A solid-state CCD image pick-up device includes optoelectric transducing elements corresponding to pixels vertically and horizontally arrayed in a matrix forming column linear arrays defining a column direction and at least one vertical charge transfer path associated with a corresponding adjacent column linear array. Pixel signals are vertically transferred from the column linear arrays to the vertical charge transfer paths such that gate signals occurring at predetermined times are applied to gate electrodes of the vertical charge transfer paths to permit the pixel signals to be scan read by a horizontal charge transfer path. Switching elements are provided for transfer gate electrodes and a drive circuit sequentially generates drive signals for groups of gate electrodes during periods in which the switching elements are rendered conductive to allow a full frame scan read to be performed by supplying a predetermined number of timing signals to the gate electrodes. The pick-up device can be fabricated with high density integration and high pixel density and can be provided with an improved vertical overflow drain structure. The image pick-up device also provides an electronic shutter function having improved vertical resolution. A shift register for producing improved vertical resolution is also disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to a solid-state image pick-up device of the charge-coupled device (CCD) type. More specifically, the present invention relates to solid-state image pick-up devices which may be fabricated with high density integration and high pixel density. According to one aspect of the present invention, a solid-state image pick-up device is provided with an improved vertical overflow drain structure. According to another aspect of the present invention, a solid-state image pick-up device provides an electronic shutter function having improved vertical resolution. In particular, the present invention employs a shift register for producing improved vertical resolution. The present invention is particularly advantageous for solid-state image pick-up devices providing functions for photographing a motion picture in an interlace scan read mode and photographing a still picture in a noninterlace/frame scan read mode.

Solid-state image pick-up device for the charge-coupled device type synchronizing drive signals for a full-frame read-out


Disclosed is a grinding machine comprising oscillating driving means (3, 4) for setting grinding means (1) into an oscillating grinding motion and an actuation device (7) that is provided with a plurality of actuation areas (8) which can be triggered such that different zones of the grinding means (1) are alternately actuated independently of the oscillating grinding motion.

Such a sanding machine is described, for example, in the embodiment of a belt sanding machine in EP 0 543 947 B1. In this case, an abrasive adhering to a plate is coupled by oscillation drive means to a sanding machine frame in such a way that a translatory orbital movement is superimposed on a second movement of the plate relative to the sanding machine frame. The two superimposed movements are intended to prevent a regular sanding pattern from being produced. The two superimposed movements are coupled to one another.
For example, EP 0 155 380 B1 discloses a belt sanding machine which has a link pressure beam with a multiplicity of pressure shoes arranged next to one another. The pressure shoes are triggered as a function of the contour, to be processed, of the workpiece in such a way that only the pressure shoes actually required for the workpiece are in an effective sanding position and press the abrasive in these pressure regions onto the workpiece.
Furthermore, DE 27 57 314 and DE 1 921 566 disclose sanding machines having pneumatically operated pressure beams. The pneumatically operated pressure beams are triggered by solenoid valves, so that the reaction time is disadvantageously relatively long.
Disclosed in Austrian Patent AT 226105 is a non-oscillating belt sanding machine in which a lamella-like pressure strip is moved at reduced speed parallel to an endless sanding belt. Due to the lamella-like surface of the pressure belt, which rests on the inside of the endless sanding belt and is pressed together with the latter onto the workpiece, the pressure on the sanding belt is not uniform over the sanding surface. On the contrary, the pressure is exerted on the sanding belt in a continuously shifting manner and in a finely distributed manner at intervals over the entire length of the workpiece, so that the quality of the sanding and also of the sanding performance can be substantially improved. In this case, the belt sanding machine is rigid and performs no oscillating sanding movement.

Grinding machine and method for grinding a workpiece


An adhesive resin composition comprising, based on the total weight of the composition, a first resin component having one or more glass transition temperatures of about −15 to about 50° C.; optionally, up to about 49 weight percent of a second resin component having one or more glass transition temperatures greater than about 100° C.; and up to about 50 weight percent of a particulate inorganic filler; wherein a tan δ value of the adhesive resin composition is greater than about 0.2 over a temperature range of about −15 to about 50° C. when measured at a frequency of 1 Hz. The adhesive resin compostions are of particular utility in suspension assemblies.

