The puck for a sample tube includes a housing, a spring device and an end cap. The spring device has an annular base portion and angularly spaced spring arms that extend upwardly from the base portion and then bend downwardly toward the base portion. The end cap includes a hub portion around which the spring device is mounted. The cap with the spring device are fixed at one end of the housing and a portion of the spring arms extend into the interior space of the housing. The downwardly directed portion of the spring arm includes a sample tube engaging portion that is substantially parallel with a central axis of the housing. Thus a sample tube inserted in the puck engages the sample tube engaging portions of the spring arms which exert a biasing force against the sample tube. The spring arms provide an optimum restraining force against the sample tube to permit easy insertion and removal of the sample tube from the puck.

This invention relates to devices for holding an individual container in an upright position while the container is being transported from one location to another, and more particularly to a novel puck for a sample tube.
Samples of biological materials such as blood, urine or other body fluid that are subject to clinical testing on a massive scale are usually processed in one or more automated apparatus. Various known clinical apparatus can automatically perform such functions as dividing a relatively large sample of body fluid into smaller sized test quantities, mixing a divided sample with an appropriate diluent, and performing a selected test or a series of selected tests on the test sample.
In some instances it has been found convenient to automatically deliver a sample tube from one location to another for diverse processing and/or test purposes. A commonly used transport device for sample tubes is a conveyor.
The sample tube, which usually contains a bar code or other indicia capable of automatic identification, is typically disposed in a carrying device such as a puck that is placed on a conveyor. The puck, which includes a receptacle for the sample tube, is intended to stabilize the tube in an upright position during its journey on the conveyor belt to one or more predetermined destinations corresponding to one or more test apparatus. When the puck is at a test apparatus station the sample tube is usually removed from the puck by an automatic handling device such as a robot, which delivers the sample tube to the test apparatus for testing. The empty puck, which normally remains on the conveyor, is automatically reloaded, by a robot, for example, with another sample tube that has completed the test cycle in the test apparatus.
Since it may be necessary to accomplish rapid removal and insertion of a sample tube in and out of the puck on a frequent basis it is desirable that the puck hold the sample tube with an optimum retaining force that permits easy removal and insertion of the sample tube in and out of the puck.


A new and distinct variety of grapevine plant named ‘SV35-186-427’ particularly characterized by its very sweet, crisp, red berries with flavor similar to spun sugar. Natural cluster size is medium with well-filled, loose clusters. Fruitfulness is high with shoots on spur pruned vines usually producing two flower clusters per shoot. Vine vigor is very high with canes producing 365.5 cm of growth per shoot.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of grapevine botanically known as Vitis spp. and hereinafter referred to as grapevine named 'SV35-186-427'. As used herein, 'grapevine' refers to all plant parts including, vines, canes, tendrils, leaves, fruit and roots of grapevine named 'SV35-186-427'. Grapevine named '35-186-427' is the result of an effort to produce a crisp, seedless table grape with flavor similar to spun sugar. This new cultivar originated from a cross conducted in May 2014 near McFarland, Calif. between female grapevine plant selection 'SV24-14-164' (unpatented) and male grapevine plant 'SV22-88e-124' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,992). Resultant ovules from the cross were harvested 42 days after pollination and cultured on 'McCown's Woody Plant Medium'. Subsequently, the resultant embryonic plants were cultured in the same medium in the laboratory under twelve hours of light from standard fluorescent lamps at 27° C. The seedlings from this effort were transplanted to the greenhouse in November of 2014 and grown at 27° C. with 12 hours illumination under high pressure sodium vapor lamps. The seedling population was planted in the field in the spring of 2015 near Delano, Calif. The new grapevine was selected from this seedling population on Sep. 29, 2017. It was then propagated by cuttings and bench grafted to 'Freedom' (unpatented) rootstock in 2018. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through three successive asexual propagations.
Grapevine named 'SV35-186-427' differs from its female parent grapevine 'SV24-14-164' (unpatented) in that 'SV35-186-427' has ellipsoidal to ovate shaped, seedless berries with spun sugar flavor, whereas 'SV24-14-164' has red, spherical shaped berries with a slight muscat flavor.
Grapevine named 'SV35-186-427' differs from its male parent grapevine 'SV22-88e-124' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,992) in that 'SV35-186-427' has red berries while "SV22-88e-124' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,992) has golden berries also with spun sugar flavor.
Grapevine named 'SV35-186-427' is most similar to commercially available 'IFG Seven' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,399) in that both cultivars have flavor similar to spun sugar. Grapevine named 'SV35-186-427' differs from the commercial cultivar 'IFG Seven' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,399) in that 'SV35-186-427' has small, red berries with very crisp texture while 'IFG Seven' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,399) has green, very large berries with soft texture.
Grapevine 'SV35-186-427' is similar in appearance to commercially available 'Crimson Seedless' (unpatented), both having small, red berries. Grapevine named 'SV35-186-427' differs from 'Crimson Seedless' (unpatented) in that 'SV35-186-427' has berries with spun sugar flavor while 'Crimson Seedless' (unpatented) has berries which are neutral flavored, typical of most Vitis vinifera table grape cultivars.


In a mobile IP network, a mobile node transmits data to a corresponding node. The transmitted data is stored in a transmitted data holding unit in the mobile node. The mobile node manages replenishment information indicating an operation relating to the retransmission of a packet. The mobile node retrieves a packet specified according to the replenishment information from the transmitted data holding unit when handover occurs, and transmits (retransmits) the packet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a packet replenishing method used when a packet is transmitted or received over a wireless communications network, and a mobile node, a relay node, and a receiving terminal used in the wireless communications network.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an existing IPv6 network. A home agent (mobile support device, HA) 6, access routers 7 and 8, and a router 9 are connected to the Internet 10. A mobile node (MN) 2 transmits data to a corresponding node CN) 5. The mobile node 2 belongs to a wireless network A and communicates with the corresponding node 5 through the access router 7. After the mobile node 2 transfers to belong to a wireless network B, it performs communications through the access router 8.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing an operation performed when handover occurs. First in (1), when the mobile node 2 enters the wireless network A before the transfer, it receives a router advertisement RA1. In (2), the mobile node 2 generates a care of address CoA-7. In (3), the mobile node 2 makes position registration for a home agent HA6. The home agent HA6 manages home address HoA-2 of the mobile node 2. In (4), the home agent HA6 associates the home address HoA-2 of the mobile node 2 with the care of address CoA-7 using the binding cache, thereby managing the information that the mobile node 2 belongs to the wireless network A. In (5), the mobile node 2 transfers from the wireless network A to the wireless network B under the access router 8, thus bringing about handover.
In (6), the mobile node 2 receives a router advertisement RA2 from the access router 8. In (7), the mobile node 2 generates a care of address CoA-8. In (8), the mobile node 2 makes position registration for the home agent HA6. In (9), the home agent HA6 associates the home address HoA-2 of the mobile node 2 with the care of address CoA-8 generated by the mobile node 2 in (7) using the binding cache of the mobile node 2 and manages them.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the problem of the conventional technology performed when handover occurs. (1) through (4) shown in FIG. 3 are the operations similar to those in (1) through (4) shown in FIG. 2.
(5) shown in FIG. 3 is data to be transmitted by the mobile node 2 to the corresponding node 5 in several transmitting operations. Numbers 1 through 7 in (5) are sequential numbers of packets storing divided transmitted data, and transmitted in the ascending order.
In (6), the mobile node 2 sequentially transmits packets storing transmitted data. In this process, the mobile node 2 is assumed to have transmitted the packets up to the packet 3. (7) indicates the data received by the corresponding node 5. The corresponding node 5 receives the packets 1 and 2, and waits for the packet 3.
By the transfer of the mobile node 2, the handover of (8) occurs. Since the handover has occurred during the transmission of the packet 3, the packet 3 does not reach the corresponding node 5. The operations (9) through (12) performed when the handover occurs are similar to the operations (6) through (9) shown in FIG. 2.
In FIG. 3, after the processes (9) through (12) are performed, the mobile node 2 starts transmitting data to the corresponding node 5 again in (13). The mobile node 2 recognizes that it has transmitted the packets up to the packet 3. Therefore, the packets are transmitted from the packet 4 in (13).
(14) refers to the data received by the corresponding node 5 in the operations up to the operation (13). When it is recognized that the corresponding node 5 has not received the packet 3, flow control is performed when a packet loss has occurred between the mobile node 2 and the corresponding node 5 in (15).
As the first method of preventing the above-mentioned flow control disclosed by the Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 10-308775, there is a well-known method of starting accumulating transmitted packets on the terminal side if it is determined that handover is required when a mobile node transfers, and transmitting the accumulated packets after the handover terminates and the communications are resumed. The first method is explained below by referring to FIG. 4.
The operations (1) through (4) shown in FIG. 4 are the same as the operations (1) through (4) shown in FIG. 3.
(5) refers to the data to be transmitted. In (6), the mobile node 2 transmits the packets 1 and 2 through the access router 7 which provides the wireless network A. (7) refers to the corresponding node 5 receiving the packets 1 and 2.
The handover occurs in (8). At this time, the mobile node 2 buffers the packet 3 and the subsequent packets in the packets indicated in (5), and stops the transmission of packets. The operations in (9) through (12) to be performed when the handover has occurred are the same as the operations (6) through (9) shown in FIG. 3.
After the completion of the processes in (9) through (12) after the mobile node 2 transfers to the wireless network B, the packet 3 and the subsequent packets buffered in (8) above are transmitted to the corresponding node 5. Thus, a loss of a packet can be avoided.
As the second method of preventing the flow control from being performed when the handover occurs as disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-223467, there is a well-known method of stopping the transmission of a packet when the packet numbers transmitted by performing dynamic delay ACK control when the handover occurs are inverted. The process is explained below by referring to FIG. 5.
Most of the procedure shown in FIG. 5 is the same as the procedure shown in FIG. 3. However, in the procedure shown in FIG. 5, it is assumed that there is a delay difference between the wireless network A and the wireless network B. In this example, the delay difference between the wireless network A and the home agent HA6 is assumed to be larger than that between the wireless network B and the home agent HA6. (1) through (7) shown in FIG. 5 are similar to (1) through (7) shown in FIG. 3. When the handover occurs, the mobile node 2 transmits the packets having data 1 through 3 from the wireless network A to the corresponding node 5. On the other hand, the corresponding node 5 receives only data 1 and 2. The handover occurs in (8). In (9) through (12), the operations up to performing position registration are the same in the wireless network B as those shown in FIG. 3.
In (13), the transmission of packets is started from the wireless network B after the transfer. Based on the delay difference between the wireless network A and the wireless network B, the packet transmitted from the wireless network B side is received the corresponding node 5 earlier than the packet transmitted from the wireless network A side. For example, assume that there is the delay difference of two packets. At this time, when the corresponding node 5 detects that packets have not been received in a correct order, it requests the mobile node 2 to retransmit the packets. However, since the retransmission of packets lowers the throughput of the communications, the problem has to be avoided in the following method.
That is, in (14), when handover occurs, the corresponding node 5 delays the transmission of ACK ("Acknowledgement") when packets are received. In FIG. 5, for example, the transmission of ACK is delayed by three packets. Thus, although the order of the packets received by the delay difference in the wireless network is inverted, a retransmission request is not immediately issued, thereby preventing the execution of the flow control.
In the above-mentioned first method, it is always necessary to expect the occurrence of handover on each mobile node. When the occurrence of handover is expected, accumulating the packets being transmitted is started, and the transmission of packets is stopped. When the process of the handover is completed, the transmission of accumulated packets is resumed. However, it is difficult to predict the occurrence of handover on each mobile node. If it should be possible, the load on the network becomes very heavy.
Although the strength of a wave becomes weak in a process other than the handover, the transmission of packets from a mobile node is stopped on the network side in case of the occurrence of handover. However, when the transmission of a packet is stopped for any reason other than the handover, there is no opportunity of resuming the transmission of packets. Therefore, the packet to be transmitted by a mobile node cannot reach a corresponding node.
In the above-mentioned second method, the degradation of throughput by executing the flow control can be avoided. However, when a packet is lost, it cannot be replenished.

