A method for manufacturing the cushioning elements may include utilizing a die with a plurality of die elements positioned in a particular arrangement. A polymer material, which may be a polymer foam material, is located between the die and an extractor. The polymer material is compressed between the die and the extractor, and the die elements cut the polymer material to form a plurality of pad components, which are arranged like the die elements. The die and the extractor are separated, and the pad components are secured to the extractor in the arrangement of the die elements. Additionally, the pad components are bonded to at least one material layer such that the pad components remain in the arrangement of the die elements.

Materials or elements that impart padding, cushioning, or otherwise attenuate impact forces are commonly incorporated into a variety of products. Athletic apparel, for example, often incorporates cushioning elements that protect the wearer from contact with other athletes, equipment, or the ground. More specifically, pads used in American football and hockey incorporate cushioning elements that provide impact protection to various parts of a wearer. Helmets utilized during American football, hockey, bicycling, skiing, snowboarding, and skateboarding incorporate cushioning elements that provide head protection during falls or crashes. Similarly, gloves utilized in soccer (e.g., by goalies) and hockey incorporate cushioning elements that provide protection to the hands of a wearer. In addition to apparel, mats (e.g., for yoga or camping), chair cushions, and backpacks, for example, all incorporate cushioning elements to enhance comfort.
Various cushioning elements that may be utilized in apparel and a variety of other products are disclosed below. In general, the cushioning elements may include a first material layer, a second material layer, and a plurality of pad components located between and secured to the first material layer and the second material layer. In some configurations, the first material layer and the second material layer are joined through thermalbonding or a combination of thermalbonding and stitching.
Methods for manufacturing the cushioning elements are also disclosed below. In one example, a method includes providing a die and an extractor, the die having a plurality of die elements, and the extractor including a plurality of pins and an extractor sheet, the pins extending through apertures in the extractor sheet. A polymer material is located between the die and the extractor. The polymer material is compressed between the die and the extractor, the die elements cut the polymer material to form a plurality of pad components, and the pins extending into the pad components. The die and the extractor are separated, with the pad components being secured to the pins. The pad components are compressed against a first material layer with the extractor to bond the pad components to the first material layer. The extractor sheet is separated from the pins to push the pad components from the extractor. Additionally, the pad components are compressed against a second material layer to bond the pad components to the second material layer.
In another example of a method for manufacturing the cushioning elements, a plurality of pad components are located between a first material layer and a second material layer. The pad components are joined to the first material layer and the second material layer. Additionally, the first material layer is secured to the second material layer around a perimeter of the pad components with a bonding element.
The advantages and features of novelty characterizing aspects of the invention are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. To gain an improved understanding of the advantages and features of novelty, however, reference may be made to the following descriptive matter and accompanying figures that describe and illustrate various configurations and concepts related to the invention.
The following discussion and accompanying figures disclose various cushioning elements that may be incorporated into a variety of products, including articles of apparel (e.g., shorts, pants, shirts, wraps, gloves, helmets, and footwear), mats, seat cushions, and backpacks, for example. Additionally, the following discussion and accompanying figures disclose various processes associated with manufacturing the cushioning elements.
Apparel Configuration
With reference to FIG. 1, an individual 10 is depicted as wearing an article of apparel 100 with the general configuration of a shorts-type garment. Although apparel 100 may be worn under other articles of apparel, apparel 100 may be worn alone, may be exposed, or may be worn over other articles of apparel. Apparel 100 may also be worn in combination with other pieces of equipment (e.g., athletic or protective equipment). Accordingly, the configuration of apparel 100 and the manner in which apparel 100 is worn by individual 10 may vary significantly.
Apparel 100 is depicted individually in FIGS. 2-5 as including a pelvic region 101 and a pair of leg regions 102 that extend outward from pelvic region 101. Pelvic region 101 corresponds with a pelvic area of individual 10 and covers at least a portion of the pelvic area when worn. An upper area of pelvic region 101 defines a waist opening 103 that extends around a waist of individual 10 when apparel 100 is worn. Leg regions 102 correspond with a right leg and a left leg of individual 10 and cover at least a portion of the right leg and the left leg when worn. Lower areas of leg regions 102 each define a thigh opening 104 that extends around a thigh of individual 10 when apparel 100 is worn. Additionally, apparel 100 includes an exterior surface 105 that faces away from individual 10 when apparel 100 is worn, and apparel 100 includes an opposite interior surface 106 that faces toward individual 10 and may contact individual 10 when apparel 100 is worn.
A plurality of cushioning elements 200 are incorporated into various areas of apparel 100 to impart padding, cushioning, or otherwise attenuate impact forces. When apparel 100 is worn during athletic activities, for example, cushioning elements 200 may protect individual 10 from contact with other athletes, equipment, or the ground. With regard to apparel 100, cushioning elements 200 are located in both of pelvic region 101 and leg regions 102 and are positioned, more specifically, to protect the hips, thighs, and tailbone of individual 10. As described in greater detail below, cushioning elements 200 may be incorporated into a variety of different articles of apparel, and cushioning elements 200 may be positioned in various areas of the articles of apparel to protect specific portions (e.g., muscles, bones, joints, impact areas) of individual 10. Additionally, the shapes, sizes, and other properties of cushioning elements 200, as well as the materials and components utilized in cushioning elements 200, may vary significantly to provide a particular level of protection to the specific portions of individual 10.
Cushioning Element Configuration
An example configuration for cushioning element 200 is depicted in FIGS. 6-9B as including a first material layer 210, a second material layer 220, a plurality of pad components 230, and a bonding element 240. First material layer 210 and second material layer 220 cooperatively form an outer surface or covering for cushioning element 200. That is, first material layer 210 and second material layer 220 cooperatively form a pocket or void, in which pad components 230 are located. Whereas second material layer 220 is depicted as having a generally planar configuration, first material layer 210 extends over pad components 230 and also along sides of pad components 230. Bonding element 240 is located between material layers 210 and 220 to join material layers 210 and 220 together. Although cushioning element 200 may be incorporated into apparel 100 in a variety of ways, first material layer 210 may be positioned exterior of second material element 220, such that cushioning element 200 protrudes outward from apparel 100. That is, first material layer 210 may form a portion of exterior surface 105, whereas second material layer 220 may form a portion of both exterior surface 105 and interior surface 106. Alternately, second material layer 220 may be positioned exterior of first material element 210, such that cushioning element 200 protrudes inwardly.
A variety of materials may be utilized for first material layer 210 and second material layer 220, including various textiles, polymer sheets, leather, or synthetic leather, for example. Combinations of these materials (e.g., a polymer sheet bonded to a textile) may also be utilized for material layers 210 and 220. Although material layers 210 and 220 may be formed from the same material, each of material layers 210 and 220 may also be formed from different materials. With regard to textiles, material layers 210 and 220 may be formed from knitted, woven, non-woven, spacer, or mesh textile components that include rayon, nylon, polyester, polyacrylic, elastane, cotton, wool, or silk, for example. Moreover, the textiles may be non-stretch, may exhibit one-directional stretch, or may exhibit multi-directional stretch. Accordingly, a variety of materials are suitable for first material layer 210 and second material layer 220.
Pad components 230 are located between and secured to each of material layers 210 and 220. Each of pad components 230 has a first surface 231 secured to first material layer 210, an opposite second surface 232 secured to second material layer 220, and a side surface 233 that extends between surfaces 231 and 232. Although the shapes of pad components 230 may vary significantly, each of surfaces 231 and 232 are depicted as having an elliptical or generally elongate shape with rounded end areas, and side surface 233 extends in a generally straight fashion between surfaces 231 and 232. Pad components 230 are also depicted as being spaced evenly from each other and arranged in rows, particularly offset rows, but may be spaced or located in a variety of arrangements. An advantage of arranging pad components 230 in offset rows is that the area between pad components 230 is effectively minimized, while retaining a regular spacing between adjacent pad components 230.
A variety of materials may be utilized for pad components 230, including various polymer foam materials that return to an original shape after being compressed. Examples of suitable polymer foam materials for pad components 230 include polyurethane, ethylvinylacetate, polyester, polypropylene, and polyethylene foams. Moreover, both thermoplastic and thermoset polymer foam materials may be utilized. In some configurations of cushioning element 200, pad components 230 may be formed from a polymer foam material with a varying density, or solid polymer or rubber materials may be utilized. Fluid-filled chambers may also be utilized as pad components 230. Also, different pad components 230 may be formed from different materials, or may be formed from similar materials with different densities. As discussed in greater detail below, the polymer foam materials forming pad components 230 attenuate impact forces to provide cushioning or protection. By selecting thicknesses, materials, and densities for each of the various pad components 230, the degree of impact force attenuation may be varied throughout cushioning element 200 to impart a desired degree of cushioning or protection.
The compressible polymer foam materials forming pad components 230 attenuate impact forces that compress or otherwise contact cushioning element 200. When incorporated into apparel 100 or another article of apparel, for example, the polymer foam materials of pad components 230 may compress to protect a wearer from contact with other athletes, equipment, or the ground. Accordingly, cushioning element 200 may be utilized to provide cushioning or protection to areas of individual 10 or other wearers that are covered by cushioning element 200.
Bonding element 240 joins material layers 210 and 220 around a perimeter of pad components 230. Referring to FIG. 7, for example, bonding element 240 is located at an edge of first material layer 210 and extends entirely around first material layer 210. Although bonding element 240 is located at a perimeter of first material layer 210, bonding element 240 is absent from a central area of first material layer 210. That is, bonding element 240 has an aperture that exposes the central area of first material layer 210. In effect, therefore, bonding element 240 is absent from the portion of first material layer 210 that joins with pad components 230. In other configurations, however, bonding element 240 may be located in the central area of first material layer 210 and may be utilized to join pad components 230 to first material layer 210.
A variety of materials may be utilized for bonding element 240, including thermoplastic polymer materials (e.g., polyurethane), various adhesives, or heat-activated adhesives, for example. When formed from a thermoplastic polymer material, for example, the application of heat and pressure may be utilized to bond material layers 210 and 220 to each other with bonding element 240. A thermoplastic polymer material melts when heated and returns to a solid state when cooled sufficiently. Based upon this property of thermoplastic polymer materials, thermalbonding processes may be utilized to form a thermalbond that joins material layer 210 and 220. As utilized herein, the term "thermalbonding" or variants thereof is defined as a securing technique between two elements that involves a softening or melting of a thermoplastic polymer material within at least one of the elements such that the materials of the elements are secured to each other when cooled. Similarly, the term "thermalbond" or variants thereof is defined as the bond, link, or structure that joins two elements through a process that involves a softening or melting of a thermoplastic polymer material within at least one of the elements such that the materials of the elements are secured to each other when cooled. With regard to bonding element 240, thermalbonding may involve, for example, the melting or softening of thermoplastic materials within bonding element 240 to join material layers 210 and 220 together. Additionally, thermalbonding does not generally involve the use of stitching or adhesives, but involves directly bonding elements to each other with heat. In some situations, however, stitching or adhesives may be utilized to supplement the thermalbond or the joining of elements through thermalbonding. As an alternative to thermalbonding, an adhesive, a thermally-activated adhesive, or other securing structure may be utilized to join material layers 210 and 220.
