The present invention relates to sensitive SE(R)RS based methods for detecting analytes such as explosives and drugs, which may be present in a sample at extremely low levels. The methods may be generally carried out in situ employing novel chemistry which is compatible with flow-cell technology and with time-scales and concentrations required for rapid and informative screening of large numbers of samples. The present invention also relates to novel compounds e.g. synthons and apparatus for use with the methods disclosed.

1)Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sensitive methods for detecting analytes such as explosives and drugs, which may be present in a sample at extremely low levels. The methods may be generally carried out in situ employing novel chemistry which is compatible with flow-cell technology and with time-scales and concentrations required for rapid and informative screening of large numbers of samples. The present invention also relates to novel compounds and apparatus for use with the methods disclosed.
The detection of plastic explosives, of drugs of abuse, of therapeutic agents, and of environmental pollutants is a field of growing importance in which there is a need for fast reliable, robust and simple detection methods. A major problem in this field is that the required analyte is often present in very low concentrations in a matrix such as a vapour or a body fluid. Thus, detection methods that are sensitive and rapid and which identify the analyte from other species are required.
2) Description of Related Art
One method of detection employs the detection of Raman scattering. Briefly, Raman scattering occurs when a light source irradiates a sample and scattered light is given off. Most of the light is scattered with the same frequency as that of the incident light but a weak component is scattered one vibrational unit different. The weak component is Raman scattering. By subtracting the frequency of the Raman scattered light from the frequency of the incident light, a vibrational spectrum characteristic of the molecule can be obtained. The light can then be detected in a suitable spectrometer, many of which are commercially available. The detection of Raman scattering is attractive since it uses visible or near infrared radiation to provide the exitation. Moreover, flexible and effective optics can be designed and water gives a weak signal so that detection in aqueous solution is possible. Further, the set of signals obtained gives a unique pattern from which a particular analyte can be identified. However, the main disadvantage of Raman scattering is that it is not sufficiently sensitive and is not therefore generally suitable for detecting analytes at extremely low concentrations, and fluorescence can interfere with detection.
The sensitivity of Raman scattering may however be improved. Firstly, if the analyte is adsorbed onto a suitably roughened metal surface of which silver and gold are the most widely used, then there is an interaction between the analyte and the surface electron waves on the metal (plasmons) which provide an enhancement in the intensity of the Raman scattering by a factor claimed to be 106. This technique is known as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).
Another method of enhancing sensitivity is to use a dye with an absorption maximum at or close to the frequency of the exciting radiation. This enhanced scattering, called resonance Raman scattering, provides an increase in sensitivity of a few orders of magnitude in ideal cases. However, it is possible that fluorescence will interfere with this process.
Combining SERS and resonance Raman scattering: to give surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS), provides more sensitivity and the conditions under which single molecule detection has been claimed. SERRS has been previously described, see for example Rodger, C. H., Smith, W. E., Dieht, G., Edmonson, M., J. Chem. Soc. Dalton Trans., 1996, 5, 791 and references therein to which the reader is directed for background information. Surprisingly, there is a widespread fluorescence quenching mechanism on the silver surface. This means that almost all dyes give SERRS rather than fluorescence on the surface enabling the use of more extensive derivatisation chemistry than is possible by fluorescence. Further, the SERRS active material scatters so strongly that the signal can be picked out from the background without the need for the removal of the matrix in which the sample is present so that separation procedures either before or after analysis are often not required.
However, the main disadvantage of SERRS is that it requires a specially labelled dye. To obtain reproducible results, this dye must also adhere strongly to a metal surface. Thus, although it is relatively easy to obtain very low atomolar detection limits, very variable results are often obtained and many molecules for which sensitive analysis would be of value are precluded from the method since they are not coloured and do not stick to the surface.
Recent patents describe the use of SERRS in DNA detection and in antibody detection (WO97/05280 & PCT/GB99/00588 respectively). In both these cases, a pre-formed molecule is used as the actual analyte. In DNA chemistry this is a label and in antibody chemistry it is a labelled antigen or ligand which is displaced from the antibody.
However, it will be appreciated that detection of analytes, such as explosives or drugs is not generally possible because of the lack of a suitable chromophore and/or the ability of the analyte to adhere to a metal surface. Moreover, it is desirable that detection of explosives or drugs can be effected quickly, for practical reasons, which is not generally possible using existing techniques.
It is an object of the present invention to obviate and/or mitigate at least one of the aforementioned disadvantages.

Analyte detection and apparatus therefor


An amplifier that is operated between first and second power supplies includes a transistor pair having control terminals to which input signals are input, a load resistor pair that is provided between each transistor of the transistor pair and the first power supply, a constant current source that is provided between the second power supply and the transistor pair, and a first switch that is connected with the constant current source in series between the second power supply and the transistor pair, the first switch being turned on or off in accordance with a clock signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an amplifier and an analog/digital converter using the amplifier.
2. Description of Related Art
An analog/digital converter (A/D converter) includes a comparator that compares an analog voltage signal with reference voltage. This comparator has an input-referred offset, and this offset varies depending on the manufacturing process. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5 in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,167, for example, the signal input to the comparator is amplified by a preamp to the signal level that is sufficiently larger than the input-referred offset. A preamp that is disclosed in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,167 is a typical differential amplifier that includes a constant current source between an input transistor pair and a power supply. As such a preamp is included, signal comparison can be performed with high accuracy. However, the current needs to be constantly flowed, which increases power consumption.
Meanwhile, FIG. 17 shows a circuit diagram of a sense amplifier shown in FIG. 2 of an article by Schinkel et al., titled "A Double-Tail Latch-Type Voltage Sense Amplifier with 18 ps Setup+Hold Time" (Solid-State Circuits Conference, 2007. ISSCC 2007. Digest of Technical Papers. IEEE International, February 2007, pp. 314-315, 605). This sense amplifier includes input transistors N1, N2 that are NMOS transistors, load transistors P1, P2 that are PMOS transistors, and a switch transistor N3 that is an NMOS transistor. Here, input signals VinP and VinN are input to gates of the input transistors N1, N2, respectively. Further, a clock signal CLK is input to gates of the load transistors P1, P2 and a gate of the switch transistor N3. Thus, the load transistors P1, P2 and the switch transistor N3 are turned on or off in a complementary manner.
More specifically, when the clock signal CLK is H (High), the load transistors P1, P2 are OFF, and the switch transistor N3 is ON, which means an amplification period. On the other hand, when the clock signal CLK is L (Low), the load transistors P1, P2 are ON, the switch transistor N3 is OFF, which means a reset period. In the reset period, both of output signals VoutP, VoutN are reset to a power supply voltage VDD. In the reset period, the switch transistor N3 is OFF, and the current is interrupted. Thus, the power consumption is decreased than in the preamp in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,167. The similar sense amplifier is disclosed also in FIG. 1 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-176163. Further, a technique of adjusting an offset amount using a variable capacitor is disclosed in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 6,728,240.


The present invention relates to a method for using the silent interval during which an incoming call is still on hook to send limited data to a switch for storage and eventual retrieval. The system may be used in connection with a global positioning application, such as truck monitoring, or remote water or electric meter reading system.

While numerous prior inventions have taught the utilization of silent time during telecommunication transmission, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,581, Doughty, these contain significant differences compared to the present invention. Doughty deals with the ring interval or the silent interval between the rings. In the present invention as soon as a call is received or detected by the switch, data is immediately requested from the calling party or sent to the calling party. The detection of the rings is not used in the present invention. This results in a much more flexible and universal system.
Roach, Jr. et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,444, addresses the retrievaal of metering data, using a cellular system, but does not teach use of incomplete call time.