Transmitted packet replenishment system and transmitted packet replenishing method


A flameless combustor usable with multiple fuels comprises a combustion chamber and fuel lines in communication with the chamber.

A combustor is a device which ignites and burns a fuel to raise the temperature of a working fluid, ideally with little pressure loss and low formation of undesirable gas species such as carbon monoxide (CO) and mono-nitrogen oxides (NOx).
A flame is a cascading oxidation reaction of a fuel whereby local exothermic heat (from either an ignition source or a prior flame) perpetuates local ignition only. This creates large spatial gradients in properties such as temperature and combustion air-fuel ratio, hence can create more undesirable products than an ideal process. It also requires relatively low velocities of air and/or fuel (typically the order of 5-10 m/s), a large volume of any combustion chamber, and a very careful design to ensure flame stability.
Various forms of Tameless' combustion abound in the literature under names such as FLOX (flameless oxidation), CDC (colourless distributed combustion), and asymmetric whirl combustion. In all cases, the necessary activation energy for combustion is provided by means other than a conventional flame front; for example, in some designs the combustion gases are greatly recirculated and/or pre-heated. The lack of a flame reduces the temperature peaks associated with NOx formation and provides an evenly distributed temperature and product distribution, thus reducing CO formation.
Flameless combustion requires a distributed reaction zone (DRZ) such that a flame-front does not occur. In many prior art flameless combustor systems, such as that depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,599 or in PCT application WO 99/18392, this is conducted by reducing the oxygen concentration through recirculation of flue gases (which may also increase the temperature of the combustion zone to above the point of auto ignition of the fuel) or other means and by increasing gas velocities in the reaction region. The reduction of oxygen reduces the reaction rate and the high gas velocities distribute the reactants sufficiently such that combustion does not occur in the local region of the fuel injector and thus is distributed in such a way to avoid the occurrence of a flame front or the requirement of an ignition source; as a result of the reaction thus taking place slowly over a distributed area, a DRZ is established.
Conventional flame-based combustors typically use their oxidising agent as a coolant to a liner as it bypasses the main reaction zone to be added through dilution holes. In such combustors the liner is typically a thin metal casing separating the combustion zone from dilution air that passes through the liner holes to dilute the combustion gases. Such prior art flame-based combustors cannot accept high temperature oxidising agents, as temperatures within the reaction zone would reach extremely high levels—thus greatly elevating NOx emissions and because if the oxidising agent is too hot it no longer acts to cool the liner, hence metals would not be suitable for such liner construction. This is a particular problem because the liners typically have a complex geometry so as to incorporate the dilution holes, to an extent where they are often too complex to manufacture from ceramic materials.
Another variety of prior art flameless combustor system is exemplified in PCT application WO 99/18392. In this example there is a cylindrical oxidation chamber, in which oxygen takes place, and within the oxidation chamber and extending along its length is a fuel conduit with a plurality of nozzles, such that fuel is injected into the oxidation chamber to react with oxygen at each of the nozzles along the length of the fuel conduit.


A gas turbine includes a compressor, a combustor, a turbine, and a flow path diverting an excess portion of the compressed air produced by the compressor around the turbine. The flow path conducts the excess portion into a turbine exhaust gas flow producing a cooled exhaust gas. A method of operating the gas turbine includes opening an inlet guide vane of the compressor to allow the compressor to produce an increased volume of compressed air. The increased volume exceeds a volume of compressed air needed to support combustion. An excess portion of the compressed air is directed into the exhaust gas to produce a cooled exhaust. In a combined cycle power plant, the cooled exhaust from the gas turbine may be used to warm a steam turbine portion to a desired temperature while allowing operation of the gas turbine at a power level that produces exhaust gas at a temperature higher than the desired temperature.

Combined cycle power plants are well known in the art. A combined cycle power plant includes both a gas turbine-based topping cycle and a steam turbine or a steam ranking bottoming cycle that is driven by heat in the exhaust of the gas turbine. During startup of a combined cycle power plant from cold start conditions, the gas turbine portion of the plant necessarily must be started before the steam turbine portion. The term cold start is a relative term but is used herein to refer generally to conditions where the plant has not been operated for an extended time period, such as 48 hours, and where the boiler is not pressurized. During startup of a gas turbine having a single shaft-constant speed arrangement, there is a relatively rapid increase in the flow rate of the exhaust from the gas turbine as it accelerates to operating speed. Thereafter, the exhaust gas flow rate remains relatively constant except for the effect of compressor inlet guide vane modulation. After the gas turbine reaches operating speed, the temperature of the exhaust gas gradually increases as the firing temperature of the gas turbine is increased up to the level required to produce the desired power output. However, the rate of increase in load and temperature of the gas turbine exhaust is constrained by thermal transient stress limits in the components of the steam turbine and the balance of plant, including the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) that is exposed to the hot exhaust gas stream. During startup, the startup temperature of the gas turbine exhaust is regulated to gradually heat and pressurize the HRSG. In a typical combined cycle plant, the gas turbine may be initially limited to about 20–30% rated power in order to maintain the exhaust at a sufficiently low temperature to maintain stresses within acceptable levels in the cold HRSG.
The necessity to gradually heat a combined cycle power plant during startup reduces the overall efficiency of the plant and reduces the plant's ability to respond to rapidly changing power requirements. Furthermore, the operation of the gas turbine portion of the plant at less than full rated load may result in a level of gaseous emissions that exceeds regulatory or Original Equipment Manufacturers base load contractual requirements. In particular, it is known that the level of carbon monoxide (CO) produced in a gas turbine engine will increase as the firing temperature is decreased during part-load operation. Operation of the gas turbine portion of a combined cycle power plant at 20–50% rated load during the startup phase will often place the plant outside of emissions compliance limits. Not only does such operation have an undesirable impact on the local environment, but it may also have a negative financial impact on the owner or operator of the plant, since a plant revenue stream may be adversely impacted by operation outside of regulatory compliance limits. Accordingly, there is a strong incentive to reduce the startup time for a combined cycle power plant and to reduce the operation of the plant at non-compliance emissions points.