In addition to attenuating impact forces, cushioning element 200 has an advantage of simultaneously providing one or more of breathability, flexibility, a relatively low overall mass, and launderability. When incorporated into an article of apparel, such as apparel 100, a wearer may perspire and generate excess heat. By utilizing a permeable textile for material layers 210 and 220 and also forming gaps between adjacent pad components 230, areas for air to enter apparel 100 and for moisture to exit apparel 100 are formed through cushioning element 200. More particularly, air and moisture may pass through material layers 210 and 220 and between pad components 230 to impart breathability to areas of apparel 100 having cushioning element 200. Moreover, the materials and structure discussed above for cushioning element 200 impart flexibility and a low overall mass to cushioning element 200. Furthermore, the materials and structure discussed above for cushioning element 200 permits cushioning element 200 to be laundered without significant shrinkage or warping, even when temperatures associated with commercial laundering processes are utilized. Accordingly, cushioning element 200 may simultaneously provide impact force attenuation, breathability, flexibility, a relatively low overall mass, and launderability to an article of apparel.
Manufacturing Process
A variety of techniques may be utilized to manufacture cushioning element 200. With reference to FIG. 10, a manufacturing apparatus 300 is disclosed as including a die 310, an extractor 320, a heating plate 330, and a press plate 340. The configurations depicted in FIG. 10 and discussed below for manufacturing apparatus 300 are intended to provide an example of a manufacturing apparatus that may be utilized in the manufacture of cushioning element 200. A variety of other manufacturing apparatuses that operate in a similar manner may also be utilized.
Die 310 includes a base 311, a plurality of die elements 312, a plurality of ejection members 313, and a pair of registration pegs 314. Base 311 is formed from a durable and rigid material, such as steel or aluminum, to provide a foundation for die 310. Die elements 312 extend outward (e.g., upward) from base 311 and exhibit a general shape of pad components 230. More particularly, an interior area of each die element 312 has the general shape of an individual pad component 230. As discussed in greater detail below, edges 315 (e.g., upper edges) of die elements 312 are utilized to cut through a material that forms pad components 230, thereby shaping and forming each of pad components 230. Edges 315 may generally have a sharpened configuration that assists with cutting through the material that forms pad components 230. Ejection members 313 are located within the interior areas of each die element 312 and are spaced (e.g., spaced downward) from edges 315. As an example, ejection members 313 may be formed from a polymer foam material with lesser compressibility than a polymer foam material forming pad components 230. Additionally, registration pegs 314 extend outward (e.g., upward) from base 311.
In addition to having the general shape of pad components 230, die elements 312 are arranged or otherwise located relative to each other in the same manner as pad components 230. As noted above, pad components 230 are depicted as being spaced evenly from each other and arranged in offset rows. Similarly, die elements 312 are spaced evenly from each other and arranged in offset rows. That is, die elements 312 are arranged in a configuration that corresponds with the positions of pad components 230 in cushioning element 200. If, however, a different arrangement is desired for pad components 230, then die elements 312 may be moved or otherwise repositioned to correspond with the different arrangement.
Extractor 320 includes a base 321, a plurality of extractor elements 322, a pair of registration apertures 323, and an extractor sheet 324. Base 321 is formed from a durable and rigid material, such as steel or aluminum, to provide a foundation for extractor 320. Extractor elements 322 have the configurations of pins that extend outward (e.g., downward) from base 321 and have sharpened or pointed end areas. As discussed in greater detail below, extractor elements 322 assist with retaining the positions of pad components 230 upon removal from die 310. As an alternative to pins, extractor elements 322 (a) may have the configurations of needles, nails, spikes, or prongs or (b) may be a vacuum system that retains the positions of pad components 230 upon removal from die 310, for example Accordingly, extractor elements 322 are any device or system that may be used to secure pad components 230 to extractor 320 and assist with retaining the positions of pad components 230 upon removal from die 310. Additionally, registration apertures 323 form holes in base 321 that are positioned to correspond with and receive registration pegs 314.
The positions of extractor elements 322 correspond with the locations of die elements 312. Moreover, extractor elements 322 are arranged or otherwise located relative to each other in the same manner as die elements 312, and die elements 313 are arranged or otherwise located relative to each other in the same manner as pad components 230. That is, extractor elements 322 are arranged in a configuration that corresponds with the positions of pad components 230 in cushioning element 200. If, however, a different arrangement is desired for pad components 230, then extractor elements 322 and die elements 312 may be moved or otherwise repositioned to correspond with the different arrangement.
Extractor sheet 324 lays adjacent to base 321 and includes a plurality of apertures that receive extractor elements 322. That is, extractor elements 322 extend through the apertures in extractor sheet 324. A variety of materials may be utilized for extractor sheet 324, including various polymer materials and metals.
Heating plate 330 includes a base 331 that may also be formed from a durable and rigid material, such as steel or aluminum, and incorporates heating elements. More particularly, electric coils may extend through base 331 to heat base 331 to temperatures that bond (a) pad components 230 to material layers 210 and 220 and (b) material layers 210 and 220 to each other with bonding element 240. As an alternative, base 331 may incorporate fluid channels through which a heated fluid passes, or radiant heaters, radio frequency emitters, or other devices may be utilized. In some configurations of heating plate 330, a surface of base 331 that contacts portions of cushioning element 200 during the manufacturing process may incorporate a rubber or silicone material.
Press plate 340 includes a base 341 and a compressible material 342. As with bases 311, 321, and 331, base 341 may be formed from a durable and rigid material, such as steel or aluminum. Compressible material 342 is recessed within a surface of base 341 and is formed from a material (e.g., silicone, polymer foam) that compresses or deforms when a force is applied and returns to an original shape when the force is removed. Although a single element of compressible material 342 is depicted, some configurations may incorporate multiple elements of compressible material 342 with different degrees of compressibility, depending upon the configuration of cushioning element 200 that is being manufactured.
With reference to FIGS. 11A-11K and 12A-12K, an example of a suitable manufacturing process utilizing manufacturing apparatus 300 is disclosed. Initially, die elements 312 are arranged in a configuration that corresponds with the positions of pad components 230 in cushioning element 200, and extractor elements 322 are arranged in a configuration that corresponds with the positions of die elements 312 and pad components 230 in cushioning element 200. A blank 301 is then placed between die 310 and extractor 320, as depicted in FIGS. 11A and 12A. Blank 301, from which pad components 230 are cut, is formed from the same material as pad components 230 and has a thickness of pad components 230. Once blank 301 is positioned, die 310 and extractor 320 close upon, compress, and cut blank 301, as depicted in FIGS. 11B and 12B. More particularly, (a) blank 301 is compressed against die elements 312 such that edges 315 pierce and cut through blank 301 and (b) extractor elements 322 pierce and enter blank 301. Note that extractor elements 322 are positioned to correspond with each of die elements 312 and enter the interior area of each of die elements 312, which is where ejection members 313 are located. Depending upon the lengths of extractor elements 322, end areas of extractor elements 322 may pass through blank 301 and pierce ejection members 313 during this operation. In order to ensure that die elements 312 properly align with extractor elements 322, registration pegs 314 are aligned with and enter registration apertures 323.
At this stage of the process, die elements 312 have effectively cut through blank 301. Referring to FIG. 12B, edges 315 of die elements 312 pass entirely through blank 301 to rest against a surface of extractor sheet 324. As noted above, the interior area of each die element 312 has the general shape of an individual pad component 230. Accordingly, the individual pad components 230 are located within die elements 312 and are compressed between a surface of extractor sheet 324 and ejection members 313. As depicted in FIGS. 11C and 12C, die 310 and extractor 320 then separate to remove pad components 230 from within die elements 312, and pad components 230 are secured to extractor 320 by the various extractor elements 322. Referring again to FIG. 12B, portions of blank 301 within die elements 312 (i.e., the portions forming pad components 230) are compressed more than portion of blank 301 that are exterior of die elements 312. That is, portions of blank 301 within die elements 312 are compressed against ejection members 313. When die 310 and extractor 320 separate, the compression of pad components 230 causes pad components 230 to expand outward from die elements 312 and remain properly positioned on extractor elements 322. As a result, pad components 230 remain secured to extractor elements 322 upon the separation of die 310 and extractor 320. Additionally, note that blank 301 may remain within die 310 (i.e., around the various die elements 312) at this stage, or may be separated from die 310, and also that blank 301 defines various apertures where pad components 230 were removed.
Referring to FIG. 12C, extractor elements 322 extend through and protrude from pad components 230. An advantage of this configuration is that extractor elements 322 may have a length that is suitable for a variety of thicknesses in pad components 230. As described in greater detail below, extractor elements 322 may also have a configuration that retracts into base 321, thereby facilitating future bonding steps or accommodating configurations where pad components 230 have different thicknesses.
As a summary of the manufacturing process up to this point, pad components 230 have effectively been removed from blank 301. More particularly, (a) die elements 312 were utilized to cut through blank 301 to form pad components 230 and (b) pad components 230 are removed from die elements 312 and remain secured to extractor 320 due to the presence of extractor elements 322, which extend into the various pad components 230. Additionally, pad components 230 are positioned and oriented in the same manner as die elements 312 and are, therefore, positioned and oriented as within cushioning element 200. Accordingly, pad components 230 have been removed from blank 301 and are positioned and oriented to be incorporated into cushioning element 200.
The combination of extractor 320 and pad components 230 is then positioned adjacent to heating plate 330, as depicted in FIGS. 11D and 12D. Additionally, first material layer 210 is placed between pad components 230 and heating plate 330. Extractor 320 and heating plate 330 then close upon and compress first material layer 210 and pad components 230, as depicted in FIGS. 11E and 12E. As discussed above, base 331 of heating plate 330 incorporates heating elements. As such, the temperature of base 331 may be elevated to a point where bonding occurs between first material layer 210 and pad components 230. Although extractor elements 322 are depicted as protruding into heating plate 330, extractor elements 322 may have a retractable configuration that retracts into base 321.
When compressed between extractor 320 and heating plate 330, energy from heating plate 330 may be utilized to bond first material layer 210 and pad components 230 to each other. As discussed above, a thermoplastic polymer material melts when heated and returns to a solid state when cooled sufficiently. Based upon this property of thermoplastic polymer materials, thermalbonding processes may be utilized to form a thermalbond that joins first material layer 210 are pad components 230. In this context, thermalbonding may involve, for example, (a) the melting or softening of thermoplastic materials within either of first material layer 210 and pad components 230 that joins the elements together, (b) the melting or softening of a thermoplastic material within pad components 230 such that the thermoplastic polymer material extends into or infiltrates the structure of a textile utilized for first material layer 210, or (c) the melting or softening of a thermoplastic material within first material layer 210 such that the thermoplastic polymer material extends into or infiltrates the structure of pad components 230. Thermalbonding may occur when only one element includes a thermoplastic polymer material or when both elements include thermoplastic polymer materials. Additionally, thermalbonding does not generally involve the use of stitching or adhesives, but involves directly bonding elements to each other with heat. In some situations, however, stitching or adhesives may be utilized to supplement the thermalbond or the joining of elements through thermalbonding. As an alternative to thermalbonding, an adhesive, a thermally-activated adhesive, or other securing structure may be utilized to join first material layer 210 and pad components 230.
As discussed above, a surface of base 331 that contacts portions of cushioning element 200 during the manufacturing process may incorporate a rubber or silicone material. Referring to FIG. 12E, extractor elements 322 are spaced from and do not contact base 331. In situations where the compression of first material layer 210 and pad components 230 induces extractor elements 322 to contact base 331, the rubber or silicone material may be present to receive end areas of extractor elements 322. That is, the end areas of extractor elements 322 may pierce and enter the rubber or silicone material during the compression of first material layer 210 and pad components 230.
Following compression and bonding, extractor 320 and heating plate 330 separate to expose the bonded first material layer 210 and pad components 230. At this stage, the thermoplastic material, adhesive, or other element that joins first material layer 210 and pad components 230 may have an elevated temperature or may not be fully cured. In order to prevent separation between first material layer 210 and pad components 230, extractor sheet 324 may be pulled from base 321, which effectively pushes pad components 230 from extractor elements 322, as depicted in FIGS. 11F and 12F. That is, extractor sheet 324 is separated from extractor elements 322 to push pad components 230 from extractor 320. Upon fully separating extractor sheet 324 from extractor elements 322, the combination of first material layer 210 and pad components 230 is free from extractor 320, as depicted in FIGS. 11G and 12G.