Telecommunications method for using incomplete call time


A sheet feeding apparatus having a sheet deck for stacking a plurality of sheets and accommodating the sheets, a separation unit for separating the sheets stacked on the sheet deck one sheet after another, a sheet detecting unit mounted at the downstream of the separation unit for detecting the sheet separated by the separation unit, and a controller for activating again, if the sheet detecting unit does not detect the sheet after the start of the operation of the separation unit, the separation unit at a lower operation speed, and if the sheet detecting unit detects the sheet thereafter, setting the operation speed of the separation unit to an original speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet feeding apparatus for feeding sheets from a sheet stacker.
2. Related Background Art
In a conventional large capacity sheet deck for transporting sheets on a transport path and feeding sheets to an image forming apparatus, a sheet transport speed is set at a high speed in order to maximize the image forming efficiency.
With a conventional sheet deck, a probability of error occurrence of the sheet separating operation increases as the transport speed becomes high. Upon occurrence of a sheet separating error, the image forming operation is intercepted, lowering the image forming efficiency.
On the contrary, if the sheet transport speed is lowered in order to reduce the probability of separation error occurrence, obviously the total image forming efficiency is lowered.
If the sheet separation operation is resumed under the same condition after a separation error, the succeeding separation operation is associated with a high probability of separation error.
In an image forming apparatus having a both-side mode for forming images on both sides of a sheet and a multiple mode for forming a plurality of images on the same side of a sheet, sheets are temporarily loaded in an intermediate tray during the image forming operation, and thereafter the sheets are again fed.
Also with such an image forming apparatus, if re-feeding from sheets from the intermediate tray is speeded up in order to improve the image forming efficiency per unit time, a probability of sheet separation error at the intermediate tray increases. The image forming operation is therefore intercepted, lowering the image forming efficiency.
On the contrary, if the sheet transport speed is lowered in order to reduce the probability of sheet separation error, obviously the total image forming efficiency is lowered. If the image forming operation is intercepted by an occurrence of separation error, the image forming operation already carried out prior to the error occurrence becomes wasteful. and Not only the sheet, but also expendables such as toner, ink and the like consumed during the image forming operation also becomes wasteful In addition, sheets remain on the intermediate tray so that the recovery operation of the apparatus becomes very complicated.


A multi-domain LCD device includes first and second substrates opposing each other, gate and data lines formed on the first substrate and crossing each other, thereby defining pixel regions, pixel electrodes formed on the first substrate in the pixel regions, each pixel electrode having one or more slits in the pixel region, dielectric patterns formed on the second substrate and spaced apart from the slits, compensation patterns formed below the pixel electrodes corresponding to the dielectric patterns, a concave portion formed on the first substrate below the slits, and a liquid crystal layer filled between the first and second substrates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly, to a multi-domain LCD device and method of fabricating the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Demands for various display devices have increased with development of an information society. Accordingly, many efforts have been made into research and development of various flat display devices such as liquid crystal displays (LCD), plasma display panels (PDP), electroluminescent displays (ELD), and vacuum fluorescent displays (VFD). Some types of flat display devices have already been incorporated into various equipments.
Among the various flat display devices, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices are most widely used due to advantageous characteristics such as high picture quality, thin profile, light weight, and low power consumption. Accordingly, the LCD devices are considered good substitutes for cathode ray tubes (CRT). In addition to mobile type LCD devices such as a display for a notebook computer, LCD devices have been adapted to function as computer monitors and televisions for receiving and displaying broadcast signals. In order to use LCD devices as general displays for various applications, key characteristics considered are whether the LCD devices can provide a high quality picture, such as high resolution and high luminance having a large-sized screen, while still maintaining light weight, thin profile, and low power consumption.
In general, an LCD device includes a liquid crystal panel for displaying images and a driver circuit for applying a driving signal to the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel includes first and second glass substrates bonded to each other with space therebetween that is occupied by a liquid crystal layer, usually formed by injection.
The first glass substrate (referred herein as a TFT array substrate) includes a plurality of gate lines arranged along a first direction at fixed intervals, a plurality of data lines arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction at fixed intervals, a plurality of pixel electrodes formed in a matrix arrangement at pixel regions where the gate lines cross the data lines, and a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs) switched by signals of the gate lines to transfer signals of the data lines to each pixel electrode. The second glass substrate (referred herein as a color filter substrate) includes a black matrix layer that blocks light from regions other than the pixel regions, color filter layers for displaying various colors, and a common electrode for producing the image.
The aforementioned LCD device is driven based on optical anisotropy and polarity characteristics of the liquid crystal layer. Since liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are thin and long, the liquid crystal molecules have particular alignment characteristics. An alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules is controlled by an induced electric field applied thereto. Accordingly, light irradiated through the liquid crystal layer may be controlled by altering the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules, thereby displaying an image.
FIG. 1 illustrates a plane view illustrating a multi-vertical alignment (MVA) mode LCD device according to a related art, and FIG. 2 illustrates a structural sectional view taken along line I˜I′ of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a lower substrate 10 of the related art MVA mode LCD device includes a plurality of gate lines 11 arranged along a first direction, a plurality of data lines 12 arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction at fixed intervals to define pixel regions, a thin film transistor (TFT) array 16 including thin film transistors formed at regions where the gate lines cross the data lines, and pixel electrodes 13 formed in the pixel regions, having one or more slits 15 spaced apart from one another at a predetermined interval.
An upper substrate 20 of the related art MVA mode LCD device includes a black matrix layer (not shown) to cover portions other than the pixel regions, R/G/B (red/green/blue) color filter layers 22 formed corresponding to the pixel regions, and a common electrode 23 formed on an entire surface of the upper substrate including the color filter layers 22. Boss shaped dielectric patterns 21 are formed on opposing sides of the slits 15.
In the related art MVA mode LCD device, liquid crystal molecules 30 having negative dielectric anisotropy is used. When voltages are applied to the related art MVA mode LCD device, an electric field is formed between the common electrode 23 and the pixel electrode 13. The liquid crystal molecules 30 are aligned in accordance with the electric field. Thus, the liquid crystal molecules 30 are aligned obliquely to a horizontal plane as shown in FIG. 2. Distortion of the electric field occurs between the upper and lower substrates 20 and 10 as the dielectric patterns 21 and the slits 15 are interposed between the substrates. The electric field formed is represented as dotted lines along the equivalent potential as shown in FIG. 2. The liquid crystal molecules 30 are aligned in a direction transverse to the equivalent potential lines. Accordingly, the slits 15 and the dielectric patterns 21 serve as the boundary between domains where the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules is varied.
FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating transmittance per portions of elements shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid crystal molecules 30 are aligned by the slits 15 and the dielectric patterns 21 without rubbing. When the driving voltage is applied to the pixel electrode 13, the electric field is not normally formed in a portion corresponding to the slits 15. For this reason, the liquid crystal molecules 30 are not aligned. The liquid crystal molecules 30 are confined in a portion corresponding to the dielectric patterns 21 due to distortion of the electric field. As a result, regions around the slits 15 and the dielectric patterns 21 have low transmittance. These low transmittance portions deteriorate luminance.
Furthermore, the slits 15 and dielectric patterns 21 may each have a small width to prevent reduction of transmittance. However, in this case, the electric field effect per domain is suppressed to reduce transmittance of the whole LCD panel and response characteristics of the liquid crystal layer. Therefore, the slits and dielectric patterns have fixed minimum widths.

Multi-domain LCD device and method of fabricating the same


Exhaust gas and spent cooling water from a water-cooled engine is discharged through a compartment having separate upper and lower pipes for discharging, respectively, the exhaust gas and spent cooling water, thereby avoiding undesirable mixing of the gas and water and enhancing engine performance.

A conventional water-cooled engine, such as used in a remote controlled boat and shown in FIG. 1, includes a water pumping mechanism 1 attached to the engine to take in water from the rear of the boat and pump same into the interior of the engine to cool same. The spent cooling water is then pumped out of the engine and drained from the boat together with the engine exhaust gas through a discharge mechanism 2. However, discharge mechanism 2 is of a single pipe design and must simultaneously discharge both the exhaust gas and spent cooling water through the single pipe during use. The single pipe configuration causes the exhaust gas and spent cooling water to constantly impact upon each other, undergo undesirable mixing within mechanism 2, require an increase in energy consumption and result in reduction in engine performance.