Provided is piezoelectric/electrostrictive body generating large electric-field-induced strain, and having high durability with respect to an electric field having a direction opposite to a polarization direction. A composition of piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramics is represented by a general formula Pba{ZnbSbc(ZrdTi1-d)1-b-c}O3. As for a, b, c, and d, 0.985≦a≦0.998, 0.010≦b≦0.040, 0.025≦c≦0.090, 0.460≦d≦0.510, and 2.125≦c/b≦3.000 are satisfied. An accessory component containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Cr, Fe, and a rare-earth element may be added to a main component. An additive amount of the at least one element relative to 100 parts by weight of the main component is 0.3 parts by weight or less in terms of an oxide.

As for piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramics for an actuator, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is used in many cases. A ratio of titanium (Ti)/zirconium (Zr) in PZT is adjusted in the vicinity of the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) in many cases. A third component such as lead niobate zincate (Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3) is introduced into PZT in some cases. In addition, Ti and Zr are replaced with a donor element having a higher valence such as niobium (Nb) in some cases. Thus, electric field responsiveness of a domain is improved, and electric-field-induced strain becomes large.
In piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramics in Patent Document 1, lead antimonate zincate (Pb(Zn1/3Sb2/3)O3) is introduced to PZT. In piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramics in Patent Document 2, Pb(Zn1/3Sb2/3)O3 is introduced to PZT and further modification is performed.

Piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramics composition and displacement generating device


A device for cleaning a wafer of abrasive agent suspension (slurry) remaining after polishing with brushes and DI water includes an upper gear casing having an upper side with an end, a motor in the upper gear casing, a drive shaft, an upper gear mechanism, and a lower gear casing substantially mirroring the upper gear casing. The lower receiving plate and upper receiving plate form a brush unit, between which a part of a wafer can be clamped and cleaned by rotating the brush unit. The lower gear mechanism turns the lower drive wheel in a same direction as the upper drive wheel. The cleaning is achieved by a rotational movement of a number of pairs of brushes (scrubber brushes) on both sides of the wafer and the application of deionized water.

The invention relates to a device for cleaning a wafer of abrasive agent suspension (slurry) remaining after polishing with brushes and DI water.
The fabrication of integrated circuits begins with the production of high-quality semiconductor wafers. These wafers are usually subjected to a polishing operation to provide an extremely level starting surface of the wafers. During the subsequent structuring of the substrate, it is known to build up on the wafer, inter alia, layers of, for example, conductors and dielectrics, on which then other such layers are in turn to be produced. With structuring becoming ever finer, the associated replication processes are becoming more sensitive to surface variations on the substrate. Therefore, it has now become necessary to xe2x80x9cre-levelxe2x80x9d the wafer surface even while the production of the integrated circuit is in progress. The re-leveling operation is referred to as planarizing and is nowadays usually accomplished with the CMP method: that is, with the aid of a chemical-mechanical polishing process.
The joint effect of a polishing surface onto which an abrasive agent suspension (slurry) is being pumped and the relative movement between the polishing surface and the wafer in this case produces a combined mechanical and chemical process on the surface of the wafer. This process creates a highly level surface on the wafer. In order to remove the still moist remains of slurry after the CMP process, cleaning steps are required, since the remains of slurry otherwise crystallize or, due to highly contaminated wafers, the defect density increases and the service life of the brush cleaners (following equipment for cleaning the wafers of particles) is reduced.
One of the pre-cleaning steps after the chemical-mechanical polishing process is completed with a brush device (also known as a scrubber). In this case, a special washing fluid and a rotational movement with a number of pairs of brushes (scrubber brushes) can clean both sides of the wafer with contact pressure. Because the wafer becomes considerably more valuable with each successive planarizing operation, the brush cleaning operations is commercially very significant.
A brush device with gear casings disposed one above the other, between which three brush units are disposed, between which in turn a wafer can be clamped and in which the device as a whole is displaceable horizontally in relation to the wafer between a cleaning position with the clamped-in wafer and a stationary position, is known for example from German Published, non-prosecuted application DE 43 45 408 A1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,732. In this case, it is also known to connect the drive wheels, which rotate inside each gear casing and drive the rotating brushes under the upper gear casing and above the lower gear casing, respectively via a shaft, to the drive shaft of a motor via a belt gear mechanism.
Furthermore, it is known in this case to provide nozzles for deionized water (DI water) on the upper side of the upper gear casing. Moistening of the brushes is also necessary in the stationary position because they otherwise dry out and harden, which subsequently has adverse effects on the water and brushes.
However, the inadequate sealing with respect to the chemically aggressive DI water and the confinements determined by the belt drive mechanism prevent synchronous running of the brushes within a set of brushes and of the brushes assigned to one another of a brush unit. It also prevents the contact pressure from being maintained. Therefore, the known brush device is relatively temperamental. The resulting frequent failure of the brush device goes unnoticed in many cases causing batches (for example 25 wafers) to be processed further without the required cleaning. This increases defect density and, in the worst case, costs up to one percent (1%) of the yield. The frequent failures, even when they are noticed, are problematical because they cause failure times of several hours. For example, complex maintenance work is required for the repair of the toothed belts and the exchange of the bearings.
A device for polishing wafers is described in German published, non-prosecuted application DE 43 45 408 A1. The device has a number of wafer carriers disposed in a circle. Each wafer carrier is assigned a polishing device, which is driven via a shaft. The shaft is in connection via a step-down gear mechanism with an AC servomotor, which drives the shaft. The wafer carrier itself is not rotated in this case.
The abstract of JP 11-097397 A discloses a cleaning device for wafers, two brushes which lie opposite each other and work a wafer from two sides simultaneously being provided. Each of the brushes is driven by a motor of its own.
Gill Jr., et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,180) disclose a polishing device for wafers. The polishing device has two polishing surfaces disposed next to each other. Both polishing surfaces are driven via a belt by a central rotary shaft.
The abstract of JP 10-270391 A discloses a polishing device for wafers that has a plurality of brushes that are coupled to one another via toothed gearwheels.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a device for cleaning a wafer of abrasive agent suspension remaining after polishing with brushes and DI water that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that has increased service life and availability of a scrubber, a reduction in the failure times, and a minimization of the repair costs. The brush device should typically be part of a machine system virtually the size of a room, in which the semiconductor wafers, or similar items of material, are polished, transported, cleaned or otherwise processed in a number of stations. The structural design modifications should therefore fit into the overall system.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a device for cleaning a wafer of abrasive agent suspension (slurry) remaining after polishing with brushes and DI water. The device includes an upper gear casing having an upper side with an end. The upper gear casing is impervious to washing fluid.
A motor is disposed on the end and is encapsulated in the upper gear casing. A drive shaft connects to the motor running perpendicular to the upper side. An upper gear mechanism encapsulated in the upper gear casing and connected to the drive shaft includes an intermediate wheel having teeth turned by the drive shaft, an upper drive wheel having teeth intermeshed with and driven by the intermediate wheel, a shaft connected to the upper drive wheel, and a receiving plate for holding a brush connected to and driven by the upper drive wheel via the shaft. The receiving plate is disposed underneath the upper gear casing, parallel to the upper side.
A coupling connects to the drive. A lower gear casing substantially mirrors the upper gear casing. The lower gear casing receives the coupling. The lower gear casing and the upper gear casing having are fixed one above the other. A lower gear mechanism encapsulated in the lower gear casing including an intermediate wheel having teeth rotated by the coupling, and a lower drive wheel having teeth intermeshed with and rotated by the intermediate wheel and connected via a shaft to a lower receiving plate for holding brushes. The lower receiving plates are coaxial with the upper receiving plate. The lower receiving plate and upper receiving plate form a brush unit, between which a part of a wafer can be clamped and cleaned by rotating the brush unit. The lower gear mechanism turns the lower drive wheel in a same direction as the upper drive wheel.
In accordance with a further object of the invention, the device includes a moistening system for the brush units integrated into a lower casing wall of the upper gear casing. The moistening system is sealed and separated from the upper gear mechanism.
In accordance with a further object of the invention, the device includes shaft sealing rings each sealing a shaft into a respective gear casing.
In accordance with a further object of the invention, the gear transmissions include a first brush unit, a second brush unit, and a third brush unit, all disposed along a longitudinal direction of the gear casings. The second brush unit is offset in a transverse direction. In addition, each of the gear transmission include three intermediate wheels intermeshed in series connecting the drive shaft to the first drive wheel. A further intermediate wheel is intermeshed and interposed with the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel. A further intermediate wheel is intermeshed with and connects the second drive wheel and the third drive wheel.
In accordance with a further object of the invention, the gear casings are formed from natural polypropylene.
The invention is based on the idea of modifying the type of gear mechanism while maintaining the overall configuration and ensuring that the scrubber brushes rotate in the same direction and apply a defined contact pressure. The new type of gear mechanism is a toothed gear mechanism. At the same time, measures for sealing the gear mechanism have been provided because, for example, incrustations in the interior of the newly configured gear mechanism are much more critical than in the case of the known belt gear mechanism. Furthermore, the geometrical form of the brush device can be simplified and made flatter within the new configuration.
A particularly advantageous embodiment of this device includes a moistening system for the brush units that is integrated into the lower casing wall of the upper gear casing in such a way that it is separated in a sealed manner from the gear mechanism there. The integration of the DI water feed line at this position of the upper gear casing ensures, while DI water continues to run, the constant moistening of the brushes, even in the stationary position, in order that they cannot dry out and consequently harden. This makes it possible to dispense with an external moistening system and sealing of it, for example in relation to a bushing through the upper gear casing.
In relation to the integrated moistening system and the sealing generally, it is also very advantageous to additionally provide shaft sealing rings, with which the transition of a shaft respectively into the associated gear casing is sealed off.
In the new surroundings according to the invention, with the necessary sealed encapsulation, corresponding requirements have to be imposed on the selection of materials. For the outer-lying parts of the brush device, the use of materials resistant to DI water, corresponding to clean room guidelines, is recommendable. In particular, it is advantageous to choose natural polypropylene (PP natural) as the material for the two gear casings, since this material is hydro stable and chemically resistant. The shaft sealing rings mentioned above are also available in materials appropriate for clean room conditions.
The modifications mentioned have the effect of increasing the service life of the brush device many times over and significantly reducing the probability of failure. The invention also minimizes maintenance costs. In addition, the yield is ensured and the availability of other equipment, for example the brush cleaner, is increased.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a device for cleaning a wafer of abrasive agent suspension remaining after polishing with brushes and DI water, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