Continuing with the manufacturing of cushioning element 200, second material layer 220 is then placed adjacent to heating plate 330, the combination of first material layer 210 and pad components 230 is turned over or otherwise oriented such that pad components 230 are between material layers 210 and 220, and press plate 340 is located adjacent to first material layer 210, as depicted in FIGS. 11H and 12H. Press plate 340 and heating plate 330 then close upon and compress first material layer 210, second material layer 220, and pad components 230, as depicted in FIGS. 11I and 12I. Given the elevated temperature of base 331, bonding (e.g., thermalbonding) occurs between second material layer 220 and pad components 230.
In addition to bonding second material layer 220 and pad components 230, material layers 210 and 220 are bonded (e.g., thermalbonded) with bonding element 240. Pad components 230 are positioned to correspond with the location of compressible element 342, as depicted in FIG. 12I. When compressed, the thicknesses of pad components 230 and compressible element 342 are reduced, thereby allowing base 331 and base 341 to compress bonding element 240 between material layers 210 and 220. By compressing these elements together, coupled with heat from base 331, second material layer is bonded (e.g., thermalbonded) to bonding element 240. In effect, therefore, material layers 210 and 220 are bonded together with bonding element 240. In configurations where pad components 230 have varying thicknesses, for example, multiple elements of compressible material 342 with different degrees of compressibility may be utilized to ensure that all elements of cushioning element 200 are properly bonded.
Once compression and bonding are complete, heating plate 330 and press plate 340 separate to expose the bonded first material layer 210, second material layer 220, and pad components 230, as depicted in FIGS. 11J and 12J. At this stage of the manufacturing process, the manufacture of cushioning element 200 is effectively complete.
The above discussion of FIGS. 11A-11J and 12A-12J provides an example of a suitable manufacturing process for cushioning element 200. In general, an advantage of the manufacturing process is that the arrangement of die elements 312 determines the resulting arrangement of pad components 230 in cushioning element 200. That is, die 310 is initially set such that die elements 312 are positioned in a particular arrangement, and the resulting positions of pad components 230 effectively mirrors the arrangement of die elements 312. Accordingly, the positions of pad components 320 may be pre-selected through the arrangement of die elements 312.
An additional advantage of the manufacturing process is that all the elements of cushioning element 200 may be joined through thermalbonding without the need for additional manufacturing steps. In some configurations, however, optional stitching, adhesive, or thermalbonding steps may be utilized to supplement the joining of material layers 210 and 220 around the periphery of pad components 230. As an example, referring to FIGS. 11K and 12K, a sewing or stitching machine 350 may be utilized to further secure material layers 210 and 220 to each other. Additionally, sewing or stitching machine 350 may be utilized to incorporate cushioning element 200 into apparel 100 or another article.
A variety of other manufacturing processes or variations of the manufacturing process discussed above may also be utilized. For example, extractor elements 322 may retract such that extractor 320 may also be utilized as press plate 340. In other configurations, ejection material 313 may be absent or a mechanized ejector may be utilized within die elements 312. Moreover, extractor elements 322 may be removable or positioned in various locations to allow different configurations of pad components 230. Moreover, specialized machinery may be formed to automate the general manufacturing process discussed above.
As a further matter, extractor 320 and press plate 340 are depicted as being located below heating plate 330 in various steps. An advantage to this configuration relates to the positioning of elements forming cushioning element 200. More particularly, when extractor 320 and press plate 340 are below heating plate 330, the elements forming cushioning element 200 may be arranged or otherwise positioned on extractor 320 and press plate 340 prior to the application of heat from heating plate 330. In this configuration, heat is applied to the elements of cushioning element 200 only when heating plate 330 compresses the elements against either extractor 320 or press plate 340. Accordingly, the elements forming cushioning element 200 may be arranged in the absence of applied heat in configurations where heating plate 330 is above extractor 320 and press plate 340.
A variety of techniques may be utilized to incorporate cushioning element 200 into apparel 100 or other articles of apparel. As an example, cushioning element 200 may be stitched or otherwise bonded to other materials forming apparel 100. In some configurations, cushioning element 200 may have the configuration depicted in FIG. 6, wherein (a) the second material layer 220 extends outward beyond the periphery of first material layer 210. In this configuration, second material layer 220 may be part of a larger material element that forms portions of apparel 100. That is, second material layer 220 may form interior surface 106 of apparel 100, as well as exterior surface 105 in areas where cushioning elements 200 are absent. In other configurations, cushioning element 200 may be oriented such that first material layer 210 forms a portion of interior surface 106. Accordingly, the manner in which cushioning element 200 is incorporated into apparel 100 may vary.
Further Cushioning Element Configurations
Aspects of cushioning element 200 may vary, depending upon the intended use for cushioning element 200 and the product in which cushioning element 200 is incorporated. Moreover, changes to the dimensions, shapes, and materials utilized within cushioning element 200 may vary the overall properties of cushioning element 200. That is, by changing the dimensions, shapes, and materials utilized within cushioning element 200, the compressibility, impact force attenuation, breathability, flexibility, and overall mass of cushioning element 200 may be tailored to specific purposes or products. A plurality of variations for cushioning element 200 are discussed below. Any of these variations, as well as combinations of these variations, may be utilized to tailor the properties of cushioning element 200 to an intended use or particular product. Moreover, any of these variations may be manufactured through the process or variations of the process discussed above.
A further configuration of cushioning element 200 is depicted in FIG. 13, wherein a frame component 250 is positioned to extend around and between various pad components 230. Although pad components 230 are secured to material layers 210 and 220, frame component 250 may be unsecured to layers 210 and 220, and a thickness of frame component 250 may be less than the thickness of pad components 230. An advantage of frame component 250 relates to providing additional protection when objects contact cushioning element 200 and protrude between pad components 230.
As discussed above, pad components 230 have an elliptical or generally elongate shape with rounded end areas. Pad components 230 may, however, have a variety of other shapes, including round, triangular, and hexagonal, as respectively depicted in FIGS. 14A-14C. Pad components 230 may have an irregular shape, as depicted in FIG. 14D, or may be a mixture of different shapes, as depicted in FIG. 14E. Although each of pad components 230 may have the same shape and size, pad components 230 may also have generally similar shapes with a variety of different sizes, as depicted in FIG. 14F.
In addition to aspects of pad components 230 that may vary significantly, the overall shape of cushioning element 200 may vary. Referring to FIG. 14G, cushioning element 200 exhibits a generally round or circular shape. In further configurations, cushioning element 200 may have a triangular, hexagonal, or H-shaped structure, as respectively depicted in FIGS. 14H-14J. Various shapes for cushioning element 200 are also depicted in association with apparel 100 in FIGS. 1-5. As examples of these, one of cushioning elements 200 from apparel 100 that has a shape suitable for a hip pad is depicted in FIG. 14K, one of cushioning elements 200 from apparel 100 that has a shape suitable for a thigh pad is depicted in FIG. 14L, and one of cushioning elements 200 from apparel 100 that has a shape suitable for a tailbone pad is depicted in FIG. 14M. A configuration for cushioning element 200 that has a shape suitable for an elbow pad (e.g., for a shirt, jacket, or arm sleeve) is depicted in FIG. 14N.
Various aspects relating to first material layer 210 and second material layer 220 may also vary significantly. As discussed above, material layers 210 and 220 may be formed from various textiles, polymer sheets, leather, synthetic leather, or combinations of materials, for example. Referring to FIG. 140, first material layer 210 is depicted as having the configuration of a mesh material that defines a plurality of holes, through which pad components 230 and frame component 250 are visible. In addition to imparting greater breathability that allows the transfer of air and moisture, a mesh material may allow for various aesthetic properties. More particularly, pad components 230 may have different colors that are visible through first material layer 210. In addition to a mesh material, other at least semi-transparent textile or polymer sheet materials may also permit pad components 230 with different colors to be visible. In further configurations, first material layer 210 may be entirely absent from cushioning element 200, as depicted in FIG. 14P.
Although the thicknesses of pad components 230 (i.e., distance between surfaces bonded to material layers 210 and 220) may be constant, pad components 230 may also have varying thicknesses, as depicted in FIG. 15A. In some configurations of cushioning element 200, pad components 230 located in the central area may have lesser thickness than pad components 230 located in the peripheral area, as depicted in FIG. 15B. The thicknesses of pad components 230 may also decrease across the width of cushioning element 200, as depicted in FIG. 15C, or may taper across the width of cushioning element 200, as depicted in FIG. 15D.
Further Apparel And Product Configurations
Apparel 100 is depicted in FIGS. 1-5 as having the general configuration of a shorts-type garment. Referring to FIG. 16A, leg regions 102 of apparel 100 extend downward to a greater degree, thereby imparting the configuration of a pants-type garment that includes additional cushioning elements 200 for the knees of individual 10. A similar configuration is depicted in FIG. 16B, wherein apparel 100 includes additional cushioning elements 200 for the ankles or lower legs of individual 10.
In addition to shorts-type garments and pants-type garments, a variety of other types of apparel may also incorporate cushioning elements 200 in any of the configurations discussed above. Referring to FIG. 16C, an article of apparel 110 having the configuration of a shirt-type garment is depicted as including two cushioning elements 200 in locations that correspond with elbows of a wearer. When worn, cushioning elements 200 may provide protection to the elbows. That is, cushioning elements 200 may attenuate impact forces upon the elbows. In addition to attenuating impact forces, cushioning elements 200 may also simultaneously provide one or more of breathability, flexibility, a relatively low overall mass, and launderability. Although apparel 110 is depicted as a long-sleeved shirt, apparel 110 may have the configuration of other shirt-type garments, including short-sleeved shirts, tank tops, undershirts, jackets, and coats, for example. Referring to FIG. 16D, apparel 110 is depicted as including six cushioning elements 200 in locations that correspond with elbows, shoulders, and sides of a wearer.
Cushioning elements 200 may also be incorporated into apparel that covers other areas of the wearer, such as hats, helmets, wraps, footwear, socks, and gloves, for example. As an example, a wrap 120 with one cushioning element 200 is depicted in FIG. 16E. Wrap 120 has a generally cylindrical configuration that may be placed upon an arm or a leg of a wearer. When, for example, the elbow is sore or injured, cushioning element 200 of wrap 120 may be located over the elbow to assist with protecting the elbow during athletic activities. As another example, a sockliner 130 that incorporates a cushioning element 200 is depicted in FIG. 16F. Sockliner 130 may be located within an article of footwear to cushion a lower (i.e., plantar) surface of the foot. Additionally, one or more cushioning elements 200 may be incorporated into a glove 140, as depicted in FIG. 16G, to impart protection to a hand of the wearer. One or more cushioning elements 200 may also be incorporated into a helmet 150, as depicted in FIG. 16H, to impart protection to a head of the wearer. In addition to attenuating impact forces, cushioning elements 200 in these configurations may also simultaneously provide one or more of breathability, flexibility, a relatively low overall mass, and launderability.
Cushioning elements 200 may also be utilized in products other than apparel. Referring to FIG. 17A, a mat 160 is depicted as being primarily formed from one cushioning element 200. Mat 160 may be utilized, for example, during yoga or as a camping pad to provide a comfortable surface for sitting or laying on the ground. A cushioning element 200 may also be incorporated into a chair 170, as depicted in FIG. 17B, to provide a comfortable place to sit. Similarly, a cushioning element 200 may be incorporated into a cushion that may be placed upon a chair or upon bleachers at a sporting event, for example. Also, a cushioning element 200 may be incorporated into a backpack 180, as depicted in FIG. 17C, to provide cushioning against the back of the wearer. Accordingly, various configurations of cushioning elements 200 may be incorporated into a plurality of products.
The invention is disclosed above and in the accompanying figures with reference to a variety of configurations. The purpose served by the disclosure, however, is to provide an example of the various features and concepts related to the invention, not to limit the scope of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the configurations described above without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Cushioning elements for apparel and other products and methods of manufacturing the cushioning elements


