and to correct the failure.
The detection of network communication failures is not particularly difficult by itself from a technical point of view. However, most communication failure detection schemes introduce additional overheads of both CPU consumption and network traffic. Keeping these overheads at a reasonably low level, without sacrificing detection accuracy, could improve product acceptance and customers satisfaction. High performance in terms of low overhead is thus the first goal in the design of a network communication failure detection system.
One known method for detecting network communication failures utilizes test messages which are sent between the server and clients to test the server, clients, network connections, and server and client interfaces. An echo request message packet is generated by the server and dispatched to each client the server "pings" each client. Following receipt of this message from the server, each client is mandated to respond with an echo reply message to the server--the clients "pong" the server. The failure to receive an echo reply message from a client within a predetermined time interval indicates a possible communication failure between the client and the server.
One problem with this approach is the introduced overhead. Consider, for instance, the network shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a portion of a computer network including a network server S.sub.1, a network bus 11 and several clients, C.sub.1 through C.sub.x, attached to the network bus. Server S.sub.1 includes at least three network interfaces identified by reference numerals en.sub.1 through en.sub.3. The network is configured such that each server interface is responsible for communication with a different group of clients. If the system includes nine clients and the communication failure detection scheme pings each of these clients every second, then eighteen additional data packets, 9 pings and 9 pongs, would be added to the network traffic every second. The processing of these eighteen data packets would consume the server's CPU time. Moreover, each client would need to process an incoming ping and an outgoing pong every second, slowing down the client's applications. Note that all the additional CPU consumption and network traffic would be present even when the server has a high CPU load, when network traffic is heavy, and when no communication failures are present.

Low overhead method for detecting communication failures on a network


A three-dimensional semiconductor memory device may include a substrate including a cell array region and a pad region, a first conductive line on the cell array region and the pad region of the substrate, a second conductive line between the first conductive line and the substrate, the second conductive line including a first portion on the cell array region and a second portion on the pad region and exposed by the first conductive line in a plan view, a first edge pattern between the substrate and the first conductive line and between the first and second portions of the second conductive line, and a first cell contact plug on the pad region of the substrate that penetrates the first conductive line and the first edge pattern.

The present disclosure relates to semiconductor memory devices, and in particular, to three-dimensional semiconductor memory devices.
Higher integration of semiconductor memory devices may be required to satisfy consumer demands for superior performance and inexpensive prices. In the case of semiconductor memory devices, since because integration may be an important factor in determining product prices, increased integration may be especially desirable. In the case of two-dimensional or planar semiconductor memory devices, because their integration may be primarily determined by the area occupied by a unit memory cell, integration may be greatly influenced by the level of a fine pattern forming technology. However, the process equipment used to increase pattern fineness may be expensive and may set a practical limitation on increasing integration for two-dimensional or planar semiconductor devices. Three-dimensional semiconductor memory devices including three-dimensionally arranged memory cells have recently been proposed to address such a limitation.


Techniques for designing and creating energy efficient cookware are provided. In accordance with the techniques cookware can include a cookware base having a cooking surface and heating surface. The heating surface can have a pattern of fins forming heat exchange channels. The fins can effectively increase surface area and the channels can guide thermal energy to the perimeter of the cookware base while the fins absorb the thermal energy. The channel fins can improve energy transfer while providing even distribution throughout the cooking surface. The use of fins can also improve the mechanical strength to the cookware. Methods of making the energy efficient cookware are provided. A piece of cookware with a thick base can be provided by casting and by bonding a metal plate to the cookware body. Within the base, heat exchange channels are created by manufacturing processes such as casting or cutting to improve heat transfer.

Cookware is used to hold and apply heat to food. Exemplary pieces of cookware include a stock pot, a wok, and a frying pan. Although each of these have different shapes, they each include two basic elements: one surface for receiving thermal energy from a heat source, a "heat-receiving surface" and one surface for applying the heat to food, a "cooking surface."
Thermal energy can be generated from many different sources. Examples include electric and gas ranges. A heat source can generate the thermal energy by, e.g., burning gas, or transferring electricity through a heating coil.
When cooking food, the piece of cookware transfers the thermal energy from the heat-source to a heat-receiving surface. The food in the cookware then absorbs the heat from the cooking surface, cooking the food.
Thermal energy transfer from combustion sources can be inefficient. For example, a gas range is reported to be only about 30% efficient. This means that a lot of energy is wasted when cooking. The inefficiency increases energy bills and produces unnecessary, undesirable CO2 into the environment.
Prior efforts have been directed to increasing the efficiency of gas ranges. For example, others have optimized burners to efficiently mix of air and fuel to completely combust the fuel. However there has been limited effort to improve the efficiency of the heat-receiving surfaces of cookware.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