Discharge device for a water-cooled engine


A positively chargeable developer is provided which is capable of providing stable image quality without causing any image defect even in long-term use. The developer includes at least positively chargeable toner particles each containing at least a binder resin and magnetic iron oxide, silica and an inorganic fine powder. A unconfined yield strength at a major consolidation stress of 5 kPa of the developer is in the range of 0.1 to 2.5 kPa, and a unconfined yield strength at a major consolidation stress of 20 kPa of the developer is in the range of 2.5 to 5.5 kPa.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developer to be used for electrophotography and toner jet, and to an image forming method and an image forming apparatus for visualizing an electrostatic charge image.
2. Related Background Art
A large number of methods such as an electrostatic recording method, a magnetic recording method, and a toner jet method have been conventionally known as image forming methods. For example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,297,691, JP-B-S42-023910, and JP-B-S43-024748, a large number of methods have been known as electrophotographic methods. A general electrophotographic method involves: using a photoconductive substance; forming an electrical latent image on a photosensitive member by using various means; developing the latent image with toner to provide a visible image; transferring the toner onto a transfer material such as paper as required; and fixing the toner image on the transfer material by means of heat, pressure, or the like to provide a copy. The toner remaining on the photosensitive member without being transferred is cleaned by various methods, and the above steps are repeated.
In recent years, a reduced size, a reduced weight, an increased speed, and higher reliability have been strictly pursued for such copying device. For example, such copying machine has began to be used not only for paperwork for copying an original but also for: a digital printer as an output unit of a computer; copying a highly compact image such as a graphic design; and near-print where higher reliability is required (print-on-demand applications, where various kinds can be printed in a small amount, ranging from the editing of a document by means of a computer to the copying and book-binding of the document). Therefore, high definition and high image quality have been demanded. As a result, performance required for toner has become sophisticated.
For example, JP-A-H07-230182 and JP-A-H08-286421 each propose that the external addition of a magnetic powder stabilizes chargeability. According to this method, toner with stabilized chargeability and high cleaning properties can be surely obtained. However, in applications in which a high speed and improved definition and improved image quality which have been required in recent years, the method is insufficient not only because developability is insufficient but also because adhesion to a charging member occurs. In addition, JP-B-H06-093136 and JP-B-H06-093137 each propose that the addition of a charge relaxing agent to magnetic toner with a specified particle size distribution maintains high image quality while suppressing the excessive charging of the toner. Furthermore, JP-A-H08-137125 proposes that an inorganic fine particle is stuck to the surface of a toner base particle to make a potential difference between the surface of the toner base particle and the surface of the toner equal to or larger than a certain value, thereby alleviating the unevenness of charges on the surface of the toner and providing uniform charging. JP-A-2001-034006 and JP-A-2002-0207314 each propose that toner with good chargeability can be obtained by controlling the coverage of the surface of the toner with a specific inorganic fine particle and the liberation ratio of the particle from the surface of the toner. In addition, JP-A-2003-280253, JP-A-2003-280254, JP-A-H04-083258, JP-A-H04-083259, JP-A-H04-142560, JP-A-H04-269763, and JP-A-H04-350665 each propose that a magnesium oxide fine powder is added to toner to improve fluidity, whereby good chargeability can be obtained and environment dependence can be reduced.
Each of those proposals has an effect of improving chargeability. However, room is still left for each of them to be improved in applications in which a high speed and improved definition and improved image quality which have been required in recent years, i.e., applications in which even a method of use that is apt to cause toner deterioration owing to high-speed printing is required to provide image quality with high reliability and stability.


A slide switch apparatus having a movable contact and a movable board arranged to prevent chattering between the movable contact and the movable board, even when the slide switch apparatus is immersed in a high temperature oil. The movable contact can be assembled onto the movable board in a one-touch manner. The movable board (3) has a gap (37), a step portion (32, 33), and an engaging portion (34, 35). The gap extends in a direction perpendicular to a direction of sliding of the movable board (3) so that the movable contact (2) can be inserted thereinto in that perpendicular direction. The step portion (34, 35) has a valley shape in sectional view. The movable contact (2) has a leadframe (26) inserted in the gap (37) of the movable board (3), and a chatter preventive piece (22, 23, 24, 25) engaged with the step portion (32, 33) and the engaging portion (34, 35).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved slide switch apparatus having a movable contact held by a movable board arranged to be slidably contacted with a fixed contact so as to perform switch operation. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved slide switch apparatus for accurately detecting a shift position of an automatic transmission of an automobile to prevent chatter from occurring between the movable contact and the movable board due to thermal expansion or change in tolerance, even when the switch is immersed in a high-temperature oil for use as an in-oil inhibitance switch installed in an automatic transmission, the switch being assembled onto a movable board in a one-touch manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional slide switch apparatus is shown, for example, in FIG. 7. This conventional slide switch comprises a movable board (a) having an engaging portion (d), and having in a movable contact attaching surface a support projection (c) for supporting a movable contact (b). An elastic rib (f) having an engaging projection (e) is provided for engaging the movable contact (b) opposite to the engaging portion (d).
Another conventional slide switch is shown, for example, in FIG. 8. This conventional slide switch comprises a movable board (g) having a projection (h) that is cold-crimped, and a movable contact (i) fixed to the movable board (g) through screw fastening or ultrasonic welding. The slide switch apparatuses shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. S57-117523.
In the above-described conventional slide switch structure shown in FIG. 7, however, there has been a problem that chattering occurs due to occurrence of a gap (G) between the movable board (a) and the movable contact (b), as shown in FIG. 7. The gap (G) results from changes in tolerance introduced during forming the movable board (g) and the movable contact (b) or from thermal expansion caused when the apparatus is installed within an automatic transmission of an automobile to be used by immersion in a high-temperature oil.
Furthermore, it is impossible in the conventional slide switch structure shown in FIG. 8 to assemble the movable contact (i) onto the movable board (g) in a one-touch manner. Moreover, there has been a problem that chattering occurs in the movable contact (i) due to loosening of crimping in the projection (h) during service in an immersed state in a high-temperature oil over a long period of time.


A power conversion device including: a first and second multi-phase inverters (MPI1,MPI2) to receive a DC voltage (Vdc) and convert into AC voltages (Vacs), when fc represents a frequency of a PWM signal output from each of the MPI1 and the MPI2, fr represents a lower limit frequency defined by noise regulation of the power conversion device, an absolute value of a differential voltage being a difference between: a first average voltage, which is an average value of first voltage commands of respective phases as command values for the Vacs of MPI1; and a second average voltage, which is an average value of second voltage commands of respective phases as command values for the Vacs of MPI2, is set equal to or less than k2·fc/fr·Vdc [V] (k2 is an odd number equal to or more than one), to reduce noise in a frequency band defined by noise regulation.

Hitherto, there has been known a motor control apparatus configured as follows. That is, the motor control apparatus includes: a plurality of power converters; a plurality of motor command calculation units; and a plurality of carrier generation units, which are provided in association with a plurality of motors, respectively, in which the plurality of carrier generation units are each configured to generate a plurality of carrier signals, and a carrier frequency control unit is configured to control frequencies of the plurality of carrier signals so that the frequencies of the plurality of carrier signals fluctuate within a plurality of preset frequency ranges which are defined for each of the plurality of carrier signals. Further, the plurality of preset frequency ranges are determined in advance not to overlap one another, to thereby reduce noise generated by switching operations of the power converters (see Patent Literature 1).
Further, there has been known a power conversion device configured as follows. That is, the power conversion device includes two inverters, in which a "flatbed two-phase modulation" is executed in one inverter unit, to subtract from all voltage command signals of three phases a value obtained by subtracting a preset lower limit value from the smallest voltage command signal among the voltage command signals of the three phases so that the smallest voltage command signal equals the preset lower limit value, and a "flattop two-phase modulation process" is executed in another inverter unit, to subtract from all voltage command signals of three phases a value obtained by subtracting a preset upper limit value from the largest voltage command signal among the voltage command signals of the three phases so that the largest voltage command signal equals the preset upper limit value. With this configuration, effective voltage vector generation periods in the two inverters are not overlapped, and hence a ripple current of a capacitor can be reduced (see Patent Literature 2).

Power conversion device and electric power steering device


A triptych construction made from a single cardboard blank is provided. The construction comprises a main display panel having a front face with an image depicted on it. Also provided is a pair of side door panels, each foldably connected to the main panel along opposite side edges. Each side panel is foldably displaceable between a first open outwardly extending position such that the image on the front face of the main panel is fully visible, and a second inwardly extending position for substantially covering up the image on the front face from view.

This invention relates to a triptych construction, and more particularly, to a triptych construction suitable as a calendar or three-dimensional stage structure.
The invention utilizes the form of a triptych, a configuration of three panels joined together to display multiple scenes. The triptych form became popular during the Middle Ages and was used mainly for religious paintings (which comprised nearly all the art of the period).
Typically, the triptych, which in that period was constructed from wood and then painted, was either hung on the wall or was displayed in a free-standing position, with the opened side panels acting as supports. The free-standing triptych often served as an altar piece, especially in the private chapels of the wealthy art patrons who commissioned such works.
An obvious antecedent of the triptych construction is the wall calendar, which has been used worldwide for at least the last 150 years and which continues to grow in popularity, especially as a specialty, promotional or gift item. Also popular in the 20th Century are foldout or pop-up books, especially those for children (printed on heavy paper stock), "pop-up" greeting cards, and calendars (e.g., Advent calendars), which have little flaps (or "doors") which open to display a picture for each day of a particular time period.
In view of the above, it would be desirable to provide a triptych design for calendars, story books, etc.