This invention relates to disk drives, and in particular relates to metal laminates for disk drives comprising resin disposed on one metal layer or between two metal layers.
Disk drives store information on concentric, recorded tracks written on one or more rotatable magnetic recording disks. A magnetic head or transducer element is provided for each such disk, and moves from track to track, to either read previously stored information or to record information on the magnetic tracks ("read"-"write", respectively). The electromagnetic transducer typically is carried in a slider body mechanism that is supported over the surface of a rotating disk by a self-acting, hydrodynamic air bearing. The slider body/transducer combination is referred to collectively as a "head", and it is attached to a suspension assembly that suspends and loads the head toward the disk surface. The suspension assembly is in turn connected to a rotary or linear actuator that controllably moves the head from track to track on the disk, in response to electrical signals generated by controlling circuitry.
The suspension assembly may comprise a single element or several connected elements. Generally the suspension assembly comprises a structural element and a circuit element. The structural element, sometimes known as a load beam, provides physical support for the head and the circuit element electronically connects the head to the remainder of the disk drive. In some instances the structural element is configured such that it also functions as the circuit element.
There is a continuing trend towards increasing density in disk drives. Continuing improvements in magnetic recording media, head designs, and control circuitry have permitted data tracks to become narrower and closer together, requiring lighter and more selectively flexible suspension assemblies. Additionally, as data retrieval becomes faster, disks spin at increasing speeds. The increased speeds cause vibrational effects (also known as windage effects). It is becoming increasingly important for the suspension assembly to have damping capability over the disk operating temperature and frequency ranges in addition to being lightweight and selectively flexible.
Laminates are an attractive material for suspension assemblies. Laminates comprising a resin layer and at least one metal layer are widely used in the electronic industry for applications such as circuit boards and components used in disk drives. Laminates are generally required to have high bond strength (peel strength) and high dimensional stability. Some laminate applications require additional characteristics. For example, laminates used in disk drive applications must have low levels of ionic contamination, low melamine levels, contain no silicone, low levels of organic tin (preferably none), and low levels of organic out-gassing.
Chemical etching and plasma etching techniques can be used to achieve the desired bending characteristics of laminates (selective flexibility). The removal of metal by chemical etching and the removal of resin by either chemical etching or plasma etching from selected locations of the laminate and the resultant variations in laminate thickness both reduce the weight of the laminate and change its dynamic characteristics. Etching must have a high rate, be as clean as possible, and must have minimum undercuts to achieve the desired design density.
There is a need in the art for suspension assemblies and laminates with improved properties, particularly damping capability under disk drive operating conditions (temperature and frequency) and good chemical and/or plasma etchability.

Adhesive resin with high damping properties and method of manufacture thereof


A smart card wallet for holding a plurality of smart cards. The smart card wallet comprises a front surface plate; a back surface plate; a communication interface configured to receive instructions from a transaction terminal; a switch coupled to the communication interface; an internal core coupled between the front surface plate and the back surface plate, the internal core comprises: a first cavity configured to hold a first smart card that stores one or more sets of information associated with a first account of a user; a second cavity configured to hold a second smart card that stores one or more sets of information associated with a second account of the user, wherein the switch is configured to provide the instructions to the first smart card by electrically coupling the communication interface to the first smart card while the second card remains disabled.

Currently, there are few solutions for consolidating smart chip card. Some of these solutions are costly and fail to meet the needs of the industry because of their complexity and tech savvy required to use. Other solutions attempt to memorize your cards and store them, but again are difficult to adopt by people and institutions that are not diverse in the technology.

Smart card system for holding multiple smart cards


A backrest angle adjusting mechanism and an infant carrier having the same. The backrest angle adjusting mechanism is assembled between a seat body and a backrest of the infant carrier, the seat body being installed on a frame, the backrest being rotatably connected to the seat body, wherein the backrest angle adjusting mechanism comprises a fixing member, an adjustment member, and a connecting member, one end of the connecting member is connected to the backrest, the other end of the connecting member is connected to the fixing member, one end of the adjustment member is connected to the seat body or the frame to form a connecting part, and the other end of the adjustment member is bypassed around the fixing member to form an operating part, operating of the operating part causes the adjustment member to slide on the fixing member to rotate in respect to the seat body.