Methods of making energy efficient cookware


An internal combustion engine, particularly suitable for a vehicle, is provided with a plurality of combustion cylinders, at least a first exhaust manifold and a second exhaust manifold and at least one intake manifold. Each exhaust manifold is coupled with a plurality of the combustion cylinders. Each intake manifold is coupled with a plurality of the combustion cylinders. A first turbocharger includes a first turbine having at least one inlet and an outlet, and a first compressor having an inlet and an outlet. Then at least one first turbine inlet has a controllable, variable intake nozzle fluidly coupled with the first exhaust manifold. A second turbocharger includes a second turbine having an inlet and an outlet, and a second compressor having an inlet and an outlet. The second turbine inlet has a controllable, variable intake nozzle fluidly coupled with the second exhaust manifold. The first compressor outlet is fluidly coupled with the second compressor inlet. The engine has improved performance, is compact in design and is economical in operation.

The present invention relates to internal combustion engine turbochargers and exhaust gas re-circulation systems, and, more particularly, to an internal combustion engine having multiple exhaust gas manifolds, a twin turbine turbocharger and an exhaust gas re-circulation system.
An internal combustion engine may include one or more turbochargers for compressing a fluid to be supplied to one or more combustion chambers within corresponding combustion cylinders. Each turbocharger typically includes a turbine driven by exhaust gases of the engine, and a compressor driven by the turbine. The compressor receives the fluid to be compressed and supplies the compressed fluid to the combustion chambers. The fluid compressed by the compressor may be in the form of combustion air only, or may be a mixture of fuel and combustion air.
It is known to provide multiple turbochargers within a turbocharger system in an internal combustion engine. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,250,068 (Vulliamy) discloses an internal combustion engine having two turbochargers. A first turbocharger includes a turbine which is driven by a single exhaust manifold on the internal combustion engine. The spent exhaust gas from the turbine of the first turbocharger is transported in a series manner to the inlet of a turbine of the second turbocharger. The spent exhaust gas is then discharged to the ambient environment from the turbine of the second turbocharger. The compressor of the second turbocharger compresses ambient combustion air and provides the compressed combustion air in a series manner to the compressor of the first turbocharger, which in turn transports the compressed combustion air to the intake manifold of the engine.
A problem with a turbocharger system as described above is that the spent exhaust gas from the turbine of the first turbocharger may not have enough energy to provide a desired compression ratio within the second turbocharger. The overall compression ratio from the turbocharger system is thus limited according to the amount of energy available at the turbine of the second turbocharger.
An exhaust gas re-circulation (EGR) system is used for controlling the generation of undesirable pollutant gases and particulate matter in the operation of internal combustion engines. Such systems have proven particularly useful in internal combustion engines used in motor vehicles such as passenger cars, light duty trucks, and other on-road motor equipment. EGR systems primarily re-circulate the exhaust gas by-products into the intake air supply of the internal combustion engine. The exhaust gas which is reintroduced to the engine cylinder reduces the concentration of oxygen therein, which in turn lowers the maximum combustion temperature within the cylinder and slows the chemical reaction of the combustion process, decreasing the formation of nitrous oxides (NOx). Furthermore, the exhaust gases typically contain unburned hydrocarbons, which are burned on reintroduction into the engine cylinder, further reducing the amount of exhaust gas by-products emitted as undesirable pollutants from the internal combustion engine.
Dependent upon certain operating conditions associated with a diesel engine, it may be desirable to provided a richer or leaner mixture of the exhaust gas within the combustion air which is transported to the intake manifold. One known technique for controlling the amount of exhaust gas which is mixed with the combustion air utilizes controllably actuatable valves which interconnect the exhaust manifold with the compressor which receives the exhaust gas. The flow of exhaust gas to the second compressor can be completely shut off, or can be controlled on a timed basis to provide a desired average flow of exhaust gas which mixes with the combustion air. Another known technique is to provide a bypass fluid conduit associated with the combustion air or exhaust gas. A controllably actuatable butterfly valve or the like is positioned within the bypass fluid conduit and controlled to in turn control the amount of exhaust gas which mixes with the combustion air. Although such systems are effective to control exhaust gas re-circulation within the diesel engine, they usually require that additional structure in the form of sensors, conduits, valves and associated controllers be added to the internal combustion engine.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