Device for cleaning a wafer of abrasive agent suspension remaining after polishing with brushes and DI water


Transparent polycrystalline sintered ceramic of cubic crystal structure. The invention relates to the field of technical ceramic and relates to transparent polycrystalline sintered ceramics of cubic crystal structure for applications with increased mechanical stress, e.g., as protective or armoring ceramic. Provided are sintered ceramics that combine a high transmission of RIT>75% of the theoretical maximum value with a distinctly improved hardness. Transparent polycrystalline sintered ceramics of cubic crystal structure with a real in-line transmission RIT>75% of the theoretical maximum value measured on 0.8 mm-thick polished plates and for light of a wavelength between 600 and 650 nm, and with an average grain size D in the range of 60 nm<D<10 μm are provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of technical ceramic and relates to transparent polycrystalline sintered ceramics of cubic crystal structure for applications with increased mechanical stress, e.g., as protective or armoring ceramic.
2. Discussion of Background Information
The quantity responsible for the transparency of materials is the real in-line transmission (RIT) to be measured from the detected intensity only with a very narrow aperture angle of about 0.5° for the purpose of excluding scattered light.
In the case of lacking or extremely low light absorption, the transmission for optically homogeneous materials such as glass or for monocrystals is limited only by the material-specific reflection Rs=((n−1)/(n+1))2 at the front and back side, respectively, determined by the refractive index n. The resulting theoretical maximum value of the transmission Tmax is Tmax=(1−R) where R=2 Rs/(1+Rs) for highly transparent substances, taking into consideration the multiple reflection, or Tmax=(1−Rs)2 for materials of low transparency, i.e., negligible multiple reflection; Tmax, e.g., for colorless monocrystals such as Al2O3 (corundum, sapphire; n=1.760 or 1.768) is about 85.8%, for MgO.Al2O3 spinel (n=1.712-1.736) about 86.9%, for Y2O3 (n=1.78-1.79) about 85.3%, and for Y—Al garnet (n=1.833) about 84.1%. For ZrO2 (n=1.98-2.2), this limit can vary within a broader range between about 75 and 81%, depending on the composition.
With light transmission through the structure of sintered polycrystalline ceramics, on the other hand, RIT is usually further reduced by the following processes:
1. diffuse scatter at pores (depending on the size and number of the pores), and
2. especially in non-cubic ceramics such as corundum (α-Al2O3), additional light scatter through double refraction at each transition of the light ray from one into the next crystallite of the structure.
The scatter losses must therefore be kept low in all sintered ceramics through the lowest possible residual porosity and through pore sizes that, if possible, are smaller than the wavelength of the light.
Since only this first-named scatter mechanism occurs in cubic sintered ceramics, their transparency is thus not subject to any direct influence of grain size. On the other hand, in particular in materials of non-cubic crystal structure, the second scatter contribution must be reduced either by extreme grain growth (i.e., approaching the monocrystalline state) or by extremely small structure grain sizes. For nanocrystalline structures (e.g., tetragonal ZrO2 with grain sizes around or below 60 nm (V. Srdic et al., J. Am. Ceram. Soc. (2000), 1853-1860), as is well known a high transparency is ultimately given independent of the degree of tetragonal distortion if the manufacturing process is designed so that even the last hundredths of a percent of residual porosity are avoided.
This situation, which differs depending on the crystal structure, explains why no RIT values >70% could be achieved hitherto for the most advanced (finest-grained, low-pore) sinter corundum (trigonal) at thicknesses about or above 1 mm, whereas, e.g., for MgO.Al2O3 spinel (cubic), measured values of about 80% and thus close to the theoretical maximum were reported. As a particular advantage of very high RIT, it must also be noted that the influence of thickness disappears on approaching the theoretical maximum, whereas vice versa any greater scatter losses naturally increase with the thickness of the light-scattering material and the transparency is then only guaranteed for very thin components. Thus, such an influence of thickness is a clear criterion for the presence of considerable light scatter—i.e., low transparency—and for the origination of any high transmission measured values from a too large aperture angle that makes it impossible to measure the real in-line transmission.
Because of this superiority of cubic materials, attempts were already undertaken early to produce hot-pressed transparent ceramics from such substances, for the purpose of optimizing the mechanical properties at first combined also with the aim of the lowest possible grain growth during the sintering. Examples are MgO.Al2O3 spinel ceramics with average grain size of about 1 μm (U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,745) and Y—Al garnet ceramics with a grain size of about 5 μm (U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,195). However, none of these developments led to satisfactory transparency values, due to a certain residual porosity in the grain boundaries of these fine-grained structures: U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,745 gives no data for quantifying the degree of transparency of the spinel achieved, while for the above-mentioned garnet a transmission was measured at 589 nm wavelength in spite of a very large aperture angle of 8° (0.14 rad), which transmission only reached max. 57% for, e.g., 0.8 mm-thick plates, which corresponds to just 65% of the theoretical maximum value (U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,195). For fine-grained spinel ceramics with grain sizes of between 2 and 5 μm, such large (unfortunately usually unstated) aperture angles of the light measurement have even led to measuring results of up to 80%, but unlike the real in-line transmission explained above, they do not disclose any actual transparency: in the example of EP 334 760 A1, this becomes clear from the reported considerable influence of thickness on the visible transmission of the sintered spinel, so that to determine the theoretical upper limit correctly, the above-mentioned equation Tmax=(1−Rs)2 was used for materials of low transparency (without multiple reflection).
As a result, therefore, the special advantage of cubic transparent sintered ceramics of being able to achieve high transmission values generally even with coarser structures, has lead to development being given priority in a direction where attempts are made to eliminate the residual porosity by particularly high sintering temperatures, even when nanocrystalline powder raw materials are being used—while accepting strong grain growth. In this context, production temperatures of 1700° C. for Y2O3— and Y—Al garnet ceramics are then called "low temperature fabrication," and the ceramics of optimized transparency produced finally exhibit coarse structures with average grain sizes of about 20 μm (N. Saito et al., J. Am. Ceram. Soc. (1998), 2023-2028; J.-G. Li et al., J. Am. Ceram. Soc. (2000), 961-963), in spite of the use of nanopowders (average particle sizes about 70-100 nm). As a result of such extreme grain growth, pores are frequently enclosed in the growing crystallites intragranularly, so that for 1 mm-thick plates—with unspecified quite large aperture angle—the in-line transmission measured at a wavelength of, e.g., 600-650 nm achieves only 42% of the theoretically possible maximum value; thus this transmission, in spite of the advantage of the cubic crystal structure, actually lags behind the values achieved as RIT of about 60% (=70% of the theoretical maximum value) under otherwise similar measuring conditions for trigonal sinter corundum in spite of its double refraction (A. Krell et al., J. Am. Ceram. Soc. (2003) 12-18). Similarly, for cubic Y-stabilized ZrO2, which was doped with titanium to promote the grain growth, the highest transmission is achieved for the most coarse-grained structure of about 150 μm (here by the combination of sintering at 1700° C. with hot isostatic redensification [HIP] at 1500° C.), whereby this achieved maximum value of a (likewise unspecified) transmission through a plate with a thickness of 0.73 mm is only 64% (K. Tsukuma et al., Advances in Ceramics, Vol. 24 [Zirconia III, 1988], 287-291).
As for the rest, the latter result for transparent ZrO2 ceramic shows that limits are set on the actually achievable transmission even for conventional cubic sintered ceramic of ZrO2, these limits being of the type that vice versa similar transparency results should also be achievable with tetragonal ZrO2, as long as the c/a axial ratio of the elementary cell deviates by not more than about 1.5% from value 1 (=cubic), and therefore no considerable deviation occurs from the approximately cubic (optically isotropic) behavior.
Nor have alternative sintering processes led hitherto to the development of fine-grained cubic transparent ceramics. Thus, for a cubic AlON ceramic produced by microwave sintering, the highest transmission was produced precisely with the highest sintering temperature (1800° C.), which led to an average grain size of 40-50 μm and limited the realized light transmission in the visible range to low values of about 43%, even at a sample thickness of only 0.6 mm (D. Agrawal et al., Ceramic Trans. Vol. 134 (2002), 587-593).
With MgO.Al2O3 spinel, although high transmission values were achieved, RIT values in the visible range were about 60% for 2 mm-thick plates after the combined use of hot pressing (1400-1500° C.) with HIP at 1900° C. (A. F. Dericioglu et al., J. Europ. Ceram. Soc. (2003) 951-959) or, with the addition of 1.5% of Li doping, also a transmission close to the theoretical limit after hot pressing at 1410° C. followed by HIP at 1500° C. (EP 447390 B1), but even for these ceramics the average structure grain size in the first example was always >150 μm, and in the second example it is given as less than 150 μm, starting from a powder described as "submicron."
These coarse structures reduce even further the mechanical characteristics of the cubic ceramics, which are already at a substance-related (as a monocrystal) disadvantage compared with the trigonal corundum, and lead to lower strengths and readier dislocation activity with low hardness. Thus, e.g., the microhardness (test load 200 g) of transparent AlON ceramic with 150 μm grain size is only 13.8 GPa, that of transparent spinel with bimodal grain size distribution of between 10-20 and 100-200 μm is as low as 12.1 GPa (J. J. Swab et al., Ceramic Trans. Vol. 122 [0015], 489-508), which must be compared with the hardness values of the same measurement for transparent sinter corundum of >20 GPa and is of particular significance for its use as a protective ceramic: systematic testing with sinter corundum of graduated grain sizes and hardness have shown that the mass effectiveness of the ceramics characterizing the anti-ballistic protective effect declines by about ⅓ with a hardness dropping from 21 to 12 GPa (A. Krell et al., Ceramic Trans. Vol. 134 [0016], 463-471). The coarse-grained cubic sintered ceramics of low hardness known hitherto therefore require thicker components for an equivalent protective effect, which is accompanied by the disadvantage of higher weight.
The disclosures of each the above-cited documents are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.