An infant carrier, such as a stroller, a baby seat, a safety seat and the like generally has a seat body and a backrest. At present, there are two common types of infant carriers in the market, and one of them is an infant carrier being relatively simple with a non-adjustable backrest. Such an infant carrier, because its backrest and seat body are fixedly arranged, and the inclination angle of the backrest is not adjustable, cannot meet different usage requirements well, thereby reducing the comfort of use and the adaptability. Another common infant carrier has a backrest with an inclination angle being adjustable in respect with the seat body, but the structure of the adjustment mechanism is relatively complicated, the manufacturing cost is high, and the backrest cannot be effectively adjusted to a vertical position perpendicular to the seat body, thereby making the entire structure of the infant carrier relatively complicated and inconvenient to operate, which affects the use of users.
Therefore, it is urgently needed for a backrest angle adjusting mechanism which is simple in structure, easy to operate, low cost, and can realize backrest adjustment, and it is urgently needed for an infant carrier having such backrest angle adjusting mechanism as well, so as to overcome the above-mentioned problems.

Backrest angle adjusting mechanism and infant carrier having the same


Aspects of the subject technology relate to executing a boot sequence from a recovery image. A determination of a validity of one or more keyblocks is made. A determination of a first version identifier and a second version identifier is made. A comparison of the first version identifier and the second version identifier is performed. A boot sequence from a recovery image is executed based on the comparison.

The present disclosure generally relates to the recovery of a computing system and, in particular, for example, to recovery rollback risk reduction.
Computing systems (e.g., desktop computers, laptops, netbooks, tablets, smart phones, mobile devices, servers, etc.) generally operate using a combination of firmware and software that is configured to execute on the hardware of a given computing system. A given set of firmware and software that is used to operate a computing system may be referred to as an operating image for the computing system.


Laser systems have a line-narrowed master oscillator and a power oscillator for amplifying the output of the master oscillator. The power oscillator includes optical arrangements for limiting the bandwidth of radiation that can be amplified. The limited amplification bandwidth of the power oscillator is relatively broad compared to that of the output of the master oscillator, but narrower than would be the case without the bandwidth limiting arrangements. The bandwidth narrowing arrangements of the power oscillator function primarily to restrict the bandwidth of amplified spontaneous emission generated by the power oscillator.

