An optical fiber cable includes a jacket and modules including optical fibers. The jacket has an interior that forms an elongate conduit between proximal and distal ends. The modules extend lengthwise through the conduit without being bound together in a pattern of twisting or wound together in a pattern of stranding. Also, the jacket and modules are sized such that free space is provided within the conduit between the modules and the jacket. The jacket is at least ten meters long, and the orientation, alignment, and size of the modules allow individual modules to slide lengthwise relative to one another through the conduit. Pulling one of the modules from the proximal end of the jacket while holding the other modules fixed at the distal end of the jacket draws the one module further into the jacket on the distal end of the jacket.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to optical fiber cables, interconnect assemblies including the optical fiber cables, and methods of manufacturing the interconnect assemblies.
Interconnect cable assemblies are typically used to connect servers and other hardware in data centers and other facilities. Due to industry trends of increasing speed, memory, and density of hardware in data centers, management and organization of correspondingly increasing numbers of optical fiber cables as well as complexity of the associated interconnections becomes more and more of an issue. Accordingly interconnect cable assemblies have been developed to help control and organize the optical fiber cables and interconnections in a data center. One such development includes harness cable assemblies.
A harness cable assembly is a particular type of interconnect cable assembly where one end of the harness cable assembly includes a multi-fiber connector that supports optical fibers extending through the harness cable assembly to the other end, which includes furcated legs each having local connectors that support subsets of the optical fibers. A jacket holds discrete subsets of the optical fibers together in modules so that the optical fibers may be efficiently routed together through the data center. Routing the cables together helps to minimize the volume of space used by the optical fiber cables and correspondingly helps to organize densely populated data centers and other facilities. However, conventional manufacturing of harness cable assemblies is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process, which may suffer from low process yields.
Conventionally to manufacture a harness cable assembly, manufacturers first select a length of optical fiber cable. The cable typically includes a jacket surrounding buffer tubes that each include optical fibers. Within the jacket, the buffer tubes are tightly packed together to allow for a minimal jacket diameter, saving space and material costs. The buffer tubes of optical fiber cables are typically stranded. The manufacturers attach local connectors to the optical fibers of the buffer tubes, typically removing about three to seven meters (e.g., ten to twenty feet) of the cable jacket and feeding the optical fibers through an empty furcation tube. However, this approach only allows for a limited length of the harness assembly. In some such cases, the maximum length allowed by this method is about eight meters (e.g., twenty-five feet), because beyond about eight meters, friction generated by pushing the optical fibers through the furcation tube may break the fibers. Furthermore, the lengths of the furcated legs are not adjustable or customizable with the conventional method once local connectors are attached to the legs—thus ruining desired configurations of the legs, such as a precise staggering formations, if a local connector on any of the legs needs to be reworked (e.g., replaced, reattached, etc.) during manufacturing.
Accordingly, a need exists for an interconnect optical fiber cable assembly structure or manufacturing method that allows for longer cable assembly lengths. A need exists for an interconnect optical fiber cable assembly structure or manufacturing method that allows for adjustment of the leg lengths once local connectors are attached to the legs, if a local connector on any of the legs needs to be reworked during manufacturing. A need exists for an interconnect optical fiber cable assembly structure or manufacturing method that reduces time and manufacturing costs of producing the interconnect optical fiber cable, and thereby increasing process yields.

Optical fiber cable and interconnect assembly


A coupling device for transferring substances, in particular medical substances, is disclosed. The coupling device can be used for transferring medical substances between a patient and an infusion bag containing the medical substances. In one or more embodiments, the coupling device may include a piercing member for connection to a medical device such as the infusion bag. A piercing member for a coupling device is also disclosed.

Coupling devices are typically used for providing fluid ports to medical devices and used for transferring medical substances between, for example, devices such as containers and/or for drug administering from a container to a patient. An example of a use is the use of the coupling device together with an infusion bag, which in the following will be described for illuminating purposes.
Infusion bags are used for intravenous delivery of fluids and medically effective substances to human beings and animals. For this reason, the infusion bag is provided with an outlet through which fluid may flow to a component connected to the patient, such as a cannula or the like, and further into the body of the patient. When preparing the fluids which are to be administrated to the body from the infusion bag, a usual method is that medically effective substances are supplied to a pre-sealed infusion bag which is filled with a transport fluid, such as a sodium chloride solution or a glucose solution. The preparation is performed by injecting the medically effective substance via an inlet into the bag.
For accomplishing the desired transferring of fluid a combined inlet and outlet of the infusion bag together with the coupling device which is denoted "injection spike" or just "spike" are often used.
The spike has a needle-formed piercing member by means of which a bather, membrane or septum arranged in a narrow passage of the infusion bag, constituting inlet/outlet of the infusion bag, may be penetrated so that the infusion bag may be opened towards two channels arranged in the spike when the spike is introduced in the inlet/outlet of the infusion bag. One of the channels is intended for conveyance of fluid in a direction from the infusion bag towards the patient and the other channel is intended for injection of medical substances into the infusion bag. In the other end of the spike are members arranged at the mouths of the channels for connection to other components, such as flexible tubes for conveyance of the fluid further to the patient and cannulas for the injection of medical substances to the infusion bag.
WO 2004/004806 A1 discloses such a spike for transferring medical substances and fluids to and from infusion bags.
WO2003/086529 discloses a device for mixing medical fluids and for introducing substances into an infusions system. The device is composed of two portions. The first portion is made of a thermoplastic material, such as polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC) or Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polymer (ABS polymer). The second portion is made of an elastomeric polymer material or a synthetic rubber material.
In view of the known coupling devices, there is a need to provide an improved and/or alternative coupling device, which provides a fluid port to medical devices, while being easy and safe to use for a long-term period.