In one aspect of the invention, an internal combustion engine is provided with a plurality of combustion cylinders, a first exhaust manifold and a second exhaust manifold, and at least one intake manifold. Each exhaust manifold is coupled with a plurality of the combustion cylinders. Each intake manifold is coupled with a plurality of the combustion cylinders. A first turbocharger includes a first turbine having an inlet and an outlet, and a first compressor having an inlet and an outlet. The first turbine inlet has a controllable, variable intake nozzle fluidly coupled with the first exhaust manifold. A second turbocharger includes a""second turbine having an inlet and an outlet, and a second compressor having an inlet and an outlet. The second turbine inlet has a controllable, variable intake nozzle fluidly coupled with the second exhaust manifold. The second compressor inlet is fluidly coupled with the first compressor outlet.
In another aspect of the present invention, a turbocharger system is provided, for use with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of combustion cylinders, an intake manifold and first and second exhaust manifolds. The turbocharger system has a first turbocharger including a first turbine having at least one inlet and an outlet, and a first compressor having an inlet and an outlet. The at least one first turbine inlet includes a controllable, variable intake nozzle, and is fluidly coupled with the first exhaust manifold. A second turbocharger includes a second turbine having an inlet and an outlet, and a second compressor having an inlet and an outlet. The second turbine inlet includes a controllable, variable intake nozzle, and is fluidly coupled with the second exhaust manifold. The second compressor inlet is fluidly coupled with the first compressor outlet.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of operating an internal combustion engine is provided with the steps of: providing a plurality of combustion cylinders, a first exhaust manifold, a second exhaust manifold and an intake manifold; transporting exhaust gas from a plurality of combustion cylinders to each said first exhaust manifold and said second exhaust manifold; providing a first turbocharger including a first turbine having at least one inlet and an outlet, and a first compressor having an inlet and an outlet; providing a second turbocharger including a second turbine having an inlet and an outlet, and a second compressor having an inlet and an outlet; providing a controllable, variable intake nozzle on each of the first turbine and the second turbine; rotatably driving the first turbine with exhaust gas introduced at the first turbine inlet from each the second turbine outlet and the first exhaust manifold; rotatably driving the second turbine with exhaust gas introduced at the second turbine inlet from the second exhaust manifold; introducing combustion gas at the first compressor inlet; transporting combustion gas from the first compressor outlet to the second compressor inlet; transporting compressed combustion gas from the second compressor outlet to the intake manifold; sensing at least one of operating conditions of the engine and performance of the turbochargers; and controlling at least one of the controllable, variable intake nozzles in response to at least one of the engine operating conditions and the performance of the turbochargers.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a turbocharger and engine emissions control system is provided for use with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of combustion cylinders, an intake manifold and first and second exhaust manifolds. The turbocharger system has a first turbocharger including a first turbine having a first inlet with a controllable variable intake nozzle and an outlet, and a first compressor having an inlet and an outlet. The first turbine inlet is fluidly coupled with the first exhaust manifold. A second turbocharger includes a second turbine having an inlet with a controllable variable intake nozzle and an outlet, and a second compressor having an inlet and an outlet. The second turbine inlet is fluidly coupled with the second exhaust manifold. The second compressor inlet is fluidly coupled with the first compressor outlet. The second compressor outlet is fluidly coupled with the intake manifold. An EGR duct is fluidly coupled to the second exhaust manifold and the intake manifold.