There is provided an apparatus for determining a carrier-to-noise power density ratio (CN0) of a spread spectrum signal. The apparatus includes a signal power calculation unit and a conversion unit. The signal power calculation unit determines a signal power indicator indicative of a signal to noise ratio of the spread spectrum signal. The conversion unit is coupled to the signal power calculation unit and stores a lookup table representing a relationship between the signal power indicator and the carrier-to-noise power density ratio. The conversion unit is operable for converting the signal power indicator to the carrier-to-noise power density ratio according to the lookup table.

Generally, a GPS (global position system) receiver acquires GPS signals from a set of satellites and then tracks these GPS signals. During the acquisition stage, the initial carrier frequency of a carrier signal and initial phase of a pseudorandom noise (PRN) code associated with a received GPS signal are identified. These two parameters are then used for tracking the GPS signal.
Due to the motion of the satellites and the receiver, Doppler effects may occur and the carrier frequency and PRN code may vary over time. To overcome Doppler effects and maintain the availability of GPS signals, a tracking process is performed based on the initial carrier frequency and initial PRN code which are acquired during the acquisition stage.
When the variations of the carrier frequency and PRN code are successfully tracked by the receiver, the GPS signal can be referred to as "locked" by the receiver. When the receiver fails to track the variations of the carrier frequency and PRN code, the GPS signal from a corresponding satellite can be referred to as "lost". When a signal is lost, it may not be used by the receiver for further processing such as calculating the position of the receiver. The receiver may need to perform acquisition again to ensure that there is enough number of GPS signals acquired and locked for further processing.
When the GPS signal is received by the receiver, bit boundaries of the navigation data stream can be identified after the carrier signal and PRN code have been stripped off from the received GPS signal. The navigation data stream is formed by a sequence of navigation data bits. The lasting time of each data bit can be 20 ms. The end of a data bit, which is also the beginning of another data bit, can be referred to as a boundary of a navigation data bit (also called bit boundary).
Conventionally, in a GPS receiver, a bit synchronization method is employed to determine if the GPS signal is locked or lost. More specifically, the bit synchronization module is needed to identify the bit boundaries of navigation data stream after the carrier signal and PRN code have been stripped off from the received GPS signal. According to such conventional bit synchronization method, the lock status of the GPS signal is detected at the same time when the bit boundaries of navigation data stream are determined. If the bit boundaries can not be determined after repeating the search process for a predetermined times, the signal is regarded as lost.
There are some drawbacks of this conventional method. First, the bit synchronization module may be difficult to determine the bit boundaries and the lock status if there are no data transitions within a relatively long bit sequence. In other words, this method may not be efficient when there are relatively long sequences of "0" or "1" in the navigation data stream. Second, this conventional method can be time-consuming. Third, the bit synchronization process may need to be performed from time to time in order to detect the lock status even after the GPS signal is acquired.
GPS signal power can indicate the quality of GPS signals. The carrier-to-noise power density ratio (CN0) in GPS receivers is defined as a ratio of the modulated carrier power to the noise power in a 1 Hz bandwidth. In decibels, carrier-to-noise power density ratio is expressed in dB-Hz. A greater carrier-to-noise power density ratio can indicate a higher signal quality. Carrier-to-noise power density ratio is a parameter in analyzing GPS receiver performance and may directly affect the precision of the receiver's pseudo range and carrier phase observations.
A traditional method to determine a carrier-to-noise power density ratio involves receiving a GPS signal, generating a noise signal and then calculating the signal power and the noise power to obtain the carrier-to-noise power density ratio. The traditional method may require extra hardware resources to calculate the noise power.

Method and apparatus for signal carrier-to-noise power density ratio calculation


An optical unit includes: a base which includes a main surface; a mirror device which includes a movable mirror portion and is disposed on the base; a frame member that is provided on the main surface so as to surround the mirror device; and a window member that is bonded to the frame member and has a flat plate shape. The frame member includes a first wall portion which is provided on the main surface and includes a first top surface on the side opposite to the main surface, a second wall portion which is provided on the main surface so as to face the first wall portion and includes a second top surface on the side opposite to the main surface.

An optical scanner package is disclosed in Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-17859). This optical scanner package includes a base substrate, a frame member, and a flat glass. The base substrate includes a substrate and a mirror member. A surface of the substrate is provided with a convex portion and a recess. The mirror member is provided so as to block this recess. The frame member and the flat glass constitute a cover member and are bonded to the convex portion so as to be integrated with the base substrate. Accordingly, the mirror member is sealed. Further, an MEMS mirror package is disclosed in Non Patent Literature 1 (Kosuke USHIRO, Hideo NAKAMURA, "Development and Verification for Next Generation System of Surrounding Environment Recognition Technology", [online], JARI Research Journal 20171103, [Search Dec. 24, 2019], Internet<http://www.jari.or.jp/Portals/O/resource/JRJ_q/JRJ20171103_q.pdf>).


A display device and a detection method applied to the display device are provided. The display device includes a display panel, a source control circuit, and a leakage estimation circuit. The display panel includes pixels being arranged in M columns, wherein at least one panel-partition is defined on the display panel. The source control circuit includes M source drivers which respectively provide data voltages to the M columns of pixels. The leakage estimation circuit includes an evaluation circuit, a defect detection circuit, and a mode-switch. The evaluation circuit controls the defect detection circuit to perform a leakage estimation procedure so that a leakage current corresponding to the panel-partition is estimated when the at least one mode-switch is turned on.

FIG. 1 (prior art) is a schematic diagram showing an intact display panel. When a display panel 11 is intact, images can be displayed properly. When the display panel 11 is cracked, the display panel 11 can no longer display images properly, and the display panel 11 might be burnt out.
FIG. 2 (prior art) is a schematic diagram showing a break BRK on a cracked display panel. In daily use, the display panel 13 might be cracked by an external force so that a break BRK might appear on the surface of the display panel 13. The external force, for example, might be caused by a pellet of an airsoft gun accidentally shot by a child. In other words, the display panel 13 is cracked because of the shot. On the display panel 13, a short circuit might exist at the position of break BRK. However, the break BRK can be extremely tiny so that a user might not be aware that such a tiny break BRK may put the display panel 13 at the risk of being burnt out. Therefore, a detection mechanism for identifying whether the display panel 13 has a short circuit is required.

Display device and associated detection method


A system for transferring heat to an impingement surface includes a first radial jet reattachment combustion nozzle operable to direct a flame toward the impingement surface and comprising a central longitudinal axis. The system also includes a second radial jet reattachment combustion nozzle operable to direct a flame toward the impingement surface and comprising a central longitudinal axis. The first and second nozzles are positioned such that the central longitudinal axes are substantially parallel and spaced apart such that flames directed from the first and second radial jet reattachment combustion nozzles interact with each other.