A disclosed device for generating a pulse-width modulated signal according to image data and based on a pixel clock signal includes a pixel clock generating unit configured to generate the pixel clock signal and a modulated data generating unit configured to generate the pulse-width modulated signal. The pixel clock generating unit includes a multi-phase clock signal generating unit, a comparing unit, a frequency calculation unit, a counting unit, and a pixel clock signal output unit. The modulated data generating unit includes a data converting unit, an edge time calculation unit, and a pulse-width modulated signal output unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a pulse width modulation device and an image forming device.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 26 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of a conventional image forming apparatus such as a laser printer or a digital copier. As shown in FIG. 26, a laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser unit 1009 is deflected by a rotating polygon mirror 1003, passes through a scanning lens 1002, and forms a light spot on a photoconductor 1001 that is a target object to be scanned, thereby exposing the photoconductor 1001 and forming an electrostatic latent image. A photodetector 1004 detects the scanning beam for each line.
A phase-locked loop 1006 receives a clock signal from a clock generating circuit 1005, generates a phase-synchronized image clock signal (pixel clock signal) for each line based on an output signal from the photodetector 1004, and supplies the generated image clock signal to an image processing unit 1007 and a laser driving circuit 1008. The laser driving circuit 1008 controls the light emitting time of the semiconductor laser unit 1009 according to image data generated by the image processing unit 1007 and the phase-synchronized image clock signal generated by the phase-locked loop 1006 for each line and thereby controls the formation of an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 1001.
In a scanning optical system as described above, variation in scanning speed leads to irregularity in an image and therefore degrades image quality. Especially, when forming a color image, variation in scanning speed causes misalignment of color dots in the main scanning direction and thereby causes color shift and reduces color reproducibility and image resolution. Therefore, to improve image quality, it is necessary to reduce the variation in scanning speed.
Major types of scanning speed variation (error in scanning speed) are described below.
(1) Error in Scanning Speed Relating to Reflecting Surfaces of Polygon Mirror
Error in scanning speed may be caused by difference in distance of the reflecting surfaces of a deflector such as a polygon mirror from the rotation shaft (decentering of the axis of a polygon mirror) and difference in precision of the reflecting surfaces. Error in scanning speed relating to the above causes occurs periodically every several scan lines (for example, the number of scan lines corresponding to the number of reflecting surfaces of a polygon mirror).
(2) Error in Average Scanning Speed
Average scanning speed is an average of scanning speeds of the reflecting surfaces of a polygon mirror. Error in average scanning speed is caused by, for example, variation in rotational speed of a polygon mirror and various changes in a scanning optical system caused by environmental changes in temperature, humidity, vibration, and so on. Also, error in average scanning speed may be caused by chromatic aberration in a scanning optical system that occurs when the oscillation wavelength of a semiconductor laser, or a light source, changes because of, for example, temperature change. Error in average scanning speed is moderate compared to other types.
(3) Error in Scanning Speed Relating to Light Source
This type of scanning speed error occurs in a multi-beam optical system including multiple light sources, for example, a semiconductor laser array, where multiple light beams are scanned by the same scanning optical system. Such scanning speed error occurs because of chromatic aberration in a scanning optical system that is caused by different oscillation wavelengths of the light sources. Also, this type of scanning speed error may be caused by inaccurate assembly of multiple light sources. Meanwhile, the scanning speed error as described in (2) may also vary depending on the light source, since the degree of change in oscillation wavelength differs depending on the light source.
(4) Error in Scanning Speed Relating to Scanning Optical System
In an image forming apparatus including multiple photoconductors and scanning optical systems and configured to form a color image, the difference in scanning speeds of the scanning optical systems greatly affects the image quality. The difference in scanning speeds of scanning optical systems may be caused by inaccurate production and assembly of parts in the scanning optical systems and deformation of the parts over time. Also, because of different characteristics of the light sources in the scanning optical systems, scanning speed error as described in (3) may also occur. In this case, scanning speed error as described in (1) and (2) occurs in each of the scanning optical systems and the average scanning speed of the scanning optical systems also fluctuates. There is an image forming apparatus in which some units such as a polygon mirror are shared by multiple scanning optical systems as common units. Even in this case, since the paths of light beams from the light sources to the photoconductors are different, scanning speed error as described in (4) may also occur.
Patent document 1 discloses a method of correcting the error in scanning speed by changing the frequency of a pixel clock signal depending on the scanning speed. In the disclosed method, the frequency of an oscillator for generating a pixel clock signal is controlled (phase-locked-loop (PLL) controlled) so that the count of cycles of the pixel clock signal between the start and end of scanning becomes a specified value.
However, the disclosed method has a disadvantage as described below. In the disclosed method, the frequency of the reference clock signal used for phase comparison corresponds to one scan line and is therefore far lower than (one in several thousands to one in tens of thousands) that of the pixel clock to be generated. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve enough open loop gain of the PLL and to accurately control the frequency of the pixel clock signal. Also, since the frequency of the pixel clock signal is easily affected by disturbance, it is difficult to accurately generate a pixel clock signal. Further, to reduce the difference in scanning speed of the reflecting surfaces of a polygon mirror using the disclosed method, it is necessary to change the control voltage for a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) for each scan. With such a method, it takes a long time for the clock frequency to become stable and therefore it takes a long time to generate a pixel clock signal.
Patent document 2 discloses a method of correcting the error in scanning speed by controlling the phase of a pixel clock signal based on a generated high frequency clock signal. In the method disclosed in patent document 2, the phase of a pixel clock signal is controlled so that the count of cycles of the high frequency clock signal between the start and end of scanning becomes a specified value. The high frequency clock signal is accurately generated based on an accurate reference clock signal from, for example, a crystal oscillator. Using such an accurate high frequency clock signal for the phase control of a pixel clock signal makes it possible to accurately generate the pixel clock signal.
However, to correct the error in scanning speed by controlling the phase of a pixel clock signal, it is necessary to generate phase control data for one scan line. Also, to reduce local deviation caused by the phase change of the pixel clock signal and thereby to accurately generate the pixel clock, it is necessary to perform high-resolution phase control. Accordingly, the size of the phase control data becomes large and it is difficult to accurately generate such a large amount of phase control data at high speed. Also, to reduce the difference in scanning speeds of the reflecting surfaces of a polygon mirror using the disclosed method, it is necessary to generate the phase control data for each reflecting surface. Therefore, in this case, the amount of phase control data increases further and it is very difficult to accurately generate such a huge amount of phase control data at high speed. Further, inaccurate production and assembly of parts in a scanning optical system may cause the scanning speed to fluctuate even during the scanning of a line.
(5) Nonlinear Error in Scanning Speed
FIG. 27A is a graph showing exemplary nonlinear error in scanning speed during the scanning of a line. In FIG. 27A, the horizontal axis x shows positions X in a scan line and the vertical axis shows scanning speeds V (X) at the positions X. Also, a one-dot broken line Vavg shows the average scanning speed during the scanning of a line. When the scanning speed fluctuates as shown in FIG. 27A, deviations Δ from a desired value, which is a value when the scanning speed is constant, become as shown by the solid line in FIG. 27B. The deviations Δ indicate misalignment of dots and cause degradation of image quality. In FIG. 27B, the dotted line shows the deviations Δ when the line is scanned in a direction from the position X2 to the position X1. As shown in FIGS. 27A and 27B, when scanning is performed in both directions in a scanning optical system that causes asymmetrical misalignment of dots with respect to the center of scanning, color shift increases and image quality is greatly degraded. Also, the degree and distribution of the deviations Δ may vary depending on the preciseness of each reflecting surface of a polygon mirror. Further, the degree and distribution of the deviations Δ may vary depending on a scanning optical system.
Patent document 3 discloses a method of reducing the nonlinear error in scanning speed by modulating the frequency of a pixel clock signal according to the position in a scan line. However, since the method disclosed in patent document 3 uses a conventional method for generating the center frequency of a pixel clock signal, as described above, it is difficult to generate an accurate pixel clock signal and to effectively correct the error in scanning speed. Thus, the method disclosed in patent document 3 is not sufficient to improve image quality.
[Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-183600
[Patent document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-262101
[Patent document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-152001

Pulse width modulaton device and image forming apparatus


A partial-leg support and method for comfortable, adjustable, cleanable, and portable support for the leg stump or stumps remaining after partial amputation of the leg or legs while seated.