Twin variable nozzle turbine exhaust gas recirculation system


A signal transmission device. The signal transmission device comprises a first and a second flexible printed circuit boards, connecting an display module and a system. The first flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the display module and the system. The second flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the display module and the first flexible printed circuit board, wherein the first and second flexible printed circuit boards are joined by hot bar soldering or anisotropic conductive film (ACF) bonding.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a signal transmission device and in particular to a signal transmission device communicating multiple signals between a liquid crystal display (LCD) module and a system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a conventional touchscreen LCD module comprises an LCD panel, a touch panel and a light source. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional touchscreen LCD module 10 communicates LCD panel, touch panel and light source signals to a system (not shown) through flexible printed circuit boards 102, 104 and 106. To receive the three types of signals, however, three connecting ports corresponding to the flexible printed circuit boards 102, 104 and 106 are required in the system, thus, it incurring additional fabrication cost and space.

Signal transmission device having flexible printed circuit boards


A high surface area system is provided with latex particles for immobilization of substances containing nucleophilic groups. The high surface area system is formed by aggregating the latex particles or by bonding the latex particles to a porous support of high surface area. The latex particles contain groups such as oxirane groups that react with the nucleophilic groups. The substances containing nucleophilic groups may be enzymes or proteins such as albumin, immunoglobulins, blood-clotting factors, cell-membrane proteins or peptide hormones. The high surface area system may be used as a sorbent in removing pollutants, as a stationary phase in organic synthesis such as peptide synthesis, and in the therapeutic treatment of a patient.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to high-surface-area systems adaptable to the immobilization thereon of substrates containing nucleophilic groups, and more particularly to systems adaptable to the immobilization of biologically relevant substances and functional units.
2. Description of the Art
A "biologically relevant" material is one capable of interacting primarily with biological systems and is itself preferably of biological origin.
Both in pure research and in biotechnology, the immobilization of biomacromolecules on support or carrier molecules is among the subjects which have been receiving the closest attention.
So far as the immobilization of enzymes in particular is concerned, the immobilization techniques which have been proposed or are being employed may be classed as follows:
(1) Covalent bonding to a solid support or carrier phase; PA1 (2) Covalent bonding to soluble polymers; PA1 (3) Physical adsorption to a solid support or carrier phase; PA1 (4) Crosslinking at solid surfaces; PA1 (5) Crosslinking with difunctional reagents; PA1 (6) Inclusion in a gel phase; and PA1 (7) Encapsulation. PA1 (a) Esters of acrylic and/or methacrylic acid with C.sub.1 to C.sub.20 alcohols, and in particular the methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl esters of methacrylic acid, as well as the methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, and 2-ethylhexyl esters of acrylic acid; and PA1 (b) copolymerizable monomers of the vinyl ester type, and in particular vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl butyrate and vinyl isobutyrate. PA1 (1) The dispersion must be prepared in a pH range in which the rate of reaction of water with the reactive groups is minimal (as a rule, this will be a pH of about 7); PA1 (2) preparation must take place at as low a temperature as possible; PA1 (3) the polymerization time must be as short as possible; and PA1 (4) strong nucleophiles must not be present in the latex particles. PA1 (1) The latex forms a film at the temperature of application PA1 (2) The latex does not form a film at the temperature of application and/or use PA1 (1) Viruses, prokaryotes and eukaryotes and subunits thereof [see (2)] as well as cellular hybrids such as are used in the production of monoclonal antibodies, for example; and PA1 (2) organelles, and in particular of mitochondria and microsomes, membrane parts, nuclei and subunits thereof.
[See R. D. Falb in "Enzyme Engineering", Vol. II, Ed. E. K. Pye and L. B. Wingard, Plenum Press, 1974; U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,900; Melrose, Rev. Pure and Appl. Chem. 21, 83-119 (1971).]
The technique named under (1) above, covalent bonding to a solid support phase, has so far received the widest attention.
However, it is apparent from the pertinent literature that the manifold tasks which it was hoped could be performed through immobilization of biomacromolecules, such as the purification, separation, and binding of enzymes, the immobilization of microorganisms, affinity chromatography, immune reactions, tasks in clinical diagnostics, etc., cannot be carried out by a single technique. Even where solutions tailored to specific problems are available, as, for example, in the immobilization of specific enzymes on specific supports, translation from the laboratory scale to the technical scale often poses obstacles which are difficult to overcome.
For this reason, many attempts have been made to find solutions which better satisfy technical requirements.
Published Japanese patent application 77 143 281 describes the immobilization of enzymes or microbes by a method in which a film is produced on a glass plate from an aqueous polymer dispersion and an enzyme. The product is used in the form of a foil, which optionally may be comminuted.
These prior art solutions are afflicted with serious drawbacks. As a rule, the surface concentration of the immobilized biologically active substances is too low. Also, the reactive surfaces cannot be enlarged at will by comminution of the polymeric supports since small particles tend to be unstable and frequently do not lend themselves to practical use. While it is known (see above) to bind macromolecular compounds to supports by adsorption, the use of such combinations is limited since the compounds can be readily eluted.
Published unexamined German patent application DE-OS 21 12 740 describes a continuous-flow reactor which has a macroporous reaction core having a polymeric surface comprising adsorption-promoting nitrile, acid amide or ureide groups.
After the enzymes have been physically adsorbed on the solid support phase, crosslinking is effected by means of a dialdehyde, for example.
From published unexamined German patent application DE-OS 22 60 184, a method is known for the preparation of macromolecular compounds immobilized on a carrier. In the method, a macromolecular compound A is first reacted with a compound B having at least one functional group capable of coupling with the macromolecular compound A and at least one further functional group capable of polymerizing. Then a molecular-sieve material of a degree of crosslinking which excludes the macromolecular compound A is added in the unswollen state and the polymerizable group of the coupling product AB is polymerized in the molecular-sieve material, optionally together with further monomers.