A climbing device comprising a safety step having a bent section a pair of aligned straight sections on either side of the bent section.

According to official regulations safety arrangements shall be used when climbing in a power-line pylon, for instance when carrying out repairs or maintenance. Climbing is normally performed on foot-rests arranged along the power-line pylons. Climbing also occurs in the trusses in the power-line pylons. One method of providing protection against falling when climbing on foot-rests or trusses is to use a life-line. When climbing is started, a first end of the life-line is secured in a steel rope extending between the upper and lower part of the pylon, running over a block at the top of the pylon. The steel wire is used to pull the life-line over the block. The other end of the life-line is secured to a belt worn by the climber, after which climbing can commence with the life-line affording protection against falling.
The problem with climbing using the life-lines described above is that the steel rope arranged in the pylon is an expensive arrangement often disappears due to theft.
The object of the invention is to provide an arrangement that is simple to use, thereby enabling climbing without the risk of falling.


A method of protecting surface mount capacitors from moisture and oxygen corrosion by applying a thermally curable pre-coat resin to a portion of the terminals of a capacitor and encapsulating the capacitor element(s) with a protective resin. The pre-coat resin is substantially rigid at ambient temperatures and flexible at elevated temperatures and is preferably a lactone-containing epoxy resin. The pre-coat resin may be applied to a solder coating-free portion of the terminals by brush or wiper prior to encapsulating the capacitor element(s) with the protective resin.