Excimer lasers including MOPO systems and master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) systems are extensively used as light sources for UV microlithography in the manufacture of state-of-the-art semiconductor integrated circuits. Such excimer lasers have to satisfy challenging and often mutually conflicting technical requirements, due to an ever-increasing demand for smaller critical dimensions of the integrated circuits, together with higher production throughput and reduced running cost of UV microlithography systems. Important requirements of an excimer laser for UV microlithography include high output power and pulse energy, long output pulse duration, narrow spectral bandwidth and high spectral purity of the output beam, and high reliability and long lifetime of components.
One reason for the long pulse requirement is that optical damage induced in the projection lens of a UV microlithography system (step-and-repeat system or "stepper"), depends on the peak intensity of laser light in light-pulses delivered by the excimer laser. Reducing peak intensity while still maintaining average power in the pulses can extend the lifetime of a projection lens without reducing system throughput. Since average power, pulse repetition rate and beam size in the projection lens are properties of the laser and can not be changed easily, peak intensity is typically reduced by extending the duration of a laser pulse after it is delivered by the laser, and before it is delivered to the projection lens. This is accomplished through the use of what is known in the art as a passive pulse-stretcher, the pulse stretcher being located at the laser output.
Such a passive pulse-stretcher typically consists of a beam splitter and several mirrors for beam folding and imaging. The mirrors form an optical delay line. Some of the light in a pulse input to the pulse stretcher is transmitted through the beam splitter, and some of the light is reflected. The reflected light is sent through the delay line and, after one round trip through the delay line, returns to the beam splitter. There, some of the light is transmitted, while some of the light is reflected and sent through the delay line again. Such a pulse stretcher consequently generates a train of pulses, each thereof having a fraction of the energy of the originally input pulse, and which are separated temporally by the round trip time of the delay line.
One limitation the passive pulse-stretcher is that it is energy inefficient. This is due to scatter and absorption losses at the beamsplitter and components of the optical delay line. Optical losses can be as high as ten percent per round trip or even greater. Another limitation is that the stretching ratio of the pulse is limited. This is because the energy of pulses in the train generated by the pulse-stretcher becomes vanishingly smaller after the second pulse. This limits the stretching factor of the pulse-stretcher to less than 3. In a case where the pulse has to be stretched by a greater factor, two or more consecutive pulse-stretchers have to be used, which adds to energy inefficiency. Energy inefficiency converts to higher cost of the system and higher operating cost of the system. For these reasons, it would be preferable that the laser initially emitted a longer pulse, so that the pulse stretcher could be made simpler and more efficient.
High spectral purity, or low ASE level in the output of the laser, are important in order to achieve high contrast of the mask image at the wafer. This allows for reduced critical dimensions and increased process latitude. Typically, an integral ASE level of below several times 10−4 is required in systems operating at a wavelength of 193 nm.
High output power is important for high throughput of the manufacturing process. Typically, the required power is set by the transmission of the optical lithography projection apparatus and required rate of wafer throughput of the stepper. A conventional, single-oscillator, excimer laser cannot provide the required high output power with the required narrow spectral emission bandwidth. These two requirements are in conflict with each other, since for obtaining the narrow bandwidth the oscillator must run at low output power. At higher powers, sophisticated means for spectral line narrowing including prisms and gratings cannot be employed. Accordingly, preferred laser systems employ above-mentioned MOPA or MOPO laser systems. Such systems include a combination of a low-power master oscillator (MO) with superior narrow spectral emission bandwidth, and a power amplifier (PA) or a power oscillator (PO), which then amplifies a narrow bandwidth signal from the master oscillator to a high power output beam.
FIGS. 1A and 1B schematically illustrate prior-art MOPA laser systems 20 and 22 respectively. MOPA 20 includes a master oscillator 24 and a power amplifier 26. Master oscillator 24 includes a line-narrowing unit 25 including wavelength selective optical elements such as prisms, and often a grating used in cooperation with prisms. As such line-narrowing arrangements in a master oscillator are well known in the art, the arrangements are not discussed in detail herein. An output beam (pulse) 28 from oscillator 20 is directed by mirrors 30 and 32 into power amplifier 26. The beam makes a single pass through amplifier 26, is amplified therein, and is output therefrom as amplified radiation. In MOPA 22, a power amplifier 27 is arranged for double pass amplification. An output beam (pulse) 28 from oscillator 20 is directed by mirrors 30 and 32 into power amplifier 26. Beam 28 makes a first pass through amplifier 27 and is reflected from a mirror 31 back through the power amplifier. The beam is amplified on each pass through the amplifier and the amplified beam is directed out of MOPA 22 by mirror 33.
FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically illustrate prior-art MOPO laser systems 34 and 40 respectively. MOPO 34 includes a master oscillator 24 (including line-narrowing elements 25) and a power oscillator 36 having a stable resonator formed by a partially transparent input mirror 38 and a partially transmitting outcoupling mirror 39. An output pulse 28 from master oscillator 24 is directed by mirrors 30 and 32 through partially transmitting mirror 38 into the power oscillator and seeds the oscillator. This causes the power oscillator to oscillate with the characteristics of the seed pulse. MOPO 40 utilizes a Cassegrain-type unstable resonator power oscillator 37 formed between a concave mirror 41 and a convex outcoupling mirror 43. Mirror 41 has an aperture 42 therein which allows efficient incoupling of the seed beam (pulse) 28 into the power oscillator. In this type of power oscillator, mirrors 41 and 43 are usually arranged as close to the gain chamber of the oscillator (not explicitly shown) as possible. This results in a short round-trip time, for example about 10 nanoseconds (ns), which helps to achieve maximum energy extraction efficiency from the gain chamber, but the resulting output pulse length is only 20 ns. Having a shortest possible resonator is consistent with the limitations of space available within the volume and footprint of the laser enclosure, as both are very valuable in a clean room environment.
The output power of a MOPA depends directly on the power of the master oscillator. The optical design of a MOPA is simpler than that of a MOPO, at least when the power amplifier is used in single pass as depicted in FIG. 1A. However, the power extraction efficiency is limited, especially if the master oscillator emits low power. For a multiple pass amplifier, such as illustrated in FIG. 1B, the setup quickly becomes complicated, as the output and input beams have to be spatially separated. Since the output power of the amplifier depends on the input from the master oscillator, the master oscillator still has to emit comparably high power, which sets a limit to narrowing of the spectral emission bandwidth in the master oscillator.
In a MOPO arrangement, the master oscillator functions only as a low power seed source for the power oscillator, which oscillates and emits high power with the same bandwidth as the master oscillator. The power oscillator is a fully functional oscillator, which, in free lasing, emits maximum output power stored in the gain medium. The power of the seed source (master oscillator) has limited influence on the output power from the power oscillator. Since only low power is needed for seeding, the master oscillator can run at a much lower output power level. Because of this sophisticated methods for narrowing the spectral emission bandwidth can be employed. A MOPO arrangement, accordingly, is strongly preferred for high power narrow bandwidth operation.
In a MOPO system, however, degradation of internal optical components due to exposure to high energy UV radiation occurs more rapidly than in a MOPA laser. This is especially true of the outcoupling mirror of a MOPO laser, which is at normal incidence to a high-intensity output beam. Further, the power oscillator of a MOPO laser, if not seeded, oscillates independently and emits light with broad spectral characteristics. Also, if seeding is insufficient, a background of broad emission characteristics will overlay the narrow bandwidth spectrum of the seed source. Such background is highly undesirable, especially for lithography applications. Even when seeding is nearly perfect, some background of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) still exists. Such background has to be suppressed to obtain high spectral purity.
Another disadvantage of a MOPO laser system results from cross talk between the master oscillator and the power amplifier. This cross talk can degrade the performance of the master oscillator. Seeding of the power amplifier is usually accomplished by means of a partially reflecting mirror, which is also the rear mirror of the power oscillator, as discussed above with respect to MOPO 34 of FIG. 2A. Both the seed beam and the rear mirror have to be aligned to the axis of the power oscillator. The master oscillator and power oscillator share the same optical axis, and the rear mirrors and outcoupling mirrors of both oscillators are normal to the optical axis. Cross talk results from mutual feed back between the two oscillators.
Two solutions have been applied to this cross talk problem. One solution is to provide sufficient optical length between the two oscillators that the entire length of the seed pulse is already emitted from the master oscillator before the cross talk can set in. Providing an optical delay line of sufficient length between master oscillator and power oscillator can effectively suppress cross talk. Such a delay line, however, consumes valuable space inside a laser enclosure.
Another potential solution would be to align the mirrors of the power oscillator off the optical axis of the master oscillator. This option, unfortunately, is not feasible for a linear power oscillator. There is a need to overcome the cross-talk problem and other above-discussed shortcomings of MOPO lasers.