An elastic band holder is comprised of a generally rectangular-shaped or generally cylindrical-shaped body member having one or more concave slotted portions encompassing the body. The slotted portions can be disposed in either parallel or perpendicular orientation to one another. All corners and edges of the device are rounded in order to prevent elastic band shearing. One or more receptacles are located on the body to receive and hold additional objects such as pens, pencils, rulers, paper clips and the like. Mushroom-shaped and apple-core-shaped embodiments are also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an elastic band holder having slotted portions defining elastic band receiving regions.
2. Background of the Prior Art
The need for holding and storing elastic or rubber bands has long been recognized. Elastic band storage devices have been proposed that facilitate quick and easy retrieval of the bands without the bands becoming entangled with one another.
Three general types of elastic band holders have been identified in the art. The first or ring type, exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,132 to McGahee, utilizes a selectively closable wire loop onto which the elastic bands are loaded. Although this type of device is relatively simple, storage of the device itself becomes problematic, especially on a cluttered desk, as the elastic band laden wire loop becomes entangled with other objects thereby producing user frustration.
The second type of elastic band holder, exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,000 to Selame, utilizes a box-like storage device having an aperture defining a band retrieval opening. This simple type of device suffers from the fact that means are not provided for preventing entanglement of the bands within the device. Once the bands are so entangled, the device looses its intended utility.
The third type of elastic band holder, exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,730 to Kovac, provides a body member having slotted portions wherein the bands are wrapped around the device within the slotted portions. Although the Kovac device provides an effective elastic band holding means, each of Kovac's five embodiments suffer from limited utility.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an elastic band holder that circumferentially holds elastic and rubber bands and prevents the bands from becoming entangled. Such a device should be free standing and should be easily holdable by a user from any side. The proposed device should have continuous slotted portions so that the elastic bands do not get sheared by the device. Ideally, the device may have additional object receptacles located thereon.


A poker game wherein conditions for a player's hand(s) and a dealer's hand(s) are different such that the player may have different probabilities of winning than the dealer. Payouts are adjusted such that the player's hands are disadvantaged compared to the dealer (e.g., the dealer can have more cards in the dealer's hand) so that the player's payouts may be more than even money to compensate for long odds.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept is directed to a method, apparatus, and computer readable storage medium directed to a wagering game based on poker hands.
2. Description of the Related Art
Poker games are a very popular form of table games in a casino. Several poker-like table games have been recently successful in casinos. These include games such as 3 Card Poker and Caribbean Stud Poker. A disadvantage of these games is that there is only one way for the player to beat the dealer, that is if the player gets a higher ranked poker hand than the dealer, wherein the player wins a payout.
It would be desirable for a poker-like game to permit players to make wagers on different propositions with different chances of winning.

Poker game with variable payouts based on probabilities of winning


An image forming apparatus which stores image data of an image of each page of an original document into a memory and then outputs the image data stored in the memory in order of pages of the original document to record the corresponding image on a recording medium for producing a requested number of sets of copies of the original document. A controller determines, each time after image data for one page of the original document is stored in the memory, whether or not the memory will overflow if image data of a next page of the original document is stored in the memory. The controller prohibits reading of an image of the next page of the original document when it determines that the memory will overflow.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which stores image data of each page of a multiple page original document once into an image memory and which then outputs each of the image data stored in the image memory in order of pages of the original document to record the corresponding image on a recording medium for producing a requested number of sets of copies of the original document.
2. Discussion of the Background
A function of an image forming apparatus to store image data of each page of a multiple page original document once into a memory, and to then output the image data stored in the memory in order of pages of the original document, to record the corresponding image on a recording medium for producing a requested number of sets of copies of the original document is called electronic sorting.
Generally, for storing image data of a multiple page original document into an image memory, an image forming apparatus having an electronic sorting function reads an image of each page of the original document with an image reading device page after page and writes resulting image data into the image memory. When a writing address of the image memory exceeds a last address of the memory while storing the image data into the memory, the image forming apparatus prohibits writing the image data into the memory thereafter, and discontinues reading of the original document at the same time. Once reading of the original document is discontinued, an operator instructs the image forming apparatus to output the image data stored in the memory to record the corresponding images on recording media to produce a requested number of sets of copies of pages of the original document which have been read and stored in the memory. After the requested number of sets of copies of such pages are made, the operator instructs the image forming apparatus to restart reading of an image of each page of the original document which remains to be copied.
The image forming apparatus with the above-mentioned electronic sorting function determines if the memory will overflow, after reading an image of a page of the original document and after starting writing of the resulting image data into the memory, when the writing address exceeds the last address of the memory. Therefore, it may occur that the memory will overflow in the middle of writing image data of a certain page of the original document into the memory. In such a case, the image of that page of the original document needs to be read again since the image data of that page is not stored in the memory.
Therefore, if an operator has removed from the contact glass the page of the original document for which image data has not been stored in the memory due to a memory overflow, the operator needs to put that particular page back on the contact glass for reading the image of the page again. When an automatic document feeder is used, the sheet of the original document, which is fed out from the automatic document feeder onto the contact glass so as to be read by the reading device, has to be taken out of the contact glass and put back on the automatic document feeder again, thus causing lowering of copying productivity.
Further, there is a possibility that the operator misunderstands that the image of the page of the original document which is on the contact glass has been read and the resulting image data has been stored in the memory, even though the image data for that particular page has not been stored in the memory due to the memory overflow which occurred during storing of the image data of that page in the memory. If the operator then restarts copying of the original document from a next page of the original document, it results that the page of the image data which has not been stored in the memory due to the memory overflow during storing of the image data thereof is missed from the copies.
For preventing occurrence of missing pages as mentioned above, it is necessary to display a message, as an example, indicating that the page on the contact glass has not been read and is required to be read again, making the process of displaying messages relatively complicated.

Image forming apparatus which determines if memory will overflow before reading an image to store in the memory


A plastic trial lens having a grip portion gripped when the lens is set in trial frames for trial lenses, an injection molded product for making the trial lenses, and a mold assembly for molding the injection molded product are provided. In the injection molded product molded by means of the mold assembly in an injection compression molding machine, a grip portion and a liquid guided and collected area are molded simultaneously with a lens portion on a periphery of the lens portion. When the injection molded product is dipped into hard coat liquid, the hard coat liquid is guided in the liquid guided and collected area to drip down and the remaining liquid without dripping down is collected in the liquid guided and collected area, thereby forming a coating film of uniform thickness on the lens portion. The plastic trial lens which is integrally provided with the grip portion is finished after the liquid guided and collected area is removed.