High surface area support having bound latex particles containing oxirane groups for immobilization of substances


A peripheral, annular groove is incorporated into a throttle valve connector in one step. A first die and a second die are then inserted into the throttle valve connector and a first plastic material is introduced into a first cylindrical cavity formed thereby in a molten state and hardened, resulting in a plastic insert. The first die and the second die are subsequently removed from the throttle valve connector and a third die and a fourth die are inserted into the throttle valve connector. A second cavity is formed therebetween and filled with a second plastic material, whereby a throttle valve is formed and is fixed during the cooling process by shrinkage on the throttle valve shaft.

Throttle valves in throttle valve connectors are known. In DE 195 12 729 A1, a throttle valve connector having a tubular housing is described, in which a throttle valve is fastened to a throttle valve shaft, which is mounted at its free ends such that it can be rotated transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tubular housing, leading through cutouts in the housing wall. When arranging throttle valves in throttle valve connectors, it is often disadvantageous that, on account of to some extent extremely small leakage stipulations, it is necessary to operate with high precision and surface quality. In this case, casting material, of which the throttle valve connector is composed, and the casting quality have a high quality standard. The throttle valve in this case is generally punched out of a metal sheet and turned extremely finely with great effort in terms of precision, very close tolerances having to be maintained.
A method according to the preamble of claim 1 is disclosed by FR 2 687 601 A1. There, in the region of the shaft aperture, a critical transition region between throttle valve and throttle valve connector results.
JP 11 229909 A discloses a throttle valve connector having a peripheral projection, while DE 199 18 777 A1 indicates the injection molding of a shaft having valve wings for a control valve unit.
The invention is based on the object of providing a method for production of a throttle valve in a continuous throttle valve connector in which it is possible to dispense with a turning operation in the close tolerance range.
The object on which the invention is based is achieved by a method for production of a throttle valve in a continuous throttle valve connector. First of all, use is made of a throttle valve connector of a first plastic which, on the inside, has a peripheral projection running toward the center of the throttle valve connector. Then, via the apertures, a throttle valve shaft is introduced through the throttle valve connector and the plastic insert, at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the throttle valve connector, is mounted in the apertures in each case by a first hollow plug and a second hollow plug, with which the apertures in the throttle valve connector are closed in a manner complementary to the plastic insert and, from both sides, a first die and a second die are introduced into the throttle valve connector which, between the two of them and the peripheral projection of the plastic insert that is formed and runs toward the center of the throttle valve connector, form a second cavity which surrounds the throttle valve shaft in the form of the throttle valve; then, in a further step, a molten second plastic is put into the second cavity through the first die and is cured there, forming the throttle valve; then, in a still further step, the first die and the second die are removed from the throttle valve connector. The first plastic is put into the first cavity through at least one aperture.
This means that in every case there are two apertures but only one aperture has to serve as a feed line for the first plastic. However, it is also possible to put the first plastic into the first cavity through both apertures. During the curing of the second plastic, the throttle valve is necessarily connected to the throttle valve shaft. This takes place as a result of shrinkage of the second plastic during the cooling phase. The throttle valve shaft is in each case mounted in the apertures by a first hollow plug and a second hollow plug which, for example, are configured in the form of tubular pieces sealed off on one side. They generally consist of steel.
A preferred development of the method provides that, in a first step, a peripheral, annular groove is machined in the throttle valve connector; then, in a second step, a third die and a fourth die are introduced into the throttle valve connector from both sides, being configured so as to be complementary to each other and, when introduced, forming in the region of the annular groove a cylindrical first cavity which, toward the center of the throttle valve connector, has a peripheral projection; then, in a third step, a molten first plastic is put into the first cavity laterally through at least one aperture in the throttle valve connector and is cured there, forming a plastic insert; then, in a fourth step, the third die and the fourth die are removed from the throttle valve connector. The throttle valve connector can consist, for example, of die cast aluminum. The peripheral, annular groove machined into the throttle valve connector can be bounded on one side or two sides, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the throttle valve connector. The first die, the second die, the third and fourth die consist of steel.
The third die and the fourth die are configured so as to be complementary to each other. This means that they interact functionally and jointly form the cylindrical cavity, the peripheral projection of this cylindrical cavity being formed by their end faces which make contact when introduced, by removal of material there. This peripheral projection can be annular.
The first plastic differs from the second plastic by its shrinkage capacity during the cooling phase. This achieves a situation where a slight gap is formed between the throttle valve produced and the plastic insert, so that the throttle valve cannot be joined to the plastic insert. In the fourth step, the apertures of the throttle valve connector are closed so as to be complementary to the plastic insert. This is carried out by means of the introduction of the first hollow plug and of the second hollow plug into the apertures. As a result, delimitation of the peripheral projection of the plastic insert running toward the center of the throttle valve connector is achieved, said insert no longer being present at the location of the apertures. The second plastic is normally put into the throttle valve connector via a hole running centrally through the first die.
It has surprisingly transpired that, in the method for production of a throttle valve in a continuous throttle valve connector, no kind of turning operations are necessary in which the setting of small tolerances is carried out. The technical interplay between throttle valve and plastic insert in the throttle valve connector is implemented solely by the two injection molding operations in the continuous throttle valve connector, so that complicated remachining steps can be dispensed with.
A preferred refinement of the invention consists in the peripheral projection of the plastic insert not being formed continuously at the same spacing from the edges of the plastic insert, and the maximum angle α between the perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the throttle valve connector and the direct connection between two directly mutually opposite regions of the peripheral projection lying between 7° and 8°. In this way, the generally desired oblique position of the throttle valve in the continuous throttle valve connector is achieved in a straightforward manner. The end faces of the first die and of the second die are in this case designed to run obliquely in a complementary manner.
According to a further preferred refinement of the invention, the first plastic and the second plastic used are polyphenyl sulfide (PPS) with different linear coefficients of expansion. This polyphenyl sulfide is particularly suitable for production of the throttle valve on account of its shrinkage behavior.
According to a further refinement of the invention, provision is made for the first plastic used to be a polyphenyl sulfide (PPS) with a linear coefficient of expansion between 90 and 250° C. of 36·10−6 and the second plastic used to be a polyphenyl sulfide (PPS) with a linear coefficient of expansion between 90 and 250° C. of 46·10−6. These two types of plastic are particularly advantageously suitable for the intended use.
A further preferred refinement of the invention consists in a throttle valve shaft being introduced which has a tapered cross section in the region of the throttle valve. In this case, the taper advantageously corresponds to the thickness of the second plastic on the throttle valve shaft, so that the latter terminates flush with the actual diameter of the throttle valve shaft. As a result, a larger projection of the throttle valve shaft beyond the actual diameter of the throttle valve shaft is advantageously avoided. Furthermore, it is ensured that the arrangement of the throttle valve on the throttle valve shaft is associated with only a relatively low space requirement.
According to a further preferred refinement of the invention, a throttle valve shaft is introduced which, in the region of the throttle valve, has machined portions for the form-fitting fixing of the second plastic. These machined portions can be, for example, roughened portions, protrusions, external threads or grooves, into which the second plastic is introduced and is cured there. By means of this form-fitting fixing, the joint between the throttle valve and the throttle valve shaft is reinforced.
According to a further refinement of the invention, the machined portions provided are holes. In this case, it is particularly advantageous to provide two continuous holes arranged beside each other on the throttle valve shaft, into which the molten second plastic penetrates during the injection molding and can likewise cure there, which noticeably improves the stability of the joint between the throttle valve and the throttle valve shaft.