This invention provides a partial-leg support and method for comfortable, adjustable, cleanable, and portable support for the leg stump or stumps remaining after partial amputation of the leg or legs while seated.
This invention is my solution to problems encountered in caring for a family member who lost most of both legs. Although the problems occur in several sitting situations inside the home or outside the home, all aspects of the problems can be better understood in terms of wheelchairs provided by healthcare facilities, airlines, etc. Such standard wheelchairs have adjustable footrests for the purposes of preventing the person's feet from dragging on the ground and to balance the person and prevent falling forward out of the wheelchair. While a person sits in a wheelchair for a long time, that person's discomfort is lessened by not only the better balance, but also by support provided by the feet on the footrests or on the floor, which prevents the thighs or upper legs from dangling unsupported and uncomfortably from the front edge of the sitting surface, and allows shifting and changing of position for greater comfort. A leg or partial-leg amputee cannot make use of the wheelchair's footrests. Although an amputee might have devised a safer and more comfortable sitting arrangement at home, outside the home the amputee is subject to the disadvantages of standard wheelchairs, chairs, benches, vehicle seats, and other sitting surfaces.
Standard seating not only accommodates peoples' legs, it assumes the legs are there for balance and for shifting of position. The pressures resulting from sitting can be re-distributed with a push of the legs, and can be relieved by standing, but both of those solutions require contact with, and pushing against, a floor or footrest. Although a partial-leg amputee might be able to use the stump for pushing, there is nothing to push against in standard seating.
In standard seating, the effective weight bearing on a person's upper legs, hips, and buttocks is reduced in part by the person's lower legs and feet in contact with the floor or footrest. Such support reduces the pressure and discomfort of having the torso's weight focused on the seat area. Where a part of a leg extends from the front edge of a seat, but does not rest upon a floor or footrest, then the weight of that partial leg is added to the torso's weight and is focused on the seat area, particularly at the front edge of the seat, which acts like the fulcrum of a lever.
Although a purpose-made chair for partial-leg amputees can be devised, the benefits are only realized when the person is seated in that particular chair, not when the person has to sit in other seating. Seating outside the home or office cannot normally be permanently modified, and such modification would be time consuming and costly for occasional or one-time use.
A permanent, fixed extension to support a part of a leg would not be desirable because the ability to shift between applying and removing and increasing and decreasing support on a partial leg, and therefore on the hips and buttocks, is needed for maximum comfort, and a fixed extension would interfere with an amputee's getting into and out of a chair or wheelchair, and would interfere with any use of a chair or wheelchair by non-amputees.
None of the existing systems or methods of seating for leg amputees address the problem of quickly and possibly temporarily adapting the existing, standard seating that leg amputees must make use of.
Items used in a healthcare setting need to be easily cleaned or sterilized, or need to be disposable—especially items used in the seat of a wheelchair. Anything used for support of partial legs needs to be easily and thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis. In a healthcare setting, cushions or pads used for comfort are generally separate items from the underlying structure or equipment, so that they can be changed and washed separately.
Various patents teach the use of footrest for a wheelchair to support a stump of a leg. Some of the leg supports are hingedly connected to the front ends of the wheelchairs, while others are foldable, telescopically extendable, or retractable into the chair frame. Some patents teach the use of springs in the hinge locking mechanisms.
U.S. Pat. No. 439,088 issued on Oct. 28, 1890 to Horace R. Allen for "Operating-Chair" discloses improvements to adjustable chairs for the use of surgeons, dentists, oculists, and generally those having operations to perform upon the human body. The leg portion of the operating-chair has a depression in the upper face of its lower part. The chair includes a pivoted and vertically-movable foot-rest capable of being folded back into the depression when not in use to leave the upper surfaces even.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,826,242 issued on Mar. 11, 1958 to Herman M. Thompson for "Leg Support for Invalids' Folding Chair" discloses an invalids' chair, particularly of the foldable wheeled type. The chair has a leg support for ready attachment to the chair and adapted to extend outwardly from the chair when the chair is in use and to be folded with the chair and swing into position to prevent accidental opening thereof. The leg support is adapted for normal extension forwardly of the chair. The leg support comprises clamping means for engagement on one of said front uprights, a U-shaped cradle having its legs spaced apart a greater distance than the width of the chair over said sides when folded, and a transverse plate member slidably disposed on the cradle. The cradle is pivotally mounted on the clamping means for vertical swing-able movement with respect to the chair whereby when the chair is in folded position, the cradle may be upwardly swung for presenting its legs at opposite sides of the folded wheeled sides to prevent accidental unfolding of the chair, and with the plate member abutting on one margin against the rear uprights and on another margin against the arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,745 issued on Jan. 21, 1975 to Edward J. Forrest for "Portable and Collapsible Seat and Leg Board for Leg Amputees" discloses a portable and collapsible seat comprised of hinged boards used by patients with an amputated leg to support their remaining stump in a horizontal position when they are in a sitting position in a chair and provided with an easy releasable hinge to drip the hinged board when the patient wishes to rise to an upright position. The leg rest has two flat board-like members connected by a hinge and aligned in horizontal relationship to provide a seat portion pivotally connected to an extended leg stump supporting portion a two armed pivotally connected hinge. A lower arm is connected to the underside of the first seat board and an upper arm is connected to the underside of the extended leg stump supporting section to support the extended board when in an aligned relationship. The leg support also has a pivotally supported releasing element bearing against the under surface of the upper arm of the pivotally connected hinge, the releasing element forcing the two arms outward when depressed to break their straight line supporting position. The supporting hinge is comprised of two arms one shorter than the other and both mounted on either side of a pivotal pin. The hinge is movable either side of an aligned relationship. The hinge arms are mounted with one end pivotally affixed adjacent the leg portion of the board and the other end pivotally affixed to a bracket spaced from the seat portion of the board. The hinge also has a pivotally supported releasing element positioned under the leg portion and a slot cut into the longer arm of said hinge so that when one arm of the hinge attached adjacent the seat portion of the board breaks inward toward the board, the slot in the hinge arm will grip the pivotally supported releasing element and stop further movement of the hinge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,577 issued on Feb. 25, 1986 to Adrian J. LaRue for "Portable Seat Having Slidable Leg-Supporting Sections for Leg Amputees" discloses a portable seat for disposition in a chair that comprises a seat section on which a leg amputee sits and slidable leg-supporting sections on which a residual limb is supported when the leg-supporting section is moved from a nonleg-supporting position within the seat section to a leg-supporting position in a substantially horizontal position. The leg-supporting section can be slidable within the seat section when the amputee wishes to rise to a standing position. The seat section comprises a bottom member with a cavity, in which the leg-support section is slidably disposed and a top member secured onto the bottom member. The cavity is open at a front end of the bottom member so that a front portion of the leg-supporting section extends outwardly therefrom when said leg-supporting section is in the nonleg-supporting position. Opposing side walls of the cavity adjacent the open front end thereof are provided with stop surfaces and the leg-supporting section is provided with projections that engage the stop surfaces to limit the outward movement of the leg-supporting section. The front portion of the leg-supporting section includes a groove for engagement by fingers to slide the leg-supporting section to the leg-supporting position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,836 issued on Dec. 15, 1987 to James R. Gerber for "Leg Rest for Below Knee Amputee" discloses an improved swing away stump rest for below the knee (BK) amputees to maintain comfort and proper positioning of the stump to assist in preventing knee flexion contracture of the amputated limb and edema in the stump. The swing away feature provides for maximum safety and convenience when transferring. The stump rest has a panel, a vertical tube that cab secured to the wheel chair, a horizontal tube permanently attached to the vertical tube at or near the top thereof. The horizontal tube has at least one longitudinal ridge extending substantially the length thereof and one longitudinal ridge extending substantially the upper length thereof. A cylindrical sleeve is slidably mounted on the horizontal tube. A transverse channel is formed at the top of the sleeve; the channel communicates with the horizontal tube. The channel receives and retains a locking means for securing the sleeve to the horizontal tube. The locking means comprises a knobbed clasp bolt, flanged clasp and opposing threaded flanged clamp, said clamps mounted on said bolt and said clamps situated on a horizontal plane on opposing sides of the horizontal tube and the upper ridge. The said sleeve also has attachment means situated thereon for securing the sleeve to the stump rest panel. The stump rest panel is padded.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,197 issued on Sep. 8, 1992 to Contemporary Medical Equipment Corp. for "Folding Wheelchair with Rigid Seat" discloses a folding wheelchair with a rigid seat, leg support members stored in a compartment within the seat, a rigid backrest that can be collapsed when the wheelchair is folded, armrests that can be swing toward the seat or the backrest, and wheels that can be adjusted to raise or lower the seat and/or to shorten or lengthen the wheelbase. The rigid seat can be raised to a position in which the front or the front and rear portions are elevated. The wheelchair includes adjustable and retractable leg supports. The leg supports can be retracted when not needed and/or when the wheelchair is collapsed, thus providing a more compact package. The leg supports are telescopically adjustable over a wide range to suit legs of various lengths and the leg rests are also adjustable to place them in any desired position of elevation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,074 issued on Apr. 26, 1994 to Paul Mocur for "Amputee Attachment for a Wheelchair" discloses a body support unit that is installable in a wheelchair to facilitate use of the wheelchair by a user having a leg amputated below the knee. The support unit includes a seat member and a leg support panel extending forwardly from the front edge of the member for supporting the user's amputated leg. The panel is hingedly suspended from the seat member for movement to a lowered position that allows the user to get into and out of the wheelchair without interference by the panel. The seat and panel thus form an essentially continuous support surface for the buttocks, thigh, and that portion of the leg remaining below the knee. A flexible strap-type leg restraint is mounted on the panel to immobilize the amputated leg in a horizontal position while the user is seated in the wheelchair. In a typical construction, the amputee attachment panel has a length of about eleven inches. The free end of the panel is located forwardly beyond the position of the user's kneecap. The panel effectively supports a user having a leg amputated below the knee. Also, the panel tends to prevent the user's amputated leg from curling toward the thigh due to contraction of the leg muscles (resulting from prolonged sitting in a wheelchair without adequate support). The amputee attachment panel has a width slightly less than one half the seat width. The panel supports the weight of the amputated leg, while the user's other leg and foot are supported by the conventional leg support unit. The amputee attachment panel is swung down to its lowered position to facilitate movement of the user into or out of the wheelchair. The attachment can be used for an amputee with either a right or left amputated leg, or in a pair for a bi-lateral amputee. A spring mechanism is incorporated into the hinge structure for the panel to assist the user in raising the panel. A manually-actuated latch structure holds the panel in its raised position. Preferably, the seat is rigid to hingedly suspend the panel. The seat is neither flexible nor deflectable under the user's weight. Also, the seat and panel are a self-contained unit installable on a range of conventional wheelchairs without structural modification of the wheelchair. The amputee attachment panel has two guides for mounting a flexible, strap-type leg restraint. The restraint includes a pad designed to fit over the user's kneecap, and a strap that wraps around the panel to immobilize the leg in a horizontal position. The leg restraint can be placed around or removed from the leg by the user.
U.S. Patent application Publication No. 2006/0071531 published on Apr. 6, 2006 to Michael C. Groth for "Leg Amputee Support Assembly for Use with a Wheelchair" discloses an amputee support assembly that includes a seat, a limb support and a pivot point disposed between the seat and limb support. The seat is attached to a first pivot member, a second pivot member, and a cam lock mechanism. The first pivot member and the second pivot member are adapted to rotatably engage one another when the cam lock mechanism is used. Each pivot member includes a hub portion having a circular face and a number of teeth defined within the face. The first pivot member includes a hub recess that is designed to receive a hub extension of the second pivot member. The outer periphery of the hub portion of the second pivot member also includes a lip that precludes access to the teeth that lie between the first and second pivot members. The cam lock mechanism includes a cam lock lever that is pivotally attached to a lock post, forcing the pivot members together to prevent rotation between them. The second pivot member is attached to the limb support. The cam lock mechanism includes a cam lock lever that is pivotally attached to a lock post. Rotation of the cam lock lever effects a pulling force on the lock post, which forces the first and second pivot members securely together to prevent rotation between them. In this fashion, the cam lock mechanism can be locked and unlocked to secure or allow movement between the two pivot members. When a desired position is found by the wheelchair user, the cam lock lever can be urged downwardly toward the second pivot member. This will rotate a cam portion of the cam lock lever thereby exerting a tension force on the lock bolt and urging the meshed teeth of the pivot members together and preventing movement between them. This position will be maintained until a change of position is desired or required by the wheelchair user.
There is a need for a means of partial-leg support for leg amputees that is portable and can be used with any wheelchair, chair, or other seating that an amputee encounters, and can then be removed and re-used, and that is adjustable so that support for a partial leg can be increased or decreased as needed.


Information may be more specifically targeted to locations or individuals based on contextual information derived from user input, environmental information, device attributes and the like. A more precise location, in some examples, may be determined based on user-specified information such as a name of a device. In other examples, user input such as commands and queries may be used to determine further attributes of a particular location, of a device and/or of a user. Such information may then be used as parameters for filtering and selection of information such as advertisements, movies, books, shows, articles and the like to a specific location, device and/or user.