With an ever increasing number of applications for electronics, surface mount technology has been used more frequently to construct electronic circuits. In surface mount technology, electronic components typically take the form of chip components having terminals for attachment by soldering to electronic boards. The terminals of the chip components require good solderability while also having heat resistance to withstand high temperatures during soldering and/or operation of the components.
Surface mount capacitors are generally protected from destructive effects of moisture and oxygen found in ambient environment by employing a seal formed by adhesion of a molding resin to a portion of a lead frame for the capacitor. As examples of conventional surface mount capacitors, FIG. 1A shows a cross-sectional view of a first known surface mountable solid electrolytic capacitor, shown generally at 20, and FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional view of a second known surface mountable solid electrolytic capacitor 30. The known capacitors 20, 30 are formed by molding an interior capacitor element, shown generally at 22, together with lead frames 24 that eventually serve as terminals, with an encapsulating resin 26. In accordance with the first known capacitor 20, the capacitor element is connected to the lead frame 24 by welding an anode stack, shown generally at 21, to an anode terminal 23 and adhering a cathode-coated anode coupon, shown generally at 25, to a cathode terminal 27 using silver loaded adhesive 29, for example. The welding is accomplished using resistance or laser welding. In accordance with the second known capacitor 30, one portion of the lead frame 24 is connected to a capacitor anode riser wire 32, and another portion of the lead frame 24 is connected to a capacitor cathode-coated anode body 34. The capacitor element is coated with a conductive silver paint 36 prior to attaching the lead frame 24 to the cathode-coated anode 34. Unfortunately, oxygen and moisture from the ambient environment may access the interior capacitor element 22 underneath the encapsulating resin 26 to degrade performance of conventional capacitors 20, 30. The oxygen and moisture access commonly occurs following surface mounting of the chip capacitor because of gaps created between the encapsulating resin and the lead frame from heat applied during surface mounting. Alternatively, such gaps may be created during operation of the conventional capacitors 20, 30.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,229,687 (the '687 patent) proposes a method of preventing environment moisture and oxygen from accessing the capacitor element underneath the encapsulated resin. The '687 patent describes a solid electrolytic capacitor having an element that is prepared by forming an oxide layer, a conductive high polymer layer, and a conductor layer in succession on a valve metal. Lead frames of a selected metal are electrically connected to the valve metal and conductor layer, and a protective resin encapsulates the capacitor element and part of the lead frames. The surface of the lead frames contacting the protective resin has a roughened copper layer, and the protective resin has a thermal expansion coefficient that is close to the thermal expansion coefficient of the metal of the lead frames. The copper layer requires additional process steps and associated costs for forming the copper layer and sand blasting the layer for correct roughness.
A need exists for a method of preventing environment moisture and oxygen from accessing interior elements of surface mount components having resin encapsulation. More particularly, a need exists for a method of protecting resin-encapsulated capacitors from moisture and oxygen degradation of capacitor elements underneath the resin encapsulation that is relatively simple and inexpensive.


A light emitting device comprises a gate electrode, a channel comprising a molecule for electrically stimulated optical emission, wherein the molecule is disposed within an effective range of the gate electrode, a source coupled to a first end of the channel injecting electrons into the channel, and a drain coupled to a second end of the channel injecting holes into the channel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to light emitting devices (LEDs), and more particularly towards a carbon nanotube LED.
2. Description of Prior Art
Economics has driven the integration of photonic structures on wafers for some time. However, to take full advantage of the unique opportunities presented by recent advances in the construction of photonic bandgap structures, nanoscale devices are needed capable of optical emission when driven by electrical currents as well as photo-excitation. Conventional semiconductor photonic structures based on Silicon need either integration of direct bandgap materials or micro-porous Silicon to provide a photon source, both of which are associated with strong technical challenges and have yet to be realized as practical.
Therefore, a need exists for a molecular scale device capable of electrically induced optical emission, wherein the device can be compatible with Silicon technology.

System and method for molecular optical emission

International Business Machines Corporation


A method of employing ultrasonic Doppler monitoring of blood flow in a patient's blood vessel includes, providing an ultrasonic transducer operatively associated with an ultrasonic processor by connection through an electrically conductive wire. The ultrasonic transducer-conducer wire assembly is secured to a strip of biologically inert or absorbable material, which is subsequently wrapped into contacting surrounding relationship with the exterior surface of the blood vessel and secured in such position to establish a cuff. The ultrasonic transducer-wire assembly is employed in a Doppler mode to monitor blood flow within the blood vessel. After completion of monitoring the ultrasonic transducer-wire assembly, but not the cuff are removed from the patient. The monitoring cuff is preferably positioned downstream, with respect to the direction of blood flow, of an anastomosis in the blood vessel.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method of monitoring blood flow in a blood vessel by employing ultrasonic Doppler technology and more specifically, it involves such a method which is advantageously employable in monitoring blood flow after microvascular surgery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been known in connection with the monitoring of blood vessels after microvascular surgery to employ an ultrasonic Doppler probe which may take the form of a sleeve to which an ultrasonic transducer has been secured. After completion of monitoring, the probe and supporting sleeve must be surgically removed. See generally Swartz at al. "Direct Monitoring of Microvascular Anastomose with the 20-Mhz Ultrasonic Doppler Probe: An Experimental and Clinical Study," Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, pages 149-158 (February 1988). See also Pinnella et al. "Direct Microvascular Monitoring with Implantable Ultrasonic Doppler Probes," Journal of Microsurgery, pages 217-221 (Summer 1982) and Bandyk et al. "Detection of Technical Error During Arterial Surgery by Pulsed Doppler Spectral Analysis," Arch. Surg. Volume 119, pages 421-428 (April 1984). It has also been known to employ implanted cuffs around nerves in order to stimulate nerve activity artificially or dampen nerve activity, or to deliver medication. See generally U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,602,624; 4,628,942; 4,649,936; and 5,092,332.
It is of great importance after microvascular surgery to monitor the region of the surgery in order to make sure that the blood flow is maintained at the desired level and that no problems, such as thromboses have occurred. Should thrombosis occur, the transferred tissue would die. Conventional techniques employ transcutaneous methods such as ultrasonic Doppler or laser Doppler. It has also been known to employ experimental sleeves which along with the wire and ultrasonic transducer must be surgically removed after completion of the monitoring period. Such monitoring is particularly important where the microvascular surgery has been performed on a blood vessel which is spaced below the skin surface.
It has been known to employ indirect means of monitoring the functioning of blood flow through blood vessels which have been subjected to microvascular surgery. For example, surface temperature measurements, transcutaneous PO.sub.2 monitoring, photoplethysmography and laser Doppler flow meters have been employed. These approaches generally require an accessible exposed portion of the flap. Buried free tissue transfers and intraoral flaps cannot be monitored effectively by these methods.
It has also been known to employ an implantable thermocouple device which can be used without the need for exposed surface contact with the flap, but in general, this approach has been deemed inadequate and use has by and large has been discontinued. See generally, May et al. "Removable Thermocouple Probe Microvascular Patency Monitor: An Experimental and Clinical Study," Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 72:366 1983.
In spite of the foregoing known approaches there remains a substantial need for an improved means for monitoring blood flow within a patient.

Method of ultrasonic Doppler monitoring of blood flow in a blood vessel


The present invention provides a method and mechanism for adapting a single phase-locked loop (PLL) for a wider range of frequencies than has been possible with prior art solutions. An analog comparator circuit that senses the output of a charge pump and provides a signal to a digital control circuit to choose a suitable load circuit for the PLL voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). The analog comparator with the digital control circuit changes the VCO loads to select the best VCO range to achieve the incoming signal frequency lock. A single PLL with the VCO load selection method disclosed, with use of built-in hysteresis, in addition to the phase and frequency feedback of the prior art, allows multiple overlapping frequency ranges to be covered in a stable fashion. This enables frequency locking of the PLL over a wide range of frequencies with a small die size and low power consumption.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) operation, and specifically to the automatic PLL (phase locked loop) control to lock to the input reference clock over a wide frequency range.
2. Prior Art
Any High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) receiver must support an input reference clock frequency range of 25 MHz to 165 MHz. The input can be within this frequency range without providing prior knowledge to the receiver. It is necessary for the receiver to provide a PLL that can lock to the input clock frequency and generate the required output frequencies.
It has not been possible to operate a single PLL over this very wide frequency range in the past. Typically it cannot be done with a single prior art PLL design, as it is difficult to have such a wide frequency range in a tuned load circuit with the necessary gain. Since it is difficult to design a PLL which can generate such a large output clock frequency range, it has been necessary to use multiple PLLs to cover the required range, with each PLL in the group covering a portion of the required range.
A typical prior art PLL uses a frequency and phase comparator to provide input to a charge pump which generates an analog voltage output that is used to control the VCO frequency within the range of the tunable load. This generated frequency is expected to be an estimate of the input frequency which is lockable within the bandwidth of the PLL load used. Since the tuning range of each PLL is relatively small, the prior art uses multiple PLLs with overlapping frequency ranges to cover the total required frequency range of HDMI. This is silicon area consuming, and costly. It also results in higher power consumption as PLLs have to be enabled to ensure coverage of frequency as well as a continuous lock.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram 100 of a typical prior art PLL implementation. The PLL comprises an input block for Frequency and Phase Sensing (FPS) 110, which typically comprises a phase and frequency detector and comparator (PFD) block 111 and a low pass filter (LPF) block 112, as shown. The output of FPS 110 is used to control a charge pump 120 having a voltage output that varies with the phase difference between the incoming reference frequency and a feedback frequency. Typically the reference frequency is a fraction of the needed output frequency 'F' by a factor 'N' (Ref freq=F/N where 'F' is the output frequency required and 'N' is an integer). The generated charge pump 120 voltage, in turn, controls a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) 130. The VCO output is fed back to the PFD 111 through a frequency divider 140, which converts it to the lower frequency F/N. The frequency and phase of this feedback is compared with the frequency and phase of the reference frequency to achieve a lock when the PLL is operational. The VCO frequency can be varied within a small range to achieve the necessary frequency lock of the PLL. This range is limited by the gain and bandwidth of the load of the VCO.
In view of the limitations of the prior art, it would be therefore beneficial to provide a single PLL that would have a wide frequency range of operation, i.e., be able to lock on a wide range of input frequencies. It would be further advantageous if such wide range of frequencies would be suitable for operation over the HDMI frequency range using a single PLL.