This invention relates to a plastic trial lens used for testing eyesight and the like of testees, an injection molded product for making the plastic trial lens, and a mold assembly for molding the injection molded product for the plastic trial lens.
A trial lenses exchanged method, that is one of subjective refraction tests, is adopted as one of prescriptions for glasses for selecting the most suitable lens for each user of glasses for some time. When the trial lenses exchanged method is conducted, a testee wears trial frames for trial lenses. Many kinds of trial lenses with various spherical diopters and astigmatic diopters and the like selected among a set of trial lenses are fitted in trial frames, thereby selecting the most suitable lens for each testee. A trial lens used in the trial lenses exchanged method has a grip portion on a periphery of a lens portion. By gripping the grip portion, the trial lens is set in and taken off from the trial frames.
A conventional trial lens is mainly made of glass. The trial lens is manufactured by attaching a holder ring member with a grip portion on the periphery of the lens cut (edge-filed) into the fixed size (Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. Hei 4-22902). Some of conventional trial lenses are plastic, but the manufacturing process after cutting is the same as that of glass trial lenses.
Besides manufacturing lenses, the conventional trial lens manufacture requires the process of manufacturing members for grip portions with different materials from lenses and attaching the members on lenses, which takes a lot of time and labor.
Members for grip portions are made of metal in view of durability and easy operation, which causes a disadvantage that a trial lens is heavy as a whole. In complicated prescriptions for glasses for astigmatism, glasses for both far vision and near vision and the like, trial tests are conducted by setting more than one trial lenses one on another in trial frames so that ears and a nose of a testee get a heavy weight, which causes another disadvantage that trial frames are easy to slip off. A diameter of the trial lens is short so that after-processing such as edge-filing and holder ring attaching is difficult. The grip portion is disposed at the fixed angle, for example, at the upper right or at the upper left of the lens in consideration of setting work in trial frames. In a trial lens with a difference between the top and the bottom and between the right and the left, such as a progressive multifocal lens and a lens with astigmatism, when a holder ring with a grip portion is attached on the periphery of the trial lens, precise positioning of the above fixed angle concerning the grip portion is required in accordance with an optical layout in the design of the lens about an optical center position and the like, which makes the attaching process of the holder ring difficult in the trial lens with a short diameter. Moreover, when the holder ring with the grip portion is caulked too strongly on the periphery of the lens, in a plastic lens this situation causes an optical surface to deform, which brings about optical distortion and the like.
An object of the present invention is to provide a plastic trial lens, in which the process of manufacturing a member for a grip portion with different materials from a lens and attaching the member on the lens is omitted, the whole trial lens is more light-weight and the precise layout of the grip portion in relation to the lens portion is obtained, and an injection molded product to make the plastic trial lens, and moreover a mold assembly to mold the injection molded product.
A plastic trial lens according to the present invention is provided with a lens portion and a grip portion integrally formed on a periphery of the lens being gripped when the lens portion is set in trial frames for trial lenses, the grip portion being molded simultaneously with the lens portion.
The trial lens according to the present invention is plastic, in which the grip portion is integrally molded with the lens portion. The lens portion and the grip portion are molded out of the same synthetic resin, the grip portion being molded simultaneously with the lens portion, which omits the process of attaching a member for the grip portion on the lens portion. The grip portion is formed out of the same synthetic resin as the lens portion so that the whole trial lens is lightweight. The grip portion is integrally molded with the lens portion after being positioned in a mold assembly so as to be formed in the fixed position of the lens portion, and hence the grip portion is disposed in relation to the lens portion in the fixed position accurately laid out.
An injection molding method, an injection compression molding method or a casting method (cast molding method) can be adopted to manufacture the above-described plastic trial lens in which the lens portion and the grip portion are integrally molded.
However, the casting method uses a thermosetting resin (diethylene glycol bisuallyl carbonate is typical) for materials. The polymerization shrinkage percentage of the thermosetting resin is as large as about 14 percent. Therefore, the difference between a lens shape in design and a real mold transfer shape is large so that extremely high manufacturing technology is required to make mold transfer precision of a molded product attain the high precision required for the trial lens. In addition, molding a plastic lens by means of the casting method requires a molding time of from 12 to 24 hours to precisely control polymerization of the resin for the materials. As a result, one cycle of molding time becomes long, thus making mass-production of trial lenses costly. For the reasons stated above, it is preferable that the plastic trial lens is molded by means of the injection molding method or the injection compression molding method in which any disadvantage as described above does not occur.
When the plastic trial lens is molded by means of the injection molding method or the injection compression molding method, the thermoplastic resin used is a material such as PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) system resin or PC (polycarbonate) system resin.
A holder ring can be attached on the periphery of the lens portion of the plastic trial lens, but it is preferable that a edge portion instead of the holder ring is integrally provided on the periphery of the lens portion, the edge portion being molded simultaneously with the lens portion.
Using the edge portion instead of the holder portion helps the trial lens to be more lightweight and omits a member for the holder ring. In addition, the process that the holder ring is caulked on the periphery of the lens portion is unnecessary, which secures high optical precision of the lens portion.
The plastic trial lens according to the present invention can be a progressive multifocal lens with a portion for far vision, a portion for near vision and a progressive portion between the portion for far vision and the portion for near vision or a lens with astigmatism. The present invention is applicable to both a single vision lens and a multifocal lens which has a portion for near vision and a portion for far vision but no progressive portion.
When the trial lens is a progressive multifocal lens, it is preferable that the lens is provided with a mark indicating a direction of a horizontal datum line and a grip portion shifting to the right or the left from the center between the right portion and the left portion of the lens portion on the periphery of the lens portion according to the lens for a right eye or for a left eye.
Thus, the distinction between a lens for a right eye and a left eye in each progressive multifocal trial lens and the horizontal direction are clearly known with the position of the grip portion and the mark. As a result, while distinguishing the trial lens for a right eye from that for a left eye, the position of the revolving direction of the round shaped lens portion as a whole in each trial lens is accurately fixed so that the trial lens can be fitted in the trial frames in accurate position. Also, a diopter measuring position in the portions for far vision and for near vision in the lens portion or a layout of optical center can be easily known with the grip portion and the mark.
The mark for indicating a horizontal datum line can be provided after the lens is molded by means of injection molding and also molded simultaneously with the lens portion and the grip portion. If the mark is molded simultaneously as described above, a manufacturing process is cut, thus improving manufacturing efficiency.
When the mark is molded simultaneously with the lens portion and the grip portion, the mark is formed as a dented portion or a projected portion in the lens portion. However, it is preferable that the mark is not a projected portion but a dented portion. If the mark is a projected portion, the projected portion becomes a hindrance, for example, it catches in the trial frames when the trial lens is fitted in the trial frames. The dented portion as the mark can be dented from one surface of the lens portion and also cut deep in an inside diametrical direction of the lens portion. Moreover, it is possible to combine the above two ways.
Many sorts of diopters are provided in the aforesaid progressive multifocal lens. The present invention is applicable to trial lenses with various diopters, to take an example, a lens with 0.00 diopter in a portion for far vision in which the dipoter for near vision is fixed only in a portion for near vision. This type of trial lens can be set in the trial frames with a single vision trial lens for far vision or near vision one on another.
An injection molded product for making the plastic trial lens according to the present invention is provided with a lens portion, a liquid guided and collected area integrally formed on a periphery of the lens portion in which coating liquid flowing down on surfaces of the lens portion is guided and collected when the lens is dipped into and pulled up from the coating liquid, and a grip portion gripped when the lens portion is set in the trial frames after the liquid guided and collected area is removed. The liquid guided and collected area and the grip portion are molded simultaneously with the lens portion.
Dipping process that the injection molded product is dipped into the coating liquid is conducted to form a coating film made out of the hard coat liquid on surfaces of the trial lens. The hard coating film improves abrasion-resistance and durability of the trial lens.
When the injection molded product with the lens portion is dipped into and pulled up from the coating liquid, the coating liquid flows down on the surfaces of the lens portion, while a coating liquid collected portion is formed at the bottom of the lens portion. This causes a difference in thickness of coating film between a part nearby and a part far from the liquid collected portion, thus changing a curvature of a lens surface, which sometimes affects the lens diopter. As a result, serious disadvantage may occur from the viewpoint of the precision of trial lenses.
In the present invention, when the lens portion is molded by means of the injection molding method or the injection compression molding method, the liquid guided and collected area as well as the grip portion is molded at the same time on the periphery of the lens portion. The liquid guided and collected area is formed to guide the coating liquid flowing down on the surfaces of lens portion when the injection molded product is dipped into and pulled up from the coating liquid, and to collect the remaining liquid without dripping. Consequently, a liquid collected portion is formed in the liquid guided and collected area so as to ease the effects on the lens portion by the liquid collected portion, which virtually assures the uniformity in thickness of coating film.
When the liquid guided and collected area having the above-described effects is formed in the injection molded product for the trial lens, in the present invention the liquid guided and collected area as well as the grip portion is simultaneously molded on the periphery of the lens portion, thereby facilitating the molding process.
The shape of liquid guided and collected area is optional if the coating liquid flowing down on the surfaces of the lens portion can be guided and the remaining liquid without dripping down can be collected in the area when the injection molded product is dipped in and pulled up from the coating liquid, for example, a bar shape extending in an outside diametrical direction of the lens portion (downward when pulled up from the coating liquid) or a fan shape with a small projection in an outside diametrical direction and two long sides extending in a circumferential direction is available.
The liquid guided and collected area is, however, removed when the lens portion is set in the trial frames by gripping the grip portion after the trial lens is finished. In order to facilitate the removing process and keep the liquid collected portion formed of the coating liquid flowing down on the surfaces of the lens portion away from the lens portion, the liquid guided and collected area is preferably shaped into a bar extending in an outside diametrical direction.
The grip portion and the liquid guided and collected area integrally molded on the periphery of the lens portion can be formed in an optional positional relationship, but preferably the grip portion and the liquid guided and collected area are formed opposite each other on the periphery of the lens portion.