Improving technology has offered increasing amounts of information about individuals, families and other entities. Entities like advertisers and content providers have sought to use such information for targeted information delivery including directed advertising, music and other audio content offerings, book recommendations, video content delivery and the like. However, granularity and user of such information has thus far been limited.


The present invention provides an improved fishing reel rotor-mounted bail system. More specifically, the present invention provides a bail system wherein a tension spring is pivotally inserted at a first end to a rotor arm and at a second end to a bail banjo or bail hinge such that the tension spring applies a tensile force or moment to the bail banjo or hinge thereby biasing the bail mechanism in either the open or closed position. More specifically, the present invention provides a fishing reel having an improved tension bail mechanism, comprising a bail wire assembly pivotable relative to first and second rotor arms between a first closed retrieving position and a second open casting position, and a bail wire assembly bias mechanism, comprising a bail spring, where the first end of the bail spring attaches to a rotor arm, and the second end of the bail spring attaches to the bail banjo or the bail hinge such that the bail spring applies a tensile moment to the bail banjo or hinge thereby biasing the bail wire assembly in either the first closed position or the second open position. There are two embodiments of the present invention wherein the spring biasing and bail trip members are located in the same rotor arm to reduce the rotational balance problems associated with the prior art.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing reels that wind line on a spool. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bail bias mechanism configured to selectively align line onto a spool when in a closed retrieval position or to release line from the spool, when in an open casting position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fishing reels are customarily fitted with a rotating member known as a rotor, on which two integral rotor arms carry a bail mechanism. The use of selective bail mechanisms on fishing reels to control line alignment on the spool is known. These mechanisms are commonly referred to in the art as bail systems or bail mechanisms. Prior art bail systems are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,450 issued to Carpenter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,559 issued to Hitomi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,695 issued to Kaneko, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,140 issued to Yamaguchi et al. These and other prior art bail systems share a common function, i.e. to pivot a line guide over the face of a related spool and bias the line guide in one of two positions relative to the spool. In the closed position, the line guide controls winding of the fishing line on the spool as the fisherman cranks the reel handle. In the open position, the line guide allows line to be freely released from the spool as the fisherman casts a lure attached to the free end of the fishing line. These and other prior art bail systems also share a common disadvantage in that their assembly is quite intricate, involving a complex assembly of springs and levers which are costly to make and assemble. These prior art bail systems use a compressed biasing spring and moveable cam levers to press and hold the bail wire assembly in either the open or closed positions. Specifically, the biasing spring pushes against the bail banjo or bail hinge of the bail wire assembly to hold the bail wire assembly in either the open or closed position.
Furthermore, to simplify the assembly of the rotors, many known bail systems install the biasing spring means in one of the rotor arms, and install the moveable cam lever in the other rotor arm. This configuration of spring and lever parts in separate rotor arms upsets the rotational balance of the combination of the rotor and bail system, causing the reel to jiggle as the fisherman cranks the reel to retrieve line. To overcome this fault, prior art fishing reels employ critically positioned counterweights positioned on the rotor to counteract the unbalanced condition.
While the prior art bail mechanisms fulfill their respective objectives and requirements, they do not describe or suggest a tension spring bail mechanism, wherein a tension spring biases the bail mechanism in both the open and closed positions, by applying a pulling force rather than a pushing force to the components of the bail assembly. The use of the tensioning spring allows for a bail mechanism having simple, easy-to-assemble parts. The invention also allows for the components of the bail wire biasing mechanism to be placed in the rotor arm located on the opposite side of the heavier side of the bail, thereby substantially reducing the need for counter weights.


A reflective or transmissive image display device having a light-transmissive panel to which illuminating light for illuminating pixels is applied. The light-transmissive panel has laminated glass substrates having respective first and second planar microlens arrays. The glass substrates have their thicknesses adjusted by grinding to equalize focal lengths and other parameters of the first and second planar microlens arrays to preset values. Lenses of the first and second planar microlens arrays are formed by etching recesses in fire-finished surfaces of the glass substrates and filling the recesses with a synthetic resin having a high refractive index.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reflective or transmissive image display device for use in a liquid-crystal projector or a projection television set (PTV) for displaying television or computer images at an enlarged scale.
2. Description of the Prior Art
More and more projectors which employ liquid crystal display devices capable of increasing image brightness depending on the brightness of illuminating light sources are finding use in place of projectors which employ cathode-ray tubes (CRTs).
Liquid crystal display devices are roughly classified into reflective and transmissive liquid crystal display devices. In the transmissive liquid crystal display device, illuminating light is applied to a liquid crystal layer on which an image is formed, and the illuminating light which has passed through the liquid crystal layer is projected onto a projection screen by an optical system. In the reflective liquid crystal display device, illuminating light is applied to a liquid crystal layer on which an image is formed, and the illuminating light which has been reflected by the liquid crystal layer is projected onto a projection screen by an optical system.
A color projector using such reflective liquid crystal display devices will be described below with reference to FIG. 11 of the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 11, illuminating white light emitted from a white light source 100 is applied through a beam splitter 101 to a dichroic prism 102, which divides the white light into red light, blue light, and green light that are applied to corresponding reflective liquid crystal display devices 103. Images displayed by respective CRTs 104 are formed on the respective reflective liquid crystal display devices 103, and read as reflections of the applied red light, blue light, and green light. The read light passes through the beam splitter 101, and is projected as a combined image of the three colors onto a projection screen 105.
As shown in FIG. 12 of the accompanying drawings, each of the reflective liquid crystal display devices 103 comprises a pair of glass substrates 111, 118 with transparent electrodes 112, 117 disposed respectively on their confronting surfaces. A photoconductor layer 113 of Si, CdS, or the like, a light shield layer 114, and a mirror layer 115 are successively deposited on the transparent layer 112. A liquid crystal layer 116 is sealed between the transparent layer 117 and the mirror layer 115, thereby assembling a liquid crystal display cell as shown in FIG. 12. A voltage is applied between the transparent electrodes 112, 117.
The image displayed by the CRT 104 is focused onto the photoconductor layer 113 through a focusing lens.
Since the resistance of the photoconductor layer 113 varies depending on the intensity of the light of the displayed image, an electric field applied to the liquid crystal layer 116 also varies depending on the intensity of the light of the displayed image. When illuminating light is applied from the glass substrate 1 18 to the liquid crystal layer 116, an image written in the liquid crystal layer 116 by the focused CRT image is read as reflections of the applied illuminating light.
The color projector shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 requires the three sets of liquid crystal display devices 103 and CRTs 104 corresponding to the three primaries, and is necessarily large in size.
If a color projector has only one liquid crystal display device 103, then the color projector may be reduced in size. One conventional color projector with a single liquid crystal display device uses a mosaic three-primary color filter. However, this conventional color projector utilizes only one-third of the illuminating light. Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 4-60538 discloses a color projector which solves such a problem.
According to Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 4-60538, it is proposed to reduce the size of the color projector without reducing the brightness of illuminating light, using only one liquid crystal display device. In the disclosed color projector, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 of the accompanying drawings, illuminating light emitted from a white light source 150 is divided by dichroic mirrors 151 into light rays of three primaries, red (R), blue (B), and green (G), which are applied to a liquid crystal display device 152 at different angles thereto. Light emitted from the liquid crystal display device 152 is projected through a field lens 153 and a projection lens 154 onto a projection screen 155. As shown in FIG. 14, the liquid crystal display device 152 comprises a pair of glass substrates 171, 172 with scanning and signal electrodes 171a, 172a mounted on respective confronting surfaces thereof. A liquid crystal layer 174 is filled in a gap which is defined between the glass substrates 171, 172 by a spacer 173. A planar microlens array 175 is joined to a surface of the glass substrate 171 to which the three-primary light rays are applied. The planar microlens array 175 serves to converge the three-primary light rays onto the signal electrodes 172a (pixel openings).
If the liquid crystal display device shown in FIG. 14 is directly used as a reflective liquid crystal display device, then reflected light does not pass through the centers of the lenses of the planar microlens array 175, as shown in FIG. 15 of the accompanying drawings, so that the illuminating light cannot effectively be utilized.
The lenses and pixels may be arrayed as shown in FIG. 17 of the accompanying drawings for effective utilization of the illuminating light. With the lenses and pixels thus arrayed, the reflected light passes through the centers of the lenses of the planar microlens array 175 as shown in FIG. 18 of the accompanying drawings.
However, as can be seen from FIG. 17, in order for the reflected light to pass through the centers of the lenses, pixel electrodes cannot be arrayed linearly, but must be arrayed in an irregular pattern, which imposes undue limitations on the design of other components, resulting in disadvantages in total design.
The planar microlens array 175 which is employed in the transmissive liquid crystal display device shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 allows almost all illuminating light to pass therethrough. Therefore, it can increase the brightness of images projected onto the projection screen 155. However, because the illuminating light which leaves the liquid crystal display 15 device 152 spreads through a large angle, it is necessary that the projection lens 154 have a large diameter, as shown in FIG. 16 of the accompanying drawings. As a consequence, the entire optical system of the color projector is large in size.
Proposals for reducing the diameter of the projection lens used in combination with the planar microlens array are disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publications Nos. 5-341283and 7-181487. According to the disclosure of Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 5-341283, as shown in FIG. 19 of the accompanying drawings, a microlens array has two lens arrays 175a, 175b on opposite surfaces of a single glass substrate. The lens array 175a serves to converge illuminating light onto pixel openings, whereas the lens array 175b serves to make principal rays of exiting light parallel to the optical axis thereof. Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 7-181487 reveals two microlens arrays joined respectively to opposite surfaces of a single glass substrate.
If the double-sided microlens array shown in FIG. 19 is incorporated in the optical system shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, then it is necessary that the thickness of the glass substrate 171 be set to such a value as to cause principal arrays of the colors R, B, which are inclined at certain respective angles to the optical axis, to be applied to pixel electrodes 172a corresponding to the colors R, B on the liquid crystal panel. In many cases, pixel pitches are given by liquid crystal panels that are used, and angles at which the light rays of R, G, B are inclined are given by the aperture of the projection lens and the layout of the illuminating optical system, after which the thickness of the glass substrate 171 is determined based on the pixel pitch and the angles. Stated otherwise, the glass substrate 171 may have any of various thicknesses depending on the liquid crystal panel and the illuminating optical system which are used.
The double-sided microlens array shown in FIG. 19 may be fabricated by a process shown in FIG. 20 of the accompanying drawings. According to the illustrated process, a mask 163 is placed over one side of a glass substrate 175 (such as of #7059 or #1737 manufactured by Corning Incorporated or NA45 or NA35 manufactured by NH Technoglass Co. Ltd.), and the glass substrate 175 is etched by isotropic etching to form substantially hemispherical recesses 164 therein. Then, the recesses 164 are filled with a synthetic resin having a high refractive index, producing a microlens array 175a as shown in FIG. 21 of the accompanying drawings. Thereafter, the glass substrate 175 is ground to a desired thickness by a grinding wheel on its surface opposite to the microlens array 175a. The ground surface is then etched by isotropic etching to form substantially hemispherical recesses therein, which are then filled with a synthetic resin having a high refractive index, producing a microlens array 175b (see FIG. 19).
If the ground surface of the glass substrate 175 is not sufficiently smooth but contains a minute flaw, then an etched recess 164 tends to be distorted in shape, as shown in FIG. 22 of the accompanying drawings. The double-sided microlens array with such a distortion has a poor light converging capability. Though the finished glass substrate needs to have any of various thicknesses, as described above, commercially available glass substrates in reality have only certain thicknesses such as of 1.1 mm and 0.7 mm. To process such a commercially available glass substrate into a desired thickness, it is often necessary to grind the glass substrate to a considerable extent, possibly with the need to adjust its thickness according to a rough grinding process, known as lapping, using a loose abrasive material and a hard pad. After the glass substrate has been lapped, it is polished to such an accurate surface finish that any recesses etched in the polished surface will not be distorted. This grinding process is, however, so complex that the manufacturing cost of the double-sided microlens array is high.
The same problem also arises if both surfaces of the glass substrate are initially ground and polished to a desired thickness. As a result the double-sided microlens array shown in FIG. 19 is actually very expensive to manufacture.
The structure disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 7-181487, i.e., the microlens array assembly which has two microlens arrays joined respectively to opposite surfaces of a single glass substrate, is also disadvantageous in that its overall thickness is unduly large.

Image display device with plural planar microlens arrays


A pivoting boot is disclosed for attachment to the unloading auger tube of combine harvesters, and serves as both a grain saving dam against unwanted grain spillage, and a directable spout. The boot permits evenly unloading grain onto, or completely filling, transportation vehicles or storage containers, without having to change the combine position, once it is staged for unloading.

Unloading of grain from combine harvester storage bins, by way of an auger discharging said grain through a tube and spout, has had, inter alia, two continuing inefficiencies over the years, i.e. directability and spillage by dribbling.
First, when loading grain onto, for example, the bed of a truck, from an auger, generally the truck must be positioned so that the downspout of the auger tube is centered in relationship to the bed of the truck. Otherwise, the maximum amount of grain cannot be loaded onto the truck without subsequent maneuvering of one or the other vehicles. That is, if the combine is mis-positioned, the grain will not flow evenly onto the truck bed, hence, less than the optimal amount of grain is available for transport on the missed side of the truck bed. When grain unloads onto a truck, preferably it disperses evenly over the entire bed of the truck.
It is possible, of course, to move either the truck in relationship to the auger spout, or to move the combine so as to accurately place the auger tube over the truck bed. However, to do so has become more difficult over the years as the auger tubes have grown longer and longer, in order to keep pace with the ever-increasing width of modern day combine headers, which are now as wide as 42 feet or more. Many attempts have been made, in the art, to attach an assembly to the auger tube in an effort to adjust the direction of the discharge. Most of these prior art devices have been overly complicated, requiring many moving parts and complex operations. Others have been simple and are either ineffective or require time-consuming, manual adjustments such as certain elongated spout attachments that are unduly sensitive to movement and difficult to control. The complex operation, complexity of assembly, and/or complexity of disassembly, or the ineffectiveness have inhibited the devices from widespread commercial acceptance and/or the time-consuming methods for using them dissuaded their implementation.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,625,001, entitled Grain Unloading Attachment, issued Jan. 13, 1953, to R. G. Huen, disclosed a mechanical spout that pivoted at the distal end of a grain unloading tube. The spout was not secure. Furthermore, the spout was not adjustable, except by hand, which would require operators to climb up and adjust it for every change in angle desired during unloading of the feed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,581, entitled Directable Spout For A Conveyor, issued Dec. 1, 1992, to Steve Haag, disclosed a means for directing grain being discharged from an auger tube directly down through a trapezoidal funnel which incorporated a deflection plate to change the angle of discharge of the grain being unloaded from the auger. The hinges for the pivot plate were located within the pattern of flow of the grain and therefore were difficult to maintain, thus incurring damage and clogging. The deflection plate was unstable. Additionally, like other systems for directing the discharge, there was no means to save grain from dribbling, inadvertently, out of the end of the auger after the unloading was disengaged. Finally, the grain discharge would lose velocity as it flowed through the open funnel, thus losing efficiency.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,974,021, entitled Adjustable Grain Spout Assembly, issued Dec. 13, 2005, to Craig Boevers, disclosed a complex pivot spout assembly with many complicated attachments and parts which led to more frequent breakdown and damage.
A second unloading problem in addition to the directability of the grain discharge, is that of dribbling grain. Combine augers normally retain a small amount of grain in the housing or spout of the auger or tube surrounding the auger, after the unloading cycle is completed. The grain retained in the auger tends to slowly dribble out of the auger as the combine is transported in the field or along a road. Such loss is expensive and unsightly. Attempts to solve the problem have included shutters, doors, valves, etc. which have ancillary moving parts and extraneous components which add even more expense to the combine unloader. Examples of such dribble-proof doors were disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,861, issued Feb. 17, 2004, to Mark J. Reimer, et al.
There have also existed spring-loaded flaps located inside the auger tube. Such anti-dribbling spring-biased members were designed to release and lower when the auger discharge begins, while springing back to a closed position after the discharge ceased. The problem is that such spring loaded impingements are not strong enough to hold grain residue over time, and tend to inadvertently release and allow grain to dribble out when weakened.
It would be a surprising advancement in the art if there were provided a means by which the combine operator could selectively direct the output of the combine unloading auger, so that precise location between the combine and the transport vehicle is not required, while nevertheless having a minimal number of moving parts, little expense, an infrequent need for maintenance or repairs, and while also having integral to such means having therein an anti-dribble capability that prevented inadvertent loss of grain through the auger tube.

Grain saving, directable unloader boot assembly


A semiconductor package includes: a semiconductor chip including a passivation film disposed on an active surface and having a first opening exposing at least a portion of a connection pad and a protective film disposed on the passivation film, filling at least a portion in the first opening, and having a second opening exposing at least a portion of the connection pad in the first opening; an encapsulant covering at least a portion of the semiconductor chip; and the connection structure including an insulating layer having a via hole connected to the second opening to expose at least a portion of the connection pad, a redistribution layer, and a connection via connecting the connection pad to the redistribution layer while filling at least a portion of each of the via hole and the second opening. The second opening and the via hole are connected to have a stepped portion.

A significant recent trend in the development of technology related to semiconductor chips has been reductions in the size of semiconductor chips. Therefore, in the field of package technology, in accordance with a rapid increase in demand for small-sized semiconductor chips, or the like, the implementation of a semiconductor package, having a compact size while including a plurality of pins, has been demanded. One type of package technology suggested to satisfy the technical demand described above is a fan-out package. Such a fan-out package has a compact size and may allow a plurality of pins to be implemented by redistributing connection terminals outwardly of a region in which a semiconductor chip is disposed.
On the other hand, in the case of a semiconductor chip, aluminum (Al) or copper (Cu) is used as a material of the connection pad. In this case, in the process for manufacturing a package, the connection pads of the semiconductor chip may be exposed to air, moisture, a chemical solution, or the like, which may cause corrosion and damage.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An one-way rotation control mechanism used in a golf cart's wheel to control one-way rotation of the wheel on a wheel axle is disclosed to include a bushing affixed to the wheel axle, and a clutch mounted in and fixedly connected to the wheel to control linking between the wheel and the fixed bushing at the wheel axle in one direction.