PLLS covering wide operating frequency ranges


A pet litter box includes a litter container for storing liquid-passing litter and a liquid-absorbing sheet tray for holding a liquid-absorbing sheet. The front-back direction of the liquid-absorbing sheet can be changed without removing the liquid-absorbing sheet from the tray. The pet litter box includes a litter box main body having an opening from which pets enter. The litter box main body includes a litter container for storing liquid-passing litter formed of plural of granular materials provided therein, a liquid-absorbing sheet placed below the litter container for absorbing the liquid passing through the litter, and a liquid-absorbing sheet tray for holding the liquid-absorbing sheet. The liquid absorbing sheet tray can be withdrawn and removed from the front of the litter box main body and reversible in the front-back direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pet litter boxes for pets such as cats kept indoors, and more specifically relates to a pet litter box that can be maintained cleanly and easily by effectively utilizing a liquid-absorbing sheet.
2. Related Art
A plastic container, in which litter composed of granular materials (so called "cat litter") is placed, has been generally used as a litter box for pets such as cats and dogs kept indoors. The granular materials include mineral materials such as zeolite, river sand, bentonite that becomes hard when it absorbs liquid like urine, and cellulose grains that are formed by hardening crushed pulp. A pet such as a cat enters the litter box, and excretes urine or feces on the litter. The owner of the pet removes the litter soiled with urine or feces from the container along with feces using a scoop, and then adds new litter in accordance with the amount of the litter removed.
However, since pets like cats have a habit of mixing litter with their paws after excretion, the amount of the litter soiled with urine or feces is increased and the soiled litter is scattered. Thus, it is difficult to remove only the soiled portion of the litter.
On the other hand, zeolite and river sand do not absorb urine, and bentonite and cellulose grains absorb urine to some extent but cannot absorb it completely. On this account, urine passes through the litter and tends to be retained at the bottom of the container. It takes a long time for this urine to evaporate and urine impurities adsorbed on the litter tend to cause urine odor to emanate. Therefore, the owner must keep the litter box clean by changing all of the litter in the container once a week to two weeks, washing and drying the container, and then placing new litter in the container.
Moreover, discarding litter every time an animal excretes and replacing all the litter once a week to two weeks increase the amount of litter used. When a granular mineral such as zeolite is used as the litter, it is difficult to be discarded as waste because it is non-combustible.
To solve the problems mentioned above, pet litter boxes disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3088484 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-229768 (Patent Document 2) were developed, for example. In the pet litter box disclosed in Patent Document 1, granular materials are placed in a container having a pass partition plate with a streaky water-dripping structure at the bottom. A loadable tray, in which a liquid-absorbing sheet is placed, is disposed below the bottom pass partition plate. Urine passes through the granular materials and through the bottom part of the container, and it is then absorbed by the liquid-absorbing sheet. Also, in the pet litter box disclosed in Patent Document 2, water resistant granular materials are placed in a container having a bottom sheet with a liquid-passing structure. A liquid-absorbing sheet supported by a support is disposed below the bottom part of the container in close contact with the bottom sheet. Urine passes through the water resistant granular materials and through the bottom part of the container, and then is absorbed by the liquid-absorbing sheet. In this way, urine does not remain in the container, and the litter box may be cleaned by putting antimicrobial agents and super absorbent polymers into the liquid-absorbing sheet to prevent rot or bad smell and simply changing the liquid-absorbing sheet once a week. The entirety of the granular material is replaced once a month to once every two months. This readily reduces the amount of waste without much effort.
However, pets such as cats usually urinate at one area on the liquid absorbing sheet, leaving only that area soiled. Thus, the liquid-absorbing sheet is sometimes reused by turning it around so that unsoiled parts of the liquid-absorbing sheet will be at the area at which the pet urinates (according to the inventors' research, among pet owners who use this type of pet litter box, 37% responded that they reuse the liquid-absorbing sheet by turning it around).
To turn around the liquid-absorbing sheet disposed in the tray, it is necessary to remove the liquid-absorbing sheet from the tray and turn it around. However, the liquid-absorbing sheet will be heavy after absorbing urine and will be lost stiffness, which makes it difficult to handle the liquid-absorbing sheet and requires effort to remove the liquid-absorbing sheet and re-disposing it after changing its front-back direction. In the worst case, this may cause inconvenience because the liquid-absorbing sheet fails to absorb urine due to a turn-up of the liquid-absorbing sheet while it is disposed in the tray. Also, it is unsanitary because hands become soiled while handling the liquid-absorbing sheet.


A portable saw table for a portable saw or router comprising a table base for supporting a workpiece, and a slide track support pivoted about a pivot axis to the table base. A slide is movable with respect to the support and slide tracks are mounted on the slide. A protractor is movable with the support and has indicia about the periphery thereof. An indicator on the table base is associated with the indicia of the protractor. The pivot axis and the protractor have common axis. A lock lever is pivoted on the protractor and a threaded shaft extends through the support and is threaded into the lock member for causing the lock lever to frictionally engage the table base and lock the support and slide in angularly adjusted position relative to the table base and longitudinally adjusted position relative to the support.

This invention relates to portable saw tables for supporting a portable saw or portable router in a manner that movement of the portable saw will cut workpieces at varying angles. Typical portable saw are shown in the aforementioned patent applications.
Among the objectives of the present invention are to provide a portable saw table which is light in weight; which is easily manipulated; which provides for movement of a saw track with respect to the workpiece supporting table; and which facilitates both convenient usage and collapsibility for transport and storage; and which can be readily collapsed for transport and storage.
In accordance with the invention, the portable saw table comprises a table base for supporting a workpiece, a slide track support pivoted about a pivot axis to the table base and a slide movable longitudinally with respect to the support. The slide track is mounted on the support for supporting a portable saw or router for movement along the track. A protractor is fixed to the support and has indicia about the periphery thereof and an indicator is mounted on the table base and associated with the indicia of the protractor.


Monitoring and reporting methods and apparatus include the acquisition of detailed aircraft state and systems data, analysis of the collected data, and transmission of the collected data and/or analysis of the collected data to a destination automatically via a portable electronic device which is carried onto and off of the aircraft by the pilot or another crew member. More particularly, monitoring and reporting methods and apparatus include collecting analog or digital sensor data onboard an aircraft, analyzing the data in real-time, and automatically transmitting the data and/or analysis of the data to a destination including a portable storage device such as a portable computer, electronic flight bag (EFB), or smart phone, by means such as wireless transmission, for automatic transfer to another destination when the portable computer, electronic flight bag (EFB), or smart phone is off of the aircraft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus that include the acquisition of data, analysis of the collected data, and transmission of the collected data and/or analysis of the collected data to a destination by means known to a practitioner of ordinary skill in the art. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatuses that include collecting analog or digital sensor data onboard an aircraft, analyzing said data in real-time, and transmitting the data and/or analysis of the data to a destination including a portable storage device such as a portable computer or electronic flight bag (EFB) by means including wireless transmission. The application of this invention includes sensor data gathered from aircraft used in field of avionics such as aircraft or other data collection/generating devices such as medical apparatus. IR (infra-red) heat sensing sensors, or other devices whereas the invention is used to pre-process or post-process the collected information.
2. General Background of the Invention
In the normal operation of aircraft, pilots are typically required to carry flight bags that contain reference material such as aircraft operating manuals, flight-crew operating manuals, and navigational charts. In order to promote efficiency in flight management tasks and reduce the usage of paper, electronic information management devices such as EFBs have been employed by flight crews. Such EFBs allow for use of various applications including static applications such as document viewers, flight crew operating manuals, electronic approach charts, and multifunctional displays for systems such as navigational systems and air traffic control instructions. Furthermore, EFBs can include various means of data transmission including memory stick transfer and wireless connectivity.
Also, aircraft in general have onboard systems which communicate in real-time with systems on the ground during the course of a flight. Methods and apparatus directed towards such systems have patented. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,835,734 to Eckert et al. discloses an avionics system including a wireless router located on an aircraft and configured to transceive wireless signals; and a processing unit located in the aircraft and configured to supply the wireless router with configuration parameters after determining it is time to connect to a ground network, the configuration parameters based on the location of the aircraft; wherein the wireless router uses the configuration parameters to establish a wireless connection with the ground network and route data from at least one client application on the aircraft to at least one ground application server.
In view of the current state of art, current technologies related to electronic flight bags and real-time communications systems have yet to address the need for systems and apparatus that can efficiently collect, analyze, and transmit data recorded by an aircraft's sensors or other such sensors carried aboard or affixed to the aircraft. Such systems could aid commercial aircraft carriers in improving efficiency in delivery of their services to customers as applied to concerns or issues that include flight costs or flight crew performance. Also, such systems could provide vital data to administrative agencies regulating the field of avionics for various investigatory concerns such as efficiently determining the cause of an aircraft failure.
The following references are incorporated herein by reference:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,115,656; 6,181,990; 6,477,152; 6,788,935; 7,103,456; 7,149,612; 7,437,220; 7,456,756; 7,612,688; 7,769,501; 7,835,734; 7,908,042; 8,121,593; 8,244,412, 8,258,983; 8,316,225; 8,335,601; 8,433,475; and 8,768,534.
U.S. Patent Publication Nos.: 2005/0149238; 2013/0124018; 2003/0003872; 2005/0026609; 2010/0152924; 2010/0075614; 2012/0191273; 2006/0080451; and 2008/0039076; 2012/0143405; 2013/0124018; 2013/0274964.
PCT Publication Nos.: WO 20021079918 and WO 2011/017812.
Chinese patent document CN 201408360.
Publication: Teledyne Controls Brochure: Electronic Flight Bags.
Simon Plass, Future Aeronautical Communications, InTech (2011), available at http://www.mxmuhammad.com/papers/Future_Aeronautical_Communications.pdf.
Kim et al., A Rapid QAR Data Acquisition and Visualization System for Aircraft Engine Maintenances. Proceedings of iiWAS2009 (2009).