Many industrial heat treating processes involving, for example, metals and glass, utilize gas-fired rapid heating as a means of achieving desired surface properties. The use of gas-fired rapid heating techniques for metal and glass products has many advantages over typical furnace heating techniques, namely: high thermal efficiency, improved product quality, faster heating response time, and increased productivity. During these processes, a flame or jet of hot combustion products directly impinges upon the object to be heated. Such impingement heating eliminates the need for large radiative furnaces, since up to 80 percent of the heat transfer occurs by convection. Also, greater control of the heat transfer process may be possible, due to the rapid response time of convective heating.
Two major problems are associated with the use of flame jet impingement for heat treatment processes. First, all of the data in the open literature are for round impinging in-line jet (ILJ) flames. The ability of these jets to heat a surface is highly dependent upon the nozzle Reynolds number and the nozzle-to-surface spacing (X). For pure diffusion flames, large X values (X/D.sub.r >40) are required for the maximum heat flux to be achieved. This is due to the fact that ample residence time is required for the fuel to mix with surrounding air and burn prior to impingement upon the surface. Pre-mixing the fuel and air eliminates this problem and can improve the heat transfer, but most industrial processes tend to avoid full pre-mixing of fuel and air, due to the possibility of accidental flashback and exploding. Therefore, a type of nozzle that produces a partially pre-mixed flame that will also provide symmetric surface heating is utilized. One such nozzle is a Radial Jet Reattachment (RJR) nozzle, which is described in Page, R. H., Hadden, L. L., and Ostowari, C., 1989, "Theory for Radial Jet Reattachment Flow," AIAA Journal, Vol. 27, No. 11, pp. 1500-1505, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Radial Jet Reattachment nozzles have seen extensive use in non-reacting jet impingement heat transfer and drying processes. The aerodynamics of the RJR nozzle differs greatly from a standard ILJ nozzle, and this RJR flow pattern has been utilized to design a single Radial Jet Reattachment Combustion (RJRC) nozzle, which is described in Habetz, D. K., Page, R. H., and Seyed-Yagoobi, J., 1994, "Impingement Heat Transfer from a Radial Jet Reattachment Flame," 10th International Heat Transfer Conference, Brighton, U.K., Vol. 6, pp. 31-36, which is incorporated herein by reference. Although an RJRC nozzle produces a partially pre-mixed flame, a single RJRC nozzle may not be adequate to produce the desired results. However, no data exists regarding the performance of radial jet reattachment nozzles in an array configuration.

Flame jet impingement heat transfer system and method of operation using radial jet reattachment flames


An electrical connector includes a plug body having a cavity defined by outer body walls. The cavity has a cavity axis extending between a mating end and a base end of the cavity. The plug body also includes a web portion within the cavity, wherein the web portion extends along the cavity axis and includes a first side and a second side. The first and second sides are spaced apart from, and generally face, corresponding ones of the outer body walls. The plug body is configured to be received within a receptacle of a mating connector, and a portion of the mating connector is received within the cavity along the first and second sides of the web portion when the plug body is mated within the mating connector. The electrical connector also includes a plurality of contacts arranged on the web portion in differential pairs, wherein a first differential pair of contacts is positioned on the first side and a second differential pair of contacts is positioned on the second side for interfacing with the mating connector.

The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly, to electrical connectors having an enhanced plug interface.
In electrical systems, there is increasing concern for preserving signal integrity as signal speed and bandwidth increase. One source of signal degradation is crosstalk between multiple signal paths. In the case of an electrical connector carrying multiple signals, crosstalk occurs when signals conducted over a first signal path are partly transferred by inductive or capacitive coupling into a second signal path. The transferred signals produce crosstalk in the second path that degrades the signal routed over the second path.
For example, a typical industry standard type RJ-45 communication connector includes four pairs of contacts defining different signal paths. The RJ-45 plug and jack designs are dictated by industry standards and are inherently susceptible to crosstalk. In conventional RJ-45 plug and jack connectors, all four pairs of contacts extend closely parallel to one another over a length of the connector body. One pair of contacts is also split around another contact pair. Thus, signal crosstalk may be induced between and among different pairs of connector conductors. The amplitude of the crosstalk, or the degree of signal degradation, generally increases as the frequency increases. More crosstalk can be created by the contacts in the jack that interface with the contacts in the plug. As signal speed and density increase, alien crosstalk, or crosstalk between neighboring connectors should also be addressed in preserving signal integrity.
At least some RJ-45 jacks include features that are intended to suppress or compensate for crosstalk. The shortcomings that are inherent in jacks such as the RJ-45 can be expected to become more serious as system demands continue to increase. It would be desirable to develop a connector that is designed to minimize both internal crosstalk and alien crosstalk at the outset rather than to correct for crosstalk after the fact.

Modular electrical connector with enhanced plug interface


A semiconductor memory device includes at least one cell string to include a plurality of dummy memory cells and a plurality of memory cells connected in series between the plurality of dummy memory cells; and the peripheral circuit to control the at least one cell string so that a first type of data represented by a first number of bits is stored in at least one of the dummy memory cells and a second type of data represented by a second number of bits, the second number smaller than the first number, is stored in at least two of the plurality of memory cells.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and do not constitute prior art.
A semiconductor memory device is classified into a volatile memory device and a non-volatile memory device.
The volatile memory device performs a high speed data read and write operation, but the stored data is lost when the power is cut off. The non-volatile memory device operates at relatively lower write and read speeds, but the stored data is preserved even when the power is cut off. Therefore, the non-volatile memory device is used to store data that is to be maintained regardless of power supply. Examples of the non-volatile memory device include a read only memory (ROM) device, a programmable ROM (PROM) device, an electrically programmable ROM (EPROM) device, an electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM) device, a flash memory device, a phase-change RAM (PRAM) device, a magnetic RAM (MRAM) device, a resistive RAM (RRAM) device, a ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) device, or the like. The Flash memory device is typically divided into a NOR device and a NAND device.
The flash memory device enjoys the advantages of both RAM and ROM devices. For example, the flash memory device can be freely programmed and erased similar to the RAM device. Similar to the ROM device, the flash memory device can retain the stored data even when they are not powered. The flash memory device has been widely used as the storage media of portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and MP3 players. The flash memory device includes a plurality of memory cells that are adjacent to each other. Therefore, the inventor(s) has noted that interference and disturbance occur between the memory cells. Furthermore, the inventor(s) has noted that the memory cells connected to a word line closer to a drain selection line have more fail bits caused by program disturb. When the number of fail bits is greater than a reference number, the inventor(s) has experienced that a program operation is failed. The inventor(s) has experienced that the reliability of a semiconductor memory device is reduced for these reasons. The inventor(s) has experienced that a semiconductor memory device has high data reliability.


An exhaust treatment system of a power source includes a filter having a housing with an inlet and an outlet, and a regeneration device disposed outside of the housing of the filter. The regeneration device is fluidly connected to the inlet of the housing. The exhaust treatment system also includes an exhaust line configured to assist in directing a portion of a filtered flow of exhaust from the filter outlet to the power source.

Internal combustion engines, including diesel engines, gasoline engines, natural gas engines, and other engines known in the art, may exhaust a complex mixture of air pollutants. The air pollutants may be composed of gaseous compounds, which may include nitrous oxides (NOx), and solid particulate matter, which may include unburned carbon particulates called soot.
Due to increased attention on the environment, exhaust emission standards have become more stringent, and the amount of gaseous compounds emitted to the atmosphere from an engine may be regulated depending on the type of engine, size of engine, and/or class of engine. One method that has been implemented by engine manufacturers to comply with the regulation of these engine emissions is exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). EGR systems recirculate the exhaust gas byproducts into the intake air supply of the internal combustion engine. The exhaust gas directed to the engine cylinder reduces the concentration of oxygen within the cylinder and increases the specific heat of the air/fuel mixture, thereby lowering the maximum combustion temperature within the cylinder. The lowered maximum combustion temperature and reduced oxygen concentration can slow the chemical reaction of the combustion process and decrease the formation of NOx.
In many EGR applications, the exhaust gas is passed through a particulate filter and catalyst containing precious metals. The particulate filter may capture a portion of the solid particulate matter carried by the exhaust. After a period of use, the particulate filter may become saturated and may require cleaning through a regeneration process wherein the particulate matter is purged from the filter. In addition, the catalyst may oxidize a portion of the unburned carbon particulates contained within the exhaust gas and may convert sulfur present in the exhaust to sulfate (SO3).
As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,436 (the '436 patent), a filter system can be used to remove particulate matter from a flow of engine exhaust gas before a portion of the gas is fed back to an intake air stream of the engine. Specifically, the '436 patent discloses an engine exhaust filter containing a catalyst and a filter element. A portion of the filtered exhaust is extracted downstream of the filter and is directed to an intake of the engine through a recirculation loop.
Although the filter system of the '436 patent may protect the engine from harmful particulate matter, the catalyst may convert sulfur present in the exhaust gas to sulfate. As mentioned above, the formation of sulfate may cause particulate emissions to exceed regulated levels.
The disclosed exhaust treatment system is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.


A method of removing material from a surface of an ultrasound directing element comprising a plastic material is provided. The method includes mounting the ultrasound directing element to a mounting block of a sanding apparatus. The mounting block includes an engagement member that moves from a release position to an engagement position thereby engaging the ultrasound directing element. The mounting block is moved along a base of the sanding apparatus bringing a surface of the ultrasound directing element into contact with a sanding surface. Material is removed from the surface of the ultrasound directing element using the sanding surface.