Bandwidth-limited and long pulse master oscillator power oscillator laser systems


A process for the recovery of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile from an aqueous solution comprising subjecting the said solution to a water extractive distillation by feeding the solution to a distillation column and performing said extractive distillation and using solvent water introduced at the top of said column, removing a first overhead vapor stream of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile with some water from the top of the column, and a first liquid stream containing water and impurities from the bottom of the column, the contents of said column maintained at a substantially neutral pH by adding a sufficient amount of at least one alkaline compound selected from ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, ammonium carbamate, and alkylene diamines to the overhead decanter and/or to the solvent water.

This invention is directed to an improved process for the recovery of nitrile monomer from the reactor effluent from a hydrocarbon ammoxidation reactor. More particularly, the invention is directed to an improved process for the recovery of nitrile monomer contained in the effluent stream from the ammoxidation of propylene, propane, isobutane or isobutylene in the production of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile.
The processes widely used in commercial practice for recovering the products of hydrocarbon ammoxidation generally comprise the steps of: a) contacting the effluent from an ammoxidation reactor in a quench tower with an aqueous quench liquid to cool the gaseous effluent; b) contacting the quenched effluent with water in an absorber, forming an aqueous solution comprising the ammoxidation products; c) subjecting said aqueous solution to extractive distillation with water in the recovery column to separate the crude monomer as an overhead vapor stream and collect water soluble, less volatile contaminants in a liquid waste stream from the bottom of the column; and d) condensing an overhead vapor stream to form an organic phase comprising nitrile monomer and an aqueous phase, and decanting the organic phase containing crude monomer. Further purification of the nitrile monomer may be accomplished by passing said organic phase to a second distillation column to remove at least some impurities from the crude nitrile monomer, and further distilling the partially purified nitrile in a third distillation column to obtain the purified acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile.
Processes for recovery and purification of acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile are well known and widely described in the art, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,107,509, 4,234,510, 3,885,928, 3,459,639, 3,352,764, and 3,198,750. The entire disclosure of each of said patents is incorporated herein by reference.
Hydrocarbon ammoxidation, particularly of alkanes, is typically conducted using substantial excesses of ammonia. Ammonia that is not consumed in the ammoxidation exits the reactor in the effluent, together with nitrile monomer and reaction by-products including hydrocyanic acid, cyanoalkane and the corresponding aldehyde and the like. The by-products react with nitrile monomer in the presence of unreacted ammonia, or with one another. It is therefore necessary to separate the ammonia from the effluent stream immediately after the stream exits the ammoxidation reactor. Conventionally, the unreacted ammonia is removed in the form of a salt as a part of the quench operation, step a, by including sufficient acid, for example, sulfuric acid, in the aqueous quench liquid to neutralize and capture the excess ammonia. Depending upon several process factors including the ability to accurately meter and control the addition of the several reaction components and the reaction parameters, substantially all of the excess ammonia will be captured in the quench step.
The aqueous solution obtained from the absorber in the subsequent absorption step (step b) will comprise the water soluble components of the effluent including nitrile monomer, the corresponding coproducts including alkylnitrile and hydrocyanic acid, together with minor amounts of contaminants. For example, in an acrylonitrile process, the solution will include acrylonitrile, acetonitrile and HCN, together with a minor amounts of acrolein and other carbonyl compounds, residual ammonia, cyanohydrins and other contaminants. The pH will vary, depending in part upon the relative levels of HCN and residual ammonia.
Acrylonitrile and valuable coproducts including acetonitrile are separated in the recovery column. The separation is greatly affected by the pH of the system, which will preferably be maintained in the range of from about 5.5 to about 7.5, more preferably from about 6 to about 7. Within the preferred pH range, acrolein and other carbonyl contaminants react with water and HCN, forming high molecular weight, water soluble products that remain with the aqueous phase. Maintaining the system pH in the preferred range will also neutralize other volatile contaminants including nitrogen oxides, removing them from the product stream. A more alkaline condition promotes formation of HCN trimers and polymers, and leads to loss of product through nitrile hydrolysis and polymerization of nitrile monomer. Side reactions form high molecular weight products that may be carried into the column and lead to fouling of the column. At a low pH, acrolein and other volatile contaminants may escape to the overhead and contaminate the product stream.
The recovery column may be maintained at a near neutral pH by monitoring the pH and adding an appropriate amount of an alkaline compound to the system as required. The addition may be made at any convenient point; typically, the addition will be to the aqueous phase in the overhead decanter and to the solvent water fed to the column.
A variety of water soluble caustic additives including alkali metal hydroxides such as potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide have been disclosed in the art for this use, as have ammonia, alkyl amines and the like. However, these additives tend to react with one or more of the products. Contacting the product stream with strong caustics may initiate polymerizations and other side reactions; to avoid these difficulties, the caustic will be well-diluted with water, further adding to the disposal problem. Ammonia and water soluble alkyl amines undergo cyanoethylation by the nitrile monomer, and amines may be sufficiently soluble in acrylonitrile to be carried into the product stream.
Salts of weak acids, for example, alkali metal and alkaline earth metal carbonates, bicarbonates, acetates, phosphates and the like have also been disclosed for this use, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,740. These mildly alkaline compounds may be added directly to the column or to a process stream without causing significant product loss. The additive most commonly employed in commercial processes for this purpose is soda ash, in part because of its low cost and ready availability. The residual salts resulting from the neutralization accumulate in the still bottoms and are eventually purged from the process as wastewater. Where the neutralizing additive is soda ash or caustic soda, the wastewater will necessarily contain a high level of sodium salts.
Acrylonitrile plants generate a significant volume of wastewater containing organic compounds, ammonia, and inorganic salts. Methods for treating or disposing of these streams include thermal or catalytic incineration, biotreatment, wet oxidation and reduction, and deep welling. These disposal methods represent current general industry practice. Producers of acrylonitrile are, however, studying alternative methods of wastewater handling. Currently, much of the wastewater generated by acrylonitrile plants in the United States is disposed of by the deep welling of streams with low levels of contaminants and the incineration of streams with higher levels of impurities.
Incineration of aqueous wastes containing high levels of sodium gives rise to serious corrosion problems, including erosion of the incinerator furnace refractory liner. Periodic shut-downs of the plant are needed to allow repair of the incinerator and replacement of the refractory, substantially adding to operating costs. Substantially reducing the level of sodium in effluent wastewater, thereby reducing damage to the incinerator and increasing the time between shutdowns, would thus provide a significant economic benefit.