As a result, when the injection molded product is dipped into the coating liquid, by placing the liquid collected and guided area downward and the grip portion upward the injection molded product is dipped into the coating liquid by supporting the grip portion with a supporting utensil such as a clip. Moreover, when the injection molded product is pulled up from the coating liquid, the coating liquid collected portion is formed in the liquid guided and collected area that is disposed downward, thereby forming the coating film of uniform thickness on the surfaces of the lens portion as predetermined.
In the above case, the grip portion is used to be gripped when the lens portion is set in the trial frames and also used as a supported portion to be supported with the supporting utensil when the injection molded product with the lens portion is dipped into the coating liquid.
In the injection molded product, one lens portion can be formed or more than one lens portions can be formed in two-dimensional or three-dimensional positional relationship, that is, the injection molded product can make one lens or more than one lenses.
In the injection molded product for making more than one lenses, preferably more than one lens portion are coupled to each other by means of a coupling portion, the coupling portion being provided with a supported portion supported when the lens portions are dipped into the coating liquid, and the liquid guided and collected area is formed on an opposite side to the supported portion on a periphery of each lens portion.
Consequently, each lens portion is dipped into the coating liquid by supporting the supported portion disposed upward with the supporting utensil. Thus all lens portions are dipped into the coating liquid at the same time and the liquid collected portion is formed in each liquid guided and collected area, since each liquid guided and collected area is disposed downward when each lens portion is pulled up from the coating liquid.
In the above-described injection molded product for making the trial lens, the grip portion and the liquid guided and collected area are separately formed. However, an injection molded product with a portion serving both as a grip portion and a liquid guided and collected area can be manufactured.
In other words, this type of injection molded product for the trial lens is provided with a lens portion and a grip portion molded simultaneously with the lens portion on the periphery of the lens portion being gripped when the lens portion is set in trial frames. Since the grip portion is disposed downward when the lens portion is dipped into the coating liquid, the grip portion also serves as a liquid guided and collected area in which the coating liquid flowing down on surfaces of the lens portion is guided and collected when the lens portion is pulled up from the coating liquid.
The injection molded product for the trial lens can be an injection molded product for a progressive multifocal lens with a portion for far vision, a portion for near vision and a progressive portion between the portion for far vision and the portion for near vision or an injection molded product for a lens with astigmatism. In addition, the injection molded product is applicable to both a single vision lens and a multifocal lens which has a portion for far vision and a portion for near vision but no progressive portion.
When a progressive multifocal lens is obtained from the injection molded product, as described above the progressive multifocal lens has 0.00 diopter in a portion for far vision in which the dipoter for near vision is fixed only in a portion for near vision. This type of trial lens can be set in the trial frames with a single vision trial lens for far vision or near vision one on another.
When the lens portion in the injection molded product is a progressive multifocal lens portion with a portion for far vision, a portion for near vision and a progressive portion between the portion for far vision and the portion for near vision, the grip portion is preferably formed on the periphery of the side of the portion for far vision out of both sides of portions for far vision and near vision in the lens portion. When the grip portion is formed on the periphery of the side of the portion for near vision in the lens portion, a groove depending on a sectional shape of the portion for near vision is formed in a boundary between an edge portion and the portion for near vision in the lens portion so that the coating liquid is likely to be collected in the groove. When the grip portion is formed on the periphery of the side of the portion for far vision in the lens portion, the above-mentioned disadvantage does not occur, thus securing high optical precision of the lens portion.
The injection molded product for the trial lens, in which the grip portion serves as the liquid guided and collected area, is provided with a supported portion supported with a supporting utensil when the injection molded product is dipped into the coating liquid. The supported portion can be formed in an optional positional relationship to the grip portion, but preferably the supported portion is formed on the opposite side to the grip portion on the periphery of the lens portion.
As a result, when the injection molded product is dipped into the coating liquid, by placing the grip portion downward and the supported portion upward the injection molded product is dipped into the coating liquid by supporting the supported portion with a supporting utensil such as a clip. Moreover, when the injection molded product is pulled up from the coating liquid, the coating liquid collected portion is formed in the grip portion that is disposed downward, thereby forming the coating film of uniform thickness on the surfaces of the lens portion as predetermined.
Preferably the supported portion is molded simultaneously with the lens portion and the grip portion, which can cut a manufacturing process.
The shape of supported portion is optional if it can be surely supported with the supporting utensil, for example, a bar shape extending in an outside diametrical direction of the lens portion or a fan shape with a small projection in an outside diametrical direction and two long sides extending in a circumferential direction is available.
The supported portion is, however, removed when the lens portion is set in the trial frames by gripping the grip portion after the trial lens is finished. In order to facilitate the removing process, the supported portion is preferably shaped into a bar extending in an outside diametrical direction of the lens portion and having a small connecting area with the lens portion.
A mold assembly for molding the injection molded product for the plastic trial lens according to the present invention is provided with two molds to be parted, a pair of inserts disposed in each of the molds which form a cavity for molding the plastic trial lens by molten synthetic resin filled when the molds are mold-closed. The cavity includes a lens molded portion to mold the lens portion of the trial lens and a grip molded portion to mold the grip portion on the periphery of the lens portion being gripped when the lens portion is set in trial frames.
In the mold assembly, the cavity between a pair of the inserts includes the lens molded portion and the grip molded portion. Therefore, when the molten synthetic resin is filled in the cavity, the lens portion and the grip portion of the trial lens are molded at the same time.
Two molds to be parted in the mold assembly consist of a top mold and a bottom mold or a right mold and a left mold. In other words, the mold assembly can be structured both vertically and horizontally.
The injection molded product for the trial lens molded in the mold assembly can be the injection molded product for a progressive multifocal lens with a portion for far vision, a portion for near vision and a progressive portion between the portion for far vision and the portion for near vision or the injection molded product for a lens with astigmatism. In addition, the injection molded product is applicable to both a single vision lens and a multifocal lens which has a portion for far vision and a portion for near vision but no progressive portion.
The mold assembly can be used for molding more than one progressive multifocal trial lenses with different additions. In this case, it is preferable that the mold assembly is provided with more than one set of a pair of inserts, the lens portion molded between more than one set of the inserts is a progressive multifocal lens portion with a portion for far vision, a portion for near vision and a progressive portion between the portions for far vision and for near vision, a spacer for adjusting the thickness of the lens is disposed on the back side of one insert out of a pair of the inserts opposite each other, and more than one spacer having a different thickness are provided in more than one set of the inserts so that more than one progressive multifocal lenses with different additions are molded by means of the spacers having different thicknesses.
A concave surface side of the progressive multifocal lens portion that is a meniscus lens is a spherical surface with a fixed curvature. By a curvature of a convex surface side which is an aspheric surface, the shape of the lens surface and the diopter change. As the addition is enlarged, the thickness of the center of the lens becomes large and the volume of the lens increases. When more than one lens portion with different additions are molded in the mold assembly at the same time, a large difference in volume among the lens portions affects molding conditions, which makes it difficult to secure high optical precision for all the lens portions. In the present invention, to virtually fix the volume of each lens portion regardless of the addition, first an intermediate addition is set, then the lens thickness of the lens portion with the intermediate addition is found and this thickness becomes a standard against which the thickness of each of other lens portions with different additions is redesigned. In a lens portion with an addition smaller than the above intermediate value the volume of the lens is increased, while in a lens portion with an addition larger than the above intermediate value the volume of the lens is decreased.
With regard to the spacer, spacers with a thickness larger than and smaller than the spacer with the intermediate thickness are made so as to obtain lens portions with additions larger than and smaller than the intermediate addition. The spacers having a different thickness are disposed on the back of the insert on one side out of more than one set of the inserts so that a difference in capacity (volume of the lens portion) among more than one cavity to mold more than one sort of progressive multifocal lens portion with different additions is adjusted. As a result, molding conditions in each trial lens portion formed by filling the molten synthetic resin in the cavity become almost uniform, which raises mold transfer efficiency in each cavity and ensures high optical precision.
In the mold assembly according to the present invention, a back insert can be disposed on the back side of one of a pair of the inserts and a position of a molded surface of the lens portion in one insert in relation to the other insert can be established by the length of the back insert.
The position of the molded surface of the lens portion in one insert in relation to the other insert is established by the length of the back insert. Therefore, only a molded surface of the lens portion is required for high-precision finishing in one insert, which can facilitate the work of manufacturing and processing the above one insert.
The cavity formed between a pair of the inserts can include an edge molded portion to mold the edge portion serving as the holder ring on the periphery of the lens portion.
In this case, in the plastic trial lens obtained from the injection molded product the holder ring does not need to be attached on the periphery of the lens portion, thus simplifying manufacturing process of the trial lens.
A grip molded portion to mold the grip portion on the periphery of the lens portion can be formed in relation to a lens molded portion to mold the lens portion in an optional circumferential directional position. However, preferably the grip molded portion is formed between a gate from which molten synthetic resin flows into the cavity and the lens molded portion in the cavity.
When the molten synthetic resin flows into the cavity from the gate, the molten synthetic resin is filled in the lens molded portion through the grip molded portion so that distortion by filling the molten synthetic resin is easy to break out in a portion of resin near the gate, but the distortion occurs in the portion of resin filled in the grip molded portion, which prevents distortion from breaking out in a portion of resin filled in the lens molded portion, thus securing high precision of the lens.
A pair of the inserts to form the cavity can be formed with each member disposed in each mold to be parted, but preferably a pair of the inserts respectively include an inner insert member to mold the lens portion and an outer insert member disposed on the outside of the inner insert member to mold the grip portion.
Consequently, when more than one sort of trial lenses with different additions in the lens portions, which are provided with the grip portions integrally on the periphery of the lens portions, are manufactured, only the inner inserts are exchanged and the outer insert can be used in common for more than one sort of the trial lenses.
Materials for members composing the mold assembly can be metal, ceramic or glass, and in addition, the above different kinds of materials can be used for more than one member.