Ultrasound apparatuses are frequently used to inspect parts for out-of-parameter conditions. For example, ultrasound apparatuses may be used to inspect welds and check for cracks in metal parts that are difficult to visually identify. The ultrasound apparatuses have an ultrasound transducer and may include an ultrasound directing element, sometimes referred to as a wedge or shoe, that protects the ultrasound transducer from contacting the part being inspected directly and also directs the ultrasound waves therethrough.
The ultrasound directing elements are often formed from a plastic material, such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), also known as acrylic or other suitable plastic material. Contact between the ultrasound directing element surfaces and the part being inspected can cause the ultrasound directing elements to wear over time. The wearing of the ultrasound directing element surfaces can adversely affect the effectiveness of the ultrasound apparatuses. What is needed is a sanding apparatus that can be used to remove surface material from the ultrasound directing elements in order to improve their surface finish.

Sanding apparatus with multiple part engagement members

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


Disclosed herein is a method for testing a field of view. The method includes arranging an image acquisition apparatus at a predetermined observation position of an image output device, and arranging a grid line apparatus at a predetermined distance in front of the image acquisition apparatus. The method further includes controlling the image output device to output a test pattern; moving the grid line apparatus, and keeping the distance between the grid line apparatus and the image acquisition apparatus unchanged, such that a centerline of the grid pattern coincides with a centerline of the test pattern. Additionally, included in the method is capturing an image of the grid pattern and the test pattern by the image acquisition apparatus; and determining a field of view of the image output device according to a relationship between the test pattern and the grid pattern in the captured image.

The field of view (FOV) is an important performance of various image output devices, such as a head up display (HUD) and a virtual reality (VR) device. The FOV refers to an included angle between lines connecting an observation point to two points on opposite edges of an image output by the image output device. The FOV of an image output device needs to be detected to ensure that the FOV of the image output device meets product requirements before delivery of the image output device.

Method and system for testing field of view


A liquid crystal device comprising a pair of substrate, at least one of them being transparent, and a light-control layer supported therebetween, wherein said light-control layer comprises a liquid crystal material showing positive dielectric anisotropy and a transparent solid substance, said liquid crystal material forming a continuous phase, and said transparent solid substance existing in said continuous phase in the form of dispersed particles or a three-dimensional network. The device exhibits a clear threshold voltage, a high fast response time and a highly contrast display with a low applied voltage.

Liquid crystal display elements now in practical use include twisted nematic (TN) mode and super twisted nematic (STN) mode. Display cells utilizing ferroelectric liquid crystals have also been proposed. These display cells essentially contain a polarizing sheet and requires orientation treatment.
There is also known a process for producing a liquid crystal device capable of making a large, bright, and high contrast display at low cost without requiring a polarizing sheet or orientation treatment, in which a polymer matrix having dispersed therein an encapsulated liquid crystal material is formed into a thin film (hereinafter referred to as polymer encapsulated type device) as disclosed in JP-A-58-501631 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") and U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,047. The encapsulizing material proposed includes gelatin, gum arabic, polyvinyl alcohol, etc.
According to this technique, when liquid crystal molecules encapsulized with polyvinyl alcohol exhibit positive dielectric anisotropy in a film, they are oriented in the direction of an electric field in which they are placed, and exhibits transparency if a refractive index n.sub.O of the liquid crystal is equal to a refractive index n.sub.p of the polymer. On removal of the electric field, the liquid crystal molecules are not aligned and the refractive index of the liquid crystal droplets is shifted from n.sub.O As a result, light is scattered at an interface cf liquid crystal droplets and inhibited from transmission to make the film white turbid.
There are several other proposals using a polymer film having dispersed therein microcapsulated liquid crystal droplets. For example, JP-A-61-502128 discloses liquid crystals dispersed in an epoxy resin, and JP-A-622231 discloses liquid crystals dispersed in a specific ultraviolet-cured polymer.
In these polymer-encapsuled type devices, since the electric field effect is exerted on the liquid crystal droplets via the polymer matrix, a high drive voltage is required to change the liquid crystal molecule alignment, which has caused various problems on practical use.
Further, in order to achieve sufficient transparency on application of an electric field, special care should be taken in selecting the liquid crystal and the polymer so that they may have refractive indices approximate to each other.
Furthermore, it is difficult to achieve a large display by means of a multiplexing because there exists no threshold voltage which is necessary for realizing such a display.
These disadvantages have been a serious hindrance to putting large-area liquid crystal devices into practical use.

Liquid crystal devices and process for producing the same


Synchronized mechanical switches are configured to support electrical switching circuits operating at frequencies equal to or higher than the frequency of the primary AC power supply. Due to near perfect impedances of mechanical switches as well as accurate timing control mechanisms, the mechanical switching circuits provide timely electrical connections to the terminals of the primary AC power supply to generate proper waveforms suitable to power next stage electrical circuits without the need to use semiconductor devices.

The present invention relates to electrical switching circuits supported by synchronized mechanical switches, and more particularly to electrical switching circuits used for power input circuits.
Most electrical appliances are powered by the primary power supply in a building. In North America, the primary power supply is typically an alternating current (AC), 110 volts, 60 cycles per second (HZ) voltage source. The primary power supply sources in other parts of the world vary in voltage and frequency, but all of them are AC voltage sources at voltages higher than 100 volts. Most electrical components cannot operate directly under the primary power supply. It is therefore necessary to use power input circuits such as rectifying circuits or voltage converting circuits to convert the high voltage AC power input into power sources that are suitable for electrical components.
FIGS. 1(a-c) are symbolic diagrams showing the most common prior art power input circuits. For the example shown in FIG. 1(a), electrical circuits (107) are using electrical power supplied through a power socket (103) that is connected to the AC primary power supply (101) in a building, while a power input circuit (105) is placed between the AC primary power supply and the electrical circuits (107). For this example, the power input circuit (105) is a bridge rectifier comprising 4 semiconductor diodes (D1-D4). FIG. 2(a) shows a typical waveform of the voltage between the power input connections (Vp, Vn) of the power input circuits as a function of time (t) in a period (T); in the first half period (T/2), the input voltage is positive and peaks at a voltage Vpp; in the second half period, the input voltage changes sign, and swings to negative peak voltage (Vnn) of about the same amplitude. Many electrical components, such as integrated circuits (IC) or aluminum capacitors can only operate when the voltage does not change sign; otherwise those components would burn out. It is therefore necessary to use rectifying circuits, such as the bridge rectifier (105) in FIG. 1(a), to provide rectified power voltages that do not change sign. FIG. 2(b) shows a typical waveform of the voltage between the output terminals (Vo, Vs) of the bridge rectifier (105) in FIG. 1(a). In the first half period (T/2), the output voltage equals the input voltage minus a voltage drop (Vfb); in the second half period, the output voltage equals the absolute value of the input voltage minus Vfb, as shown in FIG. 2(b). The voltage drop Vfb is caused by the forward biased voltage drop of two semiconductor diodes, and Vfb is typically around 1.4 volts. This voltage drop (Vfb) wastes energy, and the wasted energy turns into heat concentrated on the diodes (D1-D4) in the bridge rectifier (105). Therefore, the diodes used for power input circuits are typically special high power diodes equipped with heat sinks. Those diodes (D1-D4) also need to tolerate reverse bias voltages higher than 200 volts. Such high power diodes are bulky and expensive. It is therefore highly desirable to develop rectifying circuits that do not need to use semiconductor diodes. Many electrical components prefer to operate under stable voltages; the voltage waveform in FIG. 2(b) cannot support those electrical components. The most common prior art solution is to place an input storage capacitor (Ci) between the output terminals (Vo, Vs) of the diode bridge, as shown by the symbolic diagram in FIG. 1(b). FIG. 2(c) shows a typical output waveform of the prior art power input circuit (115) in FIG. 1(b). When the input voltage swings toward Vpp or Vnn, the input voltage source (101) charges the storage capacitor (Ci) to a peak voltage (Vpp-Vfb), and then the voltage starts to drop due to power consumed by electrical circuits (107), as shown in FIG. 2(c). This voltage drop (Vdrp) causes undesirable ripples on the output voltage. The amplitude of Vdrp increases when the supported electrical circuits (107) consume more power, and decreases with a larger storage capacitor (Ci). A typical prior art method to reduce this voltage ripple is to use filters. However, power input filters operating at the frequency of primary power supply are typically bulky and expensive. It is therefore highly desirable to develop input circuits that can reduce Vdrp to achieve better voltage stability. In addition, the prior art power input circuit (115) only provides input current when the voltage of the primary power supply is near peak amplitude, while almost no input currents are provided at other times. It is highly desirable to develop input circuits that utilize power more evenly.
The output voltage of the prior art rectifiers (105, 115) always peaks at (Vpp-Vfb), which is typically higher than 150 volts. Many electrical components cannot tolerate such high voltage. It is therefore a common practice to use voltage converters that provide output voltages at voltage levels proper for common circuits. The most common prior art method is to use a transformer (129) before the rectifier (115) as shown in FIG. 1(c). Transformers typically can achieve better than 95% power efficiency while reducing the amplitude of the power input voltage by a pre-determined factor, but transformers that operate at the frequency of primary power supply are typically heavy and bulky. It is therefore highly desirable to provide high efficiency voltage converters that are light and small.
These problems caused by transformers and semiconductor rectifiers can be reduced by prior art high frequency switching circuits using semiconductor switches, but semiconductor switches introduce other problems.
An ideal electrical switch should have zero impedance when the switch is on and infinite impedance when the switch is off. It can conduct infinite current while on, and tolerate infinite voltage while off. An ideal electrical switch also requires zero time to switch between different states, and consumes no power.
There are no ideal switches in practice. The switches used in electrical switching circuits are typically semiconductor devices such as field effect transistors or bipolar transistors. Semiconductor devices can switch between a high conductive state and high resistive state with excellent timing control. They are fast, accurate, cost-efficient, reliable, and small. For low voltage, low power applications, semiconductor switches are very close to ideal switches. However, semiconductor switches typically have relatively low breakdown voltages, making them less useful in supporting high voltage applications. Semiconductor switches operating at voltages higher than 12 volts require special manufacturing processes, and those high voltage semiconductor switches are typically slower, less accurate, and more expensive. Semiconductor devices conduct electrical current through semiconductors, so that the on-resistance of semiconductor devices is typically larger than that of direct connections between electrical conductors. This on-resistance of semiconductor devices is typically not an issue for low power applications, but can be a significant limitation for high power applications.
A mechanical switch is defined as an electrical switch that comprises a movable conductor that connects or disconnects its terminals according to the positions of the movable conductor, and that the electrical connections made by the mechanical switch are formed by direct contact between electrical conductors. The on-impedance of a mechanical switch can be very close to that of an ideal switch because electrical connections are formed by direct contact between electrical conductors. Mechanical switches typically can tolerate high voltages because conductors are physically separated in the off state. Due to their near perfect on/off impedances, mechanical switches are widely used for high voltage and/or high power circuits. However, switching a mechanical switch requires changing the position of a movable conductor, which is typically much slower compared to semiconductor switches. It is also difficult to synchronize the motion of many movable structures in different mechanical switches. Therefore, mechanical switches are typically considered useless for synchronized switching circuits that require accurate timing control at high frequencies.
It is therefore highly desirable to develop switches that have excellent on/off impedances like mechanical switches, and also support accurate timing control useful for synchronized high frequency switching circuits.