Method for production of a throttle valve in a continuous throttle valve connector


A light module of a lighting device comprises one passing-light sub-module for production of a dimmed-light distribution below a horizontal “light/dark” boundary, one high-beam sub-module for production of a light distribution above the boundary, a common projection-lens system for production of an overall light distribution, and one element deflecting a course of light beams of the sub-module(s) before it falls on the system. To realize the smallest system and a reduction of non-homogeneities in the overall light distribution in a region of the boundary, a majority of the light beams of the high-beam sub-module falls on a common segment of the system as a majority of the light beams of the passing-light sub-module, a smaller portion of the light beams of the high-beam sub-module falls on another segment of the system, and the system exhibits a deflector that deflects at least a portion of the light beams falling on the other segment downward.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a light module of a lighting device of a motor vehicle. The light module includes at least one passing-light sub-module for production of a dimmed-light distribution for the most part below an essentially horizontal "light/dark" boundary and at least one high-beam sub-module for the most part above the "light/dark" boundary. The light module includes further a common projection-lens system for dimming of light beams of all sub-modules in front of the motor vehicle for production of a desired resulting overall light distribution of the light module. Finally, the light module includes further a deflecting element that deflects a light-beam course of at least one of the sub-modules so that a deviated course of the beam paths of this at least one sub-module arises.
2. Description of Related Art
Such a light module is, for example, known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,387,416 B2. The lighting device described there includes an upper passing-light module with an LED light source and a primary lens system designed as a reflector for the bundling of the light beams emitted by the LED. The bundled light beams are obscured at least partially by a diaphragm arrangement arranged in the beam path. The diaphragm arrangement extends essentially on a horizontal plane including an optical axis of the light module and exhibits a reflecting surface as well as a front edge with a specified contour. The light passing by the diaphragm arrangement is projected in front of the motor vehicle by a projection-lens system designed as a projection lens for production for the resulting overall light distribution in the case of the passing-light module of a dimmed-light distribution (e.g., a dimmed-light distribution, fog-light distribution, or the like). In the process, the projection lens projects the front edge of the diaphragm arrangement as a "light/dark" boundary in front of the motor vehicle. Further, the known light module has a lower high-beam sub-module that likewise includes an LED light source and a primary lens system constructed as a reflector. The light beams emitted by the high-beam sub-module come upon a deflecting element that deviates all light-beam courses of the high-beam module and deflects them in the direction of the projection lens. A mirrored underside of the diaphragm arrangement serves as a deflecting element, wherein the high-beam sub-module and the deflecting element are constructed and coordinated in such a way that the light beams of the high-beam sub-module fall on the projection-lens system after being deflected by the deflecting element.
Therefore, in the case of the light module known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,387,416 B2, the beam path above and below the "light/dark" boundary is divided by two reflecting areas of the diaphragm arrangement, the two reflecting areas tapering sharply on the local plane of the projection lens to a knife edge. This edge has the contour of the desired "light/dark" boundary and is projected through the lens onto the lane.
In the case of the known light module, the high-beam sub-module, strictly speaking, does not produce any full-value high-beam light distribution. Instead, a full-value high-beam light distribution arises only through an overlaying or supplementing of the partial light distributions produced by the passing-light sub-module and the high-beam module. The high-beam module, thus, produces only a partial light distribution as part of the resulting overall light distribution, wherein the partial light distribution illuminates a region essentially above the "light/dark" boundary of the passing-light distribution. Hence, the partial light distributions of the passing-light sub-module and of the high-beam module overlay or supplement one another in the resulting overall light distribution to a full-value high-beam light distribution. In the process, however, the following problems arise: In the case of the overlaying of the partial light distributions of the passing-light sub-module and high-beam module in the region of the "light/dark" boundary of the passing-light distribution, a significantly visible, dark stripe arises in the overall light distribution. Due to the chromatic