Plastic trial lens and injection molded product and mold assembly for making the plastic trial lens


A method for binarizing a digital gray value image includes generating a binary edge image from the gray value image so as to cause existing edges to be determined as line areas around an edge; and, thereafter, computing a mean value of gray values of the gray value image in all regions which correspond to the line areas around an edge of the binary edge image with the mean value defining a threshold value for the generation of a binarized gray value image.

A digitally recorded image can be used to determine data in the image via an image processing. A frequent application is the determination of characteristics of objects which are contained in the image. Such characteristics can, for example, be the size, position, centroid, periphery or roundness of at least one object in a limited image region or in the entire image. Another application is to determine a maximum resolution of the recording arrangement based on a gray value image with the gray value image having been recorded by the recording arrangement. In order to carry out such analyses, it is advantageous when the objects are separated or segmented clearly from the background. This procedure requires the setting of a limit or of a threshold value so that each gray value image point, which exceeds this value or drops below this value, is set in a new image either as a white point or a black point. For such a threshold value method, the starting image is binarized, more specifically, precisely two segments in the form of a background and an object are formed.
In the state of the art, many methods are known to binarize a gray value image by assigning a suitable threshold value. An overview is presented, for example, in the article of P. K. Sahoo et al entitled "A Survey of Thresholding Techniques" published in Computer Vision, Graphics and Image Processing 41, pages 233 to 260 (1988). Some of the methods presented in this article have the disadvantage that a subjective evaluation by a user is required during an intermediate step so that no objective image evaluation is achieved. In methods, which determine a threshold value in a completely automated manner, there is one disadvantage that the results of a binarization, which is achieved via the different methods, depart greatly from each other as is shown in Table 1 of the above-mentioned article. In some methods, important image details are no longer present after binarization and, in other methods, details are added which were not originally recorded. A user would therefore have to have a very precise knowledge as to which method is best suitable for which type of gray value image. Furthermore, the user would have to decide in advance as to which image data are significant in order to select a suitable image processing. In order to obtain a good binarization result, subjective evaluations would be needed in advance of applying an image processing method. Since there is a very low probability that the correct method would be used, several methods have to be applied for reliability and the binarization results compared to each other. Such a procedure is associated with a high expenditure of time.

Method for binarizing a digital gray value image to generate a binarized gray value image and arrangement for carrying out said method


A magnetic head includes a first, second and third magnetic core of a soft magnetic film formed by a thin film forming method. One end of the first and second magnetic core face a magnetic recording medium and are disposed with a predetermined distance therebetween. The third magnetic core is disposed between the first and second magnetic cores. A conductive coil is wound around the third magnetic core. A conductive wire passes through the third magnetic core and is insulated therefrom. A DC-biased high-frequency constant current flows through the conductive wire to reproduce information recorded on the magnetic recording medium. Also, a recording signal is applied to the conductive coil.

The present invention relates to a magnetic head for reproducing information recorded at high density and a method of producing the magnetic head, and a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus comprising the magnetic head, as well as a perpendicular magnetic recording medium, such as a video disc or a hard disk, and a method of producing the medium.
A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus is available in various types, such as a tape recorder, a video tape recorder and a magnetic disc apparatus. The magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus is evolving so as to carry out high-density recording and have been improved in many ways to achieve the purpose. These improvements are: a track is made narrower by using a narrower head; a plurality of magnetic heads are used; a recording medium is made smoother and thinner; the relative speed between the magnetic head and the recording medium is increased; and so on.
Accordingly, there is a need for a magnetic head capable of recording information on a magnetic recording medium at high density and also capable of reproducing the information. To meet such a need, a complex MR head comprising an MR (magneto-resistance) head, which is a reproduction-only head having a higher reproduction sensitivity than that of a widely used induction type head, has become commercially available. The complex MR head is provided with both the MR head and a conventional induction thin-film head. The MR head having high reproduction sensitivity is used in reproduction, and the conventional induction thin film head is used in recording. The MR head comprises a magneto-resistance effect device (hereinafter referred to as an MR device). However, the structure of the complex MR head comprising the MR device is more complicated than that of a conventional induction head. More specifically, a shielding layer is required around the MR device, and a magnetic gap is required for reproduction. Furthermore, it is necessary to have a structure for arranging an MR film so that the MR film can have a single magnetic domain, and it is also necessary to have a unique structure for applying a bias magnetic field for linear reproduction.
For these reasons, advanced production technology is required for producing the complex MR head, thereby making it difficult to attain high yield.
Longitudinal recording, wherein magnetization is performed in the direction parallel to the track of a recording medium, has been used as a recording method for a conventional magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus. However, in the case of the longitudinal recording, micro magnetic domains magnetized in the direction parallel to the surface of a recording film repels adjacent magnetic domains, and they tend to mutually weaken magnetization. This tendency becomes more significant as recording density is higher, thereby causing a limitation in high-density recording.
Perpendicular magnetic recording, wherein magnetization is performed in the direction perpendicular to the surface of a recording medium, is available as a method of solving the above-mentioned problem. A perpendicular magnetic recording median having a two-layer structure has been commercially available as a recording medium for performing recording in accordance with perpendicular magnetic recording. In the perpendicular magnetic recording medium, a soft magnetic film having a high permeability is used as a foundation layer. A perpendicular recording film having an axis of easy magnetization in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the soft magnetic film is laminated on the foundation layer. The soft magnetic film is made of a nickel-iron alloy (Ni--Fe) or the like, and the perpendicular recording film is made of a cobalt-chromium alloy (Co--Cr) or the like. These films are formed by sputtering or the like. When these films are formed, it is desired that the soft magnetic film and the perpendicular recording film are continuously formed in a vacuum chamber so as to prevent contamination caused by entry of dust or by formation of oxidized films between the soft magnetic film used as the foundation layer and the perpendicular recording film. In this case, the sputtering process is conducted while the substrate of a recording medium passes over two kinds of target materials in sequence at a predetermined speed.
The soft magnetic film, namely, the foundation layer, allows the recording magnetic field from the perpendicular magnetic head for perpendicularly magnetizing the perpendicular recording film to pass in the longitudinal direction parallel to the surface of the recording medium and to return to the perpendicular magnetic head. In addition, the soft magnetic film has a role to enhance the efficiency of magnetic field generation in record and reproduction. Therefore, controlling the anisotropy of the soft magnetic film is important to enhance record and reproduction characteristics. In other words, it is necessary to align the axis of hard magnetization, which is orthogonal to the axis of easy magnetization of the soft magnetic film, in the traveling direction of the substrate in record and reproduction. In the case of a magnetic disc, it is necessary to align the axis of hard magnetization of the soft magnetic film in the direction parallel to the circumference of the disc, since a recording track is formed in the direction along the circumference thereof.
A method of forming a soft magnetic film by controlling the angle between the target material and the substrate and a method of forming a soft magnetic film by applying a magnetic field have been proposed as control methods of the anisotropy of the soft magnetic film. Furthermore, a method of applying a magnetic field after the soft magnetic film was formed and before the perpendicular recording film is formed has also been proposed (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 5-258274). A method of applying a magnetic field in the radial direction of the magnetic disc has been proposed as a method of aligning the axis of hard magnetization of the soft magnetic film in the direction parallel to the circumference of the magnetic disc. In all these methods, processing is carried out before or while the perpendicular recording film is formed.
When a magnetic field is applied to a perpendicular magnetic recording medium in a vacuum, difficult problems are caused in handling; for example, a complicated mechanism must be provided and operated in a vacuum sputtering apparatus. For easier handling, it is desired that a magnetic field is applied by using an apparatus which is separate from the sputtering apparatus and provided in the atmosphere. However, since it is desired that the soft magnetic film and the perpendicular recording film are continuously formed in a vacuum as described above, sputtering is performed by passing the substrate over two target materials in a vacuum at a predetermined speed.
In a currently available sputtering apparatus, however, in order to apply the magnetic field to the magnetic disc in the radius direction before forming of the perpendicular recording film, the sputtering process must be interrupted once after the soft magnetic film is formed, and the perpendicular magnetic recording medium must be taken out to the atmosphere. In case the continuity of the film forming process is lost as described above, there is the danger of contaminating the recording medium because of entry of dust or formation of oxidized films between the foundation layer and the perpendicular recording film. Besides, sputtering must be performed twice for the foundation layer and the perpendicular recording film layer, thereby increasing the number of steps, lowering productivity, and increasing production cost.
Other problems encountered in high-density record and reproduction are caused by tracking control methods. According to one of the methods, in order to perform tracking control for a predetermined track of a magnetic disc, markers are formed on the recording medium by a physical process using etching or the like, and servo control is activated by using laser beams reflected from the markers. As a method of placing the markers, pits and projections are formed by processing the surface of the medium by a physical process such as photolithography or the like. However, this method causes high production cost. Furthermore, in the case that the method is used for hard disk drives (HDD), the floating condition of the head is changed by the pits and projections in high-density recording, and the head might be damaged in an extraordinary case.