High performance power input circuits using synchronized mechanical switches


A device for coupling a driver system to a downhole string of sucker rods in a petroleum well employs a polish rod construction in which the polish rod is strengthened by an attached sleeve providing a transverse should in a predetermined plane. The sleeve is shrink fit in place and mechanically adhered to withstand the stresses and shocks encountered in long-term cyclic operation. The device provides specific benefits for an improved sucker rod connection which prestresses the sucker rod pin ends and the coupling in a fashion to resist the development of microcracks and fatigue failures.

A sucker rod string in a petroleum well extends from a power drive at the wellhead, down through the lengths of tubing and concentric casing used in a production system, and connects to the fluid pump at the lowest elevation in the system. The pump receives an accumulating petroleum inflow from the production zone somewhere above it and lifts a column of fluid up through the tubing. The power drive at the wellhead may be a reciprocating beam system, often called a horsehead, and the sucker rod string then reciprocates a downhole plunger pump which lifts fluid upward through the tubing. The power source may alternatively be a rotary drive coupled via the sucker rod string to a longitudinally extended progressing (or "progressive") cavity pump.
At the wellhead, the fluid product raised through the tubing is diverted to a lateral outflow and the flow path is closed off by seals about a special interconnection rod which couples the upper end of the sucker rod string to the horsehead or rotary drive. This interconnection rod, called a polish (or polished) rod, must meet stringent requirements because it must provide a low wear durable seal as well as withstand the tensions and stresses engendered by the well operation. It must bear the weight of the sucker rod string as the string cycles, as well as the mass of the fluid column that is being lifted, and it must also resist transitory forces which occur during the pumping, whether reciprocating or rotary. These forces arise variably from impacts, inertial variations and stresses induced longitudinally or by torsion. Since the polish rod reciprocates through fluid seals at the wellhead, it must function uniformly without leaking or undue friction through the operating life of the polish rod. For these reasons, the polish rod diameter is typically larger in diameter than the sucker rods in the string, and is of a suitable high strength material. To provide affective sealing, the surface of the polish rod is spray metal coated with a hard alloy and ground and polished to provide a long life uniform surface which introduces little wear.
Over years of development and use in the oil industry, technical changes have been made to meet constantly increasing artificial lift requirements. Thus a relatively early (pre-1940) specification from the American Petroleum Institute (API) defined a polish rod in which one end had a forged upset area, including a shouldered element having a rod pin machined on it. The other end had no shoulder but terminated in straight threads of a specified API polish rod design. The thread design terminated the straight threads with 3 partial threads along a 9° (nine degree) taper. The shouldered polish rod specification became effectively obsolete while lift requirements were still relatively low because it was felt that there was no structural need for the shoulder. Consequently, both ends of the polish rod have connection threads of the straight API polish rod type without a shoulder.
As artificial lift requirements increased because of increases in the depth of wells along with greater demand for petroleum products, new sucker rod designs were developed for greater performance. It became evident that the polish rod thread configuration often became a weak link in the rod string under more demanding conditions. Shock and impact forces encountered with gas or fluid pounding appeared to be the most frequent failure consideration, because these forces excessively stressed the polish rod connection threads as they alone absorbed longitudinal stresses and impact forces on the rod. Such breakdowns are aggravated because, it is well known, movement between threaded members tends to destroy the connection.
Polish rod connection failures were evidenced, for both beam pumping and progressive cavity pumping, by "belling out" (radial expansion) of the coupling due to the prior sucker rod design. In beam pumping systems the 9° terminal taper and partial threads allowed the tapered threat sections to go deeper and deeper into the coupling, causing threads to shear or even split the coupling. In rotary systems gas absorbed in the stator elastomer, results in torque increasing, which may be accompanied by torque spikes caused by the ingestion, by the pump of formation solids, with failures like those mentioned above.
Applicant has shown that prestressing of connections in sucker rod systems can be used to advantage, as described in Carstensen U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,254 issued Sep. 13, 2005, and Carstensen patent application Ser. No. 09/961,391 filed Jul. 25, 2001. Improvement of the polish rod connection so as to take advantage of these beneficial expedients while providing the needed structural and sealing properties are desirable objectives.


A molded voltage sensor is provided that achieves excellent sensing accuracy over a wide temperature range by molding promary and secondary capacitances are of a voltage divider into a solid dielectric material and wherein th e capacitances are preferably fabricated from the same material, or at least materials having nearly identical temperature coefficients of permittivity. In a preferred arrangement, a first member of dielectric material includes a conductive pattern of the outer surface thereof and an electrical connection attached to the conductive pattern. The first memberis the molded into a prerdetermined location with respect to a central conductor and a layer of the dielectric molding material is also molded over the exterior of the first member. Another conductive pattern is formed on the over-molded layer. The overall assembly is then molded to form a body of the sesired shape and provides insulation between the conductor and the conductive patterns.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sensors for the electrical power distribution field and more particularly to a molded voltage sensor that achieves excellent sensing accuracy over a wide temperature range.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various voltage sensing arrangements are known in the electrical power distribution field that utilize molding technology. For example, see the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 6,031,368; 6,538,422; 5,438,161; 5,162,726, and 4,002,976.
While the prior art arrangements may be useful, it would be desirable to provide a voltage sensor that schieves excellent sensing accuracy over a wide temperature range.

Voltage sensing apparatus for medium-voltage electrical power distribution systems


Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques for crowdsourcing metadata, such as to create, maintain, utilize, and/or communicate metadata in a datastore. Some embodiments are particularly directed to collecting, managing, and/or distributing metadata via a user interface application (UIA), or an extension thereof. Many embodiments may facilitate collaborative creation of a repository for metadata, such as notes, characteristics, and/or statistics corresponding to data viewed with the user interface application. For example, the comments regarding websites may be collected from a first user via a first instantiation of the web browser extension and distributed to a second user via a second instantiation of the web browser extension. In several embodiments, the metadata may be collected and managed with instantiations of the web browser extension (herein after “WBE instants”) and a data manager may create, maintain, utilize, and/or communicate metadata in a datastore.

Generally, metadata may refer to data that provides information about other data. Different types of metadata can include descriptive, structural, administrative, reference, and statistical metadata. Descriptive metadata is descriptive information about a resource. It is used for discovery and identification. It includes elements such as title, abstract, author, and keywords. Structural metadata is metadata about containers of data and indicates how compound objects are put together, for example, how pages are ordered to form chapters. It describes the types, versions, relationships and other characteristics of digital materials. Administrative metadata is information to help manage a resource, like resource type, permissions, and when and how it was created. Reference metadata is information about the contents and quality of statistical data. Statistical metadata, also called process data, may describe processes that collect, process, or produce statistical data.