System, methodology, and process for wireless transmission of sensor data onboard an aircraft to a portable electronic device


A method of processing seismic data wherein seismic data signals having a first part which shows a slow variation in offset and a second part which shows a slow variation in midpoint, is modelled using a model which allows the two parts to be separated. The individual parts may be reconstructed from the model. One of the parts corresponds to offset dependent noise and can be effectively removed from the seismic data.

The present invention relates to a method of processing seismic data. Such a method may be used for marine seismic data or land seismic data and for two dimensional or three dimensional data.
In seismic exploration, seismic data are gathered by actuating one or more sources of seismic energy and recording at one or more locations reflected seismic energy so as to provide information about the reflective boundaries below the surface of the earth. For instance, in the case of a typical marine seismic exploration, a seismic source comprising one or more air guns or the like and a seismic streamer comprising hydrophones spaced regularly along a cable are towed behind an exploration vessel. The source is periodically actuated or fired and the reflected pressure variations detected by the hydrophones are recorded as individual traces. The data are therefore in the form of a large number of traces which are stored and subsequently processed using various techniques.
The traces are normally re-ordered or arranged into common mid-point gathers. The midpoint is the middle of a straight line extending from the source to the receiving transducer for the trace, so that all traces having the same mid point are grouped together and are sorted as a function of offset i.e. the distance between the source and the receiver. The travel times of the incident and reflected waves vary for different offsets, and this is corrected by means of normal move out (NMO) correction. Optionally, dip move out (DMO) correction is applied so as to compensate for non-horizontal reflective boundaries beneath the surface of the earth. The corrected traces are then "stacked" i.e. added together for each common mid-point gather, resulting in one stacked trace per common mid-point position.
For a three dimensional exploration giving information about a volume of the earth below the surface, the reflected seismic wave field may be considered as a five dimensional space having two spatial coordinates for the mid-point, one spatial coordinate for the offset, one spatial coordinate for the offset direction or azimuth, and a time coordinate. Instead of offset and azimuth coordinates, the offset may be defined in terms of spatial i.e. cartesian coordinates. For a two-dimensional exploration of a vertical slice through the earth, the mid-point and offset may each be defined by a single spatial coordinate so that three dimensional space is sufficient. The seismic wavefield is normally sampled at regular discrete time intervals and irregular discrete mid-points and offsets.
The reflected seismic wave field after NMO correction may comprise three parts. The first part depends on the mid-point position and varies only slowly with offset. A second part depends on the offset and varies only slowly with mid-point position. The third part comprises the rest of the seismic wavefield.
All three parts of the seismic wavefield contain useful information. The first part provides useful seismic information about the structure of the earth. The second part comprises offset-dependent or shot-generated noise whereas the third part contains all other types of noise. The second part includes the major types of noise in the seismic wavefield, such as noise from waves which propagate horizontally along the surface e.g. "ground roll" for land data.


The present invention is characterized by using capacitive, inductive or resistive impedance to constitute the first impedance which is series connected with the second impedance constituted by parallel connecting the capacitive and inductive impedances that appears parallel resonance with the pulsed period to receive pulsed power, thereby to form a divided bidirectional power at the two ends of the first and second impedances, so as toe drive the bidirectional conducting light emitting diode.

(a) Field of the Present Invention
The present invention discloses to use a pulsed power as the power source, whereof the first impedance which is constituted by the capacitive or inductive or resistive impedance components and the second capacitive impedance which is constituted by parallel connection of capacitive impedance components and inductive impedance components and appear parallel resonance with the pulse period of the pulsed power are series connected to receive the pulsed power, whereby it is characterized in that the voltage of the pulsed power source is divided by the first and second impedances in series connection, and the divided power is used to drive the bidirectional conducting light emitting diode set.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
In the conventional Light emitting diode drive circuit using AC or DC power source, light emitting diode current is usually limited by series connecting a current limit resistor as the impedance, whereby the voltage drop of the resistive impedance in series connection normally consumes a lot of electrical power and causes accumulated heat that are its imperfections.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Bi-directional light emitting diode drive circuit in pulsed power parallel resonance


Processes for fabricating electrochemical interconnections between semiconductor chip pads and substrate pads. First, pads on a substrate are electrically shorted by depositing a film of conductive metal, conductive bumps are created on the substrate pads, and the pads on the substrate are aligned with pads on a semiconductor chip. Then, by electrochemically depositing metal to the bumps, electrical interconnections are formed between the semiconductor chips pads and the substrate pads. Finally, the film of conductive metal is removed to eliminate the electrical shorting. The resulting electrochemical interconnections are highly reliable and have high tensile strengths.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical interconnections and methods for interconnecting electronic components. More particularly, the present invention relates to electrochemical interconnections and processes for fabricating electrochemical interconnections by connecting semiconductor pads and their corresponding substrate pads with electroplated metal.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ongoing effort within the electronics industry has been to develop semiconductor configurations with increasingly smaller packaging requirements. At the same time, semiconductors are being designed with demanding functional requirements and high production costs. Thus, semiconductor packaging design configurations having relatively small packaging requirements and having high production yields are finding increased utility within the electronics industry.
One approach associated with this effort is a recent trend toward the use of high frequency circuits and a corresponding increase in the utility of flip chips. Flip chips can reliably accommodate shorter interconnections between their interconnect pads and pads on a substrate than other chip designs such as the Tape Automated Bonding (TAB) chips and wire bond chips. These shorter connections advantageously permit greater pad packing densities on substrates. Additionally, the flip chips can be more densely packed onto the available substrate space.
The short interconnection between semiconductor flip chip pads and the corresponding substrate chip pads are commonly formed using either a solder melt method or a cold weld indium bonding method. Typically flip chips have interconnection pads at the chip periphery which normally require 256 bonds. When using the solder melt method, solder on the flip chip pads must be precisely aligned with solder on the corresponding substrate pads so that the two parts intimately face each other. Furthermore, this position should be maintained during the thermal exposure cycle so that the solder on each pad not only melts but cross-wets the opposing solder to form a structurally sound bond with only the corresponding opposite mating surface. If the melted solder extrudes or splatters or there is excessive solder bulging, electrical shorting between adjacent pads can result.
Since pad alignment, solder mass, and the degree of the gap at the pad interface all have very close tolerances, effective solder melt methods require the use of expensive precision equipment for aligning the substrate pads and the flip chip pads and applying the solder. Another disadvantage is the thermal exposure experienced by the chip. In many cases this is not a problem, but some semiconductors are damaged or degraded by elevated temperatures. Moreover, semiconductors which are removed and then reconnected during a rework process may not tolerate a second thermal exposure. A further disadvantage is the typically low tensile strength of solder melt interconnect bonds. The ultimate tensile strengths associated with these bonds are about 7000 pounds per square inch (psi) or 48 megapascals. Bonds of this strength are prone to failure and this method is not recommended for structural purposes.
The cold weld indium bonding method for forming short interconnections between semiconductor chip pads and substrate pads requires indium or indium alloy bump pads on the semiconductor chip and on the substrate. Additionally, these bump pads must have a precise mass, geometry and height. In principle, the chip and the substrate are precision aligned and the indium bumps are brought into "squash" contact such that the indium on the chip pads bonds to the indium on the corresponding substrate pads by cold welding to each other. Bonding is completed at room temperature because the indium need not be melted.
Generally, the cold weld indium bonding method works well for its intended use. However, the bond can fail during thermal cycling testing if there is a thermal expansion mismatch between the semiconductor chip and the substrate. This phenomena combined with other problems such as control over the indium bump mass, the bump geometry, and alignment problems can result in process yields as low as 3%. Like the solder melt interconnect method, the indium cold weld method results in bonds having undesirably weak tensile strengths. The indium cold weld method typically has tensile strengths on the order of 400 psi or 2.75 megapascals and is not recommended for structural purposes.
It would be desirable to provide processes for interconnecting semiconductor chip pads with substrate pads which reliably produce interconnect bonds having a high tensile strength in high yields. It would also be desirable to provide processes for interconnecting semiconductor chip pads with substrate pads which can be performed at room temperature without expensive equipment and without subjecting semiconductor chips to possible thermal degradation.