Magnetic head and reproducing apparatus with head having central core with winding thereabout and wire therethrough

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Apparatus for heating an object such as a nuclear target bundle to release and recover hydrogen and contain the disposable residue for disposal. The apparatus comprises an inverted furnace, a sleeve/crucible assembly for holding and enclosing the bundle, conveying equipment for placing the sleeve onto the crucible and loading the bundle into the sleeve/crucible, a lift for raising the enclosed bundle into the furnace, and hydrogen recovery equipment including a trap and strippers, all housed in a containment having negative internal pressure. The crucible/sleeve assembly has an internal volume that is sufficient to enclose and hold the bundle before heating; the crucible's internal volume is sufficient by itself to hold and enclose the bundle's volume after heating. The crucible can then be covered and disposed of; the sleeve, on the other hand, can be reused.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the extraction of tritium and preparation of radioactive waste for disposal. More particularly, the present invention relates to tritium recovery during the process of heating and melting irradiated nuclear targets.
2. Discussion of Background
Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. Because it is frequently found in the form of a diatomic gas or bound in a water molecule, it is relatively mobile and difficult to recover and contain once it has escaped into the environment. Preventing the escape of tritium is an important priority in the operation of facilities where tritium is created as a product or a by-product.
Tritium is created when lithium metal in target bundles is irradiated in a nuclear reactor. Nuclear reactor targets, after use, are referred to as "spent". Spent target bundles must be stored in carefully constructed disposal cells for a few hundred to thousands of years depending on the length of time the radioisotopes remain significantly radioactive and on government requirements. The volume required for long-term storage of radioactive waste should be minimized because of cost and other considerations.
Using heat to drive tritium from nuclear targets for recovery is well known. See for example both U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,102 and 3,100,184 issued to Cawley and Abrahams, respectively.
A prior art furnace, crucible and target bundle is illustrated in FIG. 1. A target bundle after heating is illustrated in its crucible in FIG. 2. A target bundle 20 is placed in a crucible 22 that holds it and encloses the bundle laterally, the top of the crucible is covered with a perforated plug 24 and has an integral hook 26. Crucible 22 is lowered into a retort 34 by a lid 36 that seals against a top flange 38 of retort 34. Retort 34 is positioned in a furnace 50 having electric resistance heaters 52 inside its wall 54. An inlet 56 and an exit 58 allow the circulation of coolant to prevent the shell 60 of the furnace from overheating. An off-gas pipe 62 allows tritium to be drawn from the interior of retort 34.
After heating, bundle 20 occupies a much smaller volume than before heating, as depicted in FIG. 2 where a melted bundle 70 is shown in a crucible 72. The melted bundle, slumped to the bottom of the crucible, is disposed of still in the crucible. Although gases from the furnace are drawn off during heating, opening the furnace causes some tritium to escape to the environment.
The current furnace, therefore, is unsatisfactory because it allows too much tritium to escape. Furthermore, the melted bundle comprises only about one tenth of the volume of the crucible. Thus, a substantial fraction of the interior of the crucible, as sent to a waste repository, is empty space.

Method and apparatus for extracting tritium and preparing radioactive waste for disposal

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


Method and apparatus for controlling electrode immersion depth in an electroslag remelting furnace. The phase difference of the alternating current circuit established in the furnace is calculated in real time and employed to more accurately control immersion depth than possible with voltage-swing systems.

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to the control of electroslag remelting (ESR) furnaces, which are used to process metals and alloys to improve material quality. An electrode of the material to be processed is melted by the ESR process to produce a refined ingot. The process is characterized by the passage of current between the electrode and ingot through a molten, ionized slag. This slag is sufficiently heated by passage of current (Joule heating) so that the electrode is melted as it is immersed in the slag. The molten metal drips from the electrode through the slag and forms an ingot below.
2. Background Art
The ESR process is traditionally carried out commercially with alternating current (AC), and most control processors rely on RMS (root mean square) values of voltage and current to provide process information, while others gather information on the resistivity or conductivity of the AC circuit. Control of an ESR furnace is commonly achieved by regulating the voltage between the electrode and the ingot for a given current by moving the electrode either up or down in the slag. In most instances, the variation of voltage around the average voltage, known as voltage swing, is used to position the electrode. By regulating the voltage swing, the immersion depth of the electrode in the slag is attempted to be kept constant. However, it is known that the control strategies currently used in industry do not provide for accurate control of electrode immersion depth, resulting in imperfections in the ingot being produced.
Since ingot quality is tied to establishing and maintaining quasi-steady state melting conditions, the primary function of controllers currently in use is to keep the electrode immersed at as shallow a depth as possible because voltage swing only becomes significant under such a condition. Consequently, only at shallow immersion depths (approximately less than 25 mm) can voltage swing control become useful. However, because the voltage signal is inherently noisy, the controller operates over a relatively wide range of voltages which would fall within the range of the voltage swing. A controller based on this strategy has a major drawback: it can only control the process reliably when the electrode is very near the slag surface.
References relating to the general state of the art of electroslag remelting include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,233, to Shmakov et al., discloses a contactless inductance interface pickup, which in electroslag remelting may be used to detect the location of the interface between slag and air. U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,555, to Lamarque, discloses means for transporting consumable electrodes into and out of the slag in an electroslag remelting system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,235, to Paton et al., discloses an electroslag remelting apparatus incorporating a cooled mold assembly enabling the making of hollow ingots. U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,754, to Roberts, is concerned with providing for an initial electrode melt rate higher than a later, steady state melt rate in both electroslag and arc remelting furnaces. U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,159 discloses an electroslag remelting apparatus having a particular power arrangement. U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,744, to Medovar et al., discloses an electroslag remelting apparatus capable of simultaneously remelting a plurality of electrodes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,177, to Tommaney et al., discloses a system for controlling the atmosphere above the slag bath of an electroslag remelting furnace.
The references disclosing use of particular control parameters in analyzing and controlling electrode depth in electroslag remelting include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,457, to Fain et al., discloses a typical prior art device for controlling electroslag remelting. As noted at col. 1, lines 43-50, the device considers only the following parameters: remelting current, voltage, resistance of slag, and input power. U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,414, to Thomas, discloses an apparatus for regulating electrode immersion depth by measuring system resistance and the change of resistance over time. U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,078, to Thomas, suggests regulating immersion depth by measuring conductance of the slag blanket based upon a discovered linear relationship between the conductance and immersion depth. U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,797, to Roberts, discloses an electrode drive speed control system which, for electroslag remelting furnaces, determines the drive speed in part on the voltage across the slag bath or the magnitude of current through it (col. 3, lines 16-35). U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,565, to Rashev et al., discloses a system for maintaining an electrode between two depths by detecting arc discharges which occur when the electrode depth is outside the range. U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,708, to Gfrerer et al., discloses a system for determining electrode immersion depth based upon the weight of the immersed portion of the electrode, which is determined from the length of the electrode above the slag and the total remaining weight of the electrode. U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,056, to Veil Jr., also discloses a system for controlling melt rate based upon monitoring decreases in weight of the electrode over time. U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,087, to Rasheva et al., discloses another system controlling electrode immersion depth via detection of arc discharges.
It has heretofore been unknown to control electroslag remelting based upon electrical phase difference of the AC circuit in an ESR furnace. The variation in the phase difference of the AC circuit in electroslag remelting suffers from much less variation for a given electrode position than does the voltage for the same position, providing the ability to more accurately control the remelting process and to employ greater immersion depths with the present invention.

Method and apparatus for controlling electroslag remelting


The utility model discloses a vacuum sealing machine driven by air pressure. The inner cavity of a seat body is provided with a lifting seat that slides in the vertical direction. A positive air pressure pushing mechanism for driving the lifting seat to move up and down is installed above the lifting seat. A bottom platform is arranged at the lower part of the inner cavity of the seat body. A bag opening heat sealing device is arranged on the bottom surface of the lifting seat or the top surface of the bottom platform. A control circuit is electrically connected to the bag opening heat sealing device. The lifting seat after moving downward when vacuuming or sealing is pressed against the bottom platform. The utility model has the advantages of simple structure, stable and reliable action, and lower cost.

The vacuum sealing machine is used to vacuum and perform hot melt sealing on the packaging bag. At present, a mechanical transmission mechanism or a negative pressure drive mechanism drives its upper flip cover to turn toward the base to realize automatic cover locking. Its structure is relatively complex and unstable, and its cost is relatively high, and thus it is necessary to improve.

Vacuum sealing machine driven by air pressure