The present invention relates to an electric golf cart and more specifically, to a one-way rotation control mechanism used in an electric golf cart's wheel for controlling one-way rotation of the wheel.
In an electric golf cart, a one-way bearing 9 (see FIG. 1) is used and mounted on the wheel axle to support the wheel for one-way rotation control. This design of one-way bearing 9 is functional, however it tends to be covered with dust. When covered with dust, the one-way bearing 9 becomes unable to function well and may break easily. In this case, the one-way bearing 9 must be removed from the wheel axle and well cleaned. However, when the user removes the one-way bearing 9 from the wheel axle, the internal needle rollers 91 may fall out of the one-way bearing 9. It is difficult to re-install the needle rollers 91 in the one-way bearing 9. Therefore, people usually will send the whole electric golf cart to the distributor for repair when the one-way bearing 9 is damaged. It is expensive to send the whole electric golf cart to the distributor for repair.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore main object of the present invention to provide a one-way rotation control mechanism for use in an electric golf cart's wheel for controlling one-way rotation of the wheel, which is easily detachable for convenient maintenance. According to the present invention, the one-way rotation control mechanism comprises a bushing affixed to the wheel axle, and a clutch mounted in and fixedly connected to the wheel to control linking between the wheel and the fixed bushing at the wheel axle in one direction. In case the clutch cannot function well, the user can disconnect he clutch from the wheel remove it from the bushing easily for sending to the distributor for a repair work.

One-way rotation control mechanism for golf cart


Fabrication methods for contoured polyhedral cavities for particle acceleration are disclosed. The process may include: trimming flat sheets to a conformal shape; bending the sheets to form a contour that is axially curved and azimuthally flat; and joining the sheets to form a circumferentially polyhedral cavity that is configured to support a resonant electromagnetic field at cryogenic temperatures. The resulting cavity may have ductile or even brittle superconducting materials with an axially-oriented grain structure at each point on the circumference of the cavity. As part of the assembly process, the sheets may be bonded to a supporting substrate of thermally conductive material having integrated cooling passages. The supporting substrates may be configured to have electrical contact near the cavity openings while having a small gap near the equators of the cavity. Moreover, mode-coupling channels and waveguides may be provided to extract energy from undesired deflection modes.

One of the most effective means of accelerating charged particles to relativistic speeds is the linear accelerator (linac). A linac is made of a series of resonant cavities. As a packet or bunch of particles, such as electrons, pass through each cavity in a linac, an intense electric field provides an acceleration gradient for the particles in order to increase their kinetic energy. With reference to FIG. 1, conventional cavities 100 for linacs utilize a cavity geometry that is surface of revolution having a cross section 102 along the axis 108. The cavities are lined with a conductive material, so that when electromagnetic wave energy is supplied to the cavities, the cavities will support one or more resonant standing wave patterns. The fundamental harmonic of electric 106 and magnetic 104 fields in each cavity 100 will provide the desired acceleration gradient along the central axis. This fundamental harmonic is referred to as the accelerating mode.
In the accelerating mode, also conventionally called the TM100 mode, the electric field 106 is at a maximum at the central axis 108 of the cavity 100 and is directed parallel to the axis. This electric field 106 applies an accelerating force on the bunch of particles passing through the cavity. Moving farther away from the axis, the electric field 106 is curved toward the surface of the cavity 100 in order to satisfy boundary conditions with the surface of the cavity. At the equator (i.e., the largest radial extent from the central axis) of the cavity 112 the electric field 106 is at a minimum. At the iris (i.e., the smallest radial extent from the central axis) 114 the electric field applied to the cavity is the greatest since it is the closest point to the axis 108.
The magnetic field 104 and the electric field 106 are related according to the right-hand-rule. As shown in FIG. 1 the magnetic field is directed into the page at the top of the cavity 100 and out of the page at the bottom of the cavity 100. The magnetic field 104 is at a maximum at the equator of the cavity 112 and is at a minimum at the axis of the cavity 108. The value of the maximum magnetic field 104 is directly proportional to the maximum surface current density on the cavity shell. Also, the maximum magnetic field 104 at the equator of the cavity 112 strongly determines the maximum acceleration gradient of the cavity 100. Therefore the maximum surface current density of the cavity shell strongly determines the maximum acceleration gradient. Since this is the case, superconducting materials may be preferred as a cavity lining to enable a high surface current density and correspondingly a high acceleration gradient.
FIG. 2 shows a cross-section taken through the equator of the cavity 100. This cross-section shows a first harmonic wave pattern of the cavity structure. This first harmonic is detrimental to particle acceleration since it generates an electric field 202 that is transverse to the axis 108, causing deflection of the particle bunches passing through the linac. The surface currents 206 are determinant in the magnitude of the electric field for causing the deflection. These surface currents travel in an azimuthally oriented direction around the equator of the cavity 112. Various other higher order mode harmonics similarly create transverse effects to the particle bunches and are collectively referred to as deflecting modes or higher order modes (HOM).
The deflection of the particle bunches causes the dilution of the brightness of the particle beam, head to tail instabilities, multi-bunch coupling instabilities, etc. The harmonics of the deflecting modes are caused by misalignment of cavities or strings of cavities. FIG. 3 depicts multi-bunch coupling with the transverse electric field growth driven by deflecting modes that are excited when a bunch is displaced off-axis in the cavity. FIG. 4 depicts the head-to-tail instabilities caused when a bunch passes through a misaligned string of cavities. It is noted that in conventional cavity designs, these deflecting modes gain all of the advantages of the resonance that the fundamental mode has, and therefore generate a Q in the same order of magnitude as the Q for the fundamental harmonic.
The International Linear Collider (ILC) project has been endorsed as the next new facility for high energy research. The Teraelectronvolt Energy Superconducting Linear Accelerator (TESLA) technology has been chosen for the ILC project as the most cost-effective basis for the ˜500 GeV linear accelerators (linacs). A second major project, the X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) at the Deuches Electronen Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg, Germany, also utilizes the TESLA cavity structure. In both projects, the capital cost of a TESLA-based linac will be dominated by the cost of the Nb cavities and the associated cryogenics, power couplers, and radio frequency (RF) power systems. The operating cost of a TESLA-based linac will be dominated by the cost of refrigerating kilometers of accelerating structure to superfluid helium temperature.
The performance of a linac is determined by the accelerating gradient that can be sustained and by the beam brightness (emittance density) that can be sustained through the acceleration process. Dilution of the beam brightness can arise from instabilities in the particle motion through the linac and from the transverse forces due to deflecting modes in the superconducting cavities as was described above. It would be desirable to have an improved cavity design that intrinsically suppresses undesired deflection modes while simultaneously enabling the creation of cavity linings having substantially higher maximum surface current densities. Moreover, it would be desirable for such a cavity design to enable operation with more efficient refrigeration, thereby reducing capital and operating costs of high power linacs.


A locating device for measuring distances between dots of a light guide plate includes a sheet having a plurality of reference points marked thereon. The plurality of reference points is configured for locating of the dots during measuring, and a distribution density of the reference points is lower than a distribution of the dots. A preferred method for using a locating device to measure distances between dots of a light guide plate includes the steps of: providing the locating device having a plurality of reference points marked thereon, the plurality of reference points being configured for locating of the dots, a distribution density of the reference points being lower than a distribution density of the dots; attaching the locating device to a surface of the light guide plate that is opposite to the dots; and gauging distances between the dots using a microscope.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for measuring distances between dots of light guide plates (LGPs) of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and methods for using such devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A typical liquid crystal display device comprises an LCD panel, and a backlight system mounted under the LCD panel for supplying light beams thereto. The backlight system mainly comprises a light source and an LGP. The LGP is normally a transparent polymer plate, and is used for guiding light beams emitted by the light source to uniformly illuminate the LCD panel.
A typical LGP has a main light emitting surface, and an opposite bottom surface. The bottom surface has a plurality of dots formed thereon, for diffusing light from the light source.
Conventionally, dimensional parameters such as distances between the dots and a pattern distribution of the dots need to be gauged and verified before the LGP is used, in order to confirm that characteristics of the dots are of satisfactory quality.
Customarily, the dimensional parameters of the dots of the LGP are gauged by a measuring instrument such as a microscope. However, when using such an instrument, there are no reference points for obtaining measurements. Therefore, the dots generally have to be first counted and located in a field of vision before measurements can be obtained. This makes the gauging procedure unduly slow, and there is also the risk of error due to miscounting of the dots.

Locating device for measuring distances between dots of a light guide plate and method for using same


A system and method for embedding information into digital media and later detecting the embedded information using a unique spread spectrum modulation technique. In general, the present invention removes interference caused by an original signal from the detection process thereby eliminating a major source of detection error. The interference caused by the original signal is removed by using the encoder knowledge about the original signal and modulating the energy of the embedded mark to compensate for the original signal interference. The present invention also includes a novel redundant bit representation technique causes a resulting average over a large sample to tend to zero, thereby reducing the vulnerability of the present invention to malicious collusion attacks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a system and method for digitally embedding information and, in particular, to a system and method for embedding digital information into digital or analog media and later detecting the embedded information using spread spectrum modulation.
2. Related Art
Embedding digital information into a digital or analog media has many important applications including counterfeiting reduction. For example, copyright information may be hidden within a digital signal (such as an image, video or audio), distributed with the digital signal and then later detected to ensure authenticity. The technique of embedding information within a work in a way that is not immediately perceptible and is hard to reproduce (also called "watermarking") has been used for centuries in applications such as documents and currency. In current times, the widespread digital representation of images, audio, video and other signals has led to the use of a "digital watermark" for copyright protection. This marking of digital media involves hiding information under an original signal by embedding (or adding) an imperceptible signal (the mark) to the original signal.
Most marking techniques use existing spread spectrum modulation techniques to modulate information (the mark) and embed the mark within an original signal. For example, the bits composing the desired mark (such as the name of the copyright owner) are modulated using a spread spectrum sequence and added to the original signal (such as a musical work in digital form). More often, the spread spectrum sequence is added to a transformation of the original signal, which may be more sensitive to manipulation. Typically, these existing spread spectrum modulation techniques are robust to interfering noise so that the amount of energy (or distortion) that must be added to the marked signal to erase the mark is quite high. This means that it is difficult remove the mark from the original signal.
In existing spread spectrum techniques, the original signal (also known as a carrier signal) is seen as a source of noise. One problem with these existing techniques is that, as a source of noise, the original signal tends to interfere with the detection of the mark and reduce the mark detection accuracy. This is particularly a problem because the original signal is generally much stronger than any other interference and therefore is the main source of interference.
One embedding technique that uses quantization index modulation does reduce interference from the original signal. The problem, however, with this technique is that the mark is embedded in a lattice, which makes the mark highly sensitive to amplitude scaling of the signal. In other words, a slight change in the scale of the marked signal causes the mark to be erased. This makes the quantization index modulation technique practically useless in applications where a malicious attack may occur.
What is needed is a system and method for embedding information into a digital media that removes the original signal as a source of interference and obtains a large gain accurately detecting the mark within the marked digital media. In particular, the system and method would subtract the influence of the original signal from the mark thereby virtually eliminating a large portion of the interference. Elimination of this interference would greatly decrease error in the mark detection rate and greatly increase performance. In addition, the marking system should be robust and insensitive to amplitude scaling and other forms of malicious attacks. Whatever the merits of the above-mentioned systems and methods, they do not achieve the benefits of the present invention.

Spread spectrum modulation system and method for embedding digital information into digital or analog media


A confocal scanning optical microscope in which a specimen under test is simultaneously scanned with two distinct spots or slits of illumination and two output beams emitted from the specimen due to reflection or fluorescence are descanned and passed to separate stationary confocal apertures and detectors.

1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to an optical confocal scanning microscope.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.K. Patent Publication No. 2 184 321A discloses a confocal scanning optical microscope which is especially for the study of fluorescent or reflecting specimens. This instrument depends upon the focussing of light upon a single spot scanned over the specimen, which illuminated spot, after de-scanning, is imaged on a confocal aperture in front of a detector.
In the case where an image is to be formed of fluorescence from a specimen, the wavelength of the light directed on to the specimen is selected in such a way as to excite fluorescence. The emitted light is separated from the exciting light by a suitable beam splitter and is passed through wavelength-selective filters in such a way that the detector responds only to the light emitted by fluorescence. Instruments based on this design are commercially available. They contain a provision for subdividing the emitted light into beams of different wavelength ranges by a suitable beam splitter and filters. After this division, two dyes can be employed which emit different colours of fluorescence which can be distinguished at two detectors. Alternatively, a reflectance image can be obtained at the same time as a fluorescence image by the use of suitable beam-splitters, in accordance with accepted optical practice.
The prior art instruments work satisfactorily but all confocal scanning microscopes which rely on the use of a single scanning spot suffer from the defect that all the spectral selectivity of the system lies in the separation of the emitted or reflected beam into fractions of different wavelength. If there is considerable overlap between the fluorescent emission spectra of two dyes, they cannot be distinguished. For example, Bacallao et al comment in the Handbook of Confocal Microscopy, Plenum Press, 1990, that the commonly-used dyes fluorescein and rhodamine cannot be separated effectively in a system of this type. In order to achieve acceptable separation, it is necessary to vary the wavelength of excitation. This can be done by changing from one type of laser light to another, of spectrally different properties. First an image is obtained by operating the system with one type of excitation, and then a second image is obtained with a different type of exciting beam. This operation is slow and cumbersome.
Awamura, Ode and Yonezawa have described a microscope in which red, green and blue laser beams are scanned independently over the specimen, and the reflected beams are separated by dichroic filters and each executes a scanning motion over one of three separate linear CCD detector arrays. The description was published in the Proceedings of SPIE, The International Society for Optical Engineering (1987) Volume 765 pp 53-60. In principle, the system of Awamura et al might be used as a fluorescence microscope. It would then allow more than one type of dye to be excited in rapid succession during each line scan. However, in the case of two dyes with identical emission spectra, or a single ratiometric dye where the emission spectrum was to be monitored in a single waveband, the system of Awamura et al offers no advantage over that of White (U.K. Patent Application No. 2 184 321A), since neither system is capable of separating the two emission signals.


An orthodontic appliance has a post attached to a first upper tooth, and a button with a recess attached to a second upper tooth. An elongated arm has an eye at one end through which the post is inserted to allow the elongated arm to rotate about the post, and a tip at the other end for removable insertion into the recess of the button. The length of the elongated arm is selectable to maintain a desired spacing between the first and second upper teeth (e.g., by cutting the tip of the elongated arm). An elastic extends from either the post or button to an attachment point on the patient's lower dental arch to exert a force between the patient's maxilla and mandible.

Field of the Invention. The present invention relates generally to the field of orthodontic appliances. More specifically, the present invention discloses a distalizing orthodontic appliance to maintain a desired position or occlusion between anterior and posterior teeth, primarily during class II correction.
Statement of the Problem. In orthodontics, a malocclusion refers to the misalignment of teeth, or an incorrect relation between the teeth of the upper and lower dental arches. With proper occlusion and a full complement of teeth, the mesiobuccal cusp of the upper first molar should align with the buccal groove of the lower first molar. The teeth should all fit on a line of occlusion. For the upper arch, the teeth should form a smooth curve through the central fossae of the posterior teeth and the cingulum of the anterior teeth. For the lower arch, the teeth should form a smooth curve through the buccal cusps of the posterior teeth and the incisal edges of the anterior teeth. Variations from these conditions result in three classes of malocclusion, as follows.
Class I malocclusion, or neutrocclusion, occurs when the relationship of the upper and lower first molars is normal, as discussed above, but the remaining teeth have problems in terms of their spacing, crowding, over- or under-eruption, etc.
Class II malocclusion is also known as distocclusion, retrognathism or overjet. The upper first molars do not rest in the buccal groove of the lower first molars, but rather are positioned anteriorly. The mesiobuccal cusp typically rests in between the lower first molars and the second premolars. This often results in an overbite or protrusion of the upper anterior teeth. In other words, the upper teeth are too far forward with respect to the lower teeth in class II malocclusion.
Class III malocclusion is also known as mesiocclusion, prognathism or negative overjet. The upper first molars are placed posteriorly to the mesiobuccal groove of the lower first molars. Therefore, the lower anterior teeth are more prominent than the upper anterior teeth. Class III malocclusion often occurs when the patient has a large mandible or a short maxillary bone.
In treatment of either class II or III malocclusion, many orthodontists seek to reposition the patient's mandible as a preliminary phase of orthodontic treatment before attaching conventional braces. In particular, the patient's mandible should be repositioned forward (or anteriorly) with respect to the maxilla for class II malocclusion. The mandible should be repositioned rearward (or posteriorly) for class III malocclusion.
A wide variety of orthodontic devices have been invented in the past to bias the mandible either anteriorly or posteriorly. However, a problem arises in that the forces exerted by an orthodontic appliance to bias the mandible toward a desired position must be carried in some manner by the patient's dental anatomy to the underlying skeletal structure. These relatively large forces can undesirably move the patient's teeth during this phase of treatment. Molars are relatively large and can withstand greater forces without movement, and therefore provide a convenient anchor point for some orthodontic appliances. In contrast, anterior teeth are smaller and more easily moved.
Nonetheless, a need exists to avoid undesired movement of teeth that can result from the forces involved in repositioning the patient's mandible. In particular, many orthodontic appliances for repositioning the mandible employ elastics, springs or other types of members extending diagonally from anterior teeth in one dental arch to posterior teeth in the other dental arch (e.g., from the upper cuspids to the lower molars). Devices of this type create a specific need to maintain proper spacing between a patient's anterior teeth and molars during the process of mandible repositioning.
One example of prior art in this field is known as the Carriere appliance, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,976,839 (Lluch), 7,618,257 (Lluch), 7,238,022 (Lluch) and 7,985,070 (Carriere Lluch). This appliance has two segments, with an anterior segment bonded to an anterior tooth (e.g., a cuspid) and a posterior segment bonded to a molar. The anterior segment has an elongated arm that extends posteriorly to seat in a ball-and-socket arrangement with the posterior segment. Each individual Carriere appliance allows only a fixed spacing between the teeth. This fixed length dictates that the orthodontist must maintain an inventory of appliances of different sizes and intradental lengths.
Solution to the Problem. The present invention addresses these shortcomings of the Carriere appliance and other similar appliances by providing a distalizing appliance having an elongated member removably attached between a posterior post bonded to a molar and an anterior button bonded to an anterior tooth. One end of the elongated member is equipped with an eye looped around the posterior post, and the tip at the other end is removably seated in a recess in the anterior button. This allows the tip to be cut to any desired length to accommodate any required spacing between the anterior and posterior teeth.
This "one size fits all" approach dramatically reduces inventory requirements for the orthodontist and reduces manufacturing costs. The present invention also has the advantage of being easy to fabricate in the patient's mouth, if desired, without the need to take impressions or send to a lab.
In addition, the eye of the elongated member allows the elongated member to freely rotate about the posterior post to facilitate easy installation and removal of the elongated arm in the office.
The anterior segment of the present invention is able to move in all three planes due to the two areas of articulation provided at both ends of the elongated member. While the segment is connected and anterior-posterior movement of the bonded teeth is fixed, both the anterior and posterior bonded teeth may move separately in all three planes. In contrast, the Carriere appliance allows only one point of articulation, at the ball joint.
The present appliance provides great versatility in changing the degree of resistance or increasing anchorage by bonding additional teeth along the elongated member, if desired.