Thermal management systems for semiconductor devices are provided. Embodiments of the invention provide two or more liquid cooling subsystems that are each capable of providing active cooling to one or more semiconductor devices, such as packaged processors. In operation, a first liquid cooling subsystem can provide active cooling to the semiconductor device(s) while the second cooling subsystem is circulating a heat transfer fluid within its own subsystem. The second liquid cooling subsystem can be then switched into operation and provides active cooling to the semiconductor device(s) while the first cooling subsystem is circulating heat transfer fluid within its own subsystem. In alternate embodiments, the heat transfer fluid remains in the subsystem, but does not circulate within the subsystem when the subsystem is not providing cooling to the semiconductor device(s). The subsystems comprise heat dissipation units. The switching between cooling systems allows the semiconductor device(s) to be maintained at a lower operating temperature than if switching between cooling subsystems were not employed.

Integrated circuit (IC) chip performance improvements and size reductions place increasing demands on the materials and techniques used for packaging and assembly of the resultant IC chips. In general, an integrated circuit chip is also known as a microchip, a silicon chip, a semiconductor chip, a chip, or a die. IC chips are found in a variety of common devices, such as the microprocessors in computers, cars, televisions, CD players, smart phones, and cellular phones. A plurality of IC chips can be built on a semiconductor wafer (a thin silicon disk, having a diameter, for example, of 300 mm) and after processing the wafer is diced apart to create individual IC chips (or dies). After manufacture, the IC chip is typically packaged and provided with thermal management solutions that take into account the operating environment provided by the device in which the IC chip will reside. As semiconductor chips trend toward higher bandwidth performance and users desire smaller form factors, the packaging of the semiconductor chips must meet size, thermal management, power delivery, and integration challenges.

Transient thermal management systems for semiconductor devices


A container comprises a box portion, a lid portion and a separate sliding device. The separate sliding device embraces at least part of the box portion. Moving the separate sliding device longitudinally along the box portion in a first direction pivots the lid portion to open the container and moving the separate sliding device longitudinally along the box portion in a second, opposite direction pivots the lid portion to close the container. The lid portion comprises a lid front wall.

Smoking articles such as cigarettes and a variety of other consumer goods are commonly sold in hinge-lid packs. These hinge-lid packs comprise a box portion and a lid portion, which is hinged to the back wall of the box portion. Such packs are formed from laminar cardboard blanks that include various panels and flaps, which when folded about appropriate score lines around a pre-wrapped bundle of cigarettes form the box portion and the lid portion of the hinge-lid pack.
Hinge-lid packs comprising a sliding device embracing the box portion are known. In such known packs the lid portion is opened and closed by moving the sliding device along the pack. Such packs are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,990,994, 3,400,874 and 3,858,788. In the pack disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,400,874 the sliding device is a separate element which can be moved up to the top edge of the lid portion to bring the pack into a closed position. However, in this closed position the pack has an undesirable gap between the sliding device and the top edge of the lid. In the pack disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,788 the sliding device is not a separate element. Instead a rigid connection exists between the sliding device and the lid portion. Due to the rigidity of that connection, it is impossible to move the sliding device all the way up the pack in the closed position. As a result the sliding device is stuck between the ends of the pack. According to U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,994 the sliding device is connected to the lid portion by a flexible connection and it is therefore possible to move the sliding device all the way up in the closed position. However, due to the flexible connection between the sliding device and the lid portion the opening mechanism is complicated. Furthermore, the blank to form this pack is not suitable for mass production.
There is a need for hinge-lid containers with a sliding device with improved handling. Furthermore, there is a need for such a container with an improved closure.

Hinged-lid container with sliding device


In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for routing an early request for requested data on a bypass path around a transaction processing path of a first agent if the requested data is not present in a cache memory of the first agent, and opportunistically transmitting the early request from the first agent to a second agent based on load conditions of an interconnect between the first agent and the second agent. In this way, reduced memory latencies may be realized. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to operation of a processor, and more particularly to obtaining data for use in a processor.
When data needed for an operation is not present in the processor, a latency, which is the time it takes to load the data into the processor, occurs. Such a latency may be low or high, depending on where the data is obtained from within various levels of a memory hierarchy. In some systems, prefetching schemes are used to generate and transmit prefetch requests corresponding to data or instructions that are predicted to be needed by a processor in the near future. When the prediction is correct and data is readily available to an execution unit, latencies are reduced and increased performance is achieved. However, prefetching can require significant computational resources, and can consume chip area and power consumption. Furthermore, prefetch requests, in addition to actual memory requests, still suffer from latencies.
That is, in addition to a memory latency incurred in requesting data from a remote location (e.g., memory, mass storage or the like), in many systems a processor socket may have its own latency associated with generating and sending transactions outside the processor socket. These delays, which may be applicable to all transactions, can be associated with delays of serialization/de-serialization, related protocol processing, and so forth. For example, in systems implementing a serial point-to-point (PTP) distributed interconnect system, latencies can occur in transaction processing through protocol and link layers in each of multiple agents through which a transaction passes. Such delays can incur a significant amount of cycles before a request is even sent out of the processor socket, and can negatively impact performance.
As more systems are architected with a distributed memory system and serial interconnects, latencies of such serial-based protocols can affect performance. Thus although improvements in memory latency generally translate into performance improvements across all applications, improvements in memory bandwidth typically only benefit certain classes of applications. As an example, depending on a given type of application, serial interconnects from a processor socket to other system components, such as chipsets, memory and so forth, may use limited bandwidth. However, such applications may still suffer from increased latencies due to serial-based interconnects.

Adaptively reducing memory latency in a system


The present invention provides an asymmetric porous PTFE membrane for a filter having little change over time and conventionally known properties of a porous PTFE molded article such as water permeability resistance, air permeability, sealing properties and electric properties, in which collection efficiency, air permeability and pressure loss are improved. Specifically, the present invention relates to an asymmetric porous PTFE membrane for a filter comprising a dense skin layer and a continuously foamed porous layer, wherein    (1) the contact angle of water to the surface of the skin layer is 120 to 140°; and    (2) the diffuse reflectance of light is 91 to 94%.

The present invention relates to an asymmetric porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane for a filter. Also, the present invention relates to material for a filter comprising the asymmetric porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane for a filter and a reinforcing material.
Porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane (hereinafter referred to as porous PTFE membrane) has excellent chemical resistance and high tensile strength and therefore is suitably used for a variety of purposes such as a filter for filtering gas and liquid, an agent for an air permeable and water impermeable membrane for clothing and a sheet for medical use, in addition to a sealing or gasket for piping and production facilities in the fields of chemicals, foods and semiconductors.
A process for preparing a porous PTFE membrane is disclosed (for example see U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,566, U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,153, U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,227 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,390), in which PTFE paste, which is a mixture of PTFE fine powder and an extrusion aid such as naphtha, is extruded and then rolled. Then, after removing the extrusion aid from the rolled article, the article is drawn in a uniaxial or biaxial direction. Subsequently, to maintain the shape of the drawn porous PTFE membrane, heat-setting is conducted at a temperature between 35° C. and the melting point of PTFE.
Also, many documents disclose using the obtained porous PTFE membrane as a filter but the porous PTFE membrane disclosed in these documents have the problem that air permeability and collection efficiency is insufficient (for example see U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,739, U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,429 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,515).

Asymmetric porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane for a filter

Yeu Ming Tai Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd.


Method and apparatus for configuring the operation of an integrated circuit. An integrated circuit with external programming capabilities is disclosed. A pin current source is provided for interfacing with at least one pin on the integrated circuit to control current flow there through to an external load interfaced to the at least one pin external to the integrated circuit. The external load has at least two discrete values. A voltage detector detects the voltage on the at least one pin and a state detector then compares the voltage on the at least one pin to at least two discrete voltage thresholds. Each of the discrete voltages is associated with a separate value of a control word, and the state detector is operable to determine the value of the control word associated with the detected voltage. The state detector then outputs the determined value of the control word.

Integrated circuits (ICs) have become more complex in their operation and the overall functionality associated therewith to allow the IC to function in more than one application. In order to increase the versatility of an integrated circuit even for a single application, a manufacturer will typically provide a large amount of flexibility of the functionality on-chip. By setting certain parameters in various configuration registers, the nature of the chip and the operating parameters thereof can be altered for a given application. Thus, when an integrated circuit is designed into an application, there will be some type of configuration information loaded onto the chip. In some situations, there can be on-board non-volatile memory such as EEPROM that can be semi-permanently programmed, such that, upon power-up, the chip will load its configuration information into active memory. Alternatively, an external memory can be provided for containing configuration information which can then be uploaded to the IC. In some situations, there is insufficient non-volatile memory on-chip for this purpose and, as such, the configuration registers must be loaded from external memory. This, of course, requires an external memory.
Another technique for configuring the operation of an integrated circuit is to provide external program pins. By connecting a pin to either a positive voltage or to ground, two states of programmability can be provided for each pin. However, as one would anticipate, this requires a large number of pins for a large number of configuration possibilities. There have been a number techniques provided for programming a dedicated pin to establish multiple states. One such techniques is connecting the pin to a positive voltage, to a negative voltage or maintained in an open circuit state to provide the programmability, with the connections to the positive and negative voltage being through a resistor or hard connected. However, the number of program states for each pin is limited.