Process for recovering acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile


An elevator group control apparatus collectively controls an elevator system where at least two cars can travel in each shaft independently of each other. The apparatus has a destination floor registration device installed at each hall for passengers to register destination floors and to indicate to passengers which cars will serve respectively for the registered destination floors. Priority zones and a shared zone for upper cars and for lower cars are set; a judgment is made as to whether the shared zone set can be entered by an upper or lower car; a car is put on standby based on the judgment a car is sent to a withdrawal floors, as necessary, after a service is completed. A car is selected as a candidate for assignment to a destination call if, according to the destination to be served by each car and the zones set for each car, so that the car would cause neither collision nor safety stop; and a car is assigned based on the selection.

To control a bank of plural elevators, group control is usually conducted to efficiently run these plural elevators. In some elevator systems, a plurality of cars serve in a single shaft. Different greatly from an elevator system where only a single car serves in each shaft, control of such an elevator system is required to not only raise the transportation efficiency but also avoid collision between cars.
For example, the above-mentioned requirement is taken into consideration in Japanese Patent No. 3029168 as known. In that specification, a control scheme is proposed for a horizontally-movable shuttle elevator system where a plurality of independently driven cars are circulated along each common shaft through turnaround spaces provided respectively on the highest and lowest stories. By setting a car approach inhibition zone to each car, the control scheme controls the cars so that each car may not enter this zone of another car.
Another example is described in "Basic studies of shuttle elevator systems for mass transportation in a building", Atsuya Fujino and two others, Trans. of the Institute of Electrical Engineers (Japan) D, 1997, vol. 117, No. 7, p. 815-822. According to this document, the elevator system evaluates the excursion of each car, etc. When a car is coming closer to a floor at which a hall call has occurred, it is determined based on the evaluation whether to stop the car at the hall in response to the call.
However, since the above-mentioned prior art techniques assume application to horizontally movable shuttle elevator systems, it is difficult to apply them to an elevator system where horizontal movement is not possible. That is, since the cars in a shuttle elevator system are assumed to move in the same direction while they move in the same shaft, withdrawing a car depends on its horizontal movement. Therefore, consideration is not given to how to avoid collision and withdraw a car where horizontal movement is not possible.
Moreover, the above-mentioned prior art techniques have another common drawback in that if a car carrying passengers is stopped for safety, the passengers must wait in the closed space. This psychologically disturbs them although the waiting time is short.
The present invention is intended to solve the above-described problem. It is an object of the present invention to provide an elevator group control apparatus capable of preventing collision and minimizing the frequency of safety stops in an elevator system with plural cars in each shaft while efficiently operating the elevator system.


A device and method for tempering sections of hot-formed and/or press-hardened metal components is disclosed having a support structure and a work head, the work head having at least one contact element consisting of an electrically-conductive material, for heating sections of a metal component using a flow of heat. Electrodes for resistively heating the contact element are connected thereto, and to a current source. A hot-formed and/or press-hardened metal component is first provided, and at least one contact element mounted on a work head is heated to a temperature greater than a target temperature to which a section of the metal component is to be heated. A contact surface of said contact element then comes into full-surface contact with the metal component section to be heated, with a predetermined pressing force, such that the metal component is heated to a target temperature in at least some sections by a flow of heat. The contact element is thus heated using resistive heating.