aberration of the projection lens, this dark stripe can significantly disturb the overall light distribution. Another problem arises from the fact that the partial light distribution produced by the high-beam module exhibits a significantly higher brightness than the dimmed-light distribution produced by the passing-light sub-module. Thus, in the resulting overall light distribution, a significantly more visible brightness gradient arises in the region of the "light/dark" boundary, which is likewise disturbing. The difficulty, thus, consists in separating the beam paths of the different light functions in such a way that, in the case of the passing light, no (or hardly any) light is scattered beyond the "light/dark" boundary since, otherwise, there can be a blinding of other road users and, in the case of the high-beam light, no dark or colored line remains in the area of the passing-light, "light/dark" boundary.
From JP 2006-107 875 A (JP 42-89268 B2), a light module with a passing-light sub-module and a high-beam module is likewise known. However, the known light module lacks a deflecting element to deflect a light-beam course from at least one of the sub-modules before it falls on the projection-lens system. Moreover, the high-beam module produces a full-value high-beam light distribution without requiring an overlaying with the passing-light distribution produced by the passing-light sub-module. In the case of this sub-module, the full-value high-beam light distribution is not produced by an overlaying or supplementing of the partial light distributions of the passing-light sub-module and the high-beam module, but, rather, solely by the high-beam module. In this respect, the problems addressed by the invention also do not arise with JP 2006-107 875 A—in particular, the problem of a dark shadow in the resulting overall light distribution in the region of the "light/dark" boundary of the passing-light distribution as well as chromatic aberrations in this region and high "brightness gradient" values). In the light-exit direction according to the projection-lens system constructed as the projection lens in the case of the known light module, an additional reflector is arranged, which deflects the light beams of the high-beam light distribution downward since these, otherwise, would appear far above the horizon. However, for styling reasons, such a reflector cannot be realized in practice ordinarily.
Further, a light module is known from DE 10 2010 021 937 A1, which likewise includes at least one passing-light sub-module and at least one high-beam module. Each of the sub-modules includes at least one LED light source as well as at least one primary lens system constructed as a light-conducting body and that bundles the light beams emitted by the LEDs by refraction and/or total internal reflection. Certain rear boundaries in the light-conducting body serve as deflecting elements to deflect the light-beam course of the sub-module assigned to the light-conducting body before it hits the projection-lens system. A full-value high-beam light distribution is likewise produced in the case of this known light module by an overlaying or supplementing of the partial light distributions of the passing-light sub-modules and of the high-beam modules. To solve the aforementioned problem, which is addressed by the invention, it is proposed that light-decoupling surfaces of the primary lens system of the high-beam module constructed as light-conducting bodies be arranged in the direction of an optical axis of the lighting device offset to the rear to light-decoupling surfaces of the primary lens system of the passing-light sub-module constructed as light-conducting bodies. In addition, a light-exit angle of the partial light distribution produced by the high-beam module is selected to be so large that the light distribution produced by the high-beam module overlays the passing-light distribution at least in the region of its "light/dark" boundary. In this way, the "light/dark" boundary should completely disappear in the event of the operation of the lighting device to produce a full-value high-beam light distribution as a resulting overall light distribution. However, in the process, it is disadvantageous that the light beams of the partial light distributions of the passing-light sub-module and the high-beam sub-module predominantly pass through different regions of the projection lens. This requires the use of a projection lens with a relatively large diameter whereas, in modern lighting devices (for reasons of space and design), frequently, the smallest possible projection lens (for example, the projection lens with the smallest possible diameter) must be used.
Proceeding from the described related art, the invention addresses the problem of ensuring that, in the case of a light module in which the partial light distributions of a passing-light sub-module and of a high-beam module overlay or supplement to a full-value high-beam light distribution as a resulting overall light distribution, in the resulting overall light distribution, an essentially horizontal "light/dark" boundary of the passing-light distribution is no longer visible or only very faintly visible and simultaneously facilitating the use of the smallest possible projection-lens system.

Light module of a lighting device of a motor vehicle


A semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate having source/drain regions, a gate electrode formed on and/or over the semiconductor substrate, spacers formed against sidewalls of the gate electrode, an interlayer insulating layer formed over the semiconductor substrate and the gate electrode and having a plurality of contact holes formed therein, and contact plugs formed within the contact holes. The contact plugs can include a first contact plug and a second contact plug electrically connected to the gate electrode, and a third contact plug and a fourth contact plug electrically connected to the source/drain regions.

An integrated circuit may employ numerous types of transistors. In order to obtain highly integrated devices, the size of integrated circuits has gradually decreased. Accordingly, there may also be a need to gradually reduce the size of transistors.
As illustrated in example FIG. 1, a 2-input NOR gate circuit may include first PMOS transistor P1 and first NMOS transistor N1, which share a first gate connected to first input I/P A, and second PMOS transistor P2 and second NMOS transistor N2, which share a second gate connected to second input I/P B.
A first source/drain junction of first PMOS transistor P1 may be connected to output line O/P. A first source/drain junction of second PMOS transistor P2 may be connected to power supply line Vdd. First PMOS transistor P1 and second PMOS transistor P2 may have second source/drain junctions connected to each other. The first source/drain junctions of first NMOS transistor N1 and second NMOS transistor N2 may be commonly connected to output line O/P. The second source/drain junctions of first NMOS transistor N1 and second NMOS transistor N2 may be commonly connected to ground supply line Vss.
Because such a NOR gate circuit may be structured to include two PMOS transistors and two NMOS transistors, achieving high integration is may be problematic.

Semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same, and nor gate circuit using the semiconductor device


A head of an ultrasonic wire bonding apparatus for bonding a lead wire to a lead frame, includes a capillary, a capillary supporting member, and a vibrator, vertically arranged and connected to the capillary supporting member, for producing ultrasonic torsional vibration along opposite directions and applying the vibration to the capillary via the capillary supporting member, the vibrator having two piezoelectric elements superimposed on each other via a column member in which magnets are circularly arranged so as to produce the ultrasonic torsional vibration along the opposite directions.

The present invention relates to a head of an ultrasonic wire bonding apparatus utilizing the vibration of a capillary by ultrasonic waves and a method for carrying out the bonding operation.
A conventional ultrasonic wire bonding apparatus using the vertical vibration is shown in FIG. 9. In the apparatus of FIG. 9, a capillary 2 is fixed perpendicularly to a horn 1 which vibrates in the vertical direction. A lead wire 6 is pressed to a bare chip 4 and a lead frame 5 placed on a work table 3 by the capillary 2 to which a minute pressure is applied. While the horn 1 is vibrated vertically by the ultrasonic waves, the bare chip 4 and the lead frame 5 are bonded by the lead wire 6.
In the above-described constitution, the size of the work table 3 for bonding is restricted depending on the length of the horn 1 due to the interference therebetween. Therefore, if the horn is elongated to widen the bonding range, the horn is bent and deflected. As a result, the horn starts vibrating up and down, which causes the damage of the bare chip. The bonding range is therefore impossible to be made wide in the conventional arrangement.

Head of ultrasonic wire bonding apparatus and bonding method

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.