An apparatus for dispensing material from a container having a dispensing element includes a motor for repeatedly actuating the dispensing element to facilitate dispensing of the material from the container and a controller for activating the motor at predetermined time intervals. The controller may also control an LCD display to display the time remaining until the container is empty and optionally to display the battery life remaining.

The present invention relates generally to devices for repeatedly dispensing material and more specifically to an energy conserving dispensing device and method for dispensing material. In the past, various solid materials were utilized which sublimated, thereby dispersing a substitute odor for the odor found in public facilities. In order to enhance the dispersion of such sublimating materials, many suppliers developed powered fan devices which assisted in the dispersal of the sublimated material. Such devices are well known in the art. For example, the common assignee of the present invention owns U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,791 entitled Odor Control Device, issued May 16, 1989 which discloses a solid dispensing device. Also, odor control devices where a pressurized aerosol container is utilized are well known in the art. Aerosol-type dispensing devices typically include a battery powered motor that actuates the nozzle on the aerosol container on a periodic basis. Known devices have significant disadvantages. These devices do not inform the user of the amount of time or the number of days remaining until the container must be replaced or refilled. Additionally, such devices are not particularly energy efficient, and, if powered by batteries, require frequent servicing to replace the batteries.
It is also known to use liquid containers for dispensing odorizing liquid. Typically, a dispensing tube attached to the container directs a flow of liquid cleaning, disinfecting, or odorizing chemical (e.g. directly into a toilet bowl or the inside wall of a urinal). Such devices may also operate based on the flush action of a urinal or toilet and are referred to as in-line devices. One known device is a system for injecting metered amounts of chemicals into flush water as the flush water enters the toilet.
The above-described devices are usually battery powered to simplify installation. Because connection to a conventional AC outlet is not required for battery powered devices, installation is simplified and cost is reduced. When the batteries become depleted, the unit ceases to function. Accordingly, the batteries must be replaced periodically. Frequent replacement of the batteries is a significant disadvantage that becomes even more troublesome in devices that are not particularly energy efficient. Replacement of the batteries, if performed at unnecessarily frequent intervals, is an annoying task that increases maintenance costs and customer dissatisfaction. The problem of battery disposal also gives rise to environmental concerns. Customers are unwilling to perform frequent battery replacement and have been known to replace the entire device when battery replacement is required too frequently. Often, the device is replaced with an alternate model or a different manufacturer's device.
Another problem related to the energy efficiency of some of the above-described devices resides in the components used in the electronics of the devices. Some of the devices are constructed using LEDs (light emitting diodes) to provide warning signals to the user, such as an indication of a low-battery condition or a container empty condition. Other indications may also be provided. However, use of LEDs in these devices is part of the problem leading to frequent battery replacement. LED devices consume relatively large amounts of power, and use of several LEDs in a device can significantly reduce the life expectancy of the batteries. Again, this leads to unnecessary battery replacement and service calls. As more information is provided to the user, additional LEDs are required, resulting in further reduced battery life. Many known dispensing devices limit the information available to the user to reduce the number of LED devices. Often, only a low battery indication and a container empty indication are provided.
Use of LEDs in known dispensing devices renders display of relative remaining battery power difficult. Customers prefer devices having some means that indicate the useful remaining battery life so that a future service call to replace the batteries can be roughly estimated. Most known devices only include a single low-battery LED indicator, even though customers prefer that additional information be provided.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide novel apparatus to substantially overcome the above-described problems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel device for dispensing material that significantly reduces power consumption so that battery life is greatly increased.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel device for dispensing material having a novel LCD (liquid crystal display) to significantly reduce the power drain on the batteries.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel device for dispensing material having a novel LCD display that provides an incremental display of remaining battery power and provides an indication of user-selected options.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel device for dispensing material having a novel LCD display that provides an indication of the number of days remaining until the container of material must be replaced.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel device for dispensing material having very low power requirements such that the batteries operating the dispensing device rarely need to be replaced.

Material dispensing method and apparatus having display feature


The invention features apparatus and methods for measuring motor events of a subject, e.g., a human subject, where the motor events have a force component or both a frequency and force component. The apparatus include a transducer, adapted to generate an analog signal corresponding to frequency and/or force of the subject's motor event, e.g., a repetitive motion; an amplifier, which amplifies the analog signal; an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, which converts the analog signal into a digital signal; and a computer. The computer is programmed to receive the digital signal as input, store the digital signal for subsequent retrieval, retrieve the stored digital signal for processing, and process the stored digital signal. The processing includes the measurement of mean force amongst the set of individual motor events over time and measurement of the mean frequency of the set of individual motor events over time.

The invention relates to biomedical devices for quantitative measurement and analysis of progressive loss or recovery of motor activity in human subjects.
Diseases such as stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson's disease frequently result in motor deficit. It would be useful for medical personnel attending to victims of these diseases to have available a straightforward and quantitative measurement of the extent of motor deficit. Such a test would, for example, allow assessment of stroke severity, which would in turn assist in the development of standardized protocols for treatment keyed to severity. Furthermore, ongoing research toward the development of palliative drugs necessitates accurate assessment of the progress achieved by these drugs. Several methods have been developed for these measurements.
Following stroke, subjective criteria are frequently used in the measurement of motor function. In one such test, a subject curls his or her fingers and attempts to resist an examiner's attempt to straighten them. Inability by the examiner to uncurl the fingers is scored as 5+ on the Medical Research Council's 0 to 5+ scale; mild weakness is 4+, action against gravity but no other external force is 3+, and so forth down to 0, equaling no resistance from the subject. However, such studies have been shown to be irreproducible and the results are often ambiguous.
Other tests, including evaluations of grip strength and finger tapping ability, provide more useful measurements in the assessment of stroke severity. For example, a spring-based dynamometer with a mechanical needle gauge can be used to measure the force with which the subject can squeeze (Spreen et al. "A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests", 1991, pp. 367-373; Trombly Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction, 1995, p. 151; Kellor et al. Am. J. Occup. Ther., 1971, Vol. XXV, No. 2, pp. 77-83; Heller et al. J. Neurol., Neurosurg., and Psych., 1987, Vol. 50, pp. 714-719). Electrical dynamometers have also been developed with the capability of recording maximal grip strength (contraction amplitude) or the time between the initiation of contraction and the peak contraction amplitude (contraction time).
Finger tapping ability has been tested with devices ranging from mechanical tallying units (Heller et al. J. Neurol., Neurosurg., and Psych., 1987, Vol. 50, pp. 714-719; Spreen et al. "A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests", 1991, pp. 367-373) to video surveillance systems that capture minute finger tremors (Frischer Neuropsychologia, 1989, Vol. 27, No. 10, pp. 1261-1266). Still other devices include electrical counters capable of calculating tapping frequency and interval between taps, and the mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation for these quantities (Shimoyama et al. Arch. Neurol., 1990, Vol. 47, pp. 681-684).
Two scales are widely used in the evaluation of neurological status following stroke. The NIH stroke scale includes numerous components, such as assessment of language ability, vision, sensory function, level of consciousness, and motor function. The Fugl-Meyer scale assesses sensory motor function after stroke. A Fugl-Meyer arm motor subscore can also be employed; this subscore examines a multitude of factors, including deep tendon reflexes, synkinesia, strength, dexterity, tremor, and coordination.
Assessment by these traditional methods (i.e., NIH or Fugl-Meyer) is burdened by several considerations. First, excellent interobserver agreement is achieved only with extensive training. Second, the tests are time consuming, requiring about 15 minutes or longer per test for an experienced analyst. These two issues have increased in importance in recent years due to the proliferation of new drug trials.