Hot-formed and/or press-hardened components are used in many fields in the automotive industry. By using high-strength or ultra-high-strength steels it is possible for components having high strength and simultaneously low weight to be produced in order for targeted lightweight construction concepts to be implemented.
However, it is envisaged in a multiplicity of components which at times can be shaped in a complex manner that the material properties vary in regions. High strength and low ductility can thus be envisaged in one region of the component, whereas these conditions are to be exactly opposite in other regions of the component.
These tailored properties can be relevant in terms of all components of a motor vehicle, for example A pillars, B pillars, suspension arms, door impact strips, and the like.
After a heat-treatment and press-hardening procedure in which a steel material is heated to a temperature higher than AC3 such that an austenitic microstructure is formed in the material, a forming procedure and a quenching procedure which generates a martensitic microstructure in the formed component follow. The component then has homogenous material properties, that is to say that the entire component has a uniformly high strength and low ductility. In order for the ductility to be increased in regions in a further heat-treatment step, it is known in the prior art for these regions to be subsequently heated and to thus initiate a renewed conversion of the microstructure.
DE 10 2011 078 075 A1 thus discloses a series of methods in which a low tensile strength is to be generated in regions in a formed component. A heat-treatment and press-hardening procedure herein is performed on an initial blank, the resulting product having a substantially uniform first tensile strength. By performing a heat-treatment post-processing on the product it is achieved that a lower second tensile strength is set in regions in the component. The possibility of temperature-controlling the product in regions by using conduction heating is disclosed inter alia herein. The product herein is positioned between heated plates, and a hydraulic cylinder in a tool brings the heated plates into contact with those regions to be heated. Heat conduction from the heated plates into the respective regions of the product is achieved by the pressure.
This approach is disadvantageous in particular when only small regions are to be subsequently heated on the metal components produced. This is the case, for example, when attachment locations for other components, for example hinges or similar, are to be subsequently incorporated, or when the component is yet to be bored or cut in a localized manner. It is advantageous in this instance for the material to have a lower strength at those locations. To this end, the press devices illustrated in DE 10 2011 078 075 A1 are too complex and too expensive, and moreover have a high space requirement. Moreover, said press devices are not suitable for tempering small regions since the high pressures arising cause a high level of wear on the tools.

Device and method for tempering sections of metal components


A curable composition is disclosed, including (A) an oxypropylene polymer having a narrow molecular weight distribution which does not have any branched chain, is linear and has at least one reactive silicon atom-containing group; and (B) an oxypropylene polymer having a narrow molecular weight distribution which has at least one branched chain and at least one reactive silicon atom-containing group. Cured articles obtained from the curable composition have a tear strength which is unexpectedly higher than the tear strength of the cured article of the component (A) alone or the component (B) alone.

Oxypropylene polymers having a reactive silicon group(s) are polymers which are capable of becoming liquid polymers and are cured in the presence of moisture at room temperature to form rubbery elastic cured articles. Accordingly, these polymers are used in the fields of elastic sealants and adhesives for architectural structures.
It is desirable that these polymers have an appropriate viscosity when blended or applied. Further, it is desirable that these polymers have a given molecular weight to provide cured articles having desired mechanical characteristics, particularly rubber elasticity high in flexibility.
Many methods for preparing organic polymers having reactive silicon groups in the molecule have been proposed. For example, organic polymers (trade mark: MS polymer) having a main chain composed of an oxypropylene polymer and methoxysilyl groups at terminals are manufactured by Kanegafuchi Kagaku Kogyo K.K. and are commercially available.
However, there is conventionally a difficulty in manufacturing oxypropylene polymers having a narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn ratio measured by GPC is small) and a high molecular weight. Accordingly, only polymers having a wide molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn measured by GPC is large) including oxypropylene polymers having reactive silicon groups have been conventionally used.
It has recently been reported that an oxypropylene polymer having a narrow molecular weight distribution has been obtained. Polymers having a main chain composed of an oxypropylene polymer having a narrow molecular weight distribution and reactive silicon groups, as terminal groups, introduced into the terminals of the polymer chain, have a low viscosity before curing.
The present inventors have found that a composition comprising a mixture of a linear polymer having no branched chain and a polymer having at least one branched chain in a curable composition comprising oxypropylene polymers having a narrow molecular weight distribution gives a cured article having a greatly improved tear strength which is unexpectedly higher than that which can be estimated from tear strength of cured articles of each the polymers. The present invention has been accomplished on the basis of this finding.

Kanegafuchi Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha